REREADING DIY Urbanism

CHELSEA BROWN, brown.che@husky.neu.edu

CH.01 CH.02 CH.03 CH.04 CH.05 CH.06 CH.07 CH.08 CH.09 CH.10 CH.11 CH.12 CH.13 CH.14 CH.15 CH.16 CH.17 CH.18 CH.19 CH.20 CH.21 CH.22 CH.23 CH.24

DIYUrbanism
ProducedbySPUR,CuratedbyRuthKeffer,ExhibitdesignbyRebar.
5678$M&A1-+'<@;$M&A1-+'(@$N:#/(D$OPQPRD$J**#''#4$:#/(#<A#&$QS@$OPQOD$"((/9TTKKKD'/?&D,&2T/?A)+*1(+,-'T)+A&1&=T1&(+*)#T4+=>?&A1-
ism
1. Text Summery and Analysis
DIY Urbanism, or the domain of possibility, collabora
tionandcreativity,istheongoingeffortofdoityourselfurbanists
toreengagethepublicwiththecity.Thearticlepresentsprovides
abriefsummaryofBayAreaprojectspresentedinanexhibitin
2010.TheexhibitproducedbySPUR,theSanFranciscoPlanning
and Urban RenewalAssociation, illustrates a variety of projects
andmethodsurbanistshaverecentlyundertakentobringnewlife
tothecity.GroupedintocategoriesofDIYmarkets,streets,gar
dens, and public art, the projects reveal a pattern of temporary
interventionleadingtourbantransformations.
!"#$%&'($'#)#*(+,-$,.$/&,0#*('$*1(#2,&+3#4$1'$56789$:(&##(';$
takeonthesidewalkasapublicforumandthecarasanurbanin
hibitor.Theseprojectsseektoreclaimunderusedspaces,suchas
sidewalks,medians,andparkingspaces,andtransformtheminto
placesofsocialinteraction.OutdoorLivingRooms,Pavementto
Parks,andPark(ing)Daybeganasrenegadeinterventionsinthe
urbanenvironment.Eachusedfurnitureasavehicleforclaiming
'/1*#$1-4$(#</,&1&=$&#>/&+,&+(+31(+,-$,.$.?-*(+,-'9$',*+1)$+-(#&1*
tionoverswathsofpavement.SundayStreetsupholdsthespirit
,.$&#*)1<1(+,-@$A=$*),'+-2$'(&##('$(,$B#"+*?)1&$(&1.%*$.,&$1$41=$,.$
outdooreventsthatpromoteexercise,sustainabletransportation
andeconomicactivity.
Majorityoftheprojectspresentedinthearticlefallunder
("#$*1(#2,&=$,.$56789$C1&4#-'D;$E1*"$/&,0#*($4#'*&+A#4$"#&#$"1'$
itsownagendainincreasingtheamountofplantedmaterialinthe
city,fromemploymenttobetterlivingconditions.Howevereach
projectfollowsthegeneralpatternof1)alteringtheexisting ur
baninfrastructure,2)plantingandgreeningcity,and3)educating
thegeneralpopulationaboutplantsandfood.TheGrowingHome
Community Garden, Lansing Street Pollinator and Civic Center
VictoryGardenfallwithinthetypicalapplicationofurbangarden

