Activism, citizen participation and communication strategies for the defence of public spaces: analysis of three processes in Malaga

Abstract

This research analyses three participative processes started by citizens in Malaga between 2017 and 2019 with the purpose of defending public space, local environment and city welfare. These are the campaign for the continuation of the social center La Casa Invisible (est. 2007) and the citizens’ platforms Bosque Urbano Malaga and Defendamos Nuestro Horizonte, both originated in 2016. The objectives pursued are: - Examine how citizens set up communication strategies to defend public spaces when they are prevented from participating in the debate about these issues. - Evaluate the value given by citizens of their own participation when they are involved in communicative actions related to the public sphere. The methodology adopts a mixed approach that analyses the origins, purposes, strategies and ways of doing (approaches) including interviews and focus groups (semi-structured); analysis of its activity in the digital environment to understand their behaviour and relationship with the community and a documentary review of the news published in local media. This paper will present the initial results focused on the main motivations and expectations of citizens, the technological mediations considered adequate and effective to promote participation and achieve their main purposes, as well as the limits and possibilities for improvement detected.