In times of a pandemic crisis, individual freedom of movement and social life are curtailed for the sake of public health. In our cities, restrictive rules and directives from local governments particularly impact on how we (are allowed to) use public space. With every new directive we need to re-adjust, re-align and re-configure our way in which we navigate – if at all – the city. These times raise new questions concerning the right to the city, or more specifically the right to public space.
While drifting through the city, in this associative acoustic city walk our participants are exposed to a range of different voices and approaches that critically reflect on the politics of public space in general and on public space in times of a pandemic crisis in particular. Local urbanists, sociologists, architects, planners and urban actors read out classic texts or talk about their own approach on topics such as diversity, digitalization, gender, the state of exception, homlessness, and surveillance in relation to public space.