Recent protests throughout Spain and Europe over unemployment and governmental representation offer a unique look at how protests use and create public space and urbanity.
This op-ed from Domus looks at how the use of public spaces by the protesters resulted in a new temporary urbanism.
"It started as a small-scale protest against the misrepresentation of its participants in democratic institutions, both in Spain and across the EU. It then moved with calls like "YES WE CAMP!" into a 500-person protest-camp-with thousands engaged in its daily offline activities, and millions discussing online through the hashtag #spanishrevolution, making it a worldwide Twitter trending topic in only a few hours. After twenty-five days of protests that emerged in different fashions innumerous Spanish cities, sparking demonstrations in solidarity in several EU capitals, the "15M" (15 Mayo) movement soon evolved into a wide network of connected neighborhood assemblies. After all this process, and its successful social enrolment, 15M is still seen by many as an attempt at consensus in the normalized use of public space."
FULL STORY: 15M and YES WE CAMP! Controversy as urbanism
10 great urban planning summer reads
Wherever you're going (or staying) this summer, here are some suggestions for books to bring along.
April must-reads: Top 10 articles from last month
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New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
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EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
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Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
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Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association