Co-creating Inclusive Arctic Urban Space A study in challenges and consequences of translating co-creation processes

Abstract

This thesis investigates the challenges and consequences connected to translating a co-creation process from the urban setting of Tromsø to the rural setting of Hansnes. Co-creation is a tool that has increasingly gained popularity in relation to modern urban planning. It connects issues that exist in planning with the specialised technical knowledge of experts and citizen involvement, allowing for spaces developed through collaborative processes between the two. The case for our thesis is a co-creation project organised by the Nordnorsk Design og Arkitektursenter. For the project organised by NODA in Hansnes, called Inclusive Arctic Urban Spaces, the idea is to design a public space that is attractive to use all year round, designed by collaborative processes between different stakeholders, focusing on including the residents of Hansnes. We do this through an investigational approach to link public spaces as the object of what NODA seeks to design with co-creation. We make use of a theoretical framework consisting of co-creation, Arctic planning, and the centre-periphery dichotomy. Observation through walking, conversing with locals and mapping of the field constitute our exploratory method driven approach. Concludingly, we present a selection of potential challenges identified as well as the consequences they might impose, when translating a co-creation process from one place to another.