Urban Change Makers - We Are Traffic

Just a quick urban change makers post today in the midst of working from home. I stumbled upon the blog We Are Traffic today on the Visual Supply Co Journal and thought they had a super awesome and simple idea that has been really well executed. Basically Bjorn Lexius and Till Glaser behind the blog wanted to raise bicycle awareness in Hamburg, Germany so they went about doing a series of portraits of people on their bikes and posting them on their blog. The blog has taken off like crazy, with a huge wait list of people wanting to be photographed. This is especially awesome considering they only originally expected to be photographing their friends.  

Tandem Biking by We Are Traffic via Journal

Being someone, who admittedly does not currently cycle (due mainly to safety and the huge hills surrounding my home) and understands how much of a challenge it is to get people cycling where I live (Rachel Smith talks a lot about this on her blog) I think it is super cool to have something that shows the diversity within cycling and removes the "lycra only" stigma.  That being said, a lot of the portraits are just really fun to look at too and if it can get more people interested in cycling, then thats just great. 

Aleksandra via We Are Traffic

Malte (and some great street art) via We Are Traffic

To see a whole lot more bicycle-centric portraits, head over to We Are Traffic and try not to stay there for hours! 

When A City Falls...

Last night for the two year anniversary of the devastating February 22nd Christchurch Earthquake I watched the documentary on the Earthquakes "When a City Falls" on SBS. Watching this documentary really hit home for me how great an impact the earthquakes have had on Christchurch and will continue to have on shaping the city centre for the future. What struck me most in this documentary was not only the huge gaping holes in the city where my favourite places and landmarks used to be but the continuing sense of kindness and humour seen throughout the community. 

Demolishing the Cathedral from here (sorry I couldn't find a better link)

Despite little concrete rebuild being completed, even two years down the road from the initial destruction, it would be easy to lose spirit and simple let the inner city deteriorate. This is why I am so excited by the work of Gap Filler, to ensure those empty spaces are never really empty spaces but places of excitement and intrigue (instead of just parking lots for cars that are not even there). This I think is a key element for building community resilience and ensuring people dont just forget about the inner city and become more and more entrenched in the suburbs. I am looking at making my planning thesis based around exactly how this community resilience can be achieved through the creative community action enabled by Gap Filler, so stay tuned because I will be sure to keep you updated with what I find out! 

Making the Most of Empty Spaces Recap

Okay! So I still have no internet at home and with uni starting back up I think I am going to have to resign myself to less frequent posting over here on Urban Submarine - I am thinking about three times a week (and whenever I see something too cool to not post). 

Anyway, yesterday I attended the Renew Australia "Making the Most of Empty Spaces" workshop presented by Renew Newcastle founder Marcus Westbury. While spending my day at the Bleeding Heart Gallery Space on Ann Street Brisbane I learnt some pretty awesome (and practical) things about creating temporary urban spaces and pop up shops in our cities. 

The Renew Australia group are best known for their super cool work as Renew Newcastle - effectively upgrading Newcastle from an unknown, deteriorating industrial city outside of Sydney to one of the top 10 hippest cities in the world. Acting as an "enabler" or as I like to think of it Space Curator, Renew Newcastle give "Inititavists" the opportunity to put their brilliant creative idea into action by putting them up rent free in a vacant urban space with a rolling 30 day license agreement. This process not only helps creatives get their idea up and running but creates activity in otherwise vacant areas, improving safety and vibrancy in the city centre. 

Renew Newcastle project map via Renew Newcastle

The most important elements I took away from this workshop were the need for practicality and clear solutions when starting any pop up venture and the importance of having elements like how you will organize insurance for projects understood from the beginning. I also learnt the importance of involving a large cross section of people from the community itself in order to create a self sustaining and successful pop up project, not just the people you personally think are amazing or the things you think should be there (I personally am very guilty of this one!).  

All in all it came down to initiative, passion and responsibility and it made me want to start my own venture straight away. If you are interested at all in this kind of thing I would definitely suggest you check out Renew Australia and all the awesome resources they have available on their site. 

POP of Colour

I really wanted to do my Vietnam Recap in an immediate two part series, but I found this over on Contemporist before I could get too it and it is just too amazing! The MVMNT pop up cafe by Morag Myerscough in Londons industrial suburb of Greenwich is an amazing example of a cool pop up cafe that doesn't involve a single shipping container! What excites me most about this pop up (asides from its totally rad design) is how easy it is to create a space that feels fresh and exciting simply with some plywood and some paint! 

The front of MVMNT Cafe via Contemporist

Not only does the use of colour allow the cafe to brand itself and differentiate from other cafes, it creates an eye-catching visual landmark within the suburb. I only have to look at the pictures and I want to pop by (if only I was still in the UK). The outside area of the cafe also presents an amazing opportunity for workspaces or meetings out in the public realm, something I think a lot of businesses need to utilize more. The outdoor area manages to look peaceful and exciting at the same time, although I am stuck wondering what will happen when it rains?

