Bradley Angell | Texas A&M University (original) (raw)
Papers by Bradley Angell
THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THE CONSTRUCTED ENVIRONMENT, 2012
Urban spaces are conventionally understood to be designed by architects, landscape architects and... more Urban spaces are conventionally understood to be designed by architects, landscape architects and engineers per the greatest utility in furtherance of communal objectives. Underlying this rational paradigm, there is an unspoken politicization in the creation of appropriate urban spaces with the dominant culture’s language of construction. As variants of the dominant culture homogenize under globalization, criticism of any single local dominant culture is increasingly applicable on a larger, global scale. Historically within the purview of the environmental justice movement, this criticism highlights the importance of integrating policy, legal and cultural expertise so as to best avoid the inequitable redefinition of urban space. Although there are a number of methods in which to respond to issues of development inequity, select communities facing disenfranchisement have reacted by selfproducing their own built environment within the dominant culture as purposeful urban-architectural forms (“UAFs”). These expressions are installed to subvert the existing power dynamic in favor of the minority’s political desire, manifesting as a minor architecture. I have identified and tested four UAFs employed for this purpose, including the Isla Vista Recreation & Park District, Tibetan Government-in-Exile, Arcata Cannabis Community, and the Student Bonfire. For each that proves valid, I argue with my findings that those communities who execute a minor architecture not only avoid communal disenfranchisement, but simultaneously counter-modernize against the inequity caused by the dominant culture’s modernization of urban space.
SPACES AND FLOWS: AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON URBAN AND EXTRAURBAN STUDIES, 2013
As variants of the dominant culture homogenize under globalization, criticism of any single local... more As variants of the dominant culture homogenize under globalization, criticism of any single local dominant culture is increasingly applicable on a larger, global scale. This greater applicability to local conditions has an enhanced validity in architecture, whereby criticism of urban modernization has a direct relationship to the nuisance and overt marginalization of those populations who engender extra-modern values of community. Select communities facing disenfranchisement have reacted to marginalization by critically self-producing expressions of architecture within the dominant culture they wish to subvert. Termed urban-architectural forms (“UAFs”), these expressions exist as potent micro-urban spaces embedded in their host community. Based on Deleuzean philosophy, a theory can be formed to analyze those UAFs who by existence assert a collective, political proclamation against the dominant culture. These UAFs can be characteristically proven to exhibit micro-scale forms of minor architecture critically produced by the marginalized population. Four UAFs have been identified and tested as they have been employed for this purpose, including the Isla Vista Recreation & Park District, Tibetan Government-in-Exile, Arcata’s Cannabis Community, and Student Bonfire. For each that proves valid, it is argued that those communities who execute a minor architecture not only avoid communal disenfranchisement, but simultaneously counter-modernize against the nuisance of globalization that originally threatened disenfranchisement.
As variants of the dominant culture homogenize, criticism of any local dominant culture is increa... more As variants of the dominant culture homogenize, criticism of any local dominant culture is increasingly applicable on a global scale. This ever greater applicability of critical discourse to local conditions has an enhanced validity in the built environment, where criticism is a reflection of the disenfranchising tendency of modernization upon the bottom billion. Selected communities facing disenfranchisement have reacted by critically producing their own minority form of urbanism within the framework of the dominant culture. As a new method of design, these politically charged expressions of the built environment are dignified as minor architecture. I theorize that these expressions assert a non-violent political proclamation against the dominant culture, manifesting as counter-measures against the ills of global modernization. I have identified and tested four cases for study, including the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, Student Bonfire, Isla Vista Recreation and Park District, and the Arcata Cannabis Community. I argue with my findings that those communities who execute a minor architecture not only avoid communal disenfranchisement, but simultaneously counter-modernize against globalization in its power to disenfranchise the community. Such endeavours of minor architecture allow a rare opportunity for self-help development in furtherance of minority equity in the face of widespread global modernization.
THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THE CONSTRUCTED ENVIRONMENT, 2012
Urban spaces are conventionally understood to be designed by architects, landscape architects and... more Urban spaces are conventionally understood to be designed by architects, landscape architects and engineers per the greatest utility in furtherance of communal objectives. Underlying this rational paradigm, there is an unspoken politicization in the creation of appropriate urban spaces with the dominant culture’s language of construction. As variants of the dominant culture homogenize under globalization, criticism of any single local dominant culture is increasingly applicable on a larger, global scale. Historically within the purview of the environmental justice movement, this criticism highlights the importance of integrating policy, legal and cultural expertise so as to best avoid the inequitable redefinition of urban space. Although there are a number of methods in which to respond to issues of development inequity, select communities facing disenfranchisement have reacted by selfproducing their own built environment within the dominant culture as purposeful urban-architectural forms (“UAFs”). These expressions are installed to subvert the existing power dynamic in favor of the minority’s political desire, manifesting as a minor architecture. I have identified and tested four UAFs employed for this purpose, including the Isla Vista Recreation & Park District, Tibetan Government-in-Exile, Arcata Cannabis Community, and the Student Bonfire. For each that proves valid, I argue with my findings that those communities who execute a minor architecture not only avoid communal disenfranchisement, but simultaneously counter-modernize against the inequity caused by the dominant culture’s modernization of urban space.
SPACES AND FLOWS: AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON URBAN AND EXTRAURBAN STUDIES, 2013
As variants of the dominant culture homogenize under globalization, criticism of any single local... more As variants of the dominant culture homogenize under globalization, criticism of any single local dominant culture is increasingly applicable on a larger, global scale. This greater applicability to local conditions has an enhanced validity in architecture, whereby criticism of urban modernization has a direct relationship to the nuisance and overt marginalization of those populations who engender extra-modern values of community. Select communities facing disenfranchisement have reacted to marginalization by critically self-producing expressions of architecture within the dominant culture they wish to subvert. Termed urban-architectural forms (“UAFs”), these expressions exist as potent micro-urban spaces embedded in their host community. Based on Deleuzean philosophy, a theory can be formed to analyze those UAFs who by existence assert a collective, political proclamation against the dominant culture. These UAFs can be characteristically proven to exhibit micro-scale forms of minor architecture critically produced by the marginalized population. Four UAFs have been identified and tested as they have been employed for this purpose, including the Isla Vista Recreation & Park District, Tibetan Government-in-Exile, Arcata’s Cannabis Community, and Student Bonfire. For each that proves valid, it is argued that those communities who execute a minor architecture not only avoid communal disenfranchisement, but simultaneously counter-modernize against the nuisance of globalization that originally threatened disenfranchisement.
As variants of the dominant culture homogenize, criticism of any local dominant culture is increa... more As variants of the dominant culture homogenize, criticism of any local dominant culture is increasingly applicable on a global scale. This ever greater applicability of critical discourse to local conditions has an enhanced validity in the built environment, where criticism is a reflection of the disenfranchising tendency of modernization upon the bottom billion. Selected communities facing disenfranchisement have reacted by critically producing their own minority form of urbanism within the framework of the dominant culture. As a new method of design, these politically charged expressions of the built environment are dignified as minor architecture. I theorize that these expressions assert a non-violent political proclamation against the dominant culture, manifesting as counter-measures against the ills of global modernization. I have identified and tested four cases for study, including the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, Student Bonfire, Isla Vista Recreation and Park District, and the Arcata Cannabis Community. I argue with my findings that those communities who execute a minor architecture not only avoid communal disenfranchisement, but simultaneously counter-modernize against globalization in its power to disenfranchise the community. Such endeavours of minor architecture allow a rare opportunity for self-help development in furtherance of minority equity in the face of widespread global modernization.