Video:
We let kids design our city – here is what happened’ by Mara Mintzer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cudn_vSdCY
Summary:
The first video introduced an innovative way of urban design which is allowing children to lead the design process. Children are creative by nature and have the purest intentions. The most inclusive designs are children friendly as well.
What I have learnt: Fun, play and movement are both kids and adults need to stay healthy. Children’s design holds a close connection to nature. It incorporates bright colour and trees, plant and animals. Children also are inclusive in their city planning and have a greater sense of empathy for other beings. It is important to let children involve in the design process. Designers should find common ground between the imagination of children and the functionality of the city planning.
Inspirations for my project: This video inspired me to design a public space that is friendly to children because children represent the most vulnerable population of the community. Also, I think it is essential to focus on the natural and inclusive aspect of the design. Users of the facility can feel very close to nature, free and equal with other strangers in the facility.
Video:
How to revive a neighborhood’ by Theaster Gates
It’s not about the material, it’s about the capacity to shape things.
Summary:
This is such a fantastic tech talk to inspire people to reshape and transform the abandoned neighbourhoods in cities using an artistic point of view. Theaster Gates, the speaker, shares his fervent belief that culture can be a catalyst for social transformation in any city, anywhere.
What I have learnt: This tech talk inspired me greatly regarding city planning. It changed my idea of abandoned neighbourhoods. They can be transformed into beautiful and inclusive facilities; and they can be given new identities for cultural bondings. At the end of the ted talk, Theaster mentioned the collaboration between the development side(businesses, developers) and the maintenance side(long-term residents, local organizations) of the new facilities. They not only need to be beneficial for the long-resided people but the newcomers and businesses as well.
Inspirations for my project:
Theaster Gates transformed his neighbourhood to a place of attraction for black cultures and identities. It inspired me to rethink the purpose of my project and the historical aspect of the area. Roosevelt Island was a wellness island that is mainly used for mental health treatments. However, at that time, people lacked education towards mental illnesses. Later on, the island was developed by New York state government for commercial and residential use. The mental health aspect was never stressed enough. After watching this TED talk, I want to bring a more significant purpose of the project I am designing. I want to bring mental wellness into the scene. It will not only beneficial for the residents on the island but become an attraction for people outside of the island as well. People I have interviewed on the island reported that large scale business couldn’t survive on the island due to shortages of spending. It is essential to bring people into the island, at the same time, not disruptive to the residents’ daily life. This is still a huge challenge to face.
