Art creates a sense of belonging, and has the power to transform places

Art and culture have an important role in supporting a sustainable and just transition in cities. One potential pathway is to achieve a tangible or physical urban transformation by performing an inclusive and environmentally-friendly process of urban development through cultural solutions.  Moreover, art can also be a tool to connect with traditionally excluded communities in a more creative manner, promoting collective thinking and raising awareness about justice and sustainability issues via approaches such as Culture for Empowerment. 

Art boosts creativity, and as such, it can be a powerful tool for visualizing an innovative desired shared future, enabling the governance arrangement of “Creating a common vision for change” (check out the explanatory video here). Similarly, culture is often called the “glue” that holds people together, and therefore, intercultural dialogue can contribute to the governance arrangement of “Building bridges between separate stakeholder groups” (check out the explanatory video, here). 

Uneven and exclusionary urban intensification and regeneration (see video here) refers to the ways in which new urban developments might force trade-offs between the social and environmental goals of urban sustainability projects. These processes have been very widespread in the historic city centres. Undertaking regeneration projects that protect cultural and artistic values in their core, such as adaptive reuse of cultural heritage, not only reduces environmental impact (by saving energy and waste) but it also enhances a sense of belonging and social inclusion, respecting the heritage communities around it. 

• Art and creativity play an important role in bringing people together and envisioning a more sustainable and just future.
• Though music, drawing, sculpture, theatre and more, artists can influence and help people understand and engage with issues around sustainability and justice.
• Art should not be used only through its creative potential and emotional aspects, but also as a pedagogical tool to bridge the gap between expert and non-expert citizens. Art can help conceptualise ideas that might otherwise be hard to communicate.