"never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
— great quote from the well known cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead … for all of those who believe in the power of community involvement and participation
- 1 year ago
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Social, cultural and political production of public space
Recently I came across the the work of the Atelier d´Architecture Autogérée (AAA), an architecture and urban design studio that describes itself as “an interdisciplinary practice including architects, artists, urban planners, landscape designers, sociologists, activists, students and residents”.
The combination of so many and diverse actors within in their practice is what makes AAA projects very different from many other architecture or urban design firms. The diversity of its team members lies on the fact that their main goal is to create an architectural and urban practice that is inclusive and respectful of the desires of inhabitants and users, whatever is their social and cultural background.
For AAA public space is socially, culturally and politically produced and not just physically build. Their projects are highly embedded in their local contexts, including, adapting and shaping everyday practices and using them as platforms for cultural and social production. Their goal is not to create a product but a long term process that can host the diverse needs and demands of its users as well as serve as a learning space for new lifestyles and ways of being together in the future.
Such ideas are clearly reflected in their award winning project “Passage 56”. A public space that because of its format and use, it is continually “under construction”. The Passage 56 is a continuous social, cultural and political process rather than a design object.
Find more about what is going on in the Passage 56 in their blog. It is in french but the images talk for themselves.
- 1 year ago
- 1
"What matters in cities …. revolves around the fact that they are places of social interaction … Cities are essentially dynamic .. policy formulation must work with this; it must not think in terms of some final, formal plan, nor work with the assumption of a reachable permanent harmony of peace. The order of cities is a dynamic - and frequently conflictual - order. A new politics for cities must be equally fluid and processual."
— from the book “Cities for the Many Not the Few” by Ash Amin, Doreen Massey, Nigel Thrift
- 1 year ago
- 2
New York City Asks Residents to transform underused streets into vibrant, social public spaces
New York’s Plaza Program is working together with not-for-profit organizations to create neighborhood plazas throughout the City. It is transforming underused streets into vibrant, social public spaces. One of its most significant examples is the redesign of a car-free, pedestrian friendly Times Square
This Program is a key part of the City’s effort to ensure that all New Yorkers live within a 10-minute walk of quality open space. It is estimated that New York’s open spaces sum 64 square miles of land-that is enough space to fit about 50 Central Parks. Therefore the Program will re-claim streets at appropriate locations to make new plazas.These improvements will provide more space for pedestrians by creating attractive destinations that allow for convenient walking and for places to sit, rest, or to simply watch the world go by. In addition to creating new public spaces, by supporting local nonprofits, the NYC Plaza Program will strengthen the capacity of local not-for-profit organizations to help them become stronger long-term plaza partners. To ensure local participation, we are partnering with community-based organizations. Through public visioning workshops, NYCDOT and partners will develop a conceptual design that will be appropriate to the context and individuality of the neighborhood. A professional team of landscape architects will then base their plans on the conceptual design. Partners will be involved throughout the design process. Together, we will design plazas to be safe, attractive, comfortable and social public spaces. Once plazas are built, Partners will be responsible for regular maintenance, management, and programming of the plazas so they remain not only clean, safe, and attractive but also successful, active and well-used public spaces.
- 1 year ago
- 2
Transforming Neighbourhoods - A collection of stories about community empowerment
via irishboyinlondon:
A research project in England designed to involve local communities in decisions and practices related to the development and management of their neighborhoods.
The results of the research show that people are keen to tackle the problems that affect their everyday lives, in particular, neighbourhood grime, community safety and providing facilities for young people. These are considered to be issues where local knowledge, action and influence can make the most difference to effectively solving problems and involving people in decision-making.
The research concludes that neighbourhoods should be given powers to:
Act on very local issues, like having control over small budgets to tackle problems with public spaces, crime and grime
Influence decisions about other local services like street cleaning, recycling and youth services, through local action planning and partnerships with decision-making powers
Hold service providers and councils to account – being able to publicly challenge the decisions made by public agencies such as police and planners
Deliver very local services like street cleaning or play centres, as parish councils currently do.
The results and experiences of the research were gathered in a publication called Transforming Neighbourhoods: A collection of stories about community empowerment
- 1 year ago
- 2
"Instead of focusing on neighborhood shortcomings and problems renewal of deprived neighborhoods should be guided by endless possibilities. The projects many actors should locate and activate the neighborhood resources. These can be the guys in the corner, who are are good at playing football and are willing to teach soccer to younger children. It can be the housewives, who want to make cooking school. Such possibilities are only detected if we talk to each other and get to know what dreams we have for our neighborhood."
— extract from the GL. Valby master plan
- 1 year ago
- 1
architecture & urban design processes with a different touch
Fantastic Norway is an architecture studio with a unique approach to their planning and design process.Their office initiated with the ambition of “creating an open, including and socially aware architectural practice and to re-establish the architect as an active participant and a constructor of society”. Their uniqueness of their practice is a red caravan which they use in an emblematic way to creat dialogue with local communities they are working on. The idea is to invite ordinary people to reflect over the values they think should form the basis for urban development. Here is an example of their work.
The trademark of their practice, the red caravan, and the concept behind it, was exposed in the Venice Biennale 2008
- 1 year ago
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