MONU, Kipstraat 7B, Rotterdam (2025)

22/08/2025

CONFLICT AND THE CITY: NEGOTIATING URBAN REALITIES BY MIRKO PETKOVIC

Conflict is an unavoidable part of human life. At a time when conflicts seem to absorb the world, it becomes crucial to understand how they shape the spaces we inhabit. Issue #37 of MONU explores this theme through a diverse collection of articles, interviews, and visual material, offering perspectives from across the globe. As a student of Urban Studies at Leiden University, I found the issue both intellectually rich and surprisingly provocative in its treatment of urban conflict... read the entire review of MONU #37 at http://www.monu-magazine.com/news.htm.

Mirko Petkovic is an undergraduate student of Urban Studies at Leiden University in the Netherlands. He is a board member of the Association for Students of Urban Studies and a Student Ambassador of Urban Studies at Leiden University. With a background in mathematics and other sciences, he seeks to combine them with the humanities approaches taught in his programme.

Images:

1. Last jam session at an art & culture center: The „PinkpunkArtspace”, a popular subcultural place in Kyiv has to close for the time being, because the apartment with roof terrace is needed for a refugee woman. Image is from the article "Youth of Kyiv" by Fabian Ritter, page 69

2. Collage of various prohibition signs in Vienna’s municipal housing. Photo by Christina Schraml. Image from "A Plea for the Right to Conflict" by Christina Schraml, page 98

3. he making of “Straight”, 2008 - 2012, image is courtesy of Ai Weiwei Studio, ©Ai Weiwei Studio. From "Beauty Can Still Be Found - Interview with Ai Weiwei", page 107

4. Assembly District 13 before (dashed outline, diagonal hatch) and after (solid outline, solid hatch) 2024 redistricting. Image by Lindsey Krug and Samantha Schuermann, from their article "Fair Fights: Gerrymandering, Malls, and Boundary-driven Conflict in Milwaukee", page 91

MONU is currently supported by:

The Complete Guide to Combat City by Julia Schulz-Dornburg
(https://www.jovis.de/en/book/9783986120986)

The Berlage - MSc in Architecture and Urban Design
(https://theberlage.nl/apply)

Royal Academy of Art the Hague - Master’s Programme Interior Architecture (INSIDE)
(https://www.kabk.nl/.../interio.../admission-requirements...)thehague

The Athletic Coup - Film Festival
(https://coupfilmfest.com/)

The Athletic Coup - Film Festival - Athens, Greece.
Untold Stories of Athletes And Niche Sports From Around The World.
Through the lens of cinema, this film festival series brings to life the passion, dedication and triumphs of athletes from all walks of life, inspiring audiences to dream big and strive for greatness.

Incognita’s Architecture Trips: Discover Eastern European
Architecture and Urbanism
(http://www.incognita.ch/)

Find out more about MONU's supporters at http://www.monu-magazine.com/support.htm.

25/06/2025

HOW CONFLICT CAN DRIVE URBANISM BY LUCA BONAZZI

What I appreciated most about this issue of MONU is the idea that conflict, often perceived as a byproduct of urban life, is instead a fundamental driver of urban form and evolution... read the entire review of MONU #37 on "Conflict-driven Urbanism" at https://www.monu-magazine.com/news.htm.

Luca Bonazzi is an Italian architect and academic researcher. He holds a Master of Science in Architecture from the Accademia di Architettura at the University of Italian Switzerland (USI).

Images:

1. Screenshot of a video at Hit Show - Hunting, Individual protection & Target Sports Expo in Vicenza. Image is part of Diambra Mariani's contribution "Don’t Think of an Elephant", page 58, ©Diambra Mariani.
2. "To Eradicate Urban Conflict, Eradicate Urban Interaction" by Benjamin van Loon, MONU #37, page 4.
3. Above: Destruction: a main street in Bucha, Ukraine, photographed on March 1, 2022 during a pause in fighting. Below: Reconstruction: the same Bucha street during roadworks in May 2023. Image by Radio Free Europe. Images from "Conflict as Condition - Interview with Eve Blau by Bernd Upmeyer", page 14.
4. "Migration, Crisis, and City-shaping Forces" by Zoë Ritts, pages 34-35.
5. Location of the 2020 incident at the St. Mark’s square in Zagreb, Croatia, now with fencing. Photo by Danijel Losic. Image is from the article "Who Owns the Public Square?" by Stephanie Newcomb and Danijel Losic, page 79.

