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future_fabulators:future_of_the_city [2013-11-08 08:23] – created 78.97.170.8future_fabulators:future_of_the_city [2014-02-06 00:17] (current) – nik
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 ==== Future Of The City ==== ==== Future Of The City ====
  
-fabulation session 20131108-9 AltArt, Transylvania. Faciliated by Istvan Szakats+ 
 + 
 +{{>http://www.flickr.com/photos/altartfoundation/10818514596/}} 
 + 
 +fabulation session 20131107-8 AltArt, Transylvania. Faciliated by Istvan Szakats 
 + 
 +Cities are becoming ever more significant habitats for humans in the future. Envisioning the future of the city can bring forth significant assumptions about our individual and social identity. What kinds of paths can city development take? What kinds of social movements will it encompass? What will be our place in the city we will live in 20 years from now? Who will we be and what we will do?  
 + 
 +{{>https://vimeo.com/80016139}} 
  
 (notes from day 1) (notes from day 1)
 +
 +
 +{{>http://www.flickr.com/photos/foam/10738847926/}}
 +
 +{{>http://www.flickr.com/photos/foam/10741160816/}} 
 +
 +{{>http://www.flickr.com/photos/foam/10741184164/}}
  
 Group – Rarita  Group – Rarita 
  
-Cities – general ideas+====Cities – general ideas====
  
- • Most population in Europe lives in cities (60%?) – one cannot escape statistics  +  * Most people in Europe live in cities (60%?) – one cannot escape statistics  
- • Surveillance – recent history ante ’89 vs traffic surveillance; to be watched (CCTV) vs, feeling constantly watched; anonymity in public spaces vs rural “surveillance” where you can’t escape getting noticed  +  * Surveillance – recent history (pre-1989) vs traffic surveillance; to be watched (CCTV) vs feeling constantly watched; anonymity in public spaces vs rural “surveillance” where you can’t escape being noticed  
- • City annihilates or amplifies individuality  +  * City annihilates or amplifies individuality  
- • Sectoral industry cities are different from continent to continent / country to country  +  * Sectoral industry cities are different from continent to continent / country to country  
- • Paris as example of homelessness, rats, misery vs tourism mania +  * Paris as example of homelessness, rats, misery vs tourism mania 
- • Cities have different orientations (industrial, cultural, touristic) +  * Cities have different orientations (industrial, cultural, touristic) 
- • The issue of ghost cities, abandoned or failed cities (ex. Detroit, Chinese cities) +  * The issue of ghost cities, abandoned or failed cities (e.g. Detroit, Chinese cities) 
- • Pathological behaviors in cities +  * Pathological behaviors in cities 
- • Homelessness – big in capital cities, small or non-existence in small cities  +  * Homelessness – high in capital cities, low or non-existent in smaller cities  
- • One is always a minority and never the target of everything that is going on in a city.  +  * One is always a minority and never the target of everything that is going on in a city  
- • Sustainability – cities are the least sustainable form  +  * Sustainability – cities are the least sustainable form  
- • Everything that has to do with cities is a paradox  +  * Everything that has to do with cities is a paradox  
- • Every city has a potential for a better path to the future  +  * Every city holds the potential for a better path to the future  
- • Rural-urban distinction+  * Rural-urban distinction
  
-  +Characteristics
-Characteristics :  +
- • Lots of people  +
- • Crowds  +
- • Special districts for all tastes/hobbies – thematic, food, cultural, for specific groups  +
- • Concentration yet variety  +
- • Cities cluster/marginalize on specific purposes (case of immigrants- rent price control, parking control) +
- • Communities that always “flock together“, small communities  +
- • Traffic – the too many cars issues yet cars define social status and become a ”must have”  +
- • There is always a chance for leisure activities (running exercise) +
- • Biking is more and more used +
- • Lots of services  +
- • Geography / landscape defines cities  +
- • Eco-cities and real sustainable cities– can they exist ?  +
- • Food – farmers, bio products +
  
 +  * Lots of people 
 +  * Crowds 
 +  * Special districts for all tastes / hobbies – thematic, food, cultural, for specific groups 
 +  * Concentration yet variety 
 +  * Cities cluster / marginalize around specific purposes (issue of immigrants, rent price control, parking control)
 +  * Communities that always "flock together", small communities 
 +  * Traffic – too many cars, yet cars define social status and are considered a "must have" 
 +  * There is always a chance for leisure activities (running, exercise)
 +  * Biking is increasingly common
 +  * Lots of services 
 +  * Geography / landscape defines cities 
 +  * Eco-cities and real sustainable cities – can they exist? 
 +  * Food – farmers, organic products 
  
 +Likes – What do we like / love about cities?
  
