Folding, Flowing, Then You are Here

A cross-disciplinary semester project by Linya Shi

Tactical, temporary, guerrilla, DIY... People around the globe use a multitude of terms to describe pop-up spaces that appear in cities for brief periods. In the grand tapestry of urban history, the lifespan of a pop-up space resembles a mere moment. Nonetheless, their enduring impact on the vibrancy, character, and aesthetics of the city is a slow and indelible process.

Urban pop-up spaces are a way for individuals to express their collective identity within the urban fabric. It also provides an opportunity for a dialogue between cities, as well as a bridge connecting electronic commerce and physical urban space. These scattered pop-up spaces, distributed in time and space, systematically activate the city.

The scope of this project is a mapping of the role of pop-up spaces in urban environments by exploring their impact from different perspectives.