This hidden gem, is NONG created by Edible Gardens. Located on top of a shopping centre carpark, it holds workshops, is a gallery for local artists to present their interpretation of sustainable and ethical farming, and is a shop and retail space for products they have crafted and curated.
We found it on a quiet morning without much activity, but a nice setup and vibe nonetheless. A great example of pop-ups transforming spaces.
“Instagram worthy” is my new definer of city spaces, so much so I imagine if a city was designed to be photographed it might have great public space outcomes. As part of that, I think the idea of “city frames” could be important, and I noticed many of these in Roppongi.
Literally physical “frames”, these are selfie/photo opportunities, quirky landscape moments, markers of visual interest and catalysts for play or interactivity.
P.S. Check out, Brazilian artist Bruno Ribeiro’s Real Instagram Project which added frames to London locations
Footpaths, cycle paths and shared zones is the strange thing I often notice on holidays. These are some great ones found near Shibuya, Ginza and Ueno. It was great to see cycle lanes on paths (not road), which I think Brisbane should do more of.
We had stumbled upon a street closure by the Ginza Street Association. With a few temporary umbrellas adding to the “tactical urbanism” vibe, it felt very much to me like Park Ave in New York’s Summer Streets.
Wikipedia told me later “Each Saturday and Sunday, from 12:00 noon until 5:00 pm, the main street through Ginza is closed off to road traffic, allowing people to walk freely. This is called Hokōsha Tengoku (歩行者天国?) or Hokoten for short, literally meaning “pedestrian heaven”.
The “dead space” and loss potential of underneath bridge and underpass spaces is a pet peeve of mine in urban design. It was great to see active building uses observed around Tokyo’s underbridge spaces – in Ginza, Toyko Station, Ueno Station.
The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), in collaboration with LASALLE College of the Arts (LASALLE), unveiled 10 student-designed benches along the Marina Bay waterfront promenade. This is part of the URA’s ongoing “My Marina Bay, My Inspiration” programme to encourage student and community groups to draw inspiration from Marina Bay and to translate it into creative designs for the area.
I love street furniture, and thought this would be a great competition for other cities and Brisbane spaces.
City Love 