Inter-sessions as governance in action. How invisible moments of co-design are shaping institutional transformation

To address social inequalities in urban transformation, cities increasingly involve stakeholders and users in projects through co-design. These methods use cross-sectoral and systemic approaches that continuously adapt to evolving needs. In this context, the city of Nantes collaborates with a community of actors to create the "Nantes Cooperative of New Solidarities," which aims to strengthen local solidarity and reimagine urban governance through participatory practices. While research on co-design emphasizes the designer's role in addressing project challenges, transforming practices, and influencing stakeholders, it often overlooks the critical relationship between the design team and project governance, particularly with decision-makers. This communication aims to improve co-design practices by examining in greater depth how designers and pilots are involved in these co-design moments, highlighting the 'inter 'session issues, and offering insights into the steering mechanisms to be implemented. Our current action research (February 2024 to April 2025) examines how the co-design function creates new design spaces at the steering level and helps establish new institutional frameworks, mainly when the goal is to create a cooperative with heterogeneous players. We have observed challenges and legitimacy crises on all sides within the steering, design, and community teams. Design plays a crucial role in strengthening community cohesion. However, it must also support the emerging entity formed by the co-design process that co-organizes the planning and steering. This paper contributes to the literature by identifying key tensions in co-design governance structures and proposing inter-sessions as a novel institutional mechanism for fostering generative collective governance. This signifies a shift from traditional consultancy practices that designers must consider in their co-design methodology, especially if they aim to make their intervention sustainable.

Stéphanie Hémon. Inter-sessions as governance in action. How invisible moments of co-design are shaping institutional transformation. CUMULUS 2025, Ethical leadership, a new frontier for design., Ecole de Design Nantes Atlantique, Jun 2025, Nantes (France), France. ⟨hal-05313326⟩ (lien externe)