Public space and memories of migration

Erasing diversity through urban redevelopment in France

Bibliographic Data

ID5111664
AuthorsRoza Tchoukaleyska (0009-0009-6349-6211, University of Sheffield, corresponding author)
Year2016
Volume17
Issue8
Pages1101-1119
Publication date2016-11-16
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueSocial & Cultural Geography (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1464-9365 • E-ISSN: 1470-1197
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/14649365.2016.1153136
OpenAlexW2288667458
LanguageEN
Citations received15
References cited64

This article examines the meaning of public space and impact of heritage-led urban redevelopment in a diverse neighbourhood in Montpellier, France. It traces the relocation of a North African market from a central city plaza in favour of French antiques, and the resulting contestation over what constitutes local heritage, who has the capacity to determine how public space is used, and the seeming erasure of migrant identities and memories from an important community site. The paper considers how urban areas are re-imagined through a change in the materiality of public space, and outlines the role of outdoor markets in defining the social function of such spaces. The paper examines the intertwining of physical erasure (urban redevelopment and the removal of a diverse food market) and cultural erasure (the loss of certain community memories), and how these processes speak to broader debates about French national identity, cultural heritage, and the meanings attached to public spaces

Aesthetics · Cultural heritage · Economic geography · Economic growth · Economics · Economy · Gentrification · Geography · Materiality (auditing · Neighbourhood (mathematics · Political economy · Political science · Public space · Redevelopment · Relocation · Sociology · Cultural Identity and Heritage · Diverse Cultural and Historical Studies · French Urban and Social Studies · Law

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