ADAPTABLE USES - TACTICS- -ACTIVITIES

IN URBANISM

‘’ου έ ο ι ρο ου προ ωρι ο ’’

 Thesis structure

Title

 Abstract
 Methodology - Structure

Introduction

 Problem Statement

 Is there anything permanent in a city?

 Why adaptable uses?

 Visionary projects

Main body

 What is temporal use?

 What we want and what we need?

 Experiential city

 Conditions and Typology of the new programs

 Authorities Approach

o Legal condition

o Economical conditions

o Cultural conditions

 Tactics to enhanced temporal uses through the urban form

 Cross programming – Trans programming – Dis- programming

 Case studies

o Paris Pompidou Motorway

 o NYC Boulevard street

o NDSM Wharf Amsterdam

o Royal Docks East London

o Helsinki World Design Capital

o Kalarand Beach

o Reflections on case studies

 New neighborhood design

o Tools and tactics

o Temporal elements

o Long term effects

Conclusion

 Reflections
o That day and this day

References

Abstract:

How much hospitality does our buildings and urban areas offer to the users’
changeable needs? Can they adapt to the temporary (seasonal) needs? Aim will be the
blending of spatial and temporal dimensions establishing temporary uses for spaces,
developing a sensitive form of urban planning, where different activities can occur at
different times, rethinking the quality of the spaces through flexibility. Through
architecturally analysis on previous techniques of temporary projects and how the
urbanism can be more adaptive in planning according to users demands. This research
is a reflection on the possibilities of temporary spaces along with examples in order to
demonstrate how beneficial and valuable their use is to the city and its inhabitants.
Collage showing the multi ethnicity in a country that will have as a result diversity in
needs and spaces.

Fig.1: Bishop, P. (May 2012). Planning East London: – After the Olympics pdf. Last
date accessed 26/12/2013. Retrieved from
http://www.neprom.nl/dvdp2012/downloads/Peter%20Bishop.pdf

Methodology - Structure

The main study will be divided in the following parts:

1. Exploring the city and how is experience from various architecture approaches
2. Provide an understanding of the new typology of the uses and the users that
will build a foundation of knowledge for further steps
3. Emphasize on the lack of fundamental regulations for temporality
4. Zoom in and elaborate how the urban form should contribute
5. Illustrate temporary spaces and provide an array of reference projects
understanding the practicality and design process of temporary spaces
6. Obtain the opportunity of the new ideas discuss the diversity of programs in a
neighborhood to be the key of new urbanism
7. Conclude the work and analysis the importance of the time factor

All these elements are an approach towards adaptable programs and tactical
actions to implement new tactics and uses in urbanism.
Introduction:

Problem Statement:

Everything is changing especially in a time of crisis the manmade world has lost the
sense of permanent that once hold. The people are more likely to leave their countries
to find better life conditions and create better environments for their future
generations. There are citizens in group of mixture and diversity that understand
differently how an urban design should appear. A new urban design process is needed
that creates a pattern with the existing characteristics and accommodates everything. I
will emphasize how temporal uses of voids and spaces can contribute to create
connections with the public and better opportunities for growth in the city.

Is there anything permanent in a city?

In life everything changes, even if is sustainable and long lasting after the generation
and then its growth, decay will follow. Empires and cities, and grant legacies all have
fallen to achieve the permanence of their growth, where the most successful only
leave traces. Those traces are what we admire and often tread with historic value in
our cities and museums (grand building, landmarks, and infrastructure -defensive
walls). We can now start rethinking in reality that there are more short and long-term
conditions in the world. Short-term activities are not a new thing that we experience
but existed many different forms in history. In Japan building that been considered
traditional and mentally are been rebuilt in various locations without losing their
nature, churches are hosting markets, events (mainly for the poor) without losing their
spirituality. Travelling people have always being experienced in our cities through
circuses, seasonal events and music shows. Caravans, migrants, fun fare festival, all
are experienced in our cities.

Flexibility can be experience in work also, through the flexibility in location and time.
Virtual business without manmade structures are generating frequently all over the
world, having meetings through digital means that the employees are home working
in schedules that are not set up daily but weekly or annually.

Why adaptable uses?

Adaptability is ability of a system to change something or being modified in harmony.

An adaptable city in architecture represents the city as a flexible and dynamic space
that responds to evolving circumstances such as social, economical, political and
environmental. Lynch (1960) defines adaptability to be “the generalized adjustability
of an environment or artifact with minimum effort, to future changes of use”.

Over the years cities have being a lot of adaptable since residential areas and
industrials areas have located in the same positions they were listed thousands of
years ago, as Rome had never change since the middle age but they were adapt in the
metabolism and its highly demanded ways of living.

But over the years never was as important as it is now to find ways of sharing
collective space and establishing a more intelligent and sensitive form of urban
planning, where spaces can be used by different times in variety of uses. We need
urgently to modify our cities to engage the manmade footprint in order to reduce it
and also provide solutions for temporary or seasonal needs. Such ideas are aiming on
developing social interaction and connectivity with the urban environment. Those
atmospheres which were lost because of the verticality we were living in metropolis,
as well as restoring the relation between buildings and their surroundings.

