thirty-seven. Jo’burg, driven.
the People Building Better Cities conference now over, and Global Studio well-under way...evenings find me wordless after hours of seeing, absorbing, discussing. it has been intense: the layers of boundary negotiation are ever-present at multiple scales. each individual is constantly pressed against (and asked to test) the walled-in fears that fill this city. simultaneously, as sub-groups working in local communities, there is the humbling risk-taking demanded by a situation of socio-spatial unknowns. the sense of responsibility is overwhelming, and occasionally comes into conflict with one’s own comfort thresholds – as it should be. as an entire studio of 75, there is the added complexity of moving through this city and country en masse (as was the case for last weekend’s field trips), and relatively well-cloistered as such – by mega tour-buses, safety concerns, staying in a highly-secured gated campus environment, and a general immunity to the genuine vulnerabilities of being powerless in a city of contested power.

there is much to say but for now i simply want to share Jo’burg, as seen thus far, fittingly, from the window of a van/bus, usually framed by guard rail.