The lecture consisted of a number of short manifestos by various ASD tutors and affiliates. It was great to hear a diverse panel presenting real thoughts and feelings without much pomp or pretention. Although I didn't agree with everything that was said, it was refreshing to hear what drives these people, what they like, what they don't, what they're fighting and what they're aspiring to.
Highlights included:
1/ Peter Carl's frank bashing of capatilist-economy-driven-city-evolution.
Finally he's getting to the point and explicitly drawing attention to the spatial divide between rich and poor in developed nations.
2/ David Kohn's proposal for a coppiced woodland and on-site Art Gallery in an East London park.
It was an interesting proposal that was neatly conceptualised and visualised. The aim was to mitigate the operational costs of the Art space by integrating the building into a public park and relandscaping the area with willow coppice to burn in an on-site Biomass plant. It was a cleverly integrated, urban proposal that reminded me of MVRDV's Pig City, which is also seductively self-contained. It was polemical and unrealistic.
Kohn's Deptford Creek Charrette proposal hailed a new era of participation and discussion in the industry.
3/ Studio Weave's grappling with the 'Money as Motivator' problem.
This was fascinating because the studio (two ASD alumni) were sharing their challenges of growing their practice. It was great to hear people sharing their moral dilemnas publicly. Although I disagreed with a lot of what Maria said, it was interesting to hear that discussion because it's seldom discussed in either education oro practice.
4/ Anne from ASD projects identifying Free Schools, Localism and Big Society agendas as opportunities for Architects.
Luckily Robert Mull questioned the government's agenda in a very eloquant way. He noted the Tories' dislike of the 'collective' and the smokescreen being created by these agendas.
Friday 26 November 2010
Thursday 18 November 2010
Manifesto #2
Since the beginning of the course, I've become 23. I'm older, and hopefully wiser.
What I find very interesting at the moment is the recent change to the planning system and how this is effecting urban space, social conditions and the way Local Authorities operate. The scrapping of the Unitary Development Plans (UDP) by New Labour and the introduction of the Local Development Framework (LDF) system has allowed LAs to be very specific and very loose at the same time. Effectively, it is desolving power and discretion to LAs, allowing them to plan precisely, pre-empt the market, regulate developmet and plan the economy.
Of course LAs are still pressured by targets and other developments such as Crossrail, but they are now more able to accommodate and plan for that change before it happens, rather than responding to it once it's happened. There is a lot of grey space now for manoevuring since space is now less defined by boundaries. There is a loose relationship here at national, regional levels, which is mostly done through target-setting. At the Local scale however, LA's have to work out how to spatially arrange the implementation of government targets by connecting space and the economy.
In Islington for example, Local Neighbourhood shopping centres have been allocated and policy drafted to protect the scale and type of shops in the area, thus regulating the market. Similarly, in Hillingdon, open space is being safeguarded for mineral extraction and food production. This is in response to the Mayor's target figure of 0.5 million tonnes of aggregates per year for west London.
Three sites in Hillingdon have been allocated for aggregate production as set out in The Minerals Technical Background Report (2008), which concludes there are three sites able to provide the defined aggregates requirement for the borough over the Plan period:
Land west of the present Harmondsworth Quarry
Land north of the village of Harmondsworth, and
Land at Sipson Lane, east of the M4 spur.
All of these are situated between Heathrow and the M4 in the Heathrow Villages - ie: on land that could, one day, be used to build a third runway and two new terminals. LB Hillingdon's Draft Core Strategy identifies how the Council will support business and the local community through transport infrastructure and by supporting business such as hotels. But by doing so, it'll also make it more difficult and more expensive one day, for BAA to expand the airport northwards.
I find it fascinating how Councils can produce policy that supports development expansion but, if allocated in a certain way, can indirectly limit the growth of unwanted, damaging developments. It's interesting to see to what extent they are simply regulating the market and to what extent they are actively planning the economy.
I've realised that the reality of the planning system is about creating better environments for communities, to create positive regeneration and to protect these areas through the careful articulation of policy.
However, my concerns remain. Democracy and inclusivity is important and is often side-lined. The way policy and plans are produced, are still unknown to most people. Regeneration often equates to gentrification. But I think that all these can still be tackled - through more precision in the maps and policy as well as through increased community involvement. It would be amazing to see the system developed at grass routes levels in collaboration with Local Authorities, but I am not convinced that this will be the way that the government's new Localism agenda will play out.
What I find very interesting at the moment is the recent change to the planning system and how this is effecting urban space, social conditions and the way Local Authorities operate. The scrapping of the Unitary Development Plans (UDP) by New Labour and the introduction of the Local Development Framework (LDF) system has allowed LAs to be very specific and very loose at the same time. Effectively, it is desolving power and discretion to LAs, allowing them to plan precisely, pre-empt the market, regulate developmet and plan the economy.
