Rashiq Fataar presents lecture 'What Design Can’t Do. But Can Placemaking?' in Rotterdam

Our Future Cities CEO Rashiq Fataar recently delivered a lecture at the Independent School for the City in Rotterdam titled “What Design Can’t Do. But Can Placemaking?”. The lecture was followed by local perspectives from Veldacademie’s Carina van der Beek, Otto Trienekens and Céline Janssen.

The lecture explored a question at the centre of OFC’s work: what happens when cities cannot wait for perfect plans, large budgets or formal systems to arrive? Drawing on South African neighbourhoods shaped by inequality, spatial exclusion and uneven public investment, Rashiq reflected on the limits of design as a solution on its own, and on the need to take seriously the knowledge, care and agency already present within communities.

Later that evening, we shared the recently launched fourth season of Good Hood Stories, featuring films on community-led placemaking projects in Khayelitsha, Gugulethu and Mitchells Plain.

Thank you to the Independent School for the City for hosting the evening, and to Mike Emmerik and Simone Rots for their support.

For speaking opportunities or event enquiries, email team@ourfuturecities.co

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