Informed Cities Newsletter - Waterfronts in motion: art and culture shaping new urban futures

Across Europe, waterfront cities are using art, culture, and play to change how people experience and care for their rivers and coastlines. From the Kaaifeest in Bruges, where streets become canvases for chalk drawings, knitting, dance and street art, to Sladovna Písek’s “gallery through play”, where children and adults reimagine their relationship with the Otava River, cities are opening up new ways to engage their communities in waterfront transformation.

In Ålesund, Teatret Vårt is transforming a neglected waterfront building into a stage for youth voices through the play “Our Town”, while in Detroit Sidewalk Detroit is linking stormwater infrastructure with public sculpture and storytelling to connect climate justice with lived experience. Together, these initiatives show how artistic and cultural practices can make urban change tangible for local communities.

The Re-Value SeaTowel has been travelling to European waterfronts since October 2025, connecting local actions to wider conversations about people-centred waterfront transformation. Through the #ReValueYourWaterfront campaign, cities are sharing their own waterfront stories, whether beautiful or challenging, to highlight what is happening with their waterways and coastlines and what needs to change.

The SeaTowel will continue its journey to the Re-Value Final Forum, which is taking place in Bruges on 18 November 2026. This public event will be where cities, practitioners, and EU-level actors can come together to reflect on lessons learned and future pathways to more inclusive and sustainable urban planning and design. Citymakers across Europe are invited to save the date and join the Forum to add their voices to this growing collective narrative of waterfront transformation through integrated environmental, social, spatial, and creative strategies.

Read our May 2026 Newsletter