Leadership – collectively oriented: Insights from trajectories of temporary urbanism

Abstract

There are ranges of development for temporary urbanism that progress along diverse trajectories. For these, collective forms of leadership are key. Dynamic forms of leadership and how they contribute to processes of temporary urbanism, however, are not yet well understood. We delineate possible trajectories of temporary initiatives and advance a framework for collective leadership built upon constellations of direction, alignment, and commitment. These inform how leadership could be collectively re-interpreted to extend beyond narrow considerations of roles, responsibilities, and leader-follower-outcome relationships. To ground new explanations for factors that enhance community capacity building through temporary uses, we draw on experiences from various case studies in Dortmund, Germany. These highlight key opportunities through which planners can enhance direction, alignment, and commitment to effective temporary use initiatives.

Acknowledgements

Sara Caramaschi and Robin Chang conceived the concept for the paper and coordinated its drafting. This study draws from broader research about temporary uses and urbanism in the contemporary city undertaken by both authors. The analysis of the case of Dortmund was conducted by Alejandra G. Castro Giron within the framework of the Horizon 2020 project “T-Factor: Unleashing future-facing urban hubs through culture and creativity-led strategies of transformative time”, which received funding under the Horizon 2020 research & innovation programme with grant agreement n°868887. All the authors contributed to writing and editing the manuscript.

The authors are grateful to Benjamin Davy, Christian Lamker (University of Groningen), and Frederico Savini (University of Amsterdam) for their comments on earlier versions of the manuscript.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Robin A. Chang

Robin A. Chang is a postdoctoral research associate and lecturer at the Chair of Planning Theory and Urban Development of RWTH Aachen University. She has focused on temporary and tactical urbanism along with (strategic) urban planning while developing a strong-process view and critical perspectives to studies on planning practise and theory. Her work draws on temporally sensitive frameworks and methods, complexity thinking and Critical Future Studies. Prior to her PhD in Spatial Planning at TU Dortmund University in 2022 she studied environmental planning and practised land use planning in Canada.

Sara Caramaschi

Sara Caramaschi is a postdoctoral scholar and lecturer in urban studies at DAStU – Politecnico of Milan. She has held research, teaching and visiting appointments at several institutions. Her research focuses on the evolution, meanings, and uses of the built environment, as well as temporary urbanism and processes of emptiness in contexts of urban contraction and post-crisis cities. Her work has been featured in journals such as Urban Geography, Planning Theory & Practice, the International Journal of Housing Policy, and European Urban and Regional Studies.

Alejandra Castro

Alejandra Castro is a junior researcher in urban transformations at the Centre for Social Research at TU Dortmund. She holds a double Master’s degree in Environmental Studies and Urban Transformations from Aalborg University and TU Dortmund, respectively. Her academic expertise chiefly focuses on the regulatory and governance elements that enable the activation of temporary uses from a strategic perspective. Her work is closely tied to the ongoing European T-Factor project. Prior to her transition into the field of temporary urbanism, she focused on governance for biodiversity conservation in Latin American contexts.