Enhancing citizenship: the role of in-between infrastructures
Abstract
In this paper, we draw on material from a participatory design project that focused on the practices, infrastructures, and technologies used for creating and sharing information about the urban environment. The research strategy that we followed includes the collaborative design of a prototype environment and service called Urban Mediator (UM), as well as its subsequent deployment and appropriation in use through several cases. We examine some of the challenges and opportunities that exist in designing in-between infrastructures that can both address a more fluid and active notion of citizenship and understand it as practiced, rather than as a given role. Our research demonstrates that in-between infrastructures can have a role in encouraging a variety of stakeholders, including city officials and citizens, to experiment with and understand some of the complex aspects of participation. Following this argument, we also suggest some ways in which Participatory Design contributes to supporting continuous and iterative design-in-use.
