tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81257415251255915932024-02-20T13:47:31.114-08:00Freedom BallDavid Biddlecombehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00883152455633412934noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8125741525125591593.post-34479779640979396252011-05-10T07:13:00.000-07:002011-05-10T07:15:11.099-07:00LawnmapA quick link to Lawnmap: <a href="http://www.facebookhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif.com/lawnmap">Lawnmap</a>David Biddlecombehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00883152455633412934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8125741525125591593.post-89252797434255321452011-05-10T07:05:00.000-07:002011-05-10T07:09:30.457-07:00WKCDAn interview with Lord Norman Foster about the coming West Kowloon Cultural District Development suggests good things for the new park.<br /><br />"So can we sit on the grass?<br /><br />You will be able to sit on the grass, walk your dog, play ball games, all of the things you aren’t supposed to do in the parks today! And no, you will certainly not have to follow a tarmac path!"<br /><br />Full interview here: <a href=" http://www.timeout.com.hk/feature-stories/features/42240/the-kowloon-project.html">Interview</a>David Biddlecombehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00883152455633412934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8125741525125591593.post-18546540283730994822011-03-14T08:19:00.000-07:002011-03-14T08:22:10.677-07:00The banners are gone!...almost. They've been gradually disappearing for sometime and at our last meeting with LCSD they confirmed that 95% of yellow banners have been removed from parks. They still have one or two for in a couple of 'blackspots' but they have almost all gone. Things are changing! <br /><br />We also saw some new designs for park furniture and signage. Next target is removing fences!David Biddlecombehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00883152455633412934noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8125741525125591593.post-59115762966732983342010-11-28T06:44:00.000-08:002010-11-29T00:49:54.961-08:00The parks they are-a-changin?I've visited a few parks this week and I noticed that there weren't any yellow banners in any of them (and these were parks that had previously been absolutely plastered with them). Has anyone else noticed this? Stay tuned!David Biddlecombehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00883152455633412934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8125741525125591593.post-26638883683809046312010-11-23T05:32:00.000-08:002010-11-23T05:51:21.054-08:00More on park designI attended the Great Cities Great Parks - Public Spaces and Connections "Dialogue with Arhitects - The West Kowloon Cultural District Series discussion organised by CDI and as the topic was related to Freedom Ball's work was asked to give some thoughts as part of the discussion panel. <br />You can see the video of the presentations/discussion here:<br /><a href="https://www.ourtv.hk/cgi-bin/ourdb/bdetail?session_id=start&share=ourdb@ourtv.hk&dbname=vid_Video&template=344118260202&key=2961">Dialogue with Architects(1) – Studio visit to the WKCD conceptual plan consultant-architects & Sharing: Foster + Partners" part 2:Great Cities Great Parks - Public Spaces and Connections</a>David Biddlecombehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00883152455633412934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8125741525125591593.post-45192257829507987662010-11-23T05:11:00.000-08:002010-11-23T05:20:26.938-08:00The gates are open!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpNviifwaaTHKRAVfA34VOMR8AjFAySJWNP7Df1DovbTibmsJYns5gUUEDGJTJDuBg4cB_hmfJFR8frWbBbHjwQYVnHQthAKEZTem5HN_QJqcrlEUTVvoxgdNJQARtxmR_yp7liR-4xwa2/s1600/p914+096.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpNviifwaaTHKRAVfA34VOMR8AjFAySJWNP7Df1DovbTibmsJYns5gUUEDGJTJDuBg4cB_hmfJFR8frWbBbHjwQYVnHQthAKEZTem5HN_QJqcrlEUTVvoxgdNJQARtxmR_yp7liR-4xwa2/s320/p914+096.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542734110203213314" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Well, we kind of had our first concrete result with the test case space at Ap Lei Chau Park (see below). The LCSD have agreed that the gates will remain open at all times so that the public can access the space. We tried to persuade them to take away the fence and gates altogether so that the space was completely open but they have at least agreed to give the public access to the space. It's a start! Meanwhile the park design review process goes on and I'll be meeting people from the Hong Kong Design Centre on Monday as part of that process and I'll let you know how that goes.David Biddlecombehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00883152455633412934noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8125741525125591593.post-32025857053191769412010-09-26T07:39:00.000-07:002010-09-26T21:54:53.037-07:00Urban park(ing)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWT07PzXPnCzTXQv-y1g6LNgxfsrmzyXV6-6ePIKEBQXkgEDFb9qnXijxlRuO3r1Dqc5h3Az4e8HwHqAyj1P50ooFij8myHlZosi7P8m-lbTpwG7qWvy3bOIBOpUbRaEMmZHyT8HFmNl1K/s1600/parking.