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23 August 2010
As we look forward to our inaugural Dusker this Friday, August 27, we thought it might be good to talk a little about how the greenhouse and its setting attempt to reach beyond the basic 'performance' metrics of the job description 'Greenhouse' and suggest a potential evolution in the contemporary models of both 'public space' and 'urban farm'. To keep it short here, we can invoke the Philadelphian Louis Kahn and his concept of the 'three publics'. Urban design, Architecture, and even the more current disciplinary rubric of 'Landscape Urbanism', each remain distinct from Art, per se, in that they have an explicit obligation to serve more than just the sensibilities of the artist. Kahn's argument is that there are in fact three 'publics' that one ought to consider.
The First 'Public' is made up of the end users, those who actually engage a project as first person participants. In our case, these are the people who actually come to the farm and volunteer, take advantage of the many activities, events, the food distribution, those who physically engage the mission, on site.
Second, there are many who 'see' the farm, drive past it, live next to it, walk past it, but who do not ever come in. For this sector, this Second 'Public', and it is a large number, much larger than the actual number of first person participants, the farm is a regular visual event. It may be the view outside their front door, the view they hit at minute 7 in the drive or ride home. It serves as a marker, a neighborhood signifier, a process signifier, occupying psycho-cultural place, possibility (both positive & negative), and identity, in individual and collective-collected constructions of the city.
A Third 'Public' is comprised of those who may never see the project in person, but who will see it, experience it, process it, via media. They may read about it, see it published, photographed, talked about, blogged about. For even a relatively successful project in this 'media' propagated sense, this third 'public' is almost always larger than the first, and can easily exceed the second, and an additional set of zeitgeist constructions attends their processing of that media presence.
As building designers, landscape urbanists, and volunteer participants in the Hayes Valley Farm project, we're particularly keen to highlight this idea that the visual-aesthetic presence of the farm, as experienced by all three 'publics' is vitally important. One could call this the Park and Public Square component of the project and it points to the suggested 'evolution' mentioned in the opening. While there is nothing new in the general idea of a 'productive' park, or an aesthetically pleasing, publicly accessible 'farm', Hayes Valley Farm, due to its privileged location, and broad sympathy for the mission of urban agriculture, is in a unique position to advance this synthesis.
Ok so that's it, just some thoughts.... If you've got an opinion, suggestions, and especially if you would like to help, chime in here and come out to share your input and drink a hot libation with us at Dusker on Friday, August 27, 4:30pm-8:30pm... dress warm...
Sketchcard by Ron Stanford, August 20, 2010
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Over a thousand volunteers, neighbors, and community members have helped coordinate the farm efforts.