The Everyday Utopia by Rachel McConnell

THE EVERYDAY

UTOPIA RACHEL McCONNELL 13090160 RESEARCH LED DESIGN _P30035 13TH JANUARY 2014

This Design Research Dissertation is presented to the School of Architecture, Oxford Brookes University in part fulfilment of the regulations of the Master in Architectural Design.

Statement of Originality This Design Research Dissertation is an original piece of work which is made available for copying with permission of the Head of School of Architecture. Signed: ........................................................................................ Rachel McConnell Oxford Brookes University 13 January 2014

iii

Introduction

Aim Utopians Sites

Population Growth and the Future of the City

Methodology

In Search of the Everyday Utopia

Conclusion

Bibliography

List of Illustrations

[Fig.1] Fitzrovia: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Utopias are about how people should live, about human nature, and the meaning and purpose of life.â&#x20AC;? (Tod & Wheeler, 1978, p.7)

Introduction

Utopia is often regarded as a purely imagined alternative; something that if realised could help to solve the problems of its day, but in reality is no more than a distant, unrealisable vision. This research enquiry looks to explore the concept of the everyday utopia as a real solution to the predicted increase in high-density living, as a result of the growing world population. By comparing selected literary views of utopia that each look to solve current social issues through the use of opposing theories, and finding examples of the fundamental characteristic of each, I hope to reveal that even the most conflicting ideals could co-exist harmoniously within an urban community. Looking at two contrasting, high-density communities; Alexandra Road Estate and Fitzrovia in London, I intend to explore whether these utopias can coexist by recording examples of the characteristics and their presence in everyday urban life. Drawing inspiration from inter-disciplinary sources, photography will be used to document these acts; looking particularly at the work of Richard Long and his use of walking as a research methodology, and the artist Richard Wentworth who uses photography to document the semantics of everyday street artefacts. By implementing these methodologies, it is my intention to prepare the foundations of an architectural response, specifically a series of framing devices in which the existing everyday utopias within Fitzrovia and Alexandra Road Estate will be captured and celebrated by means of an architectural form.

This research aims to prove that the everyday utopia exists within society; the essence of utopia achieved through the daily acts and behaviours of normal people. Detecting and recording these activities as they relate directly to the three examples of utopia will ensure the connection between the urban sites and the imagined communities. For example looking at the garden city movement in regards open

space, public buildings and connection to the countryside as well as the more cultural aspect as proposed by Morris; the idea of art

fundamentally benefitting the community. Utopians have hinted towards societies with an appreciation of craftsmanship, community and technology; this is the version of the future city that this research intends to expose.

The image of the future city is something that has long been speculated, with the concept of utopia being a strong influence in

architectural situations, utopian theorists have imagined improving the urban way of life in both ideal and existing scenarios. There have been many interpretations of the urban utopia and by means of comparative analysis this research hopes to uncover a greater depth of understanding as to what constitutes the ideal city. Far predating even the term ‘utopia’, theorists have envisaged communities that live in harmony with each other and their environment; with a highdensity future looming, could this be what is needed within our cities? However, in order to achieve the ideal city as measured by the utopian theorists; Howard and Le Corbusier, their visions would in theory require the utter demolition and redevelopment of an existing urban community. To make this research worthwhile, finding a possible passive application of these theories to an established community through the discovery and implementation of existing ‘acts of utopia’, might uncover a less destructive solution.

Alexandra Road Estate and Fitzrovia are two communities located in the centre of London. Alexandra Road Estate is a 1970’s take on Le Corbusier’s vision of utopia; it uses his ideas of a socialist community centred on technology and mass production, articulating both the

[Fig.2] Alexandra Road Estate: foot prints, paw-prints and messages left in freshly poured concrete.

these depictions. Often looking to provide a solution to societal and

utopian concept and the influence of modern society beautifully. Fitzrovia is an utterly contradictory example of modern high-density society; as is the case with many of London’s inner-city communities, the central location, rich history and diverse, growing population make an ideal case study to explore the concept of utopia within the city.

[Fig.3] Fitzrovia: a door left ajar; “Anyone can enter any house at any time; doors are never locked.” (Carey, 1999, p.38)

Rather than designing or implementing a utopia to be imposed on either of these sites, it is observing the utopian qualities and behaviours that already exist within the communities that will inform the design proposal. The research on utopian theory will point out some of the key attributes as imagined by past utopians; both shared and opposing, providing an outline that will help illuminate those typically utopian qualities when observed in everyday real life scenarios. Good deeds are done every day, is this not the very essence of utopia? Finding these qualities within the urban setting and expanding on those positive attributes already in existence within the community will provide the basis for the design project.

The world population is increasing, and though this may not be a revelation in itself, the current rate of increase has reached an alarming level. By 2050 the world population is set to increase by 2.4 billion people, reaching 9.6 billion world-wide according to the United Nations World Population Prospects: 2012 Revision. The flow of people from countryside to city is showing no sign of slowing or changing direction, in fact the United Nations World Urbanisation Prospects: 2011 Revision suggest that by the time the population has reached the predicted 9.6 billion, around 70 per cent of those will be living in the world’s cities. “From every corner, those who feel the emptiness of the old narrow ways and the urge of ambition flock to these centres of ambition.” (Le Corbusier, 1971, p.88) While modern cities are thriving and exciting places to be, there are considerable down sides

to this migration. The influx of people into a finite space means that overcrowding is a growing problem, and for this reason it is vital to

look at the current situation with a view to improving it.

Employing inter-disciplinary research methods is fundamental to the understanding of the chosen sites. Looking at artists such as Richard Long and his use of walking to explore and understand a new landscape will provide a deeper knowledge of site and so a better basis for the next step of the research. In addition, it will be useful to refer to the work of Richard Wentworth and his use of photography in recording the everyday, his methodology will help provide structure in recording and documenting the findings. While it is uncertain that any examples of the everyday utopia might be found, using these research methods will certainly help the process, and give structure to the exploration.

Walking the two sites and documenting the everyday utopia is only the beginning of this enquiry, the intention is to use the findings in a way that will inform an improved future city. While some of the utopians imagine a new city, it is my belief that any solution must be integrated, working with the existing landscape rather than contradict or question it. The everyday utopia must provide the basis of a progressive city, an architectural solution that celebrates rather than altering.

Aim

Could it be the case that ‘no-place’, an imagined perfection could be a reality which exists in the behaviours of the very people who aspire to utopia? At present, dystopia is perhaps the overwhelming vision of our future; global warming, fuel shortages, war and overcrowding are to name a few of the global issues that seem to engulf today’s news. But as easy as it is to be led by this negative portrayal of the world and its predicted future, we should allow ourselves to expect better. The following enquiry will investigate how utopian ideals that both support and challenge each other could prove to be the solution to a high-density future. While it is expected that there may be some level of contradiction between the envisioned utopias, should it follow that they are unable to co-exist? Society is rife with contradiction; people’s views on politics, religion and morality can lead to differing expectations of a community, but that is not to say that what follows is conflict. Exploring two contrasting urban sites, Alexandra Road Estate and Fitzrovia, it is expected that the everyday utopia will only make up a very small percentage of the behaviours, but its presence on any scale will support this theory and provide a base for my design proposal.

