Tactical Chor(e)ographies: Tactics of Inhibition as a Threat to Public Space in Limassol’s Seafront

Abstract

This article explores the area that spans between the boardwalk and the Limassol Marina to highlight the tensions between two major trends in terms of the constructions of urban spaces worldwide, namely, open public spaces and segre/gated communities. Between them, lies the area of the boardwalk, one of the most successful public spaces in the island in terms of public access, openness, and inclusion. Employing ethnographic methods, this article examines walking in and other uses of these areas. It challenges de Certeau’s binary framework by suggesting that power may be more complex than simply two discrete levels, hence tactics are not a monopoly of the “powerless.” I argue that those striving to be perceived as powerful and “in control” employ a range of “tactics of inhibition” to limit possible uses of space. “Tactical chor(e)ographies” is proposed as an analytical term that can capture these processes.