Part II - Academic Action

Summary

In this section, three different contributions delve into the involvement of academia in bolstering citizens’ insurgent initiatives. The section starts by examining the case of Rio de Janeiro, where a collective of academics lends support to the creation of “popular plans”. These plans are viewed by the authors as counter-strategies to the official plans being implemented amid heightened conflicts involving governmental entities, real estate developers and marginalized communities. These tensions become more intense as a result of the city hosting significant international events. The authors present a scenario characterized by intense clashes that defy resolution, leaving only insurgent actions as a response to the institutional violence at play.

The section proceeds with an analysis that critically assesses the actions of academic planners collaborating with groups claiming for land in Guernica, a municipality situated in the southern region of metropolitan Buenos Aires, Argentina. In the process, this chapter interrogates prevalent notions of informality and contemplates both the essence and implications of academic participation within social movements. In this particular context, academia becomes a consistent and legitimate participant, providing support to actors who lack stability and legitimacy before the authorities. The concept of insurgent planning, in this instance, gives rise to an alternative planning approach not offered by the state, although it does come with certain limitations pertaining to continuity, durability and broader applicability. According to the authors, Guernica serves as an urban laboratory for practices that oppose prevailing neoliberal governance.

Concluding the section is a contribution stemming from the RISE programme (Revitalising Informal Settlements and their Environments). This contribution highlights the capacity of academia to fortify grassroots initiatives and enriches the discourse on participatory research by spotlighting the pivotal involvement of local communities in shaping research agendas and co-producing data. Within this context, the authors delve into the engagement of local insurgent planners, who receive assistance from a team of academics affiliated with the programme. These citizens also take on the role of citizen scientists, actively generating data through participatory data collection activities. This dynamic holds significant importance, as it introduces a novel approach to how academia can bolster insurgent endeavours. This new paradigm centres on participatory research, wherein the community plays a central role in identifying issues to be addressed and collaboratively generates the essential data for potential solutions. Once again, the university is viewed as a stable and legitimate actor with a Freirean perspective.