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This Is Not A Gateway (TINAG)will be hosting another salon at public works studio, this time about "The Medical City".

The number one cause of death amongst children in the developing world is not famine or war, but respiratory illness due to urban pollution. In a rapidly increasing urbanised world there is an urgency to address the complexities between cities and public health. Should the medical fraternity be the future builders of cities? 
 


What can urbanists learn from medicine? Could the medical knowledge, lexicon and methodologies be adopted and applied to cities? How can the 
knowledge from building hospitals be extended 
to cities? What knowledge does a paramedic who navigates a city's streets and treats its citizens have that might be vital? What can be learned about public health from a land contamination officer? How can public health be put at the
forefront in city planning?

This Is Not A Gateway have brought together three compelling urbanists to consider the historic relationship between urban planning and public health, to explore how medical knowledge can be adapted by city planners,and to discuss how public health can become an integral part of urban planning:

• ELIZABETH FONSECA, Environmental Quality Manager, Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
• PHIL GUSACK, Architect and 
Director of gusack.com
• CHRIS SHARP, Urban Software Designer, Holistic City 


Salons are informal, free and open to all. There are always beer and beigals. To register, please email: salons@thisisnotagateway.net

Posted July 5, 2008 00:01 by Andreas Lang

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Friday the 25th of April 2008, 19.00 at public works
With Contributions by: Ana Méndez de Andés, Optimistic Productions, Games Monitor and others

Initiated by Ana Méndez de Andés this Friday Session will bring together a number of practitioners and activist that have an interest in the Olympic development currently underway in Stratford. The evening of presentations will be a departing point for the articulation of a possible 'action' that addesses the Olympic site and its surroundings.

Ana Méndez de Andés will present the video I love the M30 by the Madrid-based collectives areaciega and basurama as well as a brief introduction of the conflicts and resistances in Madrid as analysed by the Observatorio Metropolitano in the book Madrid ¿la suma de todos? I love the M30 documents an action that took place in November 2006 involving an open top tourist bus, 35 activists, the biggest and most expensive construction site in Madrid, a jazz band and a very devoted driver.

In 2007 Hilary Powell and Dan Edelstyn from Optimistic Productions made the film 'The Games' staging an alternative Olympics within the sites now enclosed by the blue hoardings. Carrying on their engagement with the Olympic zone they will present their work with 'Olympic Spirits and Foodstuffs Ltd' providing an introduction to the company's product range and ethos.

Hilary together with George Unsworth from Space Studios will also talk about the Olympic Artists Forum, an information and events platform for artists and creative practitioners engaging with the Olympics and the changing cultural landscape of London.

Games Monitor is a network of people raising awareness about issues within the London Olympic development processes. Highlighting the local, London and international implications of the Olympic industry. Games Monitor seeks to deconstruct the 'fantastic' hype of Olympic boosterism and the eager complicity of the 'urban elites' in politics, business, the media, sport, academia and local institutional 'community stakeholders'. The work of this network is mostly articulated and accessible through their web site: www.gamesmonitor.org.uk For this Friday Session Martin Slavin as well as other participants of gamesmonitor will be present.

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Ana Méndez de Andés is member and founder of two interconnected militant-research collectives in Madrid: areaciega develops a collective research on mapping of public spaces focusing on the emergence of self-organised social processes and has been funded by arteleku, Center for Contemporary Creation in San Sebastian while the Observatorio Metropolitano was born in 2005 as a cluster of micro-investigations with the intention of giving an account of the big transformations of the contemporary metropolis under the light of globalization and the resistances against it. As landscape architect, she is currently working in London at Kathryn Gustafson´s office and has her own practice under the name of malashierbas

Hilary Powell is a Hackney based artist whose interdisciplinary practice combines rigorous urban research with event based practices and film. Her background in Fine Art and Scenography led her out into derelict sites across Europe (from empty swimming pools in London to Amsterdam Docklands and Berlin factories) creating site responsive theatrical installation events. She has a PhD in Cultural Studies from Goldsmith's College, University of London and her research and practice consistently focuses on urban 'junkspaces' and sites of large-scale regeneration.

Hilary is partner in the film company Optimistic Productions with Dan Edelstyn fusing professionalism and creativity. Dan is an experienced Director / Producer and makes innovative documentaries for C4 and C5. Projects range from a feature film involving Ukrainian exile and alcohol to a series exploring the future of Britain through the predictions of 'Seaside Seers' but a key element of their work remains engaged with various urban practices documenting and creating a vision of the city as a site for playful intervention.

Posted March 20, 2008 12:52 by Andreas Lang

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URBAN ACT

The presentation of a European wide network of practices who act within the urban field as a place for political change and architectural practice, introducing their different projects, tools and methods.

