Rethinking Accessibility: Toward a Participatory Placemaking Model

Abstract

Public space accessibility is commonly framed through infrastructure provision and land-use planning. While these approaches improve physical access, they often overlook subtle social, cultural, and institutional barriers that shape how people participate in, experiment within, and relate to public environments. This paper addresses this gap by proposing a participatory placemaking model that conceptualizes accessibility as meaningful opportunity — the capacity of individuals to engage with, shape, and imagine spaces based on their lived experiences and tacit knowledge.

The model is explored through REBLOC, an experimental platform using urban games, collaborative making, and temporary pop-up interventions to create situated encounters in local micropublics. Through hands-on engagement, participants reveal values, negotiate spatial possibilities, and develop confidence in collective action. Findings suggest that temporary participatory platforms can expand meaningful opportunities for engagement, allowing accessibility to emerge through collective and situated practices.