Project Zagreb

Since my move to the Netherlands and starting my new job. I spend about 1.5 hours on the train commuting. To me this equals to 1.5 hours of reading, sketching and writing time.
Recently I have been using this time to read 'Project Zagreb', a book by E. Blau and I. Rupnik. It deals with zagreb's urban history
One particular chapter of this book caught my attention, the section that deals with 'The Green Horseshoe'. The Green Horseshoe is a U-shaped network of green spaces and institutional buildings, which was the brain child of Milan Lenuci. Through architectural projects and programming he managed to maintain and create public space in the new urban expansion in the early 1900s. Milan Lenuci saved some areas from development by giving them a public program. For example: He created skating rinks on these spaces during winter and opened them up for sports and fairs during summer. By doing this he made the spaces part of public life and saved them from development. Milan Lenuci used public life to create public space.
According to me, my idea of rolling design (see earlier posts) is made up of a similar process of programming. In Rolling design though the process is used to re-link/re-engage people with an already existing public space. Rolling design is like the re-programming of a public space or the re-starting of a program in a public space. This type of programming allows people to re-claim the public realm for their public lives.

PGDip over

Finally finished my PGDip in landscape architecture, what a trip it has been! I have learned to be patient and not to rush things.

My project, Rolling Design, encapsulates my thinking about landscape architecture and to a certain extent about public art. As set out earlier in this blog, Rolling design, uses events to activate a place. This process of activation will engage the community. The positive momentum created by the activation and engagement will lead to the start-up of an engaging and creative design process involving the designer but also the community and site, which will never end. Rolling Design will provide for gradual design interventions and a continuous process of activation.