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWT07PzXPnCzTXQv-y1g6LNgxfsrmzyXV6-6ePIKEBQXkgEDFb9qnXijxlRuO3r1Dqc5h3Az4e8HwHqAyj1P50ooFij8myHlZosi7P8m-lbTpwG7qWvy3bOIBOpUbRaEMmZHyT8HFmNl1K/s320/parking.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521452211781465634" /></a>Just a link to another recent related activity (not organised by Freedom Ball). Note the positive signage.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=238132&id=563898195&ref=mf">Full details here</a>David Biddlecombehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00883152455633412934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8125741525125591593.post-69786450516080268792010-09-20T09:37:00.000-07:002010-09-26T07:38:38.328-07:00Project Fun Park 活化公園<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCBuRgwCb8t-TYZKBzY5BJld8qV0mFeqcK0eK0IdXegju6RubW9kzhA9IU5d_LOcCTvTJkZ6n2HPMKvQWZkrexoNeY6gop59s8eZiG8DAaBCEAmt6vwdU0SJJdGk1YU2MFUilfjaAj696t/s1600/guerpark.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCBuRgwCb8t-TYZKBzY5BJld8qV0mFeqcK0eK0IdXegju6RubW9kzhA9IU5d_LOcCTvTJkZ6n2HPMKvQWZkrexoNeY6gop59s8eZiG8DAaBCEAmt6vwdU0SJJdGk1YU2MFUilfjaAj696t/s320/guerpark.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521231346886377122" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I am somewhat lackadaisical with checking my messages so apologies to the people involved for posting this so late but you have to check this out. A great bit of guerilla park redesign from the students of the HKICC Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=685108322#!/album.php?aid=165239&id=664013088&page=3">Click here to see</a>David Biddlecombehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00883152455633412934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8125741525125591593.post-49831150257644714532010-08-01T07:49:00.000-07:002010-08-01T08:30:44.097-07:00A Test Case Space<div id="PictoBrowser100801232948">Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer</div><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.db798.com/pictobrowser/swfobject.js"></script><script type="text/javascript"> var so = new SWFObject("http://www.db798.com/pictobrowser.swf", "PictoBrowser", "460", "449", "8", "#EEEEEE"); so.addVariable("source", "sets"); so.addVariable("names", "Test Case Space"); so.addVariable("userName", "davidbiddlecombe"); so.addVariable("userId", "19986999@N05"); so.addVariable("ids", "72157624504308791"); so.addVariable("titles", "on"); so.addVariable("displayNotes", "on"); so.addVariable("thumbAutoHide", "off"); so.addVariable("imageSize", "medium"); so.addVariable("vAlign", "top"); so.addVariable("vertOffset", "0"); so.addVariable("colorHexVar", "EEEEEE"); so.addVariable("initialScale", "off"); so.addVariable("bgAlpha", "90"); so.write("PictoBrowser100801232948"); </script><br />This is the test case I have chosen to follow through with LCSD. One of the problems that came out of the workshop with Park Managers was the barriers to change. Even where people agree in principle with changes that were suggested by the public when it came down to the nitty-gritty of making changes happen it all fell apart. Whilst the recent plans from LCSD are encouraging in theory, we want to test out some example test cases. We want to find out what the barriers to change are with a particular example of restricted access to a public space. Is it the park manager, senior LCSD Management, the park designers, the by-laws, the District Council? <br /><br />This example is from Ap Lei Chau Park (the old park not the new Waterfront Park). It's a really great space - an open multi-purpose grass space that could be used for ball games, childrens' play, picnics, whatever people want to do. It is clearly signposted in the park as a "Multi-purpose Lawn" (photo 7) and even has some nice seating and tables (photo 5) so that people can sit and have a chat. It's just the sort of free, open, grass area that is in such short supply in Hong Kong Parks except...... well, except that it is seemingly permanently fenced off and chained up so that nobody can use it. There's a sign on the locked gate (photos 2 & 3) saying that the space can be booked by the public but I've never seen it being used. Why should people have to book in advance to walk on a piece of multi-purpose grass? The sign also suggest that the space is designated for lawn bowls but this contradicts its description as a Multi-purpose Lawn on the park signage. In any case its not a particularly suitable space for such a purpose and there are already much better yet still under-utilised lawn bowls facilities in Victoria Park and elsewhere. <br /><br />Its debatable whether the space needs to be bookable at all, but even if it is there certainly seems to be no reason why it shouldn't be open to the public when it hasn't been booked. It is public space after all.