High-density living is something that is becoming increasingly common throughout the world. According to the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects: the 2011 Revision; almost 70 per cent of the world’s population is expected to be living in sprawling urban metropolises by 2050. With our knowledge of the modern city, designing a better future should be feasible; a city that thrives on the increasing population rather than being degraded by it. “There is no greater or more serious problem confronting the world… today than that of how best to deal with the so-called population explosion in a way that will enable people to live in a humane, civilised fashion free

from the burdens of modern urban life, where they can both work and play in an equally beneficial environment. This need is no less one of the basic requirements of society today than at any other time in the world’s history, but meeting it becomes immensely more difficult.” (Jensen, 1966, p.1) Noticing everyday utopias will become a tool for bettering society, using existing ideas of the perfect city to celebrate all things good about community and living in close proximity to others.

These optimistic visions of cities as imagined by utopians such as Howard, Morris and Le Corbusier are based on existing scenarios, but through the inclusion of the benefits of rural living, culture and advanced technology they provide an alternative outcome. While the views are not exclusively supportive of one another and their methods of achieving perfection may be contradictory in part, they all share a

[Fig.4] Fitzrovia: ‘Keep Fitzrovia Special’, a show of community spirit.

desire for improving the lives of those dwelling within their visions.

Observing these characteristics within an existing community requires a site that encompasses all aspects of society and one that alludes to the predictions of high-density living. For this reason, two sites have been chosen; both strong examples of community but with different origins. Alexandra Road Estate is the first example, chosen as a manufactured community that was designed specifically as an interpretation of achieving a socialist society through architecture. This estate on the outskirts of London provides a polarised view of high-density community, but one which was imposed as a solution to social and economic concerns and that has come to epitomise the more disadvantaged section of urban society. In contradiction, the second site is Fitzrovia; a high-density area located in central London which has seen massive increase in population due to urban migration, resulting in changes to the social structure and an increasingly affluent

population. Fitzrovia was chosen as it remains a strong and healthy community, which despite its location and evolving populous maintains

regular community meetings, social and cultural events and attempts by the residents to improve their community. These two sites will allow the enquiry into co-existing utopias to encompass two extremes of high-density living, providing a more compelling argument as to the existence of the everyday utopia.

By exploring the areas and using photography to capture instances of utopia, the aim is to record examples of Howard, Morris and Le Corbusierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s utopian visions and prove that they exist within modern society. This evidence will inform the next stage of the investigation; the design proposal. However, unlike some of the utopian theories that will be explored, this will not be a utopia that re-writes the existing landscape, it will be one that incorporates the good within society and provides opportunities for them to become celebrated.

Utopians

What is Utopia? While the term may be relatively modern, the concept of imagining another, better world and way of life has been explored for millennia. The following research looks at three versions of Utopia with a view to ascertaining the key attributes of the ideal society. In doing this, it is likely that the research will bring to light some contradictory views, but should it follow that these models of perfection cannot co-exist despite their differences? Through understanding the fundamental traits of a utopian society it becomes possible to observe them in today’s culture, if they do in fact exist.

The idea of community is strong throughout visions of Utopia; the common focus being of community rather than the individual. “Utopias are about how people should live, about human nature, and the meaning and purpose of life.” (Tod & Wheeler, 1978, p.7) Sir Thomas More coined the term ‘utopia’ in his book published under the same name in 1516, in which he envisioned an island where the community came before the self and money held little value. His civilisation was seen by some as a blueprint for perfect society and by others as an attack on European society at the time, “a system in which greedy landlords, intent on lucrative sheep farming, evict peasants who must then starve – or steal and be hanged… In Utopia there is no poverty, no exploitation, no luxury, and no idle rich.” (Carey J, 1999, p.38) It was More’s attempt to put right the very real cultural wrongs he was observing at the time; suggesting a society in which people work for the benefit of others, where everyone partakes in agricultural labour, the fruits of which are shared equally by all. Utopia and Anti-Utopia in Modern Times describes this as a communist approach, stating that “all Utopians, men and women alike, have an obligation to labour… For Utopians to depend on the labour of others would be to undermine the whole foundation of a society dedicated to social equality.”

appears throughout visions of utopia; in the more recent depictions it is socialism rather than communism that triumphs. The following examples of utopias come from theorists with strong architectural backgrounds, each realising his vision through an urban application. Ebenezer Howard proposed a model city in which each inhabitant is afforded space and a connection to nature. The crux of Howard’s argument is his vision of “returning people to the land” (Howard, 1946, p.44) In order to achieve this he devised ‘The Garden City’, a detailed city plan that consists primarily of open space. Written in 1898, Garden Cities of To-Morrow looked to provide a template that might solve problems arising from the growing urban population; “a remedy for the depopulation of our country districts and for the overcrowding of our cities is urgently needed… few believe that such a remedy will ever be found, and the calculations of our states men and reformers proceed upon the assumption that not only will the tide of population never actually turn from the large cities countryward, but that it will continue to flow in its present direction at a scarcely diminished rate for a long time to come.” (Howard, 1946, p.152) Howard’s model city specified a maximum population of 32,000 people to inhabit an area of 6,000 acres, automatically providing a generous allowance of open space per person. In Howard’s ideal, only one sixth of this area would be urbanised, the radial plan separated by “six magnificent boulevards – each 120 feet wide… in the centre is a circular space containing about five and a half acres, laid out as a beautiful and well-watered garden.” (Howard, 1946, p.51) Cooperation with nature has a strong influence on Howard’s city plan, and the idea that people maintain a connection with rural life, even within a city setting, is reflective of More’s community. As well as Howard’s detailed physical plans, he also proposed a financial approach to the application of his Garden

[Fig.5] Fitzrovia: Fitzroy Square,” in the centre is a circular space containing about five and a half acres, laid out as a beautiful and well-watered garden.” (Howard, 1946, p.51)

(Kumar, 1987, p.27) Interestingly, while the concept of social equality

City. In a further reflection of More’s idea of community, Howard proposed that his city be owned by its inhabitants and governed by an independently elected group, “the estate is legally vested in the names of four gentlemen of responsible position and of undoubted probity

[Fig.6] Alexandra Road Estate: Essential to Morris’ utopia is the importance of work; an enjoyable and satisfying endeavour.

and honour, who hold it in trust… for the people of the Garden City. One essential feature of the plan is that all ground rents… shall be paid to the trustees… to be employed… in the creation and maintenance of all necessary public works – roads, schools, parks etc.” (Howard, 1946, p.51) Essentially, each garden city is its own entity, governed and maintained by the community themselves.

