TEDxPortofSpain
Mark Raymond: Victims of the city
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Architecture can bring people together, or divide them -- witness the skyscraper, costly, inefficient, and only serving small portions of the community. At TEDxPortofSpain, Mark Raymond encourages city governments to let go of their old notions of success and consider the balance of environment, economy, and society to design cities for social change.
Mark Raymond - Architect
Mark Raymond’s work as an architect in Trinidad and Tobago is founded on the belief that thoughtfully designed cities can foster sustainability and inclusiveness throughout a society. Full bio
Mark Raymond’s work as an architect in Trinidad and Tobago is founded on the belief that thoughtfully designed cities can foster sustainability and inclusiveness throughout a society. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:08
We've been asked to address
the theme of changing conversations.
the theme of changing conversations.
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And I think certainly
in the field that I'm in,
in the field that I'm in,
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that's a really important point to be at.
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From the discourses that are going on
within architecture
within architecture
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as well as throughout society,
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I think it is time to change
the way that we look at things.
the way that we look at things.
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As an architect, I've been involved
with architectural projects,
with architectural projects,
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with urban planning projects,
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and more recently, projects that engage
much more with the landscape.
much more with the landscape.
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Now I can see so many opportunities
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and so many ways
in which design can contribute
in which design can contribute
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and has the capacity
to effect social change.
to effect social change.
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And that's what I'm going
to talk to you today about.
to talk to you today about.
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Starting off, I think it might be useful
to talk a little bit about architecture,
to talk a little bit about architecture,
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because I think for many people,
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architecture is a slightly
mystical activity.
mystical activity.
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Not many people know what architects do.
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A lot of the time, I'm not sure
the architects know what they're doing.
the architects know what they're doing.
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But we try,
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and it's important to try and embrace that
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and try and understand what that means.
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When I talk about architecture today,
I'm not talking about the profession.
I'm not talking about the profession.
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I'm not talking about an activity that's
pursued by a select group of people
pursued by a select group of people
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with some specialized knowledge.
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I'm talking about architecture
in the bigger sense:
in the bigger sense:
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architecture in terms
of the room that we're in,
of the room that we're in,
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architecture as a pervasive activity,
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architecture as the activity
that is the creation of shelter,
that is the creation of shelter,
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the creation of space,
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the design and the creation
of spaces between buildings,
of spaces between buildings,
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the landscape.
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It's man's interaction with the landscape.
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Our construction
of the built environment --
of the built environment --
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that's what I mean by architecture.
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It's not a specialized thing.
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And over the last, I suppose,
20 or 30 years,
20 or 30 years,
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with the predominance of the internet
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and the wonderful
and exciting advancements
and exciting advancements
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that are taking place in technology,
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one of the things that has happened
is that our perception of the world
is that our perception of the world
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has become commodified.
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It's become reduced in many ways
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to a perception that is two-dimensional.
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We spend a lot of our time,
a lot of our lives,
a lot of our lives,
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looking at the world through screens,
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whether it's our laptops
or television screens
or television screens
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or monitors at airports
or in the workplace
or in the workplace
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or even our telephones are now screens.
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And it has this effect of reducing
our perception of the world.
our perception of the world.
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It expands it in many ways,
but it can reduce it,
but it can reduce it,
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it can turn into icons our idea
or our notion of certain concepts
or our notion of certain concepts
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or ideas that are, in fact,
maybe a lot more pervasive
maybe a lot more pervasive
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than the two-dimensional image can convey.
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And I think that's true
about architecture.
about architecture.
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I think we've grown accustomed
to thinking about architecture
to thinking about architecture
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in a really primarily
two-dimensional way, in a flat way,
two-dimensional way, in a flat way,
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that the building is about
what it looks like, how it appears,
what it looks like, how it appears,
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it's visual commodity.
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But it's much more than that.
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It's much more than an aesthetic
or just a sensory experience.
or just a sensory experience.
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That's very important,
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but it's much more than that.
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It's a complex operation.
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And a big part of architecture
and a big part of design
and a big part of design
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involves understanding the context
in which that design exists
in which that design exists
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or in which it's going to exist.
