4×4 making places 2011: brave new world…
Annual regeneration forum 4×4 making places is back for 2011 and looks to the future with ‘brave new world’ as the series theme.
4×4 making places seeks to investigate and debate the art and practicalities of place-making. It takes place on four consecutive Thursday evenings in March. Now in its eleventh year, 4×4 making places has become established as a key event in the Yorkshire calendar, as one of the few events that brings together people involved in place making at every level. Sessions start at 6.00 pm prompt and run to 8.15 pm
The aim of 4×4 is to create an ‘ideas space’ that provides an open opportunity to get engaged in the debate on how to make successful places.
4×4 making places brings people together from across the region to share inspirational examples, and have an enjoyable evening. Over 200 people attend each week including interested citizens, building professionals, local politicians, developers, students, artists, academics and local business people.
Four speakers with regional, national and international experience, present each week, followed by questions from the audience and a thought provoking debate run by the chair. The theme of making places allows a wide range of contributions from many sectors. The speakers are a diverse mix of practitioners, activists and theorists, from both large and small organizations. The weekly titles are deliberately broad in scope and we try not to be too prescriptive with the brief to contributors
4×4 making places 2011 is free at the point of delivery, there no charge to attend, and it is open to everyone.
Programme for 4×4 making places 2011: brave new world….
10 March: Identity at Leeds Met Leslie Silver Building
Artist Megan Smith, based in Armley, Leeds,
Owen Hatherly (author of Militant Modernism and A Guide to the New Ruins of Great Britain),
Quantity Surveyor, Ken Wood
Architect, Richard Murphy
Chair: Harry Rich, CEO of the Royal Institute of British Architects
17 March: Enterprise at Leeds Met Rosebowl
Inventor Emily Cummins, Barclays Woman of the Year 2009
Social Entrepreneur Chris Hill of Camberwell Projects and Shine Business Centre
Architect, Andy Groarke, Carmody Groarke winner of the Building Design Young Architect of the Year Award 2007
Developer, Andrew Mason of Newmason Properties
Chair: Engineer Nigel Foster of Arup and Leeds Property Forum
24 March: Community at Leeds Met Rosebowl
Lynsey Hanley, author of “Estates”,
Urban designer, Stephanie Mills, of Changing Chelmsford
Matt Powell of Nottingham University
David Rudlin of Urbed
Chair: Atam Verdi of Headingley Development Trust
31 March: Place at Leeds Met Leslie Silver Building
Greg Keefe, Downing Professor of Sustainable Architecture
Racheal Unsworth of Leeds Sustainable Development Group,
Kate Welch, Chief Executive of Acumen Development Trust in Peterlee
Mike Duff of Happold Consulting
Chair: Christine Murray of the Architects Journal
Themes for 4×4 making places 2011: brave new world….
Following the 2010 theme of ‘green and pleasant land” (aspiration and tradition), and the, inevitable, “back to basics” in 2009, our theme for 2011, “brave new world…” reflects the uncertainty of the changed economic, organizational and political context within which place making happens.
Change inevitably brings both dangers and opportunities. As Albert Einstein wrote, ‘’In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity’’. Indeed the Chinese ideogram for ‘crisis’ is made up of two characters signifying ‘opportunity’ and ‘danger’. The 2011 series of 4×4 making places will explore this curious relationship and the phenomena of change, through a number of different themes.
The localism agenda proposes a shift in governance and presents real challenges for all those involved in designing, planning, renewing and repairing our places. Perhaps the concept of localism has the potential to be a powerful way of engaging or re-engaging local communities, but how can this ‘community’ be defined, and how can it become activated and effective? We will look at the role of social enterprises in this new political landscape and examine examples of different community led regeneration projects.
On a larger scale, the establishment of Local Economic Partnerships (LEPs) with their sharp economic focus, will change the way places are delivered and funded. Will the impact of this bring a greater emphasis on infrastructure? With the growing recognition of city regions, the old urban and rural boundaries are less relevant. Should our place-making plans and visions be for economic regions or bio-regions? How will these affect our perceptions of a place and its context? How can places be mapped, what will be the new identities, both more local and more regional? How can beneficial change be anticipated, planned, guided or even nudged? Consider also the scales and rates of change. Fast, efficient and self-help responses are manifest in the ‘pop up’ trend and meanwhile uses, alongside long term infrastructure planning and the urgent need to respond to the carbon reduction challenge.
A change of language is taking place, encapsulated in the notion of the ‘big society’. But the environmental and sustainability challenges remain the same. The need to remake and repair our environment continues, against a background of global warming, and the ambition to create resilient places with a good quality of life. Perhaps the message and realization is that ‘ we are all place makers now’!
Supporters of 4×4 making places 2011: brave new world….
4×4 making places ltd is a not for profit company limited by guarantee. It’s run on a shoestring so we are eternally grateful to our many supporters who allow us to make the event happen. Leeds Metropolitan University has supported the event since its inception with the kind use of its venues.
The 2011 programme is put together by Ian Tod of Ian Tod and Company and Emma England of RIBA Yorkshire.
Please see www.makingplaces.com for more information on both the past and current series.