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100			_aLang, Luciana _958124
245			_aI stick to this side of the park: _bParks as shared spaces in contemporary Belfast/
260			_bSage, _c2020.
300			_aVol. 3, Issue 2, 2020 ( 503–526 p.)
520			_aThis paper presents the results of the ‘Beyond the Peace Walls’ pilot project, which examined the role of urban parks in Belfast, a city marked by a history of sectarianism. It explores the interface of culture, inclusivity and belonging through the concept of ‘shared spaces’ following the rationale that has guided policy-making in Northern Ireland since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. By examining the alternative narratives of the historical role of public parks, as spaces of community making, alongside recent efforts to overcome sectarianism, it investigates how the lived experience of parks articulated through the concept of ‘shared spaces’ is understood by policy-makers and local communities. The research draws on material collected in conversations with park goers framed by comparative analysis of research undertaken in other segregated cities to explore the extent to which urban design curbs or reinforces segregation. Findings reveal ongoing tensions between the neutralisation and the signification of space underlying place restructuring in Belfast rejecting the claim that parks are ‘neutral’ compared to other ‘interface’ locations. We argue that parks are not neutral spaces: people have very clear understandings of the demarcation of space within parks, even if the markers are not visible for all to see. Signifiers are perceived through gestures, language, names and activities, while shared spaces embody historically informed values and constraints. We also suggest that formal planning and management of shared spaces in Belfast need to be constantly evolving to meet the fluid needs and aspirations of the city’s population, while taking into account the historical and affective relevance of physical and ethno-political segregation.
700			_aMell, Ian _958125
773	0		_012446 _917117 _dLondon: Sage Publication Ltd, 2019. _tEnvironment and Planning E: Nature and Space/ _x 25148486
856			_uhttps://doi.org/10.1177/2514848620918829
942			_2ddc _cEJR
999			_c14771 _d14771