Speaker
Description
An interesting recent debate made an impression on placemaking practitioners and planners alike. De Graaf’s confession that “I have no idea what placemaking is” (2023), still being relevant; one has only to browse the comments section, was followed by another confession by way of response, that of Marrades’s “I don’t care what placemaking exactly is” (2023). This round seemingly ended with the acceptance that if the placemaking movement is not going to define placemaking, then it remains a term open to interpretations that may distort its point (e.g. Smolar, 2023).
In the field of spatial planning, acknowledging the significant shift in spatial planning thought and its several implications for the future, it is important to reach an understanding of placemaking. Placemaking is a global concept that is expressed via a plethora of approaches and practices with a transformative potential to help address urban crises and improve urban life (Courage et al., 2020; Istoriou and Pozoukidou, 2024; Keidar et al., 2023). However, it still defies definition, being a complex approach with layered meaning, an iridescent term, a ‘fuzzy’ concept.
Our aim here is to create an understanding of placemaking in the context of spatial planning, building a framework through an extensive literature review and the use of text analysis software. The focus areas are the key elements of the concept, its spelling variations and different attributes as well as its accelerators and facilitators. Finally, based on these findings, we will try to answer critical questions such as “can we talk about placemaking theories?”, “is placemaking just a practice?” and “should we aim to form a universal definition of the term?”.
Interestingly, through the literature on placemaking, it is evident that there are correlations and links with spatial planning theories; they seem to follow similar evolutionary paths and ideas to organize knowledge, diachronically forming intricate relationships and echoing similar debates.
References
- Courage C, Borrup T, Jackson MR, et al. (2020) The Routledge Handbook of Placemaking. London: Routledge.
- de Graaf R (2023) I have a confession to make: I have no idea what placemaking is. Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2023/09/11/placemaking-reinier-de-graaf-opinion/.
- Istoriou T and Pozoukidou G (2024) Understanding placemaking in the context of spatial planning: insights from a literature review. Journal of Urbanism: International Research on Placemaking and Urban Sustainability. Routledge: 1–18.
- Keidar N, Fox M, Friedman O, et al. (2023) Progress in Placemaking. Planning Theory & Practice 0(0). Routledge: 1–9.
- Marrades R (2023) I have a confession to make: I don’t care what placemaking exactly is. In: Placemaking Europe. Available at: https://placemaking-europe.eu/2023/i-have-a-confession-to-make-i-dont-care-what-placemaking-exactly-is/.
- Smolar R (2023) If Our Movement Won’t Define Placemaking, Someone Else Will. Available at: http://www.placemakingus.org/1/post/2023/10/if-our-movement-wont-define-placemaking-someone-else-will.html.
| Keywords | placemaking, theories, practice, placemaking theories, spatial planning |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | No |
