Some neighborhoods are around the clock non-stop, phenomena. Playing or working residents and “users” have no time to lose. Our 48h non-stop workshops harness this restless, perpetually-in-motion energy, where people become willing  to dive in a creative exercise with full intensity, in a context where they would otherwise be unable to take 4 or 5 days off of their routine.

The 48h non-stop workshop format is inspired by ‘hackers events’ such as Yahoo!’s Hack U and Open Hack where talented young programmers get access to previously unknown codes and have 48h to develop new application prototypes. It is also inspired by architecture school’s design charrettes where collaborators just push themselves to the maximum to produce a final output.

As draining as it may be, these intensive and short periods of production, often  facilitate very interesting output. They unleash a different kind of energy where the need to take quick decisions to move ahead of the project, helps cutting through to the bare essentials. While we believe that 48 hours is rarely enough to produce quality work, it is often enough to generate ideas that can be further developed later on.

Another interesting feature of the 48h workshop is that it involves experiencing a site at night as well as during the day. In some cases, the nightlife of a place is just as important (or more) as the day life. Encouraging all participants to be up at night (at least the first night) is a good way to make sure that this dimension is given equal importance.

48h workshops can also be repeated over a longer period of time. For instance on every first weekend of the month for a few months. This reduces the stress of producing output in short spurts, allowing some ideas to mature in between each workshops. Condensed moments like these 48h workshops draw from the energy unleashed by compression, which – as anyone who has worked against deadlines – knows can be pretty productive. Keep a lookout here for more announcements.

Sites: JJ School of Art and Architecture, Wilson College Neighbourhood, Chowpatty, Khotachiwadi, Crawford Market.

The MASHUP is an opportunity to visualize Mumbai’s oldest neighbourhoods afresh. This is important not only because these constantly evolving spaces are changing at a fast pace, but also because a little bit of imagination can help them do so without disrupting their spirit and the lives of their old and new residents. Your photograph, photo-shopped image, graphic, painting, poem, rendering, essay or anything else that you choose to express yourself with, will go a long way in giving direction to the ongoing make over of this part of the city. The MASHUP will work with Mumbai’s student and resident population together with international participants. We will explore these neighbourhoods, archive ongoing transformations, introduce thoughts, ideas and images from elsewhere and help visualize the future in a manner that does justice to both, the history and aspirations of these spaces.

Why leave this important task to politicians and the development lobby? Come – join the fun and take charge!

The MASHUP activities cover the oldest neighbourhoods of the city. Girgaum, where Khotachiwadi  – the much threatened and celebrated trophy heritage habitat exists, just a stone’s throw away from Chowpatty beach, another historic space for demonstrating free expression. A fifteen minute walk takes you to Crawford Market – Mumbai’s oldest and favourite shopping destination, facing its own challenges. In between lies a maze of dense streets and bazaars that testify the ability of the city’s numerous communities to make the city what it is, a city of shops, markets, factories, docks, artisanship, dreams and collective aspirations.

In this maze lie opportunities that provide newer definitions of what it means to be a Mumbaikar, through the many languages the city speaks in, the many cultural practices it invents, its changing and evolving built forms, its bazaars and markets that are as vital and dense as the air Mumbai breathes – making the question of its identity richer than anything the city officially celebrates. Way richer than the imagination of its political leaders and deeper than the possibilities framed by its most conscientious citizens.

Register now!!!

The URBZ team comprises architects and planners. These skills are put to use for  spatial research on neighborhoods as well as urban design and architectural projects. URBZ believes that physical and social contexts provide the best possible source of inspiration for such practices.

URBZ explores new ways of producing collaborative and open designs, using online tools and connectivity to maximum effect. It conceives urban designs, plans and visions through collective and individual inputs, giving a central role to the end-user in the brainstorming and production process.

We think of architecture and urban design as skills that emerge through the process of living , skills which can be harnessed and systematized through collaboration with formally trained personnel.

