Week 2a Post Lecture / Tutorial

This weeks lecture and tutorial gave a greater insight into the unit, its projects and our possible future scenarios. The re-identification of site and issues that each tutorial group would address demonstrated an more in depth study of each problem;

Urban Theme: a city with no cars,

Suburban Theme: the future of retail shopping,

Regional Theme: sustainable community

Virtual Theme: **** I found this confusing however upon greater investigation, I believe "conceptual" is a word that encompasses the focus of this tutorial. 

    *virtual is a group which can address any problem of the above groups.*

My preferences were; 

1. urban as a city without cars is a foreseeable future, the idea of using public transport to a level which is as easy as using a personal vehicle is interesting in itself. But I am mainly fascinated in the use of space which is currently for cars? what will happen to the waste? to the carparks and basements? and will roads turn into a large almost public balcony?

I say public balcony, as in my future, i predict public transport to be run underground and for walkways to be suspended thus making the ground plain a middle floor in which life forms interact. Such as New York's Highline, seen below.

Williams, D. 2009. New York's Highline 'eco' Park opens in June. http://www.inhabitots.com/nycs-new-high-line-eco-park-finally-opens-this-june/

2. Regional, with less thought and consideration the idea of a purely sustainable community is fascinating. Waste and energy cycles? compartmentalization and what is the over all function? No part of my mind considers a festival to be sustainable? is having a field which can be trampled before being left to regrow one of the only truly green responses? a lack of development could be sustainable and green.

3. Suburban, shopping is a fascinating venture. throughout the tutorial we explored each tutorial theme, surburban was broken down into several elements for me. The advertising, trialing, buying, packing, transport, embodied energy, individualization and customization. I think that department store will become just a place to try before you buy. for one reason, its cheaper. But who knows what the future will hold.