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What love looks like in public spaces

#13・ Oct 22, 2020

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What love looks like in public spaces

By Design With • Issue #13 • View online

Welcome back! And a quick apology for the radio silence last Thursday, it was one of those weeks…

Text: This Week

The last time we spoke, I was buzzing after hearing a series of talks at the Restorative Design Conference.

In lieu of turning this into a newsletter about that-one-conference-I-attended, there is just one more thing I can’t get off my mind. At the event, Bryan Lee Jr., Design Principal of Colloqate, said something that nearly stopped me in my tracks – “Design Justice is what love looks like in public spaces. Design should be a deep expression of care of a beloved community, expressed in physical form.”

I can’t help wondering how the world might look if community – and justice – were at the center of all public spaces. And not only how this would look, but the processes and mindsets needed to make this happen. Who would be involved? How would they convene? What would it mean to lead with love?

Alternative Models of Architecture Practice: A Series

How many young people look around today and feel like they have had a say in what they see? Matt + Fiona

The Edinburgh Architectural Association is putting on a series of talks featuring architects who follow ‘alternative models’ in their work. In this first talk, we hear from Akiko Kobayashi, Matt + Fiona and John Kinsley Architects. I’ve personally been a big fan of Matt + Fiona for a while now, so I loved hearing examples of how they center engagement with young people.

www.youtube.com • Share

BlackSpace Manifesto

While what we do is very important, the way we do it is also critical.

BlackSpace is a collective of urban planners, architects, urban designers and artists who are working to support Black practitioners in their fields. Their manifesto expresses the guiding principles they follow while working in and with communities. Here’s one excerpt to pique your interest, “Be connectors, conveners, and collaborators—not representatives.”

www.blackspace.org • Share

The Kibera Public Space Project

At the beginning of the year, I had the chance to volunteer with KDI, a design-build, advocacy and research organization based in Los Angeles and Nairobi. By working closely with residents to design and activate spaces, KDI Nairobi has built a network of resilient and meaningful places, which are cared for by the people who make and use them.

www.kounkuey.org • Share

Loose ends | DesignJustice.org, follow Bryan Lee Jr., and/or this fluffy pup and don’t get forget to vote.

Text: "Design should be a deep expression of care of a beloved community, expressed in physical form." Bryan Lee Jr.

Thanks

While each week feels a little less daunting, writing stuff to send out into the web world takes more courage than I realized. Thanks for sharing in this journey, folks!

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By Design With

A monthly newsletter curated by Tyler Gindraux, a researcher and service designer based in London.

Design With is for people who practice or are interested in participatory approaches to service design, research, innovation and urban planning.

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