“…Questioning the hospitality of urban spaces and the rethinking of the quality of
spaces from that perspective.” (Europan 12. 2011). Adaptable city, La Ville
Adaptable)

Fig.2: Storefront for Art and Architecture. SpaceBuster. Retrieved from

http://www.raumlabor.net/

Visionary projects:

Realization of the projects was never a primary concern but the notion flexibility and
temporality is an important role for architecture concepts over the last decades.
Architectural projects and futuristic ideas have try to link architectural buildings and
innovating technologies to result to a new urbanity. Since the industrial revolution, the
abilities of machines and architecture have important role to visionary projects.
Kronenburg’s (2002) expands on how flexible houses where an important aspect
through history but have not fully explored. Historically the Indian Tipi was from the
first flexible structures that had implemented adaption to different conditions. He
stated that the potential building adaptability has largely being ignored over because
of several technicalities and not because of designers’ lack of imagination. Buildings
that could incorporate the ability to be completely transitional both on design,
structure and relation to the users would be expressed for the technological advances
we are capable of achieving.

Fig.3: Le Corbusier (1929-30). Villa Savoye. (1931) Retrieved from

http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/Corbu.html

Peter Cook in his early drawing of Archigram (1972) has produced series of visual
imaginary collages based on multimedia techniques and visionary projects and ideas
were developed with new technologies and possibilities. The “Walking City” and the
plug in components that where added accordingly to the needs in a infrastructure was
innovating approach to adaptability.
Fig.3: Walking City (1972) Retrieved from
http://unbuilt.tumblr.com/post/1067945977/walking-city-proposal-architect-ron-
herron

Simon Sadler in his book “The Situationist city” (1999) calls for a new, free
architecture that will advance by emotionally moving situations that unfamiliar forms
will be created (p. 107). The meanings of his words were that our desires and social
behavior will guide the city of the future to create a fluid design.

Fig.4: Salder, S. (1999). The Situationist city. Retrieved from

http://paavo.tumblr.com/post/3583109092

Visionary architect and artist Yona Friedman has developed drawings for a “Spatial
City” that new rhythms were created in interactive system that would have flexibility
in its structure and relation to its inhabitants.
Fig. 5: Friedman, Y. (1959). Spatial City. Retrieved from
http://www.yonafriedman.nl/?page_id=431&wppa-album=66&wppa-
photo=572&wppa-occur=1

Fluxus (Oxford University Press, 2009) was an international group of artist, designers
that try to blend different artistic media in the 1960s. They were focused in visual,
literature and urban planning design that through their philosophy aimed to combine
everyday life to a more experiential through performances and understandable art.

As a result adaptability is being expressed through multi-scale physical projects and

intangible concepts. Through the scale of a specific element inside a building that
accommodates different user demands to multipurpose spaces and different types of
spaces in order to absorb the diverse demands.

However it is in urbanism that the challenge presents to the designer since is the scale
that components (buildings, streets, voids) need to be placed in patterns and intelligent
arrangements to create the urban fabric. Through the long life of a city, planning is
exposed to major changes and happenings and in addition to the different
characteristics of individuals’ complex developments need to regulate these factors.

Main Body

What is temporary use?

The short term of usage of a place, building or land without being fully develop in
order to begin its initial propose of design or some other beneficial use. The
temporary use can exploit potential ideas for and test original programs. Temporary
uses are often less costly because are considered “secondary”. The time of these
activities vary, with some appearing once for limited time such as a local grocery
market and some might be repeating in a bigger scale such Olympic Games. Their
results are often rejuvenation of local areas and redevelopment of less popular site.
Temporary uses that grow and become more popular are establishing as permanent
element of the site and a vital characteristic as London Eye.

What we want and what we need?

According with the UN department of population, the urban population in 2007 had
reached the agriculture for the first time in history. Metropolis such as New York and
Tokyo have reached more than ten million inhabitants each and others cities with
populations around five to ten are expected to increased from thirty to fifty in 2025. In
the next forty years the amount of people living in cities will be at the 70 percent. This
huge urbanization is a sign of our economic and life standards progress that at the
same time creates a big challenge of creating a better communities and social
interactions and understandings through our technological advantages and
intelligence.

“Cities don’t grow in a vacuum”. (Rybczynski 2010, p. 8). Cities were evolved from
the understanding of existing conditions and the planning of those parameters, either
in materiality either more experientially. Considering these elements and the planning
restrictions cities are formed to suit what we want. The variety and diversity of the
metropolis is making clear that a single answer cannot be given. In other words
different people have different needs and preferences. Most of the people leaving in
the centralized urban areas are singles unrelated or young couples that emphasize in
the work productivity and consider leaving the area for a smaller scale area that would
prefer raising a family.

The planning design and urban visions such the “Radiant City” (Le Corbusier, 1967)
are out of date ignoring the complex problems which we currently face in the
interconnected whole. The vision of creating a grand, majestic design of urbanism
would never effectively address the demand side of various types of users as if the
planning was focus in a smaller, neighborhood scale. In history we cannot find
solutions in form that we can applied it over and over during time but we link the past
with the present having in mind previous solutions.

Experiential City

As Kevin Lynch (1960) in his book “The Image of The City” presented the city to be
experienced differently by the individuals or “...Perhaps there is a series of public
images, each held by some significant number of citizens” (p. 46). The meaning is
that we shape our surroundings through our memories, favorable places and locations.
Modern cities are shaped mainly by the attractions that are more popular among
tourists, foreigners to the site and not everyday users. Cities are currently separated in
areas that functions differently like sports venues, universities but a new framework
should be consider that unifies needs and conditions of the users in developing a
character for each place. Distinctions to the areas will form the locations and be more
vivid experiences through programs. Is like neighborhoods will be dressed in different
clothes but not from a materiality aspect but from the scope of an intellectual
abstraction. The ability of large cities to act as small neighborhood will be vital for the
revival of their squares. People in small cities have a better understanding on their
surroundings mainly because of slower speed they experience it and also because of
the relations that are built on through their everyday life’s. (Going in the same doctor,
grocery store) Through the creation of spaces focused on the people and their need for
daily life and decreasing the city’s anxiety such qualities can be experienced in the
high density areas. Creating playful areas and activating pieces from places and
having public events are example of alteration. Old buildings should be considered
giving something back the city through accommodation of new organizations or
experimental business that cannot afford a space. Vitality and viability can be
managed to measure the improvements by “mapping” the flow that precious existed
and how it was changed. The attractiveness of the site to new investors should be an
aim to consider and a good ratio of the rental income to the capital value will be an
indicator. To have a good rate of the rent will result from minimizing the vacancy and
maximizing trading results on the area. Programs that often attract the people and
benefit the communities most of the time cannot afford high rents like café,
restaurants, and fun parks. (Jewson & MacGregor, 1997)

