walks book

WALKING

Walking

We used walking as a tool for exploring the city since to quote Francesco Careri: Walking is useful for architecture as a cognitive and design tool, as a means of recognizing a geography in the chaos of the peripheries, and a means through which to invent new ways to intervene in public metropolitan spaces.

Initial walks were taken through Colombes to gain a bit of understanding about the area and then this knowledge was used to inform our more strategic walks. Texts such as Michael de Certeaus Walking in the city and the book Urban Flotsam influenced our understanding of walking as a tool.

De Certeau defines walking as a way to experience the city by being within it and shaping the nature of the spaces walked through. He writes: The act of walking is to the urban system what the speech act is to language meaning that walking plays a fundamental part in gaining an understanding of a city. In comparison to this is the birdseye view method of research which looks at the city from above, so to speak, and is a detached view of the city.

Both methods were relevant to gain an overall understanding of Colombes but they were appropriate at different times.

Walking as a tool

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Walk types carried out by the studio in Colombes

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Walking types taken from Urban Flotsam: stirring the city

Walking

Walk types...Walk types...

walk types carried out by walk types carried out by the studio in Colombesthe studio in Colombes

De Certeau formed an initial basis for using walking as a tool, however, Urban Flotsam helped us to understand walking as defined in the 7 walk types which can be used to experience spaces.

We focused on 4 of the walking types; walk across, walk along, walk out and walk through.

Walking

Discussions on walking...

Although the four walk types shown on the previous page were our initial starting points, we reinterpreted some of these walks to suit not only the setting of Colombes but also how they could be best used to our advantage. The walk across became a derive, the walk out became a walk around using the centre of Colombes as a marker and then walking around a predetermined boundary to see how the area changes, and walk through created a complementary walk of section through which took a key section through Colombes to study how the area varies walking along that section.

three possible walking routes were marked out: walk around, walk along and walk through or section through

the group discussed what the most appropriate and useful walks would be and how to carry them out

These were the walks carried out across Colombes. Each mapping uses a different style according to what was appropriate for the subject of the walk and this is illustrated through the following drawings.

What we learnt from the walks was a way of analysing the area using the wormseye view. It helped us to actively participate in experiencing the spaces by becoming users within them allowing us, as de Certeau notes, to manipulate spatial organisations.

Prior to our trip to Colombes we only had a birdseye view of the area, however, walking around it strategically allowed us to understand it better through the inside out approach.

DERIVE

WALK THROUGH

WALK ALONG

WALK AROUND

SECTION THROUGH

Colombes -

Mapping Thematic Walks

Walking in Colombes...

Community

DERIVE

Colombes -


images from the walk...

This walk around walk was taking the centre of Colombes and then walking west from the main boulevard. The walk was divided into three all with varying experiences.

The red area shows landmarks with lots of activity and an eclectic housing mix with many small interesting streets and cul de sacs. Also it showed that people took pride in their housing and green spaces.

The orange area is the area surrounding the hospital and in close proximity to the A86. There is little or no identity in this area with large homogeneous buildings showing no relation to Colombes. This space was visited during the end of the school day yet the area still felt sparse and un-loved.

The green area shows small and local business, responding to the demographic and cultural diversity in this area. Community facilities, such as passport help and many parks moving back to the centre.

1. Drawn through underpass

2:20pm

2. Mixed dwellings & cul de sacs

2:30pm

3. 70s High density housing

2:40pm

5. Construction site

3:00pm3:10pm

6. Route out of Colombes

7. School

3:15pm

3:35pm

3:40pm

9. Moving back towards the centre

7. Hospital10. Community centre high rise housing development

11. Apartments

3:45pm

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Lack of identityVandalism

Ad-hoc development

Enterprise

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Green space

Active during school hours Sports

Sparce An edge Disconnected Little or no business

Empty sites New developments Main activity at bustops

Church Green space

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New villa development

Offices and bakery

Green space- not used

Area 1- eclectic housing mix, pride and identity

Area 2 - hospital and sports- large developments, no identity

WALK- areas felt zoned

Area 3 - responds to demographic, well used spaces

Facility or result in that specific area, due to conditions

COMMUNITY FACILITIES/ ASPECTS

Walk across an area north west of the centre of Colombes. Purpose of the walk was to map community facilties and acspects.