plantingvacantorunderusedlots.PlantSFandGreeningGuer
reropresentadifferentapproachinthattheyclaimthesidewalk
asplantableland.Eachseektobreakuptheswathsofunderused
pavementinthecitytocreateagreenerandmoreenjoyableen
vironment.HayesValleyFarmcanbeseenasanextremerecla
mation,asittakesadvantageofanabandonedfreewayonramp
foracommunitysupportedurbanfarm.FinallytheWoolySchool
Gardensmakeuseofverticalsurfacesandrecycledmaterialsfor
thecreationofgardenclassrooms.
$ 56789$F1&G#(';$.##4$,-$("#$1A?-41-*#$,.$+-4+B+4?1)$(1)
enttocreatecommunitiesofinvention,aswellasthepresenceof
socialmediatoquicklygatherabuyingcollective.Thelarge5M
Projectwillhostavarietyofpopupshops,labs,studios,stages,
andeventspacesallbasedonthenotionofgatheringapopu
lation of talented thinkers and designer. Food and made goods
factor prominently in DIY Markets, and the projects Proxy, San
FranciscoUndergroundMarket,andMobileFoodCartsallseek
toencourageandinvestthegrowingnumberofindividual,local
creatorsthroughoutthecity.
$ H+-1))=@$ 56789$ I?A)+*$ J&(;$ #-*,</1''#'$ <1-=$ ,.$ ("#$
same ideas of the previous categoriespublic engagement, in
vestment,andimprovedlivingcondition.ArtinStorefrontsclosely
resembles the gardening efforts in its use of vacant site. Bush
K1.L#$*,?)4$1)',$A#$*1(#2,&+3#4$1'$'(&##($1'$+($+'$1$G+-4$,.$5+<
promptu furniture for social interactions in the city. Offsite and
otherprojects,aswellasTenderloinNationalForestaskobserv
erstoreconsidertheirassumptionsofurbanenvironments.With
artasthefocus,tomissionofDIYurbanismismademostappar
ent,itsitthequestioningandreinventionofthecitytomeetthe
everevolvingneedsofurbanpopulationstoday.

CH.01 CH.02 CH.03 CH.04 CH.05 CH.06 CH.07 CH.08 CH.09 CH.10 CH.11 CH.12 CH.13 CH.14 CH.15 CH.16 CH.17 CH.18 CH.19 CH.20 CH.21 CH.22 CH.23 CH.24

DIYUrbanism
ProducedbySPUR,CuratedbyRuthKeffer,ExhibitdesignbyRebar.
DIYUrbanism,Urbanist,(Sept.2010).AccessedSeptember16,2012.http://www.spur.org/publications/library/article/diyurban
ism
2.Questions and Challenges
QD$!"#$1&(+*)#$+4#-(+%#'$.,?&$*1(#2,&+#'$,.$?&A1-$678$/&,0
#*('9$<1&G#('@$'(&##('@$21&4#-'@$1-4$/?A)+*$1&(D$!"#$1&&1=$,.$/&,0
ectspresentedwithineachcategoryaddressissuesofnutrition,
employment, education, transportation, sustainability, diversity
andqualityoflife,amongothers.HowdoestheDIYplatformgen
eratesolutionstotheseissues?
OD$F1-=$,.$("#$/&,0#*('$/&#'#-(#4$1&#$:1-$H&1-*+'*,$'/#
*+%*D$U"1($)#'',-'$*1-$A#$(1G#-$.&,<$("#'#$/&,0#*('@$1-4$",K$*1-$
theyserveasmodelsinavarietyofurbansettings?
VD$ F1-=$ 678$ /&,0#*('$ A#21-$ 1'$ +))#21)$ +-(#&B#-(+,-'$
("&,?2",?($:1-$H&1-*+'*,@$A?($K+("$/#&'+'(#-*#$1-4$'?**#''$"1B#$
resultedinpolicychange,governmentengagement,andarebe
ing replicated internationally. Does the inclusion of government
agenciesdetractfromthespiritofDIY?Doesstandardizationben
#%($,&$4#(&1*($.&,<$("#$678$<,B#<#-(W
4. The article opens with the statement that the bad
economy has a silver lining: it has reinvigorated and mobilized
the community of doityourself urbanists. It describes a group
ofpeoplededicatedtoreestablishingthepublicengagementin
thecityandacknowledgestheimportanceoftheirefforts.Ifthe
currentmovementisaresultofapooreconomy,willthespiritof
'"1&#4$ &#',?&*#'$ &#<1+-$ ,-*#$ ("#$ #*,-,<=$ /+*G'$ ?/W$ U+))$ ("#$
*"1-2#'$<14#$+-$1$(+<#$,.$)+<+(#4$&#',?&*#'$*,-(+-?#$(,$+-L?#-*#$
futureurbandecisionsintimesofabundance?

3. Documentation of Responses