MVMNT Cafe outdoor area via Contemporist

So I know I am totally enthused, but would any one else like to see more pop ups like this happening? 

Vietnam Recap - Volume 1 Can Tho

Okay Vietnam travels recap time! I experienced and learnt so much in such a short time I don't even know where to begin, so I thought I would do a quick recap to begin with and then maybe do a few posts with ideas I have gained from my time in Vietnam such as super active public realms, the market culture and other general urban design thoughts as they come to me! 

Can Tho

So for the first two weeks of my trip I spent my time in Can Tho, the largest city within the Mekong Delta. After arriving into the full on city that is Ho Chi Minh/Saigon, Can Tho was a beneficial place to ease into the Vietnamese culture - and to learn how to cross a road! The traffic in Vietnam was probably my first major culture shock moment, I think it took me a whole month to get use to the system of just walking out on busy roads and letting the many scooters, bikes and occasional cars go around you. The sheer volume of people that travelled via bike or scooter was also impressive, as well as the way their housing and shops were designed for convenient scooter/bike access. Almost all buildings (both commercial and residential) had ramps built within or over their stairs so scooters could be driven straight inside and almost all markets allowed for people to drive in, barter and drive out.

The traffic in Can Tho - Look at all those bikes!

Scooters and bikes parked right outside a Can Tho Cafe

Another key realisation of our time in Can Tho was the lack of OH&S and general safety regulations - there were endless WTF moments. This really embodied the attitude of the Vietnamese which was very relaxed with simple "just get it done" thinking which really allowed for some simple (and often genius) ways of doing things. 

Telecom in Vietnam - Look how far away his foot is from the ladder

A man painting the side of a Karaoke building bright blue (love colour in the urban realm)

Seeing as I spent over two weeks in Can Tho I could quite literally talk about it forever and it was definitely one of my favourite places on the trip, particularly as I really got to know the city and the people (especially my lovely homestay family). Here are just some of the  other things I loved about Can Tho; 

• The city was based on a grid system so it was exceptionally easy to walk around and find your way 
• The many markets (especially including the lolly markets leading up to the Tet Holiday) were all amazing and really felt like you were experiencing the active Vietnamese culture
• The street food at the night markets may have been the most delicious food I have ever eaten (especially after many drinks and a night of Karaoke) 
• Many of the restaurants we ate at were out in the open yet surprisingly quiet tucked back from the roads. Half the time you felt like you were eating in the middle of the jungle, not the middle of the city 
• The ability of the Vietnamese to reuse and repurpose waste was amazing and evident just about everywhere 

Can Tho Restaurant with a recycled pathway

Can Tho Restaurant with Koi Pond - This restaurant had monkeys too!

What started out as a short recap has actually turned out quite massive, especially because I spent so long in Can Tho. So I am going to post this recap in a couple of volumes, mostly just for ease of reading for you! 

Shhh...Secret Public Realms?

Allright, I am back everyone and I could not have had a better or more eye-opening time than I did in Vietnam. Although I am super keen to get writing on some of my ideas and photos from my time overseas I am struggling a bit with putting some cohesive (and readable!) posts together - but I promise a recap will be up soon, whether it is wanted or not! 

What I am keen to talk about today is the new trend that is emerging of private or secret public spaces, as really brought to my attention by one of my favourite blogs, Pop Up City. Now they have given this trend the term "Secret Urbanism" and it is a retreat from the previous desire for totally open, accessible and transparent urban spaces. The current feeling being cultivated in the urban realm is that of "exclusivity" to add value to spaces and increase the feeling of being able to adventure and really discover something new within our cities. This trend has even started popping up around Brisbane, with "The Walrus Club" hidden on Coronation Drive, Toowong behind a door with a small piece of Walrus Graffiti. Even the branding for these places relies on the secretive and exclusive nature they are trying to cultivate. 

Branding for The Walrus Club via their facebook 

These places go back to the prohibition era and speak easy bars, and commonly appear to have decor in a similar fashion - full of low light, exposed brick and rum drinkers. With the current rate news travels through social media though, how long can these places really remain that secret and at what lengths will they have to go to enforce exclusivity. 

The interior of The Walrus Club via their facebook

In terms of how I feel about this trend I am pretty divided, I love the idea of being able to stumble across the coolest bar or having to hunt to find the place you are looking for, but I don't know how well the idea of exclusive urban realm sits with me. I think it is an interesting emerging trend none the less and definitely one I will be looking into more!

If you are still interested check out the blog post by Pop Up City.