How to make sense of the face-to-face public discussion of the distribution of public funds? In this article, I argue that physical co-presence of citizens in course of collective deliberation gives the underrepresented social groups opportunities to speak out their concerns and express their social positions. In a discussion that I co-organised with support of a few local cultural organisations, participants faced a possibility to practice critical debates regarding the decisions of the municipal, regional and central authorities. I present a case study that contributes to the literature by describing the “openings” in public indifference that have implications for practice and policies. I reflect on the public discussion as an opportunity to engage into a dialogue a general public, activists, scholars, officials and experts and imagine alternative ways for democratic deliberation. This article links together the problems of distribution of public goods and engaging public into the organisation of mega-events in the light of the predicaments of the capitalist urban development.

中文翻译：

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讨论将公共物品用于私人目的

如何理解公共资金分配的面对面公开讨论？在本文中，我认为，公民在集体协商过程中的共同存在使代表性不足的社会团体有机会表达自己的关切并表达其社会地位。在一些地方文化组织的支持下，在我共同组织的讨论中，与会人员面临着就市政，地区和中央政府的决定进行重要辩论的可能性。我介绍了一个案例研究，通过描述公众漠不关心对实践和政策产生影响的“开口”，为文献做出了贡献。我认为公众讨论是与公众，活动家，学者，官员和专家，并设想民主审议的替代方式。鉴于资本主义城市发展的困境，本文将公共物品的分配和使公众参与大型活动的组织问题联系在一起。