Cities and public life
Housing, public space, communities and civic participation.
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Research paper reviews discuss studies and theoretical or methodological papers. Book reviews cover books and edited collections. Essay and report reviews engage public scholarship. Essays and explainers develop EdgeLab’s own arguments and research reflections.
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Research posts: Cities and public life
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The work that makes room for urban wildlife
Tags: Autopoietic Ecology · Cities and public life · Environment and sustainability · Organisations and change · ReviewsA city makes room for wildlife through decisions that can look remarkably ordinary: when a surface is cleaned, which part of a building remains accessible, and who pays for work that must be done again next season. These decisions deserve a place…
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An AI can have permission without having authority
Tags: AI and society · Autopoietic Ecology · Cities and public life · Ethics and governance · Organisations and change · ReviewsA conceptual paper on government AI agents asks whether approved objectives remain connected to legitimate public authority. The harder question is who can interrupt and repair what happens next.
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Opposition inside the institution
Tags: Autopoietic Ecology · Cities and public life · Meaning mediation · Organisations and change · ReviewsLuca Mancin’s comparison of far-right EU discourse sharpens the distinction between opposition and participation. This review asks what language can establish—and what requires evidence of institutional action.
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A seat is not the same as power
Tags: Autopoietic Ecology · Cities and public life · Ethics and governance · Meaning mediation · Organisations and change · ReviewsA framework for institutional, digital and narrative parity shows why participation can remain visible yet powerless. An AE reading follows whether recognition changes later decisions.
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When a city gains value but loses room for everyday life
Tags: Autopoietic Ecology · Cities and public life · Ethics and governance · Political economy and inequality · ReviewsA study of three Southern Italian cities shows how tourist property use can erode everyday liveability without classical gentrification. An AE reading follows who gains, who bears the costs and whether those costs alter planning decisions.
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When participation keeps a city going, who changes the decision?
Tags: Autopoietic Ecology · Cities and public life · Ethics and governance · Meaning mediation · Organisations and change · ReviewsA new review maps how informal networks support marginalised urban residents. An AE reading asks when participation gains influence—and when communities simply inherit more work.