Our architectural projects are spaces for collective knowledge and cultural practices without compromising on professional concerns. At the same time, this particular dimension of our work is aware that it treads on thin ice.  After all, architecture, urban  design and planning as professional spaces, like the practice of education or law, are deeply intertwined with economic arrangements that often complicate our intentions. Cities have become so much about real estate development and projects of structure and form.

And yet, those very professions produce practitioners who are visionaries, are acutely aware that they have power that can go both ways and are willing to take risks to change the rules.

URBZ is all about the changing of these rules.

Tokyo: July 17th – 19th, 2009

This fantastic and contrary city has been a consistent source of inspiration to URBZ. The MASHUP organized there included participants from two Temple University Japan courses, Metropolitan Tokyo, led by Dr. Geeta Mehta and Tokyo Stories, lead by Professors Ron Carr and Irene Herrera.

The projects undertaken during the workshop included the following themes/ locations:

G-Cans: A design based exploration of Tokyo’s mysterious underground water storage facility.

Nakagin Capsule Tower: The landmark structure, which is in danger of being demolished is the subject of study.

Shimokitazawa: A continuation of the spirit of the Urban Typhoon workshop 2006, framing it as the “SOHO” of Tokyo.

Golden Gai/ Kabukicho: The post war black market district that is now famous for its bars.

Shibuya: In all its eclectism.

Nihonbashi: A design based study of Japan’s important landmark that lies buried under highways.

Mashup Partner: Temple University Japan Campus (http://www.tuj.ac.jp)

Come Re-envision Tokyo!

You are cordially invited to MASHP presentations/party at Design Festa Gallery in Harajuku on July 17th from 5:00 p.m. See map bellow:

TUJ -URBZ Mashup exhibit will continue at the Gallery till July 19th. In an interdisciplinary attempt to capture the city of Tokyo, students from two TUJ courses, Metropolitan Tokyo (lead by Prof. Geeta Mehta) and Tokyo Stories (lead by Professors Ron Carr and Irene Herrera) as well as local people and guests joined together for this MASHUP The participants explored architecture, neighborhoods and unique urban events through multi-media during the month of June, and then re-envisioned them. Teams will present videos on the mysterious underground flood water storage facility G-Cans, the endangered Nakagin Capsule Tower, Shimokitazawa’s current controversial battle, the Golden Gai district now famous for its bars, eclectic Shibuya, and Nihonbashi- the centre of Japan’s capital currently buried under highways.

Tokyo Stories is an elective course initiated by Ron Carr with the intention of motivating students to explore personal narratives of the city through visual anthropology, oral history and new media. It is now jointly taught with Irene Herrrera.

For more information please contact Irene, Ron or Geeta . We look forward to seeing you there.

URBAN TYPHOONS are events during which local communities from particular neighbourhoods get together with urban practitioners from around the world to produce visions and ideas for a collectively authored effort at urban planning and transformation. The workshops are based on the premise that communities and neighbourhoods have the basic skills and talent to participate more effectively in the processes of urban planning or in simply making appropriate choices that affect their future and the future of their cities. During a ten day interactive event, resource-persons work in teams comprising of local residents and practitioners from everywhere to develop specific themes.

The first Urban Typhoon workshop was held in Shimokatazawa, Tokyo, Japan,in 2006. The second one took place in Koliwada, Dharavi, Mumbai, India in 2008.

Behind the specific contexts of the Urban Typhoon workshops lies a theme of great relevance for urban communities around the world: the participation of the residents in the planning of their urban environment. Over the past decade, participatory planning has gradually gained recognition in the fields of planning and development. Developing cities, such as Curitiba in Brazil, Bogota in Colombia, and Mumbai in India, have experimented with participatory schemes, inspiring other cities, as well as international organizations such as the United Nations and the World Bank. Residents’ participation has become an essential element of urban policy in the developing world, as well as in highly developed cities such as Tokyo.

URBAN TYPHOON Koliwada, Dharavi, Mumbai 2008

URBAN TYPHOON, Shimokitazawa, Tokyo, 2006