Negotiating participation: investigation of an informal art and urban development initiative in Norway

ABSTRACT

Based on in-depth ethnography, this article examines approaches to participation in arts and urban development, using the informal, non-institutional arts and urban development initiative, Byverksted, as a case. Byverksted aspires to be democratically radical and is dedicated to re-thinking urban development through increased citizen involvement, knowledge sharing, and participation. The modes of participation that surface through Byverksted are discussed with reference to existing literature on degrees, levels, forms, models and modes of participation. The article highlights the ways in which participation is negotiated in the absence of guidance. From the data, I identify five unspoken values that guide participation in Byverksted: criticality, horizontality, locality, collectivity, and activity. Both the re-thinking of modes of participation, and the inductive identification of ideals guiding participation, affect research on participation.

KEYWORDS:

• Participation
• urban development
• artistic strategies
• citizen involvement

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).