Walking

Public Spaces

DERIVE

Colombes -



This derive was based around the Petit Colombes area. The intension was to explore the different types of social space in this part of Colombes. Each social space was considered based on its level of privacy/public access and on the activities that were taking place within these spaces. It was clear that new developments with communal space were often more private and in some places gated, limiting social interaction in these places.

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conversing dog walkingworkingparent & child

begging youth gathering

commuting route through

visitingstatic conversation

cyclist consuming

MAPPING PUBLIC SPACES

Walk across Petit Colombes - the purpose of the walk was to map public spaces and activities.

gated areas

semi-private

associated with private buildings

public space

conversing dog walkingworkingparent & child

begging youth gathering


visitingstatic conversation

cyclist consuming

of the walk was

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beggingi youth hgathering


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cyclist consuming

Walking

Walk Along

Uninhabitated Spaces

WALK ALONG

Colombes -


This was a walk along the river from Gare du Stade to Colombes via Jardin Familia allotments. The purpose of the walk was to walk along the river Seine from the train station of Gare du Stade to identify uninhabited spaces. These spaces can be categorised into a number including undeveloped open space, empty shells, derelict buildings and developed unused open spaces. As the walk was taken through the main industrial area between Colombes and Gennevilliers, the findings are more recurrent than so within the central area of the town where the land would be more scarce.


MAPPING UNINHABITED SPACE

Walk along the river - from Gare du Stade to Colombes via Jardin Familia Allotments. Purpose of the walk was to walk along the River Seine from the train station of Gare du Stade to identify uninhabited spaces. These spaces can be categorised into a number including undeveloped open space, empty shells, derelict buildings and developed unused open spaces. As the walk was taken through the main industrial area between Colombes and Gennevilliers, the findings are more recurrent than so within the central area of the town where land would be more scarce.

JARDIN FAMILIAALLOTMENTS

COLOMBESTRAIN STATION

RAILWAY STATIONUNDERPASS GARAGES

OLD STORAGE UNITS

TRAIN NOISEVIBRATIONS

HIGH DENSITY HOUSINGPRIVATE HOUSING

PRIVATE GARDENS

CRECHE FACILITYON-STREET PARKING

SQUATS

ENTERPRISE ZONEHEAVY INDUSTRIES

HIGHWAY INTERCHANGEWATER TRANSPORT

BUS STOPSIGNAGERESTAURANT

HOTEL

PEDESTRIANISED PATHSTEMPORARY SHELTER

EMPTY SHEDSEMPTY HOUSES

VANDALISMPRIVATE THRESHOLD

YOUTH CULTURE

GREEN INITIATIVE

RIVERSIDE

SATELITE AGRICULTURE

POLUTIONFLYOVER

GARE DU STADETRAIN STATION

OVERGROWN!!

DERELICT

NEGLECTED!

OBSOLETE!

TEMPORARY

ABANDONED

TEMPO

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ABANDONED

OBSOLETE

DERELICT

DERELICT

Walking

Infrastructure & its Influence

WALK ALONG

Colombes -


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MAPPING INFRASTRUCTURE & ITS INFLUENCES

Walk along - along the current railway like in Colombes. Purpose of the walk was to follow the railway and witness its surroundings.

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railway expansion disects existing houses.

housing turns back on railway. infrastructure infilled with car parking.

remnants of original street

higher density beyond

business cut off from neighbour-hood

greenway formed from original railway

fluctuating scale

Walking

This walk was a walk along along the railway in Colombes which has an interesting impact on its urban fabric. The intension was to explore the effects of the railway on the town. It demonstrated the strong dividing force of this infrastructure upon the urban fabric. The mapping exercise revealed that the railway is a dominant feature of the town and acts as a physical barrier to pedestrian movement. Affected streets were either split by the tracks or turned to face away from the railway to form a distinct area with little direct relationship to it.

Walk Around

Civic Buildings

WALK AROUND

Colombes -



This was a walk around the central area of Colombes where we mapped the civic buildings encountered along the peripheral circle we had drawn on the map (and chose to follow as closely as possible). What we found from this walk was that there were a high number of government facilities withing walking distance of the centre of Colombes making it a compact area.

5 min walk

10 min walk

PARTI COMMUNISTE FRANCAIS

BORSE DU TRAVAIL (CIVIC BUILDING)

ECOLE MATERNELLE (LOCAL SCHOOL)

GYMNASE AMBROISE RARE

LOCAL CEMETERY

COLLEGE LAKANAL

SERVICE MUNICIPAL ARIENNE

LOCAL CHURCH

MAGISTRATES COURT

MAPPING CIVIC BUILDINGS

Walk out - central Colombes. Purpose of the walk to map the civic buildings in the area.

