The urban transformation as a collective creation: bottom-up and participative tool taxonomy for urbanists and architects

Some of the emerging issues related with European cities, such as gentrification, degradation of patrimony, social tensions, mass tourism and exclusion, are partially related to the way we have planned cities during the last century. Making our cities more and more attractive, through ambitious urban plans of transformation and renovation—such as the famous “Barcelona model”—should now evolve into a more inclusive and participative model. Since the 1970s, the claim for the city has accelerated the processes of participation that are now re-emerging in the urban and architectural processes in cities worldwide. Sustainable urban regeneration means collaborating with the inhabitants when transforming cities. It also means a change in the role of the architect and urban planner, which is within his or her reach, for a methodology of participation to work transversally with other specialists. Thus, new creative mechanisms of solidarity are required when regenerating our urban environment. This research* proposes to create a methodology for participatory action with new strategies (information and communication technology, mapping, big data cartographies and ludic tools such as urban sketching, tactic planning, opinion polls, collaborative webs, etc.), through classification via taxonomy of participation tools. It entails analysis of the present in several case studies in which the real actors of urban planning—its users—co-design the project. At the same time, some of the strategies are being experimented in collaborations between our students and the local community. The use of these methods is meant to listen to the voice of the inhabitants, involve them as actors and hold them responsible to induce changes in habits and mindsets.
Postprint (author's final draft)