2015 Urban Affairs Association Conference

The colloquy is part of the special track on activism, organized by Kitty Kelly Epstein and Barbara Ferman, and inspired by their 2014 workshop in San Antonio. Within this track, the "Design, Activism and Research" colloquy focuses on investigating--both theoretically and via case study analysis--two key aspects in the context of urban affairs. One is illuminate an understanding of each of the terms: "design," "activism" and "research," while the second is to articulate different types of relationships between the three terms. The idea is to acknowledge, but also transcend conventional and limited notions of design, activism and research. The short presentations and discussions will be led by four scholars who have pursued these themes in their academic and activist pursuits. The scholars represent different disciplinary backgrounds [i.e. architecture, environmental psychology, landscape architecture, urbanism] as well as a range of geographical engagements [i.e. Rio de Janeiro, New York City, Seattle, Sao Paulo]. Each of the scholars will critically reflect upon theoretical framings of the terms as well upon the projects they are directly engaged in. Each presentation will end with 1 or 2 thoughtful questions to segue into the discussion portion of the colloquy. The audience will be divided into smaller groups around each set of questions in order to have a more focused and in-depth discussion. There are multiple goals for this colloquy: (a) for each presenter to critically reflect upon and articulate the ways in which design, activism and research overlap and intersect in their own work, (b) to generate a set of questions that reflect the contingent quality of this work and ongoing challenges, and (c) to partner with the audience to generate deeper insights and future strategies.