Something to hold you over

So I have been fairly busy with work and planning my next adventures and then big move to Shanghai for the remainder of my Chinese Adventure.

I have been keeping up with some issues in the US and wrote a quick post about it. Please read and leave your feedback on the issue. I'm very interested in other's opinions on the matter!

So I've had some planning convos and was told that being "negative" will not help anything get done in creating better cities. While this is true, I see myself as more critical. It comes off as negative because its in opposition to the convention. To attain really good design, we should be honest and critical about our designs.

In China, my views have really changed from believing everything I have been taught as the right way, to questioning implementation and use of some of our most fundamental theories; how are we serving the end user? We must challenge our ideas to go further than what we previously have.

I feel that well thought out and creative projects are wonderful and very much needed, but they are completely useless if they do not help everyday people. The projects might be beautiful, but if you ask the average city dweller in the area what they fell about it, what would they say?

My views on Detroit fall in line with this thought. All jargon aside, what do the people want? What do the people have that they can capitalize on? Many projects have been proposed to serve a very specific demographic and have left others out of the conversation; I've seen this in other cities as well.

I was very happy to find a Huffington Post article, as it really inspires me as a planner and landscape architect. We not only have a duty to make new and exciting work, but it should always be useful to those living in the area. I believe the major factor will be what the local people can bring to the table. It helps when you ask them, but is even better when they are willing to do it for themselves.

I'm not saying that we should abandon all conventions; they are definitely here for a reason. I'm just saying we should constantly be asking, "Are we really doing what we claim to be doing with our projects?"

Find the Huffington Post article HERE