Programming the Urban Surface
From CollabLandWiki
Wall, Alex. "Programming the Urban Surface." Recovering Landscape: Essays in Contemporary Landscape Theory. Ed. James Corner. Sparks, NV: Princeton Architectural Press, 1999. 233-50.
Kylie and Maegin
Key Points:
Effects of urbanization [now]:
-The rise of new kinds of urban sites
-A remarkable increase in mobility and access
---Not only a rise in private autos and transportation alternatives, but also rising population density, increased instability of capital and investment, and the abundance of info and media.
-From the first two, a shift from looking at cities in formal terms to looking at them in dynamic ways
Some designers feel it is better to leave a space “simple”, so the user has to be imaginative.
---ex. Adriaan Geuze and Eduard Bru prefer emptiness to over programming, so users can create, adapt and imagine.
Sucessful sites often have layers of programs and are designed for different uses at different times for the future.
Creating landscapes where the program is flexible and can change easily with the years and the societal needs.
Outlining spaces that should be left alone and voided of buildings and structures are called islands. It helps focus reverse the significance that are usually attached to the buildings and emphasizes the spaces in between instead.
The main roles in urban design today will be forcusing on movement.
"Here, the term landscape no longer refers to prospects of pastoral innocence but rather invokes the functioning matrix of connective tissue that organizes not only objects and spaces but also the dynamic processes and events that move through them."
-Urbanization now focuses on entertainment and tourist functions, and is allowing for an increase in mobility.
--One thing we didn't agree with is his idea of a large road, for highest collection and distribution of people. It increases the need for speed, which is bad. We want to try to get rid of cars and more toward pedestrian friendly and public transportation
--Says 'designed not so much for the appearances and aesthetics as for their instigative and structuring potential, but what is it then if we're not designing for aesthetic, enjoy-ability and function as well?