Of course LAs are still pressured by targets and other developments such as Crossrail, but they are now more able to accommodate and plan for that change before it happens, rather than responding to it once it's happened. There is a lot of grey space now for manoevuring since space is now less defined by boundaries. There is a loose relationship here at national, regional levels, which is mostly done through target-setting. At the Local scale however, LA's have to work out how to spatially arrange the implementation of government targets by connecting space and the economy.
In Islington for example, Local Neighbourhood shopping centres have been allocated and policy drafted to protect the scale and type of shops in the area, thus regulating the market. Similarly, in Hillingdon, open space is being safeguarded for mineral extraction and food production. This is in response to the Mayor's target figure of 0.5 million tonnes of aggregates per year for west London.
Three sites in Hillingdon have been allocated for aggregate production as set out in The Minerals Technical Background Report (2008), which concludes there are three sites able to provide the defined aggregates requirement for the borough over the Plan period:
Land west of the present Harmondsworth Quarry
Land north of the village of Harmondsworth, and
Land at Sipson Lane, east of the M4 spur.
All of these are situated between Heathrow and the M4 in the Heathrow Villages - ie: on land that could, one day, be used to build a third runway and two new terminals. LB Hillingdon's Draft Core Strategy identifies how the Council will support business and the local community through transport infrastructure and by supporting business such as hotels. But by doing so, it'll also make it more difficult and more expensive one day, for BAA to expand the airport northwards.
I find it fascinating how Councils can produce policy that supports development expansion but, if allocated in a certain way, can indirectly limit the growth of unwanted, damaging developments. It's interesting to see to what extent they are simply regulating the market and to what extent they are actively planning the economy.
I've realised that the reality of the planning system is about creating better environments for communities, to create positive regeneration and to protect these areas through the careful articulation of policy.
However, my concerns remain. Democracy and inclusivity is important and is often side-lined. The way policy and plans are produced, are still unknown to most people. Regeneration often equates to gentrification. But I think that all these can still be tackled - through more precision in the maps and policy as well as through increased community involvement. It would be amazing to see the system developed at grass routes levels in collaboration with Local Authorities, but I am not convinced that this will be the way that the government's new Localism agenda will play out.
Glossary #2
Here is a list of my revised terms. The original terms are indicated with (a) and the new or revised terms with (b).
Planning
(a) Setting out a strategy in order to facilitate something happening or changing.
(b) Setting out a strategy in order to facilitate something happening or changing.
Spatial Planning
(a) Planning the city.
(b) Planning the city, which is a complex process that necessitates the inclusion of every aspect of the city and knowledge of how they are related.
Design
(a) A discipline that combines problem-solving with material appropriation.
(b) A discipline that combines understanding, balanced consideration, problem-solving with material appropriation.
Urban Design
(a) Designing the city.
(b) Designing the city is a process that brings together an understanding of Spatial Planning and Design and applies them simultaneously to the same space. Often however, Spatial Planning will operate at a larger scale than Design. It will provide the needs to which the design must respond and accommodate. Sometimes, the design process will feedback to the Spatial Plan with proposals or amendments.
Consultation
(a) A dialogue with citizens that needs radical reform to make it a two-way process.
(b) A complicated process of discussion and debate with citizens to ensure a democratic endorsement of an area's Spatial Plan. Most of the time, this is done by writing letters to Council Departments and Officers and making comments online about draft policy documents within the Council's set timeframe. Interested parties are also consulted by LAs. Unless there is a high level of community organisation, interested parties frequently outnumber the voices of local residents.
Democracy
(a) A thoroughly accountable system of leadership controlled by grass-roots organization.
(b) A thoroughly accountable system of leadership controlled by grass-roots organization.
Local Democracy
(b) Local Democracy is a phrase that alludes to consultation and accountability adopted by Local Authorities and Borough Councils. This is mostly done by writing letters to, and lobbying elected Council members, and by holding them to account through political parties.
Need
(a) The requirements of a city that often catalyse planned change, and yet the beneficial, relieving results of that change are often slow or the last to manifest.
(b) The requirements of the city, such as jobs, homes, transport infrastrucutre, health and education services, utilities, power and the environment.
Ownership
(a) The condition that reveals the governance of property.
(b) The relationship governance of property. In the case of land, ownership, governance, market forces and value, all influence how the land is used. Ownership however, is the last link in the chain of deliverability. In order to implement a plan, 'buy-in' must be obtained from the landowner.
