Architects for Peace intentCITY Forum

beatriz

The official launch of Architects for Peace took place on Saturday, November 20th. 2004 at The Hamer Hall (Melbourne Concert Hall) undercroft.
http://www.architectsforpeace.org

intentCITY was a public forum to discuss the "political city" - the public space that affects us all - the built environment, ecology, citizens, particularly our involvement in war and what can be done to prevent it. We will also have public space type of activities such as, music, theatre, poetry.
intentCITY was about cities, citizenship, collaboration and friendship, at local and international levels. It is about boundaries, social and spatial, about cities their social realities and denials. The public space that encourages discussion, the space of the "subversive forces” as Roland Barthes (1988) called it. Reality is not for consumption, it is to be heard, shared, talked about, understood, and actively lived.


the intentCITY team: (front row) Anna Lindstad, Gita Sivagnanam, Shelley Freeman, Lee-Ann Joy, Imm C. Chew, Beatriz Maturana, Karen Tanfield with baby Stella, (back row) Ceri Hann and Anthony McInneny
(missing from the photo: Su Mellersh-Lucas, Angie Kindred, Natasha and Matthew Bond)

if you attended intentCITY please leave your comment here.

what would you like for the next intentCITY?
what do you think of the ideas behind this event?
what do you think of this forum being performed on the public space?
any particular topic you would like to be adressed?
do we need intentCITY and what role should it have?

Or contact AFP directly at:

Beatriz - AFP: afp@architectsforpeace.org

peter_j

Hi,
just wonder what INTENTCITY was, couldn't find anything about it on the AFP site.
P

beatriz

Hi Peter,
IntentCITY is the name of the forum we are organising to launch Architects for Peace sometime in November 2004. There is a link on the website (actions tab) with the same graphic as for this page.
We want this forum to be a bit different from the more traditional ones organised by our respective professional organisations. We want a public forum to discuss the "political city" - the public space that affects us all. In sum, we are thinking of a public event on a public place - with AFP members, speakers, guest speakers, the general public and the media.
Architects for peace is about thinking and engaging with the environment, the city and the political decisions that affect it, and more importantly, it is about responding to it - particularly in regards to war.
Somehow, we want to manifest this response during the launch and forum.

We would like AFP members to join us in the organisation of the forum, and raise some questions and ideas. Hopefully the name will assist us to find different ways to plan the forum. What do you think of intent-CITY, or in-tent-CITY?

Anonymous

I know this is long overdue, but for anyone who comes to this part of the forum, you really should hear how fantastic the forum was. I’ve noticed there have been a lot of visits here, but not so many comments!

what do you think of this forum being performed on the public space?

Coming from the point-of-view of someone who is not an architect, nor very established in my political views, I found this forum engrossing. It was in an ideal semi-open space, just under a bridge, that made it attractive to passers-by while remaining non-intrusive. I was impressed with how many people sat down and stayed to hear what was being said. I think it was a fantastic choice.

Issues were raised, such as the land ownership with East Timor and others I was also not aware of. Plans were shown for exciting innovative architecture which took into consideration and complimented it’s natural and social environment. I never thought I could find the natural temperature control of a building so exciting.

what do you think of the ideas behind this event?

I found the philosophies behind the plans presented captivating. People presented papers on social issues, environmental issues, and the way that they approach planning. I found the ideas raised about social justice really struck a chord in me and made me want to become more active and try to do something about them.

do we need intentCITY and what role should it have?
Awareness being in my mind the first step toward change, I think intentCITY plays a very serious role in this. I can’t stress how accessible and thought provoking the experience was and how much more of it I’d like to see.

what would you like for the next intentCITY?
I thought the format for the forum was great. At the next forum I’d love to hear more about the social issues I still know little about. As in the website, I’d also be interested in following links to other organisations and exploring the issues that they deal with. I would LOVE for the talks to actually be published in some form. I would love to watch again or even read them.

Thanks SO much! I’m really looking forward to the next forum!

Rachel