EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network - Urban Play

Urban Play - The spirit of the city

Introduction

Urban Play is a project organised by the Dutch design enterprise 'Droog Design' based in Amsterdam. The project is part of the 'Experimentadesign' biennial that will take place in fall 2008. The project will consist of a special walking route on the IJ-riverfront, developed by international designers, architects and artists. This route will contain objects, toys and tools, that visitors can play and be creative with. The aim of the project is to encourage people to actively engage with their environment. Apart from this interactive part, there will also be an exhibition presenting a showcase of archive material of spontaneous urban design by inhabitants and artists from around the world.

Problem

How to actively involve people in the design of their direct environment?

Description

The Urban Play project is curated by Scott Burnham. His research has shown that people have an urge to give personal significance to their direct environment. He believes that by adding, changing and playing with the given surrounding and its objects, people can express their views on the city.

For Urban Play, a large international group of designers and artists has been invited to create interventions for an IJ-riverfront walking route. There will be contributions from the United Kingdom, Spain, The Netherlands, France, Korea, the United States, China, Brazil, Turkey and Estonia. The walking route will connect the new designed objects and interventions, with the creativity of the city and its residents, in order to create new ideas that can inspire the public domain.

The exhibition that forms the starting point of the route will show a collection of so-called 'guerrilla design', which can be defined as unsanctioned and uncommissioned interventions made by the public. Nowadays, the guerrilla design movement is transforming cities around the world. The aim of the movement is to transform urban objects and areas into truly creative spaces for the public.

Approach

urban interventions and urban design

Target group

Amsterdam residents and visitors

Contact info

Droog Design
Amsterdam
Phone: +31- 20 523 5050
info@droogdesign.nl
Wendel ten Arve (Project Manager)

Project start date

//2008

Links

Read the interview with Scott Burnham on the EUKN website Click here for more information about Urban Play Click here for more information about Droog Design

Download an overview of the content of Urban Play (PDF, Eng, 33 kB)

Download the flyer of Urban Play (JPG, Eng, 445 kB)