The first issue that Chtcheglov addresses is the concept of being bored with the city: we know how to “read every promise in faces” and we have to “strain to discover the mysteries on sidewalk billboards”. Even when taking into consideration the massive amounts of street art that fill the walls, streets and alleyways of cities, I must agree that we are indeed bored with the city.
When it comes to designing my own personal formula for a new urbanism, this boredom is the first issue I want to address as well. Despite the thousands of un-boring things New York City has to offer, it seems to me that the visual aesthetic has become uninspiring. Those who venture to the city, regardless of their familiarity with the big apple, are expecting to see billboards, graffiti, dirt and grime. A citizen walking down the street IS in fact bored, and probably will walk right pass the incredible street art found next to a fire hydrant.
In my formula for a new urbanism, I would want to redesign the city to have people appreciate the street art and the capitalistic art as well. Capitalistic art to me is defined as the art on billboards, advertisements, etc. Even though the huge electric sign for H&M in times square is probably one of the biggest eyesores out there, I would like to reshape the attitude of the city so that we wouldn’t see it as an eyesore. Instead of seeing the sign as a lame attempt to make us buy something we don’t need, it could be perceived as a display of sparkling lights that come together to create something big, bright, and inspiring, even if that inspiration is trying to sell you leggings for $19.99.
In order to design a new urbanism, I think that the current urbanism needs a major attitude adjustment. By changing the way we see all forms of art, may it be advertisements, street art, or something in between, we will be able to erase this boredom that Chtcheglov references. Rather than losing the “Temple of the Sun”, we can bring that temple back by appreciating our surroundings and admiring the craftsmanship behind ads and street art alike.
