Curating the Open City: An Interview with Kees Christiaanse

The Social Life of a Barrier: A Material Ethnography of Urban Counter-terrorism

“…In exploring these creative appropriations, we have suggested that mobilities design thinking as a new and creative way to study the transformation of urban space in light of recent vehicle attacks. Our illustration of the ways in which the concrete barriers are re-appropriated, in broader terms, can be tied to aspirations toward what authors have called the “open city” (Christiaanse & Levinson, 2009), the “good city” (Amin, 2005) and demonstrates struggles around the “rights to the city” (Purcell, 2002). Importantly, the right to the city is not equivalent to having access to the resources of the city, but rather, as Harvey powerfully puts it (2003, p. 1):[I]t is a right to change ourselves by changing the city more after our heart’s desire.…”

Operationalizing the open city concept: A case study of Berlin

“…He later expanded his analysis to include five conditions: (1) permeable or porous boundaries (passage territories), that facilitate exchange across different areas; (2) incomplete forms, or an open architecture that consists of unfinishable architectural type-forms to accommodate changing needs; (3) seed-planning where type-forms become breeding grounds for complexity and openness; (4) punctuations, such as landmarks or street furniture; and (5) synchronicity of activities. Sennett's (2018) seed-planning concept resonated with Christiaanse's (2009) findings, who concluded following an overview of projects, that the OC is fostered through gradual interventions based on a careful analysis of the status quo and interplay of hybrid and contrasting tendencies. More specifically, the OC rejects topdown planning driven by state institutions and private interests and orchestrates variations, substitutions, and additions in the built environment, using minimum rules, to encourage adaptations and support the emergence of open systems (Porqueddu, 2018;Sennett, 2018).…”

“…Accordingly, designing accessible and mixed neighborhoods with public spaces and an integrated transport network does not necessarily guarantee openness but can form the basis for fortunate developments. Overall, both Sennett (2018Sennett ( , 2007 and Christiaanse (2009) emphasized the role of urban form in promoting the OC and noted various attributes of openness such as permeability, accessibility, diversity, and democratic engagement.…”

“…While various scholars have identified numerous conditions of the OC (Christiaanse, 2009;Ipsen, 2005;Sennett, 2007), an operationalization of the concept remains limited in literature. Thus, the article presents different attributes of the OC derived from urban studies literature and aims to operationalize the concept using an equal weighting approach.…”

“…We focus on Berlin, a renowned OC (Allon, 2013a), to develop a systematized understanding of the concept, its attributes, and implications for future urban transformations. While we acknowledge that the OC cannot be predicted or designed (Christiaanse, 2009;Porqueddu, 2018), we intend to emphasize the conditions that can potentially foster this positive value in cities.…”