- Systemic changes
The intention is to address spatially mental & emotional health issues, already present in cities, because of our everyday and lifestyle choices, though now more evident due to COVID-19; to raise awareness over the causes & effects and present the fact that we are part of the problem as much as of the solution. The idea regards a hybrid space for stress release, anxiety moderation & creation of meaningful connections. Hence, public space can be experienced as a safe space created to unwind and express oneself, relieved from identities. CONF.I.A.N.Ç.A is an urban structure, perceived as cocoon, enclosing a silent garden, a little sanctuary, within the urban context. Therefore, using tech as an ally, circumstances are provided so that people engage in a processional guided ritual, empathize, connect. Yet what is proposed as a point of placidity can easily be transformed into a tool for mapping a city according to stress or loneliness, giving valuable information for future interventions.
Currently around 4.4 bil. people live in cities (56.2% of the wp). On average, city dwellers receive improved sanitation, healthcare, education, etc. What about mental health though? Urban living is associated with increased risk for chronic disorders. A demanding environment is likely to cause anxiety & mood disorders; living in an overcrowded city can be linked to social fragmentation & disparities. Should we go rural? Not necessarily; we do, however, need to rethink how we design our cities
Urban living can be loud & lonesome; to stop the "noise" & seeking for amity, we often turn online; more & more often. It is calculated that by 2060, we will have spent 10 years staring at screens (we spend 6 dreaming -in a lifetime!) Our brain, loaded daily with 34GB of information, may not get "full" soon but is jammed; our attention span is shorter than a goldfish! Yet technology is not the enemy; media are designed to be addictive. Could we reverse-engineer this?
Our lives are linked to online activities, now, more than ever. What CONF.I.A.N.Ç.A proposes is an alternative way to connect; a place & moment to find inner serenity. By creating a peaceful context, one can relax and reach for his psyche. It is a guided ritual that ends with catharsis; an emotional release in the form of "confession" recorded -anonymously- and put in a sequence. One can listen to stories, empathize, and then record his own. What would you say if no one was listening?
CONF.I.A.N.Ç.A is visualized as a spot in the urban fabric; a point for introspection & healing. Yet if it is multiplied and a network is created, we could get valuable data about the stress or loneliness levels in specific spots of the cities. This would be a powerful tool in the hands of urban planners, architects, designers to develop suitable solutions to eliminate the causes that led us to design & propose this intervention.
