La fabrique littéraire des territoires : quand l’Oulipo1 renouvelle les pratiques de l’aménagement urbain

Cities literary factory: The mobilization of literature in urban planning in Europe

“…Paris offers a unique case study, as popular tourism has been nurtured through the literary myth of a city replete with a panoply of attractions, as evoked in the contemporary novel "The Da Vinci Code", or by authors like Hemingway and Colette (Wells, 2016). More broadly, the role played by literature in territorial development has been recently explored for a range of geographies (Bonniot-Mirloup & Blasquiet, 2016;Fournier, 2016;Molina, 2010Molina, , 2014aMolina, , 2016. The research presented in this article has contributed to enhancing the "geography of literature" approach by concentrating first and foremost on contemporary cities and the role literature plays in their composition and management.…”

“…), i.e. spaces where intense social practices and interactions play out (Molina, 2014b(Molina, , 2016Redondo, 2015). France offers an emblematic case regarding this permeation of literature into architectural and urban projects, as well as a perception into how various cities are managed (e.g.…”

“…The literary construction of contemporary cities was first explored via the "geography of literature" (Brosseau, 2015;Molina, 2014aMolina, , 2014bMolina, , 2016Peraldo, 2016), which has taken root since the beginning of the 2000's among geographers interested in literature. Focusing on a specific topic, this approach has molded a current of thought that more broadly falls under the banner "geography of art", which addresses the co-production relationship existing between art and space (Guinard, 2014;Volvey, 2008Volvey, , 2010.…”

“…For a long time, the emphasis behind such efforts had been placed on the central role played by contemporary art in the dynamic urban revitalization process. The mobilization of other more marginal and more discreet artistic or cultural forms, like literature, has given rise to an emerging body of research (Bonniot & Fournier, 2013;Molina, 2014bMolina, , 2016.…”

Experiencing research-creation in urban studies. Lessons from an inquiry on the making of public space

“…The relationship between artists and urban changes has been studied extensively in terms of symbolic valorisation of space in gentrification and urban regeneration processes, or economic development based on creative industries. Yet artists, through their works, can provide critical insights on the mode of production of contemporary cities, and thus afford a new understanding of spaces for different uses or even for planning purposes (Miles, 2005;Till, 2011, Molina, 2016. Some academics and practitioners have called for an alternative interpretation of the creative city, in which contact with artists might render city makers more creative (Boren & Young, 2013).…”