KEY REFERENCES:
A Civic Agenda
For a shared life of the street where everyone has something to contribute.
KEY WORDS:
The defining feature of my generation is growing up alongside financial, ecological and social crises.
The 2008 financial crash, the climate crisis and now coronavirus are just a few examples. These are not really separate events, but symptoms of a global society that is a bit off balance.
Addressing such interlocking crises requires a holistic approach that can tackle each of the constituent parts in order to improve the whole picture.
These crises cannot be solved by individual action alone, but institutions are often too slow to act without pressure from individuals to hold them to account. There is a role to be played mediating between these two scales of action.
Thankfully, people and organisations from all kinds of fields are working to counter some of the most pressing issues facing us at the moment. Organisations I have drawn inspiration from include:
GRASS ROOTS MOVEMENTS
NON-PROFITS
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES
BUSINESSES
ARTISTS & ARCHITECTS
As a spatial practitioner I want to take a hands-on approach: to understand grass roots organisations and individuals and be able to put them in a context that institutions like the council or the GLA can understand and can give funds to on a bigger scale.
I’ve done a massive amount of walking around, meeting people and taking part to understand the grassroots level
and a lot of reading, research and mapping to understand the institutional.
I am convinced that small and simple acts can add up to make a big impact. Being on site is at the heart of this work. The timeline that I set out for myself was somewhat idealistic, but the process has not strayed far from this outline. Progress has been made.
FURTHER READING:
