AUGUST 2019
COMPUTERARTS.CREATIVEBLOQ.COMH
ere’s a confession for you. I’m someone
that falls in love a lot... with cities. I feel a
magnetic pull to certain cities – where the
people and space come together to make it a place
that’s full of life, connection and engagement
across all ages and backgrounds.
But what makes this happen?
For me, when it comes down to it, such a liveable
and loveable city is one that’s co-designed – with and
for its inhabitants. It’s a city that’s human-centred.
A city that listens to those in it. A city that’s built
on the needs, hopes and dreams of its people. A city
that strives to include people of all ages, ability and
backgrounds, and gives them an equal voice. A city
where the people feel a sense of belonging, a sense
of ownership, a sense of safety and a sense of real
connection with each other and with the place. A
city that finds beauty in the banal, that surprises
and delights you. It’s a city that’s engaging, inclusive
and playful.
It’s important to think about how liveable our
cities are, and how to make them more so. More
people than ever before are living in cities and this
number is set to increase to 70 per cent of the world’s
population by 2050. Yet, ironically, with more people
living closer together, the sense of exclusion and
polarisation can still be very high and in some cases
is becoming higher.
But why is this happening? Why aren’t all cities
the perfect, ideal city that I’ve just described?
I think a core reason for this has to do with the
exclusion of those on the margins. Traditional
approaches to the design of our cities have always
been top-down, and led by adults in power. We see
that the more vulnerable populations and those with
less of a voice aren’t being accounted for or designed
for as much as those with a louder voice.
One example – out of many – is if we look
at children. Children and young people are an
‘indicator species’ for cities, which means the more
we see this portion of society healthier and happier
within our environment, the more we know a
city is doing well. However, as the domain of the
adult, cities rarely focus on the role or agency of
children in their shaping and priority-making. The
domain of the child (and by default, their families
and carers) generally lies on the urban edge, often
in fenced off playgrounds at the corners of parks.
Ironically, planning for the future has traditionally
silenced the voices of those who have inhabited the
city the longest – ageing populations – and those
who’ll be inhabiting cities in the decades to come –
children and young people.
Through my work, I’m fortunate enough to work
with others who also want to make positive change
for cities – we all want to help bring those in the
margins back into the fabric of cities.
We believe in co-creation as one of the core
solutions. Together with communities and
stakeholders collaborating across sectors, I believe
we can work to co-create the conditions for healthier
and happier cities. Communities have the potential to
re-humanise the city from the street upwards. With
such an increase in urban population size, we should
be looking towards the urban environment as a space,
which at its heart should be created for everybody and
not just for a fraction of people who live within it.
We don’t have all the answers, but to start, I think
it’s about creating the space for people’s voices to
be heard – and we listen to what they say. It’s about
engaging, listening and collaborating!
Cities should be built on the needs and ideas of
those within it. Therefore, it makes sense we work
in partnership to create spaces that we can feel
a belonging to. Local government, community,
businesses and all other
stakeholders should have a part
to play in the various different
stages of the creation process.
This form of co-creation has
an empowering effect. People
take ownership of their own
communities and are invested
in local projects. This in turn
makes sure spaces are well used,
clean and respected. This form
of socialisation succeeds in
drawing communities together
and strengthening local ties,
and making areas more open,
accessible and accepting.
We can all play a role in making this happen.
Whether it’s ensuring consultation and engagement
is a part of your own projects to encouraging and
demanding inclusion from government and developers.
Myself and my collaborators are always asking what
are the opportunities and experiences that will make
living in cities more humane and sustainable. We’re
also assessing how the marginalised in our urban
centres can be focused upon. This ensures we include
those on the fringes, in the minorities, the under-
represented, and those without voices.
How might we design our cities’ public spaces
that are accessible to all? For abilities and ages? How
do we promote the message that when we design
spaces for all, we experience more colour, texture,
companionship and wonderment in our lives?MARISA DENKER
A Playful City’s current project involves making Dublin
more inclusive, engaging and child-friendly.“We should be looking
towards the urban
environment as a space
that should be created for
everybody and not ju
for a fraion of people
who live within it”