Urban Improvisation – Reconstructions of the Interplay of Private and Public Initiatives in Spatial Transformation Processes

Abstract

This paper introduces the concept of “urban improvisation” to describe the dynamic interplay between public and private initiatives in shaping fragmented urban landscapes. Drawing inspiration from jazz improvisation, the authors conceptualise spatial transformation as a process of action and reaction that alternates between coherence and fragmentation. Using case studies in Antwerp—neighbourhood construction, historic street transformation, and park development—the study reconstructs public-private interaction processes and compares them with cases dominated by public initiative. The findings suggest that, despite contributing to spatial fragmentation, urban improvisation can be seen as a legitimate mode of planning that generates both social and spatial quality.