The celebration of the 60th anniversary of the School of Architecture of the Universitat Politècnica de València (ETSA-UPV) provides a strategic opportunity to reflect collectively on the role of architecture in shaping both the city and Valencian society itself. Under the motto “60 Years Building the City”, this initiative highlights the two-way relationship between the school and the city, showing how they have grown together in an inseparable process of mutual enrichment that should be recognised as a shared achievement.

The project is conceived as an urban festival with an open cultural programme that presents architecture as a public good serving society. It demonstrates how this discipline can improve people’s daily lives, strengthen collective identity, and help address today’s challenges successfully.

The festival decentralises its cultural activities, bringing them closer to the public both physically and conceptually. To achieve this, it proposes a series of public activities—including temporary urban interventions, exhibitions, urban tours, a programme of lectures and debates, educational initiatives, and editorial and audiovisual productions—aimed at celebrating the city’s major urban achievements, made possible through the active involvement of its residents. At the same time, the programme seeks to continue raising public awareness of the impact of architecture on the city of València and its potential to contribute to people’s well-being and to the essential resilience of the territory from a Mediterranean perspective.

The project is fully aligned with the objectives of the funding call, contributing to the promotion of the social, cultural, technical, and environmental values of high-quality contemporary architecture. This anniversary is inspired by the principles of the New European Bauhaus, integrating sustainability, inclusion, and beauty as its guiding values, in line with the Urban Agenda and public policies aimed at improving collective well-being. In addition, the programme incorporates a gender perspective and universal accessibility as cross-cutting principles, promotes interdisciplinary knowledge, and aims to provide a lasting documentary legacy that can continue to inspire future generations.