urban plasticity

I’m currently analysing the interviews from this study. There was loads from this one particular interview I happen to be working on now (transcribing, coding), but one quote in particular sparked some thoughts. I’ve shared the quote below and my raw reflections that I wrote down straight away in the Journal app on my laptop.

I’ve referred to the interviewee as “d1” which is part of the code I use to uphold anonymity. “d” here stands for designer, as there are broadly two groups of interviewees – those involved in the design, development and management of Bear House on the one hand, and residents on the other (who might also have other roles which cross over into design, development, management).

“…but I like the fact that there’s history in these walls and streets, and we just roughshod over it, the streets are paved with gold and whatever will come back, and we’re just more interested in what we’re doing now to get the quick buck and fix before you put down roots and learn, what was here before, and how’s that interacted with what’s going on now, or the changes, so that’s why I mentioned Johnny Price, and the guy with the history behind this building, just to know how things were, and what the community is, especially after yesterday’s meeting, we were just talking about helping people, and vulnerable people, and what’s going to come now, but yeah.”

– Interviewee (D1), involved in the building’s management.

when we study place we are studying places shaped by people and when we are studying people we are studying people shaped by place. this plasticity, this mutual shaping, is part and parcel of life together. 

and the urban is the story of humans today, probably the major force affecting all life on earth. wrapped up in it is stories of empire, stories of race, stories of resistance, of land, of nature and climate crises. 

this project shouldn’t result in a new ideal for housing. it should challenge the build-as-quickly-as-possible mentality being ushered in – again – as we speak. it should question how, why, where, who-for and who-by we are building. but it shouldn’t lead to an overthink or new idealisation of how space is laid out, even if creativity around this is sparked. 

as d1 says, nothing’s going to be perfect. and once it’s here then let’s just work with it. but we can also reflect, and must reflect as we go, so that we understand and sense the ways we have been changed by the urban and are now involved in urbanising. 

We need more space. More connection. More community. We need closer connection to nature so that we can positively shape it, and it, us. And we need to stop being silly with the materials we are using and pursue people-place mutual benefits over profits.