The place of co-production: A physital space for collaborative urban government

Abstract

Many studies investigating urban government co-production focus on definitions and applications and often overlook the physical locations where this co-production occurs. This study introduces "physital" spaces—a synthesis of physical and digital elements—to enhance participatory urban governance. The research was guided by the following question: How can a space combining architecture and visualization technologies foster a new culture of collaboration between government and citizens in shaping urban policy? By employing architectural research methodologies that analyze a space's human behavior, the study considers a physital space in the Haifa neighborhood of Hadar with the aim of facilitating collaboration between municipal employees and civil society. The research is a Participatory Action Research (PAR) study and had three stages: designing the physital space; implementing a participation protocol to explore the functionality of the physital space in shaping urban-social policy; and critically reflecting on the emerging cultural dynamics within this innovative setting. The findings indicate that physital space not only fosters effective grouping and community bonding through its oval structure and interactive setup but also motivates participants to engage in dynamic co-production. The study challenges current Smart City paradigms that often limit real community involvement in decision making spaces, demonstrating how physital spaces can bridge the gap between theoretical urban governance and practical, inclusive policy making.