How might we invite ordinary people to participate in the active co-creation of everyday experience in the networked city?
How can we construct the (technological, material and social) infrastructures and frameworks that enable this?
What might it mean to design systems for a more responsive, just and equitable urban future?
How does a designer specify and deploy a system that encourages — or even better, thrives on — participatory interaction?
In this unit you will learn to read (and script) the networked city. You'll be directly immersed in communities under various kinds of pressure, and remain accountable in your design to the people who live and work in them. You'll build capabilities in conflict resolution and mediation, in the management of dissensus and disagreement, and in the negotiation of difference. You will find yourself at the very edge of your comfort zone at almost all times. At its conclusion, you will have designed, built, deployed, assessed and defended a 1:1 scale prototype of a participatory urban system — and you will have helped shape an affirmative future for the networked city.
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This project starts from the close observation of urban life in Central London and results in the re-imagination of life in Peckham’s future community.
In order to understand Peckham's characteristics, the designer engaged with the local community and made friends. She assumed that participation is about listening to people and claimed that designer have to ensure that future residents can play an active role in urban development. The focus of "Building the Acquaintance City" is to convey a new approach towards authentic public participation in urban design.
The designer proposes to make friends with local residents to understand everyday life in Peckham. During this process the designer conceived that it is very hard for people to get in touch with Peckham council.
Place is constituted by buildings and the built environment has a deep influence on people's behaviour. She considered that the design of a “third place” could alter people's relationship and facilitate acquaintanceships.
A desirable and comfortable “third place” enhances people's conversation and increases the chance to meet others. In order to structure the “third place”, the designer was directly involved in local life and seized ideas from unexpected little facts. Every day she walked along the same streets, visited the same shops and had a word with the same people.
issuu.com/yuzhang97/docs/final_portfolio
The housing crisis threatens London in many ways. In Stratford, Newham, East London, the social housing crisis hits along with housing subsidy cuts and many people have been, and still are, evicted. As a result residents stood up to fight for the right to a home. Since 2013 local activist group Focus E15 is calling for “social housing not social cleansing”.
On the basis of the research of Newham’s housing policy and Focus E15 protest strategies, we propose a self-build prototype, which resists the privatisation of public housing. This DIY system potentially allows everyone to intervene in London’s housing market and promotes a grass roots housing movement. Instead of proposing a ‘closed’ solution, this system is designed as an open process and considers a variety of different results. Potential self-builder can adapt the system to their particular needs. The aim of this project is to propose an alternative way of decision making in urban development and housing policy.
In order to achieve this, we hosted a self-build workshop and involved the Focus E15 group. Firstly, we introduced the system to the public and received significant feedback.
Secondly, due to direct and indirect interaction with Newham Council and self-build agencies we gradually narrowed down the self-build system to simplified list of decisions.
The housing crisis threatens London in many ways. In Stratford, Newham, East London, the social housing crisis hits along with housing subsidy cuts and many people have been, and still are, evicted. As a result residents stood up to fight for the right to a home. Since 2013 local activist group Focus E15 is calling for “social housing not social cleansing”.
On the basis of the research of Newham’s housing policy and Focus E15 protest strategies, we propose a self-build prototype, which resists the privatisation of public housing. This DIY system potentially allows everyone to intervene in London’s housing market and promotes a grass roots housing movement. Instead of proposing a ‘closed’ solution, this system is designed as an open process and considers a variety of different results. Potential self-builder can adapt the system to their particular needs. The aim of this project is to propose an alternative way of decision making in urban development and housing policy.
In order to achieve this, we hosted a self-build workshop and involved the Focus E15 group. Firstly, we introduced the system to the public and received significant feedback.
Secondly, due to direct and indirect interaction with Newham Council and self-build agencies we gradually narrowed down the self-build system to simplified list of decisions.
The project aims to structure a naming system by inviting people to name their house. It is based in Peckham, south-east London. Peckham is characterised by its distinct cultural diversity and these various cultural groups obviously have their distinct identity. After a series of public interventions, we conceived that the local neighbourhood provides common ground to connect different communities.
