The ImagineTheCity platform was designed in 2009 and is being developed in order to open a creative dialogue between citizens, academics, creators and local authorities, on the decision-making processes and design of public works in Greek cities. It is developing a series of exhibitions in Greek cities presenting proposals for the regeneration of the urban landscape of each city enhanced with parallel urban events.
Through ImagineTheCity Exhibitions, citizens are given the opportunity to be informed, discuss, understand the possibilities of improvement of their city’s image and quality of life, and envision their city differently. An open call to the creative community and the educational institutions of Greece is made, in order to gather studies, digital material, designs and 3D models created by students and professionals around the country and abroad, which refer exclusively to the aesthetic and functional upgrade of the host city, through architectural, urban planning or artistic interventions. Throughout the duration of each exhibition, parallel events take place around the city, in order to disseminate new knowledge and perceptions to the local community, actively engaging children and young people to possibilities of transforming the urban landscape. Τhrough lectures, debates, workshops and urban interventions, ideas on urban regeneration and local development are disseminated, unknown facets of the city are revealed and new ground for local synergies is created. The organization of ImagineTheCity Exhibitions is realized by local initiatives, in collaboration with the ImagineTheCity Coordination Team, which provides tools, know-how and support, based on the network and experience of all respective initiatives around Greece. Local initiatives can be informal groups of citizens, local organizations or citizens’ initiatives, and they are motivated to build up an open network of cooperation between local citizens and organizations in order to co-develop each ImagineTheCity Exhibition.