Ma(r)king neighborhoods is an explorative research project to develop new empirical methods. Qualitative methods of urban research are combined with analogue stencil printing techniques. Focusing on several neighborhoods in the 16th and 17th district of Vienna, we ask how people who live, work or attend educational institutions perceive and experience their neighborhood, negotiate it in their everyday lives and enter into dialogue with it.
The term neighborhood describes a place and its social relationships. As a social and physical space, the neighbourhood is by no means a neutral place, but a space that is shaped by power relations, social relationships and individual and collective experiences. This involves the distribution of resources, but also the question of who has a say in shaping the physical space and how social, cultural and economic participation is organised in the neighborhood.
Despite various efforts in urban research to depict and explore the diverse realities of life of city dwellers, it is still a challenge to reach people who tend to be underrepresented in research, such as children, elderly people or people who are socio-economically marginalized. With ma(r)king neighborhoods, we are developing new methods to work specifically with these groups of people, on the one hand by entering into cooperation with local childcare facilities, schools and retirement homes, and on the other hand by setting up low-threshold offers in public spaces that invite passers-by to join in. The aim is (1) to map the diverse perspectives of city dwellers in order to decipher the complexity of the neighborhood microcosm and (2) to make scientific research more understandable and accessible through participatory and art-based methods.
To answer these questions, we use various artistic methods and printing techniques. In three so-called neighbourhood labs, we explore life in the Grätzl together with the participants.
The starting point in these workshops are city plans and maps, a central element of geography and urban research, which we develop further by printing over them or inscribing observations and experiences on maps. These ‘subjective maps’ are developed with the workshop participants and then discussed together.
During the walks, we accompany people on their everyday routes through the neighbourhood, e.g. from home to the park, from work/educational institution to home or on their favourite walk. The people tell us what they notice about this route, what they would like to design differently, what ideas and memories they have with these spaces.
Building on Labs 1 and 2, targeted interventions are made in urban spaces. Stencils and street chalks can be used to suggest ideas for change, e.g. additional zebra crossings, cycle paths or benches. Or anonymised quotes and images can be printed in public places to encourage reflection and interaction. By working concretely in public spaces, passers-by can also be involved in the project.
January 2025 - December 2026
