How did the urban environment end up becoming a place where meaning is altered? Linearity has taken precedence over the unexpected, and the rational over the sensory. The relentless pace of urban life fuels an ideal of productivity that is now outdated. The nuances of smells, lights, and colors—manifestations of a different rhythm—have been absorbed by traditional urbanization processes, embodied by inert architectural forms. What kind of space-time does the urban environment offer us to move, observe, or even feel the passing of seasons? While Carleen Loney plays with bright colors, the movement of streetcars, or the scarcity of public seating, she primarily offers us the opportunity to question long-accepted urban planning principles. In doing so, she aligns herself with those who advocate, or have advocated, for the reintegration of living experience (both human and non-human) at the heart of urban development processes.

Yulia Kaiava
Tënk's editorial assistant
and urban planning student

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