" Free State; a domain where normal laws and rules are momentarily suspended- a moderately transgressive zone where tinkering on is more important that measuring off, and improvisation takes precedence over permits."
-Parasite Paradise
What part of the city is undefined? In Providence, I rarely wonder if a swath of land is actively spoken for. Everything seems to be claimed and well- formed. Banks have their own strip of sidewalk to sweep, houses have a miniature ecosystem of local plant varieties that neatly meets the next door neighbor's own creation, parks are edged and carefully mowed, and median strips are raised and defined with paving complete with strategic plantings. With buildings abutted, streets squared off through a sprawl of tightly bound residences, it's hard to find a place to just wander and interact.
I come from a place where there are infinite spaces to wander; spaces that are enveloped in the natural world. This is not to say that I seek natural beauty, but rather the unpolished qualities that are inherent in nature. In Providence, I find myself attracted to those few zones where space seems undefined: alleys, abandoned lots, vine-choked interstitial spaces, and particularly the water's edge. Here, there seems to be a confused relationship between the water and the city. Where once Providence had a thriving port life, now there is dominance of industrial real estate along the water but not many places for recreation or access. There is an invisible wall between citizen and the wellspring that is the bay. Initiatives are in the works to create a new relationship between the city and the bay, many of which I understand to have commercial interests. These initiatives raise questions about how the waterfront should be developed, and for whom.
Gijs Van Oenen wrote in "The Art of Unsettling" about the hyper-planning movement in the Netherlands in 2003. He called this movement the PPP, or the `empire of Public Private Planning.' All remaining small undefined lots were targeted for urban planning and development at that time. He referred to `small unruly pockets of land still stubbornly resisting colonization by the planning culture.' These were the places that interested him. His discussion intrigued me, not only because the Parasite Paradise is about 'temporary architecture and flexible urbanism,' but because he discussed the Free State.
" That is the true spirit of the free state: a place without civil servants, where you are free to drop dead unsupervised- undisturbed yes, but also uninsured and uncared for. Not everyone is cut out for this kind of freedom." -Gijs Van Oenen
But the author points out that the phrase `free state' has two components. The one we usually focus on is `free', and it conjures visions of a visionary few wielding lofty but clumsy ideals on a small ocean island somewhere. But what of the 'state' in free state? Like any other, the free state has `rules, borders, and means of enforcing order.' A state is a state is a state. The allure of this concept for temporary architecture is the potential and meaning of unplanned spaces, and how they function to meet the needs of society. Could abandoned, undefined spaces defy traditional planning and be seen as an opportunity for interaction and play?
Where can we play?
"How can we voice the feeling that these final indigestible remains of Dutch soil are of vital importance for the political, cultural, and social metabolism of a Netherlands otherwise planned to capacity?"-Gijs Van Oenen
No doubt the dynamics Oenen is speaking of are vastly different than the dynamics of Providence, but I can't help but wonder if he isn't on to something more universal. His idea: "... to take those domains yet to be appropriated and have them temporarily function as free territory. We should take the word `function' literally, as it is less a question of establishing than of inciting, of having something happen, of setting the pace instead of pinning in place." He is talking about laboratories of creation. And when I read the word `inciting', I knew I was reading something familiar. How can we temporarily occupy currently abandoned spaces in a way that incites discussion and `sets the pace' for new thought?
Not establishing, but inciting.
Not pinning in place, but setting the pace.
The design of unplanned space?
