Place of Protest: Designing for Discourse in Public Space

Abstract

The act of protest exists publicly as a demonstration of opposition to an idea, judgement, or subject. Within the city, these demonstrations occupy public space and disrupt the prescribed event of a given environment to highlight the subject of the discourse itself. The event of protest, as defined in this project, is either intentionally disruptive or structured within public space. This thesis will address these two protest typologies through design implementations along a march path and a new protest park in Ottawa, directly across from the Centre Block of Parliament Hill. The design expresses both permanent and impermanent additions to the cityscape, supporting the act of protest within public spaces. Inflatable installations, permanent stages, and community space all tie together as a cohesive plan for the event of protest. The project aims to improve the immediate effectiveness of protest events while reflecting the importance of democratic, engaging, and powerful design.