Last week saw the second of a series of themed #Earth2Chat debates on Twitter – this time the discussion centred on issues relating to adaptable and resilient cities, and how pop-up culture can play an important role in the urban landscape of the future.
Taking part in the discussion were Steve Oxley from sustain’ Magazine, Joe Peach from This Big City and Melissa Sterry from Earth 2 Hub Ltd. The evening’s chat was far-reaching, but here we present a summary of its highlights.
Cities: inert and unable to respond to environmental changes?
To open the discussion, Steve asked whether our cities “really have reached a state of inertia unable to adapt to predicted changes in climate & extreme natural events?”
“No way,” said Joe. “But if by ‘cities’ you mean all the stakeholders, then it’s a complex goal to achieve.”
“Where permanent structures are concerned yes, the Built Enviro 1.0 is static, inert and unable to respond to enviro changes,” said Melissa. “However, pop-up genre structures such as Hoberman’s adaptive domes and inflatable structures are creating adaptability.”
If, as Melissa says, our cities’ structures are unable to respond to predicted environmental changes, Joe pointedly asked: “Does that mean we knock them down and start again? “ It was a question left poignantly unanswered…
Given Melissa’s above assertion about Built Environment 1.0, Steve wanted to know if “Earth 2.0 cities will be more flexible – able to adapt not only to environmental changes, but to social & community needs?”
“Yes, Earth 2.0 cities will be more adaptive structurally. Though community adaptability is here now and a growing trend,” said Melissa. “’Necessity is the Mother of Invention’ explains why city communities are already adapting to new challenges.”
Pop-up is popping up everywhere – but what of its future?
From the architecture & building press to the design & style mags and blogs – all have been detailing with relish the wide variety of innovative pop-up developments in our urban areas over the last year or two. Joe wondered whether “pop-up venues are a viable long-term solution for the High Street or is it just recession filler?” whilst Steve wanted to know, aside from the “recent trend for pop-up shops & restaurants, what kind of pop-up scenarios will we see in Earth 2.0 cities?”
Melissa said that we should “reframe the question” with “what kind of pop-up scenarios won’t we see – because the sky will be the limit.” She highlighted pop-up leisure facilities, education (ie public open lectures), health services and banks as just the tip of the iceberg. “They say history repeats itself… historically many services were mobile, from traveling shows to mobile medics.
“Pop-up also addresses another worsening enviro challenge – see-saw weather. Pop-up enables us to migrate city infrastructure. It reflects a strong and growing desire for more flexibility in every aspect of people’s lives.”
Steve felt this was an interesting point: “Whole communities have historically travelled where best suits their needs & forming pop-up towns that would eventually form cities.” He also felt that they will provide a “viable long-term solution” when it goes beyond gimmick and we see “food shops, schools etc pop-up in empty urban spaces” with the ability to “reach a wider and ‘forgotten’ community.”
Barriers, brownfield & urban regeneration
If, as Melissa said, the “sky’s the limit”, Joe wanted to know “what can be done to make it easier to reach that limit? Any barriers we can try and remove?”
“I think councils ought invest in more mobile, adaptive, flexible services – to share what we have further,” said Melissa. “Business is already set to adopt more adaptive infrastructures, as its change-management systems are more agile.”
“The big question is: who is going to take responsibility for this?” asked Steve. “We can debate this all we like, but what needs to shift to create action?”
Melissa proclaimed it will be “the world’s pioneers & visionaries” who will take responsibility for driving pop-up innovation. “A statement I make with confidence,” she said, “because pioneers & visionaries are already doing it. But to put a timeline on pop-up mainstreaming, I’d give it five years, as that’s the usual term it takes an idea to mainstream.”
“But what about the pioneers beneath the surface? We need to engage them!” stated Joe.
Melissa agreed: “More support is needed for pioneers, including greater access to finance and bids, both civic & corporate. I would like to see EU/Technology Strategy Board/PLC funding provided to further enable pop-up service pioneers.”
“How can we motivate people?” pressed Joe. “We’ve seen lots of enthusiasm with app development. Can we replicate that in 3D?” Melissa thought so: “There’s no reason why pop-up can’t be the App of 2012, the need and the opportunity is there.”
Joe also wanted to know “what we can do to make pop-up developments a key urban trend in 2012?” His view was that it should be made “more viable for landlords to donate space.”
Steve felt that more use should also be made of brownfield sites: “The good thing about pop-up is that it can use any available site including brownfield & be moved if the site is needed for something else.” Melissa agreed: “I view brownfield sites as canvases – it’s those areas that need TLC that could benefit more from pop-up infrastructure… Pop-up can also help us address a critical 21st century challenge – land availability – pop-up enables us to do more with less.”
“Perhaps pop-up can also be a catalyst for urban regeneration, proving there’s a demand for x facility in x location?” suggested Steve. “Is pop-up a good way of testing ideas: demand for particular service; an adaptive layout; user-engagement with certain spaces?”
“Pop-up infrastructure & services are indeed a brilliant way to test the market: ‘try before you buy’ for business/community,” agreed Melissa.
Folly for a Flyover: pop-up project by Assemble
The role of technology in pop-up scenarios
As technological advances move ever forward, Steve asked how “technology will play a part in the pop-up and adaptable elements of an Earth 2.0 city?” He wondered whether “3D printing & ‘hypercrafting’” would be good examples of future social & sustainable good “on site printing = pop-up building” and the removal of the“unsustainable chain: design transferred digitally, use local materials, no need for extensive transport.”
“Absolutely,” said Melissa. “3D print a building, then recycle it into something else – already technically possible.”
But, asked Joe, “How accessible is complex technology for temporary use?”
In answer to Joe’s question, both Steve and Melissa pointed to mobile-phone technology as an example: “Mobile phones used to be considered ‘complex’ tech,” said Steve, pointing to their current cheap and disposable nature. “India has more mobiles than landlines. New tech takes off fast in the Developing World, leap-frogging old tech,” explained Melissa. “Building on that… smart tech (i.e. phones) couldn’t be more mobile, thus smart tech & popup fit hand-in-glove.”
“But surely the more serious stuff, like construction tools etc, that’s not so viable,” said Joe.
Steve disagreed: “Most future pop-up would be prefab factory produced – no need for complex construction tools.” He pointed to the fact that a “well-known fast-food company” already builds entire drive thrus in 24hrs. “Parts turn up. Screw in place. Done. No complex machinery needed.”
“A great thought to end this #Earth2Chat on,” concluded Melissa. “Could pop-up be as big a trend in the 21st century as Fast-Food was in the 20th century?”
What do you think? Let us know…
For more information on Earth 2.0 visit: http://earth2channel.com/
You can follow all participants in this #Earth2Chat debate on Twitter:
Sustain’ Magazine: @sustainmagazine
This Big City: @thisbigcity
Melissa Sterry: @MelissaSterry
Earth 2 Hub: @earth2hub
Stay tuned for more #Earth2Chat soon.
Pop-up showcase
Also under discussion during this #Earth2Chat were some of the participants’ favourite pop-up developments. However, we would be interested in hearing from you. Early next year sustain’ Magazine will showcase some of the best pop-up projects from the UK and around the world. Let us know which pop-up, adaptable projects you think are worthy of inclusion. Email us at editorial (at) sustainmagazine.com subject #PopUp
January 8, 2012 at 10:15 am
brilliant writing, interesting and right to the point