“But although one wants to do nothing, things are done to one; the world makes sure that one does not find oneself. And even if one perhaps isn’t interested in it, the world itself is much too interested for one to find the peace and quite necessary to be as thoroughly bored with the world as it ultimately deserves.
But what if one refuses to allow one self to be chased away? Then boredom becomes only proper occupation, since it provides a kind of guarantee that one is, so to speak, still in control of one’s own existence. If one never bored, one would presumably not really be present at all and would thus be merely on more object of boredom, as was a claim at the outset.. One would light up on the rooftops or spool by a filmstrip. But if indeed one is present, one would have no choice but to be bored by the ubiquitous abstract racket that does not allow one to exist, and at the same time, to find oneself boring for exsiting in it.”
For the second successive summer, Washington University will explore the San Diego / Tijuana Region through a series of urban and architecture design projects. Following the success of last year’s work into large scale master plans for a diverse set of urban conditions around the city of Tijuana and San Diego , this year’s agenda will focus on community scale projects that engage a dialogue in terms of identity, culture, architecture and community building. The 8 week studio will begin with a trip to Mexico City to study and research related cultural, political and urban issues that are relevant to the relationships between center and periphery, local and global as well as the work and projects of emerging Mexican architects and urban designers. The studio will reconvene, for the duration of the studio, in San Diego and work from Woodbury School of Architecture’s new building in the Hispanic district of Barrio Logan. Reference to local topics and contemporary theory on urbanism will be offered by an accompanying lecture series involving experts from Tijuana, San Diego and Los Angeles. Our lecture series is open to the public. See poster for dates and times.Heriberto Yepez May 30 1pmMarcos Ramirez ErreJune 3 4pmKyong ParkJune 16 6 pmJosh KunJune 20 2 pmLucia SanromanJune 24 1pm @sdmcaTeddy CruzJune 26 1 pm
“Apolitca, humanitaria, universalista y científica, la ideología del medio ambiente transforma la desigualdad social en daños físicos y funde las clases sociales en un solo ejercito de boy-scouts.” Manuel Castells
En el verano del 2008 se llevo a cabo el taller de diseño urbano en Tijuana por parte de la Universidad de Washington dirigido por John Hoal, Andrea Dietz y un servidor. El propósito del taller era trabajar en conjunto con dos instituciones que ya habían realizado estudios en el Cañón de los Laureles; IMPLAN y Oscar Romo del Estuario Rio Tijuana en Imperial Beach. Usando los estudios realizados por estas dos instituciones como plataforma se inicio un proyecto de 8 semanas donde se visualiza el rescate ecológico del cañón y el mejoramiento de los espacios públicos y de vivienda. En este proyecto se considero intentar solucionar el problema de circulación hacia y desde el cañón a nodos de transporte en la periferia. Se propuso un proyecto integro que incluye el rescate ecológico (Naturaleza – Hombre) sin olvidar las demás relaciones urbanas (Sociedad – Hombre) porque es importante subrayar que el espacio ecológico también es un espacio político. La semana pasada el proyecto recibió el Smart Growth Award del Urban Land Institute, institución internacional de planeación urbana. El proyecto en los Laureles gano por la colaboración entre las instituciones académicas y gubernamentales así como otras de carácter no lucrativo. Este reconocimiento incita a generar interés por la realizacion ,en conjunto, de proyectos en Tijuana que incluyan a todas las instituciones interesadas que avalen y critiquen los resultados de estos talleres ya que hay muchos proyectos que llegan a Tijuana pero nunca son evaluados por la comunidad o por las instituciones interesadas. Espero que este reconocimiento nos ayude a generar propuestas reales y progresivas. Lejos del modelo Green queremos volver a defender al Hombre y su Ciudad.
Aquí está la nota donde se publicaron los resultados de los Smart Growth Awards en el Daily Transcript de San Diego.
ULI honors best ‘smart growth’ projects of 2009
By MONICA UNHOLD, The Daily Transcript
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Architecture and design that positively changes community character was celebrated Thursday night during the Urban Land Institute (ULI) San Diego/Tijuana Smart Growth Awards.
Selected for commitment to sustainability and ability to engage communities in both the design and post-construction phases, projects honored included urban gardens, transit and projects that combined both residential and commercial spaces.
The awards are important to steer the direction of design toward innovative community solutions. Design has the power to cure many of society’s afflictions, said keynote speaker Richard Farson, a psychologist, author, educator and president of the Western Behavioral Sciences Institute. By incorporating ramps and lowering drinking fountains, designers have given people with disabilities independence in society. Studies also show the layout of classrooms affect student learning and the design of hospital rooms can shorten recoveries,
Farson said. “We’re not just designing buildings, but situations,” Farson said. “Not just homes but family life.”
The first Smart Growth award, deemed the “Grass Roots Award” went to Seeds at City Urban Farm. Founded in 2008, the project offers inner-city children fresh produce and educational training through a partnership between Roots Sustainable Food Project, San Diego City College, San Diego High School and Garfield High School.
“The farm provides local, healthful organic foods to those who have little or no access to such produce and offers and education in the art of sustainable living,” said Mark Steele, emcee for the evening and chair of the ULI Smart Growth Committee. The adaptive reuse project Community at Martin Building and Flats was awarded the “Re-energize Award.”
Designed by the LWP Group and located in the trendy Banker’s Hill neighborhood, the affordable housing project provides a community garden, community grocery bag program and free wireless Internet access to residents. The interior is designed to cultivate a boutique atmosphere with graffiti emblazoned walls, furniture made of stuffed used clothing and a sneaker sculpture adorning the hall staircase.
“This is more than a building,” Steele said. “It’s a way of life.”
Also honored for ideal urban housing design was the practice of implementing granny flats. The method, rather than a specific project was honored with the “Back to the Future Award.”
The city of Oceanside was awarded the “Mobility Planning Award” for its Bicycle Master Plan and North County Transit District (NCTD) Oceanside Transit Station. Together the projects demonstrate a comprehensive effort to encourage more sustainable modes of transportation in the region. Two cross-border projects were also honored. The “Land Rescue Award” was bestowed on the Comite de Mujeres Lluvia del Sur. Twenty-five women from a marginalized Tecate neighborhood organized the transformation of a garbage dump into a thriving vegetable garden. The group also manages a recycling project, selling cardboard and plastic to fund the gardening effort, which in turn provides produce for local families. A playground adjacent to the garden allows mothers to work in the garden while supervising their children.
For a cross-border effort to restore the Tijuana River Valley, the Smart Growth Awards honored the Laureles Canyon Revitalization Project. In the summer of 2008 students from the Graduate School of the Sam Fox School of Design at Washington University in St. Louis arrived in Tijuana to determine how to restore the canyon, working in collaboration with the Tijuana Municipal Planning Institute (IMPLAN) and the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve in Imperial Beach.
For his work with the Laureles Canyon Project, Oscar Romo received the “Visionary Award.” Romo has participated in many cross-border projects and currently serves as a delegate to the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. During his 30 years in the region Romo has seen development of San Diego and Tijuana create “lessons to be learned on each side of the border,” he said during his acceptance speech. Through cross-border collaboration both cities can be improved.
“Tijuana and San Diego is just one mega-city,” Romo said.
San Diego Architectural Foundation also participated in the awards by presenting the Community Vision Awards. Of the seven projects nominated, four were selected as finalists, including 30th and Ivy “Shopkeeper” in North Park, Community at Martin Building and Flats, MXD830 in Golden Hill and Solara in Poway. MXD830 was the winner of the “Community Vision” award and the $25,000 prize, which will go to the Greater Golden Hill Community Development Corporation to continue the revitalization of the area. The project offers two residential units, seven office/studio spaces for artists and a single retail space, which will soon house a sidewalk café. The project incorporates parking hidden from street view, as well as a variety of sustainable design elements such as low-E lighting and a cool roof.
“We’re looking for a project that resulted in a collaborative effort between the design team and the community,” said County Supervisor Ron Roberts who participated in the the selection process for the Community Vision Award. This year, MXD830 was that project.
“That’s a terrible irony for me,” said Mr. Sennett, a professor at N.Y.U. and the London School of Economics, “because I’ve written about the evils of gated communities. But I’m not a sufficiently moral person to abandon this house. And that,” he said with a laugh, “is a moral failing.”
En el sitio de AFN está la entrevista a Jorge Ramos donde anuncia el proyecto del tren ligero para la ciudad de Tijuana. Leer Aqui. Las primeras rutas (digo primeras por que espero que haya más de dos ) son las que conectan el valle de las palmas (ciudad de 1 millón de personas, fantasías de URBI) donde definitivamente la gente necesitara transportarse a Tijuana y el otro recorrido será de Santa Fe (que va aliviar el problema de transporte ocasionado de nuevo por le grand desarrolladora ganadora del premio de vivienda Urbi-cidio). Espero que ahora si se logre y se llegue a un acuerdo con los transportistas que bien pueden ser parte de una red de transporte público. Una obra como esta presenta la oportunidad de crear nodos urbanos que complementen el uso del transporte masivo. Me refiero a puntos estratégicos donde las paradas se conviertan en detonadores comerciales y cívicos. Estas estaciones del tren ligero pueden generar la suficiente actividad económica para la integración de espacios comerciales así como de entretenimiento. Se tiene que aprender de los errores de nuestro vecino del norte ( San Diego) por que cuando diseñaron las estaciones del Trolley incluyerongrandes estacionamientos que contrastan con la idea del transporte masivo como alternativa al uso del carro.. Si vamos a tomar un transporte público para despues usar un auto personal y dirigirnos a nuestro destino entonces las rutas y estaciones no están ubicadas en los lugares adecuados.
Imagen de la estación de Iris Ave en San Ysidro con estacionamiento en ambos lados del tren.
Es importante reorganizar todo el transporte público junto con la nueva ruta del tren ligero incluyendo unas rutas de bicicleta.Así es, a pedalear, porque ahora si se podrá recorrer la ciudad combinando estos dos tipos de transporte sin crear tanto congestionamiento vial por la ciudad, aparte a mis amigos “verdes” ambientalista les va gustar la idea de eliminar los contaminantes generados por los autos y camiones. Lo importante será que se ligue las actividades económicas y sociales con las diferentes paradas del tren ligero y crear pequeños centros para las comunidades aledañas. Seria increíble que un ciudadano pudiese ira al mercado, al cine, al café , a pistear o a cualquier otro espacio social en el tren sin tener que usar el auto.Una gran idea que necesitaba volver a revisarse, pero espero que esta vez se pueda ver como un instrumento de planeación urbana y no solo un modo de transporte.
