Bringing together mayors, social scientists, designers and educators, the Governing, Designing, and Educating Urban Futures symposium investigated how innovations in urban governance, planning and education can bring about transformative change, with an emphasis on new, inclusive and socially progressive narratives.
The event was structured in two sessions. The first panel chaired by Mariana Mazzucato (Director, UCL IIPP) focused on innovation in city governance discussing the ways in which different economic and delivery models can lead to positive change. The second panel chaired by Ricky Burdett (Director, LSE Cities) with designers, planners and social scientists explore how enduring spatial and educational frameworks lock cities into regressive environments that fail to promote inclusion and justice.
Participating in the roundtables: Claudia López (Mayor of Bogota, Colombia), Ada Colau (Former Mayor of Barcelona, Spain), Soledad Núñez (former Minister for Housing and Habitat, Paraguay), Laura Lieto (Deputy Mayor of Naples, Italy), Dan Hill (Director, Melbourne School of Design), Rahul Mehrotra (Professor, Graduate School of Design, Harvard University) and Alcinda Honwana (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs), Richard Sennett (Emeritus Professor of Sociology, LSE).
Event Summary
Read a blog summarising the key discussion points from the symposium
Event Recording
Watch a recoding of the event on the Venice Biennale's YouTube channel
Media Coverage
Read published interviews with symposium speakers
- La Repubblica interview with Richard Sennett, Emeritus Professor of Sociology, LSE
- Artribune interview with Ricky Burdett, Director of LSE Cities
- Il Mattino interview with Laura Lieto, Deputy Mayor of Naples
Symposium programme
Explore the symposium programme and its speakers