How can we create a culture of designing, making and operating public spaces that communities can relate to? What is the role of professionals and authorities in supporting local communities’ efforts to shape the public realm?

In this lecture and workshop facilitated by Helsinki based architect and urban designer Arvind Ramachandran, we will share thoughts and experiences about the immense potential public spaces hold not just as places for people to relax and socialize, but also as platforms for building community resilience.

The event will begin with a short presentation about the importance of thriving local public spaces. Using examples from his work in Helsinki and his residency in New York, Arvind will highlight key issues affecting how we create and sustain these spaces.

The presentation will be followed by an exhibition and collective test of the Field Kit for Public Space Imagination, a tool Arvind hopes will lower barriers for designers of public spaces to engage in conversations with users and local communities.

Participation in this event requires no prior familiarity with public space design. Participants are free to join in ways that feel best to them, whether as a listener or as an active participant in the conversation.

Arvind Ramachandran is an architect and urban designer interested in how power is spatialized in the city. In his work with public spaces at the City of Helsinki, he focuses on ways in which planning professionals can be allies to local communities in their attempts to shape the urban environment.

During his residency from Oct - Dec 2025 co-hosted by the Finnish Cultural Institute in New York and The Cooper Union School of Architecture, Arvind has been exploring how the megacity is built not just through masterplans and monumental projects, but also through the continuous and collective shaping of everyday spaces.

This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required.

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Lecture & Workshop | Arvind Ramachandran: Conversations Around Public Space