International Lecture Series: Charles Landry

This lecture by urban planner and author Charles Landry is part of the ‘International Lecture Series’ at the Royal Danish Academy where prominent international names are invited to present their views on significant topics in architecture.

The Creative City & the Art of City Making

City-making is an art, not a formula. Beyond traditional approaches to urban planning, architecture and engineering, city-making is an art that can be used to reimagine and revitalize cities. 

Building on this original approach, Charles Landry will in this lecture examine urban potential and urban innovation through case studies across the world. He will present a reassessment of how cities can strengthen their identity and respond to evolving global challenges such as shifting economic conditions and mass migration. 

The lecture will explore the underlying tensions, paradoxes, and strategic dilemmas that make the pursuit of the “good city” such a complex challenge.

About Charles Landry

Charles Landry developed the concept of the Creative City in the late 1980s. In 1978, he founded his company, Comedia, with a group of collaborators dedicated to projects focused on urban life, culture, and creativity. 

Over the past 35 years, this work has led to more than 500 projects worldwide and over 200 publications, many of which are considered groundbreaking in the field. Today, Charles Landry is recognised as a leading figure in urban development and innovation, having advised numerous cities across the globe. 

Charles Landry is especially known for his books The Creative City: A Toolkit for Urban Innovators and The Art of City Making. His work reimagines city-making by exploring the nomadic world, intercultural cities, cultural resources and creative economy, the psychology of urban spaces, risk and fragility and measuring creativity.