Critical Infrastructure is a walking/field guide intended for people who, as they move through the built urban environment, want to see and better understand infrastructure—and what stories these systems tell.
The project was conceived during my time as an artist-in-residence at The Banff Centre New Media Institute. It continues to be a long-term project of mine.
project goals
- Encourage civic engagement with issues related to infrastructure.
e.g. NIMBY issues, network neutrality, the real risk of terrorism, etc. - Examine timely issues in the context of infrastructure.
e.g. sustainability, carbon footprint, corporate welfare, etc. - Increase literacy of systems in urban environments.
e.g. understanding the bus, the subway, airport, etc. - Share new ways of “seeing” urban environments.
e.g. noticing infrastructure and the players behind these systems.
special thanks
Special thanks to the Banff Centre for their support of this project and Alexandra Woolsey-Puffer for her graphic design skills!
wiki
I’m beginning to share some infrastructure-related stories on the infrastructure wiki. This is a work in progress, but feel free to add your own stories or just your ideas!
walking guide
The walking guide, originally created at Banff, is available on the wiki’s Download page.
presentations
This project was presented as part of Banff’s “open spaces day”:
