Paper short abstract:

This paper discusses an actor perspective on urban planning and its contributions to critical urban theory, taking account of the debates on temporality and diversity. Based on narratives of favelados in Recife, Brazil, it shows how urban planning is an intrinsic element in the lives of the poor.

Paper long abstract:

This paper presents an actor perspective on urban planning and discusses its contributions to current critical theory in the field of urban development, taking account of debates on temporality and diversity. It presents the life stories of residents of an underprivileged neighbourhood in Recife, Brazil, and shows how urban planning is an intrinsic element in these stories. Dealing with urban planning has become inherent in the lives of the urban poor. The viewpoint of marginalized urban actors contributes to our understanding of urban planning in three ways. First, while most analyses of urban development are temporally delineated by the time of a particular project, an actor perspective sees urban development within the timeframe of the lives of the affected urbanites. Second, this perspective emphasizes diversity, taking account of both the variety of residents and the diverse consequences of urban planning on their lives. Third, it shows how urban planning, beyond being a possible solution to a problem or a violation of people's right to the city, forms a continuous and high-impact element of the lives of the urban poor. The paper ends with a reflection on how an actor perspective engages with critical theories on urban planning, elaborating on the tensions between the creative agency of the urban poor and the relentless processes of urban planning they are faced with.