Everyday Urbanism
This is an interesting reading because it proves that there
is not a one-size-fits-all solution to anything. We can attempt to design for
the everyday, however, the everyday is different from place to place, from
person to person. In the reading, Margaret Crawford states that,
“the city is, above all, a social
product, created out of the demands of everyday use and the social struggles of
the urban inhabitants…. Design within everyday space must start with an
understanding of and acceptance of the life that takes place there.”
In order to design for the everyday you have to be a member
of the community. Rather than forcing design on to an area, you have to let the
area guide the design. However, with changes in technology, populations, and
local trends, how do you plan for the unknown? As mentioned by Denis Scott
Brown, urban planners are behind the times. Is this a good thing? Since changes
to the built environment can seriously impact an area, should we be careful
when designing for current trends that may not last?
Hey Jed! I wonder if a better question is how can we as designers better embed ourselves within a community where a project is taking place. Too often projects are completed by designers who have never talked to anybody within the effected community or know much about said community becoming detached from the context. Design has always follow the evolution of "trends" so it's arguable that that's not necessarily the issue in this case.
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