MONU is currently supported by:
The Complete Guide to Combat City by Julia Schulz-Dornburg
(https://www.jovis.de/en/book/9783986120986)

The Berlage - MSc in Architecture and Urban Design
(https://theberlage.nl/apply)

Royal Academy of Art the Hague - Master’s Programme Interior Architecture (INSIDE)
(https://www.kabk.nl/.../interio.../admission-requirements...)thehague

The Athletic Coup - Film Festival
(https://coupfilmfest.com/)

The Athletic Coup - Film Festival - Athens, Greece.
Untold Stories of Athletes And Niche Sports From Around The World.
Through the lens of cinema, this film festival series brings to life the passion, dedication and triumphs of athletes from all walks of life, inspiring audiences to dream big and strive for greatness.

Incognita’s Architecture Trips: Discover Eastern European
Architecture and Urbanism
(http://www.incognita.ch/)

Find out more about MONU's supporters at http://www.monu-magazine.com/support.htm.

17/04/2025

THE URBAN IN CONFLICT, TENSIONS AND ARCHETYPES SHAPING OUR URBAN NARRATIVES AND ENVIRONMENTS - A REVIEW OF MONU #37 BY REBECCA BILLI

When I was in high school and studying the classics, my professor highlighted that, while the Odyssey is the epic of the journey, the Iliad is the poem of conflict. As such, it is built on dichotomies. A dual-focused epic, its plot and grammar structure are always bipartite. There are "a one" and "an other." It is in this concept of "the other" that conflict emerges. In literature, tensions have been acknowledged as instrumental to the advancement of a plot. Analogously, in cities, conflict influences the present and can catalyse new futures. It brings ahead both shortcomings and strengths of contemporary society. The premise of MONU's issue 37 supports the claim that conflict is a fundamental force shaping urbanity... continue reading the review at http://www.monu-magazine.com/news.htm.

Rebecca Billi studied architecture between London and Lisbon and earned a Master’s in Museum Studies from Leiden University. Her work explores museums and cities, exhibition formats, and the manifestation of cultural encounters in urban contextst. She’s a PhD candidate at Universidade Autonoma de Lisboa and founder of the multidisciplinary design and research platform Cosebelle.

Images:

1. Johanna-Maria Fritz, "Like a Bird", MONU #37, page 49, ©Johanna-Maria Fritz/OSTKREUZ
2. Digital Collage, MONU #37, Conflict-driven Urbanism, collage by author
3. Niema Alhessen and Khalda El Jack, "The [Un]Making of Communal Lands and Militarised Zones", MONU #37, pages 39-43, collages by Niema Alhessen and Khalda El Jack
4. Fabian Ritter, "Youth of Kyiv", MONU #37, page 65, ©Fabian Ritter

MONU is currently supported by:

The Complete Guide to Combat City by Julia Schulz-Dornburg
(https://www.jovis.de/en/book/9783986120986)

The Berlage - MSc in Architecture and Urban Design
(https://theberlage.nl/apply)

Royal Academy of Art the Hague - Master’s Programme Interior Architecture (INSIDE)
(https://www.kabk.nl/.../interio.../admission-requirements...)thehague

The Athletic Coup - Film Festival
(https://coupfilmfest.com/)

The Athletic Coup - Film Festival - Athens, Greece.
Untold Stories of Athletes And Niche Sports From Around The World.
Through the lens of cinema, this film festival series brings to life the passion, dedication and triumphs of athletes from all walks of life, inspiring audiences to dream big and strive for greatness.
Incognita’s Architecture Trips: Discover Eastern European

Architecture and Urbanism
(http://www.incognita.ch/)

Find out more about MONU's supporters at http://www.monu-magazine.com/support.htm.

