Across two worlds

Abstract

Climate change impacts disproportionately the most vulnerable citizens in urban areas. Meaningful participation can be one of the tools to combat urban adaptation injustice, as understanding vulnerabilities and co-creation with vulnerable groups of citizens can help create adaptations that are fair to everyone. In Prague, Czech Republic, post-war neighbourhoods house the majority of the residents, but the public space in these areas is often overlooked, undermaintained and exclusive. This thesis analyses the realm of urban adaptation justice, participation with socially vulnerable groups of citizens and public spaces of Černý Most in Prague. In collaboration with two local NGOs, three participatory events in the field were designed and executed: A streetwalk with homeless people, A neighbourhood walks with residents, and A co-design workshop with socially vulnerable teenagers. These events helped uncover a social conflict in the neighbourhood, resulting in alterations of the public space to intentionally exclude certain groups of citizens. This exclusion results in hurting everyone and reinforcing and redistributing sources of vulnerability. The design consists of general neighbourhood design principles that are usable throughout the whole district. The final part is a design of a new public park, addressing the conflict, designed using the outcomes of the participation events and proposing a new future for the neighbourhood.