Philosophy

At the Studio for Public Spaces, we believe that the public spaces in our cities and elsewhere are a critical resource to be nurtured and utilized. Developed thoughtfully, they can be places where we learn, connect, and rejuvenate to face our rapidly changing society and environment. In these spaces, which are open to all regardless of background or means, a diversity of people can come together, generating potential for new points of view and creative responses to complex global and local issues from homelessness to climate change.

At the Exploratorium, we have a deep respect for learners of all types. We believe people learn best when they’re in charge, so we create learning situations that allow for surprise and discovery, where people can create outcomes unique to their individual circumstances. This enables and encourages learners to take risks, run experiments, and delve into their own potential for making new meanings and connections.

Our society needs individuals with this sense of personal agency, to generate the ideas, strategies, and visions that will help us adapt to the future. It needs people who are aware and connected to themselves, to others, and to the world they inhabit. The goal of the Studio for Public Spaces is to create public places of play, inquiry, and creativity that nurture these virtues, places that give rise to self-expression and cultural exchange. Empowering people to become their best selves may be the most powerful contribution we can make to meeting the challenges of our time.