Howard goes into great detail about the running and layout of his city, which is always described as new, “he believed it necessary to stem this flow of people [into the city] and attract them back to the country through the construction of new towns that would be bright and fair, wholesome and beautiful” (Pinder, 2005, p.36) suggesting that Howard’s utopia is not a system that can be applied to an already existing community. However, the garden city itself was a compromise, a combination of the very best characteristics of both the city and the country in an attempt to overcome their “unholy, unnatural separation.” (Pinder, 2005, p.36) The essence of Howard’s idea, the importance of community and nature, and combining the two harmoniously is perhaps where his ideas can be more realistically implemented.

‘Jack of all trades’, William Morris is another highly influential utopian theorist. A skilled craftsman, he believed that everything should be useful or beautiful and that society’s problems sprung from poor working conditions and a general disregard for quality and beauty; “I say that without these arts, our rest would be vacant and uninteresting,

our labour mere endurance, mere wearing away of body and mind.” (Poulson, 1996, p.158) He was of the opinion that as a consequence

of these sub-standard conditions, manufacture suffered and that this resulted in poor quality goods. This is the crux of Morris’ argument, that art and craftsmanship is of vital importance, and that the search for beauty should influence all aspects of life, “I do not want art for a few, any more than education for a few or freedom for a few.”

witnessing, in 1883 Morris joined the Social Democratic Federation, followed by the Socialist League and then the Hammersmith Socialist Society, in the view that socialism was the only way to achieve an improved society. (Tod & Wheeler, 1978, p.111) It was during his time in the Hammersmith Socialist Society, that Morris produced News from Nowhere, detailing his utopian vision; a future society in which quality of life is paramount. “People deserted the towns and invaded the country; so that the best of urban culture was mingled with the best of rural culture… much of London was transformed into forests, farms and gardens.” (Tod & Wheeler, 1978, p.115) Essential to Morris’ utopia is the importance of work; not as More describes as a duty, but rather an enjoyable and satisfying endeavour that reignites the passion for quality craftsmanship and art. Contrary to previous utopias, Morris sees a society in which people remain quintessentially human; the tendency toward crime and violence is not eradicated, the difference being that money and objects are no longer the cause, rather it is the purist of human emotions that prompt it. Morris’ concluding message being as follows; “Be happier for having seen us, for having added a little hope to your struggle. Go on living while you may, striving, with whatever pain labour needs must be, to build up little by little the new day of fellowship, and rest, and happiness.” (Morris, 1993, p. 228)

[Fig.7] Alexandra Road Estate: a quintessentially Corbusian view of standardised architecture and technology.

(Poulson, 1996, p.176) Keen to find a solution to the problems he was

In The City of Tomorrow, Le Corbusier compares his 1920’s city with a broken machine, “alas, we have become like the rusty engine of

Le Corbusier benefited from a modern knowledge of technology that the previous utopians could not have predicted, but not only did he

some out-of-date motor car; the chassis, the body, the seats (the

accept the developments, he allowed them to inform his city. While

peripheries of our cities) can carry on still, but the motor (the centre)

it is clear that Le Corbusier advocates the superiority of the machine

has seized!” (Le Corbusier, 1971, P.96) With extensive publications on

and the skyscraper within his utopian plan, he too refers to “the lungs

the optimisation of town planning and the ideal city, A Contemporary

of the city” (Le Corbusier, 1971, p.163) and the importance of man’s

City of Three Million Inhabitants was a revolutionary view on city

connection to the natural environment; “man has made a mock of

architecture, a detailed example designed around a strict geometric

nature, and the sport has cost him his life. The conditions of nature

grid layout conducive to fast moving transportation, “a modern city

must be re-established in men’s lives for the health of the body and the

lives by the straight line, inevitable; for the construction of buildings,

spirit.” (Le Corbusier, 1947, p.11)

sewers and tunnels, highways, pavements. The circulation of traffic demands the straight line; it is the proper thing for the heart of the

More’s influence in visions of utopia is undeniable, his vision of ‘no-

city.” (Le Corbusier, 1971, p.16) With heavy reference to the garden

place’ continuing to inspire philosophers, utopian theorist, artists

cities but in absolute contradiction to Morris, Le Corbusier’s vision

and architects; the term ‘utopia’ constant throughout. “I think More

surrounded the idea that as industry was developing, mass production

must be looked upon rather as the last of the old than the first of the

was the way forward and that as cars, planes and machines were

new.” (Morris, 1993, p.373) It is quite clear from the above examples

standardised, so should architecture be. Inspired by the increasingly

of utopia, that each is influenced to some degree by the theories

congested ‘great cities’ (which were never designed to accommodate

preceding it; each concept expands on previous utopias with the

such volumes of traffic or people), his plan centred on a commercial

addition of contemporary knowledge. It is also clear that the threads

district made up of 24 cross-shaped skyscrapers (Tod & Wheeler, 1978,

of community and the importance of a connection with nature

p.139) that surrounded a transport network including roads, railways

are consistent throughout, though they may change and develop

and even a central airport. Le Corbusier developed a city that would

depending on the social and economic influences of the time. Striving

accommodate the rapid technological development, accepting the

for a definition is perhaps not the way to articulate the modern utopia,

changes and designing for the future and the accelerating nature of

rather observing utopian characteristics within everyday activities and

modern life; “an evolution more or less serene is disturbed by the

behaviours as imagined by utopian theorists.

repercussions of successive inventions. The speed of life was 3½ miles per hour: the pace of a man, of his ox, his horse or his ass… Suddenly,

Our theorists can be categorised into three fundamental, differing

the steam train!.. From 3 miles an hour, we passed to 30 or 60 (train

views; utopia as achieved through nature, through art and through

or car) to 300 (passenger aircraft) to infinity (telegraph, telephone,

technology. In each of the above cases, a strong geometrical structure

radio).” (Le Corbusier, 1947, p.11) Being a more contemporary theorist,

is employed; whether this improves visibility, space or equality in

plot allocation, the importance of structure suggests an order not only of the plan, but of the community. Howard’s radial structure

allows the city to work around a very definite rural centre, and while Le Corbusier’s angular version also works around a centre point, his celebrates technology and economy rather than nature, referring to the suburbs as ‘garden cities’. The City for Three Millions looks at the perfect society quite differently to both Howard and Morris, seeing a city that thrives on technology with particular reverence to transport as a way of developing society, suggesting progressive economy as a base for the social order. While Le Corbusier does lean towards the idea of a socialist structure, it is not quite as literal as Morris’ interpretation, whose community celebrates the equality of its inhabitants through the sharing and immense pleasure of work. While Howard incorporates technology and transport as key ingredients, it in no way holds the same vital importance as shown by Le Corbusier; it is a method only of connecting the individual, self-governing cities rather than articulating the fast moving nature of society. In each of the cases there remains a definite social structure and to some degree hierarchy, which is expressed partly through the location and allocation of housing and profession; however this does not detract from the importance of community, or the inhabitants’ right to space, light and equal access to amenities. In all cases, as with More’s Utopia, the shared work supports the community, manual labour undertaken to benefit the people rather than just for the production of money. This highlights two further utopian attributes; that people should work for the good of others rather than just themselves, and that money should hold less importance within our lives. While the concept of shared work is reoccurring, Morris’ approach to utopia through the enjoyment of employment is unparalleled, proposing that happiness is directly linked to art and beauty.

