Enabling urban co-production to face inequalities and democratic challenges

The Counter–Manual is a tool for activists, citizens, and stakeholders. It supports collective action and shared learning across different communities. Its goal is to bridge theory and practice, connecting academic and activist worlds while embracing evolving concepts and enhancing storytelling and co-production emerging from the joint work of the Fairville Labs.

In contrast to a recipe guide offering ready-made prescriptions, this counter-manual seeks to demonstrate that co-production is, above all, a dialogue between aspirations and reality, between the field and theory.

To achieve this, it is organized through alphabetical entries representing the words and actions that shape co-production. Each entry is defined and illustrated with stories of success, experience, and failure — reflecting the diverse and dynamic nature of collaborative practice.

The Counter Manual is articulated in 13 thematic entries, each one follows the same structure composed of 4 sections:
 

• Words and/in action: grounded definition and use of the word in social life, political debate with a focus on “cultural translation” of the word in different contexts.
   

• What academic literature has to say offers an academic background and present the theoretical debate around those theme.
   

• Methods cards present useful tools for co-production.
   

• Lab stories: presentation of the words, debates or methods in practical experiences and cases.

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