UJ_Unit2_P2 // People, Systems and Infrastructure

The task:

"Your task is to design a concept for infrastructure delivery in a “Johannesburg neighbourhood”. This maybe imagined or real." (Excerpt from project brief)

Concept: Pavement infrastructure providing a framework for user-defined communal spaces.

Summary of exploration process

Day 1 // Understanding infrastructure

Quite excited about the project. Below are just a few sketches through unpackign the brief, asking myself questions along the way (and trying to answer myself/ express what I understand certain things to mean.)

Asking myself what the relationship is between people and infrastructure? My guess... a said need, which the particular infrastructural system provides for: Whether it be safety, sanitation, health etc...

Relationship between infrastructure and the individual/collective is also defined by a particular need. The scale of the need (from user to a collective/communiy) may define the scale of the infrastructural system.

Questions I asked myself at this point?

What are the qualities of good infrastructure?

The ability to meet the needs of the user? The agency/participation of the user in providing that infrastructure?

I would here assume that a persons ability to play a part in the meeting of his/her needs makes that infrastructural system more sustainable, possibly as long as the need shall exist, together with the users ability to participate in the meeting of that need...

With the varying scales of the user/collective, I'm interested in finding out what would be the relationship between the 2, and how/ does infrastructure play a part, and to what extent?

What is infrastructure"

"the basic equipment and structures (such as roads and bridges) that are needed for a country, region, or organization to function properly" Merriam-Webster online Dictionary

It's quite interesting to note that of the many possible "structures that are needed for a country... to function properly" this widely used source refers only to the "hardware" or built environment systems as examples.

If this definition is true, then the social and environmental/spatial systems that make up a place are also a part of "infrastructure." They also are needed for any "organisation" to function properly...

The definition does make evident though the very general notion of infrastructure and the context in general (here referring to a city/neighbourhood) is defined by its physical/ architectural environment (without due consideration to the other systems that make it up.)

From the previous project, it became more evident that the city/community or any given context, is an integrated environment made up of a number of systems working together as a whole to give it its unique identity (the 2 that stood out most for me being the people and the environment that they inhabit, the social and the architectural. See artefact ).

Day 1 / Part 2

Understanding the city as an ecosystem, in which the social systems are of equal value as built environment/ infrastructural system.

Building off of yesterdays last post...

Day 2 // Focal point

Whilst in the process of interrogating ones understanding of infrastructure, the role that it plays, and its relationship with people, one finds that an understanding of (and the relevant response to) a given need of a community has much to do with infrastructure.

1. Engagement between users/communities with providers of infrastructure is essential
2. Provision of infrastructure systems includes a variety of role-players at varying scales

Of the many questions that arose in seeking to understand the role of infrastructure, the main focal point of this assignment, the overall question to be asked is "How can infrastructure provide for the basic housing needs of a community?"

From the last project in Jeppe's town, one need that stood out was the need of adequate housing.

The reality of living in abandoned buildings

A link to an article that gives a description of some of the inner city conditions of people living in abandoned/ hijacked building:

http://www.joburg.org.za/index.php?option=com_content&id=8404:city-takes-the-fight-to-inner-city-slumlords&Itemid=266

Infratructure + housing&living

In looking at how infrastructure impacts/provides for the living/housing needs of a collective of people, I asked myself what are some of the basic essentials needed for living, and seeing the points where "hardware" infrastructure may slot in...

A better understanding of infrastructure

In seeking to better understand the idea of infrastructure, I think this definition is more inclusive of people that the previous one:

"Infrastructures are the systems that enable circulation of goods, knowledge, meaning, people, and power
." Lockrem, J., Lugo, A., (Editors) n.d. Infrastructure. http://www.culanth.org/curated_collections/11-infrastructure

The article from where the statement was taken is a very interesting way of looking at the idea of infrastructure...

With the many various needs of housing, I have chosen to look at how infrastructure can meet the private housing in terms of communal space.

A condition in Jeppe

The reason to look at how infrastructure can meet the communal space need of housing is based on a condition experienced in Jeppestown

Communal Space and infrastructure

Exploring how infrastructure and communal space can be an interface between private&public, the individual user & the collective.

Exploring the pavement

From the condition observed in Jeppe, (residents gathering on pavements) one chose to look at the pavement as an opportunity for infrastructure to create user-defined communal spaces in response to one of the needs of housing.