Urban Stories Beijing

I am looking forward to giving a talk in Zürich at ETH DARCH's Chair of Architecture and Urban Design run by Urban-Think Tank, alias Alfredo Brillembourg and Hubert Klumpner. The talk will be part of the Urban Stories lecture series which puts an emphasis on deciphering the underlying "urban plans, instruments, visions, political decisions, economic reasonings, cultural inputs and social organizations" which have produced a certain urban morphology. With this knowledge 'urban operational tools' shall be defined which collectively will form an operational urban toolbox as an "improvised manual to navigate theories".

It is a great opportunity to merge the research were doing in Beijing with Smarter Than Car with new insights into Beijing's urban development and contemporary urban morphology. 

United Colors of Benetton vs. The Ghost Bike

Everybody would agree that the bicycle has traveled all the way from being either sports tool or poor person's transportation to becoming a lifestyle, if not even a fashion accessory. And it is interesting to watch and find collateral damage happening on the way.
Last week I surfed the page of Curitiba Cycle Chic, an excellent source on fashion-related bicycle news and stories. There I found some images of Benetton's spring 2012 campaign featuring young, beautiful (and a bit meager) people colorfully dressed in Benetton's colorful collection riding bikes, of course. Yet, after a second or so I sensed my bewilderment with this scene. Well, those bikes are nice and painted white, entirely, so the colors come out better. Wait, didn't I see white bikes before somewhere?

Benetton spring campaign 2012. Image copyright and source: United Colors of Benetton.

Well, yes, the ghost bikes, installed worldwide to commemorate cyclists who died in traffic, are also white. To me only two explanations appear as logic: (I) The art director (team) of this campaign has no real clue about bicycle culture and uses bicycles because they are hip; (II) The art director (team) of this campaign doesn't give a s*** about bicycle culture on the ground, knows about the ghost bikes and nevertheless uses white bicycles in the shooting for aesthetic purposes. I tend to believe in the first explanation.
Interestingly enough the white bikes give the models something ghost-like. They seem flying atop the ground on heavenly, almost invisible vehicles.  

Ghost bike in NYC, Brooklyn.

Nevertheless it is interesting to see that everyday urban culture and  commercialized fashion culture can be so far removed from each other. With a small hint for Benetton, I would add that such dis-respect for everyday urban culture - especially related to the ghost bikes which are a symbol of true grief for real (dead) people, and in that sense memorials - can also backfire and create a negative image for the brand. This was the case when DKNY was using orange bikes locked to NYC light poles in a rather self-embarrassing guerrilla marketing campaign. Attenzione Luciano, the blogosphere is already picking up on Bentton's ghost bike blooper. ..... 

Benetton spring campaign 2012. Image copyright and source: United Colors of Benetton.

 

Ghost bike in NYC, Manhattan.

So please, dear fashion community, stay more closely interlinked with the communities you're feeding off in terms of inspiration and ideas (or at least hire somebody who does so). Addressing Benetton: please show some respect for the ghost bikes memorials worldwide. For stories about the people for whom the ghost bikes were placed as memorials, please refer to ghostbikes.org.

Two men holding (ghost)bikes in almost critical-mass-ish pose. Benetton spring campaign 2012. Image copyright and source: United Colors of Benetton.

ONE Lab 2012

Terreform ONE's team recently announced ONE LAB 2011: Future Cities.  The four week lab in Brooklyn will be a densely programmed 'socio-ecological exploration of the next metropolis'. 

 In the words of the organizers, the ONE*Lab profile:

 "

ONE Lab Summer 2012 on Future Cities will address the emerging discipline of global urbaneering by assembling a wide range of innovators from fields as diverse as, architecture, material science, urban design, biology, civil engineering and media art. 

ONE Lab is designed for students who wish to engage with the crossover of design and science.

This summer approximately 40 researchers will gather in New York City for 4 weeks of intense creative and scientific exploration. ONE Lab provides a unique opportunity for students to learn from internationally recognized scientists and renown designers and artists: Dr. Janna Levin, Dr. Nina Tandon, Dr. Dickson D. Despommier, Vito Acconci, Natalie Jeremijenko, Marc Forens and a host of TED Fellows.

ONE Lab consists of Design Studio, Future Cities Seminar and Future Cities Workshops. The studio will be offered in two levels - one for professional designers and students enrolled in professional schools or departments of design; one for students and individuals of various experience and background. All workshops are beginner level and no previous knowledge or experience is required."

Please find further details on program, people, tuition and application on onelab,org.  

"Remidiate Ephemeral Meshworks"

Yes. Remediating ephemeral meshworks. A discoursive input created by the "Landscape Urbanism Bullshit Generator", a really funny and instructive tool scripted by the guys at ruderal. They claim, by the way, that the Landscape Architecture Bullshit Generator may remain their greatest contribution to the discipline. :))

In any case the tool opens a self-reflection window for the discipline which is really important. What do we want to say when writing on theory and practice? Which language do we take into the discourse and what meaning does it transport? In this sense the Landscape Urbanism Bullshit Generator questions everybody in the field to reconsider the lingo used in everyday work.