AYURVEDA + NEIGHBORHOOD

AGAINST MAPS tries to understand the forces at work in urban space by abandoning the whole of the city to study the separate interlocking parts. A map assumes authority through the implied power of its maker's perspective. To see an area from above, as in a map, is not to participate in it. The goal of being AGAINST MAPS is to stay close enough to the ground to rearrange the rocks and to hide stuff in the cracks of the sidewalk. Maps systematically abstract space in order to narrate the details of a place. This science of abstraction assumes the semi-permanence of details and the value of networking them. To be AGAINST MAPS is to monitor the functionality of buildings and space by and for people that use them. To become AGAINST MAPS begins by noticing how things are going where you live.

AGAINST MAPS IS A METHOD created to evaluate the effectiveness of space for people in a particular community. This method involves analysis of a distinct area in a temporary time frame, so as to develop site specific questions that will lead to an appreciation for the many detailed and organic individual parts that compose the whole. Following the analysis of a space, AGAINST MAPS does not attempt to create permanent structures. It is more interested in adding, subtracting or changing subtle ephemeral elements that impact the ambience of a place. By focusing on unique details and independent experience, a community can be developed and maintained from within.

SITE = NEIGHBORHOOD Each neighborhood is a local community with unique characteristics made out of many different levels of activity, physical systems, and structures of varying permanence. In order to thoroughly examine and understand one place and its residents, I will focus attention on one block in Toronto for one week.


NEIGHBORHOOD = BODY As I examine the intricacies of the block I will define it as a social body and compare its functions to that of a human's. I will monitor the internal systems of maintenance and preservation as well as the impact of outside forces on the place and the people in the neighborhood. The neighborhood's human likeness depends upon necessary and constant evolution, as it is a container for many infinitely unique and changing humans. A system of evaluation must therefore be constantly adapted to analyze the health of the communal body. Commonly the well-being of a neighborhood is considered only when problems in that neighborhood demand the attention of outside authorities. Health of cities is primarily observed during situations of crisis instead of a constant and gradual pursuit of comprehensive health. Disasters, crime and poverty are likely dealt with by a government that descends upon the neighborhood. Generalizations based on these difficulties begin a cycle of knee-jerk attempts to isolate and fix singular problems instead of treating a city or a neighborhood holistically. This process reflects western medicine's lack of concern for prevention, a lack that leads to generic prognosis and a sterile system of treatment. This practice of reaction instead of prevention disconnects each natural system and organ from all the others. Problems such as crime or poverty, a disease within this metaphor, are related to a fault in the larger underlying structure and can be treated as a sign of a greater imbalance. When disease is understood as a call to explore the whole system, a higher level of wellness can be achieved.

AYURVEDA is an ancient Indian form of holistic medicine. It is a practice that incorporates all aspects of human health and well being. The eight arms of Ayurveda include internal medicine, surgery, ears, eyes, nose and throat, pediatrics, toxicology, purification of the genetic organs, health and longevity, and spiritual healing. The basic procedure of analysis of a body is similar to western medicine or city planning. Three vedic barometers of diagnosis are used: see and observe, touch, and inquire by asking questions. These meters determine the dosha, or psychological/ physical type, with particular strengths and susceptibilities based on the characteristics of universal elements: space, air, fire, water, earth. In Ayurveda, problems occur because of an imbalance in the doshas. A person is born with a unique combination of elements and as they mature, the balance shifts due to their situation and experience. This shift can cause an unhealthy imbalance, and it is the goal of Ayurveda to bring the individual back to his or her original combination of elements. Consistent attention to this balance in each of the eight aspects of an individual's health alleviates the need for medicine as a response to malady and increases the ability of a person to achieve a constant state of health.

AYURVEDA + NEIGHBORHOOD The relationship between Ayurveda and a neighborhood starts with the observation and analysis of the function of the space on the block in an unsystematic way, through sensitive observation and detailed analysis. After seeing the block first-hand, I will consult with a Vaidya to determine the dosha of the block. Based on the constitution of the neighborhood we will devise a week long program of actions and installations within the block that will encourage rebalancing or maintenance.