A Call For Actions
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The document discusses the Occupy Wall Street protests and their implications. It makes three key points: 1) The Occupy protests highlighted the growing influence of global financial institutions and perpetuation of inequality. 2) The crackdowns on the protests revealed the increasing restriction of public spaces that are fundamental to freedom of expression and democracy. 3) Architects, designers, and planners must work to protect and promote public spaces to preserve democratic principles and bring about a more just society.
A Call For Actions
- 1. 383 A Call for Actions Ronald Shiffman and Jeffrey Hou I N F A L L 2 0 1 1 , as the Occupy protests spread across North America and other parts of the world, the movement called attention to several important shifts in our society. First, it brought to light that, more than ever, the hegemony of global financial/ political institutions dictates the economic and social life of individuals and communities and perpetuates inequality around the world. Second, as an outcome of the protests, the movement revealed the increasing curtailment of the public realm that is fundamental to the freedom of expression meant to bring accountability to our political systems. As protest sites were barricaded and protestors harassed and attacked, our democracy came in question. The kind of oppression often associated with police states and totalitarian regimes appeared eerily in front of our eyes, if not felt physically on our limbs. The growing measures of hyper- security against terrorism and unwanted elements over the decades in cities across North America were turned against peaceful protestors and citizens. In the face of increasing regulation, privatization, and concern for security, public space as a forum for political expression and dialogue seemed like a far-flung idea from a bygone era. The reader by this point will have been exposed to a variety of perspec- tives on the important role that public space plays in preserving and enhanc- ing our democratic principles. Hopefully, the idea that constant vigilance is needed to protect our democratic and inalienable rights has emerged. Without those rights, we surrender control of our democratic way of life to
- 2. 384 A Call for Actions those who can buy, regulate, and police our use of space—and in the process, they control our ability to educate, organize, and exercise our right to free and informed speech. In essence, if we continue to allow the financially powerful and the corporate elite to take control, our government by the people will erode into an oligarchy where the 1% controls the 99%, where disparities are unchallenged and where our freedoms are eroded. This is not a debate about capitalism, socialism, or communism, it is a debate about democracy and a political system. It is also an issue and a struggle that architects, landscape architects, designers, and planners must participate in. In this book, we have listened to how professionals and schol- ars view public space—their theories, their fears, and their aspirations—and read their ideas about how to maintain, preserve, and enhance the public access, public control, and ownership of these critically important spaces. However, discourse and discussion can only go so far. It’s time to translate ideas into action. The barricades against the Occupy protests signaled a wake-up call to professionals concerning their role in society. It reminds us of our ethical responsibility to protect not only public health, safety, and welfare but also social equality and the rights of citizens and communities. The Occupy movement reminds us that change must begin with ourselves as individu- als, joining with our neighbors, colleagues, and others who also cherish the idea of a free and accountable democracy. It was with this in mind that Architects/Designers/Planners for Social Responsibility (ADPSR) released a statement of support for the Occupy movement in December 2011. As designers and planners who create places, what can we do to protect and promote the public realm? How can we help bring about a more just and egalitarian society? The ADPSR statement can guide not only our professional community, but also those who engage us to shape the built environment. Every community should undertake a scan of public space in their community and determine if it is appropriate and adequate to meet their needs and also determine if it is equitably distributed and accessible. Policies of making and regulating public space should be discussed, and we should determine if privatization is a practice in our community and to what extent is it a positive or negative force. If it is positive, we can de- velop strategies to keep it that way, and if it is negative, we must find ways
- 3. Ronald Shiffman and Jeffrey Hou 385 to change it. We need to be vigilant to assure that both the availability of public space and the policies that govern its use in no way impede the right to assemble. Rules need to be assessed in terms of social inclusion. Vibrant cities are naturally pluralistic, allowing members of minorities to maintain their traditional cultures and unique points of view. Imposed monolithic rules destroy the healthy diversity of social and political ecologies. Let us be alert to signs of forced conformity and proactively work to encourage diversity. Let us remove any barriers in public spaces that exclude participation because of class, race, ethnicity, and gender. Let us find ways to allow our differences—be they political, social, or economic—to be debated in a civil and respectful manner that allows dissent to rear its head when necessary. Let us collectively think about the function of public space as well as the design of public space. Let us organize forums to discuss and debate con- troversial issues. Let us link these discussions to the issues indigenous to the area in which we live or work. Let us begin to occupy spaces that are public, or need to be public, which allow us to express ideas and pursue the policies important to our communities. Let us open spaces to confront publicly the inequities in our society that threaten future generations and their ability to live a healthy and sustainable life. Let us occupy these public places because our democracy depends on our willingness to engage. Let us make sure public places exist that allow ideas to be nurtured, discussed, refined, and animated. Importantly, let us also learn to occupy the voting booth, to develop a way to enable our concerns, our ideas, and our energies to translate into political power so that we can begin the arduous task of redressing the dis- parities that we have allowed and begin to protect and refine our democracy. We conclude this book with a call for actions, asking design and plan- ning professionals, in particular, to not only to support the Occupy move- ment and its goal of economic and social democracy, but to also act as engaged citizens through participation and leadership in their neighbor- hoods, communities, and professional forums. Citizen-initiated move- ments—large, small, global, and local—are essential for any society to self-correct its direction. We share the following ADPSR statement with you, not to end this book, but to open a new page for visionary initiatives.
- 4. 386 A Call for Actions ADPSR Statement of Support for the Occupy Movement December 15, 2011 Since September 2011, the Occupy Movement has sprung up in cities and university campuses around the world, calling attention to the economic inequality and injustice under the current global financial system and in- stitutions. In keeping with its mission of working for peace, environmen- tal protection, ecological building, social justice, and the development of healthy communities, Architects/Designers/Planners for Social Respon- sibility (ADPSR) stands in support of the goal and cause of the Occupy Movement. Specifically: 1. We support the right of citizens to peaceful protests and freedom of expression. 2. We support the principle of nonviolent actions for social change. 3. We support the use of public space for political expressions and dialogues. 4. We stand in solidarity with communities and activist organizations around the world seeking democracy and economic, environmental and social justice. 5. We call architects, designers, landscape architects, and planners to sup- port the Occupy Movement through individual and collective actions. We believe that public space is fundamental to our democracy. Public space should serve not only as a place for social gathering and recreation but also as a space for active political expressions and dialogues. Article 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights supports the right of every individ- ual to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. The First Amendment to the US Constitution also guarantees the right of people to peacefully assemble. With citizens engaged in peaceful protests being evicted from public space in cities around the United States and students and faculty being intimidated and attacked by campus police, we call for actions and measures to safeguard the function of public space for peaceful assembly and political expressions.