Tactical Chartering Manifesto/Social and Physical Space Assessment

Métadonnées

Assessing the physical aspect of a space means that inhabitants are able to clearly define what the space is and how they use it within its realm. One has to understand why a place has degraded, why it needs to preserved, why it is threatened, or threatening to a neighborhood, or why it provides advantages in the neighborhood. Such concerns must be voiced on a given area. This will help better understand what solution is appropriate. One also needs to learn the boundaries of the place, and exactly what the diameters are to determine whether the space is based on enclosure, or whether the space is shared. The physical aspects of the space determine how ‘communitarian it is’. Also is the space separated into specific individual parcels? or is the space entirely open within its boundaries? Opening and access to this commons from different angles is also very important in the assessment of a tactical chartering. The commons needs to be accessible from all angles so that it is a place for every surrounding community. Determining access points is important. This will also help see if this commons supports the development of enclosure or the development of shared communal spaces.

Stanley Milgram’s theory of mental mapping- where people can emphasize what they find most important in their neighborhood, and what is important to them about this neighborhood

Determining the boundaries of the neighborhood or what people see are the boundaries (important in accessing who will use this urban commons space)

Determining what this urban commons will be used for - for example, if people in a mental map show food places, the urban commons must facilitate places where people can sit down, eat their food, and recycle it properly (that commons should have bench tables and recycling resources).

Assessing the social aspect of the space (perhaps through mental mapping)

Assessing the social aspect of the space involves observing the communication between people who use the space. It also involved what people see within the space, and how they use it. The best way to show this is by having people draw a mental map of the neighborhood the shared space is in, and perhaps asking them to detail the shared space itself. People who draw more objects or personal matters will feel very closely to the space, and they may have a better idea on what to do best for the neighborhood. Also, we can use statistical measurements to see what objects people draw the most, and then there could be a focus around that specific aspect of the shared space.

• Condition Identification - It is important to understand the objective of this tactical chartering process. That means one has to identify if this commons will preserve a shared physical space or repairing/improving a degradated shared physical space. That will highlight the specific steps for acheiving the common objective
• Fencing Detection and Enclosure Recognition - Observing where the fences that protect the commons end
• Access Points - Determining access points and what direction they serve. Hence what points do people come from and why?
• Physical Mapping - Where people are given an actual map of the neighborhood, they fill in what they think the boundaries of this shared space are, which parcels of the neighborhood use them the most, and what actually places people use in the neighborhood that surround the urban commons