An Introduction to a zine I never finished

[keepin_it_wheel]

URBAN BIKE ADVENTURISM,
AND SUBVERTING THE BOURGEOIS STRANGLEHOLD ON URBAN SPACE

Are the two themes of this zine. Let me explain.

Comments

[lnz37]

i think this looks really exciting actually, though i'm interested to hear how your thinking has evolved. i see now that many of the readings i recommended to you in response to my post are maybe old hat to you. wasnt sure what you were looking for. i'll keep eyes peeled, and continue to share my own stuff with you if you are interested. (although its not about charlotte

[keepin_it_wheel]

I appreciate your comments, many of which I really agree with. One change I would make in revising is looking a bit more at the matrix of power, capital, and political hegemony. This was just an introduction, but I agrre that pointing out how cities, communities, groups, and individuals are all situated in a complex terrain of forces is important. My disillusionment (or maybe confused loyalties?) to the field of planning is what I see as a futility of making profound change in a built environment whose form is largely dictated by the demands of capital, social control, and the spectacle (used in the situationist sense of the term)- as I have seen it phrased, the modern city as the prison/amusement park. While I am still excited, and really enjoy reading about progressive planning, green architecture, sustainable urbanism, I have reached the conclusion that a totalist critique of the city in our current system is most important, and that social revolution must be how we address the problem. I've been influenced by some

[lnz37]

there are a few...i'd say the folks in my brogram that are into bike advocacy, community gardening and urban farms are the closest. this girl sara in my program identified herself as an "urban planarchist" in her bio :) and she works for bikes not bombs here and was very active in s.f., etc etc. my friend dina used to work for "bread" in sf, which was an alternative currency (barter) program, etc etc

[keepin_it_wheel]

Also, in regard to the audience issue, my audience was definately intended as my peers/the general public, not academics, power holders, etc. Hence the language choices, etc. Hey- and how can you oppose some populist jabs at sleezy developers?

[sushicakee]

Why don't you just put the zine out, lover??

[keepin_it_wheel]

Because we don't live in Charlotte anymore! Also, I only wrote about half the content of the zine, then ran out of steam I think. Remember, I also had that almost completed pamphlet on getting around without a car, then just stopped?

[sushicakee]

Geez, you're SUCH a slacker!

[lnz37]

hey leanne i miss reading your journal. are you running away and creating new journals to slough off the unwanted readers? :)

[inlanternlight]

I really enjoyed reading this ben.