Inverting inclusionary praxis

"We know that the planning process of a city takes time- and it has to- for it involves a multitude of actors and issues, as well as long-term guidelines. However, sometimes, a simple, focused intervention can create new energy, demonstrating the possibilities of space in a way that motivates others to engage with their community. It can even contribute to the planning process. This gets to the essence of true urban acupuncture- it needs to be precise and quick, that's the secret." -Jaime Lerner, Urban Acupuncture

---

A subway jazz performance. A homemade swing in a public park. An alley basketball game. These small-scale activations of urban space can be both indicators and catalysts of healthy street life. To borrow a term from renowned architect and mayor Jamie Lerner, the criteria for the performance of this "urban acupuncture" would be that it is small scale, temporary and/or fast-acting, and community-driven (that last one is my own standard).

The social impacts of these pinpoint interventions feel under-researched. Perhaps because the individuals and organizations behind the interventions don't have the resources to conduct long-term studies. It might also be because the truest form of urban acupuncture is currently interpreted as an effect, rather than a determinant, of a healthy community. Maybe if more credit were given to the residents and individuals of urban communities than to planners, architects, and designers, the specific effects of urban acupuncture- as an activity performed by residents- would be better researched and understood. Inverting the idea of urban acupuncture as a strategy intentionally utilized by local individuals -rather than a strategy employed by designers and observed through population behavior- gives more agency to the people who work hard to contribute to the community social fabric on the ground.

This brings me to the photos above. For the past six months, I've been working with an awesome team of teen urban designers in the Uptown and Albany Park neighborhoods of Chicago. Understanding that young people of color are often explicitly made to feel unwelcome in public spaces, these teens practice self and community empowerment through urban design. The result is a radical inversion of traditional "inclusionary" strategies usually practiced in urban design and planning settings. Rather than provide perspective and insight on projects being developed by adults, these young people ideate, develop, manage, and build their own projects, and ask for insight from adult professionals.

The projects that the teams manage all fall under the criteria for urban acupuncture. This summer the main project was an 11-foot tall wayfinding device installed in Uptown. The development and installation of the project involved a team of over 20 young people. The sheer amount of dialogue that the project sparked amongst community members throughout the development and installation of The Arrow (designed as a symbol for the surrounding Uptown neighborhood) is an achievement in itself. While the social impacts of the actual piece have yet to be studied, the stats on the work that went into the project are impressive. In just one summer, 36 teens spent spent over 190 hours with over 20 architects, local politicians, community organizers, community members, and other adults to engage with and reclaim public space in Chicago. The long-term implications of these interactions are hard to quantify, but important.

The processes driving urban acupuncture, when it inverts traditional inclusionary praxes, is the most impactful, long-term part of the work. The social impact of the intervention itself, although not insignificant, is secondary to the processes driving it. This is where I disagree with Lerner's conclusion that urban acupuncture must be quick and precise in order to be successful. The work that I've seen go into urban acupuncture interventions, when re-interpreted to give credit to local people, is actually quite broad and long-term, and requires a deliberately constructed network of urbanists/community members.

Shouts out to the incredible team of young urban designers at Territory and the most inspiring group of changemakers I've ever had the pleasure of working with!