Bernard Tschumi expands on the notion of the architectural parameters to address

their making through program and events. “Event cities 2” (1994) he suggests that
architecture can increase potentials and circumstances in an economical, social and
cultural level. Program is separated from event and shifts to ‘’design conditions rather
than conditioning design’’. Program is condition which is user specific and results to
specific outcome rather than the event which is unexpected and challenges the
boundaries of spatial area. Tschumi’s architecture was organizing and conditioning
through events life, with overlapping layers, specifying that architecture is as import
to address the activities in a space as the spaces as well. I will elaborate more on these
notions of dis, cross and tran-programming further in the essay (Tschumi 1994,).

Additionally through “Architecture and Disjunction” (1996) Tschumi elaborates on

his notions that architecture without events is not possible, without those actions and
functions that reinterpreted space in a whole new matter. The cause and effects on
relationships with function and form is a quality that is a modern concern in our
architecture thinking and behind the measurement for our communities that we live
in. The insertion of these terms such as ‘’event ‘’ was influenced from Situationist
movement that I explained the approach they made on how a city should be
experienced in an earlier stage in this study. This unlikely combination of events and
spaces questioned the context of functionality and spatial conditions. The event is
been used as a mean for something new to be generated, as a turning point nor as a
end on start point, that opposed to the proposition such “form follows
function.”(p.217) Metropolis will appear unfamiliar and unrelated to their inhabitants
and only through designing the multi-layering of events and spaces we as architects
will built the appearance of new urbanism that will empower citizens. A social and
cultural architecture that will address life through the happenings and activities
everyday life has.

Conditions and Typology of the new programs

If not all at least most of urban location can add temporary uses to their initial
program and propose something entirely new of something that will grow with an
existing activity in the site. Most of the times these new uses are more “weak” and
need an attractive location to be build on such a rent free locations. The reason is that
the new and experimental use is often being proposed by people with limited
recourses and start-ups that try to approach the city with their unique character and
add missing qualities to the place. Categorizing the users in:

 start-ups that aim in a more long-term business

 migrants that aim a more stable employment
 groups or individuals that aim to have a better income

The sites for the short-term tenants are firstly affordable and the secondary elements
are the strategic location of the site. The site strategy could refer to the good public
interaction that might be because is easy to be accessed or have is convenient for
public transportation.(car, bus stop) Also sites that are inside strong communities and
social networks can also be advantage.

The sites might occur:

 in empty blocks or buildings between existing business

 in between voids that will help by having new programs existing business
 in existing building that when their primary use is finished the secondary starts
 in a smaller size inside the existing generating two programs at the same time
 in unused spaces of the building(terraces, parking lots)

The temporary uses can be occurring in areas near central avenues, or areas with deals
with a lot of interaction that will be easier to approach with a lot of people and gain
their curiosity for the new and different condition. (Makariou Street, Cyprus). In the
high density area interaction with people will generate the public acceptance and
support which is crucial for the life of the new condition. In the sense of new and
‘cool’ the business will often flourish even for a while and create a connecting bridge
to the community that was previous lost.

In suburban areas the development and regeneration is more daring and should be
small and aimed to the local conditions. Markets, funfairs, events pop up shops and
restaurants are examples that can contribute easier to and bring social and even
economical advantages. A looser function ever if not grow to long term uses can be an
introduction for something that will be easier in acceptance by the locals.

Industrial areas that mostly forgotten or of a very low significance are often redevelop
and dramatically add to the quality of life that existed before. A recent example is the
Olympic Games in London which the east and less develop site was chosen to host
the games in order to bring popularity and major expansion. Redeveloping programs
can exist in smaller programs such farming that can reduce locally urban areas.
Fig.6: The diagrams are demonstrating the different possibilities for the sites referring
to the typology of the programs

Authorities Approach

Firstly and most important is the time of the temporal activities. If that crucial space
that will define a good intervention is lost to the lack of the authorities system to
accept temporalities in their scheme then revival of spaces buildings will be occur
only in theoretical ideas. The primary concerns from the owners part is the concerns
of the space after its short usage and the reliability of the tenants. (Bishop, 2012).
Owners especially in times of radical change and crisis must understand that the
matter of a long term tenant will be unrealistic. It must be recognized that the
temporality will solve firstly their empty buildings or lands being again useable and
will create an atmospheres in the area that will be only beneficial. Owners gaining
some value for their property providing in the same time a tool for experimentation
for future business and a more secure and profitable area for the city.

Legal conditions

European cities have not any specific regulations and this makes the generation of
them even more difficult. If the construction rules were on the side of these new add-
ons to the city then the birth and differentiation on the uses will be an easier
atmosphere to be achieved. The short-term actions to benefit the city urban are still
not been worked out and still in a state that even no discussions for future debates
have being made. Rules and planning regulations have to be formed however
differences in the context due to the types and sizes of the cities occur that cannot be
generalized in a blueprint an overall solution.

