with whom I organised the Urban Typhoon workshops. Interdisciplinary research In this section I review the literature that informs this thesis. I start by providing a rationale for an inter-disciplinary and multi-scale approach to the question of participation in residents’ urban development. In the process, I also summarize the structure of this dissertation. The premise of this research is that local actors play an important role in the development of their neighbourhoods, particularly in neighbourhoods that have a history of incremental development. In settlements such as Dharavi, residents are directly involved in the physical production of their habitats. In Shimokitazawa too, people have historically been involved at different levels in producing the fabric. In both places inhabitants and neighbourhood’s of the neighbourhood develop not only their homes and businesses, they also invest “users” public spaces with meaning, thereby giving the neighbourhood its cultural identity. This process is a collective one, even if it is not necessarily coordinated. Overtime, the piecemeal intervention of residents produces a common space a space of commons- that is at once –and free and priceless. That space is not only physical; it is a space of interaction, trading, socialisation and friendship. The that inhabit Shimokitazawa and Dharavi are far from being homogeneous. “communities” They are fragmented and often internally divided. Not all residents relate to the neighbourhood in the same way. Some would like to preserve its fabric, others would like to see it change radically and others may want something else altogether. However, one thing that most people agree about is that changes affecting their neighbourhoods must involve them rather than being planned above their heads. The sense of agency that people have in Shimokizawa, Dharavi and many other neighbourhoods that share a history of incremental development and strong user involvement, is what makes them truly special. When a master plan is imposed on the neighbourhood by the authorities, with no consultation of its residents, there is naturally a widespread feel of outrage. This shared emotion becomes the basis of a collective response, which asserts the agency. The Urban Typhoon workshop was residents’ nothing else than an expression of collective agency. It was not driven by any specific vision,
with whom I organised the Urban Typhoon workshops. Interdisciplinary research In this section I review the literature that informs this thesis. I start by providing a rationale for an inter-disciplinary and multi-scale approach to the question of residents’ participation in urban development. In the process, I also summarize the structure of this dissertation. The premise of this research is that local actors play an important role in the development of their neighbourhoods, particularly in neighbourhoods that have a history of incremental development. In settlements such as Dharavi, residents are directly involved in the physical production of their habitats. In Shimokitazawa too, people have historically been involved at different levels in producing the neighbourhood’s fabric. In both places inhabitants and “users” of the neighbourhood develop not only their homes and businesses, they also invest public spaces with meaning, thereby giving the neighbourhood its cultural identity. This process is a collective one, even if it is not necessarily coordinated. Overtime, the piecemeal intervention of residents produces a common space –and a space of commons- that is at once free and priceless. That space is not only physical; it is a space of interaction, trading, socialisation and friendship. The “communities” that inhabit Shimokitazawa and Dharavi are far from being homogeneous. They are fragmented and often internally divided. Not all residents relate to the neighbourhood in the same way. Some would like to preserve its fabric, others would like to see it change radically and others may want something else altogether. However, one thing that most people agree about is that changes affecting their neighbourhoods must involve them rather than being planned above their heads. The sense of agency that people have in Shimokizawa, Dharavi and many other neighbourhoods that share a history of incremental development and strong user involvement, is what makes them truly special. When a master plan is imposed on the neighbourhood by the authorities, with no consultation of its residents, there is naturally a widespread feel of outrage. This shared emotion becomes the basis of a collective response, which asserts the residents’ agency. The Urban Typhoon workshop was nothing else than an expression of collective agency. It was not driven by any specific vision,