Listening to the Shipyards: Design for Social Innovation in Post-Industrial Redevelopment Amidst Contested Histories

Krupa, Frédérique and Montagne, Clémence (2024) Listening to the Shipyards: Design for Social Innovation in Post-Industrial Redevelopment Amidst Contested Histories. In: P/References of Design. Cumulus conference proceedings series, 1 . Cumulus Association, Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design Budapest, Budapest, pp. 1907-1923. ISBN 978-952-7549-02-5

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Abstract

"Listening to the Shipyards" is an engaging self-guided walking tour that combines ten sound design capsules and two augmented reality (AR) visual experiences to explore Nantes' industrial heritage, the end-result of a 3-year research project into design for social innovation (DSI). The tour centers on a former shipyard undergoing rapid transformation and disappearing from the city's landscape and provides a unique perspective on Nantes' post-industrial landscape, offering insights to both locals and visitors alike. Following extensive field studies, students uncovered varying and contested redevelopment objectives among civic stakeholders and historians. As the area in question transitioned into a more traditional urban setting, conflicting goals emerged between: cultural actors that were the first to invest the abandoned industrial buildings for large, rowdy and public events; the syndicated union representatives deeply affected by the closure of the industrial base and resentful of its recreational re-use; and the city authorities aspiring to repurpose the area for residential, educational, and creative industry mixed-use. In an effort to mitigate dissensus around a shared vision, a proposal for an immersive sonic walking tour was presented to and endorsed by Nantes' tourism agency, the Voyage ? Nantes. This paper delves into how social innovation and digital design played a crucial role in identifying common objectives and fostering dialogue and collaboration among stakeholders with strongly divergent interests. As part of the Innov'Art 2 research project by the Institut Français d'Argentine, Listening to the Shipyards (? l'écoute des chantiers) contributed to the Voyage ? Nantes 2022, providing a meaningful exploration of the city's evolving identity.

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