Urban Journeys

I found the responses to our ‘urban journeys’ activity extremely interesting - My group would like to share your responses, which have been listed below randomly. If you requested to not have your response posted on the blog, we have respected that. Please discuss, debate, comment and reflect! Thank you for participating :)

A space in which you felt at ease or welcome...
a) Where is it:
· ACMI Games Lab
· By the river
· At school/university
· On the steps outside Brunetti’s café
· Moving down the sidewalk
· Flinders lane walkway
· City square
· St.Pauls
· Pub
· “Closer to the River, the park…away from the hustle and bustle”
· Restaurant upstairs on Swanston street
b) What’s happening there:
· “People are quiet – eating”
· Socialising
· “People talking, socialising, drinking, enjoying sunshine”
· “People shopping, eating, leaving me alone”
· “It’s quiet”
· Drinking
· Conversations
· “People avoiding tracks of others”
c) What it smells, sounds, looks and feels like:
· “Smells like Indian food”
· “It doesn’t smell like Supre which you can smell a mile away!”
· “Lively, inclusive”
· “History, quiet, peaceful”
· “It has grass, water and wood – relaxed and comfortable”
· “Noisy, busy, energetic, complex, confusing”
· “Fresh, bright, sunny, welcoming, inviting”
d) Why people feel comfortable within these spaces:
· “Open weather, beer people”
· “Because of the welcoming atmosphere”
· “It’s open respite”
· “Grown to love the urban landscape”
· “I am used to this kind of environment/culture”
· Familiarly
· “It breaths, and people are happy to be here”
· “Can have conversations with strangers”
· “I guess I feel if I am paying then I deserve to take my time”
e) How did you perceive other people in this space – what are they thinking, feeling and doing?
· Relaxing
· Enjoying the space
· Don’t know
· “Many don’t like it – consumers, workers”
· “They don’t seem like they are in a rush”
· Communicating
· Contemplating
· “Probably much the same to what they will be doing when they leave”
f) Underlying value systems and cultural capital within urban spaces that you feel comfortable in:
· “We care about youth/students”
· “Extremely diverse but in flow never exchanging”
· “Place to meditate and be quiet”
· Democracy
· Privately owned
· Money = relaxation

Spaces in which you felt uncomfortable or unwelcome...
a) Where is it:
· Busy elevator hallway
· Tram stop
· Private spaces that are not for me
· Near the police station on Swanson street
· Corner Swanston and Collins Street
· The bar
· Chinese grocer
· Shops
· Small arcade where we started
· Mobile phone store
b) What’s happening there?
· “People want youths out of their way”
· “ ‘In fashion’ clothes made for size 10, 14 year-old girls”
· Shopping
· People drinking/smoking
· People waiting for public transport
· “Presentation blocking peoples business”
· “Usually specific purposes”
c) What it smells, sounds, looks and feels like
· “Smelly, hot, uncomfortable”
· “Like fear”
· “Cramped, lifeless for me”
· “Grey, ugly, uninviting, noisy transition place”
· Hong Kong
· Commerce
· “noisy, cramped, ugly”
d) Why people feel uncomfortable within these spaces
· Don’t like shopping
· Because people are trying to use it
· “They don’t want us hanging around unless spending money”
· “Clothes don’t suit me, aren’t made for my age group – exclude.”
· “Because I always know I’m not welcome”
· “I was in the way”
· “Very unwelcoming – nobody wants to be there”
· Not familiar
e) How have you perceive other people in this space – what are they thinking, feeling and doing?
· Spending money
· “They want to wrap it up and get out into the sun”
· “selling, being sold to”
· “People there obviously don’t feel the same as me”
· “Wondering what I’m doing there
· “Thinking about life”
f) Underlying value systems and cultural capital within urban spaces that you feel comfortable in:
· Domination
· “Particular forms of capital that cant be transacted”
· “work, business, grind… I was working against the flow”
· “Order and control and a system”
· “Capitalism, fashion, fascism”
· “A bit dictatory actually, I feel a bit spoken at, as opposed ‘to’ or ‘with’”
· “Capitalism, consumerism, money-making venture only”
· “Personal space invaded”
· “People only care about getting where they need to go”