Mobile device, "Penc' mobile

A mobile device is a device that makes it possible to go out and meet residents and users during the co-design phase and, more broadly, as part of a commitment to dialogue with all stakeholders. The organisation of participatory workshops can have its limits: only certain educated people, often already politicised and aware of civic initiatives, take up these spaces. A mobile facility can be used to reach out to all residents, not just those who feel they have a legitimate interest in co-production.
A mobile device can take many forms, and at the Pépinière urbaine in Dakar it took the form of a "Penc' mobile". In Wolof, penc' means both the place and the time where people meet to discuss common issues. It has enabled us to get as close as possible to the residents, taking the form of a model stand, a lunch table, a public radio platform or a drawing board.
For example, workshops were held around a model of the district placed on the penc'mobile, with groups of different people: young men, older men, women, children and teenagers. Particular attention was paid to the participation of children, who are widely present in the streets of the district but rarely asked to give their opinion. The team therefore organised several types of workshop with them, some based on drawing, others on making models or carrying out site surveys.Un dispositif mobile est un dispositif permettant d'aller à la rencontre des habitant.es et usager.es dans la phase de co-conception et plus largement dans une volonté de dialogue avec l'ensemble des acteurs. L'organisation d'ateliers participatifs peut en effet montrer ses limites : seules certaines personnes éduquées, souvent déjà politisées et sensibiles aux démarches citoyennes investissent ses espaces. Un dispositif mobile permet alors d'aller à la rencontre de tous les habitant.es et pas seulement de ceux qui se lancent et se sentent légitimes dans une démarche de co-production.

Technical specifications :

• must be built by local craftsmen, using their own tools
• must use materials that are available almost everywhere.
• must be able to be loaded onto the back of any standard pick-up truck.
• must be able to pass through a standard flat door.
• must be quick and easy to deploy.
• must be multi-purpose
• must include 6 basic seats.
• must have storage space