Suburban regeneration through capacity building two case-studies from France (Périgueux) and Denmark (Viby)

Abstract

Across Europe many suburban areas strive to boost their vitality through intensification of uses and densification of their vast existing urban fabric. Urban participatory practitioners working from external positions to urban administrations can play a vital role by introducing new co-creative formats for collaboration between public and private actors. Drawing on theories of capacity building and participatory planning this article explores two case-studies from France and Denmark. Through two models of action led by two different urban participatory practitioners we investigate capacity building as long-term and multilevel processes that are structured through different phases and processual goals: (1) To Mobilize: How to create a group of action. (2) To Involve: How to work together in the same direction (3) To Flow: How to anchor the process. The juxtapositioned cases then establish a nuanced perspective on interdisciplinary approaches of urban practitioners and their implications for capacity building in a suburban context.

Places For continuous learning on spatial planning issues – reflections on an experiment

“…The dialogues were structured around the soft densification approach, BIMBY ("Build In My Back Yard"), developed by the professional partner in the team, Lab InVivo. In short, BIMBY consists of a series of protocols, relying on 3D modelling, that help and coach inhabitants who are willing to build new housing units in their gardens or backyards (Larsen et al, 2020). The Danish case adopted a social perspective and tried to relate to the (evolution of) demographic diversity within suburban developments, the (lack of) diversity of public space and the social role of organisations and entrepreneurs.…”