City spaces are at once permanent and ephemeral. This photo essay looks at the how our spaces are used in unexpected ways.
Images and Statement by Lisa Parker
As a designer in the Vancouver area, I’ve spent a lot of time considering the physical layout of our public spaces: hardscape, vegetation, desire lines, views in and out of our parks, and the overall beauty of a space.
When its built and opened, the design is implemented. Done. Hmm.
Where it gets interesting is when people start to use the space. People use public spaces for odd things – some desirable, others not. Personally, I quite like both because it’s a way of personalizing a space and I like to photograph these moments.
I enjoy the fact that someone can come along and use a space for something I would have never imagined. Hanging a shelf on the side of a massive concrete bridge footing so others can leave / take goodies as they choose? I’m smitten for this line of thinking. Taking photos of inside an abandoned historical building and then hanging the photos on the outside to inspire folks walking by who may not even notice the now boarded up structure? Again, its brilliant. Posting one’s opinion of a person’s parenting skills on the back of a street sign? I guess that is as good of a place as any other.
When packing for a camping trip, I always say “if I am prepared for a specific thing to happen, it won’t.” In walking around Vancouver, this idea is the same. Designers have clearly ‘prepared’ for certain uses, have tried to limit others, and then are surprised by the actual ones. Those extra little additions are what make Vancouver ephemeral, inviting, and wonderful to live in.
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Lisa Parker has been able to call herself a Vancouverite for the last six years. She is a parks designer and loves spending her days trying to make this beautiful place more enjoyable and usable. In the evenings, she’s one of the Directors for Community Studio , a local non-profit that provides pro-bono design services for community-lead projects. With a so-so memory, photography has proven to be an excellent way for Lisa to ‘remember’ the details of the places she visits.
More of her work can be seen on Flickr here and here on her blog.