Ambivalences of self-organized spatial practices with in disputes for democratizing the production of space

Abstract

The paper aims to discuss the ambivalences of self-organized spatial practices involved in disputes for democratizing the production of space. Considering the role of these practices in the construction of radical urban democracy, the paper critically analyses the decision-making process regarding the space of the former Tempelhof airport (Berlin). The paper highlights a number of aspects concerning the conflict between self-organized spatial practices and institutional urban planning in the neoliberal context. We conclude that, despite the limitations, such practices contribute towards broadening the conditions of collective discussion, decision and action on the part of urban dwellers. An analysis of this kind of conflict may provide information for criticism of urban planning, as well as for imagination in processes and tools that contribute to expanding the field of action for urban dwellers.

Keywords:
urban planning; self-organization; decision-making processes; radical democracy; everyday space