17/03/2025

2 WEEKS LEFT TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL FOR MONU #38 - INCLUSIVE URBANISM
.., this new issue of MONU aims to discuss how such a true "Inclusive Urbanism" that goes beyond platitudes and pseudo DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion)-washing strategies and avoids the consequences of the "wrong" perfection, as showcased in the examples of the public toilets and the wheelchair-proof apartments, might be achieved and who the protagonists and forces of a truly "Inclusive Urbanism" alike might be. We invite you to submit critical reflections, sharp analysis, meticulous investigations, bold writing, provocative studies, visionary projects, imaginative strategies, eye-opening artwork, and game-changing photography. Abstracts of around 400 words, and images and illustrations in low resolution, should be sent, together with a short biography and a list of publications, as one single pdf-file that is not bigger than 1mb to [email protected] before March 31, 2025. MONU's issue #38 will be published in October 2025.

Images:

1. Spiked platforms under overpasses preventing people from sleeping in these places. Image is courtesy of Daily Mail
2. Aerial view of Chicago, where it is rather difficult to get from the north side to the south side easily. The two sides of the city are heavily segregated along racial and economic lines. Collage by Jonathan Michael Johnson

Both images were published in the Interview with Levi Bryant entitled " Every Object Is a Crowd!" in MONU #27.

MONU is currently supported by:

The Complete Guide to Combat City by Julia Schulz-Dornburg
(https://www.jovis.de/en/book/9783986120986)

The Berlage - MSc in Architecture and Urban Design
(https://theberlage.nl/apply)

Royal Academy of Art the Hague - Master’s Programme Interior Architecture (INSIDE)
(https://www.kabk.nl/.../interio.../admission-requirements...)thehague

The Athletic Coup - Film Festival
(https://coupfilmfest.com/)

The Athletic Coup - Film Festival - Athens, Greece.
Untold Stories of Athletes And Niche Sports From Around The World.
Through the lens of cinema, this film festival series brings to life the passion, dedication and triumphs of athletes from all walks of life, inspiring audiences to dream big and strive for greatness.

Incognita’s Architecture Trips: Discover Eastern European Architecture and Urbanism
(http://www.incognita.ch/)

Find out more about MONU's supporters at http://www.monu-magazine.com/support.htm.

14/02/2025

FROM CRISIS TO OPPORTUNITY BY GRETA SAMULIONYTE

The latest issue of MONU Magazine, entitled "Conflict-driven Urbanism", offers an exploration of how conflicts have historically shaped, currently influence, and may continue to impact cities in the future. Through its thoughtful curation, the issue takes readers on a global journey to uncover how diverse conflicts emerge and transform urban environments... continue reading the entire review at https://www.monu-magazine.com/news.htm.

Greta Samulionyte is an urbanist, architect and researcher passionate about trauma-informed placemaking and inclusive urban design.

Images:

1. Grisha (left) and Borys (right), two best friends, pose for a portrait nearby Irpin in the north of Ukraine. Grisha lives in Irpin, Borys is from Bucha. Grisha just got out of Irpin half an hour before
the Russians took the street where he lives with his family. This day marks the first day they go for a swim at the lake. Kyiv Oblast, 06.06.2022. This photo by Fabian Ritter is part of his contribution "Youth of Kyiv", ©Fabian Ritter.
2. Preserved earthquake shelters in the Presidio, San Francisco's national park site. Source: Elena.laps. Image appears in Lukas Großmann's article "From Provisional to Permanent: The Birth of the Shelter as a Purpose-built Typology".
3. Film still of Ai Weiwei's documentary film "Human Flow", 2017. Image is courtesy of Ai Weiwei Studio, ©Ai Weiwei Studio. It is shown in the interview "Beauty Can Still Be Found" with Ai Weiwei.
4. Volunteers renovating a shelter for IDPs (internally displaced persons) in Ivano-Frankivsk, a city in western Ukraine. The photo by Anastasiya Kubert is featured in the interview with Eve Blau entitled "Conflict as Condition".

