ARCHITECTURE: ...and architects.

From: IN%"URBAN-L%TREARN.BITNET@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" "Urban Planning Discussion List"
6-OCT-1993 03:00:29.90
To: IN%"HRL@xxxxxxxxxxxx" "Howard Lawrence"
CC:
Subj: RE: WHAT TO DO ABOUT CITIES

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Date: Thu, 16 Sep 93 17:53:03 GMT+2
From: Andre Fiedeldey <FIEDELD@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: RE: WHAT TO DO ABOUT CITIES
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To: Howard Lawrence <HRL@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
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Comments: To: Mark_Spadafore@xxxxxxx, URBAN-L%TREARN.BITNET@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Mark.
Here's my bit for the string:

> Your statement about auto- dominated strip malled suburbs made me think of
this
> statement:
>
> that the cities give people character.
>
> Any takers on the statement? Not exactly a flame, but could lead to an
> interesting string.

Cities can give or take away character from people. Dead, clinical,
cold, sterile, inhuman, unimaginative, culturally insensitive cities
may give rise to residents experiencing similar feelings.

The trouble is that we cannot blame the cities. We *create* the
cities, after all, so that in a sense we are getting back what we put
into it. It's all a recursive process, and that's precisely the
problem. How to get out of it. Maybe the first step would be to shoot
soulless city fathers, architects and city planners! A more
constructive suggestion is that persons wishing to enter into these
professions be selected on the basis of warmth and empathy for the
human condition.

Then again, if you want to develop moral character and good old
chutzpah, maybe you should pit people against a soulless city. It's
amazing what people can do under (or in spite of) such contexts.

Let ordinary folks design where they want to live, we don't need
phallic statements by egomaniacs. Now all we need to do is to develop
some really good research methods that will enable clients (be they
individuals or communities) to interact with architects, city
planners etc. in such a way that the ultimate environment that is
produced is a good representation of who the inhabitants are and want
to be. As an environmental psychologist this is a project I'm planning
to start next year, maybe we can get a good thing going here.

I have more ideas, but I don't want to hog the string. Let's hear
some more!

Andre_______________________________________________________________
Andre C. Fiedeldey (D.Phil) email: fiedeld@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Dept. of Psychology fax: (012) 420-2404
University of Pretoria
0181 BROOKLYN
REP. OF SOUTH AFRICA
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