Here's where our proposal ideas can be worked out.
Here is the call description.
Sharon's thoughts on December 20, 2008:
They want a proposal by January 1, but not later than Jan. 30. They want activists and academics co-presenting. It seems like Abby's work with homelessness is the most appropriate, unless Ken wants to go with environmental justice work. I think Treva Ellison's work on carceral landscapes might be an interesting connection with Abby's work, though I know little about Treva's treatment of her topic. Or Sarah Ross and her work on incarceration might be an option. I like the idea of the reading group sending a couple of people to this conference and having them report back to us. I am willing to kick in some money, and we could use our reading group funds. I very much like the conceptualization of the conference and think that sending two people would be a great idea. We could collectively benefit from the trip. I am happy to read proposals or write a letter of support.
Comments (4)
Abbilyn Harmon said
at 4:00 pm on Dec 23, 2008
As I read over the call for proposals again, I think I have a project that I would love to take to Baltimore (and it would also light a fire under me to get/keep moving on it). In the spring semester, I plan to begin researching Champaign and Urbana's zoning, building code and city ordinances to determine how legal urban homesteading might be able to take place. At the same time, I plan on working with a group of guys from TIMES Center to do some of the legwork on finding buildings, locating owners, city property, etc, as well as figure out (with them) ways to deal with the legal restrictions imposed by C and U's urban structures (zoning, codes, ordinances). I've set up independent studies with Lisa Bates and Lynne Dearborne to facilitate the reading and researching on this project. This is my first foray into this type of urban planning research, but the ideas motivating me are familiar ones. I think I could have some insights by the time of the conference, and our project would greatly benefit from attending. Sharon, I wonder if there are other things I talked about at the symposium that seem appropriate...I have a very one track mind, and this project is consuming my brain at the moment--let me know if there are other pieces you feel would be worthwhile to present/collaborate on. Also, if any of you all see overlap between this and other projects going on, I'd love to know about them. I'm anxious to hear Ryan and Ken's thoughts about potential proposals and projects as well! Sharon, thanks for your offer to read and write your support--
Sharon Irish said
at 4:43 pm on Dec 23, 2008
This sounds great, Abby! I did some research a while back on This Land is Ours movement in London, and I have some other references related to trespassing/squatting that I would be glad to pass along. Initially it was part of an article on Stephen Willats, but that part got cut out. sli
Sharon Irish said
at 12:54 pm on Dec 24, 2008
Here's an example of "claiming space" from the Office of Subversive Architecture of London: a refurbishment of a signal house:
http://www.osa-online.net/de/flavours/up/intact/a/index.htm
Sharon Irish said
at 11:51 am on Dec 26, 2008
This is kind of a placeholder idea til I get back home, but I was thinking it might be good to contrast Abby's homesteading research with a "high design" top down version that would point to the basic conceptual differences in the projects. For example, Clare Lyster at UIC, proposed a project for North Lawndale that struck me as arrogant and presumptuous. I keep trying to process what she said in her presentation at UIUC last fall in order to critique it for myself. http://www.arch.uic.edu/faculty/lyster.php I haven't been able to find the Lawndale project on her website though.
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