Consume and Discard

 

In 1972 Rem Koolhaas defined junkspace as “the accumulation of non-productive uses in a city… temporary uses, marginal uses, commercial uses, office uses in areas not yet developed for offices.” Today, we often use the term to describe the characterless and unattractive landscapes of big-box retail stores, giant airports, and parking garages. Junkspace is the manifestation of our consume and discard culture. It is also a reflection of our economic system. In a capitalist economy, growth is encouraged and consumption is rewarded. Since many people think like this we have grown fond of these temporary spaces that only purpose serves to sell new goods and services. We have lost touch with how these spaces look because we are too busy trying to pump them out to make more money.