Economical conditions

The economic grow of each business depend on the density of people, the existing
market flow and as well as new investments. The temporal uses have similar
properties even if time is not issues for them, there are still economical dependent
form the market. Temporal actions are very “fractures” since are mainly based on
economical ways to be produced and executed and have the primary need to grow on
the best urban areas with the lower economical pressure as a factor. These new
business often have the characteristic to be less or free of charge or try to develop a
new economy. Such economies can be on trading goods or teaching qualities and
techniques or even exchanging the value through work professors (Barber exchanging
haircuts for goods). This new economical system is something that is very common in
countries that are suffering from the current economical crisis and try to find solutions
in mixing up this means. The start which is and the most important and difficult for
this temporary uses can take advantage of such ways of “transacting” that will be a
transitional state to a more stable phase for their business.

Cultural conditions

Focus on the growth of cultural relation to the city can be achieved by given to
talented and creative people, projects and opportunities to be innovating. A constant
flow of new projects and actions areas will trick a networked production that in a way
will be a cultural production. The culture of the temporary can be seen as a step
forward from culture consumption that exist in the current world and be mechanism
that will be adapted by other countries also.

Tactics to enhanced temporal uses through the urban form

Adaptability in the interior of the building is another researched topic, and the context
of this thesis limits it to only short consideration. However, with regards to temporal
adaptability of urban fabric, buildings possess a strategic significance with regards to
the role they can play in assisting the urban fabric to evolve with time. Buildings
make a significant role to increasing the legibility and visual image of a city or
neighborhood. It is from our everyday life that explaining an address to person we
include in our reference distinctive buildings.
The Urban Catalyst (2013) in their book emphasize that the formal and informal are
depending on each other and should both exist and nurture each other. The city
planning should take in consideration, spaces that may even left unused (void) from
the development of the site in order to host new programs and give the diversity is
needed. Ways of de-centralized and de-formalized are needed to be examined. These
patterns will create new parameters to take upon consideration on the developing of
new sites. The objective is not to promote planning mainly based on function but to
find similar ground when possible or new programs that will result to designs that will
grow over time. The similar and repetitive built fabric will be characterized senseless
in context when they go out of trend demanding urban adaptability over rigidity. In
neighborhood scale assessing the common ground that different programs have and
their requirements will form a base of intimate connection with the user.

Accessibility of a potential site is a quality that is vital for the suitability for growth.
The quality to define with ease the routes towards the site such as users will need
comfort to reach to site must be achieved. Appropriate and convenient design should
fulfill the need of the estimated visitors. Is it clear that a area is to fail and meaningful
to be generated from the start if people cannot access it without trouble. For instance
if parking areas or close to station of public transport will be a principal that will
allow relation with the public to be signified. Also it can be a factor that influences
the future developments on site such as for commercial use. Lynch describes
accessibility to as element that is crucial for survival, development and economical
activity.

Legibility is another factor that expresses how an area is being understood by the
users and perceived for its function. If good legibility exist then the new users will
oriented easily on the new environment and quickly understand the environment. This
is important because of the comfortable relation that the user will have and the
friendlier interaction with the surrounding. Hierarchy is a important tool that will
enhance legibility as a system of signs will guide us through reading a map.

Visibility of a place is strongly characterized by the urban form since is an attribute

that allows the site to be firstly accessed and attract us inside. Good visibility for the
new will create emotional reactions that will temp him to inspire him to go deeper. In
a urban scale for instance would be if someone is to walk onto Omonia Square in
Athens would be able to read the roads instantly ahead of him.

Diversity is to describe how the environment is being used by the users in its form,
activity and program. Diversity should not be design to over shadow legibility but the
two qualities should be balanced and understandable. The quality will enhanced
possible activities form different groups and create an appropriate porous design
turning the environment to smaller fragmental areas. Varying sizes and proportions
will help such that the environment is not inflicted with monotony.
 Cross-Programming - Trans-programming - Dis-programming

Today this notion of juxtaposition of events is the way on how architecture “shock”
the modern life. Examples such as this are the transformation of libraries to athletic
facilities, to churches become markets and museums to nightclubs, the total
transformation of form and function. It’s the direction of our time that would not only
benefit as in our cities and neighborhood but also in practicing architecture. Merging
experience, use, space architecture is making a combination of these categories. These
relations between the program and form are “Cross-programming”,” “Trans-
programming,” “Dis-programming” suggests a multiplicity in readings (Tschumi,
1996 p.161)

Cross programming is when you form or shape the initial program of a space into an
entirely new function.

Trans programming is when two functions that are not normally associated are
become interdependent and serve each other.

Dis programming is when two functions clash each other in order to potentially one
undoing the other.

Deciding which one to use is where architecture comes in place and is depending on
what your objectives are or want to give to a project. In 1982 Tschumi had the
opportunity of testing his ideas when he entered the competition of designing the Parc
de le Villete.

Winning the competition was a great success firstly why he managed to be

acknowledged against 470 other designers with some of them leading at that point
through their practice architecture and secondly because he believed that his
architecture would be theoretical mostly. The in between space of a real and visual
world would for the first time experienced by the general public. Tschumi visualized
the park as a new type of city. He decided not to recreate or refer to things form the
city and started with his own concept. He looked on general organizations and how
they fitted to Paris and test his theories. He resulted to a discontinuous city that with a
point grid method would apply the abstract concepts. A design that had no relation to
its surroundings since Tschumi resisted the idea of related to the context. Although
Tschumi showed how the design actually worked in the site and argue that since the
site had a lot of different approaches to design it was a way to combining all together.

