Project Using social hacking to facilitate public space reappropriation
Context Student project
Teaching Kommunikationsguerilla, TU München
Partners Mina Kabbage + Ivan Malek
Teacher Elena Markus
Place Munich (Germany)
Date 2021
L’enseignement Kommunikationsguerilla organised by Elena Markus, proposes to examine the aesthetics of spatial appropriation. Through several case studies, notably the genealogy of European squatting movements in The city is ours (2014) or the emergence of black blocs, pedagogy explores spatial countercultures and their means of aesthetic transmission.
Le projet des Stadtterrassen is the culmination of this exploration of European spatial struggles. It aims to be part of a form of social hacking that facilitates public space reappropriation. The current situation regarding Munich's spatial use by its inhabitants is ambivalent. It is one of the few cities that was not heavily bombed during the Second World War, and its urban space is characterised by mainly pedestrianised historic centre and large English-style parks.
However, the city has not avoided having its tree-lined boulevards redeveloped into major roads, a process accelerated by Germany's powerful automotive industry. With a strong presence in the city, this industry has a significant influence on its morphology and spatial policies to the extent that, during the Covid-19 pandemic, local automotive lobbies persuaded the city council to create new on-street parking spaces to replace those requisitioned by restaurants and their terraces.
Based on this observation, we decided to use available tools to reclaim urban public space. One of these tools is Stadtterrassen, a kind of urban garden provided by the city of Munich for residents who do not have private outdoor spaces. The idea is that people in lockdown can create a garden or terrace at the foot of their building and enjoy some fresh air without risk. To support its development and enable residents to reclaim their streets, we proposed simplifying the process and promoting it.