Sites

In order to observe these attributes, two sites have been chosen to support the idea of co-existing utopias and their presence in modern society. Both sites are located in London, a city whose population is set to increase drastically between now and 2050, and are locations of strong community spirit. By choosing two sites which differ in their social background, it allows the research to encompass a more realistic sample of urban society. Alexandra Road Estate, a site of imposed community and socialism through architectural design, and Fitzrovia, a naturally established community that is undergoing drastic social change.

The first site, Alexandra Road Estate is located in the Borough of Camden, and is a site of architectural importance. The estate was originally designed in the early 1970’s by Neave Brown of the Camden Borough Architects Department, and was highly influenced by Le Corbusier’s vision of high-density living. (Colquhoun, 2008, p.19) The late 60’s and early 70’s saw the development of high-rise, high-density residential buildings in a government attempt to clear the post war slums, and the stigma that they carried. However good the intentions of the architects, this move towards high-density living was very much favoured by the local authorities, as this method of rehousing people did not mean a reduction in population, yet it was financially viable on large scales such as were being implemented, “the building industry could not cope with the volume of houses required using traditional craft-based methods of construction. Industrialised methods had to be employed.” (Colquhoun, 2008, p.12) It is clear that Morris’ vision of the importance of craftsmanship was of no concern in this move, however Le Corbusier’s were; his vision of clean, modern and standardised living becoming the template for this period of architecture, “the concrete embodiment of Le Corbusier’s longstanding theories and

[Fig.8] Alexandra Road Estate: “The conditions of nature must be re-established in men’s lives for the health of the body and the spirit.” (Le Corbusier, 1947, p.11)

programmes concerning housing. Such an event had not occurred since Ebenezer Howard’s day… this fuelled the imagination of an architectural profession eager to make its contribution to the reconstruction of Britain.” (Colquhoun, 2008, p.10) Alexandra Road Estate is a perfect example of this, and although it was designed in a move away from the high-rise design as seen in some of the earlier residential developments, it maintained many of the characteristics as proposed by Le Corbusier.

The idea that modernist housing was of benefit to people very much influenced the design of Alexandra Road Estate; high-density but lowrise, the development afforded many of the 520 dwellings direct access to or at least a view of the neighbouring park. (Colquhoun, 2008, p.61) Making full use of the industrialised building techniques, the sweeping terraces consist of four or eight storey blocks that step back from the central pedestrianized boulevard. The entire estate is built of exposed concrete and white block work, with its angular form allowing a southerly aspect to each apartment and terrace. Architect Neave Brown describes how he was looking to achieve a new type of city, based on “the notion of the continuous city and a continuous society [through the design of] a seamless building… and a continuous public realm.” (Cordell, 2010, 54:22) Unfortunately, as has often been the case with high-density estate communities, the vision that inspired the design was not sustained by the residents; “regrettably over the years [Alexandra Road] suffered difficult social problems and the environment and car parking areas were generally neglected.” (Colquhoun, 2008, p.61) Furthermore, the negative connotations associated with estates such as this have led to an increasing association with violence and crime; the very nature of the self-contained community inspiring turf wars and gang culture. Choosing Alexandra Road Estate as a site will

search for everyday utopia within a setting that one may not expect to find it.

In utter contrast to the imposed municipal of Alexandra Road Estate, the second site is a long established community in the centre of London that is currently evolving as a direct result of urban migration. Fitzrovia is an area roughly bordered by Oxford Street, Regent Street, Euston Road and Gower Street. The area (un-named until after World War Two, known at the time only by its relative location to other more prominent surrounding areas; North Soho or West Marylebone etc.) was badly bomb damaged during the war and was desperately run down; “ninety per cent of its population used the Marshall Street baths… People arrived with brown-paper parcels containing their clean clothes, soap and a towel.” (Miles, 2010, p.8) The name was devised by the Sri Lankan Publisher Tambimuttu in the mid 1900’s; one of the first truly bohemian residents and the essence of what Fitzrovia was to become. Reflective of Morris’ vision, Fitzrovia grew out of a population of writers, poets, musician and artists; Henri Moore, Dylan Thomas and Augustus John were just a few of the frequent visitors to the local pubs and publishers. London Calling suggests that the West End has been “the magnet that draws people into London” and that after the war, Fitzrovia “drew in the next generation.” (Miles, 2010, p.6) This reference to the ‘magnet’ that is London further ties the utopian theorists to the site, Howard refers to the town and the country as magnets, “the town magnet offers… the advantages of high wages, opportunities for employment, tempting prospects of advancement, but these are largely counterbalanced by high rents and prices. Its social opportunities and its places of amusement are very alluring, but excessive hours of toil, distance from work and the ‘isolation of crowds’

[Fig.9] Fitzrovia: “Its social opportunities and its places of amusement are very alluring, but excessive hours of toil, distance from work and the ‘isolation of crowds’ tend greatly to reduce the value of these good things.” (Howard, 1946, p.47)

provide insight into this very particular social setting, allowing the

tend greatly to reduce the value of these good things.” (Howard, 1946, p.47) These positives are precisely what have influenced Fitzrovia’s

popularity, yet throughout it has managed to maintain a sense of community that would be more at home in Howard’s suggested ‘country magnet’.

The residents of Fitzrovia today are still hugely proud of their heritage, fighting to keep the pubs, galleries, tailors and music shops that once made up the community, but that are now slowly being replaced by sterile offices and extortionately priced residential developments. This site has been chosen for the community of artist that it was, and for the community that is fighting not to be pushed out by the influx of affluent youths and wealthy organisations that it now is. It is the sense of community that has remained, despite the changes brought about by the increasing population, which makes Fitzrovia key to the investigation into everyday utopia within high-density environments.

Choosing two contrasting sites means that the data collected will be more conclusive of high-density society as a whole, as it will encompass both ends of the social spectrum. The Futures of the City Region proposes how the influence of economy and technology might change between now and 2050, suggesting that the highly-skilled and highly-paid professions will become “disproportionately located in the cities, even in the hearts of the cities. There will also be increasing numbers of unskilled minimum-wage jobs [exasperated] as working class children, especially boys, become locked into a culture of low aspiration and low achievement.” (Neuman and Hull, 2011, p.23) This prediction explains the need for two contrasting sites, Alexandra Road Estate and Fitzrovia encompassing these predicted extremes.

