English Information
urbanize! 2022 »Around the Corner: Polycentric Urban Structures for the Ecosocial Transformation«
From 4-9 OCT 2022 the 13th urbanize! festival is dedicated to the ecosocial transformation of our cities with discussions, workshops, walks, artistic interventions, film and music. Free of admission.
The urgent need to reduce CO2 emissions, combined with the vision of a more liveable city, is giving new momentum to planning concepts such as the »polycentric city«. The walkable, decentrally organised »15-minute city« is gaining international resonance. No surprise, since our cities were geared towards walking and therefore to local structures and circular flows for the longest time in their history. It was only the expansion of mass transport and motorised individual transport that made the era of functionalist urbanism, suburbanisation and the consumer and leisure society possible. But the car-oriented city creates many problems: huge areas are being sealed, endangering biodiversity, forming heat islands and barriers during extreme weather events. Noise and air pollution are increasing, while neighbourhood contacts are decreasing due to the lack of quality public space. The limited access to education, culture, recreational space and social facilities in the periphery creates social inequalities. Instead of strengthening small-scale local supply and local economic circles, the wealth of the neighbourhoods is shifted to corporations whose jobs are often non-local and mostly socially questionable.
The time seems right for a radical transformation of urban planning and many European cities are already embarking on this path. In polycentric approaches the guiding principle of »accessibility« is being replaced by »proximity«; neighbourhoods and districts form networked planning units and act as drivers of socio-ecologic transformation. Walkability, active mobility, density, diversity in design and mixed uses are the new planning parameters; the creation of high-quality public spaces becomes central. This also calls real estate developers onto the scene, who are driving gentrification with high rents in the liveable neighbourhoods.
What can the complex planning concepts accomplish and what practical international experience already exists? What role does participation play? How can displacement and gentrification be prevented and social diversity ensured? What does the large-scale reduction of motorised individual transport mean for the city? Which structures will become obsolete, which new uses are envisionable? How will public space be restructured? How will work, social and cultural infrastructures be provided in the neighbourhoods? How can the transformation succeed?
The 13th urbanize! festival invites you to collectively envision the present and future of the city. Join us!
Click here for the programme (mostly in german)
Overview of events and activities in English
5 OCT 2022
Powerjam Roller Skate – Beginner Workshop: learn roller skate dancing at Garage Grande
Film Balkonowy/The Balkony Movie: movie in Polish original version with English subtitles
7 OCT 2022
1 m2 MARKT: 1 m2 Market – a »walkshop« from »Meiselmarkt« to »Schweglermarkt«
Der Weg ist das Ziel: collective picture puzzle of polycentric qualities
Reclaim the Streets!: an evening full of Good Practice with short presentations and discussion
Im Schatten des Alltags: a collective foray through the nigt
8 OCT 2022
Ideas for a climate-social city: lecture with Clara Moder, arbeit plus Vienna
Shaping the eco-social city collaboratively: Budget Participatif Paris: workshop with Yann-Fanch Vauléon, Apur Paris
Tactical Urbanism: Learnings from Piazze Aperte, Milano: workshop with Demetrio Scopelliti, AMAT Milano
Liveable neighbourhoods, fat profits? Walking a fine line in the polycentric city: discussion with Anamarija Batista (Vienna), Richard Bärnthaler (Vienna), Giorgia Pozoukidou (Thessaloniki)
Tactical Urbanism: Learnings from Valencia and Barcelona: workshop with Marta Sola Páramo und Jokin Santiago Elorriaga, Leku Studio, Barcelona
Golfclub Hernals: Golfclub Hernals turns the street into a miniature golf course.
Sneak-Preview: Transform!: movie in German original version with English subtitles
9 OCT 2022
Luft holen: catching breath at Wienerwald with WESTBAHNPARK JETZT!
RAD Performance: Soundrides: conquering the streets as a stage with (your) bike and sound
Festival-Farewell: performance, music, drinks... at the phantastic Westbahnpark
»urbanize! Int. Festival for Urban Explorations« has been organised by »dérive - Society for Critical Urban Research« in Vienna, Berlin (2018) and Hamburg (2016) since 2010. The independent society for critical urban research is also editor of the quarterly journal »dérive«, which is being published for 20 years. Furthermore dérive also produces the monthly podcast »Radio dérive«, which is dealing with questions of urbanity on different scales and is licensed as creative commons.
derive.at
