I’m still figuring out how I’m going to do this blogging thing, but one thing I can’t help but share is this debate between two people I consider personal heroes of mine, Will Alsop and Martha Schwartz, on landscape architecture, public space and the role as architect as master artist.

On one hand, I have to agree with Schwartz that the notion of the architect as the elite and isolated master designer of space and landscape is a romanticized notion that doesn’t really play out that way in the real world. Except for the most artistic, usually bourgeois, of places, landscape is something with a hugely diverse range of stakeholders and influences. Probably too many, to semi-paraphrase Alsop, urban design and architecture becomes too beurocratic and convoluted, individual authenticity is washed away and not encouraged in such a system - leading to banal and crap spaces regardless of budget.

I also think Alsop’s observation that, oftentimes in cities, people eschew designed public spaces for more organic, informal and community derived spaces is also a good one. Maybe the interim solution is encouraging and promoting the designed use of many smaller, intimate spaces instead of ignoring everyday beauty and then heralding the 2nd coming of jesus whenever a famous architect designs (or lends their name to) a large project. *cough* Gerry + AGO *cough*.