In this section, people are telling their stories about participation. It is intended as an inspirational collection of voices, ideas and experiences from urban neighbourhoods all over the world. The opportunity to participate or make one’s voice heard is usually most limited in informal settlements or poor neighbourhoods. Therefore, these stories focus on ideas for more urban participation in poorer communities. Do you have a story to share from your neighbourhood? Get in touch with me!
This is a geographic overview of all the Stories I have collected so far:
An annual art festival transforms the Place de la Femme in Burkina Faso’s capital Ougadougou completely and invites everyone in the community to participate in fascinating activities and shows.
In an interview, the volunteers of Hamburg’s donation fence (Gabenzaun) for the homeless explain their work and also talk about how homeless people can participate in the city.
Based on my own Master’s dissertation, this article focuses on how to prevent evictions, using the example of the Old Fadama Neighbourhood in Ghana’s capital city Accra.
How does one encourage participation in the creation of the myth of a city?
Post-Soviet cities are starting to introduce participatory urban planning. However, public opinion in these countries is very different compared to others and it seems that participation is off to a tough start.
Revitalising a public space in the Dutch city of Breda and fostering civic participation are the goals of Ed Ravensbergen from NIEUWBRUUT.
Several different citizens from Quito talked to me about their view on the city’s problems, how to solve them and how Habitat III influenced their everyday life.
An account from a French refugee camps, talking about mapping, shelter, smugglers and crime, and different ways of participation.
Suhailey from Bangladesh tells the story of how women in a community led the upgrading process.
This republished article from Next City has many different voices from Yangon in Myanmar, telling the story of the planned eviction of an inofficial settlement.
A resident of Kathputli Colony in Delhi answers my interview questions on the redevelopment scheme and other issues in his community.
In this first article in the “Voices from (…)” category, I chose to look at one of Kenya’s poorest neighbourhoods: Mathare.
