Place Making: A Sociological Approach by Alain Boudin

Event Synopsis

The term“place making” encompasses a vast array of issues that concern some thirtydifferent disciplines. After the theoretical debates of the 70s, two lines ofthought developed in particular: how to make space more attractive andwelcoming for visitors or more comfortable and pleasant for residents – or evenchange its meaning – by mobilizing landscape planning, design, scenography and developinglocal services; and the participation of local communities in the production oftheir own space. This last aspect has taken on considerable importance inrecent decades, leading to the creation of a truly global activist network.

Howeverpositive such movements may be, they do not adequately reflect two essentialfacts: cities are complex societies, and the relationship between residents andtheir surroundings takes place on three scales: proximity, lifestyle anddestination. This relationship is builton a process of successive trials and tribulations, which generate a mentalburden and require an ability to understand the city that goes beyond the mere spatialdimension, and which constitutes urban competence.

Theconference will show how important these elements are and how they lead to arethinking of place making.

Speakerinformation:

ProfessorAlain Bourdintaught sociology at the universities of Tours and Toulouse, then urbanism atthe universities of Geneva (Switzerland), Louvain (KUL – Belgium) and Pariswhere he was dean of the Institut français d’urbanisme. He is editor of the RevueInternationale d’Urbanisme.

His workfocus on urban heritage (historic districts, industrial heritage), majorprojects, metropolises, methods and processes of city production. In recentyears, he has developed several research projects on what residents expect oftheir city and neighborhood.

He iscurrently leading an analysis program on the production of Olympic facilitiesand the Olympic urban legacy.

In 2024, hepublished (ed) Major French Cities facing Metropolization (Springer).