Mapping Beyond Mapping The Impact of Mapping in a Participatory Action Research in the Ten Eekhovelei in Antwerp, Belgium

Abstract

This paper explores the transformative potential of mapping within a design-driven Participatory Action Research (PAR) project in Ten Eekhovelei, Antwerp. Rather than focusing on maps as static outputs, the research highlights their capacity to generate dialogue, empower residents, and challenge dominant planning narratives. Through collaborative workshops, surveys, and house visits, residents co-created a neighbourhood atlas documenting spatial practices, everyday experiences, and concerns about displacement. The atlas became both a political artefact and a tool for collective expression, inspiring further initiatives such as a community puppet theatre performance. Drawing on theories of participatory mapping and empowerment, the research highlights how mapping can catalyse agency, dialogue, and structural change. It argues that the true impact of mapping lies not in its technical output but in its capacity to enable appropriation, storytelling, and collective action. The findings advocate for reflexive, inclusive methodologies that prioritise lived experience and support communities in reclaiming space amid urban transformation.

Keywords: empowerment, participatory mapping, urban transformation