Having the urban life as its main topic, we will be approaching its complementary themes, such as urbanism, public space, mobility, housing and other uses, financing, environment, participation, urban art, heritage and many others.

It was 2011 when I first met Alexandros Washburn. He was a lecturer at a seminar in Sao Paulo and I sat at the audience, mesmerized by his ability to explain in such a simplistic manner my everyday life as an urban designer working for the public sector. He presented us his three “bosses” – Frederick Law Olmsted, Jane Jacobs and Robert Moses – and didactically went through the complexities of our job. He inspired many professionals that day – including me.

One of the greatest surprises I have ever experienced when taking a trip was to visit Madrid Río project, in 2012. The fantastic linear park along Manzanares river had just been opened and I hadn´t read much about it or even seen its images by then. Many people didn´t even acknowledge its existence, since the city has developed away from it, very differently from Paris or London, for example.