MONU #37 is supported by:

The Complete Guide to Combat City by Julia Schulz-Dornburg
(https://www.jovis.de/en/book/9783986120986)

The Berlage - MSc in Architecture and Urban Design
(https://theberlage.nl/apply)

Royal Academy of Art the Hague - Master’s Programme Interior Architecture (INSIDE)
(https://www.kabk.nl/.../interio.../admission-requirements...) thehague

The Athletic Coup - Film Festival
(https://coupfilmfest.com/)

The Athletic Coup - Film Festival - Athens, Greece.
Untold Stories of Athletes And Niche Sports From Around The World.
Through the lens of cinema, this film festival series brings to life the passion, dedication and triumphs of athletes from all walks of life, inspiring audiences to dream big and strive for greatness.

Incognita’s Architecture Trips: Discover Eastern European Architecture and Urbanism
(http://www.incognita.ch/)

Find out more about MONU's supporters at http://www.monu-magazine.com/support.htm.

11/12/2024

NEW CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS FOR MONU #38 - INCLUSIVE URBANISM

The attempts in many cities over recent years to make public toilets gender-neutral and thus more inclusive - an approach that can theoretically only be appreciated - have made it obvious why they were created in a "segregated" way to begin with. On the one hand, standard toilets are used as urinals that raise issues of cleanliness making them rather unsuitable for seated use, and on the other hand, urinals are part of restrooms used by women, confronting them with men with their pants down... continue reading at https://www.monu-magazine.com/submit.htm.

Image: Inclusive graphic signage by Motionspot

MONU is supported by:

The Complete Guide to Combat City by Julia Schulz-Dornburg
(https://www.jovis.de/en/book/9783986120986)

The Berlage - MSc in Architecture and Urban Design
(https://theberlage.nl/apply)

Royal Academy of Art the Hague - Master’s Programme Interior Architecture (INSIDE)
(https://www.kabk.nl/en/programmes/master/interior-architecture/admission-requirements?utm_source=e-flux&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=werv2024&utm_content=eflux-1may-mia-apply) thehague

The Athletic Coup - Film Festival
(https://coupfilmfest.com/)

The Athletic Coup - Film Festival - Athens, Greece.
Untold Stories of Athletes And Niche Sports From Around The World.
Through the lens of cinema, this film festival series brings to life the passion, dedication and triumphs of athletes from all walks of life, inspiring audiences to dream big and strive for greatness.

Incognita’s Architecture Trips: Discover Eastern European Architecture and Urbanism
(http://www.incognita.ch/)

Find out more about MONU's supporters at http://www.monu-magazine.com/support.htm.

14/10/2024

MONU #37 ON CONFLICT-DRIVEN URBANISM RELEASED

“To Eradicate Urban Conflict, Eradicate Urban Interaction” as Benjamin van Loon states in his satirical article that is structured as a memo to the members of a fictitious association: the North American Alliance for Gated Communities. Because urbanism is inherently conflict-driven as Eve Blau points out in our interview with her entitled “Conflict as Condition”. According to her, processes of urbanization involve a certain amount of violence and destruction as cities are places of power, representation, and contestation, which she thinks is both positive and negative... continue reading at http://www.monu-magazine.com/issues.htm.

(Cover: Image is part of the Interview with Ai Weiwei on page 109 and courtesy of Ai Weiwei Studio. ©Ai Weiwei Studio)

This issue is supported by:

The Complete Guide to Combat City by Julia Schulz-Dornburg
(https://www.jovis.de/en/book/9783986120986)

The Berlage - MSc in Architecture and Urban Design
(https://theberlage.nl/apply)

Royal Academy of Art the Hague - Master’s Programme Interior Architecture (INSIDE)
(https://www.kabk.nl/en/programmes/master/interior-architecture/admission-requirements?utm_source=e-flux&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=werv2024&utm_content=eflux-1may-mia-apply)

The Athletic Coup - Film Festival
(https://coupfilmfest.com/)

Incognita’s Architecture Trips: Discover Eastern European Architecture and Urbanism
(http://www.incognita.ch/)

Find out more about MONU's supporters at http://www.monu-magazine.com/support.htm.

