Convivialiser l’espace public : Quels facteurs environnementaux freinent ou facilitent les contacts intergroupes ? L’exemple de Tan Mai à Hanoi

Through a case study, this dissertation examines the environmental factors in the design of public spaces that facilitate or hinder interactions between different social groups. It also puts to the test Western theories shared between the social sciences and the field of planning in a context of the global South, more precisely in Hanoi, Vietnam. The study site is located in the Tan Mai district to the south of Hanoi, one of the city’s most densely populated areas, with a high concentration of rural migrants. According to the literature, there is strong discrimination between rural migrants and Hanoians. At the same time, the under-provision of public open spaces in Hanoi limits the opportunities for these two groups to rub shoulders in the same recreational and social spaces. In response to these findings, the HealthBridge Foundation, the social enterprise ThinkPlaygrounds! and UN Habitat’s Vietnam office developed a playground coupled with a community garden, one of the aims of which was to foster relations between migrants and non-migrants over the course of 2019. A post-occupancy study of this project was carried out during the summer of 2022. Combining a questionnaire survey, semi-structured interviews and field observations, this study identified some of the environmental-related factors that contributed to facilitating or hindering intergroup interactions. The identified factors also helped sustain relationships between migrants and non-migrants in the space. The research highlights not only a lack of knowledge, but also the operational challenges faced by planning practitioners when it comes to designing spaces that encourage intergroup encounters. The study suggests increased collaboration between planning disciplines and the social sciences to improve the operationalization of public space design supporting intergroup relations.