When it comes to “Inclusive Urbanism” Clara Greed clarifies that “It Is Not Just About Toilets” in our interview with her. However, according to her, one of the fundamentals of creating inclusive cities is to provide more toilets, especially more accessible toilets. That is why we must never underestimate the importance of the level of toilet provision. Because the public toilet especially, where nature comes into direct contact with culture, is the petri dish for inclusive design, from space to product to service, as argued by Jo-Anne Bichard and Gail Ramster in their contribution “Wee the People: A Manifesto for the Bladder and Bowel”. If you as a designer can get this right, you can probably get anything right. That includes arranging urban spaces to solve the issues that affect people, such as: sufficient and adequate public transit; housing needs; provision of basic services; universal accessibility to public space, services, and safety, creating livable cities for everyone, in the full meaning of the term.
“To Eradicate Urban Conflict, Eradicate Urban Interaction” as Benjamin van Loon states in his satirical article that is structured as a memo to the members of a fictitious association: the North American Alliance for Gated Communities. Because urbanism is inherently conflict-driven as Eve Blau points out. According to her, processes of urbanization involve a certain amount of violence and destruction as cities are places of power, representation, and contestation, which she thinks is both positive and negative. But under most circumstances, conflicts cannot be definitively classified as either destructive or constructive, as Ai Weiwei wraps it up. The goal should not be to become a casualty of conflict, but to treat other lives and living environments in a humane and benevolent manner. Consequently, Nishi Shah urges that architects, urban and spatial planners - often dismissive of war-torn territories - must exhibit unparalleled adequacy in addressing spaces of conflict as the initial step towards reimagining an architecture for peace.
“Unfinishedness” is probably most strikingly represented in works of art, but this issue of ‘MONU’ aims to investigate the concept through architecture and urbanism. By addressing its many different facets, from cities to regions and interiors, and looking beyond the physical structures and architecture to examine the economic, political, ecological, and social aspects of cities, it seeks to discover the potential as well as the shortcomings of the unfinished. In this sense, “unfinished urbanism” is a truly global topic. Despite some success stories, most unfinished structures remain as symbols of decay, financial hurdles, or corruption in cities, often leading to further challenges.
MONU #33 - Pandemic Urbanism:
There is much to discuss regarding what kinds of changes and shifts the coronavirus pandemic might bring to cities. Some of these could be spatial, subtle changes triggered by social distancing, confinement, and lockdown measures, and others might be articulated in new modes of social interaction and domestic activities. There will certainly be long-term effects on politics, socioeconomics, culture, and the environment. This issue of ‘MONU’ addresses what effects pandemics have on cities, both today and in the past, and analyses their urban impact, yet also looks for new ideas and approaches that improve our dealings with the current situation in these strange times.
MONU #32 - Affordable Urbanism:
The creation of affordable urban spaces – whether for housing, working, infrastructure, or other functions – is a complex issue, as cost considerations must be balanced with important objectives like social usability, sustainability, aesthetics, etc. Moreover, urbanisation and gentrification have become synonymous to such an extent that they seem inescapably paired. The need to create more inclusive and affordable cities is paramount, as is the provision of proper shelter and places for creative and generative endeavour. Interviews with Jörn Walter and Annemie Depuydt and contributions from Will Hartely, Christopher de Vries, and others address these and related topics.
MONU #31 - After Life Urbanism:
New urban challenges and phenomena are emerging from recent changes in our society related to death and its consequences for cities and buildings. “After Life Urbanism” addresses the reengagement and coexistence with life and death, exploring what impacts such transformations might have in terms of spatial, cultural, social, environmental, and economic aspects. The topic includes a case for urban burial by Anya Domlesky, Miguel Candela’s images of families living in Manila’s cemeteries, life planning software developed by James Norris, Cameron Jamie’s photos of suburban Halloween decorations, virtual wakes on the internet, an interview with Karla Rothstein, and more.
MONU #30 - Late Life Urbanism:
The topic of “Late Life Urbanism” looks at how architecture and cities will be impacted in the future by societies that become increasingly older. According to Deane Simpson, an important group to consider is the “Young-Old” demographic, which corresponds to a shift from an ethos of care to one of leisure and entertainment. Other contributions include a photo-essay by Peter Granser portraying a large retirement community in Arizona, a range of urban interventions detailed by Chris Phillipson, an architectural project by Junya Ishigami for people with dementia in Japan, and Rafael Luna’s case study in Seoul on how technology will play a crucial role in improving elderly lives.
MONU #29 - Narrative Urbanism:
This issue opens with an interview with Cassim Shepard in which he talks about creating a better general culture of understanding around architecture, urban design, and urban development issues by using all of the narrative tools we have at our disposal. For instance, collective walks through lost parts of cities, as suggested by Nick Dunn and Dan Dubowitz, or by observing people’s stories and involving them in creative processes, depicted in Carolyn Drake’s photo-essay. This can even change the urban dynamics, says Kathleen Gmyrek, thereby leading to participatory narratives, while OMA’s Inge Goudsmit reminds us that architects are great storytellers, too.
MONU #28 - Client-shaped Urbanism:
The importance of the client in shaping our built environment, whether it comes to buildings, neighbourhoods, or entire cities, is not sufficiently included in urban and architectural discourse, and thus largely forgotten, underestimated, and neglected. This issue is dedicated to investigating the topic in depth, to discover clients’ values, objectives, fears, and motivations, and the consequences of all of this for cities and buildings. What kind of design methods should be developed for better partnerships and results? How can communication between clients and designers be advanced? Which projects might never have happened without an ambitious and creative client?
MONU #27 - Small Urbanism:
When it comes to urbanism, small things matter, and the various contributors to this issue illuminate this idea further in various ways. Liz Teston, for instance, captures the theme when she writes about the transient micro-urbanisms of protest architecture. Levi Bryant claims how we design things can make a real difference in our lives, both socially and physically. Our cities’ less visible infrastructure is exposed by Julian Oliver, reminding us of our dependence on a deeper physical reality, while Marco Casagrande shows how small-scale interventions can also serve as a design methodology, creating ripple effects and a transformation of the larger urban organism.
