Design seen from the outside: an ethnography of institutional participatory design for the city-making

Abstract

This article in the intersection between anthropological and design knowledge, seeking to understand from an anthropological perspective the practice of participatory design in city-making projects. The research focuses on an urban redevelopment process in Sydney, critically analyzing the cultural and socio-political frameworks where PD operates. The article highlights the challenges to the democratic ideals of participation while working inside democratic institutions. This study expects to support the need for a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of the social, economic, cultural, and environment dimensions that shape the design practice in an increasingly complex world, while acknowledging institutions as challenging arenas of work, but also potential sites for change. As a result, this article offers an exploratory framework to analyze participatory design projects from a cultural and political perspective. It suggests four exploratory areas: the social productions of neighbourhood; urban imaginaries; actors and governance; and everyday life authoritarianism.