Complex Dynamics
Seeking Community in LA’s School Construction Boom
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Esa Syeed
Between 2002 and 2017, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) undertook the most expensive school construction project in US history, spending $20 billion to construct 131 new schools concentrated in predominantly lower-income Latinx communities. The construction boom arose in response to mass migrations from Latin America that peaked in the 1990s, causing many LA schools to become severely overcrowded. Using reports from the planning process, spatial analysis, and interviews, the paper traces how Latinx and other minoritized communities mobilized to shape the district’s proposed designs, resulting in more community-centered schools. While the school district publicly espoused a commitment to equity by focusing new construction where it was most needed in South and East LA, plans initially focused narrowly on creating more seats to relieve overcrowding. As the result of grassroots mobilization that gave voice to an alternative spatial imaginary emphasizing authentic care (cariño), the district eventually designed new school buildings through formal community partnerships that came to include affordable housing, clinics, gardens, youth centers, and performance spaces. Despite these important shifts in school design, Latinx communities also noted critical setbacks. Rising rents and gentrification threaten their access to the new schools in the longer term. Moreover, the rapid expansion of charter schools and resulting dispersal of students raises questions of how the buildings will be utilized and what will be their connection to local communities. The case presents important lessons on the politics of participatory design and the role of community mobilization in planning.
Featured Bloom's Embrace: A Wetland's Journey View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Rebecca Midden
This study explores the design and implementation of “Bloom’s Embrace: A Wetland’s Journey,” a two-phase immersive installation that examines the relationship between natural and built environments. In its first phase, the project creates a spatial experience by situating large-scale untreated duck cloth panels partially submerged in wetland pools. These panels absorb biogeochemical processes over time, capturing ecological patterns- stains, textures, and colors that transform into visual narratives symbolizing the wetland’s purifying power. The installation invites visitors to move among the panels, immersing themselves in the interplay of light, shadow, time, texture, sound, color, and scale, fostering a deeper emotional and contemplative connection to the landscape. In its second phase, the panels are exhibited as monumental tapestries, functioning as metaphorical “landscape paintings” that expand the discourse around the invisible beneficial processes of wetlands and their vital role in ecological systems. Positioned at the intersection of environmental art, landscape architecture, and social innovation, this project fosters innovative approaches to design by demonstrating how ecological processes can inform spatial and architectural practices. “Bloom’s Embrace” encourages designers to draw inspiration from nature’s intelligence, offering a framework for creating spaces that harmonize poetic expression with ecological functionality and sustainability.
Centre and Periphery as Fractal Recursion : A Case Study from a Czech Post-industrial City View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Kristina Alda
I argue for understanding the relationship between centre and periphery as a fractal recursion, a concept developed by linguist Susan Gal and sociologist Gail Kligman in their study of gender and public and private spaces in post-socialist societies. The tension between centre and periphery generates a complex dynamic that simultaneously defines, negotiates, and evolves the content of both categories. Not only are the boundaries between centre and periphery fluid and porous, but spaces—whether physical or socially constructed—that we perceive as central often contain peripheral elements, just as peripheral locations can function as autonomous centres. This dynamic is particularly complex in places that have undergone turbulent political and social changes, such as post-socialist countries in Eastern and Central Europe, where old and new forms coexist on the same plane. I examine this through the example of Ostrava, a mid-sized, post-industrial Czech city, where I conducted 18 months of ethnographic fieldwork, using unstructured and semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and archival research. I show how the concept of fractal recursion can help us understand the complex relationship between centres and peripheries and the ways in which it impacts the daily lives of urban residents.
GenAI and Design Curriculum: Enhancing Learning for Social Impact View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Sandra Abegglen
This paper shares insights from a collaborative research project exploring the integration of Generative AI (GenAI) into design education, focusing on fostering socially responsible design practices when addressing complex societal challenges such as homelessness. Central to this exploration is the critical question: How can AI be integrated into design education to address pressing societal challenges like homelessness—without reinforcing existing inequities? The project brought together experts, educators, and practitioners to critically examine the ethical and practical implications of using AI in design and design education. Through thought-provoking panels and interactive discussions, participants engaged in deep conversations about the potential of AI to help students navigate and solve complex real-world problems while promoting inclusivity and equity. This resarch highlight the key provocations and questions that guided the project, share insights from diverse perspectives, and outline the actionable next steps developed to support educators and students. The findings contribute to the broader discourse on socially responsible design and offer practical guidance for integrating AI into educational practices that aim to create positive societal impact.
