The Space of Democracy and the Democracy of Space

The Space of Democracy and the Democracy of Space

In recent decades there has been an intense focus upon how we can, and should, understand the ‘space of democracy and the democracy of space’. Of course this question is not new, but what could be called the ‘spatial turn’ in academia, shows that globalisation brings spatial interconnections and flows to the fore, whilst throwing open the idea of fixed boundaries and borders. We have moved away from the assumption that space can be regarded as a pre-given background or even container of political life. Today, emphasis is placed upon the spatial circulation of people, passions, new social movements, technosciences, media and information; and how these contribute to situated political action in given, empirical contexts. But this spatial turn also throws up thorny tensions as to what will count and work as democratic practice today. Given that spatial flows and interconnections are now forgrounded in debate, how should we understand some of the central tensions which characterise democracy today; between ‘territorial and post-territorial politics’, ‘citizenship as everyday practice and the reassertion of statism’, ‘representation and participation’ and ‘being affected by an issue and the right to participate in it’.

The emerging "Space of Democracy and the Democracy of Space" network explores such questions. It involves around 400 academics globally, working across the disciplines of political philosophy, politics, planning, geography, anthropology, science and technology studies, sociology and development studies. We are presently concentrating upon establishing institutional sites, in different geographical locations, for the network to operate through. Once established, these will eventually take conversations through the different disciplines via academic workshops, academic journals, public debates, the general media and website interfaces, for example.

This will take place under the direction of Jonathan Pugh. We would also like to acknowledge the significant assistance of the special advisors, Noortje Marres, Chantal Mouffe, Doreen Massey and Oliver Moss. Some of those who have actively signed up to take part in events so far include Tony Benn, David Chandler, Bernard Crick, Andy Dobson, Anthony Giddens, David Featherstone, John Forester, Frank Furedi, Maarten Hajer, David Howarth, Patsy Healey, Will Hutton, Tim Ingold, Uma Kothari, Scott Lash, Nina Laurie, Oliver Marchart, Phil McNaughton, Chantal Mouffe, Susan Owens, Jonathan Pugh, Steve Rayner, Jenny Robinson, Uma Kothari, Richard Sennett, AbdouMaliq Simone, Joe Smith, Yannis Stavrakakis, Deborah Thien, Nigel Thrift, Francoise Verges, Hilary Wainwright, Sarah Whatmore, Steve Hinchliffe, Clive Barnett, Liza Griffin, Jim Martin, David Oswell, Oren Yiftachel, Daniela Korbas Magal, Nina Laurie, Jean Hillier, Terrell Carver, Deborah Thien, and Sandra Halperin. We also operate through a long-term public debating forum, The Great Debate; putting on debates involving college students and members of the general public in the North East of England in particular.

Previous and forthcoming events….

Newcastle University – 19^th May, 2006

“The Space of Democracy and the Democracy of Space: Debating (de)territorial governance”. With Professor David Chandler (Centre for the Study of Democracy, University of Westminster), Dr Caspar Hewitt (Newcastle University) and Dr Jonathan Pugh (Newcastle University). Sponsored by The Great Debate.

Harvard University – 2^nd April, 2007

Dr Jonathan Pugh (Newcastle University)

“The Space of Democracy and the Democracy of Space: conversations with architects and planners”. Sponsored by Harvard University and The British Council (US Branch).

Cornell University – 6^th April, 2007

Dr Jonathan Pugh (Newcastle University)

“The Space of Democracy and the Democracy of Space: The Claim of International Development”. Sponsored by Cornell University and the British Council (US Branch).

Centre for the Study of Democracy (CSD) seminar – 15^th May, 2007

Dr Jonathan Pugh (Newcastle University)

“The Space of Democracy and the Democracy of Space”. Sponsored by CSD.

Newcastle University - 25^th June, 2007 (in association with The Great Debate)

“The Space of Democracy and the Democracy of Space: The New Politics of Climate Change”

Debating with Professor Steve Rayner (Director: James Martin Institute, University of Oxford; Professor Phil Macnaghten (Director: Institute for Hazard and Risk Research, Durham University); and Dr Joe Smith (School of Social Sciences, Open University). Sponsored by Newcastle City Council, the Economic and Social Research Council’s Science in Society Programme and the Royal Town Planning Institute (Northern Branch).

Annual Conference of the Institute of British Geographers/ Royal Geography Society – 30^th August, 2007.

“The Space of Democracy and the Democracy of Space: Critical Territorial Politics”

Debating with Sir Bernard Crick, Hilary Wainwright (Editor, Red Pepper), Professor David Chandler (Centre for the Study of Democracy, University of Westminster), Tony Benn and Professor Sarah Whatmore (University of Oxford). Sponsored by the Barry Amiel and Norman Melburn Trust, the RGS-IBG Participatory Geographies Working Group and ESRC.

Newcastle University, 12^th October, 2007

“Space-time and the political”. With Professor Doreen Massey (Open University), Professor Chantal Mouffe (Centre for the Study of Democracy, University of Westminster), Professor Tim Ingold (University of Aberdeen), Dr Noortje Marres (Goldsmiths, University of London) and Professor David Howarth (University of Essex). Sponsored by the ESRC.

Newcastle University, 11^th January, 2008

“The Space of Democracy of Planning”

Debating with Professor John Forester (Cornell), Professor Patsy Healey (Newcastle University), Professor Susan Owens (University of Cambridge) and Professor Maarten Hajer (Universiteit van Amsterdam). Sponsored by the ESRC.

Newcastle University, 21^st January, 2008

‘Authority, Democracy and Human potential’

Workshop with Professor Richard Sennett (LSE/MIT) and Professor Frank Furedi (University of Kent). Sponsored by The Great Debate.

March 2008: Special session at the Centre for the Study of Invention and Social Process (CSISP) Goldsmiths University on “The Space of Democracy and the Democracy of Space: Technology and Democracy”. Organised by Dr Noortje Marres and sponsored by CSISP.

If you are interested in these, or any of the other events associated with this developing network, please contact Jonathan.Pugh@ncl.ac.uk.

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