oneshotexhibition.org blog

The biggest debate in the general shift of neighborhoods that has pitted neighbor against neighbor is older neighborhoods that are dominated by the middle class or lower middle class being inundated by development to increase value in its area, changing the look for the better and allowing young professionals to move in, causing a dissension on what it should be presented as. Some people call it white flight, others call it gentrification, but the truth is that it has created a bastion of the old guard neighbors fighting against the affluent who want to improve the neighborhood.

The word Gentrification is defined by Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary : the process of renewal and rebuilding accompanying the influx of middle-class or affluent people into deteriorating areas that often displaces poorer residents.

Some may quote that it will eliminate crime in the area, which bodes well, but in the meantime it will displace and discourage the lower income people to afford living in the area close to work, unless they make enough capital to live there, which means working 2 jobs and allowing more tenants move in dilapidated units or houses that becomes a hazard for public safety. It would not only cause a class struggle but also race struggle, immigrants trying to resort their means of survival and live the American dream.

One example gentrification running amok is the article in the LA times regarding the Echo Park/ Elysian Park area. It is one hotly debated area besides Santa Monica and parts of the Westside and serves to notice that the community is still redefining itself, urbanistically. It is a more complex matter which geographically and creatively, how are new development, businesses and people could basically turn a page of a culture that is diverse in nature and is dealing with increase population and traffic with no center or point of interest.

Another one is the prospect of East LA and Boyle Heights is in verge of urban renewal. Boyle Heights has a different approach in which much of the new businesses and development are home-based, meaning there is no outside sources influencing the landscape of the neighborhood and the racial make-up is largely Hispanic, there is no such movement in white flight. If there was, hell would break loose.

Much of the shifting urban landscape is how to balance the area for affordable housing, urban renewal, culture identity and sustaining itself from shifting away from its historiography and spatial identity. More and more, designers, planners and architects are needed to know about the area’s certain nuances and characters in order to come up with theories, ideas and proposals that embraces the community rather than to facilitate the masses.

Muffler Shop in East LA

Song of the Blog: People as Places as People by Modest Mouse on the CD We Were Dead Before the Ship Ever Sank

With the gasoline prices @ more than $4.50 for unleaded in Los Angeles, the major shift how society is shifting their everyday habits in regards towards the high cost of living. Decision are made in taking a more responsible approach, away from the excess and greed that all of society is taking for granted.

More and more families & individuals are starting to realized the impact of the environment and the high cost of living, they are starting make conservation and responsible choices, on how they live their lives. Such as recycling, walking to shops at a short distance, composting yard and food waste, eat less meat, taking mass transportation (subway, train, bus-line), working close to home, growing organic fruits and vegetables, spending less money.

What is happening here in this global economy is people are starting to think locally and to invest into their own communities which are inundated with subdivisions and the built environment of strip malls, car shops and billboards that has no distinction. There is a movement to reassess how we live, communicate and to be engage with the public in moving towards a sustainable society. It is how suburban communities will eventually become urban and what are the ways to transition it into a integral part.

The important signs of this transition are coming to ahead and to look at the increasing depth and complexity in which we live in, how we take things for granted and the circumstances that surrounds it. To take a proactive search and understanding can only harness new ways of thinking and practice for the future.

The truth is we need to go a long way in order to see there is a future for mankind.

My shopping cart is limited and the world is wasteful.

 Song of the Blog: Everything Wrong is Imaginary by Lilys on the CD Everything Wrong is Imaginary

On May 11, 2008, Pecha Kucha (name derives from a Japanese term for the sound of conversation (”chit-chat”) hosted Femmes Fatales, a 20 sildes in 20 seconds for each slide to show off their work by accomplished women in the field of design, art and architecture. There were various ideas, approaches and works that quantify the diversity of women who are gaining an edge towards a specific subject towards society and the built environment. 20 women of different backgrounds challenges and embraces the notion that women can stir the kettle while the world is changing from sustainability, gender identity, feminine empowerment and theoretical musings.

A few individuals presented their slides with no explanation but the images evoke some soliloquy in their work. Another presenter, Christine Magar of Greenform, presented her slides in the role of sexual politics by using fruit (apple, pomegranate) to objectify as being a sexual organ, the reintroduction of the dysphoria of men’s objectivity to the female’s body part by renaming them with such candor (mangina, pentacunt). Pat Morton presented her slides in learning and to love the work of gay architects, most notably Charles Moore and Phillip Johnson, which she describes, their work as being Campy (adj. deliberately artificial, vulgar, or banal quality).

All in all, it’s good to see woman architects to share their ideas and to social network with other people in the audience in order to become an integral part of society. More and more women are playing roles in our society and government, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (Speaker of the House), Gail Goldberg (Director of LA City Planning and Development) and Karen Bass (California’s Assembly Speaker). The act of women is as important to the failures of men.

