The self-made-life city

Self-organised urban activism and the politics of doing difference

Authors

• Mikko Kyrönviita Tampereen yliopisto https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6434-6081
• Antti Wallin Tampereen yliopisto https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4839-717X
• Riina Lundman Tampereen yliopisto https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3125-2417
• Krista Willman Tampereen yliopisto https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9743-4638
• Elina Alatalo Tampereen yliopisto https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4072-4057

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33357/ys.156713

Keywords:

urban activism, self-organisation, outsider art, spatial appropriation, life project, political agency

Abstract

This article examines self-organised urban activism and introduces the concept of the "self-made-life city", inspired by the ethos of outsider art. Research on urban activism has thus far focused on case studies of local interventions, political protests, and disputes. This article focuses on activists’ inner motivations, aspirations, and political legitimation, a perspective that has received little attention. The research analyses qualitative empirical data on various urban activisms to contribute to theoretical development. The article argues that urban activism is 1) embedded in space and action, producing each other, 2) resistant to defective urban conditions that drive individuals to direct action, and 3) inspired by individualistic motifs, while later receiving collective support and societal recognition. As a result, the research deciphers the idea of a self-made-life city: an activist’s inner vision revealing spatial potential, turning action into political projects and a way of life. The new conceptual orientation allows us to understand activist practices as having intrinsic value for both individuals and the urban society.