The transformative (and potentially discriminatory) possibilities of animating public space

Abstract

Despite their proliferation across the globe, efforts to animate public space remain largely unexamined in the leisure literature. Animating public space refers to “the deliberate, usually temporary, employment of festivals, events, programmed activities, or pop-up leisure to transform, enliven, and/or alter public spaces and stage urban life.” This article examines the practice of animating public space as a form of transformative placemaking that enables urban inhabitants to assert their “right to the city”, while considering how such practices reproduce power relations to create (unintentionally or intentionally) discriminatory outcomes. In so doing, the article explores the complex nature of animation efforts and tensions that exist in animated public spaces that, on the surface, appear inclusive. Its conclusions provide direction for future research on the topic by identifying questions that warrant attention.

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