How might we structure social relationships across different communities?
How might we involve participants of any culture?
How might we create a memorable experience?
The Naming Project gives everyone in Peckham the chance to express themselves and to fulfil their right as residents. Furthermore, it creates the interaction of different neighbourhoods.
In 8 months, our project evolved from “The Name Sign”, a kit of nails and a wooden board, which allowed people to do the name board by themselves. “The Smart Name Speaker” offered people to record their voice to express their house’s name. Finally, “The Naming Action” enabled to name a house by paper and handwriting, which allowed the project to evolve.
We got in touch with 55 families on Choumert Road and continue to involve more people in the project. There are 8 participants on Choumert Road who already have taken action. We hope that the project will continue without us and that people will develop “Project Naming” on their own.
The project aims to structure a naming system by inviting people to name their house. It is based in Peckham, south-east London. Peckham is characterised by its distinct cultural diversity and these various cultural groups obviously have their distinct identity. After a series of public interventions, we conceived that the local neighbourhood provides common ground to connect different communities.
How might we structure social relationships across different communities?
How might we involve participants of any culture?
How might we create a memorable experience?
The Naming Project gives everyone in Peckham the chance to express themselves and to fulfil their right as residents. Furthermore, it creates the interaction of different neighbourhoods.
In 8 months, our project evolved from “The Name Sign”, a kit of nails and a wooden board, which allowed people to do the name board by themselves. “The Smart Name Speaker” offered people to record their voice to express their house’s name. Finally, “The Naming Action” enabled to name a house by paper and handwriting, which allowed the project to evolve.
We got in touch with 55 families on Choumert Road and continue to involve more people in the project. There are 8 participants on Choumert Road who already have taken action. We hope that the project will continue without us and that people will develop “Project Naming” on their own.
The project aims to structure a naming system by inviting people to name their house. It is based in Peckham, south-east London. Peckham is characterised by its distinct cultural diversity and these various cultural groups obviously have their distinct identity. After a series of public interventions, we conceived that the local neighbourhood provides common ground to connect different communities.
How might we structure social relationships across different communities?
How might we involve participants of any culture?
How might we create a memorable experience?
The Naming Project gives everyone in Peckham the chance to express themselves and to fulfil their right as residents. Furthermore, it creates the interaction of different neighbourhoods.
In 8 months, our project evolved from “The Name Sign”, a kit of nails and a wooden board, which allowed people to do the name board by themselves. “The Smart Name Speaker” offered people to record their voice to express their house’s name. Finally, “The Naming Action” enabled to name a house by paper and handwriting, which allowed the project to evolve.
We got in touch with 55 families on Choumert Road and continue to involve more people in the project. There are 8 participants on Choumert Road who already have taken action. We hope that the project will continue without us and that people will develop “Project Naming” on their own.
The project structured a series of public interventions to strengthen the connection between Peckham’s residents and the council. The project started with understanding the communities’ unique characteristics in order to identify the minimal threshold of participation.
We focused on designing systems which allowed residents to convey their opinion about the redevelopment of Aylesham Centre (Morrisons). We deployed several forms of sending a “Letter to the Council”. From a mailbox to a kiosk, the interventions gradually attracted more people and the feedback became more serious. We hope that Peckham Council will consider the communities opinion about the redevelopment of Aylesham Centre. Due to our interventions Peckham’s residents played an active, very small, part in the future development of their borough.
How did people respond?
Uncertainty creates opportunity. People’s behaviour is unpredictable, just as their response. People affect others, and are also affected by others and their environment.
The project structured a series of public interventions to strengthen the connection between Peckham’s residents and the council. The project started with understanding the communities’ unique characteristics in order to identify the minimal threshold of participation.
We focused on designing systems which allowed residents to convey their opinion about the redevelopment of Aylesham Centre (Morrisons). We deployed several forms of sending a “Letter to the Council”. From a mailbox to a kiosk, the interventions gradually attracted more people and the feedback became more serious. We hope that Peckham Council will consider the communities opinion about the redevelopment of Aylesham Centre. Due to our interventions Peckham’s residents played an active, very small, part in the future development of their borough.