-Likes – What do a like/love in a city?? +  * There are communities for everything 
- • There are communities for everything +  * Diverse population 
- • Divers population +  * Safety  
- • Safety  +  * Cities are walkable 
- • Cities are “walk-able” +  * Multicultural / pluralistic 
- • Multicultural and the challenges to deal with it +  * History 
- • History +  * Multiples, culture crash 
- • Multiples, culture crash +  * Cities are too big to comprehend easily, inexhaustible 
- • Cities are too big to experience +  * Concentration of energies 
- • The chance to change cities  +  * Anonymity   
- • Concentration  +  * Variety 
- • Gaining anonymity   +  * Cities as culture magnets  
- • Variety +  * Velocity – speed, access, information, mobility 
- • Cities as culture magnets  +  * Variety of foods / cuisines  
- • Velocity – speed, access, information, mobility +  * Connectivity, internet and easy access to information 
- • Variety of foods / cuisines  +  * Freedom and obscurity  
- • Connectivity, internet and easy access  +  * Different cultural backgrounds and different styles  
- • Freedom and obscurity  +  * The chance to make choices  
- • Different cultural backgrounds and different styles  +  * Regenerative cities: cities can transform and improve themselves 
- • The chance to make choices  +  * Urban planners and architects can use challenging concepts to transform cities  
- • Regenerative cities – cities can transform, improve themselves – urban planners, architects , landscape architects can use challenging concepts to transform cities  +  * Love a city that still has / preserves a human scale  
- • Love a city that still has/keeps a human size  +  * Changing realities  
- • Changing realities  +  * Friendly people  
- • Friendly people  +  * Interest in marginal groups 
- • Interest in marginal groups  +
- • Infinite freedom  +
- • you can find communities that welcome you  +
- • getting the chance not to be noticed +
  
-Dislikes – What do I hate most in cities? +Dislikes – What do we dislike / hate about cities?
- • Stigmatization +
- • Racism +
- • Bad urban planning – historical vs new neighborhoods  +
- • Lack of forests  +
- • Traffic jams +
- • Claustrophobic +
- • Dependence on resources +
- • Distance from nature  +
- • Concentration of people that never talk to each other  +
- • Loosing anonymity  +
- • Social/public spaces that make you feel strange +
- • Intolerance +
- • Getting the chance not to be noticed  +
- • Lack of interest of who you are +
- • Distraction  +
- • Burden of making choices  +
- • Loneliness (an appearance? Lonely groups cancel themselves out) +
- • No place for losers – just for successful people  +
- • The social pressure to show you are successful  +
- • Hating the city itself because everything manmade is not perfect  +
- • Crime   ; crime happens if neighborhood structure allows it.  +
- • The inhumanity of the city – it does not work on human scale, timeframes, imposes roles, lack of access,  +
- • Dependence on resources (ex. electricity)  +
- • Bad urban planning..  +
- • Garbage / waste  +
- • Ignorance  +
- • Many choices but actually trivial  +
- • Lack of safety  +
- • Crime – riots  +
- • Protests , strikes +
- • Pollution,  +
- • Strikes  +
- • Unfriendly for animals – created for the interest of the supreme human race.  +
- • Cities grow without a limit +
- • Sexual violence, sexual assaulting, domestic violence  +
- • Ignorance +
  
 +  * Stigmatization
 +  * Racism
 +  * Poor urban planning – historical vs new neighborhoods 
 +  * Lack of forests, distance from nature 
 +  * Traffic jams
 +  * Claustrophobia
 +  * Dependence on resources
 +  * Concentration of people who never talk to each other 
 +  * Social / public spaces that make you feel strange, alienated
 +  * Intolerance
 +  * Getting the chance not to be noticed 
 +  * Lack of interest from others about who you are
 +  * Distraction 
 +  * Burden of making choices 
 +  * Loneliness, isolation
 +  * No place for losers – only for successful people 
 +  * The social pressure to show you are successful 
 +  * Hating the city itself because everything manmade is not perfect 
 +  * Crime: impact of neighborhood structures, environments
 +  * The inhumanity of the city – fails on a human scale, dominance of clock time, imposition of roles, lack of access 
 +  * Garbage / waste 
 +  * Ignorance 
 +  * Many e.g. consumer choices, but ultimately trivial ones
 +  * Lack of safety / stability: crime, social unrest, protests, strikes 
 +  * Pollution 
 +  * Unfriendly for animals – created for use by human beings 
 +  * Cities grow without limits
 +  * Sexual violence, sexual assaults, domestic violence 
  
 +Other
  
-Others +  * Poverty vs wealth 
-  * Poverty vs richness, +  * Rules and slave mentality  
-  * Rules and slaves,  +  * Cities are always on the verge of collapse 
-  * Small image, big image,  +
-  * City is always on the verge of collapse  +
-  * Using more images then before +
   * Internet – urbanization of mental space    * Internet – urbanization of mental space 
-  * You have limited time to generate as many identities as you like.  
  
 +
 +{{>https://vimeo.com/80054962}}
 +
 +
 +====Trends====
 +
 +  * Less sustainability with environment 
 +  * The gap between online and offline will increase 
 +  * Dilution of class geography 
 +  * Less social interaction
 +  * Nation state -> city state
 +  * More visible infrastructure 
 +  * Increased mobility / instability 
 +  * Persistence of slums?
 +  * Mega goes mega mega 
 +  * Self-gentrifying slums (pride)
 +  * Turning mere existence into fulfilling life 
 +  * Dependence on mediation 
 +  * Aging / generation gap shrinking 
 +  * Architecture will change / less nature 
 +  * The number of religious people will grow 
 +  * More madness (e.g. religious fundamentalism)
 +  * Music / dance 
 +
 +{{>http://www.flickr.com/photos/altartfoundation/10868091164/}}
 +
 +
 +(notes from day 2)
 +
 +
 +{{>http://www.flickr.com/photos/altartfoundation/10818609846/}}
 +
 +{{>http://www.flickr.com/photos/altartfoundation/10818592355/}}
 +
 +
 +====Scenarios====
 +
 +Group – Mihaela
 +
 +Minsk Scenario
 +
 +
 +The mayor of Minsk was a famous and charismatic cosmonaut. He was a participant for a year in a Bollywood reality show portraying life on an Indian Space Station. The show illustrated the daily life of cosmonauts: men, women, pets and robots. 
 +
 +The mayor from Minsk was the first foreign guest on the show. The crew of the first Indian mission to Mars came to Minsk one day for a very mediated event, invited by the mayor.
 +
 +The mayor had Bollywood support as well as the support of space nostalgics in Belarus. He started the first space art scholarship for unprivileged kids in Minsk and helped to establish a space / science / technology-research hub. The mayor strongly influenced the development of the city because of his political charisma and international legitimacy. 
 +
 +
 +Minsk became a tech-oriented society connected with the Baltic tech hub, but largely ignored the social problems of the city among communities that did not interact with space industry. These communities followed a European opinion of what a society should be rather then the Bollywood ideal of space industry and the supporting infrastructure on Earth. 
 +
 +There was a group of “radical disintermediationalists” - protesters against centralized technology and mediation of experience and for the direct experience of reality. Mostly average citizens and post-media hackers and tricksters, they tried to hijack the TV broadcasts of the mayor and his Indian guests and reduce access to the event for the fans in India. The protesters created the first physical protest in years. Thousands took to the streets but since such a physical protest had not happened in recent years, security preparations were incomplete inadequate. The authorities tried to offer free vodka to buy off the protesters; vodka sales had been restricted in the city for the past 10 years. 
 +
 +Other groups also tried to claim attention during the spectacle: for example, protesting against the failed reforestation initiative to protect the city from floods caused by the melting permafrost. The authorities and especially the Mayor promoted it as a safe and eco-friendly solution but it was not completely successful and the river crossing Minsk was still a threat.  
 +
 +The disintermediation society:
 +
 +This group believed in the direct experience of reality. Any technology that puts layers between you and reality is a threat and is not to be trusted: it must be replaced or destroyed. They created an electro-magnetic pole that impeded the use of technology during their protest. 
 +
 +The low probability, high impact protest led to the freezing of daily routines in the city. Protesters encouraged people to occupy the transport infrastructure (metro, electric cars, etc.) and attempted to "disintermediate" the transport infrastructure by using metro carriages for parties, blocking other users. Infrastructure media showed that there was no available transport, which persuaded people to stay home with friends, join parties and avoid the mediated spectacle of the Bollywood-inspired event. 
 +
 +====Assuming the future====
 +
 +{{>http://www.flickr.com/photos/altartfoundation/10818745014/}}
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