Playing with the Possible : Co-Producing the Right to the City from the Bottom-Up

• Main Author: Bodnar, Tatiana
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: KTH, Urbana och regionala studier 2021
• Subjects: co-production; possible city; right to the city; participation; play; commons; Lappis; Pedagogy; Pedagogik; Learning; Lärande; Human Computer Interaction; Människa-datorinteraktion (interaktionsdesign)
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-303561

This thesis aims to explore possible alternatives to the current neoliberal development by developing, implementing, and analyzing one possible alternative way of framing participation. Working under the name of Fluke, I have co-developed a research project using participatory action research from the bottom-up that creates a more engaging and inclusive urban co-production process using play and games. By exploring this process from a practical perspective, I argue that playful co-design processes applied at the local scale have potential to allow people opportunities to ensure what Lefebvre calls the ‘right to the city’ — their right to be not only consumers, but also their right to become a co-producer of urban space.  Situating our action research in our student housing neighborhood of Stockholm, Sweden, I hope to articulate that urban co-design processes have the potential to explore the boundless possible urban futures in an inclusive manner. Within our process, we developed playful urban planning tools like a place analysis Easter Egg Hunt, a playful visioning workshop, and a place prototyping game. Through this five-month period, over 300 residents participated in different manners with the co-creation of a temporary festival exploring the possibilities of urban space: Lappis Summer Dream Day. Through this participatory exploration, we co-produce alternative valuations of urban space that fulfill social and creative needs, not just the needs of capital, to co-create what Hou (2018) calls the ‘new commons’.