Population Growth and the Future of the City

Earlier this year, the United Nations department of economic and social affairs published the latest version of their paper World Population Prospects: The 2012 Revision. This document contains predictions of the global demographic based on national census and mathematical projections. The document is used throughout the United Nations as well as other organisations, including the media, as an “interface between global policies in the economic, social and environmental spheres and national action.” (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2013, p.ii)

At present, the global population stands at around 7.2 billion people and it is predicted that by the year 2050 the world population will have reached 9.6 billion. (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2013, p.xv) It is this prediction that lead to the enquiry into utopia as a solution to high-density living; exploring the current projections and how they are expected to influence our futures seemed worthy of investigation.

According to the United Nations document, the majority of the global population increase is going to take place in the worlds less economically developed countries, “almost all of the additional… people… will enlarge the population of developing countries, which is projected to rise form 5.9 billion in 2013 to 8.2 billion in 2050” (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2013, p.xvi). Recent and vast developments in medical technologies have meant that the fertility rate has increased, infant mortality rate has decreased and life expectancy has been extended on a global scale; “every 10 seconds… 44 people are born. That’s around 140 million babies over the course of a year. If you subtract the number of people who die during the year, it’s still adding another 83 million people to the world.” (Baird.

V, 2011, p.11) However, the locality of the predicted growth in no way detracts from the global severity, in fact if the population of poorer

and less economically stable countries of the world is set to increase, the likelihood is that their economies will be less able to support them, resulting in the knock-on effect of global migration.

As a result of the growing population and the increased global migration that follows; the search for employment and other first world opportunities will result in the anticipated migration of people into the world’s cities. “”The twenty-first century” declared the United Nations, “is the Century of the City”” (Smith, 2011, p.35), and the

the effects on the social and political infrastructure will require large scale modification, “decisions to invest in schools, transport and faster communications undoubtedly raise urban productivity… these investments also generate new types of inequality, benefitting some groups while displacing others.” (Cohen, B. and Reed, E. 2004, p. 81) As cities grow and become more compact, in a move away from utopia, valuable commodities such as space and even access to sunlight and sanitation become more and more symbols of the affluent. “These centres grow overcrowded and spread; men throng to them and squeeze in somehow, only to have their wings scorched by a flame that spares nobody… The great city, with its throbbing and its tumult, crushes the weak and raises the strong.” (Le Corbusier, 1971, p.89)

With the numbers that are predicted to move into cities, the urban environment will have no option but to expand beyond what is commonly recognised as a city. ‘Megacity’ is the term used for a “very large city, typically one with a population of more than 10 million”, according to the Oxford dictionary. In 1950, New York (12.3 million)

[Fig.10] Alexandra Road Estate: Le Corbusier advocates the superiority of the machine.

data would suggest that this is already well under way. Furthermore,

and Tokyo (11.3 million) were the only two metropolises that satisfied this definition, but by 2007 that number had risen to 19. “The number

of large cities - those with populations between 5 and 10 million – will increase from 30 in 2007 to 48 by 2050. Three quarters of these will be in developing countries”; the inhabitants of cities equating to around 70 per cent of the world population by 2050. (Smith, 2011, p.35)

Directly reflecting the concerns of the utopian theorists, the impact of the ‘megacity’ will reach further than its immediate urban sprawl. In The City of Tomorrow, Le Corbusier put great emphasis on the movement of population and the ‘great city’, which he referred to as a ‘crisis’ born of rapid technological development; “the great city determines everything: war, peace and toil… Now that the machine age has let loose the consequences attaching to it, progress has seized on a new set of implements with which to quicken its rhythm; this it has done with such an intensification of speed and output that events have moved beyond our capacity to appreciate them.” (Le Corbusier, 1971, p.87) Howard’s concerns are echoed in recent predictions; people migrating to the cities means that the rural population will be in decline, “by the end of this century almost all people in the world will live in large cities… ‘Rural’ areas will be giant empty spaces – unpopulated enclaves of industrial agriculture, mining and forestry.” (Angotti, 2013, p.3)

The key sources as produced by the United Nations predict that by 2050, London will have become a ‘megacity’ with a population nearing 10.3 million people. With a predicted megacity on our doorstep, the concept of finding a utopian solution to high-density living becomes more feasible.

Methodology

The process of exploration and documentation within the two sites is something that will benefit from drawing on interdisciplinary methods. Two artists have been chosen for their use of research methods as a way of informing design; Richard Long and his use of walking, and Richard Wentworth’s use of photography in documenting the everyday.

Richard Long is a landscape artist who uses walking as a method of exploration and inspiration for his sculptures, and is described as ‘revolutionary’ in his methodology. Travelling the world and undertaking new and unplanned walks allows him to see and understand a landscape from different perspectives, informing entirely site-specific works. “However, his sculpture in a landscape is not an end in itself. It is recorded in a photograph which is a testament to his presence but also an image that stands for the whole experience of a walk.” (Long, 2009, p.28) One of his first works ‘A Line Made by Walking’ (1967), occurred as a result of him disembarking a train out of London at a unknown location and adventuring into a non-descript field. Interestingly that sculpture, a line made in the grass by repetitive walking, could have been in any location, it was only due to his spur of the moment choice that made that particular field the site for his artwork, yet it is explained that “every piece is the product of a very deliberate series of choices: the location, duration, length and season of the walk, the ‘rules’ that he sets himself.” (Long, 2009, p.28) This methodology is utterly appropriate for the nature of this research; exploring two contrasting communities in search of a constant ideal with the intention of understanding them better. While there is little connection between the two sites other than their general location and density, both sites will require the same method of exploration as neither is familiar. “In walking we come to know places, whether strip malls gardens, houses, cities, streets, or forests. Walking gives access

to bodily knowing, but it is also the substantial basis for more abstract forms of knowledge.” (Jacks, 2007, p.270)

From the outset, the aim was to observe acts of utopia within the urban setting, but it was not until the exploration was underway that it became obvious how important the implementation of this interdisciplinary approach was, “through sighting we make connections between objects, we orient ourselves, we apprehend images (or they grab our attention), and we make pictures.” (Jacks, 2007, p.270)

In the same way that Long uses photography to document his walks, Richard Wentworth is another artist who uses photography as a method of recording a ‘journey’. Through his sculpture and colour photography “you see materials and objects which appear domestic, industrial or discarded… assembled by Wentworth into new forms and shapes, or photographed by him (their oddity caught as occurrences within the landscape), so they begin to tease and massage our perception of them. Their banality becomes transfigured, their shape converted to some unknowable purpose, but their emptiness filled with meaning.” (Bracewell et al, 2005, p.6) This is exactly the nature of this research, searching for utterly ordinary occurrences and viewing them in a

