design and policy:
the role of inclusive, participatory decision-making for affordable housing


Facilitated with John Bruce, and Anže Zadel.
Design Biotop, Ljubljana, Slovenia, May 2019
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In the growing trend of community participation in urban and policy processes on the local and regional level, a variety of new mechanisms and policies allow residents to participate in political decisions about the future of affordable housing conditions in their cities. One of the biggest challenges that emerge with these “participatory practices” is how to ensure that they truly contribute to strengthening citizen power.
Questions guiding the workshop included: What is the history of community participation in housing strategies in Ljubljana and the region? How are other cities/regions strengthening participation in alternative housing strategies? How might design inform processes of envisioning new participatory practices in policy-making?