Public leisure space and community-based action

ABSTRACT

This manuscript discusses the importance of thinking about the category ‘public space’ in the leisure studies field, identifying relations between the urbanisation process and the configuration of public leisure spaces in contemporary cities. In addition, this paper reveals how space practices produced from counter-projects can change the way social life is conditioned, by presenting the case of the implementation of Praça de Bolso do Ciclista of Curitiba/PR/Brazil (PBC), a small leisure space whose peculiar process of construction can offer some insights and inspire more participatory forms in relation to leisure spaces of cities. Urban public spaces stand out as places particularly significant in everyday life, because they enable the involvement and enjoyment of innumerable activities in people’s time/space of leisure, and also constitute spaces where the collective exercise of power over urbanisation processes becomes more possible.

KEYWORDS:

• Contemporary cities
• urban space
• community-based action
• public leisure spaces
• leisure activities

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1. The empirical part of this manuscript is drawn from a Master’s thesis. This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—Brasil (CAPES) —Finance Code 001.

2. ‘Mutirões’ is the name commonly given to community-based actions, the collective and free mobilisation of the individuals for actions that may benefit a community.

3. These initiatives were pioneering at the time and were even referenced by Jan Gehl, in his book ‘Cities for People’ (2015). The author states that the rapid bus model in exclusive lanes served as inspiration for many cities.

4. A total of 13 observations were carried out between March and December 2015, with an average duration of two hours each, performed in three periods of the day—at weekdays and weekends.

5. This study has passed through the Ethics Committee in Health Research of the Federal University of Paraná, under the registration number CAAE 48,211,015.2.0000.0102, according to Resolution 466/12 of the Brazilian National Health Council (BRAZIL, 2013).

6. Those responsible for the private construction company that contributed to the process were not consulted. However, it is assumed that, in a commodified logic, the implicit objective of their contribution would be promoting the valuation for their projects by the organisation of the ‘externalities’ nearby.

7. Current local governance has even been hindering or even repressing other emerging initiatives of civic engagement in relation to the appropriation of empty spaces in the city.

8. A documentary entitled ‘Praça de Bolso do Ciclista’, launched in 2015 and directed by Rafael Bertelli, records some phases of the construction of the place, also bringing testimonies of people acting in the process. The documentary is available at the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGPe4nsoypE.

9. Also called ‘Portuguese stone’, this is a type of floor made by the soothing of stones of limestone and basalt.

10. Bioconstruction technique that uses compressed soil in bags to form/construct structures.

11. Regarding abnormal or deviant leisure, see Rojek (1995).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Rodrigo Tramutolo Navarro

Rodrigo Tramutolo Navarro PhD student of the Graduate Program in Physical Education (PPGEDF) of the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR). Teacher at the Federal Institute of Paraná (IFPR).

Daniella Tschöke Santana

Daniella Tschöke PhD student of the Graduate Program in Physical Education (PPGEDF) of the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR). Member of the Research and Studies Group in Leisure, Space and City (GEPLEC), coordinated by Prof. PhD Simone Rechia, linked to the same institution. Teacher at the municipal teaching network of Curitiba/PR/Brazil.

Simone Rechia

Simone Rechia Associate Professor of the Department of Physical Education at Federal University of Paraná (UFPR) and coordinator of the Research and Studies Group in Leisure, Space and City (GEPLEC).