Places by People: Citizens’ Adoption of Neglected Space and the Architecture of Counter Space Part 1 Dissertation 2024 Ben King Arts University Bournemouth | UK The entry is a paper that examines citizen’s adoption of neglected urban space using the theoretical concepts of social space, place and ‘placelessness’ to assess its successes and failures as a place-making methodology. It offers a balanced view on this alternative methodology and argues for participatory design of as a suitable architectural solution to the issues put forward by citizen’s adoption of space.Through a detailed case study of Turbo Island in Bristol, United Kingdom – a neglected space that has organically developed into a cultural yet controversial public space. The essay explores the implications of such spaces on urban culture and identity. It combines the spatial theory of Henri Lefebvre (2013) and theories of place and ‘placelessness’ from Edward Relph (2008), to contextualise the emergence of place in Turbo Island.The paper suggests Participatory Design, a collaborative design approach that involves end-users in the design process, as a solution for enhancing the sense of belonging in such citizen-led spaces. Proposing it as a means to bridge the gap between formal urban planning and the organic development of citizen’s adopted spaces. Tutor(s) Willem De Bruijn