Images and video:

1. Cover of MONU #37
2. To Eradicate Urban Conflict, Eradicate Urban Interaction by Benjamin van Loon
3. Conflict as Condition - Interview with Eve Blau
4. The [Un]Making of Communal Lands and Militarised Zones by Niema Alhessen and Khalda El Jack
5. Youth of Kyiv by Fabian Ritter
6. Beauty Can Still Be Found - Interview with Ai Weiwei
7. Don’t Think of an Elephant by Diambra Mariani
8. Flipping the pages of MONU #37, Music: Creedence Clearwater Revival - Fortunate Son, Video editing: Danae Zachariaki

26/08/2024

NEW? SOCIAL? URBANISM? BY BASTIAN BENTRUP

Throughout the past pandemic years most people would argue that our social life has not only changed, but a new understanding developed of how important our social fabric actually is. Some municipalities realised that our cities need to adapt to be able to foster a socially sustainable environment for city dwellers. A lot of small urban interventions were realised throughout the world, improving the living conditions, parklet by parklet. But is this enough to constitute a "New Social Urbanism"? Is it possible to make the good life accessible to everyone?... read the entire article at http://www.monu-magazine.com/news.htm.

Bastian Bentrup is an Urban Studies student at Bauhaus-University Weimar. His research interests include marginalized groups in the built environment and the impact data-extracting and surveillance-capitalist entities have on cities.

Images:

1. New social urbanism: Outdoor dining, University Place, Manhattan, 2021, photo by Sharon Zukin, from interview "Social by Definition", page 19.
2. Crearqció members Júlia and Pau interviewing Álex, a resident of València, in La Creu del Grau neighborhood. August 2022, photo by Maria Blau, from article "New Rights, New Needs, New Rules" by Nuria Ribas Costa, pages 48-49.
3. Photo by Maxime Matthys, from article "2091: The Ministry of Privacy", page 81.
4. A Timeline of the Hong Kong's Municipal Services Buildings' development, graphic by Ying Zhou, from article "The Municipal Services Buildings of Hong Kong" by Ying Zhou, page 116.

MONU #36 is supported by:

The Berlage - The Berlage Center for Advanced Studies in Architecture and Urban Design
(https://theberlage.nl/)

From ‘Urban Andes’ to ‘Politics in the City’! New Architecture & Urban Planning Books from Leuven University Press
(https://lup.be/.../category-architecture-and-urban-planning)

Rotterdam’s Independent School for the City: A 12-week full-time Education Programme on Contemporary Urbanism, Dealing with Right to the City, Climate Change and Superdiversity
(https://www.schoolforthecity.nl/this-is-tomorrow-24/)

Incognita’s Architecture Trips: Discover Eastern European Architecture and Urbanism
(http://www.incognita.ch/)

Find out more about MONU's supporters at http://www.monu-magazine.com/support.htm.

12/06/2024

DIGGING DEEPER INTO THE LAYERS OF “NEW SOCIAL URBANISM” BY MALEEN RÜTHERS

Reviewing the 36th issue of MONU from a perspective of an Urban Geographer, with a background in Earth- and Environmental Sciences, my attention got caught by an illustration resembling a lithospheric diagram featured in Tatjana Schneider's contribution "Do Nothing for as Long as Possible", … read the entire article at http://www.monu-magazine.com/news.htm.

Maleen Paula Rüthers (she/her) is an urban geographer and a postgraduate at the HU Berlin. She is engaged in studying and working in the field of urbanism, with special attention to regenerative architecture, urban green infrastructure, critical cartography and transdisciplinary formats for collaborative discourse and practice.

