Design Observer :: Join the Discussion http://places.designobserver.com/feature/foreclosed-exhibition-roundtable/34578/ en-us Design Observer Group 2012-08-16T01:45:48-05:00 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/1.0
I can say similar things about Mr. Angotti's arguments. In the end, if the places are not well designed, the policies will get us nowhere. That is another lesson of the last 50 years.

It is clear what Angotti dislikes, but impossible to tell where he thinks a good job has been done.

I will attempt to read these again another day to see if I can get farther, because I do believe in the goals and the ambitions.]]> http://places.designobserver.com/feature/foreclosed-exhibition-roundtable/34578/#comments 2012-08-16T01:45:48-05:00
The disappointment expressed by Mr. Martin, that none of the teams used a public process to inform their entry is legitimate. Based upon lectures at the Alaska Design Forum, it appears that many designers have little interaction with the end users, whether it is housing stock or another product. The most apparently successful designers are those who engage the end users, whether it is residents of Medellin, Colombia, Aboriginal Australians, or buyers at Sacks 5th Avenue.

Mr. Agnotti accurately summarized the problem, that we cannot design ourselves out of a problem, whether it is sprawl, foreclosures, or racial divides. The faith in design to solve problems is similar to the faith in technology to solve our problems. Perhaps it would be useful to step out of the the world view that seems to inhabit these conversations and look for a different one. Take as an example that of social work, where they ideally look for and base their work on the clients' strengths and desires. Lecturing or telling society to change, without asking why it should or what currently drives the actions, will just result in frustration and a smaller and smaller audience.
]]> http://places.designobserver.com/feature/foreclosed-exhibition-roundtable/34578/#comments 2012-07-05T02:52:00-05:00
We need more effective ways to build housing quickly and cheaply, and this requires both a design solution and a policy solution. Even in cities like San Francisco where there is a push by the local government to create housing for people at all income levels, the process works too slowly and leaves too many people out. Housing policy is a failure when there are thousands of people waiting for a home that they can afford. ]]> http://places.designobserver.com/feature/foreclosed-exhibition-roundtable/34578/#comments 2012-06-26T14:51:24-05:00