<br /><br />I brought up the issue of this space at the last meeting with the LCSD and they agreed at first glance that there seemed to be no reason why the space should be locked up and fenced off. They agreed that there didn't seem to be any reason why the gates, and indeed the fences, couldn't be removed in order to open up the space for the public. We will be following up to see whether this can be achieved. <br /><br />If you have a similar space in your local park, LCSD have said that they would like to hear about it so let me know and we'll follow it up for you.David Biddlecombehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00883152455633412934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8125741525125591593.post-3252640265335599812010-08-01T04:18:00.000-07:002010-09-20T07:43:31.918-07:00Another meetingThe LCSD invited me up to Shatin the other day to talk about progress since the workshop with Park Managers. This is their current plan:<br /><br />There will be an LCSD workgroup led by two ADs (Assistant Directors) to re-vamp signage and furniture in Hong Kong parks and the design of facilities including, most importantly, fencing. They say that they have accepted the principal that accessible, multi-function lawn space should be a priority, which was one of the key issues to come of of the public feedback at the Shatin Freedom Ball. So thanks to everybody who gave and helped collect feedback as, to the LCSD's credit, they do seem to be responding, at least in principal, to feedback from the public. We will of course let you know when and if real changes start to appear (more on that later).<br /><br />It was suggested that soft fencing will be used instead of the existing hard fences which was a concern for me as merely replacing hard fencing with more aesthetically pleasing soft fencing that still restricts the public from accessing the space doesn't really achieve any meaningful change. However, the LCSD assured me that they were committed to opening up space for public use and that fences would be removed altogether where possible and soft fencing used only where fencing was absolutely necessary. The devil is in the detail of course, so one of the key areas for debate is when fencing is necessary. Of course there will always be a need for some fencing for safety reasons but we're looking to see a fundamental shift in the balance between open and fenced areas.<br /><br />The first trial of this programme will be in Quarry Bay Park towards the end of this year/beginning of next year (this was incidentally where the one of the first Freedom Ball events was held). The LCSD then plan to roll it out to another venue in the medium term and, based on feedback from this and the Quarry Bay project confirm a set of revised design principles by the beginning of 2012 which will be applied to both new and existing parks.<br /><br />All in all an encouraging response from LCSD but we still need to see how it pans out in reality and we're still looking for feedback from the public, either here at Freedom Ball or send your thoughts directly to the LCSD if you prefer. So if you have any opinions about park design let us know, now is the time when your voice is most likely to be heard and incorporated into the changes that the LCSD are promising.<br /><br />Simultaneously we also want to put some pressure on particular test cases to test out the stated philosophy and see whether it can/will be applied in the real world, and if not, why not. We discussed one of these examples at the meeting and I will talk about the details in my next post.David Biddlecombehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00883152455633412934noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8125741525125591593.post-35162874874574072162010-04-18T00:21:00.000-07:002010-04-18T00:28:34.272-07:00Yellow Banners!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVgcfoYCeynkEGeOvX9NwYkNq_OnNGtnLLRURQ1vUaoPlB5lOoSMqTgMXQd20QIXeAk-yZ_oDXO9vwQ4cuWQL9xeEvmJk1wodMBizA9-M-6UObrJXs22zXkz3lHknPDPE_vUUlv_9ROmFu/s1600/SPsign3.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 190px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVgcfoYCeynkEGeOvX9NwYkNq_OnNGtnLLRURQ1vUaoPlB5lOoSMqTgMXQd20QIXeAk-yZ_oDXO9vwQ4cuWQL9xeEvmJk1wodMBizA9-M-6UObrJXs22zXkz3lHknPDPE_vUUlv_9ROmFu/s320/SPsign3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461375210551188546" /></a>One of the issues that came up at the LCSD Workshop was those horrible, huge, yellow banners in parks. Everybody hates them, including senior management in LCSD apparently, but nobody seems to know how to stop them appearing so in order to help and encourage the LCSD in their efforts to eradicate the yellow banner disease we're going to start a league table for yellow banners. Next time you're in your park, count how many yellow banners there are, tell us the name of the park, and we'll put together a league table of the best and worst parks when it comes to yellow banners.<br /><br />Post as comments her or at the <a href="http://groups.to/freedomball">Facebook Group</a>and we'll pull the league table together. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf8tSsJ2H264IDpKy2jScVD9T2SSKsFFAA7iHzAnToIW2s10hAokkneZNwbycCFDs54-Ve5LKYwhwo1BjpUG2GQfP8evUBAGrfazu9LQ7A72byS4IToasAOw7OffBOZkKat-QKty6ss_hW/s1600/CRW_7376.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf8tSsJ2H264IDpKy2jScVD9T2SSKsFFAA7iHzAnToIW2s10hAokkneZNwbycCFDs54-Ve5LKYwhwo1BjpUG2GQfP8evUBAGrfazu9LQ7A72byS4IToasAOw7OffBOZkKat-QKty6ss_hW/s320/CRW_7376.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461375022730828258" /></a>David Biddlecombehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00883152455633412934noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8125741525125591593.post-45203035859148942162010-04-17T23:55:00.000-07:002010-04-18T00:03:47.842-07:00LCSD WorkshopWell, we had the workshop with the LCSD on Wednesday and it was ......interesting. It was encouraging in some ways in that there was support for much of what Freedom Ball has been talking about - removing fences, opening up space, creating open accessible parks and tackling over-regulation and signage. However, as is the nature of these things in the early stages, things tend to break down when it gets down to specific action. <br /><br />So what we'd like from the public is specific examples that we can work on. If we work on specific sites and situations we can find out where the real barriers to change lie. So if your your local park has a fenced off space that you can't access, a lack of open, grassed space or overzealous enforcement of rules, let us know. Please include as much detail as you can, including park name and photos if you can.<br /><br />You can post it up on the Facebook Group: <a href="http://groups.to/freedomball"> Freedom Ball</a> <br /><br />If you're not on Facebook, by all means e-mail to me at the <span style="font-weight:bold;">get involved</span> e-mail contact on the right.David Biddlecombehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00883152455633412934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8125741525125591593.post-17274036683280325702010-04-17T23:42:00.000-07:002010-04-17T23:54:57.094-07:00Shatin SurveyI forgot to post up the results of the survey we did with park users at the last Freedom Ball event in Shatin, so here they are! <br /><br /> 100% enjoyed Freedom Ball<br /><br /> 97% thought ball games should be allowed in the park<br /><br /> 90% thought there should be more grass<br /><br /> 77% thought there should be more free areas for play and relaxation<br /><br /> 64% thought there are too many rules<br /><br /> 62% thought more variety of activities should be allowedDavid Biddlecombehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00883152455633412934noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8125741525125591593.post-50893454923875472842009-11-23T06:01:00.000-08:002009-11-23T18:03:00.911-08:00A Happy Sunday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLN8nCIwtVmhxtLX23wuMSRKi8urFwFobMTAZiS3_GWTY0167SundVfgGfKqgEv0TvvIwrDT6-bihqi2D9Lkno_BlKKmnxaafYHF6sPd08qKyyOz6RPSZllcTRRw_J7VizVi5nbw9fsGwV/s1600/13860_216159164111_576199111_4267173_6531467_n.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLN8nCIwtVmhxtLX23wuMSRKi8urFwFobMTAZiS3_GWTY0167SundVfgGfKqgEv0TvvIwrDT6-bihqi2D9Lkno_BlKKmnxaafYHF6sPd08qKyyOz6RPSZllcTRRw_J7VizVi5nbw9fsGwV/s200/13860_216159164111_576199111_4267173_6531467_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407306421881437794" /></a>Well I'd been worried about what the weather would be like but woke up to a perfect sunny day on Sunday and we headed off to Shatin where our biggest Freedom Ball intervention so far went off really well.<br /><br />Many thanks to everyone who came along and especially to those who came and helped inflate the balls, you guys worked really hard and we couldn't have done it without you. Also the team of interviewers who did video interviews and filled out questionnaires with the public.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYa-Qi0I8FLRaUPqtjpKP33PX0oUROS7UmpHi5Z89KTsyMuboiIbBFXEZtfHxf9Hkfu2v-47EPgf9iBsfk_Qcdr3a7tKynJyyCy4-ct5TlgosCPQFzEtf_tJUvW6F9qWkCNiOB1q3brifm/s1600/15342_206190136135_700981135_4555814_8006526_n.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 182px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYa-Qi0I8FLRaUPqtjpKP33PX0oUROS7UmpHi5Z89KTsyMuboiIbBFXEZtfHxf9Hkfu2v-47EPgf9iBsfk_Qcdr3a7tKynJyyCy4-ct5TlgosCPQFzEtf_tJUvW6F9qWkCNiOB1q3brifm/s200/15342_206190136135_700981135_4555814_8006526_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407307977170463874" /></a>The park users who came to the park that day were great too and helped make the day the fun and positive event we were hoping for. Many people even stayed behind and helped us deflate the balls when it came time to pack up. We're starting to process the feedback from the public and I will edit the video footage in the next few days (thanks Violet!) and link to it. In the meantime check out the photos that are coming in to the Facebook Group here: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=photos&ref=mf&gid=35094044765">Photos</a>.<br /><br />As well as the interviews and questionnaires we had a lot of interesting conversations with press, public and even park management, who have responded positively to the issues raised by Freedom Ball. Rest assured that we will be working on keeping the momentum going and on exploring how to turn words into real action to make Hong Kong parks better places for Hong Kong people.David Biddlecombehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00883152455633412934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8125741525125591593.post-25931507384877426712009-11-23T00:27:00.000-08:002009-11-23T01:27:54.043-08:00SCMP articleThe SCMP ran an article about Sunday's event on the front of the City section of today's paper, which is great. However the last paragraph was slightly misleading in that it suggested that the new park in Ap Lei Chau had been built taking into account Freedom Ball's concerns about park design.<br /><br />I want to make it clear that this is in fact not the case. We have been talking to the LCSD about changes to park design and as part of that process we visited the new park in Ap Lei Chau to see where the LCSD is going in in terms of park design but the park was designed and indeed built before we started talking to the LCSD. <br /><br />I just want to make that clear because:<br /><br />a) We don't want to take credit for any improvements in park design that there may have been at Ap Lei Chau as we weren't involved until after the park had been built.<br /><br />b) Whilst there have been some steps in a positive direction at Ap Lei Chau (there are no fenced-off sections and there is a small open grass area for example) it isn't our idea of an ideal park design either.David Biddlecombehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00883152455633412934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8125741525125591593.post-69461222609956485572009-11-22T05:33:00.001-08:002009-11-22T05:42:08.294-08:00FacebookJust wanted to let remind everybody who came along to Shatin today that we have a Facebook Group where you can share pictures, video and comments or feedback about the event or about parks in general.<br /><br />The Facebook Group is here: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=35094044765&ref=mf#/group.php?v=wall&ref=mf&gid=35094044765">Facebook Group</a><br /><br />A big thanks to everybody who helped out today, I'll post more about it tomorrow.David Biddlecombehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00883152455633412934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8125741525125591593.post-24825658070735723822009-11-05T05:11:00.000-08:002009-11-05T19:43:10.518-08:00The Big One!Well, we've finally confirmed the details for the big Freedom Ball event we've been planning. It will be at <span style="font-weight:bold;">Shatin Park</span> on <span style="font-weight:bold;">Sunday 22nd November</span> from 11.30am to 2.30pm.<br /><br />The event will be on a much larger scale than those we have done before so if you can come along and help out with interviewing, recording, photographing or just helping to inflate and distribute balls we’d really appreciate it, just get in touch via the e-mail link on the right. We’re expecting that the scale of the event will generate a fair amount of press coverage and stimulate debate on the issue within the community.<br /><br />One encouraging development is that in recent meetings with the LCSD they have indicated that they are prepared to take on board feedback from the public on the key issues so please come along and express your views about Hong Kong's parks and we’ll try to see if we can get real changes implemented. <br /><br />Or just come and play ball!<br /><br />See you there!<br /><br />各位朋友:<br />大規模的自由波行動己籌備妥當! 將於十一月二十二日(星期天¬)沙田公園舉行.<br /><br />由於規模大了, 您的參與更為重要: 您可協助採訪市民; 錄影; 攝影; 充氣及派發自由波等, 有心的朋友請電邮右角的邮址報名吧。熱切期望此行動能引發大量媒介的報道及激發大眾對公共空間的討論。<br /><br />另外一個好消息是康文署愿意收集各位的意見, 請您們就香港公園的使用各抒己见, 共同爭取真正的改善。<br />一齊過來玩波啦!<br /><br />到時见!David Biddlecombehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00883152455633412934noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8125741525125591593.post-60708906834751150622009-06-13T22:30:00.000-07:002009-09-09T09:06:51.396-07:00We're back!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaLthaFhlby_f5HCBd_d0DgWrCTtRe3w91uDAZv5rPgsqp-xbvm7xm_8uizIXT8v3otf65AF2JOa4iSXke3M0-PXKiVcQmmlTdPtfdnz0gTVgi3BaC_AUET26dl7YJKTBpKkE9oYcKxGVG/s1600-h/wereback300.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaLthaFhlby_f5HCBd_d0DgWrCTtRe3w91uDAZv5rPgsqp-xbvm7xm_8uizIXT8v3otf65AF2JOa4iSXke3M0-PXKiVcQmmlTdPtfdnz0gTVgi3BaC_AUET26dl7YJKTBpKkE9oYcKxGVG/s200/wereback300.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379497236971394866" /></a>Stocks of Freedom Balls have now arrived from the factory in China and we're ready for a summer of fun!<br /><br />The balls are pre-printed and quicker to inflate than the old Freedom Ball and we have 1000 of them. This will allow us to do two things initially:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Big One</span><br />We can now organise the large-scale Freedom Ball event which I have been wanting to do for some time in order to involve more people and generate more debate about the issue. 'The Big One' will involve a large number of balls in a location to be revealed later and we also hope to carry out a number of other activities such as recording the event using video and photography as well as recording interviews with members of the public in order to have more opinions from the community. These will be gathered together for a subsequent exhibition and short film to further stimulate debate. We'll need a bigger team of people for this so send me an email if you want to get involved.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Releasing The Balls to the Community</span><br />We also have enough Freedom Balls to be able to give a set of Freedom Balls to people to organise their own Freedom Ball Events in their local park. If you're interested in this just let me know.David Biddlecombehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00883152455633412934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8125741525125591593.post-51311090236148837652009-04-19T18:11:00.000-07:002009-04-19T18:16:42.734-07:00New Logo<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnOvySMLZPcdKvLqHwlaw2819A_IBab55K0l7GjQ_0KiEqO_edL97oidNWd4pMAm1sVWOphXIxgGqp09ivM0m4HFUIbVG40DEtwTHS8UQ9HASnX-vFo3OWp_0nQ748PIv8hWyaOmaRz0K1/s1600-h/freedom+ballnew.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnOvySMLZPcdKvLqHwlaw2819A_IBab55K0l7GjQ_0KiEqO_edL97oidNWd4pMAm1sVWOphXIxgGqp09ivM0m4HFUIbVG40DEtwTHS8UQ9HASnX-vFo3OWp_0nQ748PIv8hWyaOmaRz0K1/s200/freedom+ballnew.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326576326697505170" /></a>Things have been a bit quiet on the Freedom Ball front recently but all that is about to change so stay tuned! In the meantime here is the new bilingual design for the Freedom Ball, stocks of which should be arriving shortly.David Biddlecombehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00883152455633412934noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8125741525125591593.post-14841660949440724602008-09-17T07:29:00.000-07:002008-09-17T07:34:32.656-07:00City Speak IVI'll be attending City Speak IV on Saturday which will also include a number of other far more knowledgable speakers discussing various issues around the regulation of public space, so come along and join the debate.<br />Details here: <a href="http://www.designinghongkong.com/cms/index2.php?option=com_yanc&act=archive&task=view&cid=95&Itemid=8&no_html=1">City Speak IV</a>David Biddlecombehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00883152455633412934noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8125741525125591593.post-34851217791912104602008-09-15T04:50:00.000-07:002008-09-15T05:05:13.138-07:00Facebook Group<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_YQa1xEhGoWBbAKOMneJ1bz454eYkcl6JuWMAFRMLA3lFZax2eNgQc1tvtvok2mL_B0T-bH51P-f9GEekEDGSdQIdfvoJTFxFRFGSZpWHRTGDzX2vUv-pB1g0TM14t7idPqifmbXujKuy/s1600-h/n35094044765_345.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_YQa1xEhGoWBbAKOMneJ1bz454eYkcl6JuWMAFRMLA3lFZax2eNgQc1tvtvok2mL_B0T-bH51P-f9GEekEDGSdQIdfvoJTFxFRFGSZpWHRTGDzX2vUv-pB1g0TM14t7idPqifmbXujKuy/s320/n35094044765_345.