Design desirable, sustainable spaces focused on real-world usage
Designing More Vibrant, Inclusive, and Sustainable Territories
At Aktan, we support communities, metropolitan areas, and public operators in the design, experimentation, and implementation of urban projects, public spaces, territorial services, and collective transformation initiatives.
Our conviction: the success of a territorial innovation project relies as much on the usage and stakeholder participation as on the infrastructure and technical systems. Territories are transformed with and for the people who inhabit them.
Our Missions: From Strategy to Implementation
We operate across the entire transformation cycle:
Explore Local Usages and Dynamics
Understanding the practices of residents, visitors, agents, merchants, economic actors, as well as challenges in mobility, inclusion, security, and attractiveness.
Design Tomorrow's Public Services and Spaces
Combine design, strategy, and collective intelligence to build desirable, useful solutions tailored to territorial specifics.
Support Implementation and Collective Transformation
Co-facilitate multi-stakeholder approaches, structure experiments, capitalize on feedback, and prepare for scaling up.
We help territories move from concept to prototype, from pilot to impact.
Our Expertise
1. Placemaking & Public Space Experience
Design, activation, and transformation of urban spaces:
city center attractiveness
public space activation
user journeys (residents, tourists, daily users)
development projects promoting inclusion, security, friendliness
Clients: Orléans Métropole, Paris La Défense, Tours Métropole, Luxembourg, Krakow.
2. Public Services & User Experience
Service design for:
administrative processes
traveler information
cultural or social services
citizen relations
public agent support
Pillars: user experience & employee experience.
3. Future Ecosystems & Collective Intelligence
Animation and structuring of multi-stakeholder projects:
territorial governance
consultation and participation
cross-cutting approaches among communities, operators, and companies
territorial strategic visions
Pillars: future ecosystems, collective transitions.
4. Useful Innovation & Territorial Experimentation
Usage studies, prototyping, innovation workshops, urban experiments:
new urban services
local mobility
commercial attractiveness and reactivation
territorial ecological transition
Pillars: useful innovation, operational impact.
Why Choose Aktan?
An Expert Team for Complex Territories
Our consultants, designers, and researchers have been working for 20 years with metropolitan areas, cities, public operators, and developers.
We know how to:
work with multidisciplinary teams
integrate political, operational, and citizen challenges
transform spaces, organizations, and usages simultaneously
foster collaboration among naturally siloed services
A Systemic & Participative Approach
We integrate the dimensions of a territorial ecosystem:
social
urban
economic
cultural
technological
ecological
And we bring together elected officials, agents, operators, citizens, merchants, and private partners.
Our References
Orléans Métropole – Paris La Défense – Tours Métropole – City of Luxembourg – City of Krakow.
Typical Deliverables
Usage studies & local stakeholder mappings
Design & prototyping of urban or territorial services
Participative territorial diagnostics
Co-construction & collective intelligence workshops
Experiments in public space
Deployment plans & transformation of territorial organizations
Change support & skill development
Comprehensive Expertise, From Diagnosis to Action
We intervene at every stage:
→ exploration
→ strategy & design
→ design & prototyping
→ pilot
→ deployment
→ continuous improvement
We can lead a complete project or strengthen an existing public team.
Our Associated Projects
Discover some of our accomplishments related to your industry.
Contact us if you'd like to learn more.
Building the future of the La Défense business district
Creation and facilitation of events to envision the "future of work" and the evolution of the La Défense business district along with office environments in collaboration with economic stakeholders of the area.
Co-design of the Territory's Climate Air Energy Plan
With all the stakeholders of the region and led by the Tours metropolis, Aktan facilitated and co-designed the Climate, Air, and Energy Plan for the Territory across a range of dimensions: Buildings, Education, Culture, Economy, Resources, Urban Planning, and Climate Challenges.
Co-design for the Livability of World Heritage Cities
Aktan co-constructed and led a workshop and method for the livability of World Heritage Cities across America and Europe with the City of Luxembourg.
Empowering Energy in Regions
For an energy industry player, leading a Living Lab bringing together experts, citizens, and the community to co-create the best implementation solutions for methanation projects.