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It's having the imagination
to try and predict or project
to try and predict or project
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where the building
or where the urban space
or where the urban space
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or where the landscape
is going to be located,
is going to be located,
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how it's going to be used,
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what are the operations,
what are the activities
what are the activities
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that are going to take place
in that space.
in that space.
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And you might call those
the programmatic aspects of architecture,
the programmatic aspects of architecture,
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the programmatic aspects of design.
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And I think that in recent times,
we've tended to privilege
we've tended to privilege
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or put at a higher level
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that visual sensory perception
or desire about architecture
or desire about architecture
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ahead and in advance
of those programmatic needs.
of those programmatic needs.
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We've tended to kind of
create monuments, create icons
create monuments, create icons
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that create a sensation or create effect,
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without really thinking through
the value of the operation
the value of the operation
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that those places
or those spaces can affect.
or those spaces can affect.
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And it's in that zone or in that area
that I think we need to start looking
that I think we need to start looking
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or trying to understand
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how architecture or how design
can really impact on society,
can really impact on society,
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and how it can address
some of the problems
some of the problems
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that we're facing.
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The big buzzword in design
and in what I do
and in what I do
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and I think what everybody does
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is the idea of sustainability.
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Sustainability is an idea,
a notion or a concept
a notion or a concept
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that's triangulated by three very
important concepts or ideas:
important concepts or ideas:
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the environment, the economy and society.
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Well, the global economy seems to be
currently in a kind of meltdown situation.
currently in a kind of meltdown situation.
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A lot of work needs to be done there.
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The environment
that we live in is challenged.
that we live in is challenged.
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We've got global warming,
we've got rising tides,
we've got rising tides,
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we've got all sorts
of disasters taking place,
of disasters taking place,
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all sorts of things happening
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that threaten the equilibrium of the world
and the environment that we live in.
and the environment that we live in.
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And society itself
is also challenged and threatened
is also challenged and threatened
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by some of the issues
that we're faced with.
that we're faced with.
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I think we've heard about
some of those issues today
some of those issues today
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and the need to change the paradigm
in which we perceive those things.
in which we perceive those things.
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It's really very crucial that we do that.
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So how does design impact that?
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How can how can I, as a designer,
or anybody as a designer
or anybody as a designer
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or any architect
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or how can society --
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in what way can design impact on that,
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in what way can it affect that?
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I'm going to talk today
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about ways in which I think
design can impact on society,
design can impact on society,
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very specifically on society,
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and how that idea of design
can infiltrate the idea of society
can infiltrate the idea of society
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and work with society
in the operations of society
in the operations of society
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in this programmatic way
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to effect social change.
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This is an image of Frederick Street
in the early part of the last century.
in the early part of the last century.
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And I think it's a good image
in lots of ways.
in lots of ways.
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It seems like that little triangulation
of the environment,
of the environment,
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the economy and society
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seems to be in a kind of balance.
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So it seems that in cities
we can see that balance
we can see that balance
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that cities are symbols or ciphers
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or ways in which we can we can understand
the confluence of those forces.
the confluence of those forces.
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And through time,
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there have been times when cities
have done that very successfully.
have done that very successfully.
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There are lots of examples
of very good cities
of very good cities
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which have found themselves
at a specific moment in time
at a specific moment in time
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at a point of balance or equilibrium.
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If we look at Port of Spain as a city,
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and we consider the idea
that, once upon a time,
that, once upon a time,
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Port of Spain was just a little cluster,
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a little fishing village
at the mouth of the St. Ann's River.
at the mouth of the St. Ann's River.
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And yet it's grown to be
such a big, complex conglomeration,
such a big, complex conglomeration,
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a big conurbation of lots and lots
of complex ideas.
of complex ideas.
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The Italian architect Aldo Rossi,
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a 20th-century architect who died
at the end of the last century,
at the end of the last century,
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made a very profound statement.
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He said architecture is the making
of the city over time.
of the city over time.
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I think that's a great statement,
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because it talks, on one level,
about the individual production
about the individual production
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and manufacture
of an object -- architecture --
of an object -- architecture --
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and it talks about architecture
as being a form of cultural production,
as being a form of cultural production,
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as something that speaks to an issue
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or speaks to ideas that are bigger
than the sum of the parts of the building,
than the sum of the parts of the building,
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and it relates it to the city.
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It also suggested that it's a constant,
dynamic, changing process.
dynamic, changing process.