[Fig.11] A Line Made by Walking (1967)

utopian light so that they might be perceived as more than just the everyday. Through his capture of the everyday, Wentworth is said to have “created an artistic language which articulates a rearrangement of the periodic table of cultural status, exploring the ways in which the landscape, technologies and clutter of the modern world, the maintenance and manufacture of its fabric, the litter and discard of its processes, the accidental and the chanced upon, can provide the materials and media for the excursions into the human consciousness.” (Bracewell et al, 2005, p.7)

Making Do and Getting By sees Wentworth exaggerate the walking methodology by documenting a thirty year journey through familiar streets. Recording the displaced objects and general oddities using photography and sculpture, Wentworth created an archive of events as seen through their everyday presence. “His interest in transforming the world comes from the simple recognition that the world has itself been constructed and transformed by others. Nowhere, of course is this more true than in the city, a place of anonymity where not a centimetre has not been orchestrated by the human hand. Making Do and Getting By is… a photographic celebration of untold thousands of ubiquitous ‘invisible’ sights.” (Bracewell et al, 2005, p. 73) It is learning to capture these invisible sights that will make the process of recording the everyday utopia possible, noticing that which traditionally goes unseen, for it is not the architecture or structure of utopia that this

[Fig.12] Making Do and Getting By

enquiry is in search of, but the presence of it in the acts of people.

In Search of the Everyday Utopia

It became apparent that in order to get a feeling for the sites, it was important to develop a personal understanding of the area and that exploration was necessary in order to achieve this.

On exploring Alexandra Road Estate it is immediately clear that there is a contradiction between design and function. The utopian intention of the architect is obvious, yet remains only as a skeleton and a framework for the community it now houses. Entering the estate from South Hampstead station, the first impression comes from a raised pathway and three industrial funnels (fig.10); Le Corbusierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s influence is immediately recognisable. Following this path, one comes across a raised view of the terrace from the east end and the impact is undeniable. The architecture is beautiful, as was expected through the site research, Alexandra Road Estate has not been maintained as perhaps it should have been, but aside from the aging, the concept and visual impact of the sweeping terrace remains. On a rainy day, the red paving seems an even more intense shade enhanced by the sheen of water, and yet the boulevard is full of people; young girls walking and talking, men running and listening to music, boys riding their bikes up and down (fig.16) and neighbours talking to each other between the balconies. The almost brutalist concrete architecture is interrupted at every opportunity by greenery; the balconies are overflowing with it. It is clear that some owners take more care over their green oases than others, with immaculate hedges (fig.13), intense pink blooms and even the odd gnome, but none the less there are plants everywhere.

Neave Brown suggested that there was to be no clear divide between the properties emphasising that every resident is equal to the other, and this is absolutely the case (fig.7). With over 500 separate residences, each appears equal from the outside; each has its own

of the terrace. While the view of the estate itself is an impressive outlook, the very top dwellings benefit from views of London, looking out from the end of the walkway one is able to see over the tops of the neighbouring buildings and far into the distance (fig.14). There is a feeling of the city when parading the boulevard, but by moving into the estate park that is no longer the case. A network of paths and lawns, obscured from one another with trees and hedges, stretches on for the length of the estate. There are diagonal staircases (fig.15), graffiti and slabs broken but the crack are sprouting new plants and the graffiti reads ‘Live the life you love, love the life you live’ (fig.17). There are shadows and traces of utopia throughout the estate, not only is it Le Corbusiers vision that is reflected in the architecture, but each home is personalised and crafted through the minute balcony gardens, encouraging nature at every opportunity.

While the everyday utopia is present, an even purer more utopian vision is clear through the architecture, yet Alexandra Road Estate is still obviously an area of poverty and deprivation. The retail units as designed for the self-reliant community are boarded up and the ground works are neglected. The oases are left unmanaged and the broken paving slabs are on every pathway. The seating areas are littered and the bushes are a tangle of plastic bags and beer cans but the overriding feeling of this site is that this neglect is not the be all and end all of the community; there are friends playing football and father and child using the swing in one of the playgrounds. There are posters for social clubs, football teams and dance lessons, all proof that the community is working to be more than just a residential estate. The utopian inspiration of the architect is obvious, and exceptionally well executed; but it is the people that need to make this utopia a reality,

[Fig.13] Alexandra Road Estate: Morris “believed it necessary to stem this flow of people [into the city] and attract them back to the country ... bright and fair, wholesome and beautiful” (Pinder, 2005, p.36)

balcony with a view of the boulevard and the impressive aesthetic

[Fig.15] Alexandra Road Estate: “The modern city lives by the straight line.” (Le Corbusier, 1971, p.16)

[Fig.14] Alexandra Road Estate: “Six magnificent boulevards... traverse the city from centre to circumference.” (Howard, 1946, p.51)

54 55

[Fig.17] Alexandra Road Estate: “I do not want art for a few, any more than education for a few or freedom for a few.” (Poulson, 1996, p.176)

p.16)

[Fig.16] Alexandra Road Estate: “The circulation of traffic demands the straight line; it is the proper thing for the heart of the city.” (Le Corbusier, 1971,

56 57

and there is evidence of it.

Even from an aerial view, Fitzrovia is a labyrinth of streets and alleyways, but it is not until one is able to explore at ground level that the complexity of the architecture and culture becomes really apparent. The time spent during the walking exploration allowed me to observe a number of varied behaviours. It was expected that the ‘utopia’ I was in search of was not likely to be obvious at every street corner, and the first hour of the walk was proof of that. As was the case with the Alexandra Road Estate, it was not until I had gained a feeling

became visible.

Fitzroy Square is located to the north of Fitzrovia and is really the only area that might satisfy the natural landscape as required by Howard and his vision of the garden city. That is not to say that the square is by any means rural; with a small, circular, landscaped garden at the centre of a large courtyard of 18th Century buildings, the square is beautiful but utterly urban. Howard expresses the importance of ‘returning people to the land’, and the draw of the square articulates that concept perfectly. During the course of the day the idyllic square attracted visitors, a constant flow of people walking, running, sitting while eating their lunch or reading their paper. Couples embraced (fig.18) and friends met for a chat or a coffee on their break. On a cold but bright day, people would sit against the railings of the garden in the shards of light that broke through the buildings (fig.5). Every aspect of the behaviours witnessed suggested utopia, even the graffiti on the arms of the benches were couples initials encircled in a heart (fig.19). And those benches that were in constant use throughout the day were dedicated in the memory of loved ones. To walk through Fitzrovia

[Fig.18] Fitzrovia: “It is a land of happy, healthy, public-spirited communists.” (Carey, 1999, p.38)

for the geography and locality of Fitzrovia that the everyday utopia

[Fig.20] Fitzrovia: “But I do say that there is no unvarying conventional set of rules by which people are judged.” (Morris, 1993, p. 93)

[Fig.19] Fitzrovia: “I say that without these arts, our rest would be vacant and uninteresting.” (Poulson, 1996, p.158)

60 61

[Fig.21] Fitzrovia: “those who have the welfare of society at heart will, in the free air of the city, be always able to experiment on their own responsibility, and thus quicken the public conscience and enlarge the public understanding.” (Howard, 1965, p.104)

and think that the search for utopia might be fruitless was utterly contradicted by this one small island reflective of Howard’s vision.

