We Own the City: Enabling Community Practice in Architecture and Urban Planning

Published with Trancity.

We Own the City examines the ways in which urban dwellers--who used to be merely "clients" of development--are taking ownership of their neighborhoods. Bottom-up initiatives are cropping up around the world, but institutions, government offices and developers often find themselves uncertain how to collaborate with and empower these impassioned citizens and communities. Offering solutions to this disconnect, We Own the City analyzes this international trend through five case studies, focusing on Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Moscow, New York and Taipei, each of which discusses different dynamics and intensities of citizens' redevelopment processes. This volume delves into the complexities surrounding the role of today's city-makers and the potential and actual tensions between civil society and government, and it further provides new foundations for inclusive urban development plans which will set the standard for future public governments, housing authorities, architects, town planners and real-estate developers.