Start with Children conference, the Pulse festival etc.

Attractive Cities Think of Children

Interview with the Director of the Metropolitan Institute of Bratislava, Petra Marko
Petra Marko is a Slovak architect and urban planner. She has long worked in London, where she and Igor Marko founded a company in 2013 focusing on transformative principles of placemaking and green urbanism – Marko&Placemakers. Since 2024, she has been the director of the Metropolitan Institute of Bratislava, where she looks at the city’s development through the lens of children. We talked to Petra about the agenda of the MIB, the gradual transformation of Bratislava, and the challenges it faces, like London. She also introduced this year’s speakers at the Start with Children conference taking place on May 13–14 in Bratislava.

The Metropolitan Institute of Bratislava was established in 2019. What topics do you address and promote in the city?

The Metropolitan Institute of Bratislava was established as a conceptual institute in the fields of architecture, public spaces, urban planning, and participation. Simply put, we respond to the question, „What kind of city do we want?“ both through the creation and planning of physical transformation of the city and as a facilitator and mediator through participation with both experts and the public. Our goal, in collaboration with the city, is to support quality urban creation and functional solutions reflecting the needs of residents, as well as building an active and engaged relationship between people and the shared space of our city. This is very important in the context of our history and geopolitics.

What are the biggest challenges public space in Bratislava faces?

Public space in Bratislava has long been a neglected topic. There have been insufficient investments in public spaces, as well as conceptual and strategic solutions. After the revolution, the city developed without clearly defined values and principles to protect the public interest, which strained the trust between the public, the city, and investors. At the same time, with the rising living standards, the share of individual car transport and suburbanization has significantly increased.

What sparked its gradual change?

About a decade ago, Bratislava experienced a grassroots demand where people started to actively shape how they want to live in the city – whether through the establishment of street markets, community gardens, or activating empty urban buildings. We are currently in a period where the city has a clear vision and purposeful political leadership, which is also related to the establishment of the MIB. Our institute, with a team of nearly 70 interdisciplinary experts, serves as a tool for conceptual and strategic urban development. The results of this work, based on the manuals and principles of the MIB, are already visible today in regular transit streets, as well as in iconic, revitalized public spaces. They are founded on principles of inclusion and the cultivation of shared space, supporting pedestrian movement, cycling, and enhancing the attractiveness of public transport.

Is it audacious to compare the public space of Bratislava and London, where you have worked professionally for a long time?

Although they are very different cities, Bratislava and London share common challenges – whether in sustainable transport, housing, or public spaces. They relate to the urbanism of the second half of the twentieth century, which, simply put, planned cities primarily for cars, not for people. They are also connected to the climate crisis, which is a global problem we all face. In the process of rebalancing our relationship with public space, Bratislava is at a different starting line than London, but in principle, we are heading in the same direction. That change is already visible today.

Can you think of specific examples?

For example, the revitalization of Freedom Square, which had been a black hole on the map for decades. One of the most popular public spaces in the city has emerged there, where thousands of people gather for concerts or protests. During a regular day, it is a lively place for people to meet or walk their dogs. The accessible fountain in the square serves as a playground for both children and adults. It could be compared to the transformation of Trafalgar Square in London two decades ago, which turned from a roundabout into a real square through the creation of a pedestrian zone. However, even in London, things do not happen overnight; for example, the creation of a pedestrian zone on Oxford Street has been in discussions and plans for decades.

What position do children have in public space? Are they forgotten in city planning?

The United Nations defines children’s rights – among them, the right to play, the right to associate (in public spaces), and the right to engage in the decision-making process. Since children do not participate in the electoral process, their needs in cities have not always had political priority. Similarly, the needs of women have long been neglected in cities because disciplines such as transport planning and urban development were dominated by men, reflecting their needs to a greater extent. However, the situation began to change at the turn of the century, and today gender-sensitive planning is becoming more prominent, as well as planning that considers the needs of children and women.

In which countries have the needs of children in public spaces been focused on longer, how does Bratislava compare, and what impact does this have on life?

Dutch cities or our neighboring Vienna have developed based on these principles since the 1970s, and today they are among the most attractive cities with a high quality of life for everyone. At the Metropolitan Institute, we address inclusion and the needs of vulnerable groups – namely children, youth, and seniors – across all scales, from street design to urban planning. Our „City for Children“ program primarily focuses on involving children in city-making and transforming the areas around schools into better and safer spaces. Over the next three years, we will improve the environment around schools for nearly 15,000 children through this program. Again, it’s not just about physical change, but about building an engaged new generation with a strong relationship to place – which is why participation through various activities like "Play Streets," workshops, or mindful walks is a large part of the program.

This year’s theme at the Start with Children conference, co-organized by the MIB, is the question: How to create vibrant neighborhoods and communities? What speakers can we look forward to at the conference?

Among the main speakers are Carlos Moreno, a world-renowned urbanist and author of the 15-minute city concept, which has significantly transformed the quality of the city of Paris; Dinah Bornat, an architect, member of the London Mayor’s Council, and author of the new publication "All to Play for: How to design child-friendly housing"; Eva Kail, a Viennese urban planner who was instrumental in transforming Vienna into one of the best cities in the world through gender-sensitive planning; Jonny Anstead, a developer of the award-winning community housing Marmalade Lane in Cambridge; and Adam Gebrian, a well-known Czech architecture promoter who will share his experiences from Barcelona through the lens of his son. This is just a selection of the numerous speakers you will discover on the conference website.
The second conference, which will follow the Start with Children, is Pulse in Ostrava. This year, the mayor of Bratislava, who is also an architect, Matúš Vallo, will speak at the conference, which has the main theme of restart.

The world is changing relentlessly – economically, socially, ecologically – do you think that the fields of design, architecture, and urban planning should keep pace with these changes?

Architecture and design surround us daily, so it is essential to continually engage with how we plan our environment. This has not been different in the past; cities have been the cradle of human civilization for centuries. By 2050, it is estimated that 70% of the world’s population will live in cities. Therefore, urban creation is a key topic not only for mayors but also for government politicians, economists, and sociologists. It will be up to cities how society copes with challenges such as the climate crisis or social and economic inequalities. Disciplines like architecture, urbanism, and design can significantly influence this development if politicians understand their crucial role. This is also reflected in the trend in many cities that are once again filling the position of city architect.