CALL FOR THE SOCIAL FORUM OF ARCHITECTURE

Poverty and social inequality contained within cities are once again on the agenda as the number of people living in the cities surpasses that of those living in the countryside for the first time in human history. The slums of the Third World, which, despite their miserable conditions were once seen as the symbol of hope for the possibility of a better world, now appear as symbols of an approaching apocalypse in the new millennium of neo-liberalism. Cities today are seen merely as an opportunity for reproduction of wealth while more and more people are excluded from the fruits of development. Social exclusion and marginalization of the majority is experienced in cities across the world. In various parts of the globe, from New York and London to Delhi, Seoul and Mumbai; from Rio and Mexico City to Istanbul and Beijing, the metropolises of diverse cultures witness the subjection of urban space to processes of renewal, transformation and gentrification with unprecedented socio-political consequences – displacement of jobs and working-class people from their settlements. Destruction and reconstruction of the built environment has historically been a means of recovery from financial crises. Today, having served as a key instrument of financial investments for two decades, urban space rests at the heart of the current global crisis.

Under these circumstances, architects should refuse to produce urban transformation projects that serve the expansion of existing political and economic power relations. On the contrary, they should take the advantage of the current crisis of neo-liberalism and utilize it towards emancipating the urban space from the domination of capital. They should support the social movements for habitable living environments emerging in various parts of the globe. We must understand and practice architecture as an effective democratic tool of social change. The Ankara Branch of the Turkish Chamber of Architects calls for the organization of a Social Forum of Architecture which will bring together professional associations, social organizations and grassroots initiatives fighting spatial exclusion and social inequality. We invite individuals and organizations sharing such objectives to participate in the Social Forum of Architecture to take place in Ankara, October 21-23, 2010.

The themes for the Forum are:

• Social architecture and planning
• Social segregation of space
• Housing for all as a human right
• Ecology and environmental justice
• Wars, disasters and architecture
• Conservation, heritage and change
• Spatial politics of displacement: the colonization of land and resources
• Design as an instrument of social change
• Education for social architecture
• Vernacular practices, technology and free market
• Humanity of cities: barriers and ethics
• Urban violence and literacy of urban space
• Democratic practices and legislation
• Expanding public spaces
• Gender and space
• Accessible public transportation and pedestrian rights
• Social space: alliances and conflicts…

Types of Participation in the Social Forum of Architecture

It is possible to participate in the Social Forum of Architecture in different ways. Types of participation that are listed below will be detailed parallel to the development of the Forum Program.

Participation as Audience: The Grand Forum, presentations of the keynote speakers, panels, workshops and all other events are free of charge and open to public.

Grand Forum: In addition to the speakers of urban social movements and organizations from different countries, all participants will be able to express their views, opinions, and demands at the Grand Forum.

Workshops: Meetings designed for sharing experiences. Themes and participation types of all workshops will be determined and announced in the Forum Program.

Paper Presentations: Theoretical and/ or fieldwork/ project based papers that are related to the Forum Themes will be accepted. Paper presentations will take place in parallel sessions.

Speakers’ Podium: At the end of the parallel sessions, 5 minutes will be given to each person who wishes to expressing their opinions.

Poster: Poster presentations related to the Forum Themes will be accepted and exhibited. The poster size should be 80cmx200cm.

Video Screening: 10-minute videos in CD, DVD and VCD format will be viewed in different parts of the city.

Exhibitions: Exhibitions of projects, fieldworks etc. that are related to Forum Themes will be exhibited in indoor and open exhibition spaces. The poster size should be 80cmx200cm.

Cultural Activities: Applications for activities such as cinema, theatre, music, dance, painting, sculpture, ceramics, photography, literature etc. will be accepted and realized/exhibited in different parts of the city free of charge and open to all city-dwellers.

Forum Area: Various indoor and open areas in the city center will be arranged for the Forum activities.

Accommodation: We are working to provide affordable accommodation for the participants. The available places will be announced later.

Detailed information about the program, registration and all other issues regarding the Social Forum of Architecture can be found in our web site: www.socialarch.com

Registration to Social Forum of Architecture is opened on June 8, 2010. As audience it is possible to registrate till October 19, 2010. For paper presentations, posters, exhibitions, workshops etc. deadline of registration is September 15, 2010. It is possible to attend with more than one participation type. You should upload your documents at the page which comes after the registration page. Registration program allow to change your personal/organizational information and documents till September 15, 2010.

Part-time Researcher in Urban Morphology and Energy Consumption of Buildings
LSE Cities is seeking a part-time Researcher in Urban Morphology and Energy Consumption of Buildings to support its ‘Cities and Energy’ project, a research project by LSE Cities at the London School of Economics and the European Institute for E……nergy Research (EIFER) at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.

http://urbanage.c.topica.com/maanC3SabUVS6aDhoaLcaeQHRE/LSE Cities is a recently established research centre at the London School of Economics, investigating the future of cities. The centre and its main programme, Urban Age, are funded by Deutsche Bank’s Alfred Herrhausen Society.

Informar-se que o Conselho Regional de Admissão da Ordem dos Arquitectos deliberou aceitar os “Arquitectos Sem Fronteiras – Portugal (ASF-P)” como Entidade de Acolhimento de futuros candidatos a Membro Estagiário que venham a propô-la como tal.

This year’s Architecture Sans Frontieres-UK summer school at the Eden Project will be a continuation of last year’s Edible Places summer school (http://www.asf-uk.org/case_studies.htm) and will be focusing on one of the most fundamental issues for the continued survival of human beings – food: where we produce it, how we access it and how we dispose of it. This workshop will explore ways of upgrading the urban environment through innovative and adaptable designs to respond to this need.  Through lectures, prototype designs and construction we will study the urban environment and understand how it can be more suitably adapted for sustainable living and eating environments. We will debate the possible natures of urban food cycles with Katrin Bohn and Andre Viljoen authors of CPULs (continuous productive urban landscapes), Clare Brass a social entrepreneur, product designer and founder of Seed Foundation and Adriana Allen (Senior Lecturer and Director of the MSc in Environment and Sustainable Development at the Development Planning Unit, UCL). We will discuss the importance of food cycles, and understand how they should contribute towards productive urban landscapes. By including social, economic, political and environmental issues we will place the development of the urban context at both an individual and collective level.

The programme runs from 12pm on Friday 3rd to 6pm on Wednesday 8^th of September and will be hosted by the Eden Project and ASF-UK.  The workshop will include visits to the world renowned Eden Project and exposure to the many excellent programmes they run. Lectures will be held by Katrin Bohn and Andre Viljoen (Senior lecturers at the School of Architecture & Design, University of Brighton http://www.bohnandviljoen.co.uk/ ), Adriana Allen (Senior Lecturer and Director of the MSc in Environment and Sustainable Development at the Development Planning Unit, UCL) and Clare Brass (social entrepreneur, product designer and founder of Seed Foundation http://www.seedfoundation.org.uk/).

Participants will then spend two and a half days designing and building prototypes and products for a sustainable food cycle. The prototype development will happen within the public realm at the Eden Project which will be a great opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of food security for every human being. The ASF-UK team will for this workshop include Melissa Kinnear (ASF-UK and tutor at Oxford Brookes University), Peter Newton (Roger Evans Associates), Mina Samangooei (Sustainable Architecture Masters graduate), Caroline Dewast and Teresa Rodriguez (Architecture diploma students) and the horticultural team at the Eden Project.