This master’s thesis explores the relationship between space, place, and community, and examines the role of participation as a tool for creating or regenerating spatial identity. The starting point of the thesis is the question of how existing spaces that have lost their identity, sense of belonging, and meaning over time can once again become active places of community life. The work is grounded in the premise that the most sustainable form of architecture is not the construction of new buildings, but the reuse and transformation of existing spaces. Accordingly, the central aim of the thesis is to understand how processes of co-creation, led by users themselves, can regenerate place identity and foster a sense of belonging and responsibility toward space.
The theoretical part focuses on key concepts that enable an understanding of the transition from space to place. The research addresses placemaking, spatial identity, place attachment, place responsibility, and methods for evaluating these phenomena. Emphasis is placed on the distinction between spaces as physical settings and places as experiential and symbolically charged environments shaped by practices, memories, interpersonal relationships, and social processes. Particularly important is the role of participation, as involving users in the formation of space strengthens their attachment, identity relations, and sense of care for their environment.
The analytical part of the thesis compares various participatory practices and examines the processes through which spaces are transformed into stages of social interaction and community activity.
The "project" section of the thesis is based on two participatory workshops, "Preko mej seminarja" and "Dvorišče Vaške hiše!? " which represent the central research and design component of the work. The workshops enabled direct testing of participatory methods in different spatial and community contexts and demonstrate how user involvement influences the formation of spatial identity, strengthens attachment, and builds responsibility toward place. Insights from the first workshop, combined with theoretical foundations and reference cases, form the basis for developing a tool for planning future participatory processes. This tool includes phases of spatial investigation, implementation of changes, and evaluation of outcomes. Special attention is given to the dynamics of collaboration and the role of spontaneous and informal activities.
The thesis confirms that participation is not a one-time event but a continuous process of community building. As users explore, inhabit, and co-create space, they simultaneously learn about the place and their own needs. In this way, spaces with low identity become capable of regeneration, while users take on a more active role in shaping placemaking and community life.
|