Once the hope of utopia has been satisfied, it became increasingly easy to spot; a door left ajar (fig.3) as More had envisioned, “it is a land of happy, healthy, public-spirited communists… Anyone can enter any house at any time; doors are never locked” (Carey, 1999, p.38), says a great deal about the community and the occupants view of their neighbours.

Could it be that a lost mitten tied to the branch of a tree (fig.1) is the epitome of utopia? A strangers attempt to help relocate the misplaced belonging of a faceless neighbour with no benefit to himself; a selfless act and the very essence of community. “Richard Wentworth makes art which presents the viewer with objects that are also situations; in their turn, these situations can appear simultaneously meaningless and profound, declamatory and enigmatic.” (Bracewell et al, 2005, p.7) Articulating Morris’ view of the importance of art within the community, a piece of graffiti is covered with Perspex so as to protect the image from the elements (fig.20). While this may not be an obvious example of utopia, the graffiti is the work of British artist Banksy. Whether its patronage defines it more as a work of art than of vandalism is a separate matter, but its preservation further reinforce Morris’ vision of celebrating art while maintaining humanity, “I do not say that people don’t judge their neighbours’ conduct, sometimes, doubtless, unfairly. But I do say that there is no unvarying conventional set of rules by which people are judged.” (Morris, 1993, p. 93)

A few streets across sees a bench covered in litter, coffee cups, newspapers, cardboard and a broom (fig.21). While aspects of this

image are reminiscent of the utopias witnessed in Fitzroy Square, they now suggest something quite different. Before they were discarded

they may have been the excuse for friends to meet or for someone to read about community news, but as litter they show a disregard for their surroundings. The cardboard box, broken down so that it might be used as a bed, a barrier from the cold pavement is representative of a lifestyle in no way present in the utopias. Yet, looking at the images in a different light, the history of these objects becomes overshadowed by the broom; a symbol of bettering society. “There will be discovered many opportunities for public service which neither the community as a whole, nor even a majority of its members, will at first recognise the importance of… but those who have the welfare of society at heart will, in the free air of the city, be always able to experiment on their own responsibility, and thus quicken the public conscience and enlarge the public understanding.” (Howard, 1965, p.104)

Another very real example of utopia, which combines both Howard and Morris’ ideals, is a project currently being undertaken by one of Fitzrovias residents. While in attendance of a monthly Fitzrovia News

turn Fitzrovias pavements into gardens. Having been a resident for the past 23 years, Denise has undertaken a variety of community projects designed to reduce anti-social behaviours and to improve the aesthetic of the area. This first phase of this project is looking to replace the uneven area of pavement, adjacent to Carburton Street, with a natural covering. The tree lined street is currently used for illegal parking due to its width, but by introducing a garden of ferns and wild flowers, the aim is to stop this from happening and at the same time provide a new area that will both improve the aesthetic of the street and encourage people and wildlife to the area. I was able to actively help in this process

[Fig.22] Fitzrovia: The Pavement Garden project

meeting, Denise Julien introduced me to her project which aims to

by producing a series of images (fig.22) in support of the application, images which further support the argument that utopia does in fact

exist within the urban community; an example of both Howard and Morrisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s visions of nature, aesthetics and community spirit. Further supporting Morrisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ideals, there is an additional phase to this project; one that fully encourages the use of art within the community. Where the existing bollards that currently line Carburton Street will become redundant, Denise intends to commission a sculpture to be designed by the students of the local school of art, which will both recycle the redundant metal and result in a public art that has involved an array of members of the community. This is an example that not only shows the existence of utopia, but witnesses it being actively encouraged within Fitzrovia.

Conclusion

This enquiry proposed the existence of utopia within the existing social and community networks of high-density urban areas and through the investigation of two sites that satisfy the high-density criteria, some evidence of the everyday utopia has been found. Given the subjective nature of this research, it was important to relate the findings directly to the texts of the three utopians and while it is still possible to argue the findings; the methodology allows for some degree of objectivity. Interestingly, given the contrasting nature of the two sites, the evidence is comparable. The research strongly supports the existence of utopia within high-density communities and it should follow that these findings be exploited. While it may be the case that these everyday utopias are present, the challenge comes when allowing a wider audience to witness them too, to be able to observe that which they might usually pass by.

With an increasingly expanding population, finding an alternative to the negatives of high-density urban living has inspired an investigation into the existence of the everyday utopia. With the predicted figures suggesting that 70 per cent of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future population will be living in cities by 2050, considering a solution to this scenario is vital. While city dwellers today are living in what is seen as crowded conditions, this is going to become amplified and in a relatively short space of time. The data shows that while the majority of this growth will occur in the less economically developed countries, increased world and urban migration will result in the growth of cities worldwide. For this reason, the choice of London as a proposed case study and later site is understandable as it articulates the intricacies of a high-density community in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s environment.

The initial aim sought to investigate the utopian visions of Howard,

Morris and Le Corbusier, highlighting the similarities and contradictions of their ideals, yet proposing that aside from these differences, the

that informs society. However, it must also be understood that for the everyday utopia to become a tangible solution to the negatives of high-

essence of the utopias can in fact co-exist. This research enquiry

density living, it must be made accessible. Ultimately, the everyday

has validated that theory; while the theorist’s views are founded in

utopia is supportable; but for it to become a tangible solution, as were

very different origins, the threads of nature, art and technology can

the theories as imagined by utopians of the past, it must no longer go

be seen to some extent within each of their proposals as well as the

un-noticed.

communities of Alexandra Road Estate and Fitzrovia. While there are clearly some fundamental similarities between the theorists, such as the importance of closeness with nature which is prevalent throughout the three visions; it was not until the search for these utopias in real communities began that their co-existence could truly be recognised. Perhaps more interestingly, it is not the case that these traits merely co-exist, but rather they complement and enhance one another. Alexandra Road Estate showed examples of people residing in relatively small dwellings, each with the same as their neighbour, yet these small spaces were utterly personalised through the use of outdoor space, combining nature and technology in a way that Morris might have assumed utopian.

