This position paper describes diverse models of democracy in political philosophy and discusses how these models can produce the public spaces of the city. In late neoliberal western societies privatization of public space has greatly diminished the democratic infrastructure of our cities, and we have witnessed a corporatization and commercialization of the public realm. This paper contrasts public space in late neoliberal society in the West with public space in China. Since the start of Deng Xiaoping’s reform era, China has seen a focus by communities and government on developing new public space and I argue that a civic, collaborative, community model of public space is emerging. I find that the focus on the creation of new community public spaces in China is a key tool towards its democratization and call for a radical democratic rethinking of public space as the space of democracy in the West. By thinking spatially about democracy, we can move towards a model where diverse models and practices co-exist.

This article explores the works of Pier Paolo Pasolini, focusing on the interplay between his artistic output and spatial themes like architecture and landscape, particularly as they reflect democratic values. Pasolini viewed space as a physical entity and a site for political, social, and cultural interaction. By examining locations such as Friuli and Casarsa della Delizia, Pasolini’s youth environment, the paper delves into how these landscapes shaped his vision of democratic spaces. It also connects Pasolini’s perspective to contemporary public spaces, which, like his poetics, emphasize the role of dissent in democracy. The article further investigates how modern urban developments may limit this potential for democratic engagement by prioritizing aesthetic and commercial objectives over historical and social memory. Additionally, Pasolini’s involvement in education and local politics illustrates how spaces like schools and civic centers become arenas for resistance and public discourse. Ultimately, the essay argues that spaces become truly democratic when they foster active engagement and dissent, as reflected in Pasolini’s works and the symbolic power of place.

This research investigates the implementation of digital participatory design to include the engagement of externally displaced persons (EDPs) in envisioning the future of their neighborhoods in post-conflict cities. In a world where conflicts cause large-scale displacement, the conventional top-down framework for reconstruction cannot achieve democratic and sustainable recovery as it excludes EDPs. It has become critical to shift toward a digital, bottom-up participatory approach to steer the reconstruction of space. This study is the first to investigate how EDPs can remotely participate in rebuilding their destroyed cities. It offers insights into how architects and urban recovery practitioners can emphasize the critical role of architecture in enhancing democracy in post-conflict cities. The findings show that a participatory approach helps engage EDPs and leads to an inclusive democratic reconstruction process. Digital participatory practice can also increase drivers of democracy, including social cohesion and citizens’ sense of ownership, and legitimize reconstruction planning. Despite its challenges and limitations, this approach assists architects in forming a deeper understanding of the contextual challenges facing destroyed cities to facilitate creating spaces shaped by the input of EDPs. 

A case study of a recent project at Tate Hall on the University of Minnesota campus illustrates how the architectural firm Alliiance employed the concept of “daylight democracy” as a primary design driver for renovations and an addition to the building that is located in the Northrop Mall Historic District. This article identifies strategies used in the project to foster more democratic, equitable, and accessible approaches to daylighting that support program tasks and activities, visual comfort, and health and well-being for all building occupants regardless of the types of space and program activities. The discussion includes: (1) an overview of daylight strategies at the site, building, and room scales, (2) whole building daylighting analyses using DIVA, ElumTools, and Licaso software to evaluate illuminance levels and visual comfort, and (3) a Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) of the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) to document user satisfaction, comfort, and well-being. Daylighting design conclusions summarize the strategies that are most effective in supporting the design goal of “daylight democracy.”

As the residence of M. K. Gandhi from 1917-1930, the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad was central to India’s freedom struggle and an active community of everyday resistance through practice. It embodied dignity in labor, swadeshi (localness), vegetarianism, and literacy, reflecting Gandhi’s commitment to ethics and self-sufficiency beyond political independence. Today, the site is mired in controversy over a redevelopment plan by the Modi government, aiming to transform it into a “world-class memorial,” involving demolitions with little democratic process. This essay outlines various modes through which Gandhi has been memorialized in present day India to offer a detailed critique of the current redevelopment plan and unpack its hegemonic underpinnings. It then proposes alternative and radical ways to situate Gandhi through anarchistic, non-state lenses rooted in everyday practice using the work of an advanced architecture design studio. The essay advocates for programs that support grassroots democratic praxis through a close reading and analysis of existing or abandoned programs at the ashram. The projects, seen cumulatively, envision radical, liberatory futures that emphasize acts of everyday care and dissent against proposed “world-class” makeovers.

Democracy and Urban Form 

By Richard Sennett

Cambridge MA, USA:
Harvard Design Press, 2024

London: Sternberg Press, 2024

Foreword by Diane E. Davis

Introduction by Moshe Safdie

4.8 x 1 x 7.3 in. [12.1 x 2.5 x 18.5 cm] 

264 pages

US$27.95 / €21.95 / CAN$36.95 (hardcover)

ISBN: 978-1915609472

The Empty Place. 

Democracy and Public Space 

By Teresa Hoskyns

Abingdon, UK: Routledge, 2014

63/8 x 5/8 x 91/2 in. [16.2 x 1.6 x 24.1 cm] 

 23 illustrations (b/w)

222 pages

US$142.50 (hardcover)

ISBN: 978-0415724371

US$52.49 (paperback)

ISBN: 978-1138216976

US$52.49 (e-book)

ISBN: 978-1315851617