Strategies of invisibilization (original) (raw)

Public space that excludes. A case study of Warsaw

Accessibility of public space plays vital role in integration of citizens, who have problems with moving around urban area. Public objects in cities, such as buildings, squares or even multilevel intersections, may constrict possibility to travel for many users, who are unable to use specific places, due to their inaccessibility. Inadequate design of space excludes certain groups of users from full access to city resources and conduces social exclusion. The aim of this paper is to discover which groups and how suffer from spatial exclusion in Warsaw. Despite many initiatives of non-governmental organizations, citizens still encounter many barriers in public space. The capital of Poland might be considered as a good example of inaccessible city, mostly due to historical reasons. This issue will be investigated using data from project “Warsaw Map of Barriers”, run by SISKOM - Association for Warsaw Transport Integration. Problematic locations are displayed on interactive map on internet webpage. Making city accessible requires comprehensive knowledge about specific users’ needs, which must be respected. The outcomes of this analysis can be transferred and used in different cities and countries, which still cannot fulfil demand for universal design of space.

Public Space as a Tool For Building Inclusive Communities

Paper presented in Conference Ce-PhD Cluj, Romania 2014 The fast and turbulent development patterns that have our countries experienced since the fall of communism regime have strongly influenced the image and functioning of our cities and regions. The economic and social polarisation reflects in the Slovak landscapes in the form of segregated residential 'islands', of which one type are Roma concentrations. The paper analyses different forms and processes connected to design of public space that have potential to play a significant role in bridging these gaps and thus building inclusive communities. In the first part paper deals with the concept of inclusivity in the urban design agendas and its role in understanding public spaces. In the second part, preliminary results from the case study project 'For better life in Rankovce' are drawn out in order to suggest recommendations for widening the definition of public spaces, multidisciplinary and people-based involvement in all the stages of the design processes and the necessity of flexibility and time-adaptability in design strategies.

The Requalification of Public Spaces: A challenge for Sustainable Urban Development

The Requalification of Public Spaces: A challenge for Sustainable Urban Development, 2022

The city's growth and rhythms, urban reorganization and transformation of spaces, changes in their uses, and the evolution of the daily practices of the city's social groups raise the question of the issues and interests raised by the requalification of public spaces in terms of their symbolic, esthetic, and functional value. The articles' findings are based on a case study of the Constantine city project "Modernization Plan of the Constantine Metropolis" (PMMC). This new development strategy is primarily based on a program of activities centered on the rehabilitation and upgrading of central urban spaces and the residential proximity of central districts, as well as the realization of internationally emblematic projects that would change the image of the city and bring it into the modern era. The results have demonstrated that it is a matter of concern that the ideal to be achieved should be urban public spaces that are not based on a closed single principle but rather on an open system resulting from the interaction of all actors united. Conviviality and citizen participation are key words for urban modernization and development projects.

What’s ‘Out of Place’? Tolerance and Intolerance as Functions of the Construction of Public Space

Weberman, D., Moroni, S. (eds.): Space and Pluralism. Budapest: CEU Press. (Forthcoming).

In the chapter we intend to argue that our analysis of the limits and workings of tolerance and respect has to be spatially situated. A distinct place always constitutes the determinant delimiting the boundaries of transgression, i.e. what is considered ‘out of place’. In Western societies the issue of tolerance is inevitably related to the modes of production and control of the public urban space. Coming out of critical accounts of the public sphere/space, we argue that the idea of public space is far from cultural and social neutrality. Using the example of the marginalized groups of Roma and homeless people in the Czech Republic, we demonstrate the hegemonic and exclusionary modes of construction of the public space and the ways it serves as the basic instrument of identity politics, either integration or marginalization.

ST 6 Central Urban Squares Mediating Unexpected Encounters Between Different Income Classes

2017

The recent worsened of the social inequalities with the global economic crises demands more research on how urban design proposals may facilitate unexpected encounters between different income classes. The present study aims to deeper our understanding on how the physical and spatial properties of central urban squares may support socialization between strangers that experience highly contrasting urban conditions in a daily basis. Such knowledge may benefit planning and urban design practices in different countries around the world, mostly those whose population has suffered from social and economic inequalities. To achieve this aim, this study explores the use of Liberdade Square, Raul Soares Square and Estacao Square by homeless people and other users. By studying these well-used public urban open spaces in Belo Horizonte, a Brazilian large city, lessons may be learned on how to design public urban open spaces socially more inclusive. A mix of methods was chosen to gather primary ...