We shape places in Utrecht that make you think: nice here.*
*with nice we mean shaped in a dialogue, sustainable, impactful, creative and community-led.
We are City Makers and Storytellers
focused on public space design through community-led approaches and creative thinking.
Our passion lies deeply in people, their relation to cities, and how to empower citizens
to shape cities in a manner that allows all users to be accounted for.
Coming up next
Get your free ticket for the upcoming editions of our 'nice here, with #...' series - your monthly hangout to engage with urban topics.
What to expect? Learning from a new inspiring guest every month, a community of citymakers and active citizens, plus a free (vegan) dinner. Everyone is welcome.
Why we do this? To be the bridge between citizens and decision-makers, to shape our city together in a participatory and playful way. Our sessions start with a conversation and end with collective action.
After all, nice cities are created by nice people.
do 13 novHuis van Actief BurgerschapOur unconscious bias: Inclusion and exclusion in the Public Space
do 04 decHuis van Actief BurgerschapIn this edition: How Broedplaatsen reshape Utrecht’s urban fabric
do 16 oktHuis van Actief BurgerschapBuilding a caring city: amplifying voices of homeless people and other citizens
do 22 meiHuis van Actief BurgerschapIn this edition: The co-created, edible neighborhood Rijnvliet
do 10 aprHuis van Actief BurgerschapIn this edition: Transforming cities from the ground up: Exploring the power of people-friendly streets and spaces
do 27 mrtHuis van Actief BurgerschapIn this edition: Collaging Community: Building Creative Spaces Through a Feminist Lens
do 13 febHuis van Actief BurgerschapIntroducing our monthly hang out: nice here, with. hosted every first Thursday of the month in the heart of Utrecht at the Huis van Actief Burgerschap in the Bibliotheek Neude. This event is an informal, welcoming space to exchange bold ideas and explore new ways to make our cities... well, nice! 🌍
do 16 janHuis van Actief BurgerschapIntroducing our monthly hang out: nice here, with. hosted every first Thursday of the month in the heart of Utrecht at the Huis van Actief Burgerschap in the Bibliotheek Neude. This event is an informal, welcoming space to exchange bold ideas and explore new ways to make our cities... well, nice! 🌍
do 12 decHuis van Actief Burgerschap -BibliotheekIntroducing our monthly hang out: nice here, with. hosted every first Thursday of the month in the heart of Utrecht at the Huis van Actief Burgerschap in the Bibliotheek Neude. This event is an informal, welcoming space to exchange bold ideas and explore new ways to make our cities... well, nice! 🌍
What we do
We work on the intersection of Placemaking and Storytelling through community led-approaches.
Placemaking
Creating places in a dialogue. That means shaping it with the people, sharing responsibility, and making it inclusive. Yes, you can be visionary, we even invite you to but it needs to be practical, flexible, and adaptable. It’s about turning a house into a home.
And we all know it, there is no place like home.
Civic Engagement
In order to create cities that are open to everyone, inclusively designed and perhaps have something playful in store we need to acknowledge the importance of involving citizens in the process. We involve the citizen in the process of action-taking and doing research, linked together by critical reflection.
Storytelling
We all carry an imperative to imagining cities for all, to engage more meaningfully with different urban actors and their different sensibilities through their stories. Storytelling for us, is a playful tool to induce understanding and compassion and, most importantly, motivate people to take action.
Action Design Research
Focusing on understanding the needs of people and the context in which they live, and then using these insights to inform the design of interventions services. It is an iterative process to help stakeholders identify problems, understand the underlying causes, and design solutions that are tailored to their local context.
Projects
#participation
#citymaking
Nice cities are created by nice people. After all, it’s never nice alone - it's only nice here, with #other people.
Introducing our monthly hang out: nice here, with hosted one Thursday of the month in the heart of Utrecht - the Huis van Actief Burgerschap in the Bibliotheek Neude. This event is an informal, welcoming space to exchange bold ideas and explore new ways to make our cities... well, nice! 🌍
Whether you're a city lover, a placemaker, or someone shaping the future of how we live and connect, this is where you belong. We’re inviting the nice people who are transforming cities in creative, critical, and fun ways.
From the housing crisis, to designing livable communities, to urban greenery, and all the challenges in between. No edition is like the other. Each month, we come together to dive into a different topic to spark new conversations and connections. It starts with a conversation, and ends with tangible collective action!
![TimeBanking – What’s That?
Imagine a world where time is the currency. No dollars, no euros, no pounds—just your skills and your time. That’s what TimeBanking is all about: swapping time for time. One hour of your skills equals one hour of someone else’s, no matter what. 🙌
At our latest event, we brought this concept to life with an interactive simulation that turned giving and receiving into a fun experiment.
Here’s how it worked:
💡 Step 1: Everyone wrote down 3 things they can offer and 3 things they need.
💡 Step 2: Each participant created their own “currency” (shoutout to Rexdoller and Mapound- just to name some.
💡 Step 3: The trading began—and the magic happened.
✨ The biggest takeaway?
Every single need could be met by the group’s collective skills. Let that sink in—everything we needed, we already had. Mind-blowing, right?
Like the idea and have lots to give and receive?
Join the TimeBanking Whatsapp community to keep that spirit alive. [Link in Bio]](https://scontent-sea5-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.71878-15/475366717_580682488171858_385941349669223976_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0xJUFMuYmVzdF9pbWFnZV91cmxnZW4uQzMifQ%3D%3D&_nc_ohc=cST-YpadV84Q7kNvwE2tuNr&_nc_oc=AdmEcgxL68Z8mpxzoWs_ksVVQp7wCEe1_cwwFLEXaNeq3D0vPBUNc79GPSgVYZsHHaU&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-sea5-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=ZXguyYFo1jZqlmQzQX8IBg&oh=00_Afcgq8rcW0EdSTRh8_Z4gTD9lV6a5rE-wsis454B6vAppg&oe=68FC7D97)
