spaces of health & sickness:
from labor to leisure
"The contents of the Master Plan address the planning issues and challenges involved in making Montréal a more convivial and dynamic City. With a sustainable development perspective, the Plan’s goals, objectives and actions aim to improve Montrealers’ quality of life, support economic development and ensure a healthy environment." (ville.montreal)
A major part of the revitalization plan is to create spaces of recreation such as biking, running, cannoning, and indoor rock climbing. Through this development plan the city has performed a cleansing of spaces to create a healthy and lively image of the canal. Although the beautification and healthification of the canal may appear innocent on the surface, and may appear to be a plan that considers the good and wealth of all citizens, there are many layers of power and control at play. I would like to turn our attention to the cultural, social and economic attachments that are hidden behind this image of the healthy body, the body of the individual and the social body.
Flatness, Visibility and Vertical Hierarchy
Every time I have gone for a walk or a bike ride along the canal I have noticed how flat the surrounding spaces of the canal are. This flatness I argue here, provides a wide range of visibility, meaning through your appearance and sense of being visible throughout the space you are reminded that you are watched and that you need to watch yourself and your activities. This attention is implied on your body: moving bodies. Whether you are on a bike, on foot or in boat, you get the feeling that you need to be on the move. For this reason I have rarely seen people sitting on mid grass and in a laid back state or a state of leisure. Implied through many renderings of residential condos (here Myst), the leisure and real lade back life style is on the top. If you are healthy (wealthy) enough you climb to the top where you can watch down on the moving bodies, reflecting the intended image of a healthy district.
Flatness, Visibility and Vertical Hierarchy
Every time I have gone for a walk or a bike ride along the canal I have noticed how flat the surrounding spaces of the canal are. This flatness I argue here, provides a wide range of visibility, meaning through your appearance and sense of being visible throughout the space you are reminded that you are watched and that you need to watch yourself and your activities. This attention is implied on your body: moving bodies. Whether you are on a bike, on foot or in boat, you get the feeling that you need to be on the move. For this reason I have rarely seen people sitting on mid grass and in a laid back state or a state of leisure. Implied through many renderings of residential condos (here Myst), the leisure and real lade back life style is on the top. If you are healthy (wealthy) enough you climb to the top where you can watch down on the moving bodies, reflecting the intended image of a healthy district.
The Social Body
I believe the ideas and concepts of Edwin Chadwick are embedded into the planning and revitalization of Lachine Canal. To ensure a healthy environment as it notes in the city's master plan is to ensure enrichment of businesses and developers surrounding the canal. This image I argue is purposefully leaving behind and cleansing the undesirables because the old belief that poverty and disease are correlated is still on the sidelines. This is extremely problematic because when we take a closer look at canal's past, we can see that at the time it was in the city's best interest to avoid such a correlation since both the literal industrial pollution and polluted neighborhoods played in favor of their economic interests. However now it is in their best interest to promote a controlled and disciplined healthy social body; one that asserts itself over public and urban resources that once served the poor, working classes, and lower middle class dwellings.
I believe the ideas and concepts of Edwin Chadwick are embedded into the planning and revitalization of Lachine Canal. To ensure a healthy environment as it notes in the city's master plan is to ensure enrichment of businesses and developers surrounding the canal. This image I argue is purposefully leaving behind and cleansing the undesirables because the old belief that poverty and disease are correlated is still on the sidelines. This is extremely problematic because when we take a closer look at canal's past, we can see that at the time it was in the city's best interest to avoid such a correlation since both the literal industrial pollution and polluted neighborhoods played in favor of their economic interests. However now it is in their best interest to promote a controlled and disciplined healthy social body; one that asserts itself over public and urban resources that once served the poor, working classes, and lower middle class dwellings.
image #1: Swimming in dirty waters
First of all what I have done in this first image was to break this hierarchy, to bring the floor all the way down in order to level with the canal and in this way amplifying a sense of dislocation, a dislocation felt through the condos presence in the area. Second is the image of the diving board, from which the original idea for these series came about.
The Forbidden Canal
Amongst working class neighborhoods and the families of factory workers the canal was known as a forbidden place. This was because the water was inviting on the surface, it offered a nice bath and opportunity for the kids to go and play inside, but because of the presence of so many toxins, various diseases and ships many kids and residents ended up dead in the canal. Despite this fact the canal with its deceiving surfacing waves still invited many to jump and enjoy its presence. Now with the transformation of the canal some are able to spend leisurely hours swimming not in, but above it. The diving board signifies the disconnection of residents who enjoy what appears to be healthy and inviting life style. More importantly is the act of diving itself. Diving into polluted waters, layers of filth and history which this luxurious and privileged way of life and life style seems so oblivious and indifferent about. In these various ways the diving board wishes to penetrate this indifference.
The Forbidden Canal
Amongst working class neighborhoods and the families of factory workers the canal was known as a forbidden place. This was because the water was inviting on the surface, it offered a nice bath and opportunity for the kids to go and play inside, but because of the presence of so many toxins, various diseases and ships many kids and residents ended up dead in the canal. Despite this fact the canal with its deceiving surfacing waves still invited many to jump and enjoy its presence. Now with the transformation of the canal some are able to spend leisurely hours swimming not in, but above it. The diving board signifies the disconnection of residents who enjoy what appears to be healthy and inviting life style. More importantly is the act of diving itself. Diving into polluted waters, layers of filth and history which this luxurious and privileged way of life and life style seems so oblivious and indifferent about. In these various ways the diving board wishes to penetrate this indifference.