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And I think that's a very
important thing to understand,
important thing to understand,
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that it's also part of the program.
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It's nothing to do with visual,
it's to do with the program.
it's to do with the program.
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It's how does this evolve,
what are the dynamics,
what are the dynamics,
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what are the components,
what are the elements
what are the elements
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that contribute to the unraveling
and the creation of the city?
and the creation of the city?
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It also speaks to the fact that the city
is something that can be imagined.
is something that can be imagined.
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In the same way as we can conceive
and imagine of a space or a building,
and imagine of a space or a building,
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we can conceive and imagine of a city.
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And it speaks to the idea
of the individual and the collective.
of the individual and the collective.
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And it's that link --
the individual to the collective,
the individual to the collective,
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the idea of the civitas, the idea
of the society --
of the society --
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that I think is a really important axiom
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for understanding
how design can infiltrate
how design can infiltrate
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and how design can effect change.
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These are some images
of how Port of Spain evolved
of how Port of Spain evolved
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over a relatively short
period of 200 years,
period of 200 years,
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from a colonial plan that was developed
following some ordinances
following some ordinances
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sent out by the king of Spain,
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called the Laws of the Indies.
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Many cities in the Caribbean
and Latin America
and Latin America
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were predicated and formulated on this.
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It was a gesture, it was a single design
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that addressed the needs
and the requirements
and the requirements
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of those establishing
cities and new colonies.
cities and new colonies.
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And it expanded, and over time,
as trade began to develop in Trinidad,
as trade began to develop in Trinidad,
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the city expanded, and it grew,
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and it started appropriating,
more and more, the surrounding landscape,
more and more, the surrounding landscape,
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until it grew to pretty much
what we have today,
what we have today,
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or what we understand to be
the city of Port of Spain.
the city of Port of Spain.
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But as we all know,
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that process grew also on a kind
of macro scale as well.
of macro scale as well.
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We have the evolution and the development
of this big conurbation
of this big conurbation
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that stretches from Port
of Spain to the west
of Spain to the west
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and over to Arouca in the east
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and seems to be continuing.
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So we've developed
into this concept or idea
into this concept or idea
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that far exceeds the original
Laws of the Indies plan.
Laws of the Indies plan.
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And it's turned into a complex
arrangement and matrix
arrangement and matrix
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of infrastructures and complex issues,
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issues that, in many ways,
have led to a lot of problems.
have led to a lot of problems.
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They've led to a lot
of infrastructural problems.
of infrastructural problems.
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And we share this
with many, many cities in the world.
with many, many cities in the world.
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Cities all over the world
are expanding, they're increasing,
are expanding, they're increasing,
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they're undergoing the same type
of development that we've undergone
of development that we've undergone
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to the point where the original Port
of Spain and the downtown Port of Spain
of Spain and the downtown Port of Spain
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that used to comprise the city,
used to constitute the city,
used to constitute the city,
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has now turned into this sort
of megalopolis, this sprawl,
of megalopolis, this sprawl,
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and it's difficult to comprehend.
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And when we think of the problems,
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we think of the infrastructural problems:
the water, the power,
the water, the power,
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the traffic congestion,
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the crime, the segregation,
the polarization that exists,
the polarization that exists,
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the situation that has led to what's
happened in this country recently
happened in this country recently
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with the state of emergency ...
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Sometimes it seems
completely insurmountable.
completely insurmountable.
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It seems like we've got to a point
where we can't really control it
where we can't really control it
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in the way that we can control
that original plan.
that original plan.
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We can't really control this anymore.
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It's almost as if we're
victims of the city,
victims of the city,
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rather than people that have willingly
or willfully designed the city
or willfully designed the city
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or formulated the city.
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Another phenomenon that has happened
commensurate with these issues
commensurate with these issues
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of size and scale of infrastructure
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is the predomination
of what I would call "typologies,"
of what I would call "typologies,"
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different types of development.
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We're all familiar
with the high-rise development.
with the high-rise development.
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This is some buildings in Hong Kong,
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you know, the magnificent, tall structures
that cost a fortune to build.
that cost a fortune to build.
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But they predominate;
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it's almost as if you can't have a city
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unless you've got
a high-rise building in it.
a high-rise building in it.