Delivery
(a) Is the last phase of the plan that straddles the planning phase with the actual change. It is when the money is spent and the plan becomes manifest.
(b) Is the process that includes setting a timeframe to implement the proposal, securing the funding to do and actually implementating the change.
Economy
(a) The financial systems that contiribute to and indicate the viability of a plan.
(b) The financial systems that contiribute to and indicate the viability of a plan. This can include global and local economies and markets.
Governance
(a) A system of control that determines the legal, physical and social conditions of space.
(b) A system of control that determines the legal, physical and social conditions of space.
Planning
(a) Setting out a strategy in order to facilitate something happening or changing.
(b) Setting out a strategy in order to facilitate something happening or changing.
Spatial Planning
(a) Planning the city.
(b) Planning the city, which is a complex process that necessitates the inclusion of every aspect of the city and knowledge of how they are related.
Design
(a) A discipline that combines problem-solving with material appropriation.
(b) A discipline that combines understanding, balanced consideration, problem-solving with material appropriation.
Urban Design
(a) Designing the city.
(b) Designing the city is a process that brings together an understanding of Spatial Planning and Design and applies them simultaneously to the same space. Often however, Spatial Planning will operate at a larger scale than Design. It will provide the needs to which the design must respond and accommodate. Sometimes, the design process will feedback to the Spatial Plan with proposals or amendments.
Consultation
(a) A dialogue with citizens that needs radical reform to make it a two-way process.
(b) A complicated process of discussion and debate with citizens to ensure a democratic endorsement of an area's Spatial Plan. Most of the time, this is done by writing letters to Council Departments and Officers and making comments online about draft policy documents within the Council's set timeframe. Interested parties are also consulted by LAs. Unless there is a high level of community organisation, interested parties frequently outnumber the voices of local residents.
Democracy
(a) A thoroughly accountable system of leadership controlled by grass-roots organization.
(b) A thoroughly accountable system of leadership controlled by grass-roots organization.
Local Democracy
(b) Local Democracy is a phrase that alludes to consultation and accountability adopted by Local Authorities and Borough Councils. This is mostly done by writing letters to, and lobbying elected Council members, and by holding them to account through political parties.
Need
(a) The requirements of a city that often catalyse planned change, and yet the beneficial, relieving results of that change are often slow or the last to manifest.
(b) The requirements of the city, such as jobs, homes, transport infrastrucutre, health and education services, utilities, power and the environment.
Ownership
(a) The condition that reveals the governance of property.
(b) The relationship governance of property. In the case of land, ownership, governance, market forces and value, all influence how the land is used. Ownership however, is the last link in the chain of deliverability. In order to implement a plan, 'buy-in' must be obtained from the landowner.
Delivery
(a) Is the last phase of the plan that straddles the planning phase with the actual change. It is when the money is spent and the plan becomes manifest.
(b) Is the process that includes setting a timeframe to implement the proposal, securing the funding to do and actually implementating the change.
Economy
(a) The financial systems that contiribute to and indicate the viability of a plan.
(b) The financial systems that contiribute to and indicate the viability of a plan. This can include global and local economies and markets.
Governance
(a) A system of control that determines the legal, physical and social conditions of space.
(b) A system of control that determines the legal, physical and social conditions of space.
Thursday 11 November 2010
Friday 5 November 2010
Rip It Up #3, #4 and #5
The last three lectures of the Rip It Up series have been interesting and informative.
#3 - Thames Gateway and Thames Valley
#4 - Liverpool
#5 - Belfast
A few moments have stuck in my head from each:
#3 - Thames Gateway
There was a slightly melancholy feel about Mark's lecture. He took us through a history of his career and what DfL have done. It was as though he was preparing for the imminent death of a sickly relative, which was understandable given the fact that the government have decided to axe Regional Development Agencies.
#4 - Liverpool
Paul from the Liverpool Bienniel started his presentation with this clip, the first part of an amazing short film made in 1971 called 'Who Cares'. Its an incredible insight into areas of Liverpool from the ground and through the eyes of people who live there. He went on later to describe some of the Bienniel projects. There was some very interesting work shown including a project to regenerate the canals, their use and access. Another urban intervention was initiated by an artist who had created large scale neon displays in collaboration with local school children. These were copies of the children's drawings of animals, and when scaled up and produced in neon were attached to the sides of local buildings. Peter Carl described this project as 'tripley tragic' and Robert Mull implied that the neon artworks did not take regard of the city's radical political history and that to a certain extent, undermined the legacy. I agreed and thought this was an insightful comment but was impressed by the Biennel's audacity in other ways. This year, the Bienniel have taken advantage of the economic climate and its spatial affect on the city. They have acquired a large, empty city-centre block to host the event HQ and on its third floor, in a large, red room, they have filled the space with five hundred books by, and about Marx.