The compilation of practices results from numerous pan European workshops, and has recently been published in book form by atelier d'architecture atogérée.
The URBAN ACT book not only locates and maps the activities of numerous
practices, but is structured as a manual to allow insight into the methods of
interventionist urban practice, like a user guide to "do-it-yourself urbanism".

For more information on the background and contributions visiisit the related research project website www.peprav.net

Practice contributors include:
aaa, Paris
AG Gleisdreieck, Berlin
Park Fiction, Hamburg
Constant, Brussels
Atsa, Quebec
public works, London
Blok, Zagreb
Laboratorio Urbano, Madrid
Metrozones, Berlin
etc.etc.etc

Posted January 25, 2008 13:02 by Kathrin Böhm

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The speakers, the bagels and the audience

FRIDAY SESSION 24
THIS IS NOT A GATEWAY (SALONS) presents:
HOW VERMIN ARE SHAPING OUR FUTURE CITIES

MONDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2007
18:30 FOR 19:00 START

Hosted by public works:
2-8 Scrutton Street
London EC2A 4RT
For directions click here

This Is Not A Gateway (Salons) invites you to share beers and bagels whilst
discussing HOW VERMIN ARE SHAPING OUR FUTURE CITIES.

Vermin, cities and people shape each other. Urban vermin and their varieties
are on the increase. This increase has been attributed rising density, the global
mobility of people and goods and shifting climates - micro and global.

Which species have had close to a thousand years influence over our cities?
How have vermin affected the use and inhabitation of urban space historically?
Why were vermin culturally and socially constructed as expressions of
'dirtiness, contamination and the other'?

What changes has a pest controller noticed across the last decade in London's dwellings?
Where have vermin and pests been referenced in the arts?
How do vermin affect London's development process?
What role will vermin play in 'the urban age'?

The following four compelling urbanists have been brought together to present
and lead the discussion:

Ben Campkin / Lecturer, Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL
Tea Mäkipää / Artist, Finland
Alan Pipe / Zoologist, Archaeology Service, Museum of London
Effie Williams / Senior Pest Controller, Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham

Many thanks to chaudigital for investing in this salon

Please register: salons@thisisnotagateway.net
web: www.thisisnotagateway.net

Posted November 15, 2007 21:19 by Andreas Lang

Cerro Toro: Public Space Improvements for the Community

The Santiago de Chile based photographer/urbanist Justine Graham, and architect Antonio Lipthany from LMB Architects are going to present one of their current projects Cerro Toro in Valparaiso, Chile.

The Chilean government and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) signed an agreement in 2004 to create and fund the Valpo Mio programme, whose main objective is to implement urban renewal for specific areas of the port city of Valparaiso. After 2 years, Valpo Mio has not yet been able to deliver any concrete projects, mainly due to the enormous bureaucracy impeding them to spend the allocated money. However, in September 2006 they launched the first 4 tenders
1. Mercado Puerto (port market)
2. Plaza Civica (civic plaza)
3. Cerro Santo Domingo (public spaces Santo Domingo Hill)
4. Cerro Toro (public spaces Cerro Toro Hill)

LMB Arquitectos applied to the hills’ public space renovation projects in collaboration with architect Cecilia Puga, photographer/urbanist Justine Graham, and the Department of Geography form Universidad Católica de Chile, winning both bids.

The team’s philosophy offers a much more comprehensive approach to the initial urban design brief and includes a multi-disciplinary team of architects, engineers, social scientists, and a photographer. In March 2007 we began the design and community participation work on Cerro Toro and in August 2007 we will begin work for Cerro Santo Domingo.

The Cerro Toro project consists of the design and building of over 9,000 sq.m of public space of one of Valparaiso’s poorest and most socially excluded hills with a population of 2,500 people. Project Director, Antonio Lipthay and Community Participation coordinator, Justine Graham, will present the work to date of the Cerro Toro Project.

LMB Architects (Lipthay / Morande / Browne) was founded in September 2005 in Santiago, Chile after winning a competition for the extension of the German School in Valdivia, south of Chile. From that date LMB has developed three main areas: urban Design / Urban Studies, Residential, and Hospitals. Currently the practice has grown from the 3 founders partners, Antonio Lipthay, Sebastian Morande and Patricio Browne, to 9 architects. One of the aspects that the practice wants to emphasize is its capacity to collaborate with other disciplines and practices. “We believe that being flexible, collaborative and multi-disciplinary produces richer process and better output”.

Justine Graham is a photographic artist and urbanist, and founder of YAPO
Project, a new creative laboratory based in Santiago, Chile initiating cross-disciplinary initiatives and producing editorial content for cultural projects. Justine was previously project director and researcher for General Public Agency, London and project coordinator at The Architecture Foundation, London.