Images:

1. The architecture of the modern project relied on extractive and combustive processes to such an extent that fuel has come to dictate form. Shown here as sedimentary layers are the forces that have accelerated the production of CO2 in relation to the production of the built environment. From article “Do Nothing for as Long as Possible” by Tatjana Schneider, page 27.
Illustration: MOULD – Sarah Bovelett, Anthony Powis, Tatjana Schneider, Christina Serifi, Jeremy Till, and Becca Voelcker, “Architecture is Climate,” 2023. Published on e-flux Architecture, commissioned by the Jencks Foundation in the series ‚Chronograms of Architecture‘.
2. The Life Within Buildings: Towards a New Housing Policy by Christoffer Jusélius and Helen Runting, pages 30-31.
3. Sant Llorenç, València. August 2022, Photo by Maria Blau, from article “New Rights, New Needs, New Rules” by Nuria Ribas Costa, page 48.
4. Parkcycle Swarm, Copenhagen 2013, from article “Spatial Reappropriation through Transformative Practices” by Valentina Rizzi, page 54.
5. Post Disaster Rooftops, Taranto 2022, from article “Spatial Reappropriation through Transformative Practices” by Valentina Rizzi, page 52
6. Post-Public Space by Francisco Silva, pages 65- 67.

MONU #36 is supported by:

The Berlage - The Berlage Center for Advanced Studies in Architecture and Urban Design
(https://theberlage.nl/)

From ‘Urban Andes’ to ‘Politics in the City’! New Architecture & Urban Planning Books from Leuven University Press
(https://lup.be/.../category-architecture-and-urban-planning)

Rotterdam’s Independent School for the City: A 12-week full-time Education Programme on Contemporary Urbanism, Dealing with Right to the City, Climate Change and Superdiversity
(https://www.schoolforthecity.nl/this-is-tomorrow-24/)

Incognita’s Architecture Trips: Discover Eastern European Architecture and Urbanism
(http://www.incognita.ch/)

Find out more about MONU's supporters at http://www.monu-magazine.com/support.htm.

12/04/2024

MEDIATING SOCIAL CONNECTIONS IN THE NEW AGE OF URBANISM BY CHIARA CATALINI

[...]

After thoroughly reading MONU #36, it is clear that interviews and essays all agree on the importance of meaningful connections in design thinking. This agreement requires a radical rethinking of social dynamics, emphasizing the need to build emotional bonds that can truly reconnect people on a deep level, creating a genuine sense of 'neighborhood'. This concept is the theme around which the entire discourse revolves... read the entire review of MONU #36 at http://www.monu-magazine.com/news.htm.

Chiara Catalini is a designer and photographer originally from Italy. She moved to the Netherlands to further her education in Product Design with a Master's Degree in Interior Architecture and Research at the Piet Zwart Institute of Rotterdam. Currently, she works independently as a freelancer through her own practice, Chiaramente Studio, specializing in interior and product design as well as photography.

Images:

1. Cover of MONU #36: New Social Urbanism.
2. The beautiful concept of "vulnerability", introduced by Maria Reitano in her article "Vulnerable City", pages 4-5.
3. The photos of Maxime Matthys invite us to reflect on the nature of our interconnectedness and how it is mediated by technology, page 82.
4. Interview with Izaskun Chinchilla by Bernd Upmeyer, page 107.

MONU #36 is supported by:

The Berlage - The Berlage Center for Advanced Studies in Architecture and Urban Design
(https://theberlage.nl/)

From ‘Urban Andes’ to ‘Politics in the City’! New Architecture & Urban Planning Books from Leuven University Press
(https://lup.be/.../category-architecture-and-urban-planning)

Rotterdam’s Independent School for the City: A 12-week full-time Education Programme on Contemporary Urbanism, Dealing with Right to the City, Climate Change and Superdiversity
(https://www.schoolforthecity.nl/this-is-tomorrow-24/)

Incognita’s Architecture Trips: Discover Eastern European Architecture and Urbanism
(http://www.incognita.ch/)

Find out more about MONU's supporters at http://www.monu-magazine.com/support.htm.

15/03/2024

2 WEEKS LEFT TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL FOR MONU #37 - CONFLICT-DRIVEN URBANISM

… to define what "Conflict-driven Urbanism" (http://www.monu-magazine.com/submit.htm) means today, how it appears, and where and how it is most powerful these days, we invite you to submit conflict-driving projects, conflict-solving strategies, visionary theories, creative thinking, historical analysis, future outlooks, powerful images, illuminating photography, and courageous artworks. Abstracts of around 400 words, and images and illustrations in low resolution, should be sent, together with a short biography and a list of publications, as one single pdf-file that is not bigger than 1mb to [email protected] before March 31, 2024. MONU's issue #37 will be published in October 2024.

