The Coining of Convivial Public Space: Homelessness, Outreach Work, and Interaction Order

This article engages with the “convivial turn” in writings about city and offers a reorientation of sorts. Beginning encounters, rather than particular spaces, we make case that conviviality its limits are realised practices. Rather starting set piece urban spaces designed to foster start out on move, frontline street-based care outreach workers Cardiff, Wales, Manhattan, New York City, as they seek meet up those sleeping streets. provides view an improvised makes most whatever material affordances given space happen provide. Our research points how these encounters necessarily take place marginal settings times due sorts exclusions can be built into contemporary at same time welcoming public, but hostile toward need vulnerably located centre things. In this sense, approach fragile interactional accomplishment and, doing so, see questions conflict less big-picture paradox togetherness distance, hope hate life, more dynamic relation co-presence visibility. Public space, indeed public might then reconsidered not location but, rather, active, shifting accomplishment, variously coloured by politics seeing being seen.