What is to be Done? Framings of Urban Populism in Prague and Warsaw

Resurgent populism in East Central Europe is typically analyzed at the national level. This paper examines populist urban movements in two of the region’s capital cities: Prague and Warsaw. It locates the origin of urban populist grievances in the crisis of urban-planning regimes after communism. At the same time, it argues that the character of populist urban movements, in terms of their mobilizing frames and tactics, varies between cities depending on the openness of municipal institutions to new social actors. The research draws on extensive field interviews, policy documents, academic analyses, and domestic media reports. It sheds light on an under-studied variant of postcommunist populism—one less conservative and potentially more inclusive—and contributes to the literatures on postcommunist civil society, urban planning, and municipal-level politics.

Profil ideowy miejskiego aktywizmu w Polsce

The paper concerns the ideological profile of urban movements in Poland. In the first part, the author definesthe concept of urban movement based on the related literature and outlines the history of the urban matterin Poland. Then, attempts are made to reconstruct the ideological profile of urban activism. This is done onthe basis of an analysis that includes the main ideas to which urban activists refer (right to the city, idea ofparticular narratives, city-view) as well as the urban theses that include the postulations developed by theCongress of Urban Movements being the effect of consolidation activities in the Polish urban movements’environment. In conclusion, the key groups of postulations formulated by activists in Polish cities are analysedthrough the perspective of the views contained in the main contemporary political doctrines.

Urban social movements in a small town: the case of “Aktywne Giżycko”

Studies about urban social movements in Poland concentrate on major cities like Warsaw or other big financial and educational centers. Out of 40 member organizations of the Congress of Urban Movements (as on 31 July 2018)[1], only 2 come from a town of the population under 50 thousand[2]. Small provincial towns experiencing depopulation caused by strong emigration to metropolises have another notion of their “right to the city” feelings. This article examines the case of Aktywne Giżycko (Active Giżycko), an association from a 30 thousand Masurian town. It aims to answer the question why this “right to the city” organization emerged in a small town, while in Poland it is still mainly domain of big agglomerations. The investigation was based on a 3-year long research comprising biographical interviews, participating observations, archive studies and local press surveys.

The power of the cities and the power in the cities: a multiscale perspective from Portugal

Cities –or the urban complex spaces that they are becoming– are vital in society’s future, particularly in a general context of globalization. In this setting, power fragmentation and government to governance transitions, which are indisputable and significant phenomena, go hand in hand with urban movements that are becoming increasingly relevant, both through their direct action, and as a consequence of democratic responsibility. In Portugal, however, urban movements and civic associations in general seem rather discreet in their activities, dimension and role. In fact, there is no strong evidence that the 2008–2014 crisis has brought any dramatic change in these aspects. In this article we aim to shed some light on plausible explanations for this apparent inertia. Signs of change, in a context of increased governance and new urban dynamics do exist but do not seem to follow the trend that is thriving in several cities on other European countries. In face of new opportunities for a multiscalar approach to politics, planning and action, after centuries of a (still) dominant hierarchical and sectorial approach, we examine the context of the power of the cities and in the cities in Portugal.

URBAN MOVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF THE LEGITIMATION OF LIBERAL DEMOCRACY: ANALYSIS OF THE ACTIVITIES OF ALTERNATIVE GROUPS AND CIVIL ORGANISATIONS AT A TIME OF EUROPEAN CRISIS

This paper constitutes an analysis of urban movements, marked in the research as alternative groups and civil organisations, in terms of the new politics characteristic of new social movements. In particular it indicates that these movements, ostensibly urban, actually express demands towards the broader social system, delegitimating it in a twofold manner. Firstly, the acceptance of certain general principles in democratic values and rules is coupled with criticism of how the system functions in practice and of the political elites in Poland, via protest, lobbying, and watchdog activities. A separate type of delegitimation embraces organisations among which we may list cooperatives and squats, as well as organisations managing concrete spaces and withdrawing from participation in public life, shutting themselves away within autonomous spaces and realising a different cultural and democratic model. In both of these groups we are thus dealing with a strongly accentuated anti-systemic and anti-capitalist attitude towards the political reality of the period of transformation in Poland. The research delivered confirmation of the overall research hypothesis adopted in the Lifewhat project, according to which in response to economic crisis civil society responds with the emergence of alternative forms of resilience, not only alleviating the consequences of the crisis but which also, as time passes and the scale of their activities increases, may give rise to a new quality – including in a political sense. The research constitutes a part of the international Lifewhat project. It was conducted on a sample of eighteen purposefully selected civil groups and organisations operating in large cities in Poland, using the method of in-depth interviews.

INVENTING URBANITY: URBAN MOVEMENTS IN POLAND

The article discusses the process of formation and transformation of urban movements in Poland. Conclusions are based on the data collected during the research project “Urban Social Movements in Poland” supported by the National Science Centre. For the requirements of the project was adopted a method of qualitative research using the techniques of in-depth narrative interviews, participant observations and secondary data analysis. The author conducted 30 in-depth interviews with leaders of urban movements from sixteen cities. The article describes the process of structuralization and the creation of the identity of the Polish urban movement and their role on the local political stage, stressing, in particular, their significant role as creators of a new discourse in Polish cities.