Abstract
This paper investigates processes and actions of diversifying memories of
division in Northern Ireland’s political conflict known as the Troubles. Societal
division is manifested in its built fabric and territories that have been adopted
by predominant discourses of a fragmented society in Belfast; the unionist east
and the nationalist west. The aim of the paper is to explore current approaches
in planning contested spaces that have changed over time, leading to success
in many cases. The argument is that divided cities, like Belfast, feature spatial
images and memories of division that range from physical, clear-cut
segregation to manifested actions of violence and have become influential
representations in the community’s associative memory. While promoting
notions of ‘re-imaging’ by current councils demonstrates a total erasure of the
Troubles through cleansing its local collective memory, there yet remains an
attempt to communicate a different tale of the city’s socio-economic past, to
elaborate its supremacy for shaping future lived memories. Yet, planning
Belfast’s contested areas is still suffering from a poor understanding of the
context and its complexity against overambitious visions.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 197-221 |
Number of pages | 25 |
Journal | Athens Journal of Architecture |
Volume | 2 |
Issue number | 3 |
Early online date | 02 May 2016 |
Publication status | Published - Jul 2016 |