Abstract v angličtině:

Top-down public involvement in the (re)creation of public spaces is a helpful point of entry into the intricacies of the relationship between knowledge, policy- and decision-making regarding urban infrastructure. My research on evolution of top-down urban participation in the Czech cities since 1989 indicates that the relationship between knowledge and agency is often loose on policy and practice levels. Importantly, this looseness is predominantly understood as an unproblematic, operational norm. Roy (2025, 165) states: “Policy approaches are not only techniques of implementation but also ways of knowing. Such forms of knowledge are a crucial ingredient of the ‘diagnosis and solution’ calculus of policymaking.” Her argument highlights that the policy itself contributes to formulating what is sufficient, relevant knowledge. In my contribution based on of Czech participatory (re)design of public spaces, I aim to explore how this role of policy manifests itself on two levels: Firstly, the urban participatory policies spread regardless of evidence and mainly without evaluation. Their epistemic authority is gained by other means. Secondly, while the policies frame and organize the knowledge solicited through participation, the use of knowledge in decision-making often remains vague.