#5 - Belfast
Yesterday, Peter Brett, a writer, presented an insightful and thorough reflection of the city. It was refreshing to hear a lecturer give such attention and enthusiasm to the geological history of the place. He made many connections between the geology, geography and the urban fabric. He also paid regard to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) that dramatically altered the terraced street pattern and replaced it with a series of literally, defensible streets. He also examined the ways that space was measured, defined, experienced, named and associated, and the land law that governed it. Later, Mark Hackett, an architect, complimented Peter's approach with an account of the live projects that his office is doing to help 'micro-repair' the connectivity of Central Belfast. These were interesting notions and identified how Architects, as designers, could identify the spatial consequences and problems that result from 'fragmented governance'. It was really refreshing to see a collection of spatial-thinkers discuss the numerous problems of Northern Ireland and Belfast and discuss spatial solutions. Re-connecting the city is a good place to start but it cannot provide the whole solution - real economic equality is still desperately needed. Given the broad discussion, it was evident that as architects, there is only so much we can do.
#3 - Thames Gateway and Thames Valley
#4 - Liverpool
#5 - Belfast
A few moments have stuck in my head from each:
#3 - Thames Gateway
There was a slightly melancholy feel about Mark's lecture. He took us through a history of his career and what DfL have done. It was as though he was preparing for the imminent death of a sickly relative, which was understandable given the fact that the government have decided to axe Regional Development Agencies.
#4 - Liverpool
Paul from the Liverpool Bienniel started his presentation with this clip, the first part of an amazing short film made in 1971 called 'Who Cares'. Its an incredible insight into areas of Liverpool from the ground and through the eyes of people who live there. He went on later to describe some of the Bienniel projects. There was some very interesting work shown including a project to regenerate the canals, their use and access. Another urban intervention was initiated by an artist who had created large scale neon displays in collaboration with local school children. These were copies of the children's drawings of animals, and when scaled up and produced in neon were attached to the sides of local buildings. Peter Carl described this project as 'tripley tragic' and Robert Mull implied that the neon artworks did not take regard of the city's radical political history and that to a certain extent, undermined the legacy. I agreed and thought this was an insightful comment but was impressed by the Biennel's audacity in other ways. This year, the Bienniel have taken advantage of the economic climate and its spatial affect on the city. They have acquired a large, empty city-centre block to host the event HQ and on its third floor, in a large, red room, they have filled the space with five hundred books by, and about Marx.
#5 - Belfast
Yesterday, Peter Brett, a writer, presented an insightful and thorough reflection of the city. It was refreshing to hear a lecturer give such attention and enthusiasm to the geological history of the place. He made many connections between the geology, geography and the urban fabric. He also paid regard to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) that dramatically altered the terraced street pattern and replaced it with a series of literally, defensible streets. He also examined the ways that space was measured, defined, experienced, named and associated, and the land law that governed it. Later, Mark Hackett, an architect, complimented Peter's approach with an account of the live projects that his office is doing to help 'micro-repair' the connectivity of Central Belfast. These were interesting notions and identified how Architects, as designers, could identify the spatial consequences and problems that result from 'fragmented governance'. It was really refreshing to see a collection of spatial-thinkers discuss the numerous problems of Northern Ireland and Belfast and discuss spatial solutions. Re-connecting the city is a good place to start but it cannot provide the whole solution - real economic equality is still desperately needed. Given the broad discussion, it was evident that as architects, there is only so much we can do.
Tuesday 2 November 2010
Critical Mass October 2010
A short video of October's Critical Mass can be seen here. Interestingly there was more reappropriation of private space on this mass, in addition to the usual 'reclaim the streets'.
Key private spaces visited:
Broadgate Tower Plaza
Jean Nouvel's new shopping centre on Newgate beside St. Paul's
Paternoster Square
It was interesting to see how the mass utilised the space, reappropriated it and controlled it. In the shopping centre, a few security guards were powerless against 400 cyclists, but the mass quickly lost interest and moved on to reclaim Paternoster Square. It was an enjoyable mayhem that has massive spatial potential, if it wasn't for the group's desire to keep cycling!
Key private spaces visited:
Broadgate Tower Plaza
Jean Nouvel's new shopping centre on Newgate beside St. Paul's
Paternoster Square
It was interesting to see how the mass utilised the space, reappropriated it and controlled it. In the shopping centre, a few security guards were powerless against 400 cyclists, but the mass quickly lost interest and moved on to reclaim Paternoster Square. It was an enjoyable mayhem that has massive spatial potential, if it wasn't for the group's desire to keep cycling!
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