Archive for the ‘cities’ Category
http://player.omroep.nl/?aflID=3647856
it’s a critical movie about building culture which is lost in the Netherlands, based on the architecture on curacao. in dutch…
joost
well, at least they do it in los angeles. the funny thing is they call a lot of these malls over there in SoCal walks… i’d rather call them crawls.
the anaheim garden walk, through curbed LA.
plus a list of my personal favorites over there:
universal city walk by the jerde partnership (the guy that gave rotterdam the beurstraverse/koopgoot). this one is quite interesting, since the initial masterplan provided for housing on top of the shops (something you don’t see too often in malls), but that the client declined due to ‘security issues’. great chapter on shopping mall security in mike davis’ city of quartz too, by the way.
the grove. as with most shopping malls, you have to enter through the parking lot.. but this one is in the middle of the city! you really really have to look for a pedestrian access… including a tram that runs for about 500 meters.
the beverly center. again, in the middle of the city. built on top of 5 stories of parking, and only now they have started to construct escalotors you can access from street level.
enjoi. marten
after french justice, the world is now also gay for social justice.
according to wikipedia, social justice “refers to the concept of a just society, where “justice” refers to more than just the administration of laws. It is based on the idea of a society which gives individuals and groups fair treatment and a just share of the benefits of society. Different proponents of social justice have developed different interpretations of what constitutes fair treatment and a just share. It can also mean distribution of advantages and disadvantages within a society or community.”
especially architects are starting to realize that we are not just here to make nice buildings, we are also here to make a difference. two of these architects making a difference are ava bromberg and nicholas brown, who are organizing an exhibition event in los angeles in septoctnov, just space(s). it aims to give an overview of the unjust spaces of the past and present, and tries to inspire visitors to create the just spaces of the future.
lots to read here:
just space(s)
editorial note: why spatial justice?
spatial justice bibliography
critical spatial practice blog
the godfather of just(ice), MLK
enjoi. marten
“REBAR is a collaborative group of creators, designers and activists based in San Francisco. Rebar’s work ranges broadly in scale, scope and context, and therefore belies discrete categorization. It is, at minimum, situated in the domains of environmental installation, urbanism and absurdity.”
these guys are the amazing creators of the amazing urban installation called Park(ing)
they actually mapped parking lots in san francisco, and made a masterplan for an even distribution of temporary green areas in the city during Park(ing) day.
the rest of the project was self-sustaining: anybody interested could pick up a roll of grass, pick out a parking spot, insert money in the meter and enjoi the good life.
enjoi. marten
sometimes green is just a dumpster’s roof away.
“The dumpster enclosure roofs in the downtown parking lots are alive!”
through ASLA.org: green roofs…. for dumpsters
enjoi. marten
“Designed to draw together city neighborhoods divided by a freeway, this 1,300-foot-long park weaves over a garage, and under a street. Its waterfall masks the din of traffic. Other park delights include trees, flowers, cascading fountains, pools, concrete crags in a ‘metaphorical landscape,’ and a gorge.”
info on: the cultural landscape foundation
enjoi. marten
“I’ve got a better idea [than congestion pricing], instead of building a massive infrastructure to watch the roads and bill the drivers a measly $8 a day, why not make driving in New York City (or at least Manhattan or in the legislative terms the CBD) truly expensive and clear the streets right out. Why not ban public parking? Just cut it out completely. Any vehical left unattended on a Manhattan CBD street gets towed. Real simple.”
through abstract dynamics
enjoi. marten
for all you ‘informal’ people
Soft City records one man’s attempt to plot a course through the urban labyrinth. Holding up a revealing mirror to the modern city, it is used as the locale for a demanding and expressive personal drama.
A vivid, often funny portrait of metropolitan life, Soft City is part reportage, part incisive thesis, part intimate autobiography, and a much-quoted classic of the literature of the city and urban culture. In an age when the big city is becoming less popular than ever, this is a passionate and imaginative defense of city life, its “unique plasticity, its privacy and freedom.”
Meticulously researched, Soft City is an insider’s guide to the stresses and strains of city life. Flicking between many cities, but primarily London and New York, Raban shows the true horror and, to an extent, joy of life in a modern metropolis. The reasons why people flock to cities, why some stay and why some leave are some of the many topics covered. The book takes the reader on a journey into memory and explains how one’s own “soft city” is built from memories of the streets one has actually visited or streets one imagines; those one has loved and are gone. It also describes how we negotiate our own “soft city,” how “my city” is different from “yours” and “everyone else’s.” How we also build associations with places, corners, alleyways and how this builds a familiarity without which we fail to survive our visit to the city. Raban goes on to describe this mind construction as a kind of stage set that we create and in which we play out our part; some of us succeed at this game but many of us suffer from a sense of dislocation and lack of community. All cities are theatres; all cities have their stories so how do you play your own individual part?
ciao edwin
This book is called Fear and Space, and one chapter is a project by Duzan Deopel about surveillance cameras.
Also: AIA or anarchism in action. Specially the chapter with instructions on how to destroy cctv cameras.
As the demands on the world’s planners grow, academics from around the world gathered at a recent conference and expressed great unease about their ability to prepare the next generation of architects to build for this urban future.
“Every year the urban population increases by 80 million, equivalent to the population of Germany,” said Lars Reutersward, an architect and director of the global division at UN Habitat, the United Nations department that looks at urban development.
“Within that there will be an increase in slum dwellers the size of Holland and Belgium put together – 35 million – every year. This is a complete disaster, and it doesn’t have to happen,” he added.
read the whole atricle on the International Herald Tribune website
ciao Edwin
Recent Comments
Explore-lab 