CASESSTAKEHOLDERSMETHODOLOGIES
Placemaking brings together public authorities, civil society, knowledge institutions, social support organisations, cultural actors, and local communities. A diverse placemaking ecosystem connects top-down and bottom-up approaches, formal institutions and civic initiatives, and local action with broader networks, creating the conditions for long-term community ownership and stewardship of public spaces.
Placemaking is never just about transforming a physical space. It is about bringing together the people, organisations and institutions that shape how places are used, experienced and cared for. From residents and community groups to local authorities, artists, researchers and businesses, every stakeholder contributes different knowledge, resources and perspectives.
Within the European Placemaking Academy (EPA), partners have been working together to develop a shared approach to stakeholder analysis that reflects the diversity of placemaking practices across Europe. Rather than relying on a ready-made model, the consortium began by exchanging experiences and comparing how each organisation identifies and works with stakeholders in its own local context. This process revealed not only many common principles, but also different ways of understanding who contributes to placemaking and why.
Drawing inspiration from the widely used Pentahelix model, we developed our own methodology. Instead of simply grouping stakeholders by sector, the EPA approach also considers the role each actor plays in making placemaking possible. Whether shaping public policy, generating knowledge, strengthening community participation, creating cultural programmes or supporting collaboration, every stakeholder has a distinct contribution to the life of a place.
This work resulted in the Placemaking Stakeholder Compass—a practical tool that helps organisations visualise their stakeholder networks. The Compass maps both the different types of stakeholders and the scale at which they operate, from neighbourhood initiatives to regional, national and international organisations. By making these relationships visible, it becomes easier to recognise existing strengths, identify missing connections and build more balanced partnerships for future placemaking activities.
To ensure the methodology works beyond theory, EPA partners tested the Compass using their own stakeholder networks. Organisations from across the consortium mapped real examples of municipalities, universities, cultural institutions, community organisations, social initiatives and professional networks. These exercises demonstrated that, despite working in very different contexts, partners share many of the same challenges—and that a common framework can help them learn from one another while respecting local differences.
The Stakeholder Compass is not intended to be a fixed model or a checklist. Like placemaking itself, it is designed to evolve through collaboration and practice. During the next stages of the project, each partner will apply the methodology within its own organisation, reflecting on the diversity of its partnerships and identifying opportunities to engage new actors. The lessons learned will feed directly into the refinement of the methodology and, later, into stakeholder mapping for the local placemaking initiatives developed within the European Placemaking Academy.
By creating a shared language for understanding stakeholder ecosystems, the project is laying the groundwork for stronger collaboration across Europe. More importantly, it is helping ensure that placemaking is shaped not by a single organisation or sector, but by the diverse communities and partnerships that bring places to life.
The full version of our analisys may be found in the short acticle prepared by us: DOWNLOAD