In late January, M-CO Project Manager and Researcher Aifric O’Leary Deane attended The City Invites, Open House Europe’s annual summit discussing how accessibility and inclusion can reshape cities into places that are open, vibrant and welcoming for all. These are her thoughts.
The City Invites in the Printworks, Dublin Castle was an insightful exploration of how urban spaces can be designed to foster inclusion, participation, and sustainability.
Over two days, panel discussions with urban professionals from across Europe explored themes such as participatory democracy, the reuse of existing structures, and universal design in housing.
Throughout the summit, several key themes emerged:
- — The ‘right to the city’ — who gets to shape and benefit from urban development?
- — The balance between identity, ownership, and financial pressures in city-making.
- — The city as an ever-evolving, incomplete project, requiring ongoing dialogue and adaptation.
A recurring message emerged: cities should be shaped by and for the people who inhabit them.
The summit began on Thursday evening with The City Imagined, a discussion led by Group 91 Architects, the collective behind the cultural regeneration of Temple Bar in the 1990s, and who are now leading practices such as Grafton Architects, and O’Donnell and Tuomey Architects.
Reflecting on their work three decades later, Group 91 emphasised the importance of collaboration, bravery in design, and the need to embrace imperfection. They highlighted challenges in urban development in Dublin today, particularly the over-regulation that often hinders innovation in city-making and the financialisation of housing.
On Friday morning, The City Belongs panel explored participatory democracy in urban planning, echoing Jane Jacobs’ belief that “cities have the possibility to provide something for everyone only when they are designed by everyone.”
The session showcased initiatives from across Europe where citizens have reclaimed vacant and neglected spaces, transforming them into thriving social and economic hubs.
A key takeaway was that successful projects happen at the speed of trust—built through sustained and genuine community engagement rather than top-down interventions. This was followed by The City Reused, which explored the untapped potential of existing urban structures.
A powerful message from this discussion was that materials are heavy and should stay local, while people and ideas are light and should travel.
With the construction industry being one of the largest contributors to carbon emissions, the speakers urged us to rethink how we build—prioritising local resources, minimising waste, and repurposing existing structures wherever possible.
Echoing the participatory democracy theme discussed earlier in the day, speakers stressed the importance of engaging local communities in these reuse projects and shifting away from a purely financial perspective on buildings.
Without community input, projects risk failure, highlighting that urban professionals do not always have the best answers—listening, flexibility, and shared ownership are essential.
The last talk, The City Includes, addressed the persistent challenges faced by disabled people in securing suitable housing. The discussion underscored that universal design benefits everyone, yet accessibility remains an afterthought in many urban developments.
Speakers highlighted the need to design environments that foster autonomy rather than restrict it.
Above all, The City Invites showed us that the future of cities depends on bold ideas, inclusive policies, and collaborative efforts.
It was a powerful reminder that with thoughtful planning and inclusive policies, and by prioritising people and their lived experiences, we can create urban spaces that work for everyone.