Julia Förster, Julita Skodra, Katleen De Flander & others
K-Lab
2023
🗺️ Context and Initiation The CMMM (Critical Mapping for Municipalist Movements) project, initiated by a team of researchers and activists at a Robert Bosch Stiftung event in December 2017, aims to support civil society actors in creating just societies and cities through political transformation. The project was funded by the Robert Bosch Stiftung and received additional support from K LAB at TU Berlin. Key figures involved in the project include Julia Förster, Julita Skodra, Katleen De Flander, Natasha Aruri, and Andreas Brück. 📅 Project Timeline Conducted over 3.5 years from 2019 to 2023, the CMMM project involved collaborative research in three cities: Barcelona, Belgrade, and Berlin. It emphasizes critical mapping as a tool for empowerment, enabling communities to reshape narratives around urban issues. 🏠 Key Themes and Findings One of the central themes of the project is critical mapping, which promotes the democratization of mapping technologies that were traditionally considered elitist. By making these tools accessible, the project empowers communities to visualize complex urban issues and advocate for change. The research also highlights the role of municipalist movements in reshaping local politics, with each city providing unique insights into how these movements challenge established political structures. 🏘️ Housing Crisis Focus Housing was chosen as a focal point due to its universal relevance and the pressing need for reform in all three cities. The project explores critical issues such as housing affordability, evictions, and the financialization of real estate. Comparative urban analysis reveals common challenges while identifying unique local dynamics. For example, Barcelona’s strong municipalist movement contrasts with Belgrade’s developing framework amidst post-socialist transitions. 🌍 City-Specific Insights In Belgrade, the housing crisis is intensified by neoliberal policies and high privately owned housing, with the Ministry of Space collective advocating for change through critical mapping. Berlin, with its majority tenant population, faces gentrification and affordable housing challenges, while civic initiatives are promoting Gemeinwohl-oriented governance. Conversely, Barcelona struggles with a housing crisis driven by tourism and inadequate tenant protections, with local movements advocating for enhanced public housing policies. 📊 Methodological Approach The CMMM process involved collaborative workshops, mapping exercises, and interactive tools to visualize urban data, guided by principles of feminist data visualization. This approach emphasizes pluralism, empowerment, and context sensitivity, serving as a model for supporting municipalist movements in addressing urban challenges related to housing and beyond.
K-Lab and 
Robert Bosch Stiftung
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.