Through the process of research and investigation into utopias and high-density communities, I have come to the conclusion that the everyday utopia is a viable concept, supported by the theories of Howard, Morris and Le Corbusier. Observing the intricacies of communities such as Alexandra Road Estate and Fitzrovia, allows one to look past the negatives of the ‘city magnet’ and instead become more aware of those routines and characteristics that essentially make a society utopian. For example, Alexandra Road Estate and its interpretation of Le Corbusier’s utopian vision show that it is more than just the built form that constitutes a utopian community, it is the inhabitant’s understanding of their situation and how they act within it

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Fisherman, R. 1977, Urban Utopias in the Twentieth Century; Ebenezer

Le Corbusier, 1971, (Third Ed.) The City of Tomorrow and its planning,

Howard, Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, New York, Basic Books Inc,

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List of Illustrations

[Fig.1] Authors own, November 2013, [Photograph] Mitten tied to tree branch, Fitzrovia [Fig.2] Authors own, December 2013, [Photograph] Footprints in concrete, Alexandra Road Estate [Fig.3] Authors own, November 2013, [Photograph] Door left ajar, Fitzrovia [Fig.4] Authors own, November 2013, [Photograph] Keep Fitzrovia special, Fitzrovia [Fig.5] Authors own, November 2013, [Photograph] Shard of light at Fitzroy Square, Fitzrovia [Fig.6] Authors own, December 2013, [Photograph] Real jobs, Alexandra Road Estate [Fig.7] Authors own, December 2013, [Photograph] Three satellites, Alexandra Road Estate [Fig.8] Authors own, December 2013, [Photograph] Green balconies, Alexandra Road Estate [Fig.9] Authors own, November 2013, [Photograph] Statue at Fitzroy Square, Fitzrovia [Fig.10] Authors own, December 2013, [Photograph] Three funnels, Alexandra Road Estate [Fig.11] Long, R. 1967, A Line Made By Walking, [Photograph online] Available at: < http://practicalplansforart.tumblr.com/> [Accessed 30th December 2013] [Fig.12] Wentworth, R. Making Do and Getting By; Parallel Cups, [Photograph

online]

Available

at:

<http://www.core77.com/

reactor/03.07_parallel.asp> [Accessed 30th December 2013]

[Fig.13] Authors own, December 2013, [Photograph] Satellites and box hedge, Alexandra Road Estate

[Fig.14] Authors own, December 2013, [Photograph] Boulevard view, Alexandra Road Estate [Fig.15] Authors own, December 2013, [Photograph] Diagonal stair, Alexandra Road Estate [Fig.16] Authors own, December 2013, [Photograph] Cycling the boulevard, Alexandra Road Estate [Fig.17] Authors own, December 2013, [Photograph] Handrail graffiti, Alexandra Road Estate [Fig.18] Authors own, November 2013, [Photograph] Fitzroy Square embrace, Fitzrovia [Fig.19] Authors own, November 2013, [Photograph] Bench graffiti, Fitzrovia [Fig.20] Authors own, November 2013, [Photograph] If Graffiti changed anything, Fitzrovia [Fig.21] Authors own, November 2013, [Photograph] Littered bench, Fitzrovia [Fig.22] Authors own, November 2013, [Computer generated image] Garden Pavement, Fitzrovia

THE EVERYDAY

UTOPIA REFLECTIVE

EPILOGUE

The aim of the dissertation enquiry was to investigate the presence of the everyday utopia within high-density urban communities and finding evidence that supports the utopian ideals of Howard, Morris and Le Corbusier. Concentrating the research on these three theorists and making particular reference to their three key texts meant that I was able to base my primary research, and consequently the photographic evidence, in genuine academic theory. As such, the findings become quantifiable as measured by these theorists and their visions of utopia; ultimately the enquiry supported the concept of the everyday utopia. While my research may support the original theory, the aim of this â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;research-led designâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; module is that the enquiry leads onto a design project. As such, the following design proposal will not only relate to the utopian theorists, but also to the methodologies adopted from Richard Long and Richard Wentworth. Essentially, the methodologies used in my primary research; the walking of a site and using photography to document the everyday occurrences that epitomise the characteristics of the key utopian texts, is what will inform the design. In an attempt to further relate the design project to the methodology; my proposal is to design a series of framing devices, to be located within the sites of Alexandra Road Estate and Fitzrovia, which will conspicuously capture current-time images of the everyday utopia. In the same way that Wentworth captured images of the everyday through photography, the framing devices will allow an individual to observe those utopian

characteristics that might typically go unnoticed. Finding evidence of the everyday utopia was not a straight forward

process; it took hours of concentrated searching to perceive real interpretations of Howard, Morris and Le Corbusier’s visions, yet for the everyday utopia to become a viable aid to high-density living in future communities, observing these utopias must become more accessible. Many a reference is made to the importance of the frame when categorising art; “for without that frame, of course, those activities and configurations might well be visible – their coefficient of visibility might indeed by very high – but not as art per se, at least not according to current conventions.”

(Wright,

2007,

http://transform.eipcp.net/

correspondence/1180961069#redir#redir)

This

series

‘frames’ or ‘cameras’ aims to bypass the process of searching for the everyday utopia and simply offer a view ready for interpretation. It is essential that these spaces be accessible to the public, their specific location dictating the facilities that they offer, but all must be inviting to the user so that one might be encouraged to engage with the frames. Most importantly they must make the process of observing the everyday utopia clear and understandable; the everyday utopia must be articulated through the design itself. While there could be any number of interpretations of what an architectural frame might entail, it is my intention that the ‘framing’ be a literal and integral aspect of the design, the involvement of the public being fundamental to its success.

Plan of Work

Design Project Model Making Deadlines

Exhibiion

Key Texts

Bracewell, M. et al, 2005, Richard Wentworth, Liverpool, Tate Publishing Carey, J. 1999, The Faber book of Utopias, London, Faber and Faber Limited Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2012, United Nations World Population Prospects: 2012 revision, New York Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2011, United Nations World Urbanization Prospects: 2011 Revision, New York Fisherman, R. 1977, Urban Utopias in the Twentieth Century; Ebenezer Howard, Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, New York, Basic Books Inc, Publishers Howard, E. 1946, Garden Cities of Tomorrow, London, Faber and Faber Le Corbusier, 1947, Concerning Town Planning, London, The Architectural Press Le Corbusier, 1971, (Third Ed.) The City of Tomorrow and its planning, London, London Architectural Press Long, R. 2009, Heaven and Earth, London, Tate Publishing More, T. 1910, Utopia, London, Everymanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Library Morris, W. 1993, News From Nowhere and Other Writings, London et al, Penguin Group Poulson, C. (Ed.) 1996, William Morris on Art & Design, Sheffield, Sheffield Academic Press Wright, S. 2007, Users and Userships of Art: Challenging Expert Culture,

[Online]

Available

at:

http://transform.eipcp.net/

correspondence/1180961069#redir#redir, [Viewed 28th December 2013]