Participatory Urban Conflict Mapping: Designing Infrastructures for urban peacebuilding through situated agonistic and relational practices

This paper explores the potential of participatory urban conflict mapping as an enquiry and advocacy tool to foster peace ecologies. Drawing on the intersection of peace economics, agonistic democ- racy, and infrastructuring, this work examines how mapping can serve not as a neutral representation tool but as a civic infrastructure for surfacing systemic conflicts, facilitating dialogue, and envision- ing transformative futures. Grounded in the notion of design for peace ecosystems, the study situates conflicts as a structural and generative dimension of urban life, particularly in contexts marked by layered inequalities, fragmented governance, and civic mobiliza- tions. Through a multi-scalar, trans-local approach involving pilot activities in Milan, Rio de Janeiro, and Bogotá, the paper proposes a participatory mapping protocol that supports inclusive knowledge co-production and reflexive inquiry. The process emphasized multi- disciplinary inquiry, collaborative sense-making, and situated data practices as critical design tools. By integrating qualitative data collection, participatory inquiry, and visual synthesis, the initiative proposes a methodological framework for conflict mapping that is both epistemic and transformative. The paper reflects on the implications of this approach for participatory design research, par- ticularly in addressing structural injustices/conflicts, and advancing socially just urban transformations. The proposed experimental ac- tion is structured as a replicable and adaptable platform to support design-led peacebuilding efforts in urban environments, aiming to create an open platform for self-mapping urban conflicts accessible to all citizens.