Transforming Urban Space part II
Democracy

Illustrasjonsfoto
Time: 13:00 - 14:30, Wednesday, October 27
Room: Periferien, Holbergs gate 1, 4th floor

This subpanel is part of the four-part session “Transforming Urban Space: Design, Democracy, Dwelling and Pandemic urbanism”. The four-part session argues that attending to the multiple social and ecologically crises the earth is currently facing requires different kinds of relationships between citizens and the spaces we design, construct and inhabit.

This concern is addressed in four subpanels: design, democracy, dwelling and last, but not least, the impact of covid-19 on how we plan and inhabit public space.

This subpanel focuses on the question of democracy

Public space is the “where” of democracy and civic engagement; it gives citizens a place to participate in democracy by exchanging and expressing opinions, and by taking action through demonstrations and political gatherings.

Yet, the privatization of public space results in an increase in laws and regulations that prevents urban space to host protests and public gatherings. Furthermore, we live increasingly private lives – a tendency that is accentuated during the pandemic. As a result, we have moved our political engagement to social media.

While hashtags such as #blacklivesmatter help make injustices visible to publics who may not be aware or exposed to them, it is also argued that digital media has made citizens act less as members of a public and more as individual users participating in activism. In other words: social media has extended political engagement into the private sphere of individuals, with a focus on “I” rather than “we”.

Despite being a useful tool to organize collective action, social media platforms therefore also work at the expense of important group dynamics such as solidarity, commitment and responsibility towards fellow citizens.

The question, then, is how can we reappropriate public space as a platform for democracy, as a place where we learn to take actions when things are unjust and to negotiate differences and disagreements?

Program

To structure this session, Gro Sandkjær Hanssen will introduce the theme, followed by the presentation by each papers. To conclude the session there will be comments by Erling Dokk Holm and a brief discussion.

Organizers

  • Gro Sandkjær Hanssen (NIBR, OsloMet)
  • Erling Dokk Holm (AHO)