Image: S.A.C.R.E.D., 2013, Ai Weiwei

MONU is currently supported by:

The Berlage - The Berlage Center for Advanced Studies in Architecture and Urban Design
(https://theberlage.nl/)

From ‘Urban Andes’ to ‘Politics in the City’! New Architecture & Urban Planning Books from Leuven University Press
(https://lup.be/.../category-architecture-and-urban-planning)

Rotterdam’s Independent School for the City: A 12-week full-time Education Programme on Contemporary Urbanism, Dealing with Right to the City, Climate Change and Superdiversity
(https://www.schoolforthecity.nl/this-is-tomorrow-24/)

Incognita’s Architecture Trips: Discover Eastern European Architecture and Urbanism
(http://www.incognita.ch/)

Find out more about MONU's supporters at http://www.monu-magazine.com/support.htm.

16/02/2024

OPTIMISM ABOUT THE FUTURE OF URBANISM BY NISHI SHAH

Ever since the genesis of city planning, the concept of "social" urbanism has permeated the lexicon of every architect and planner. Yet, the pandemic has thrust "new" urbanism into the limelight, highlighting the sheer mess, fractured deficits, and anti-sociability inherent within spatial design. BOARD's annual journal, MONU - Magazine on Urbanism, Issue #36, accentuates the imperative for a nuanced comprehension of New Social Urbanism... read the entire review of MONU #36 at http://www.monu-magazine.com/news.htm.

Nishi Shah is an alumna of The Berlage Center for Advanced Studies in Architecture and Urban Design. Currently living in the Netherlands, she is employed as an architect, working as a freelance writer, and serving as a co-curator for VOLUME's biweekly newsletter.

This review was first published on World-Architects on February 13, 2024 (https://www.world-architects.com/en/architecture-news/insight/optimism-about-the-future-of-urbanism).

Images:

1. Sociologist Sharon Zukin, in an interview with MONU editor in chief Bernd Upmeyer, is rather pessimistic about whether a “new social urbanism” is rising, p. 13-14.
2. Maxime Matthys's image on the cover of MONU #36: New Social Urbanism captures the emergence of an omnipresent techno-centric urban future.
3. Centre: 'Piggybacking'-showcasing how undercapitalized ventures intertwine with established developments, disrupting the monotony of today's urban planning landscape."The Strange Bedfellows of Contemporary Urbanism" by Brian Holland, p. 92.
4. In the wake of San Francisco's post-pandemic shift into a ghost town, this contribution examines inclusive strategies, aiming to revitalize the city's downtown into a vibrant "social hub." "San Francisco: From 'Ghost Town' to a New Social City?" by Agnes Katharina Müller, p. 98.
5. Architect Izaskun Chinchilla, in another interview with Upmeyer, believes we are heading toward a hybrid situation in which we will socialize both physically and digitally, multiplying the spectrum of the ways of meeting and socializing, p. 101-102.
6. Reimagining our social priorities towards joy and playfulness, this image underscores cities as the true home for the human spirit. "The Opportunity for Joyful Cities' by Paul Kalbfleisch, p. 110.

MONU #36 is currently supported by:

The Berlage - The Berlage Center for Advanced Studies in Architecture and Urban Design (https://theberlage.nl/)

From ‘Urban Andes’ to ‘Politics in the City’! New Architecture & Urban Planning Books from Leuven University Press
(https://lup.be/.../category-architecture-and-urban-planning)

Rotterdam’s Independent School for the City: A 12-week full-time Education Programme on Contemporary Urbanism, Dealing with Right to the City, Climate Change and Superdiversity
(https://www.schoolforthecity.nl/this-is-tomorrow-24/)

Incognita’s Architecture Trips: Discover Eastern European Architecture and Urbanism
(http://www.incognita.ch/)

Find out more about MONU's supporters at http://www.monu-magazine.com/support.htm.

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