Julia Förster, Julita Skodra, Katleen De Flander & others
K-Lab
2023
The CMMM (Critical Mapping for Municipalist Movements) project is a research initiative focused on empowering civil society to foster just societies and cities through political transformation. Launched in December 2017 during a Robert Bosch Stiftung event, the project was led by researchers and activists including Julia Förster, Julita Skodra, Katleen De Flander, Natasha Aruri, and Andreas Brück. It received funding from the Robert Bosch Stiftung and support from K LAB at TU Berlin. Over 3.5 years, from 2019 to 2023, the project explored critical mapping in three cities: Barcelona, Belgrade, and Berlin. 🌍 Key Findings and Themes Central to the project is the democratization of mapping technologies, traditionally seen as elitist. By making these tools accessible, CMMM aims to empower communities to visualize and advocate for change in complex urban issues. The research emphasizes the importance of municipalist movements in reshaping local politics, with each city providing unique insights into the challenges they face. A critical focus of the research is housing, addressing common concerns such as affordability, evictions, and real estate financialization. 🏢 City-Specific Insights In Belgrade, a housing crisis exacerbated by neoliberal policies has led to a high percentage of privately owned housing. The Ministry of Space collective is actively working to address these issues through advocacy and critical mapping. Berlin, with a majority tenant population, faces gentrification and affordability challenges, prompting civic initiatives to push for governance that prioritizes the common good. Barcelona’s housing crisis is driven by tourism demand and insufficient tenant protections, leading local movements to advocate for stronger public housing policies. 🛠️ Methodology CMMM employed a collaborative approach through workshops, mapping exercises, and the development of interactive tools to visualize urban data. Guided by principles of feminist data visualization, the project emphasized pluralism and empowerment, ensuring sensitivity to local contexts. In summary, the CMMM project provides a valuable model for utilizing critical mapping to support municipalist movements in addressing urban housing challenges. It underscores the significance of local context while fostering international collaboration among activists and researchers, making it relevant for a pan-European audience interested in sustainable housing solutions.
K-Lab and
The CMMM (Critical Mapping for Municipalist Movements) project is a practice-oriented research initiative aimed at supporting civil society actors in their efforts to create just societies and cities through political transformation. The project focuses on critical mapping as a tool for empowerment, allowing communities to reshape narratives and discourses around urban issues. The project was conducted over 3.5 years, from 2019 to 2023, and involved collaborative research in three cities: Barcelona, Belgrade, and Berlin.
Key Findings and Themes
- Critical Mapping: The project emphasizes the democratization of mapping technologies, which were traditionally elitist. By making these tools accessible, the project aims to empower communities to visualize complex urban issues and advocate for change.
- Municipalist Movements: The research highlights the role of municipalist movements in reshaping local politics. Each city—Barcelona, Belgrade, and Berlin—offers unique insights into how these movements are challenging established political structures.
- Housing as a Central Theme: Housing was chosen as the focal point due to its universal relevance and the pressing need for reform in all three cities. The project explores issues like housing affordability, evictions, and the financialization of real estate.
- Comparative Urban Analysis: By comparing different urban contexts, the project identifies both common challenges and unique local dynamics. For instance, while Barcelona has a strong municipalist movement that has influenced local governance, Belgrade is still developing its municipalist framework amidst post-socialist transitions.
Context and Authors
The CMMM project was initiated by a team of researchers and activists at a Robert Bosch Stiftung event in December 2017. Key figures include Julia Förster, Julita Skodra, Katleen De Flander, Natasha Aruri, and Andreas Brück. The project received funding from the Robert Bosch Stiftung and additional support from K LAB at TU Berlin.
City-Specific Insights
- Belgrade: The city's housing crisis is exacerbated by neoliberal policies and a high percentage of privately owned housing. The Ministry of Space collective is actively working to address these issues through critical mapping and advocacy.
- Berlin: With a majority tenant population, Berlin faces challenges related to gentrification and affordable housing. Civic initiatives are pushing for Gemeinwohloriented governance to counter neoliberal influences.
- Barcelona: Known for its dynamic political environment, Barcelona's housing crisis is linked to tourism-driven demand and insufficient tenant protections. Local movements are advocating for more robust public housing policies.
Methodology
The CMMM process involved collaborative workshops, mapping exercises, and the development of interactive tools to visualize urban data. These activities were guided by principles of feminist data visualization, emphasizing pluralism, empowerment, and context sensitivity.
Overall, the CMMM project serves as a model for how critical mapping can be used to support municipalist movements in addressing urban challenges related to housing and beyond. It highlights the importance of local context while fostering international collaboration among activists and researchers.