Mangina (term used by Christine Magar)

Song of the Blog: Give’er  by Peaches on the CD Impeach My Bush

The director of Los Angeles City Planning, Gail Goldberg, who came from the San Diego Planning Department in 2006 to revamp and reconstituted the planning department came to a panel discussion about the future of the San Fernando Valley at Woodbury University in Burbank to explain the audience that the planning department will do real planning and one of the aspects for having good planning is to have good design. The name of the symposium event is Shifting Focus: Architecture, Urbanism, & Development in the San Fernando Valley. She says in general that Los Angeles doesn’t have good planning, to say the least, any planning (which is true). Her intentions are to have the community be involve in the process and that designers, architects and urbanist will play an important role in all. The hope is to gain a valuable paradigm for other cities to follow and gain more insight in redeveloping and redesigning the suburban landscape, which the San Fernando Valley is a good case study.

She explains that neighborhood (commercial) corridors will transform itself into mix-use; higher density and pedestrian oriented streets while most of the inner residential neighborhoods will still keep their character. She mentions that 23 planners in the downtown region will reassign to the valley to refocus and address the issues relevant to each community.

Right now, she mentions there is a new community plan program (look under Plans & Ordinances) for the communities around LA to redevelop and revitalize where communities can be sustainable and vibrant. The communities being focus in the Valley are Sylmar, Granada Hills and Sunland / Tujunga areas.

The hope is that the new City Planning Department will play a major role in which how is the City of Los Angeles will shape and re-landscape itself into a world-class urban city where the residents will feel proud of their community. We wait and see how the process will evolve and how innovative designers, architects and planners are going to be involved. The possibility is endless.

Director of City Planning for the City of Los Angeles, Gail Goldberg, with her mission and vision statement for the department and for Los Angeles.

Song of the Blog: Do Want You Gotta Do by Nina Simone on the CD The Essential Nina Simone 

One of the most intriguing aspects of social space recreated by crowds is Bubble Gum Alley in Downtown San Luis Obispo. Started in 1960 and has never once been clean from the massive wads of gum sticking into wall. It’s pretty much a institution which makes the town unique other than historical preservation of building and open space. You might say it is part grafitti which power of the people takes over a space or a wall.

Bubble Gum  Alley in Downtown San Luis Obispo

Bubble Gum Alley from the other end.

of social involvement and spatial engagement.

Song of the Blog: John Cage Bubblegum by  Stereolab on the CD Refried Ectoplasm: Switch On, vol. 2

Today is Earth Day. Not much of a celebration but to bring awareness to the planet. Much of the media are focusing on what ways to live sustainable lives where human consumption impacts the earth.

The City of Los Angeles just approved a proposal to make private developers to meet nationally-developed green building standards which are LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). Whether it will make a huge difference, time will tell. There is a wager on which cities, Los Angeles or San Francisco, will make more of an impact. It seems that SF has won this battle for the meantime, but the only good way for LA to be a truly sustainable city is too drastically change our habits: Live close to where your work is at, live small than live way beyond your means, shared housing and stay close to your community.

It seems people here in LA still don’t get it, but they will someday, someway and somehow.

Sunset at the Venice basketball courts.

Song of the Blog: This is Good Remix by Fascinoma on their LP Everything is a Landmark (Playing tonight at Silverlake Lounge @ 10:00pm.)

There’s an article in the LA Times regarding the shifting animosity towards development along Ventura Blvd., from Studio City all the way the Woodland Hills because the impact of traffic in the area. A lot of attention goes to mix-use housing to create a more a pedestrian friendly atmosphere but complaints from neighborhood councils are becoming more frequent and a lot of bickering amongst city planners, developers and residents.

In the meantime, Barbara Faga wrote that the problem is not about the density and sprawl. but design on Planetzen. Then on the Economist article, politicians are pushing density in order to redesign areas near mass transit station to have pedestrian friendly places. The question are they following on what they preach or they are selling out to developers without concession from the public in terms of building smart growth?

One of the Redline subway station stops

Song of the Blog: Handle with Care (Traveling Wilburys tune) sung by Jenny Lewis on the CD Rabbit Fur Coat

This work is located at the corner of Wilshire Blvd. and Fairfax Ave, right next to Johnnies Restaurant.

Close up

Song of the Blog: Juice (Know the Ledge) by Eric & Rakim on the album Gold

One of the most disparaging articles in regards of urban development in Los Angeles is the city has 130 million dollars earmarked for providing parks and recreation when a developer pays for Quimby fees per unit. The article in the LA Weekly Why LA is Park Poor explains the logic that when you build high-density projects in an area, you should compensate open space (parks, gardens, rec.-centers) to balance living conditions that are beneficial to the community. Can anybody calculate the amount of public park space per unit in a 3-mile radius of the highly densely populated area, lets say in Hollywood?

One of the intriguing aspects if there is no open space to compensate future development in LA which increase the population and crowdedness, then a solution might be is converting golf course into parks. Sorry Tiger.

Song of the Blog: Shimmer by Throwing Muses on the album University

Hearst Castle by Julia Morgan in San Simeon, CA

View of the main castle.

macroscopic view of one of the marble sculptures of Hearst Castle’s collections.

One of the Halls leading up to the upper floors at the main building.

View of the indoor pool

Song of the Blog: Searching For My Good Eye Close by Soundgarden on the Album Badmotorfinger