I'm a social sciences researcher based in the Nordics

This article published in Tribuna (Slovenia) explores Onkraj Gradbišča, a grassroots urban gardening initiative in Ljubljana, as a radical spatial and political intervention into neoliberal urbanism. Situated between Kotnikova and Resljeva streets, the project exemplifies bottom-up appropriation of degraded urban land, reclaiming it as a site of communal production, ecological sustainability, and inclusive social practice. Drawing on theories of habitus (Bourdieu), political subjectivation (Rancière), and Temporary Autonomous Zones (Bey), the analysis positions Onkraj Gradbišča as a living critique of market-driven spatial logic, proposing new modes of inhabiting, reconfiguring, and politicizing space beyond capitalist ownership and state-sanctioned urban planning. Through its open structure, emphasis on diversity, and “as if…” logic of prefigurative politics, the garden functions as both a socio-political commons and a site of aesthetic resistance, where everyday life becomes a terrain for the formation of alternative identities, solidarities, and modes of being.

Lego® from Toy to design tool
This research explores the educational, therapeutic, and conceptual potential of Lego® within architecture and urban design. It examines how the modularity and intuitive assembly of Lego® sets stimulate creativity, spatial reasoning, and collaborative problem-solving in both academic and professional settings. The study also highlights Lego®’s broader cultural impact and its integration into design pedagogy and inclusive learning environments.

Chantal Mouffe is a political theorist and professor of political theory at the University of Westminster. She has taught globally and authored several influential books, including Hegemony and Socialist Strategy: Towards a Radical Democratic Politics (1985), co-written with Ernesto Laclau and also translated into Slovene.