Speaker
Description
Recently, a rich literature on urban experimentation has emerged promising it as a feature to address different agendas: it is seen as a relevant, inclusive, practical and challenging initiative that promotes system innovation and initiates structural change; a central concept in the literature on sustainability transitions; a way to foster social learning in a context of uncertainty and ambiguity (Raven et al., 2019; Sengers et al., 2018, 2019). This definition of the concept gives rise to some hope that it can be used to address unstructured or wicked problems, here seen as problems lacking objectivity and the impossibility and with an unclear solution, due to the conflicting interests and multiple uncertainties involved (Rittel & Webber, 1973). Urban experimentation, if seen as a trial-and-error approach, also draws on Portugali's (1997) concept of self-organisation, where planners are seen as participants in a "huge self-organising process".
Despite a clear link between urban experimentation and complexity, there has been no systematic interaction between the former concept and relevant complexity-related organisational theories. The point of this study is that organisational theory, namely Weick's (1988, 1995) well-respected concept of sensemaking enactment, is of undeniable utility in the context of uncertainty and ambiguity of urban experimentation (Sengers et al, 2019). This connection is further strengthened when analysed alongside other meaningful organisational concepts such as Lewin’s action research (Lewin, 1946, 1947), systems approaches (Checkland, 2000; Ulrich & Reynolds, 2010) or public value process (Meynhardt et al., 2016). Understanding these concepts promotes a better control over appropriate enactment strategies, which can unleash a new power of urban experimentation.
The research builds on Weick’s concept to analyse one of the most emblematic urban experimentation projects, Barcelona's Superblocks. This project is a flagship initiative launched by the city of Barcelona in 2015, which famously used urban experimentation to demonstrate the benefits of pedestrianising streets and gradually drive urban transformation in different neighbourhoods. However, despite the international success of this project, it caused controversy in the city and polarised political parties during the 2023 election campaigns, resulting in a change of mayor in the last elections (Estruch-Garcia et al., n.d.).
Using the participatory meetings held with the community as the trigger for the sensemaking process, this research carries out a content analysis of the minutes of these meetings to analyse the sensemaking enactment in their process. It uses Weick's three basic conditions of enactment – commitment, capacity and expectations (Weick, 1988) – as building blocks, considering them both as enablers and barriers to the sensemaking process (Weick, 1988, Maitlis & Sonenshein, 2010). The aim of the study is to bridge the gap between the recent discussion on urban experimentation and a well-established concept of sensemaking, in order to improve experimentation processes and promote a more sustainable urban future.
| Keywords | Sensemaking; Enactment; Urban Experimentation; Superblocks |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | Yes |
