The New European Bauhaus at the heart of the discussion
The Municipality of Limassol has officially launched the process of redesigning its social policy through the one-day conference titled “A Society for All, in a City for All”, held on Thursday, October 30, at the Municipal Cultural Center “Panos Solomonides.” The event brought together academics, organizations, experts, and dozens of citizens.
The main focus of the conference was how the New European Bauhaus (NEB) can serve as both a framework and a tool for transforming the Municipality’s social policy, linking space, daily life, and the quality of life of citizens. The conference marked the beginning of an open dialogue with civil society. Ideas and proposals gathered during the event will be used to shape the new social policy of Limassol, aiming to build a city that is inclusive and accessible to all.
The first part of the conference featured presentations, open discussions, and examples from Cyprus and across Europe, illustrating how the NEB’s principles can be translated into practice through social and spatial interventions. It also included a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Sotiris Themistokleous, Director of Strategic Development at the Centre for Social Innovation. Panel participants included Mayor of Limassol Yiannis Armeftis, Dr. Ioanna Kyprianou (Researcher, The Cyprus Institute), Dr. Socrates Stratis (Architect & Urban Planner, University of Cyprus), Dr. Yiannis Papadakis (Social Anthropologist, University of Cyprus), and Dr. Dimitris Photiou (Product Strategy Consultant, Simlead Ltd).
In his address, Mayor Yiannis Armeftis emphasized that “the social policy of a modern municipality cannot be designed behind closed doors. We must listen to citizens, social groups, organizations, and everyone who experiences daily the needs, inequalities, and opportunities of our city. We want to build a Limassol where social sensitivity is not just a concept, but a lived reality, in a city that leaves no one behind.” He added that “the spirit of the New European Bauhaus invites us to connect social policy with space, everyday life, aesthetics, and sustainability. It shows us that we can design policies and infrastructures that serve both people and the city, the environment and the community.”
This approach will be embedded at the core of Limassol’s new Social Policy Framework, which will be structured around key pillars such as Accessibility, Inclusion, Elderly Care, Gender-Sensitive Design, and People with Migrant Backgrounds.
The next step in the redesign process will include a series of workshops and consultations with the participation of scientists, organizations, and representatives of civil society. At the same time, an online dialogue will be launched, using modern digital tools to gather ideas and feedback from the wider public.
The results of the process will be presented at a special event organized by the Municipality of Limassol, where the main conclusions and priorities of the new strategy will be announced.
More pictures from the event:
