Description
Book SynopsisWritten by leading design philosopher Tony Fry,
Writing Design Fiction: Relocating a City in Crisis is both an introduction to the power of design fiction in the design process, and a novella-length work of fiction in itselftelling the dramatic story of the relocation of the City of Harshon.Set in the near future, Harshon, a delta city, is facing environmental catastrophe due to rising sea levelsconsequently, a decision is made to relocate the entire city inland. A diverse cast of voicesincluding an architect, a journalist, an economist, a construction worker, and residentsnarrate the extraordinary challenges and complexities which follow. This work presents a real-world scenario which, in coming decades, will face many of the world's cities. The fictional format provides a novel way of exploring the very serious inherent technical, social, political, economic and cultural challenges. The story provides a rehearsal of the design challenges which are likely to face architects, p
Trade ReviewTwisting time’s arrow into a knot, Tony Fry loops together a fictional city’s future collapse with our own crises of the present. Urgent and unsettling, his penetrating reflections reveal unexpected opportunities for turning design fiction into design action. * Jamer Hunt, Parsons School of Design, The New School, USA *
Tony Fry's second order design fiction approach pulverizes the entanglements of the past and current design intelligentsia. Comprehending the essence of design through the fictional story of Harshon, powerfully “moves” us to a threshold of awareness of the existential significance of design, from which one is disclosed as “engaged design”. * Philippe d’Anjou, Florida Atlantic University, USA *
Table of ContentsTHE CURTAIN RISES. The Opening of the Metanarrative PART ONE: An Extended Prologue PART TWO:The Story of Moving Urbana 1. The story of Port Urbana – Grace Ebu 2. The displaced and the move: Lena Arikan 3. Stasis and unsettlement – Kendrick Jensen 4. Age and life in the end times – Angela Leung 5. The world of health – Gerda Krauss 6. Localising the economic at the end of global capitalism: Gordon Chow 7. New thinking, new action – Carla Boas 8. Construction from the future to the present– Chris Glover
PART THREE: Reflection and Direction PART FOUR: Design Fiction Applied THE CURTAIN FALLS. The Closing of the Metanarrative References Index
