Atlassing sustainable development: a participatory and critical approach to neighbourhoods in transition

Abstract

Sustainable neighbourhood development in historical multicultural contexts is a complex process encompassing many different issues (e.g. climate, biodiversity, social inequalities and wellbeing) and actors (residents, experts, local authorities and organisations). Different kinds of maps and representations support knowledge exchange, mediation between different practices and ambitions, as well as vision building among participants in different stages of the development process. Based upon the authors’ research experiences in historical garden city neighbourhoods in the city of Genk (BE), as well as existing literature and practice review, this paper discusses the production of an atlas as a critical and participatory practice for transdisciplinary research in sustainable development. By engaging with the methods of critical cartography and participatory mapping, we propose the process of ‘atlassing’ as a tool to support negotiation between various sustainability aspects and related everyday practices, actors and participatory activities.