Collaborative urbanism for an appropriable city

In response to the challenges faced by urban planning over recent decades, collaborative urbanismhas emerged as an alternative approach capable of bringing disciplinary practice closer to the actual needsand aspirations of residents by combining citizen participation with technical expertise. Its implementation,however, requires a redefinition of the theoretical and operational framework of urban planning towards moresocially oriented approaches incorporating mediation, participation, and the collective production of space.Drawing on the case study of Vallcarca, a neighbourhood in Barcelona where a participatory planning reviewculminated in the approval of a ‘Modification of the Metropolitan General Plan’ (MPGM), this article identifies thedisciplinary transformations required by such processes, placing the psychosocial process of appropriation ofspace at their core. Based on an analysis of residents’ contributions to participatory processes and their role infostering affective, symbolic, and functional bonds with lived space, the study proposes a redefinition of urbanintervention strategies. It thus reflects on the new objectives, scales, tools, and professional roles that couldshape an urban practice oriented towards the development of an “appropriable city.”