Cities are the pre-eminent loci where historical memory is recorded, social interactions unfold, and visions of the future are articulated. It is no coincidence that they encapsulate both the social challenges and the demands of each era. On the one hand, cities reflect a people’s identity over time and, on the other, in recent years especially, they are hubs of multiculturalism, providing the backdrop for the formation of attitudes, collective practices, and ethical and aesthetic perceptions. A number of thinkers have highlighted the social, ethical, pedagogical, aesthetic and ideological role of the urban environment. For instance, for Martin Heidegger ‘dwelling’ is one of the most fundamental manifestations of ‘being’, Sigfried Giedion assigns architecture with the ‘task’ to interpret a way of contemporary life, and Karsten Harries underlines the ethical responsibility of architecture to forge communal bonds. At any rate, the question of which city we ultimately desire is inseparable from who we aspire to be, which form of social relationships we appreciate, what kind of relationship with nature we aspire to have, and which values we hold.

On the other hand, the intense urbanisation, the increased migration flows and population mobil­ity, and a generalised economic, environmental and energy crisis have radically changed the dynamics of metropolitan cities. Indeed, today’s urban centres are plagued not only by an un­precedented housing crisis and new forms of inequality, but also by social polarisation, divisive rhetoric, and racist and gender-based forms of violence. The ongoing shrinkage of the urban public sphere, the enclosing and privatisation of spaces previously used and understood collec­tively,5 unregulated development, the plundering of the natural environment, and the degradation of public infrastructure have caused the erosion of urban ecosystems and social welfare safety valves. At the same time, the recent coronavirus pandemic and consequent remote working condi­tions have witnessed the disintegration of physical spaces and the virtual mediation of civic life, while providing impetus to claims for universal access to public spaces and a more meaningful participation of the citizen in the public sphere.

From this perspective, what are the current op­portunities and greatest challenges or limitations in the urban experience of the local communi­ty? Can phenomena of social exclusion be ad­dressed through spatial tools? In what ways can urban centres become more sustainable in an era of climate crisis and overpopulation? How can public space be re-appropriated, how can the experience of the city be enriched, and how can the continuation of the collective memory of its inhabitants be ensured? Taking these questions into account and on the occasion of World Cities Day on October 31, 2022, the City of Athens, with the support of the United Nations Regional Information Centre and the Eurocities network, ex­tended an open call to artists, architects, graphic designers, and other creators to submit proposals on how they imagine their city in the future.