How can small infrastructural interventions have a significant impact and provide solutions to urgent problems such as mobility, security, accessibility and efficiency, that cannot be dealt with by long planning processes and large-scale operations? This research question represents the main focus of the research program, called Passages, launched by the City on the Move Institute (L'institut pour la Ville en Mouvement, Paris). This action-research project is in partnership with the cities of Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Paris, Santiago, Shanghai, Toronto, Tours, Valparaiso, Paris… for the implementation of demonstration projects, academic exchanges and architectural and cultural events. A network of international experts worked together to develop research and scientific, cultural and artistic events and to launch competitions in architecture, design, shorts movies... The research project included a literature and design analysis of international best practices of passages designs. The international exhibition was displayed on 6 locations (Paris, Barcelona, Shanghai, Beijing, Buenos Aires), featuring 11 professional architecture and urban design competitions and 40 partnerships in more than 20 countries. The results were published in an exhibition catalogue (2017) ACTAR. More than 20 public events and conferences were organized and a strong academic nexus realised with 750 students in 12 workshops.
Researcher(s): Maarten Van Acker
Commissioned by: Institut pour la Ville en Mouvement (VEDECOM)
Period: 2016-2018
Partner(s): The cities of Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Paris, Santiago, Shanghai, Toronto, Tours, Valparaiso, Paris…
