Traditional urban planning and architectural practices seem to fail in the face of gentrification processes, community displacements, and ecological degradation. Is it possible to re-establish self-governing operations that are ruled by communal welfare rather than the economic interests of a few?

Público is a physical space in Cajicá (Colombia) offering an independent place where local people and groups can participate in the construction of the environments that surround them. The project questions established city-making practices by creating a setting for citizens to become active agents in reshaping their city through the development and support of community-led endeavours.

Público invites citizens to use its space for talks, activities, screenings, exhibitions, walks, concerts, and classes to create discussions around what it means to inhabit Cajicá. Operating as a place of exchange between users, viewers, and occupiers, Público makes city-making practices accessible to a wider range of people while diversifying the agents involved in urban and rural spaces. Instead of letting a few experts plan the future in the name of others, Público proposes a scheme where collective interests and wellbeing drive the design and construction of our built and natural environments.