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They're symbolic, they seem emblematic
with modernity and development.
with modernity and development.
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And then shopping malls
is another predominant type,
is another predominant type,
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another prevalent type
that all cities want to have,
that all cities want to have,
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the idea that you can
concentrate all these shops
concentrate all these shops
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and all this retail activity in one place
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and create an environment for people
to come and do specific retail functions
to come and do specific retail functions
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and purchase things and be
in a specific place at a specific time.
in a specific place at a specific time.
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And then the highway, the idea
of cutting through landscapes
of cutting through landscapes
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to create how it's to increase the speed
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with which we can get
from one point to another.
from one point to another.
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And then we also have
suburban development.
suburban development.
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These are all typologies
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that are emblematic of the type
of development that has taken place
of development that has taken place
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in modern cities, in Port of Spain
and cities all over the world.
and cities all over the world.
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Now, there's nothing wrong
with shopping malls,
with shopping malls,
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there's nothing wrong with highways,
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and there's nothing wrong with high-rise
buildings or suburban development.
buildings or suburban development.
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What is kind of wrong
is that what we seem to be doing
is that what we seem to be doing
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is privileging types or ways of building
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or ideas about building
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above other really very important ways
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of how we can conceive
or how we imagine space.
or how we imagine space.
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What about schools?
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What about parks?
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What about making streets
that are really comfortable to walk on
that are really comfortable to walk on
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and the people are not confronting
traffic noise and congestion all the time?
traffic noise and congestion all the time?
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Where is that in the equation?
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It seems that with our focus on these
types of structures and these typologies,
types of structures and these typologies,
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which are motivated and driven
primarily because they generate profit,
primarily because they generate profit,
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they're part of an economic
consumer system,
consumer system,
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they generate profit,
that's why they're favored,
that's why they're favored,
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that's why they are privileged
above other types of development.
above other types of development.
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But schools,
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parks,
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elements of cities that used to be really
significant and really important
significant and really important
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are being diminished and marginalized
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as a consequence of the focus
on this type of development.
on this type of development.
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They're undermining
the integrity of the city,
the integrity of the city,
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they're undermining
the capacity of the city
the capacity of the city
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to accommodate social interaction,
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to accommodate everybody,
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because the other thing
is they're also exclusive.
is they're also exclusive.
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To work in a high-end office,
you need to be qualified,
you need to be qualified,
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you need to be educated,
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or you need to have
access or the resources
access or the resources
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to get the qualifications or the training
that allow you to get the job in there.
that allow you to get the job in there.
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If you don't have those,
you work outside somewhere.
you work outside somewhere.
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We're not concerned about
what those places are like,
what those places are like,
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you just go and work somewhere else.
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Similarly, those people that used
to live in the cities
to live in the cities
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or used to live and contribute
to the life of cities
to the life of cities
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are being pushed out because buildings
like high-rise buildings push them out.
like high-rise buildings push them out.
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There's a premium on land price
that pushes people out of cities.
that pushes people out of cities.
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People can't go to shopping malls
unless they've got cars,
unless they've got cars,
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because those malls are generally
located on the peripheries of cities.
located on the peripheries of cities.
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People can't go buy things
in shopping malls,
in shopping malls,
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because they don't have
enough disposable income;
enough disposable income;
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they're not going to spend money there.
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13:25
So those types of buildings,
whilst they work for sectors of society,
whilst they work for sectors of society,
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don't work for everybody.
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They're not equitable.
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Yet, an undue amount of attention
is paid by government, by society
is paid by government, by society
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on ensuring that those types
of buildings proliferate,
of buildings proliferate,
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13:38
because they're seen as positive
aspects of development --
aspects of development --
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at the expense of types of building
and types of program
and types of program
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that could be beneficial to everybody,
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13:48
types of program
that encourage interaction,
that encourage interaction,
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13:51
that encourage education,
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that encourage people
to be with each other
to be with each other
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13:54
and encourage a sense of community.
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13:56
These types of development
dissipate society,
dissipate society,
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13:58
they disaggregate society,
they polarize society.
they polarize society.
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14:02
They create isolated groups of activity
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to which access depends upon how much
money you've got in your pocket.
money you've got in your pocket.
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14:10
It's a polarizing and negative force.
