Contested Boundaries and the Appropriation of Space

The Contested Boundaries project aims to challenge collective, commercial, public and private spaces in global London in order to create moments of negotiation and appropriation. The project aims to facilitate the appropriation of the spaces for collective good, by exploring “ambiguities of proprietorship, of aesthetics, of social relations and the political economy of everyday life collide” (David Harvey).

Global economies facilitated by political powers inform the spaces of London's Docklands. Over centuries, colonial ambitions and neoliberal development practices have created distinct urban conditions in the Docklands. Docks, towers and luxury residences juxtapose with adjacent social housing and local park spaces. But local relations are often overshadowed by territorial priorities to resources and finance.

This project puts collective spaces at the forefront of design activism in an attempt to reappropriate and readdress the impact in the docklands of global, financial systems. Vacant development sites are the focus of the project while a repertoire of design interventions are employed to create shared spaces and bold landmarks.