Month: November 2015

An Anthropology of Electricity from the Global South

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via .Academia Edu by Akhil Gupta

The conventional view of what the energy future should look like, especially in the global south is her challenged and an interesting anthropological alternative propose don finding solutions to the vexing problems facing the world today.

“Of all the forms of energy that fuel our modern world and its  lifeways, electricity is perhaps the most pervasive and also the most interesting. More than other infrastructure, the ubiquity of electricity may indeed have hindered an appreciation of its biopolitical importance. Timothy Mitchell (2011, 12–42) has urged social scientists to pay greater attention to the specific material properties of fossil fuels, properties that shape the manner in which these fuels can be stored, transported, and used.”

He describes how the availability of quality electricy is seen as a critical factor and that exploring ways of providing alternatives both to electric power and how it is used, is critical to the sustainable future we are all seeking .

 

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Figure 1. Stitching under smart power lamp. Photo by Robin Wyatt, used here courtesy of the Rockefeller Foundation

Achilles’ conclusion to his paper lays out why it is worthwhile consider and anthropology of electricity  and what its implications could be for the global soothes wells for the planet.

“What is at stake here are different ideas about the future. That the aspiration of the emerging middle class in the global South is to become more like the rich citizens of the global North is an index of the colonization of their imaginations of the future. The failure of development discourse lies in the fact that it seeks to replicate globally the condition of the global North, even as it is increasingly evident that such a condition is unsustainable and leads to eco-suicide. Gandhi was prescient about the unsustainability of modern developmental models when he reportedly said: “If it took Britain half the resources of the world to be what it is today, how many worlds would India need?” (Tolba 1987, 118) Electric futures have to contend with these aspirations among the emerging classes in the global South and struggle to realize notions of development and progress that are sustainable.”

 

 

GAME/LANDSCAPE

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Jason King of Game/Landscape | Landscape Urbanism. has done an in-depth  job of recounting what is available  to landscape architects and urban designers from the creators of computer games and gaming environments. The potential  with these tools and approaches for research, analysis and representation of landscape and the built environment  is much more than the current  static visualisations or even the usual walk/fly-throughs we are now getting. Along with the advances in point cloud modelling, see post Simulating Landscapes with Point Cloud Models, an analysis and visualisation technique that has asleep learning curve and is very resource intensive, game engines could give a faster more emotive way of accessing the landscape and its experiential potential. Like Jason I was hooked on Myst and its sequels, the beautiful graphics , the idea of a game that involved no violence and the experiential base of the game fascinated me and we were addicted to it and all its sequels.

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‘I’ve mentioned a few times on Twitter, I have had an on-going interest in game design as a medium, but also in relation to the potential synergistic overlaps between the technology/techniques with landscape architecture and urbanism practice.  The most obvious connection has to do with visual representation, as the ability to create engaging site and building environments is clearly , but there are some interesting opportunities for educational tools, user experience, ecological and urban modeling, scenario building, and iterative design.”

ORIGINS

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“Growing up with gaming, a trio of interactions early in college defined the concept and hooked me into the potential in an interesting way – even 20+ years ago.  The first was a game my sister and i were obsessed with, Myst.  Building on the word-based computer games from the 80’s like Adventureland and Pirate Adventure, Myst came out in 1991 and provided a graphical environment (that at the time was incredible) along with a mystery and things that needed to be observed and unlocked.”

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Stefano Boeri’s La Tour des Cedres will be covered with plants

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Boeri has revealed plans for a plant-covered 36-storey tower that continues the vertical forest concept he first implemented at a pair of towers in Milan

Sourced through Scoop.it from: www.dezeen.com

Why do architects think trees belong on buildings – most are too large for this positioning terns roots, growth habit and potentially for wind resistance – trees roots also are adept at destroying structures – jus think of the temples of Ankor Wat.

See on Scoop.it – Urban Choreography

The city as a common good

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Excerpted from Sheila Foster: “The city is also a collective or common good, in that urban residents share a number of its resources — from the parks and opens spaces to streets and buildings, and even a city’s culture. Much like the natural environment, the urban environment too is subject to the disproportionate consumption by …

Sourced through Scoop.it from: blog.p2pfoundation.net

The disproportionate consumption of the cities common ground  by those with wealth and power and how this impacts the rest of us is a cause for concern , requires constant renegotiation and is a part of what it means to have a just and equitable city .

See on Scoop.it – Urban Choreography