Fun, as a design tool in urbanism, is increasingly used to make people proud and cautious of their environment says Pop Up City in a post on a “waterbed” pavement by artist collective Raum in Bourges, France. The undulating pavement, in turn, “questions the hardness of the city and its ability to change.”
Oh dear, that really takes the fun out of it. Fun, as a urban design tool, invites people to play instead of doing things the usual way, often fostering human interactions, too. Usually low-cost, private “interventions” to get our attention: Stairs or slide? Stairs or escalator? Swings or bench? Fun side effects might include more physical activity, more conversations, more reasons to play in the city. Play helps spark innovation, too, for other creative problem solving, but first let’s play without the pseudo philosophy.
