The flags and histories of diverse peoples have always painted my worldview. I started traveling

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Geraldine Chapman
8 years ago
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1 Yolanta Siu Scholarship Proposal The flags and histories of diverse peoples have always painted my worldview. I started traveling from an early age and learned to celebrate the beauty of diversity. My father, a social worker, also taught me to listen to people regardless of their background and not to shy away from those commonly discarded by society. These two moral compasses have defined my design process for both personal and academic projects in these past three years. I do not deny education has molded my thinking, however the landscape architecture department at UC Berkeley has not contributed greatly to these influences. My education at UC Berkeley has been dominated by the principles of William Whyte, Jane Jacobs, and many other quintessential urbanists of the 1970 s. Their research is solely focused on the infrastructure of the Global North. It is a very singular lens that does not speak to a large portion of the world s experiences with shared, public spaces. Since the 1970 s, much research has been done on the development of space in communities in the Global South, but this has not shifted the dominant narrative model into a lens that recognizes metanarratives. This lack of balance is most apparent in the research on the role of technology in the creation of space, which is heavily geared towards movements from the Global North. Comprised of many countries that do not fit into the ill defined conditions of modernity, the Global South has been marginalized and ignored by major figures. My interest is in the missing narrative of technology's influence in these marginalized areas. One such area of interest that I have recently become fascinated by is the town of, Nepal. It is a town whose main source of income is derived from agriculture; the same industry that comprises 90% of Nepal s gross domestic product. As with their line of work, the residents are still largely dependent on more traditional forms of communication, and few have access to the internet in their own homes. Despite this, the town is still within driving distance to City, the second largest city in Nepal. In addition, the WWOOF has a large presence in and brings in a large number of volunteer

These two moral compasses have defined my design process for both personal and academic projects in these past three years.

2 farmers from all over the world. s draw as a volunteer destination and its proximity to one of Nepal s largest economic and social centers make a point of contact between first world perceptions and the existing third world traditions. I believe this interaction to be ripe and vital for my studies. Rural Nepal s experience with technology and foreign influences is a relevant counter perspective to the biased, dominant view of spatial construction built by the Global North. What I learn will not be restricted to countries of the Global South but will be relevant to many communities of the Global North that have restricted access to high technology. Most importantly, this newfound perspective will give my work a sensitivity to the types of communities that have not been as thoroughly studied. Ultimately, I hope to develop my own research and design process that seeks to elevate the experiences of marginalized communities.

traditions. I believe this interaction to be ripe and vital for my studies.

3 Yolanta Siu Declaration of Interest The conversations we have as intellectuals about the built environment are biased towards the so called modernized world without realizing the nuances that exist in first world countries and beyond. This bias is a result of our educational environment and our sometimes privileged upbringing. It is especially obvious in our conversations about technology influenced urbanism that is often solely focused on the experiences of the Global North and on professionally designed open spaces. However, most of the world does not fit into the category of modernized countries or have designers to plan their public spaces. Therefore, I seek to understand what kind of conversations people in the Global South have with technology and how it is influencing spatial ordering. First, we must ask what kinds of public spaces are available to the public and who composes the public of Nepal. We then have to ask if these spaces are constructed vis a vis a designer or are naturally occurring based on social rituals. In asking these questions, we also need to understand what the local understanding of public or shared space is and how strong the sense of cultural and legal land ownership is. More importantly, how has this understanding changed over time and for what reasons? We must observe the types of users; how often these users use the space; and if their use is to fulfill specific economic or physical needs or if the use of space is more cultural and social. More importantly, people use technology and in return, technology changes the actions of people. As such, I am interested in how the combined forces of people and technology shape social and physical spaces especially in an environment that has only started allowing technology to creep into everyday life. Perhaps technology has allowed people to better control the spaces available to them or perhaps there is no influence at all, and influence of technology is isolated to the Global North. I will question what kind of technology is available to the people, both those that do and do not use public spaces. I will question what is then the role of technology in the use of public space. Lastly, I will ask what we can learn from cultures

It is especially obvious in our conversations about technology influenced urbanism that is often solely focused on the experiences of the Global North and on professionally designed open spaces.

4 that are on the verge of modernizing and about the role of technology in how people use space. My main method of data gathering will be to immerse myself in the predominantly agricultural lifestyle of the people of Nepal through the homestay program, WWOOF. I will be living with and working alongside locals and foreigners alike, which provides for a multiplicity of perspectives that influence the creation and use of shared spaces. I will interview both natives and foreigners and ask them to construct mental maps. This type of data is however only qualitative. In order to gather quantitative data, I will use the mapping methods used by William Whyte to map the social use and environmental factors of public, open spaces as well as the street mapping and sectional analysis used by Jane Jacobs to analyze street life in,, and. Lastly, I will use the mapping methods of David Bosselmann to give my small scale, on site data a larger contextual understanding. High technology plays an undeniable role on the generation and notion of space in communities that have limited access to it, and through this study, I hope to create a new design process that recognizes and elevates metanarratives of technology influenced urbanism.

I will be living with and working alongside locals and foreigners alike, which provides for a multiplicity of perspectives that influence the creation and use of shared spaces.

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