Abstract

The aim of this paper is above all to discuss urban renewal through interventions and experiments in public city places. The conceptual framework builds on how and why people appropriate urban places, and illustrates the impact of consensual and dissensual interventions in everyday city life. The paper starts by providing a brief literature review of the standpoints of urban renewal, and states some current problems about the utilization of the city. I will present a typology of interventions in urban public places, which illustrates different interventions in a table. The vertical axis of the table illustrates on one side consensual interventions created by the public and private sector; while the other side shows dissensual intervention created by individuals and groups of people. The horizontal axis of the table illustrates three approaches: dialogical, participative and reflective. Each indicates the character of the intervention. I then introduced the notion of urban interventions and explain through various examples the meanings and goals of the following interventions: financial and commercial; cultural and artistic; recreational; political, and, design intervention. The relevance of interventions within the framework of urban renewal resides on the way temporal actions cause a significant change in everyday city places; in the experiences and interactions of people; in the notion of appropriation of spaces; and on the innovative uses people give to places. Interventions have shed light to their potential to generate new places, experiences, and services; support the image of a place, and above all, look into new paradigms. Interventionists are, above all, creative and imaginative people that interrupt, whether with or without consent, the monotonous city life. Interventions in public places help to recover and revitalize the city in great dimensions; cultural, social, economical and environmental.

Keywords

interventions, design, public places, participation

COinS
 
Jul 1st, 12:00 AM

Making Sense of Interventions in Public Places as Drivers of Urban Renewal

The aim of this paper is above all to discuss urban renewal through interventions and experiments in public city places. The conceptual framework builds on how and why people appropriate urban places, and illustrates the impact of consensual and dissensual interventions in everyday city life. The paper starts by providing a brief literature review of the standpoints of urban renewal, and states some current problems about the utilization of the city. I will present a typology of interventions in urban public places, which illustrates different interventions in a table. The vertical axis of the table illustrates on one side consensual interventions created by the public and private sector; while the other side shows dissensual intervention created by individuals and groups of people. The horizontal axis of the table illustrates three approaches: dialogical, participative and reflective. Each indicates the character of the intervention. I then introduced the notion of urban interventions and explain through various examples the meanings and goals of the following interventions: financial and commercial; cultural and artistic; recreational; political, and, design intervention. The relevance of interventions within the framework of urban renewal resides on the way temporal actions cause a significant change in everyday city places; in the experiences and interactions of people; in the notion of appropriation of spaces; and on the innovative uses people give to places. Interventions have shed light to their potential to generate new places, experiences, and services; support the image of a place, and above all, look into new paradigms. Interventionists are, above all, creative and imaginative people that interrupt, whether with or without consent, the monotonous city life. Interventions in public places help to recover and revitalize the city in great dimensions; cultural, social, economical and environmental.

 

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