Representations of Space

Space is not an inert, neutral, and pre-existing given, but rather, an on-going production of spatial relations.

This concept, written as such in various publications and attributed to Henri Lefebvre, serves as a foundation for the analysis of the representation of space in urban design.  To define space as a relationship rather than a fixed area in time and space changes the way we may look at representations of conceived space.

 

Though this concept does not provide parameters for what urban design projects may look like, it does help to define the ultimate goal for such projects.  Representations of space are not merely pretty pictures drawn to attract support for a given project, but good representations tell a story that is much larger than a physical setting.

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Example 1:

Pioneer Courthouse Square in Portland, Oregon, had a long and interesting history throughout its transformations.  Situated in the downtown retail core of the city, the space that came to be known as “Portland’s living room,” was a result of active urban planning intervention to “fulfill cultural, recreational, open space and shelter needs for downtown populations” (Gragg, 2014).  To accomplish this, the Portland Development Commission held a competition in 1980, which was won by a team led by Will Martin.  His ideological framework was thus:

Let the space be ambiguous, fragmented and eternally changing, rich in local symbols and metaphor reflecting Portland’s history as well as bring meaning to citzens of all categories.  We hope to bring together many different meanings to be enjoyed and understood by varying tastes. . .hoping to stimulate discourse between different and often opposed taste groupings with meanings that add up and work together in the deepest combination.  (Will Martin diary, 1980, from Gragg, 2014)

https://aaa.uoregon.edu/100stories/alumni/willard-k-martin

(Gragg, 2014)

 The above drawings are from Martin’s diary with notes discussing his thoughts and process.  While these were personal references, I was attracted to the hand-drawn representations for the warmth and intimate feeling they emanate.  It brings visual storytelling back to its original form and its power cannot be overlooked.  While technology has enabled us to create lifelike representations of our concepts, the hand-drawn image provides meaning that is instantly relatable.

(Gragg, 2014)

This last image shows Martin’s design as he painted it upon the 40,000 square foot parking lot to further solidify public support—a rather creative and ingenious representation of the soon-to-be space.

Example 2:

The following is a block study by urban designer Jacob Dibble for a central neighborhood in Glasgow, Scotland, where a major motorway acted as a division through the community.  This was an academic project with the goal of reconnecting and reintegrating the urban form while keeping true to the historical urban fabric.

http://www.jacobdibble.com/?p=777

The first assessment compares block structure from the past, present and the proposed future.  The next diagram shows the structure form at present and for the proposed future.  The last diagram represents block size, comparing present and proposed block size as well as block size of a bordering neighborhood that functions well.

Together these representations serve to analyze the existing structure of the neighborhood while presenting a proposed solution.  The first two diagrams are easily understood and effective.  Without knowing the neighborhood, one can understand its past and present.  The diagram for the future correlates with the area’s history visually while adding modernity.  The third diagram was conceived mathematically and though visually appealing and indicative of much information, it is hard to understand on initial and second studies.  Dibble’s goal was to highlight the changes the proposed project would induce in the urban tissue.

Example 3:

The last example drew me in by the beauty of its images.  A graduate project by Shelley Long at the University of Toronto, her aim is to reimagine the national park system of Canada by way of the Trans-Canada Highway to include the human experience.  Her framework for analysis is Lefebvre’s “The Production of Space,” applied as follows:

The conceived space of designers delineates what is a city, park, or significant landform; the perceived space of imagination contains perceptions of pristine wilderness or idyllic agricultural settings; and the lived or experienced space of users operates at the scale and speed of the highway. These spaces are drawn respectively as layers of measured line drawings, postcards, and aerial/experiential imagery (Long, n.d.).

http://worldlandscapearchitect.com/wilderness-and-exodus-the-production-of-a-national-landscape/#.WA-wR4WcGUn

The representations take the viewer through the historical, natural, and human lived experience of the land.  The concept begins with a broad picture, continues with conceptual background, narrows down to specific sites for design, then returns to the larger area as a reinvented scheme.  The sheer scale of her design is further supported by the spaces left empty on the design sheets.  Conversely, the included snapshots of postcards work to bring the philosophical concept to a generally comprehensible scale.

It is unfortunate that the webpage format does not allow for full understanding because the images are undersized.  With that consideration, and perhaps regardless, the accompanying text (see site link) is necessary.  With a plan based on more abstract thinking, representations supported by description are crucial.

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These three examples demonstrate different aspects and methods of visual storytelling.  My goal was to explore a broad scope of samplings rather than comparable cases.  The commonality exists in that all exhibit space as a relationship: a historic, situated, pragmatic, evolving concept.  They identify transformations of the past and/or recognize that there are changes yet to come.  As differing as the above examples are, aspects of each help to paint a picture: from age-old pen and paper to scientific digital applications to representational modeling of the land and its metamorphosis.  Each conception creates understanding of a complex system of relationships—which is ultimately the goal of all representations of space in urban design.

If space is a product, our knowledge of it must be expected to reproduce and expound the process of production.  The ‘object’ of interest must be expected to shift from things in space to the actual production of space. . .Thus production process and product present themselves as two inseparable aspects, not as two separable ideas (Lefebvre, 1991).

"Block Study - Jacob Dibble Urban Design." Jacob Dibble Urban Design Block Study Comments. N.p., 2016. http://www.jacobdibble.com/?p=777  Web. 23 Oct. 2016.

Gragg, Randy, and Audrey Alverson. Pioneering the Square. Portland, OR: Portland Spaces, 2014. PDF.

Lefebvre, Henri. The Production of Space. Oxford, OX, UK: Blackwell, 1991. Print.

Long, Shelley. "Wilderness and Exodus: The Production of a National Landscape." World Landscape Architect. N.p., n.d. http://worldlandscapearchitect.com/wilderness-and-exodus-the-production-of-a-national-landscape/#.WA-wR4WcGUn Web. 24 Oct. 2016.

"School of Architecture and Allied Arts." Willard K. Martin. N.p., n.d. https://aaa.uoregon.edu/100stories/alumni/willard-k-martin Web. 23 Oct. 2016.