change your view

Based on the idea that contemplating natural environments has a restorative effect, I am proposing to create installations that could be used in empty city centre shops using imagery or cctv footage of natural environments.  I had a positive response from Matt Easteal of Brighton and Hove Council Environmental Improvement Team,  who explained the purpose of the large scale images they have been positioning on disused buildings. They are intended to combat vandalism and graffiti. Passers by agree that they enjoy looking at them: an alternative to the hoardings but not an advertisment.

cognitive benefits of natural environments

Perhaps unsurprisingly, recent research by Kaplan and Berman, psychologists at University of Michigan has found that a short urban walk can cause cognitive deficits compared to a walk in the park because natural settings do not require the same amount of cognitive effort. The concept of ART Attention Restoration Theory, suggests that immersion in nature may have a restorative effect (p21) Could small scale interventions - a glimpse of growth in unexpected places within the urban commercial environment have some of the same effects? Personal experience of comparing london Victoria to a rural walk would definitely support this. 

city sensory input colour

An anlysis of the distribution of colour in the same  200 yards in north street Brighton on monday looks like this : separation from the text, noise and people it looks less demanding ...

city information

A  sample of a record of text from shop fronts and displays of about 200 yds of North street Brighton on Monday looks like this : one aspect of information overload.

city observations

Parin Shahs use of watercolour to document indian urban life offer an other way of seeing what is so familiar we are already filtering it out.

new york new york

Famous for its dense population I've been told by  recent visitors to Manhattan they are finding ways to introduce the rural into the urban space and provide more social spaces for seating that aren't just more cafes. The highline, regeneration of a disused elevated rail line provides a green space to step up above the residential and commercialised spaces. Herald Square, has introduced green areas for sitting part of liveable streets initiative freedom to sit.

negotiating crowds

Sometimes making your way through crowds of people can be hugely frustrating. Envisage yourself floating above the crowd. Perhaps a step to let you perch on a shelf overlooking the street would be a moment for time out before you lower yourself in to the current again.

negotiating urban space

Time lapse films of certain urban spaces. Data from a snap shot survey of types of people: Man, woman, child etc, and whether or not they were carrying anything: bag, rucksack etc, would imply that men are less encumbered, more relaxed?

Churchill Square : 

Saturday 12th September 9.45-10.15

Woman with bag: 94

Woman with child/ren :29

woman with nothing:6

Man with child/ren:17

Man with rucksack: 22

Man with bag: 15

Man with nothing: 73

tidy sleeping

Is it the density of the population and the limited space that makes some people in India so organised and tidy? A place for everything and everything in its place, including yourself. Work done, time for a break. This was in a Bangalore market in April

le mur vegetal

It turns out that the growing wall concept was invented by Patric Blanc, who is giving a talk at 100 percent . That one I saw in Paris is probably one of his and he did the one for the Ministre de Culture (architect Jean Nouvel). oddly reminiscent of my brother's overgrown garden that recently had to be scoured because the ivy was eating into next door..

mixed use streets

The recent conversion of New Road introduces the concept of mixed used streets to Brighton: cars, bikes and people are equally free to roam and it seems to work. A hundred yard bench provides opportunity to share a seat whilst at the same time maintaining personal space. A snap shot survey reveals that pedestrians and cyclists take over:

New Road 7/9/09 08:50 -09:50

cyclists: 55

cars: 7

trucks: 2

vans: 6

woman with bag:96

woman with rucksack:9

woman with nothing:4

man with bag:21

man with rucksack:22

man with nothing :43

child:27

pushchairs: 11

rollerblades : 1

man with one item( enveolope, light bulb, guitar, paper, folder, can): 6

woman with stick:1

man with stick:1

wheelchair user: 1

introducing the rural into the urban environment

Amongst the buildings, concrete, tarmac and increasing pedestrianised space, is there now more room to introduce more than just the odd plant pot into an urban environment? They seem to be having a go at vertical versions in Paris.