A context based project would have been a popular desire to be “fit in” the conditions
and requirements of urban planning. Following the order, copying materials to blend
in and be more understandable were none of Tschumi’s concerns that he masterly
designed a new composition that set up a methodology of juxtaposed layers that were
overlapping.
Fig.7: Tschumi (1994) Parc de la Villette
http://archiscapelesson.blogspot.com/2013/10/bernard-tschumi-event-cities.html

Fig.8: Tschumi (1994) Parc de la Villette

http://archiscapelesson.blogspot.com/2013/10/bernard-tschumi-event-cities.html
 Case Studies

I have chosen my case studies to focus on the temporary spaces that achieved to be
part of development process and influenced others either to expand the scale or to be
reproduced in other areas as well. Areas that have change urban interaction in various
scales such as in industrial sites, central roads and in different scales to put in light the
potential of this new architectural dialogue. These interventions designed to be on site
specifics and focus on the function and prioritize certain user groups.

Paris Pompidou Motorway (central road - temporal)

A great example of a temporal event that leaded to be an annual happening is the

transformation of the highway to a beach. The authorities visualized a change and a
new function to the Pompidou motorway by inserting swimming pools and adding
leisure activities. An action that raised a lot of different opinions at first now is a very
popular venue that attracts millions of visitors and music concerts. Adding beach sand
they created a river site area that created even more seasonal shops to the area
creating growth and new opportunities through the programs.

It is an example of a temporal situation that has both created interest and a new
function to the area. The intervention is clearly aim for a new development over the
motorway, maybe not as a beach but through that condition a visualization process
can be generated. The multi-use and users was achieved by this composition of a
traditional town event. Through the strong image that has created, controversy of
opinions has been overshadowed of closing the motorway. The scheme is less flexible
in design since is suited in the area of the motorway and so is limited in the scale but
has works a dis-programming character for the future redevelopment of the motorway
into something new.

Through the success of the Parisian example for giving back the river to the people
London has considered the same with a plan to redesign the riverside along
Embankment and Westminster. Plans for the redeveloping of Thames River were
come back to discussion for developing new pathways and cycling projects at the high
density motorway.
Fig.9: Voie Georges Pompidou (2001)
http://www.paris.fr/english/visit/highlights/paris-
plages/rub_8208_stand_34146_port_18969
NYC Boulevard Street (central road became - permanent)

The concrete jungle of New York has also transformed one of the busiest and more
popular streets to a plaza. Gehl Architects have focused of achieving a greener NYC
metropolis with a great example the new public space. Programs such as pop ups
furniture and street art were examples of the programs added that was a diversity to
the lost atmospheres of interactions with people and city in a slower speed. An
extension of the intervention is also a bike of a seven hundred km that because of its
popularity plans of expansion have being made that will reach the three thousand km.
The place was a mixture speed for experiencing the city with cyclist, walkers and
drivers being in the same location but have different perceptions of the site.

A project that is identified by the interesting atmosphere, that is low in maintenance

and practical as the composition of the design is colorful and relies on the attitude of
the users towards it. A user specific program that the hierarchy of the colored path
makes a distinction to a main route that is to follow. The continuous spaces together
are an important element and give the space integrity and adaptation to the area. The
location is of the project sure a primary asset since the advantages of the legibility,
permeability and visual context contributes to a successful project. An idea that was
clear and simple for its use became symbolic to the Manhattan context. The project
generated changes to near streets as wells in order to implement a wider
transformation of the city. The project outcome in data had also great success since
travel times increased, motorist and pedestrian injuries decreased by half and
pedestrian volumes increased resulting to be better working and shopping
environment.

Fig.10: NYC Boulevard Street (2009) Retrieved

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/pedestrians/public-plazas.shtml
NDSM Wharf in North Amsterdam (recreation of industrial area-master plan)

NDSM wharf in Amsterdam North have transformed the empty and derelict wharf
culture and tourist destination that triggers a wave of new development until now. The
project that initiated in 2000 to a site that lost its popularity and faced the lost of its
significance and emptiness overturn the negative downturn and became a prime
example of the power temporally actions can have. In the site now iconic institute are
constructed that respect the history of the site and preserves many of the historic
cranes, warehouses and docks.

The recreation and creating interesting peculiar atmospheres NDSM is a venue for
festivals and seasonal events. This example is great trans-programming example since
the wharf it’s operating in a 24/7 bases that with mixture of uses and inhibitors. The
historical port now is creative hub for start ups and sustainable innovating housing
projects that market that all fit perfectly in site. The idea first started on a paper was
driven by its residents to create richness on its character as a makeable platform for
artists, poets, trendsetters. The overlapping uses and multiuse of the area is still a
breeding ground for further development of the area.
Fig.11: NDSM Wharf (2009) Retrieved from
http://www.stealth.ultd.net/stealth/03_amsterdamnoord.tmp.html

The Royal Docks in East London (legacy from Olympic Games - recreation of
industrial area-master plan)

The happening of the Olympic games in East London was aiming to rejuvenate the
most under develop area in London. I will emphasize to the conditions that the new
development because of the Olympic Games had to the Royal Docks and how it
inspired regeneration.

Olympic Games have brought a ten billion boost to the UK economy that after one
year of the end the games the effectively break even. This project has been
emphasized on what potential did the site had to start with and how they could nurture
them to become stronger assets. The University of East London, the City airport and
London’s International Convention Center (EXCEL) where areas that needed to be
develop further and are considered in the frameworks of master planning. Canary
wharf and O2 arena, both at the top of business standards were missing the
communication with the Royal Docks and needed a strategy that will make stronger
connection. Moving towards completing these goals an expansion of the public
transportation to be upgrade it to reliable over ground train system was made and
transport links as cable cars that run top of the river connecting the areas more
convenient. By improving the edges the Docks could become an archipelago of
connected islands that will promote large urban sites that previously were left empty
because of the recession. An alliance was formed between the landowners that
identify the priorities for inward investment and the development of new social
infrastructure (housing projects, schools, parks).

