International Visitors Programme
On 26 november 2021, Stichting NDSM together with Pakhuis de Zwijger hosted an online discussion about inclusive city design with international guests Amina Hassen from Blackspace Collective and Joseph Henry and Pooja Agrawal from Sound Advice.
The discussion addressed questions like: how can designers or architects give a voice to the needs and ideas of inhabitants of a city? And which initiatives call for innovative, bold, and inclusive urban development? Together with architect Afaina de Jong, known for her work for among others Venice Architecture Biennale, Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, and Centraal Museum Utrecht, local designers and leading international collectives that shake up the way we work are invited to share their insights.
As one of the founders of Blackspace Collective, Amina Hassen focuses on empowering Black planners, architects, artists, and designers as Black urbanists, people who are passionate about the work of public systems and urban infrastructures. Blackspace subverts scarcity-fueled design and urban planning interventions that perpetuate harm in Black communities and stifle Black urbanists. Instead, they promote the articulation and funding of existing assets of Black neighborhoods and the liberation and leadership of urbanists by co-creating, facilitating, and connecting.
Improving racial diversity in the architecture industry might require uncomfortable conversations. Sound Advice founders Joseph Henry and Pooja Agrawal are not afraid to facilitate them. As an architecture diversity platform, Sound Advice creates short quotes and tips on social media, especially on their Instagram page, that they couple with music. Designed to be an alternative to the academic way in which inequality is usually discussed, they hope their platform creates a space for interaction and exploration of inequality in the built environment.