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Ch02: Do It Yourself Urbanism

Participatory Platforms in Bottom-Up Urbanism

Professor: Nashid Nabian

Jeanette Lin_lin.je@husky.neu.edu

mailto:Lin_lin.je@husky.neu.edumailto:Lin_lin.je@husky.neu.edu

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Who: The West OaklandGreeningProject and Steve Rasmuseen

Cancian of Shared SpacesLandscape Architecture

What: Sidewalk furniture forwaiting, meeting, lounging,communing

Where: West Oakland and LosAngeles

When: 2002- ongoing

Image Courtesy of Spur.orghttp://www.spur.org/publications/library/article/diy-urbanism

CASE STUDY 01: OUTDOOR LIVING ROOMS

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Background:- Steve Ramussen Cancian ofShared Spaces LandscapeArchitecture worked with residents

in low income neighborhoods, inWest Oakland and Parts of LosAngeles, to create vignettes offurniture installed in public spaces.The furniture are simple woodfixtures that give physical form tothe social life of the street such aswaiting for a bus, meeting outsidea shop, chatting or playing in agame or just lounging.

Image Courtesy of Highland Park Mount, Washington Patchhttp://www.spur.org/publications/library/article/diy-urbanism

CASE STUDY 01: OUTDOOR LIVING ROOMS

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Initial:- Initially the furniture used werefound sofas and discarded objects

- The outdoor living rooms wereregularly hauled away by policeand offered permits if activists

would purchase liability insurance

Image Courtesy of Spur.orghttp://www.spur.org/publications/library/article/diy-urbanism

CASE STUDY 01: OUTDOOR LIVING ROOMS

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Outcome:- Later iterations of the furniturewere custom made out of simple

materials to recreated parkbenches, front stoops, and outdoortables

- Local activists won full permittingfo the outdoor living rooms withoutfees or requirements to purchaseinsurance

- This project made an effort tomodify street space for human use

CASE STUDY 01: OUTDOOR LIVING ROOMS

Image Courtesy of Spur.orghttp://www.spur.org/publications/library/article/diy-urbanism

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Who: Rebar

What: Seat Yourself

Where:Anywhere

When: first inflated 2008, forthe Experimental Designbiennale

Image Courtesy of MindThe Gaphttp://www.spur.org/publications/library/article/diy-urbanism

CASE STUDY 02: PUBLIC ARTBUSHWAFFLE

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Background:- Bushwaffles are a squishy,fluorescent antidote to the hardsurfaces and drab color palette

of furnish urban spaces

- Bushwaffles can be inflatedanywhere by anyone whichallows people to form their ownpublic spaces.

- The portable and temporarystructures relieves the burdenof street furnishings to bedestroyed by weather,vandalism and skaters.

Image Courtesy of MindThe Gaphttp://www.spur.org/publications/library/article/diy-urbanism

CASE STUDY 02: PUBLIC ARTBUSHWAFFLE

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Image Courtesy of MindThe Gaphttp://www.spur.org/publications/library/article/diy-urbanism

CASE STUDY 02: PUBLIC ARTBUSHWAFFLE

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Who: Commonstudio

What:A quick and inexpensiveway to beautify the city

Where:All over the city

When: Right now

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CASE STUDY 03: GREEN AID SEED BOMB

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Seed:Mixture of clay, compost and seeds

Background:Borderline subversive strategy fortransforming the many dead spaces thatare encountered everyday in the city,from sidewalk cracks to vacant lots toparking medians.

Image Courtesy of Spur.orghttp://www.spur.org/publications/library/article/diy-urbanism

CASE STUDY 03: GREEN AID SEED BOMB

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Usage:- The greenaid dispenser simplifies theseguerilla gardening efforts byappropriating the accessible and familiarquarter operated gumball machine.

- The bombs can lay dormant for up to ayear, but with a little water and sun, thewill sprout in a few days.

- Common Studio also provides a seriesof interactive maps that allowsparticipants to geotag, photograph andshare their seedbomb sites with a largercommunity.

Image Courtesy of Spur.orghttp://www.spur.org/publications/library/article/diy-urbanism

CASE STUDY 03: GREEN AID SEED BOMB

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Who: Slow Food Nation,Rebar, Garden forEnviornment, CMG LandscapeArchitecture, Seeds for

Change, City Slicker Farms,Ploughshares Nursery,Coevolution Institute

What: Food Garden and SocialSpace

Where: Civic Centers

When: 2008 with SanFrancisco Recreation andParks Department, MayorsOffice

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CASE STUDY 04: CIVIC CENTER VICTORY GARDEN

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Background:Both a practical initiative togenerate food and asymbolic gesture for urbanagriculture, the VictoryGarden grew out of the

conjoined efforts of multipleorganizations dedicated tourban farming in the BayArea.

Planted with a variety of

organic vegetables suited tothe local climate, the gardenproduced up to 100 poundsof produce every weekalldonated to the SanFrancisco Food Bank in aneffort to provide healthy food

for those with limited accessto it.

Image Courtesy of Spur.orghttp://www.spur.org/publications/library/article/diy-urbanism

CASE STUDY 04: CIVIC CENTER VICTORY GARDEN

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Background:Physically the garden wasconfigured with room forsocial interaction, to nurtureits human occupants as well

as plant life.

Though intended as atemporary project, theVictory Garden's supportfrom the City, various non-

profits and hundreds ofvolunteers served to unifythe local urban agriculturemovement, establish astrong precedent for futureBay Area farming projects,and demonstrate thepotential for success tourban areas nationwide.

Image Courtesy of Spur.orghttp://www.spur.org/publications/library/article/diy-urbanism

CASE STUDY 04: CIVIC CENTER VICTORY GARDEN

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End