I stick to this side of the park

Parks as shared spaces in contemporary Belfast

Bibliographic Data

ID4464801
AuthorsLuciana Lang (0000-0002-7598-6949, University of Manchester, corresponding author), Ian Mell (0000-0002-0544-0836, University of Manchester)
Year2020
Volume3
Issue2
Pages503-526
Publication date2020-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEnvironment and Planning E Nature and Space (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2514-8486 • E-ISSN: 2514-8494
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/2514848620918829
OpenAlexW3016555402
LanguageEN
Citations received9
References cited36

This paper presents the results of the 'Beyond the Peace Walls' pilot project, which examined the role of urban parks in Belfast, a city marked by a history of sectarianism. It explores the interface of culture, inclusivity and belonging through the concept of 'shared spaces' following the rationale that has guided policy-making in Northern Ireland since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. By examining the alternative narratives of the historical role of public parks, as spaces of community making, alongside recent efforts to overcome sectarianism, it investigates how the lived experience of parks articulated through the concept of 'shared spaces' is understood by policy-makers and local communities. The research draws on material collected in conversations with park goers framed by comparative analysis of research undertaken in other segregated cities to explore the extent to which urban design curbs or reinforces segregation. Findings reveal ongoing tensions between the neutralisation and the signification of space underlying place restructuring in Belfast rejecting the claim that parks are 'neutral' compared to other 'interface' locations. We argue that parks are not neutral spaces: people have very clear understandings of the demarcation of space within parks, even if the markers are not visible for all to see. Signifiers are perceived through gestures, language, names and activities, while shared spaces embody historically informed values and constraints. We also suggest that formal planning and management of shared spaces in Belfast need to be constantly evolving to meet the fluid needs and aspirations of the city's population, while taking into account the historical and affective relevance of physical and ethno-political segregation

Art · Civil engineering · Ethnology · Media studies · Narrative · Northern ireland · Placemaking · Political science · Politics · Population · Public relations · Public space · Restructuring · Sectarianism · Shared space · Sociology · Urban design · Urban planning · Engineering · Geographies of human-animal interactions · Irish and British Studies · Law · Urban Planning and Governance