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We see it in this city,
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14:13
and we're seeing it more
and more other cities.
and more other cities.
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14:15
And what ends up happening
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14:18
is that we end up with this sort of stack,
that's like a time bomb.
that's like a time bomb.
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14:21
At some point the system must collapse,
it's really not sustainable.
it's really not sustainable.
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14:25
It's like the economic
system in the world today --
system in the world today --
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14:28
it's really not a sustainable system,
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14:29
and we have to find ways of addressing it.
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14:32
Design can't provide the solution,
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14:34
but what it can address is some
of the conditions that people live with.
of the conditions that people live with.
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14:39
It can address some of the circumstances
in which people find themselves,
in which people find themselves,
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14:42
some of the areas of cities
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14:44
to which people have
been shunted or pushed aside
been shunted or pushed aside
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14:47
because they can no longer
afford to live in the center,
afford to live in the center,
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14:49
and they can't participate
actively or fully
actively or fully
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14:51
in this consumerized, capitalized system.
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14:55
And we need to try and conceive
of how we can transform
of how we can transform
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14:59
these types of spaces,
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how we can integrate the activities
that happen in these types of spaces
that happen in these types of spaces
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15:03
within a bigger picture,
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15:05
how we can identify small moves
or small gestures,
or small gestures,
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15:08
whether through design or economic
initiative or social initiative
initiative or social initiative
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15:12
that effect change and that allow
transformation of spaces
transformation of spaces
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15:16
that encourage and facilitate
greater participation.
greater participation.
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15:21
And there are lots of ways of doing that.
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15:23
And whilst it might seem complex
when we look at cities,
when we look at cities,
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15:25
when we look at the aggregate parts
of cities, it may seem insurmountable.
of cities, it may seem insurmountable.
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15:29
But if we try and isolate individual acts,
individual ways of looking at things
individual ways of looking at things
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15:33
and formulate a program, a manner or way
of understanding how we can do that,
of understanding how we can do that,
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15:38
then we can get nearer
to achieving or effecting
to achieving or effecting
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15:40
some kind of social change.
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15:42
And there are examples in the world
where that's been done.
where that's been done.
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15:45
Barcelona is a really good example
of a city where people sat down
of a city where people sat down
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15:48
and collectively and actively
tried to conceive of ways
tried to conceive of ways
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15:51
in which they could effect change,
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15:52
and they did it very successfully.
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15:54
And nearer to home, in Bogotá,
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15:56
Enrique Peñalosa, the mayor of Bogotá,
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15:59
when he took office, he decided,
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16:02
"I'm not going to spend billions
of dollars on creating more highways.
of dollars on creating more highways.
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16:05
I'm going to appropriate the funds I have,
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16:07
and I'm going to create places --
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16:09
parks that everybody can use,
public spaces that people can use."
public spaces that people can use."
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16:14
And as he created, more and more
people came into those spaces.
people came into those spaces.
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16:17
And those spaces were very effective
in encouraging participation,
in encouraging participation,
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16:21
encouraging senses
of community amongst people,
of community amongst people,
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16:23
getting people to come together
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16:25
to forget what little trifling contests
they had between each other,
they had between each other,
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16:29
to start doing things together,
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16:31
to start moving around the city together
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16:33
and try to start acting together.
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16:35
So there are ways of doing it;
there are models.
there are models.
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16:38
And it comes back to this idea of program.
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16:40
What's our program?
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Well, I think we want to create
equitable society.
equitable society.
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16:44
Then we want to create societies
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16:45
where there's active and equitable
participation for everybody
participation for everybody
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16:49
and where we can break down
some of those inhibitions, those barriers.
some of those inhibitions, those barriers.
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16:53
We can remove economic stigma,
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2538
16:55
we can remove stigma around race,
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16:58
around where you live,
around all those factors
around all those factors
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17:00
and try and bring people together
in constructed and effective ways.
in constructed and effective ways.
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17:04
In Trinidad, there are
a number of examples.
a number of examples.
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17:06
There are opportunities to do this
all over the place.
all over the place.
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This is City Gate.
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17:10
It's the entrance to the city
for tens of thousands of people.
for tens of thousands of people.
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17:13
People come in and out of it every day.