Contact: a.lipthay@earthlink.net / justinegraham@earthlink.net

Posted July 3, 2007 11:19 by Kathrin Böhm

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CADAVRE EXQUIS CARTOGRAPHY (C.E.C.)
An urban game & mapping exercise
Friday 29 June 2007 from 6.30pm onwards
Outside Bank Tube station. Take the 'Cornhill North' exit and meet us on the square outside the Royal Exchange, corner of Threadneedle St. and Cornhill.

The walks will be followed by two short talks at the public works studio at 8pm by
Dr Maria Kaika of Oxford University on the continuously changing development of the City of London.
Julie Myers will present - To travel Somewhere - a mobile phone/mapping project developed from a series of walks in San Francisco, USA, Cambridge, UK and Helsinki, FIN

CADAVRE EXQUIS CARTOGRAPHY prompts people to explore and collect ground-level images of the City.

The game is played in pairs sharing one digital camera with display screen.

Player 1 starts by taking a picture with a designated building or object in the frame as well as a second object/building of any kind. After handing over the camera to player 2, both leave the first photographed object behind, moving towards the second element of the shot. Player 2 now takes a picture with this building/object in the frame, but again with something else in the background or foreground, which will be the linking element in the next image. The camera is then handed over to player 1, who takes the next photo of the series.

THE AIM OF THE GAME IS TO COVER AS MUCH GROUND AS YOU CAN.

THE RULES:
1. A team is only allowed 30 shots and 1 camera per walk,
so SHOOT CAREFULLY!
2. Images have to overlap physically and can only be of ground level building or object,
so DON’T SHOOT IN THE AIR!
3. Only take images of objects/buildings in front of the team
so SHOOT FORWARD!

All images will be assembled online and will allow visitors to wander through the City from behind their computer.

JOIN THE MAPPING!
Come to Bank junction on Friday 29 June at 6.30pm and bring:
-a digital camera with its download equipment (Cables!), so we can download the images after the walk at Public Works.
-team-mates

no worries, you will recognise us…

AFTEREVENT!
Following the walks there will be two short presentations at Public Works studio
By Dr Maria Kaika of Oxford University on the continuously changing development of the City of London.
Julie Myers will present - To travel Somewhere - a mobile phone/mapping project developed from a series of walks in San Francisco, USA, Cambridge, UK and Helsinki, FIN.

Julie Myers is an artist who’s practice is informed by social encounter and intervention. Her work investigate memory, gesture and narrative in relation to physical environment. Sometimes recording just a brief moment captured between strangers and at other times building sustained relationship with multiple participants over a sustained period of time. She uses film/video, mobile technologies and database formats to document and present material that exists both on the web and in site specific or exhibition space.

Julie is a senor lecturer at Middlesex and Kingston Universities and lives in London. She has exhibited and screened work extensively receiving a number of awards including an AHRB research award and an Erasmus Scholarship. Previous work has been commissioned by The Arts Council of England, NESTA, The BFI, The Institute of Contemporary Art, BAA and the National Portrait Gallery. Julie has recently completed a placement at Adobe in San Francisco as part of the ACE interact program.

public works
Northgate House
2-8 Scrutton Street
UK London EC2A 4RT
Click here to view map

For more information email
Jim@citymined.org or
andreas@publicworksgroup.net

Posted June 29, 2007 18:30 by Kathrin Böhm

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Freetown Christiania in Copenhagen, DK, is both a living community and an amazing social and cultural experiment, which keeps developing and evaluating itself. The Christiania Researchers in Residence Porgramme was set up to invite artits from outside to live in Christiania and to develop new work that explores some of the particularities of Christiania.
The evening will start with a number of presentations by artists who have worked from within Christiania, followed by an informal dinner for everyone, and a debate on the current situation of Christiania and the research outcomes in relation it.

For more information visit http://crir.homepage.dk

Posted October 16, 2006 12:00 by Kathrin Böhm

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CRISIS is a national charity that fights homelessness and empowers homeless people to fulfill their potential and transform their lives. With Urban Village CRISIS has developed a new model for sustainable communities with affordable homes for low income essential workers and formerly homeless adults.

Urban Village is:

- An innovative concept for socially mixed communities based on tried and tested model from New York
- High quality permanent housing with onsite holistic support and opportunities for work and well being
- A cost effective solution, which tackles multiple agendas across local and central government

Located on the City Fringe in Tower Hamlets, Urban Village will create 270 units of permanent affordable housing for a mixed community of low income workers and homeless adults unable to move on from an overcrowded hostel system. Urban Village will not only provide high quality, environmentally friendly housing, it will also boast integrated onsite support services including healthy living, training, and employment opportunities. Support services include the New Mildmay Hospital serving people living with AIDS, a Primary Healthcare and 8 bed Detox Centre, and the New Shoreditch Tabernacle Baptist Church.

Urban Village is based on a successful model pioneered by Common Ground Community in New York in 1990. Common Ground currently operates 1500 units. In 2005, New York City government committed to delivering 9,000 more units.

Posted October 6, 2006 19:00 by Log