Münster’s Participation Landscape in the Lens of Situational Analysis: Political Arenas of Negotiation in transformative Urban Development Policy

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14512/rur.3105

Keywords:

Arena , Participation , Urban planning, Situational analysis, Transformative urban development, Münster

Abstract

This paper reports on the examination of the participation landscape in Münster, considering it as a complex and situational structure within the context of transformative urban development policy. Following Adele Clarke’s Situational Analysis methodology, the paper uses social worlds and arenas as a conceptual framework for addressing empirical questions. Clarke’s understanding of arenas is linked to Jacques Rancière’s reflections on momentary political participation, shifting the analytical focus to relational, political, and conflictual negotiation arenas. Using multiple mappings derived from Situational Analysis, the paper examines how and when participation arenas are formed, and what dynamics and constellations of actors they reveal. Moments of political participation within these arenas indicate a basis of mutual understanding and trust between social worlds, enabling tensions, contradictions and conflicts to be recognized and negotiated. Additionally, the applicability of Situational Analysis to questions in urban and spatial research is discussed in this paper.

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Issue publication date 2025-10-30 (version 2)
Published online first 2025-09-25 (version 1)

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Weber J. Münster’s Participation Landscape in the Lens of Situational Analysis: Political Arenas of Negotiation in transformative Urban Development Policy. RuR [Internet]. 2025 Oct. 30 [cited 2025 Dec. 16];83(5):381-94. Available from: https://rur.oekom.de/index.php/rur/article/view/3105

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