Short description:

This book equips readers with tools and insights needed to address the pressing challenges of urban livability and inclusiveness in the face of neoliberal urbanism.

Long description:

Creative Urban Atmospheres explores the potential for urban planners, researchers and artists to intervene in the atmosphere of spectacle dominating current neoliberal urbanism strategies through sensory and sound-based artistic interventions drawing from Tactical Urbanism and Research-Creation. This book equips readers with tools and insights needed to address the pressing challenges of urban livability and inclusiveness in the face of neoliberal urbanism.

Through engaging discussions and a case study conducted in Montreal?s Quartier des Spectacles, the book demonstrates how sound-based and sensory interventions can reshape urban atmospheres, fostering cohabitation and inclusiveness for diverse populations. Key features include an interdisciplinary emphasis on the intertwinements of academic research, artistic practice, and participatory community engagement, ensuring that readers gain both theoretical understanding and practical approaches. With its focus on innovative methods such as Research-Creation and socially engaged art, this book not only critiques existing urban strategies but also empowers planners, artists, and communities with tactics for collaboratively transforming underused urban spaces into vibrant, livable, and inclusive social environments.

This book is designed for a diverse audience deeply invested in the future of urban spaces. It will be of interest to urban planners seeking innovative approaches to address urban polarization and promote inclusiveness, as well as academic researchers in urban studies and geography exploring the intersections of Tactical Urbanism and sensory interventions. Artists, designers and architects will find inspiration in its emphasis on creative, participatory approaches while policymakers and community advocates can draw practical insights for fostering livable, inclusive cities. It also speaks to anyone with a vested interest in the challenges facing contemporary cities, including gentrification, touristification and neoliberal urban pressures on the most marginalized groups.

"Sound design of urban spaces is either still quite rare or almost completely left to architects, urban planners, and/or project developers who have hardly been educated in this discipline. Thanks to Nicola?s new book, interesting sonic interventions not only become the specialty of artists; sound is also recognized as a political force."

Marcel Cobussen, Professor of Auditory Culture and Music Philosophy at Leiden University, the Netherlands

"Although there is significant awareness that consumption-oriented urban policies have been detrimental to urban liveability in many cities, there is little exploration of alternatives. Di Croce addresses this shortcoming by carefully drawing on his own research in Montréal to show how tactical urbanism can function as a tool to resist the negative impacts of consumption-oriented urban interventions. While doing so, Di Croce also presents a detailed and inspiring example of the potential of research-creation."

Daniel Paiva, Researcher in Human Geography at University of Lisbon, Portugal

"Through original research, grounded in a first-person narrative, Nicola di Croce casts a fresh outlook onto urban soundscapes and atmospheres. Challenging decorative tactical urbanism, Di Croce opens up new pathways of research-creation into sonic urbanism, in ways that may inform better planning and design as well as support bottom-up action.? 

Andrea Mubi Brighenti, Professor of Social Theory at University of Trento, Italy

"Nicola Di Croce?s book expertly connects atmospheric thinking and sound studies with tactical urbanism, exploring ways in which these approaches can challenge the neoliberal takeover of modern cities. The book should be of great interest to academics, students and designers who are concerned with the creation of socially inclusive cities."

Jordan Lacey, Senior Lecturer of Design at RMIT, Australia 

Table of Contents:

Introduction  Chapter 1: Tactical Urbanism and the neoliberal city  Chapter 2: Atmosphere and the sonic experience of urban space  Chapter 3: Exploring Research-creation in urban planning  Chapter 4: Montreal?s Quartier des Spectacles: a case study  Chapter 5: The promise of participation for urban change  Chapter 6: Conclusions: urban tactical imagination  Index