Two weeks ago I presented at Parsons at the "Mall City / Subway City" event, which was a celebration of Professor Stefan Al's forthcoming book < Mall City >, and an interesting discussion about the idea of Asian urban malls as extensions of mass transit systems coming to New York.
A lot of questions were raised: Are malls public spaces? Are malls just bringing the suburban life into the city? Can small businesses survive in malls? Where is the demand coming from? The concept works in Hong Kong, will it work in NYC?
Project Subway NYC started by being a simple drawing exercise, but I am pleasantly surprised by how it is slowly turning into a basis for an examination and exploration of this networked system which has economic, social, and cultural impact on the city. Now I am even more excited and motivated to keep going!
Panel Discussion (Left to Right - Brian McGrath, Carol Willis, David Grahame Shane, me, Stefan Al)
Presentation
A belated big thank-you to all of you who made it to the event. It was a fun and rewarding experience in itself, but being able to share with my own friends and colleagues made it all the more meaningful and encouraging.
I have stopped producing drawings since November - between then and now I have made a competition entry (with a subway-themed fairy tale), went back to Hong Kong for two weeks, prepared for this "Mall City / Subway City" presentation, and most importantly regrouped my thoughts and vision about where I want Project Subway NYC to go. Now that it's finally getting a bit warmer, it's time for me to get my clipboard ready and get back in action!