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246217560809240050" /></a>Cally has started a Facebook Group to share ideas and images related to the issues explored by Freedom Ball. Check it out here: <a href="http://www.new.facebook.com/inbox/#/group.php?gid=35094044765&ref=mf">Facebook Group 我們在公園裡准做什麼? --- 有沒有不吐不快的故事﹖</a>David Biddlecombehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00883152455633412934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8125741525125591593.post-35515556527810634902008-08-31T03:34:00.000-07:002008-08-31T03:47:29.774-07:00Olivia's Story<object width="420" height="605" align="middle"><param name="FlashVars" VALUE="ids=72157607037403147&names=Olivia's Story&userName=davidbiddlecombe&userId=19986999@N05&titles=on&source=sets&titles=on&displayNotes=on&thumbAutoHide=off&imageSize=medium&vAlign=top&displayZoom=off&vertOffset=0&initialScale=off&bgAlpha=20"></param><param name="PictoBrowser" value="http://www.db798.com/pictobrowser.swf"></param><param name="scale" value="noscale"></param><param name="bgcolor" value="#DDDDDD"></param><embed src="http://www.db798.com/pictobrowser.swf" FlashVars="ids=72157607037403147&names=Olivia's Story&userName=davidbiddlecombe&userId=19986999@N05&titles=on&source=sets&titles=on&displayNotes=on&thumbAutoHide=off&imageSize=medium&vAlign=top&displayZoom=off&vertOffset=0&initialScale=off&bgAlpha=20" loop="false" scale="noscale" bgcolor="#DDDDDD" width="420" height="605" name="PictoBrowser" align="middle"></embed></object>Olivia wrote a story for a children's magazine that asks children to think about the rules in the park and kindly allowed us to put it up here at Freedom Ball as it relates closely to what we do.<br />Story by <span style="font-weight:bold;">Olivia Yeung 羊瑾</span>David Biddlecombehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00883152455633412934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8125741525125591593.post-3060788175337269112008-08-17T19:20:00.000-07:002008-09-20T03:39:22.305-07:00Freedom Ball in Kowloon Park<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkVaKe8u7_65qZSHfBJ_VWOvD9TMzBFwfAvEXcgdIinpBLlMLGM6zb6oxejpgTzo9yf9_ztlWI4VfACIKnEZy5TD-Q6DIDeiWabXKutT0GzwQ-shAW-L5WNCqt08QT49gMn3wX-Igvpe7u/s1600-h/n688612743_1626638_5245.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkVaKe8u7_65qZSHfBJ_VWOvD9TMzBFwfAvEXcgdIinpBLlMLGM6zb6oxejpgTzo9yf9_ztlWI4VfACIKnEZy5TD-Q6DIDeiWabXKutT0GzwQ-shAW-L5WNCqt08QT49gMn3wX-Igvpe7u/s200/n688612743_1626638_5245.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235806509101936002" /></a>The third Freedom Ball event was in Kowloon Park on Saturday. You can see photos from the day here:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=685108322#/album.php?aid=51588&id=576199111">Cally Yu's Photos - Freedom Ball at HK parks</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=66363&id=688612743">Wong Man-wai's Photos - Happy action- Freedom Ball</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=48466&l=6c995&id=724065770">Jiro Kwok's Photos</a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwFK28waBePyiV1OyHxsjiqRkvj6cWbSVQi_aCkoJhPCjnvFDBdURYJLJh9Oh-nxFvgfO6BtS_ZOv3FBpjJp6PSgEzvGGuc5i1FsIjED8v7T6S7hLe009ebMqN_s0nJNAH-_2p-Um4r-A/s1600-h/collage8.jpg">Gweipo's Photos</a><br /><br />This time things took a little time to get going but we had a lot of fun in the end and some interesting discussions with the park management!<br /><br />If you want to see more of what happened then watch TVB Pearl's 'The Works' at 7pm tomorrow (Tuesday 19th August) as they will be featuring Freedom Ball on the show and were filming on Saturday. If you miss the show on TV you will be able to see it online at <a href="http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/tv/theworks/20080819.html">RTHK Online - The Works</a><br /><br />自由波來到九龍公園<br />自由波行動第三擎就在上星期六九龍公園。各位請參閱以下圖片:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=685108322#/album.php?aid=51588&id=576199111">Cally Yu's Photos - Freedom Ball at HK parks</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=66363&id=688612743">Wong Man-wai's Photos - Happy action- Freedom Ball</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=48466&l=6c995&id=724065770">Jiro Kwok's Photos</a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwFK28waBePyiV1OyHxsjiqRkvj6cWbSVQi_aCkoJhPCjnvFDBdURYJLJh9Oh-nxFvgfO6BtS_ZOv3FBpjJp6PSgEzvGGuc5i1FsIjED8v7T6S7hLe009ebMqN_s0nJNAH-_2p-Um4r-A/s1600-h/collage8.jpg">Gweipo's Photos</a><br /><br />本次行動起動較慢, 但我們最終都歡載而歸, 和公園管理人員的討論尤其有趣!<br />如果各位想睇多啲, 明天晚上7點(八月十六日星期二) TVB明珠台'The Works'有睇。上星期六這個節目的攝製組已到九龍公園錄影自由波行動。錯過節目仍可上网址<a href="http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/tv/theworks/20080819.html">RTHK Online - The Works</a>重温。David Biddlecombehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00883152455633412934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8125741525125591593.post-29221973738938721092008-08-14T08:33:00.001-07:002008-09-20T03:40:22.479-07:00Freedom Ball on TVThere will be another Freedom Ball intervention this weekend, on Saturday afternoon so if you're interested in getting involved then let me know. It's been organised at short notice because RTHK would like to film a Freedom Ball activity in time to show it on their arts and culture program 'The Works' on Tuesday (7pm). Exact time and venue to be confirmed shortly - watch this space!<br /><br />自由波行動上電视<br />本周未又一個自由波事件簿: 星期六九龍公園約定你。時間倉促,只因RTHK計劃於下星期二(7點)在藝術及文化峰烟節目'The Works'播出。具体時間再行通知。David Biddlecombehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00883152455633412934noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8125741525125591593.post-87658635212051072122008-08-06T01:17:00.000-07:002008-09-10T04:42:56.850-07:00Park Problems<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZh3Tno-dlS1KjhLZDHWTjN7B82KEM5-A9S-9fHVeJL-MxlO1LLO1GMA94EnWG4MR_UYRha4J9dXjYUhX7H9e96uNVtgcRyvPZxPcIkWsJmue5DPigbr17pwFBUhIaTr141Kl4O2uUDWc/s1600-h/006.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZh3Tno-dlS1KjhLZDHWTjN7B82KEM5-A9S-9fHVeJL-MxlO1LLO1GMA94EnWG4MR_UYRha4J9dXjYUhX7H9e96uNVtgcRyvPZxPcIkWsJmue5DPigbr17pwFBUhIaTr141Kl4O2uUDWc/s200/006.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231327403624348914" /></a>Freedom Ball is all about questioning how parks and other public spaces can be better regulated, managed and designed. Freedom Ball aims to stimulate this debate through our interventions. In order to further the discussion, here are what I think some of the main problems are:<br /><br />1) Excessive or unnecessary rules that prevent people from taking part in harmless and enjoyable activities in the park or at the beach such as playing ball games, sitting on the grass, walking a dog on a leash etc.<br /><br />2) Too much 'dead space' in park design. Public space is so limited and valuable in Hong Kong that Park designers should maximise, not minimise, the opportunities for the public to use the space. Creating areas of open space and then banning people from walking or sitting in that space is nonsensical given the limited space available, in my opinion. <br /><br />3) Too much restricted, single-use space which is often under-utilised. Designers of Hong Kong parks like to create specialist, single use spaces which are often empty. It is fine to give priority to specialist users of these spaces but if they are not being used for this purpose then ways should be found to make them available to the general public.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Possible solutions:</span><br /><br />1) Park and beach rules should serve the needs of the Hong Kong public, enabling them to enjoy their parks and public spaces without unnecessary restrictions. I accept that there is, of course, a need for some regulations in parks and public spaces but these regulations should be reviewed to ensure that they meet the genuine needs of Hong Kong people.<br /><br />2) Spaces should be designed so that they facilitate the public using and interacting with the public space not so that they restrict the public from accessing them. <br /><br />3) Single-use spaces should be opened up to the general public wherever possible when they have not been booked for the specialist purpose for which they were designed. Use of space should be regularly reviewed and, if necessary, re-designed to better serve the public. Further than this, more priority should be given to open, flexible, multi-use space in future park design.<br /><br />These are just my ideas. Freedom Ball is about making the way that public space is regulated, managed and designed serve the needs of Hong Kong people, so what do you think? Do you agree, disagree, or have any other ideas or suggestions? Do you have any examples of ways in which public spaces such as parks or beaches could be better regulated, managed or designed?<br /><br />自由波行動就是向公園及其它公共空間的立規, 管理及設計提出問題,舉行活動激發討論。有及於此,本人且拋磚引玉,以下是我所認識的主要問題:<br /><br />1)過多或無必要的規條阻碍大家進行一些有益又有趣的活動: 例如在公園和沙灘玩波, 草地上閑坐, 帶狗隻散步等。<br /><br />2)公園設計過多「死角」。香港寸金尺土, 公共空間彌足珍貴。公園設計者應提供機會讓公眾盡用空間, 而非縮减。本人認為創造公共空間, 又遏制公眾使用實為無稽之談。<br /><br />3)過多受限的單一功能空間未能善用。香港公園設計者喜設計尃用場地, 却不幸地經常性丟空。我提議這些場地若然丟空, 則應開放給公眾使用。<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">可行性的解決方案:</span><br /><br />1)公園和沙灘之立例應服務香港市民的需要, 無拘無束地享受自己的空間。我當然明白而且接受: 無規矩不能成方园, 但請謹記「規矩」應以香港市民的需要為首務。<br /><br />2)空間設計應該令市民易用好用而非禁用。<br /><br />3)尃用場地若非預訂, 則應開放給公眾使用。經常檢查場地的使用率, 有需要的話, 則重新設計, 善加使用。未來的公園設計, 希望更開放, 更靈活, 更多功能。<br /><br />以上謹為本人之磚, 愿得彼人之玉。你同意或反對本人的睇法或有其他建議? 能否提供公園及其它公共空間的立規, 管理及設計的更好意見呢?David Biddlecombehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00883152455633412934noreply@blogger.com0