IN-PERSON Barcelona. Section A

Abstract

Public space has been paramount to the development of cities throughout history. Its role in revealing the organisation of society and the territorial and social heterogeneities has been crucial to us. With the growth of cities, public space became increasingly treasured and formalised. Its diverse functions as a space of power, worship, commerce or of cultural expression became well-identified. Looking into the particular case of a specific public space, Miradouro de Santa Catarina, situated in the context of Lisbon, we intend to demonstrate that participatory practices by the various urban actors can be triggered by the contestation and conflict present in public spaces. We also aim to find out how these participatory practices influence bottom-up decision-making. In recent decades, with the progressive emptying of populations living in this area of the city, Miradouro de Santa Catarina has become a degraded place with illicit uses. More recently, in the course of requalification works and the inauguration of a luxury development, the Miradouro, was the target of contestation between public and private interests, exposing two opposites of the same city: a population that defended free access versus a population that claimed the right to control uses and access. This contestation gave rise to social movements that demanded greater involvement of the various urban actors in decisions affecting their city. Thus, the aim is to clarify the concept of public space, with special emphasis on the public/private dichotomy, and to analyse how it has evolved over time, reflecting on the main challenges facing the interactions between the social, cultural and territorial components present in this space. We also intend to assess the impact of public policies on this case study and to better understand how these policies have influenced territorial transformations, contributing, or not, to the increase of tension and territorial asymmetries.