With the residential and industrial programs and with the new connections all around
the docks the example describes a strategically long term action that will bring East
London creative potential and major urban shift for investment.

A successful diagram demonstrates the expansion to the wider public of the facilities
and areas that initial hosted Olympic Game.

Fig.12: Bishop, P. (May 2012). Planning East London: – After the Olympics pdf. Last
date accessed 26/12/2013. Retrieved from
http://www.neprom.nl/dvdp2012/downloads/Peter%20Bishop.pdf
Fig.13: Bishop, P. (May 2012). Planning East London: – After the Olympics pdf. Last
date accessed 26/12/2013. Retrieved from
http://www.neprom.nl/dvdp2012/downloads/Peter%20Bishop.pdf

Helsinki World Design Capital – Temporal Pavilion (urban installation event)

A great example of a program that is promoting diversity and new developments

ideas, in a smaller scale than the Olympic Games is the World Design Capital that
acts on specific countries for two years. The program is funded by the International
Council of Societies of Industrial Design and aim is to advance the design to address
the aspirations of people around the world. The program started at 2008 and already is
recognized for award accomplishments made from around the world. As the year
strengthens the impact of the program the citizen interest is increasing and promotes
education creating a network of cities that learn from each other.

The WDC in Helsinki in 2012 had developed a summer pavilion that was a project
held by Aalto University that connects the Finnish Architecture Museum and the
Design Museum. The pavilion through the open plan design could facilities programs
as exhibitions, workshops and transform to host leisure activities as cinema and coffee
shops. A multipurpose building is adaptable to changeable needs and creates practical
solutions and lively atmospheres with the overlapping users. Additional separation of
the interior space when privacy is needed is being made with the use of curtain. The
space has a great balance between legibility and diversity and has created the sense of
a more permanent expansion of the two Museums to create this atmosphere in a more
permanent structure.

Fig.14: Helsinki World Design Temporal Pavilion (2012) Retrieved from

http://blog.visithelsinki.fi/archives/4955?lang=en
Kalarand beach (LIFT11 urban installation event)

The aim of the urban intervention project was to promote the area for wide range of
festivals and attract visitors. The competition produced art works for public spaces
that were related to the surrounding area and often require the active involvement of
the viewer. With the installation of ten architectural and sculptural objects the land is
trying to improve the image of the area as well as the future diversity. They focused
on place that normally will not attract public attention and challenge the normal
touristic image.

Although all projects where on the material base on minimum intervention the event
succeeded in attracting many inhabitants to re-experience the city in ways that
previous were forgotten or new. Additionally new perspectives to the development of
the city were revealed and places of opportunity. Some features remained permanent
like the recovery of the seafront but mostly it were the means for democratic
expression of the public opinion. The creation of new interest which served the users
only for a short time of life but it identity was used as common ground for multi-uses,
a trans-programming event.
Fig.15: Kalarand beach (2011) Retrieved
fromhttp://www.lift11.ee/installation/kalarand_en

Reflect on the Case Studies

The first and second case studies although both recreate a central road and empower
the citizen only NYC Boulevard becomes a permanent project. This show to us those
different factors that we need to take in consideration also, such as the grid
adaptability that needed to sustain the flow and the permeability of a city. By
permeability I mean to the ease in which people can move through an area by
different routes. Such if a path is reconfigured to reached the destination from another
route. This reflects to the quality of accessibility that I have described in the ‘’Tactics
to enhanced temporal uses through the urban form ‘’ chapter. Grid adaptability can be
suited through various types of grids that cross and intersect regularly in both
directions. The streets define building blocks and in turn are defined by them.
Enhanced these qualities the grid will be extremely easy to understand as in the
metropolis of New York. Additionally variation of the urban blocks and streets will
create a hierarchy that will enhance legibility and temporal adaptability.

Fig.16: Sketch demonstrating a potential grid transformation to a more flexible layout

that not everything is design from the start but leave the potential for grow within the
city.

The third and fourth example both suited in industrial areas are developed both
because of the ambition of their authorities (municipality). For example Amsterdam
since 1998 has an annual promotion budget of $3 million for “breeding grounds”
(Bishop, 2012 p.169). These policies fundament the city’s ambitions for rejuvenating
areas and creating better overall conditions. The strategy is to produce mix used area
with flexible use of the buildings and urban area. Their approach to the matter as in
the NDSM project is to encourage the community to develop creative industries.
These will result not only to revitalize the cities but to reinforce the “bonding with
neighbor to neighbor and community to community”. (Bishop, 2012 p.170).

As in the case of the recreation again a former and underused area that was declining
was addressed and intelligently thought on how increase East London conditions to
meet with the rest of the city. They have focused both on the short term economy that
will run on the site through the major event of Olympic Games but also the economic
activity the site will have after. Critically all project needed to be capable of
transferring the development to an economical profit the next years through the work
and entrepreneurial opportunities.
These diagrams show the expansion of East London and the ambition to be better
related to the rest of the metropolis.

Fig.17: Bishop, P. (May 2012). Planning East London: – After the Olympics pdf. Last
date accessed 26/12/2013. Retrieved from
http://www.neprom.nl/dvdp2012/downloads/Peter%20Bishop.pdf

In the case of fifth and sixth example I emphasize on the potential that laying in
talented individuals in all cities that even in smaller change can produce excellent
examples of temporal actions that function to achieving better neighborhood designs.
The installations that both created because of the potential of this urban festival
justified that event can produce unexpected outcomes that will alter our perspective
and emphasize on missing qualities.

