HALIFAX – Whether or not you were able to attend October’s 4Days “unconference” in Halifax, there’s a second chance to feast your ears on the sound of innovative city planning and region-specific design solutions. The most recent episode of Spacing Radio includes clips of 4Days keynote speaker, John Thackara, inspiring reflection on some of the themes brought out at the symposium, and begging the question, what next?
Here’s a mini retrospective of the “wake” at Hollis & Morris, where Thackara’s declaration, complemented by Spacing’s cardboard city activity (a throwback to the Planning and Design Centre’s 2008 Nocturne event) both spoke to the incredible energy and ingenuity possessed by the Halifax community. The challenge now is how to keep that energy working for us.
Much of Halifax’s signature nostalgia has recently been focused on the soon to be demolished historical property at the corner of Hollis and Morris. (Look out later this week for a photo essay on the building by Spacing contributor Katie McKay.) After spending 4 days learning about the city and engaging with the people of Halifax, it was this kind of emotional and social investment in the city that Thackara found to be most striking. His closing declaration spoke to this concept, naming it “human energy,” a play on the more technical discourse of sustainability and alternative energy.
Meanwhile, human energy really was being put towards alternative energy at the cardboard city station. Within 20 minutes, a number of wind turbines, green roofs, and even a composting toilet (Thackara’s idea, actually) were constructed, sending a clear message about what our ideal city involves.
Post-declaration, the Spacing team nabbed Thackara for a few extra questions, where he discussed the disconnect between some of our more brutal contemporary architecture with the city’s historical landscape, calling city planning out on its “moments of madness and moments of sanity.” It’s on us to prevent those lapses into madness from happening into the future, for example, as plans for Barrington St’s Roy Building are put forward this month.
Ultimately, cardboard city was bested in a battle all planners in the region must face: the dreary, wet climate. Thanks to freezing rain, by the end of day the model was looking a little less than ideal. Point taken, mama nature.
Around this time a team of pint-sized ‘developers’ decided things needed some revamping. This next generation of planners took things to whole new levels of innovation, piling most of the buildings on top of each other. That is, until a team of unruly dinosaurs ensured the city’s speedy demolition.
Dinosaur terrorism and weather aside, our cardboard city had a good run; real, tangible proof of Thackara’s enthusiastic comment on the unique and creative human energy this city boasts. Thank you 4Days for providing a forum in which to channel that energy. Now it’s a question of seeking out and creating new channels and tackling new topics.