Ambiguity as agency: critical opportunists in the neoliberal city
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[1] KU Leuven
KU Leuven
Arrondissement Leuven, Bélgica
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[2] NDVR Office
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- Localización: CoDesign: International Journal of CoCreation in Design and the Arts, ISSN 1571-0882, Vol. 13, Nº. 3, 2017, págs. 175-186
- Idioma: inglés
- Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
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Resumen
Participatory design and planning processes are subject to co-option by neoliberal forces and post-political logics. This places participatory practitioners, such as co-designers or planners involved in co-production in a difficult position, whereby not taking a critical stance can lead to legitimising and normalising the dominant logic of the state or elite. However, taking a clear critical stance can result in a loss of access and trust from stakeholders and ultimately result in being side-lined from influential design or planning processes. This article critically adapts Eric M. Eisenberg’s theory of strategic ambiguity for the post-political context as a potential discursive resource for practitioners seeking to remain active within influential urban decision-making processes while sustaining a critical position and practice. It opens a discussion with the participatory practitioners ndvr on their use of ambiguity and how it negotiates a balance between access, trust and criticality.
