We were honoured to host The City Invites: Open House Europe Annual Summit in Dublin Castle on 30-31 January. The Summit gathered 900 people, including delegates from 24 Open House festivals across Europe and beyond, to explore how accessibility and inclusion can reshape cities into places that are open, vibrant and welcoming for all.

Now you can watch back the four expert panel discussions on these timely topics in city-making today.

This City Imagined – A conversation on Dublin, 30 years in the making

Thirty years after Group 91 won the competition to transform Dublin’s dilapidated Temple Bar district, what can we learn from that project and from architects who went on to achieve national and international acclaim? Chaired by Christele Harrouk, Editor-in-Chief of ArchDaily and IAF Director Emmett Scanlon, now you can play back what they had to say!

Speakers: Shay Cleary, Siobhán Ní Éanaigh, Yvonne Farrell, Valerie Mulvin, Shane O’Toole, and John Tuomey.

The City Belongs – Participatory democracy in city design and planning

What is the social and transformative potential of participatory democracy in design and urban planning in Europe’s cities? Speakers explored this question with examples and strategies.

Speakers: Aliénor Saint-Cast, Marta Ribera Carbó, Ailbhe Cunningham, Akil Scafe-Smith and Seth Scafe-Smith. Moderated by Manijeh Verghese.

The City Reused – Unlocking potential in the city that is already built

This panel unlocked the potential of reuse and creative adaptation in transforming heritage structures, buildings, and spaces for cultural and creative use, highlighting environmental benefits, civic and cultural pride, and community resilience.

Speakers: Barbora Ponešová, Marie Joja, Timo Hauge, Matthew Griffin, Britta Jürgens, and Daniel Bell. Moderated by Cormac Murray.

The City Includes – Housing for a city, accessible to all

Although the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities recognises the right of disabled people to adequate housing, many disabled people experience barriers to accessing housing that meets their needs. This panel conveyed the urgent need to apply principles of universal design to housing.

Speakers: Fíonnadh McGonigle, Nicola Ryan, Jack Kavanagh, John Fulham, and Felix Hemmers.  Moderated by Louise Bruton.

Photo by Ste Murray.