Historicising design space: Uses of the past in participatory prefiguring of spatial development

Abstract

In this article, we argue that an engagement with the uses of the past in the design space can support better situated participatory design approaches in the context of spatial development. We start from a case study where we explored how the redevelopment of a post-industrial site affected the local actors and their existing dynamics. By reflecting on this residency, we investigate how different actors engaged with the past in the design space to design, qualify or challenge the redevelopment project. The article outlines an approach towards redefining the design space by staging it as historical through archival research, document analysis and spatio-temporal mapping, and by using participatory mapping to articulate the tensions between agentive identities.