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1903
17:15
And yet, what they're confronted
with is pretty bleak, horrid, grey,
with is pretty bleak, horrid, grey,
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3861
17:19
unwelcoming and sometimes unsafe
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17:23
because of all the traffic zooming around.
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17:25
And that space from City Gate
that moves up to Independence Square
that moves up to Independence Square
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17:29
could be a really wonderful experience,
you know, with landscaping,
you know, with landscaping,
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17:34
with proper accommodation
of the sort of facilities and amenities
of the sort of facilities and amenities
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17:37
that people would need and would enjoy.
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17:40
It could become a really
very important civic space.
very important civic space.
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17:43
This is the Prado in Havana.
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It's just a notional idea
of how that space could be treated
of how that space could be treated
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17:48
so that movement
in and out of the city every day
in and out of the city every day
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17:50
becomes a really important
and uplifting transition
and uplifting transition
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17:53
from the maxi taxi
to the place where you work.
to the place where you work.
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17:56
In San Fernando we've got the waterfront,
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17:59
which is a really very beautiful part
of this landscape in this country,
of this landscape in this country,
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18:03
but is in complete neglect.
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18:05
There are some really beautiful,
fine examples of 19th-century architecture
fine examples of 19th-century architecture
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18:09
that form, in and of themselves,
some really fine spaces.
some really fine spaces.
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18:12
We need to we need to look at
those spaces, we need to appropriate them,
those spaces, we need to appropriate them,
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18:16
we need to determine uses for those spaces
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2032
18:18
that would encourage
all types of activity:
all types of activity:
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18:20
spaces for performance,
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1977
18:22
spaces for children to play in
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1579
18:24
and learn that it's cool and it's OK
and it's fun to be around other people,
and it's fun to be around other people,
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3827
18:28
spaces for people to do all the kinds
of activities that people like to do,
of activities that people like to do,
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3622
18:31
that they enjoy doing collectively
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2662
18:34
and that benefit society
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1308
18:35
and encourage people to interact,
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1590
18:37
regardless of their social
or economic circumstance,
or economic circumstance,
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18:40
or places for people to reflect,
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1955
18:42
parks, places for people to sit and relax.
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2648
18:45
And there are lots of ways we can do that,
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2034
18:47
ways in which we can address and look at
how we break down those barriers.
how we break down those barriers.
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18:51
We can do it with architectural language.
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18:53
We can look at the ways
that spaces are formulated
that spaces are formulated
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18:56
to break down divisions and barriers
between inside and outside,
between inside and outside,
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3168
18:59
between green and hard surfaces
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2598
19:01
and try and generate spaces
that really encourage interaction,
that really encourage interaction,
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3147
19:05
encourage people to do things together
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19:07
and encourage a sense of community.
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2179
19:09
We need to mandate government,
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2048
19:11
we need to provide examples
to developers, to people
to developers, to people
404
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3275
19:14
to generate that the benefit
of these may not be measured
of these may not be measured
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2695
19:17
in a financial return on investment,
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1815
19:19
but the social benefit to us all is really
immeasurable in the long run.
immeasurable in the long run.
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4260
19:23
And if we do that,
I think we can demonstrate --
I think we can demonstrate --
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19:27
and we've demonstrated in the past that
designers had the capacity to do that --
designers had the capacity to do that --
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19:30
I think if we can do that,
we can demonstrate to people
we can demonstrate to people
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19:33
that society is an inclusive community,
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2601
19:36
and that if everybody is included,
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19:38
and if everybody feels part
of the society,
of the society,
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19:41
then we have a much better chance
of ensuring a sustainable future.
of ensuring a sustainable future.
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19:44
Thank you.
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1150
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Mark Raymond - ArchitectMark Raymond’s work as an architect in Trinidad and Tobago is founded on the belief that thoughtfully designed cities can foster sustainability and inclusiveness throughout a society.
Why you should listen
Mark Raymond is the president of The Trinidad and Tobago Institute of Architects -- a firm dedicated to safeguarding sustainable, ethical and artistic design throughout the islands. He studied at the Architectural Association in London and worked for Norman Foster and DEGW before returning to Trinidad. Mark works on a wide variety of architectural, urban design and landscaping projects. He has also lectured in the US, UK and throughout the Caribbean.
Mark Raymond | Speaker | TED.com