L’art urbain comme devenir de la participation citoyenne ?

Street art is an unofficial modality of civic participation. Its anti-establishment role and its place in the urban landscape suggest that drawing itself is a powerful and transgressive tool for reflection and communication. The choice of place/support for its realization engages a point of view and possible intended effects. During a survey carried out in 2023, we invited 48 Besançon residents to draw freely on paper supports representing 6 downtown locations/facades. Audiovisual recordings document the drawing in progress and the accompanying discourse. The aim was to mobilize collective representations and potential actions on these spaces (unknown, perceived, practiced and/or inhabited). What kind of thoughts, needs and desires do citizens have that inspire the development or detour (through drawing) of these places? A categorical analysis of the drawings and audiovisual registers reveals four modalities and pathways motivating citizen participation. In this way, under a communicative approach, this article proposes an artistic mediation device that can be incorporated into citizen consultation protocols and participatory approaches aimed at adapting or transforming urban spaces.