OASE93

According to philosopher Hannah Arendt, spatial philosophy is always political philosophy: it relates to the world and to human beings. This idea constitutes a political challenge to the field of spatial design. The world and humans are inseparable. It is the world that brings people together and makes politics possible. Designers work on the long-term ‘establishment’ and ‘design’ of the world. Thus, they have great influence on the everyday life of the users and on their experiences in the public or political domain. Spatial design is therefore by definition a public matter.
In this contribution, Hans Teerds examines how this ‘political’ idea challenges the spatial designers’ discipline. Based on the work of five contemporary practices, he shows how designers not only contribute
to the design of the public space, but also open it up to the public and to a public debate on the future of the shared space.