Friday, October 12, 2012
Wood Auditorium
Move: Theatrum Mundi / Global Street
Organized by Saskia Sassen and Richard Sennett
Co-sponsored by the Committee on Global Thought
Presence and Absence in the City
October 12–13
The overall theme turns on the difference between absence and presence in the city. This difference lies both physically—who is actually on the street?; and perceptually—how are people aware of others, accounting or discounting their presence in urban space? How are those considered invisible or inconsequential enabled to ‘make presence’ in urban space—through their bodies, actions, activities. We want to account the roles of technological, trade, design, and politics in constructing presence and absence; finally, we want to pose questions about how to arouse people to want more engagement with one another, rather than retreat into isolation.
Conference Panels – October 12
9:30am
Welcome and coffee
10:00am–11:15am
THE STATE OF THE STREET: EVICTIONS AND DISPLACEMENTS
This session focuses simply on what makes a street alive or dead: the ‘life of the street’ is a classic Jane Jacobs trope; what does it mean today? Have the people who once gave streets life left the city, or been removed, or ceased to wish to interact? Has the design of streets prevented people from engaging with one another? One additional key issue is the privatizing of public space.
Chair: Michael Kimmelman
Panelists: Ricky Burdett, Stephen Duncombe, Richard Sennett