New Neighborhood design

The city dwellers need to be involved more in the interventions of their surrounding
city and use of their public spaces to communicate their unique desires to the city
planning. Examples of communications could be graffiti and guerrilla gardening and
other more short-term actions that some might lead to a more permanent situations in
the city.
Transformations of city are needed especially in the time of crisis where is not a sure
thing to rely on. Small scale actions will be beneficial firstly for the public that will be
empowered with their participation but also for the city in a more economical way.
The peoples love for the city which will be restored will create a strong bonding
between neighborhoods that previous was lost in the fast paced world we each live in
daily.

What was first started as illegal (such graffiti ,street performers or guerrilla
gardening) and treated as pollution towards the cities soon grew to inspiring and
sometimes humorous urban transformations that created uses for spaces and that were
not intended to be there or coexisted nurturing each other. The public space returns
again back to the public and not to an individual planner where his personal
guidelines showed what to like and what not to, what is right and what is wrong.

“Let the citizens themselves decide what spaces and architecture they want to live in
and how they wish to live in.”( Debord (2000), The Society of Spectacle)

Fig.18: Bishop, P. (May 2012). Planning East London: – After the Olympics pdf. Last
date accessed 26/12/2013. Retrieved from
http://www.neprom.nl/dvdp2012/downloads/Peter%20Bishop.pdf

An alternating use of spaces will be consistent in changing the rhythms of a city in an

adaptable way of looking the neighborhoods, buildings and streets. Paths should be
created that will lead to a management of programs within the city that we act on the
need of temporary need of actions creating a new qualities and also emphasize on the
existing successful ones. Concepts must be developed for programming a city in times
of decay that will initiate in times of crisis. Time should be a key element of
developing this new urbanity where programs, spaces and people will have
participation through the flexibility to adapt to new uses.

Centers of cities can be multiple or being decentralized that will bring the qualities of
density and growth to various areas that will generated after their surroundings.
Encouraging through planning and design for new typologies that serve the
communities differently if needed that will stimulate the urban life. Spaces and
activities will transform from single programmatic to multiprogramming and function
as motivational element.

Fig.19: Bishop, P. (May 2012). Planning East London: – After the Olympics pdf. Last
date accessed 26/12/2013. Retrieved from
http://www.neprom.nl/dvdp2012/downloads/Peter%20Bishop.pdf

Some temporal elements could be:

 Pop up architecture, art, shops, and restaurants. A trend of simply inserting

programs to sites with a economically built structure that will emphasize on its
uniqueness
 Using the empty buildings either because of vacancy or either because of the
time factor (works only in office hours) and creating a beneficial situation for
the user and the owner.
 Markets that will attract a variety groups of people. Business that are generally
new or locals selling their goods in an inexpensive way.
 In everyday activities such interaction of people with games in streets, artistic
approaches to areas, with lifestyle and cultural installation. Generally any
features that can create a positing feeling to the site that will enrich the
 rhythms. (..such spaces allow reflective meditations or playful drifting and
represent a different beauty in the city…).(Bishop. 2012, p. 89)
 Ethnically events can exploit the different areas that groups of the same
ethnicity are leaving, creating a range of uses which will be common between
their communities. The migrants will be treated as better addition to the cities
and develop a gradual transformation of the environment.

Long term effects of this uses can be:

 The most successful of the short-term uses manage to create environments to

be developed in a stable state
 The temporal use of the space is again adaptable to changes and either
explores the potentials of new programs or reestablishes in its first activity
 The temporal uses generate better conditions for new developments
 The vacant buildings and spaces get use and change the negative image of
empty houses and plots.
 Market economy get a short boost
 The innovating new ‘’components’’ establish cultural and social styles and
everyday habits that can generate new professions

Conclusion:

Reflections

I find temporary spaces to be means for change, to alter to a better environment and
create experiences. Through the architecture ideas are generating first by sketching
and I found temporary ideas to be sketches turned into human scale. Experimentations
are never wrong or right but seek to find a solution to a problem. Evaluating the idea
through experiencing the new atmospheres created. The interventions regardless their
irrelevant time of been active can initiate actions, ideas and users. The temporality is
something that in more intuitively experienced. Are more intentions than end products
that through their expression emphasizes in the need of change. Being free of the
regulations and the anxiety of producing something that will be successful over time
we tend to produce the most innovating ideas. Innovating ideas or different ideas are
attractive and boring actions to exciting atmospheres that can define future.

Temporal uses are a win-win situation for everyone who is involved. For the
government that provides the unused spaces and areas to be benefited by and helping
the city to involve to changeable needs without great financial expense. For the
developers that provide spaces for the uses to occur get an increased on property value
over longer time and for the users that get new spaces that can be adjustable to
lifestyles. All these factors create a better urbanism that the interaction of inhabitants
with the built environment is different each day.

Government is a significant factor that will emphasize on these new projects with
their new qualities and show the public the advantage such projects incorporate. Such
organization is IBA in Germany that recreate Emscher Park in Germany that was
polluted and destroyed by iron and coal industries into a paradigm of destination for
landscape architecture showing how a new approach to industrial areas.

Additionally the role of mass media, advertising and the institutional projects will be a
great mean to promote the good urban tactics to the public. An awareness and
acceptance of these new atmospheres would be a significant boost for the new
urbanism. If the public opinion is influenced by understanding the new “image” of the
cities it will maximize the participation of the users and the important decisions for
major developments will have taken in consideration the local concerns.