How did people respond?
Uncertainty creates opportunity. People’s behaviour is unpredictable, just as their response. People affect others, and are also affected by others and their environment.
The project structured a series of public interventions to strengthen the connection between Peckham’s residents and the council. The project started with understanding the communities’ unique characteristics in order to identify the minimal threshold of participation.
We focused on designing systems which allowed residents to convey their opinion about the redevelopment of Aylesham Centre (Morrisons). We deployed several forms of sending a “Letter to the Council”. From a mailbox to a kiosk, the interventions gradually attracted more people and the feedback became more serious. We hope that Peckham Council will consider the communities opinion about the redevelopment of Aylesham Centre. Due to our interventions Peckham’s residents played an active, very small, part in the future development of their borough.
How did people respond?
Uncertainty creates opportunity. People’s behaviour is unpredictable, just as their response. People affect others, and are also affected by others and their environment.
The project structured a series of public interventions to strengthen the connection between Peckham’s residents and the council. The project started with understanding the communities’ unique characteristics in order to identify the minimal threshold of participation.
We focused on designing systems which allowed residents to convey their opinion about the redevelopment of Aylesham Centre (Morrisons). We deployed several forms of sending a “Letter to the Council”. From a mailbox to a kiosk, the interventions gradually attracted more people and the feedback became more serious. We hope that Peckham Council will consider the communities opinion about the redevelopment of Aylesham Centre. Due to our interventions Peckham’s residents played an active, very small, part in the future development of their borough.
How did people respond?
Uncertainty creates opportunity. People’s behaviour is unpredictable, just as their response. People affect others, and are also affected by others and their environment.
Newham On Air is a bottom-up, multiple communication infrastructure that operates on the scale of a borough. It calls for a new understanding of information processing and hierarchy. The project has preceded an extensive research about human behaviour and participatory systems in Central London as well as a detailed analysis of informal communication systems.
The project is located in Newham, East London, UK’s first smart borough. Newham Council has been pioneer in the deployment of digital communication services, however, community workshops have shown that the deployed system excludes many residents from participatory processes.
On the basis of this fact, Newham On Air is an antithesis and speculates on system change through the design, manufacturing and deployment of DIY communication infrastructure. All technology has been designed by the use of open source software. A manual depicts every step in the design process and allows everyone to manufacture the communication infrastructure.
A series of public interventions structured participation. The process was captured in drawings, recordings and films.
Newham On Air is a bottom-up, multiple communication infrastructure that operates on the scale of a borough. It calls for a new understanding of information processing and hierarchy. The project has preceded an extensive research about human behaviour and participatory systems in Central London as well as a detailed analysis of informal communication systems.
The project is located in Newham, East London, UK’s first smart borough. Newham Council has been pioneer in the deployment of digital communication services, however, community workshops have shown that the deployed system excludes many residents from participatory processes.
On the basis of this fact, Newham On Air is an antithesis and speculates on system change through the design, manufacturing and deployment of DIY communication infrastructure. All technology has been designed by the use of open source software. A manual depicts every step in the design process and allows everyone to manufacture the communication infrastructure.
A series of public interventions structured participation. The process was captured in drawings, recordings and films.
moritzmariakarl.de
Newham On Air is a bottom-up, multiple communication infrastructure that operates on the scale of a borough. It calls for a new understanding of information processing and hierarchy. The project has preceded an extensive research about human behaviour and participatory systems in Central London as well as a detailed analysis of informal communication systems.The project is located in Newham, East London, UK’s first smart borough. Newham Council has been pioneer in the deployment of digital communication services, however, community workshops have shown that the deployed system excludes many residents from participatory processes.
On the basis of this fact, Newham On Air is an antithesis and speculates on system change through the design, manufacturing and deployment of DIY communication infrastructure. All technology has been designed by the use of open source software. A manual depicts every step in the design process and allows everyone to manufacture the communication infrastructure.
A series of public interventions structured participation. The process was captured in drawings, recordings and films.
