ABSTRACT
Much of the research concerning social activism conducted over the past few decades has focused primarily on actions that advocate for social, legislative, or electoral change. This chapter, however, draws on recent research projects that demonstrate a new kind of activism, which aims to change citizens’ perceptions of spaces in contemporary society that have become degraded—often due to policies of austerity. Such spaces often come to be seen as “unruly” and lose their communicative qualities, which isolate people from their neighbors or other regions. This manner of activism—spatial activism—is a form of engagement that can help to reinvigorate the communicative qualities of cities or regions around the world. When performed effectively, the application of strategies of spatial activism can build bridges between communities and change pathways through—and interactions with—physical environments. These actions will prove important to citizens in the coming years, as austerity measures will continue to grip political discourse and shape the physical environments around us. First, this chapter explores the degradation of communicative cities and spaces in society, and the rise of spatial activism. Second, two specific strategies for spatial activism are described that have emerged in my own research over the years: diffused intertextual production and the formation of trust networks. The chapter concludes with an assessment of both of these strategies, which demonstrates that some strategies can be more effective than others.
