ABSTRACT
In opposition to big projects driven by economic interests, placemaking is centred on what people can do by themselves to strengthen their communities. The idea of 'placemaking' introduces a new interest for the interactions between the urban environment and people in public spaces. 'Public spaces' are decisive in producing quality throughout the city. Traditional urban spaces reclaim their historically-created values. However, today, the 'sense of place' relies on the fusion of urban dynamics in a city with hybrid identities. The 'sense of place' overcomes neighbourhood planning and returns to urban design together with new demands for participation. In contemporary cities, non-places merge into new purposes and significances with the existing meanings but in an un-historical way. In the dynamics of meanings, the urban design culture can also detect the 'genius loci' to establish a dialogue with its physical features and conditions. 'Genius loci' is the narrative argument.
