Reframing the Reclaiming of Urban Space: A Feminist Exploration into Do-It-Yourself Urbanism in Chicago

(Hardback)

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In Reframing the Reclaiming of Urban Space: A Feminist Exploration into Do-It-Yourself Urbanism in Chicago, Megan E. Heim LaFrombois explores the concept of do-it-yourself (DIY) urbanism from an intersectional, feminist, analytical framework. Interventions based on DIY urbanism are small-scale and place-specific and focus on urban spaces which can be reclaimed and repurposed, often outside of formal urban planning institutions. Heim LaFrombois examines the discourses and processes surrounding the institutionalized and embedded nature of DIY urbanism. She weaves together sites and sources to reveal the ways in which DIY urbanists make sense of their participation and experiences with DIY urbanism and with the broader political, social, and economic contexts and spaces in which these activities take place. Her research findings contribute to and build on current research that illustrates the importance of gender, race, class, and sexuality to cities, local politics, urban planning initiatives, and the development of communities.

Reviews

Megan Heim LaFrombois makes an important contribution to our understanding of the burgeoning DIY urbanism movement. Cutting through the dominant rhetoric surrounding this approach, she provides an insightful and timely critique of the ways that these activities may be simultaneously confronting and perpetuating urban inequality. -- Donovan Finn, Stony Brook University
Heim LaFrombois presents a nuanced analysis of DIY urbanism with a strong social justice slant. Using examples ranging from the anarchist left to the neoliberal right, Heim LaFrombois insightfully exposes an unacknowledged terrain of identity politics and power relations. With sensitivity and thoughtfulness, her book is critical without being dismissive. It is a must-read for anyone hoping to embrace DIY urbanism without unwittingly reproducing exclusion. -- Kimberley Kinder, University of Michigan

Author Bio

Megan E. Heim LaFrombois is assistant professor of community planning and public administration at Auburn University.