Wednesday, February 24, 2010

URBAN INTERVENTIONS THAT WORKED: The How and Why...

Philadelphia MuralArts Program http://www.muralarts.org/

- One-Liner: Murals look better than graffiti.

- Involve all generations but target youngest the most

- Provide employment to artists

- World-class and scale projects put movement on the map

- Participants become personally invested in project

- Improves city and individual simultaneously

- Gives citizens chance to prove their worth

Philadelphia LOVE Park http://www.ushistory.org/lovepark/

- One-Liner: Improvised skate-park become youth center

- Not intended for skating but later exploited this potential

- Allowed youth to create their own scene

- Stands out among city’s parks by having ritual

- Becomes center of other movements through association

- Has subversive undertone; not spoon-fed to urban youth

City Year http://www.cityyear.org/

- 'Give a Year. Change the World.'

- Targets 17-24 year olds specifically

- Builds city and individual simultaneously

- Loyalty/ Personal investment in project

- Project is the organization, not the specific action

- Marketing reveals acute understanding of teen psychology

COMMONALITIES

- Give-and-take; Don’t get something for nothing; Give something good -- get something great

- Exchange results in positive effect on both city and individual

- Psychology of ritual, place-making, and commitment

- KEY: Fully exploiting tool at hand, not finding most novel uses

> paint/brush/2d art

> physical urban form

> teen mentality manipulation

> cell/txt technology (!!)

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