Blogs vs. Social Media
People are increasingly moving to cities. Among the things they are seeking are comfortable public spaces, not only huge shopping malls. That’s what I write about in my blog, I describe things as they are and as they ought to be. The main difference between blogs and social media is that in blogs, people can discuss any issues they want to bring up, while the traditional social media are limited by their editorial policy. Through blogs, you can share your views and explain complex problems in simple language. And you don’t have to be a journalist to do so.
Want to change something? Do it yourself!
I also write about the DIY urbanism. DIY stands for Do It Yourself. Thanks to the Internet and social media, people can organize various events on their own. A good example is Kallio Block Party, an annual street festival with concerts, dancing and other events, which was first launched by citizens themselves, without government support.
With cities becoming more and more communication-friendly, people find it easier to collaborate on some small-scale projects which can grow into something bigger. For one, a group of locals in Helsinki organized a restaurant day: people installed small coffee shops, mobile food courts, and tables with homemade goods. The event coordinators asked the city authorities for permission, but their project wasn’t supported. But people organized the event anyway, and now it is much easier to open a food court in Helsinki.
Or there is another story about a group of skateboarders in Tampere who built a skateboard park on an abandoned industrial site in the outskirts of the city. This project was afterwards supported by the authorities and the park was turned into an open public place.
Your ideas are welcome
It is important for citizens to have green areas, good open spaces and pedestrian walks. People don’t want to just walk from home to work, they want to visit interesting places where they can make new friends and share ideas. My friends and I decided not only to talk about this problem but to do something. We formed a volunteer group and started making our own development plans. We’re currently working on a plan aimed at making life in Helsinki even more enjoyable. For example, we want to make the Helsinki Railway Square more pedestrian-friendly: to remove the parking lot and create a recreation area with tables and small restaurants.
About motivation
I know that it might be really hard to influence the political decision-making process, especially when you’re not allowed to participate in the discussion. We want our ideas to be heard. It would be great to discuss various initiatives on social media or share stories about successful projects. If you want to change something, just do it! Don’t wait for the authorities to hear you out.
Always do what you like, not only what you get paid for. I’m an independent consultant, but I also collaborate with many different companies responsible for urban development. Apart from that, my friends and I are currently developing a game which aims to facilitate the participation of citizens in neighborhood-level development programs.
Every city is unique
The world is gradually becoming more globalized, and wherever you go you see the same shops and the same movies. It’s all the same even in Istanbul, known for its culturally rich, diverse atmosphere. I believe that it’s wrong and that every city should be unique. You can’t use the same strategies for every place. In St. Petersburg, for example, there are many creative spaces located in the buildings of former industrial enterprises, and I think that this model could work for other cities, too.