To ‘’ that day’’ and ‘’ this day’’

The popularity of this new way of experiencing the city and make use of it has a
create popularity especially now in a time of crisis. The new city planning should
acknowledge the unique characteristics of a neighborhood and build on those features.
I personally imagine cities to be different and unique from others, that we evolve
through the temporary transformations and will be great experience to the user. I will
be fun and inspiring place that will drive people to interact with each other in other
ways. A city that will be more clearly owned and guided by is citizens and those city
planners and authorities will have the programs to realize these changes and act upon
it. Temporary uses and spaces will create a different everyday experience , that in way
we will blurred the meaning of everyday to “that day that we had that space to” and
“this day we that we have this” because of the uniqueness of each day. Time will be
measured by experiences and buildings, public parks, public squares will be used as
media and host much more uses than the ones that that were firstly designed for.
References:

 Bishop, P., & Williams, L. (2012). The temporary city. London:

Routledge.

 Lynch, K. (1960). The image of the city (Vol. 11). the MIT Press.

 Tschumi, B. (1996). Architecture and disjunction. MIT press.

 Awan, N., Schneider, T., & Till, J. (2011). Spatial agency: other
ways of doing architecture. Abingdon: Routledge.

 Tschumi, B. (1994). Event-cities. MIT.

 Tschumi, B. (1994). Event-Cities 2.

 Kronenburg, R. (2007). Flexible. Laurence King Pub..

 Kronenberg, R. (2002). Houses in Motion.

 Jewson, N., & MacGregor, S. (1997). Transforming cities.

Routledge.

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Cook, P. (1972). Archigram. Retrieved from
http://www.archdaily.com/399329/ad-classics-the-plug-in-city-
peter-cook-archigram/
 Sadler, S. (1999). The situationist city. The MIT Press.
 Oxford University Press. (2009). Fluxus. Retrieved from
http://www.moma.org/collection/theme.php?theme_id=10457
 Overmeyer, K. (2007) Urban Pioneers: Temporary Use and Urban
Development. Jovis
 Overmeyer, K & Miselwitz, P. & Oswalt, P. (2013) Urban
Catalyst: The Power of Temporary Use. DOM Publishers
 Fernández, A. & Arpa, J. & Mozas, J. (2012) A+t 38 Strategy And
Tactics In Public Space. a+t Architecture Publishers
 Hou, J. (Ed.). (2010). Insurgent public space: guerrilla urbanism
and the remaking of contemporary cities. Routledge.
 EUROPAN. (2011). Adaptable city, La Ville Adaptable, inserting
the urban rhythms. EUROPAN. Published in the context of the
conference Europan 11 in oslo.

 Rybczynski, W. (2010). Makeshift metropolis: Ideas about cities.

SimonandSchuster. Com

 Corbusier, L. (1967). The radiant city. Orion Press.

 Debord, G. (1977). Society of the Spectacle.

FIGURES REFERENCE:

 Fig.1: Bishop, P. (May 2012). Planning East London: – After the

Olympics pdf. Last date accessed 26/12/2013. Retrieved from
http://www.neprom.nl/dvdp2012/downloads/Peter%20Bishop.pdf

 Fig.2: Storefront for Art and Architecture. SpaceBuster. Retrieved

from http://www.raumlabor.net/

 Fig.3: Le Corbusier (1929-30). Villa Savoye. Retrieved from

http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/Corbu.html

 Fig.4: Salder, S. (1999). The Situationist city. Retrieved from

http://paavo.tumblr.com/post/3583109092

 Fig. 5: Friedman, Y. (1959). Spatial City. Retrieved from

http://www.yonafriedman.nl/?page_id=431&wppa-
album=66&wppa-photo=572&wppa-occur=1

 Fig.7: Tschumi (1994) Parc de la Villette (1931)

http://archiscapelesson.blogspot.com/2013/10/bernard-tschumi-
event-cities.html

 Fig.8: Tschumi (1994) Parc de la Villette (1931)

http://archiscapelesson.blogspot.com/2013/10/bernard-tschumi-
event-cities.html

 Fig.9: Voie Georges Pompidou (2001)

http://www.paris.fr/english/visit/highlights/paris-
plages/rub_8208_stand_34146_port_18969
 Fig.10: NYC Boulevard Street (2009) Retrieved
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/pedestrians/public-plazas.shtml

 Fig.11: NDSM Wharf (2009) Retrieved from

http://www.stealth.ultd.net/stealth/03_amsterdamnoord.tmp.html

 Fig.12: Bishop, P. (May 2012). Planning East London: – After the

Olympics pdf. Last date accessed 26/12/2013. Retrieved from
http://www.neprom.nl/dvdp2012/downloads/Peter%20Bishop.pdf

 Fig.13: Bishop, P. (May 2012). Planning East London: – After the

Olympics pdf. Last date accessed 26/12/2013. Retrieved from
http://www.neprom.nl/dvdp2012/downloads/Peter%20Bishop.pdf

 Fig.14: Helsinki World Design Temporal Pavilion (2012)

Retrieved from http://blog.visithelsinki.fi/archives/4955?lang=en

 Fig.15: Kalarand beach (2011) Retrieved

fromhttp://www.lift11.ee/installation/kalarand_en

 Fig.17: Bishop, P. (May 2012). Planning East London: – After the

Olympics pdf. Last date accessed 26/12/2013. Retrieved from
http://www.neprom.nl/dvdp2012/downloads/Peter%20Bishop.pdf

 Fig.18: Bishop, P. (May 2012). Planning East London: – After the

Olympics pdf. Last date accessed 26/12/2013. Retrieved from
http://www.neprom.nl/dvdp2012/downloads/Peter%20Bishop.pdf

 Fig.19: Bishop, P. (May 2012). Planning East London: – After the

Olympics pdf. Last date accessed 26/12/2013. Retrieved from
http://www.neprom.nl/dvdp2012/downloads/Peter%20Bishop.pdf