A community initiative in Garema Place in Canberra is currently showing how changing public spaces can bring out the best in the city and its people.
Created by the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) in collaboration with Street Furniture Australia, the ACT Government and In the City Canberra, the experiment uses a time-lapse video to capture the interactions and activity in the temporary installation. Organisers hope to understand how people use a space in three different scenarios; existing, with the addition of Street Furniture Australia's moveable seats and vibrant elements, and with pop-up activations including outdoor cinema, library and snack cart.
‘This experiment aims to encourage the public to engage with Garema Place with a bright and exciting design. Using moveable furniture, it encourages the public to create their own seating arrangements and feel empowered to own the space. Moveable furniture is a standard feature in European public spaces and it will be interesting to see if the experiment will give confidence to Australian Councils to look at alternate modes for street furniture,’ says AILA CEO Shahana McKenzie.
One of the main outcomes for this project will be answering questions surrounding how the public react to and interact with moveable furniture. Can we live in a city that provides more flexibility in the way we engage with public space? The observations from this experiment will provide knowledge into how the space is used now and reflect on how the installation may change the public environment.
‘Garema Place was a cosmopolitan hotspot in the sixties and seventies, but has since become a deserted thoroughfare. Although surrounded by great cafes, shops and workplaces, the open space is largely concrete and underused. Garema Place was selected because of the potential of this space to be a gorgeous plaza owned and loved by Canberrans and visitors alike. My hope is that this temporary activation will generate a flurry of ideas and engagement in the space. One way the public can inform the future of their city is through completing the ACT Governments survey (https://yoursay.act.gov.au/city-action-plan). We encourage all Canberrans to jump on and complete the survey,’ says AILA CEO Shahana McKenzie.
The #BackyardExperiment is part of the wider 2016 International Festival of Landscape Architecture: Not In My Backyard in Canberra from 27-30 October. The Festival connects the public with landscape architects, with the four-day program including a Conference, the National Landscape Architecture Awards, Festival Party and a host of more than thirty public and industry tours, exhibitions, city activations, screenings and talks.
One of the main outcomes for this project will be answering questions surrounding how the public react to and interact with moveable furniture. Can we live in a city that provides more flexibility in the way we engage with public space? The observations from this experiment will provide knowledge into how the space is used now and reflect on how the installation may change the public environment.
‘Garema Place was a cosmopolitan hotspot in the sixties and seventies, but has since become a deserted thoroughfare. Although surrounded by great cafes, shops and workplaces, the open space is largely concrete and underused. Garema Place was selected because of the potential of this space to be a gorgeous plaza owned and loved by Canberrans and visitors alike. My hope is that this temporary activation will generate a flurry of ideas and engagement in the space. One way the public can inform the future of their city is through completing the ACT Governments survey (https://yoursay.act.gov.au/city-action-plan). We encourage all Canberrans to jump on and complete the survey,’ says AILA CEO Shahana McKenzie.
The #BackyardExperiment is part of the wider 2016 International Festival of Landscape Architecture: Not In My Backyard in Canberra from 27-30 October. The Festival connects the public with landscape architects, with the four-day program including a Conference, the National Landscape Architecture Awards, Festival Party and a host of more than thirty public and industry tours, exhibitions, city activations, screenings and talks.
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