Tahrir Square: Social Media, Public Space

The international media have been eager to credit online social networking with inciting the January 25 Revolution that is transforming Egypt. And yet, as Mohamed Elshahed writes, the extraordinary events in Cairo and throughout Egypt have been empowered just as much by the occupation of public space. Elshahed, who is researching the urban history of mid 20th-century Cairo, argues "that the virtual is not enough: in the course of several historic days in Tahrir Square it became decisively clear that the occupation of physical urban space was, and continues to be, crucial to the success and continuity of the revolution."
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BETH WEINSTEIN

The Collaborative Legacy of Merce Cunningham

Throughout his long career the dancer/choreographer Merce Cunningham worked closely with diverse composers, artists and architects. Architect Beth Weinstein explores Cunningham's process and its legacy, highlighting collaborations between choreographers, including Cunningham, Lucinda Childs and Frédéric Flamand, and architects, including Frank Gehry, Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, Dominique Perrault and Benedetta Tagliabue. These notable collaborations, Weinstein argues, constitute nothing less than "a real if not always recognized architectural 'type.'"
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JUSTIN PARTYKA

Black Fen

"From a distance, under the towering sky, Isleham appears like a mirage. It seems incongruous that a village should be located in the middle of such a flat desolate landscape," writes Justin Partyka, describing a visit to the fenlands of east England. "The presence of water is constant. Driving across this landscape feels like crossing a great sea. The road undulates from the ever-shifting land, tossing the car like a small boat." Here we present a portfolio of Partyka's photographs focusing on the fens and the vanishing way of life of the farmers who've worked the land for generations.
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UC BERKELEY

Berkeley Summer Institutes

UC Berkeley announces summer programs in architecture, landscape architecture and sustainable city planning for students with majors in other fields who are interested in applying to graduate school.

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DOROTHY TANG & ANDREW WATKINS

Ecologies of Gold: The Past and Future Mining Landscapes of Johannesburg

In the late 19th century, Johannesburg was a boomtown, the setting for an extensive network of gold mines. Today many of these mines are played out, and they've become the site of informal settlements — communities now challenged by the ecological degradation that is the legacy of deep-shaft mining. Here — as part of Design Observer's focus on South Africa — landscape architect Dorothy Tang and urban designer Andrew Watkins explore how the defunct mines might be rehabilitated to create socially and environmentally responsible urban landscapes.
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PLACES ARCHIVE: WINTER 2001

The High Line

High Line photographs from Joel Sternfeld.
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PARTNER SCHOOL

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning
The unifying theme of all our activities is design. Through the design of physical spaces, and through the design of policies and technologies that shape how those spaces are used, we aim to sustain and enhance the quality of the human environment at all scales, from the personal to the global. We believe that design and policy interventions should be grounded in a commitment to improving individual human lives, equity and social justice, cultural enrichment and the responsible use of resources through creative problem-solving and project execution.

RECENT BOOKS RECEIVED

American Glamour
Alice T. Friedman

Reading the American Landscape: An Index of Books and Images
Lex ter Braak, David Hamers, Anne Hoogewoning, Erik de Jong, Frank van der Salm, Dirk Sijmons and Hanneke Schreiber

Boomtown 2050: Scenarios for a Rapidly Growing City
Richard Weller


WEEKLY EMAIL: MARCH 09, 2011
FEATURED THIS WEEK : MOHAMED ELSHAHED Tahrir Square: Social Media, Public Space The international media have been eager to credit online social networking with inciting the January 25 Revolution that is transforming Egypt. And yet, as Mohamed Elshahed writes, the extraordinary events in Cairo and throughout Egypt have been empowered just as much by the occupation of public space. Elshahed, who is researching the urban history of mid 20th-century Cairo, argues "that the virtual is not enough: in the course of several historic days in Tahrir Square it became decisively clear that the occupation of physical urban space was, and continues to be, crucial to the success and continuity of the revolution." READ MORE
BETH WEINSTEIN The Collaborative Legacy of Merce Cunningham Throughout his long career the dancer/choreographer Merce Cunningham worked closely with diverse composers, artists and architects. Architect Beth Weinstein explores Cunningham's process and its legacy, highlighting collaborations between choreographers, including Cunningham, Lucinda Childs and Frédéric Flamand, and architects, including Frank Gehry, Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, Dominique Perrault and Benedetta Tagliabue. These notable collaborations, Weinstein argues, constitute nothing less than "a real if not always recognized architectural 'type.'" READ MORE JUSTIN PARTYKA Black Fen "From a distance, under the towering sky, Isleham appears like a mirage. It seems incongruous that a village should be located in the middle of such a flat desolate landscape," writes Justin Partyka, describing a visit to the fenlands of east England. "The presence of water is constant. Driving across this landscape feels like crossing a great sea. The road undulates from the ever-shifting land, tossing the car like a small boat." Here we present a portfolio of Partyka's photographs focusing on the fens and the vanishing way of life of the farmers who've worked the land for generations. READ MORE FROM OUR SPONSOR Design Ignites Change announces 2010 award winners. Show support with style, buy the limited edition "Feedback Loop" notebooks at Felt & Wire. All proceeds benefit the cause. Design Ignites Change >> Felt & Wire website >> Mohawk Fine Papers >> UC BERKELEY Berkeley Summer Institutes UC Berkeley announces summer programs in architecture, landscape architecture and sustainable city planning for students with majors in other fields who are interested in applying to graduate school. Read more READ MORE DOROTHY TANG & ANDREW WATKINS Ecologies of Gold: The Past and Future Mining Landscapes of Johannesburg In the late 19th century, Johannesburg was a boomtown, the setting for an extensive network of gold mines. Today many of these mines are played out, and they've become the site of informal settlements — communities now challenged by the ecological degradation that is the legacy of deep-shaft mining. Here — as part of Design Observer's focus on South Africa — landscape architect Dorothy Tang and urban designer Andrew Watkins explore how the defunct mines might be rehabilitated to create socially and environmentally responsible urban landscapes. READ MORE		BECOME A FAN ON FACEBOOK \| FOLLOW US ON TWITTER Call for entries now open. Submit your best and win up to ,000. No entry fees. >> Need a great printer? Use one of our winners. A complete list here. >> PLACES ARCHIVE: WINTER 2001 The High Line High Line photographs from Joel Sternfeld. READ MORE PARTNER SCHOOL Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning The unifying theme of all our activities is design. Through the design of physical spaces, and through the design of policies and technologies that shape how those spaces are used, we aim to sustain and enhance the quality of the human environment at all scales, from the personal to the global. We believe that design and policy interventions should be grounded in a commitment to improving individual human lives, equity and social justice, cultural enrichment and the responsible use of resources through creative problem-solving and project execution. RECENT BOOKS RECEIVED American Glamour Alice T. Friedman Reading the American Landscape: An Index of Books and Images Lex ter Braak, David Hamers, Anne Hoogewoning, Erik de Jong, Frank van der Salm, Dirk Sijmons and Hanneke Schreiber Boomtown 2050: Scenarios for a Rapidly Growing City Richard Weller
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