4301 - Right to the city

Urban planning always also evokes protest: Social movements and groups critical of those in power raise their voices against political decision. This is the case in Berlin, but also in other cities. They want to know what defines a fair city. Who claims to control the narrative and who is excluded in this context? Consequently, resistance becomes an essential force in the context of urban change. Time and again, the citizens of Berlin have actively fought for their “right to the city“, which has led to the emergence of unexpected or so far unused free spaces in the public space. The (hi)story of Berlin-Mitte can also be read as a (hi)story of protest.

* “Right to the city“

In 1968, the French sociologist Henri Lefebvre introduced the concept of a “Right to the city“. In his book with the same title, he demands that all individuals have the right to shape the urban space.