Case Kontula: It takes foot-work, encounters and interpretation

Our participatory pilot at Kontula mall particularly highlighted the fact that silent participants are not necessarily participants who do not want to participate. For the entrepreneurs who took part in our experiment, the mall is an important everyday environment, and they participate in its development if they have the opportunity to do so. By opportunity I mean here that participation is genuinely achievable and has an impact. Moreover, multilingual interaction requires an understanding of the diversity of languages and cultures.

”We sit and talk together as we do now. That’s the best.”

(Entrepreneur, encounter at Kontula library)

The entrepreneurs who took part in our pilot are not a culturally homogeneous group, but they do have common features such as being non-native speakers and working long hours. Many expressed a desire to meet and have someone listen to their point of view. It is not impossible to tailor such a method of participation. Organising participation requires creative use and combination of existing methods such as dialogue, multilingualism and digital tools. 

Although it has been possible to participate in the design of the mall in the past, for example through workshops or by commenting on the competition entries online during the architecture competition, it has been difficult for non-native speakers to participate. When I visited entrepreneurs with interpreters, many told me that they had not had the opportunity to participate before. Either they have not been able to participate or they have not been aware of the opportunities to participate. Only one of the entrepreneurs said that he had attended a workshop during the architecture competition, but at the same time said that it was unclear to him whether participation had any impact on the plans.

”The survey was really beyond good because you listened to us and cared about our opinions.”

(Entrepreneur, survey response)

The survey was particularly praised. The entrepreneurs I met appreciated the fact that the survey had been thought through from their point of view. The questions, the length of the questionnaire and the languages used allowed them to respond. The fact that we went around the shops and offered guidance on how to answer the questionnaire made it possible. The map question in particular was quite difficult to answer without assistance.

But the most important thing was to sit down together and, in addition to writing down their own thoughts, the respondents were able to ask questions and give their own reflections on the development of the place. I personally felt that in these situations my understanding of the situation and the lives of these people grew. I was able to write down things that the respondents themselves would not necessarily have found relevant to write down in their answers, but which were relevant to my understanding and planning.

”The survey is really good. The fact that you come into the shop is really good.”

(Entrepreneur, encounter on the round)

One of the interpreters told us during the round that the survey is taken seriously and respondents like to mark a lot of things on the map, for example. This was also conveyed to me as several respondents clearly discussed and reflected on the questions and answers with the interpreter. I did not understand these discussions and it was gratifying when sometimes the interpreter or respondent looked at me to say that this is really great thing. 

Another thing I understood from the interpreters was that for many people, responding with the help of a young person is very comfortable, because often in families young people take care of these things. Some languages are also very difficult to write. Either you have to be specially trained to write these languages or the questionnaire was answered in a different language from the chosen questionnaire language. Multilingualism began to open up to me in a whole new way!