Co‐inhabiting public spaces: diversity and playful encounters in Darwin, Australia

Urban Farm DB summary

This paper examines public spaces in Darwin, Australia, where the visibility of Aboriginal people and migrants often generates fear and anxiety. Focusing on a drop-in open-air café-community garden-op shop, the study argues that playful events and spontaneous multisensory encounters involving humans, non-humans, and material things can animate these spaces. It suggests that the vibrancy of matter and non-human life forms can inform how diverse cities are co-inhabited, challenging social cohesion policies centered on integration into a dominant white majority culture.