European Prize for Urban Public Space Shortlist Highlights Climate-Adaptive Projects

The European Prize for Urban Public Space has announced its shortlist for 2026, featuring five projects that transform car-centric infrastructure into climate-resilient public spaces. Among the finalists is Leopold Banchini's 'Round About Baths' in Logroño, Spain, a temporary installation that converted a roundabout into a public bath with a shallow pool and steam room, using repurposed cast-iron flower pots as fire bowls. The project, part of the Concéntrico architecture festival in June 2025, lasted only a week due to safety and regulatory hurdles, highlighting the difficulty of permanent changes to car infrastructure. Another Spanish finalist, Barcelona's Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes, successfully buried three thoroughfares to create green space, while Antwerp's Zuidpark, designed by Tractebel, covers a former car park with 500 trees and 'rain gardens' to combat heat and flooding. The shortlist also includes the Leça Green Corridor in Portugal and Peace Park in Vicenza, Italy. The winner will be announced on 15 October by the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona and six partner institutions.