Walking

Urban Grain

WALK AROUND

Colombes -


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walk around Looking back in - images with grey backing

Typologies

UBA Urban Block ApartmentsLR20 Low Rise C20th TB20 Tower Blocks C20th

SR/S Shops with Residences / ShopsVS Villa smallVM Villa MediumVL Villa Large

School/ 1950-60s (Ecoles Felles)School/ extension 1990s

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UBA Urban Block ApartmentsLR20 Low Rise C20th TB20 - Tower Block C20thIF/PF Infill / PrefillSR/S Shops with Residences / ShopsVS Villa smallVM Villa MediumVL Villa Large

1 1850 - 18992 1900 - 19493 1950 - present

Typologies

UBA Urban Block ApartmentsLR20 Low Rise C20th TB20 Tower Blocks C20th

SR/S Shops with Residences / ShopsVS Villa smallVM Villa MediumVL Villa Large

UBA Urban Block ApartmentsLR20 Low Rise C20th TB20 - Tower Block C20thIF/PF Infill / PrefillSR/S Shops with Residences / ShopsVS Villa smallVM Villa MediumVL Villa Large

1 1850 - 18992 1900 - 19493 1950 - present

MAPPING URBAN GRAIN

Walk out in Colombes - looking back in. The purpose of the map was to map the different building typologies.

Walking

The train station was used as an epicentre for this walk and we took a radial circle out from this and adjusted this circle as we walked. Where we came to junctions we looked in, so the walk informed us of the districts of Colombes and their relationship to what we perceived as the suburbs focus. While we walked we also looked in and mapped the typologies of buildings we passed.

Walk Through

Social Space & Encounters

WALK THROUGH

Colombes -



The aim of this walk was to identify the social demographic and interactions within a selected area of Colombes - Petit Colombes. The walk identifies various typologies of people and the locations within which they generally appropriate themselves. In addition an age and racial demographic became evident, as did zones of social conditions, mostly instigated or enacted by the physical conditions/barriers within those locations. The walk was carried out a typical working day; however it must be noted that the weekend condition may vary in proportion, although not necessarily in location.

Walking

Section Through

Mapping Human Traces

SECTION THROUGH

Colombes -


The purpose of this walk was to take a key section through Colombes, in this case from the high rise development at Fosses Jean in the north east to the emerging commercially dominated Petit Colomes in the south west. The walk mapped the traces of human activity analysing the use of public spaces along this section through the town leading us to question the way public space is used.


GRAFFITI

territory

GRAFFITI

territory

GRAFFITI

territory

unwanted goods

unwanted goods

GRAFFITI

territory

rubbish

appropriation

disuse

disuse

rubbish

unwanted goods

unwanted goods

GRAFFITI

territory

appropriation

appropriation

disuse

rubbish

rubbish

rubbish

rubbish

rubbish

rubbish

GRAFFITI

territory

unwanted goods

GRAFFITI

territory

appropriation

GRAFFITI

territoryunwanted goods appropriationdisuse rubbish

MAPPING HUMAN TRACES

Walk through Colombes - from Fosse St. Jean to Petit Colombes. Purpose of the walk to map traces left behind by human activity in order to assess the use of public space.

spaces and buildings which are no longer

used and are in a state of disrepair

literally garbage which is disposed off

and not recycled

household goods and personal items which

have been thrown out on the street

spaces which have been marked in order to signify a person or

groups territorial zone

objects which show a change of use from

their original signifying some sort

of appropriation

The findings...

This walk was carried out over the course of two days. One half (from Fosse St. Jean to the centre of Colombes) was carried out between 10.30am and 12.30pm and the second part of the walk (from the centre of Colombes to Petit Colombes) was carried out between 14.30 and 16.30.

The purpose of the walk was to study the traces that people have left behind in order to understand how public spaces are being used. We also hoped to understand a little about the types of people who used these spaces. We noticed that starting at Fosse St Jean in the north east, the areas surrounded by high rise blocks generally had traces which were rubbish and territorial markings such as graffiti. Moving past the boundary between this high rise and the single villas, the traces became more unwanted goods that had been thrown out onto the streets. As we moved closer to the centre, there were less instances of rubbish and discarded goods and more instances of appropriation and a cleaner environment.

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Walking

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