Towards an interstitial approach to urban landscape

- The history of western landscape can be conceived as the conquering of ‘non-places', by which is meant above all unknown lands with a reputation of being ‘horrendous' or uninhabitable, that are gradually brought under control, assigned a cultural value and subsequently transformed into ‘places' and landscapes. These are generic spaces without any clear history or identity. Airports, intersections and shopping centres, as well as the residual spaces associated with these, are just some examples of environments that Augé refers to as ‘non-places'. In order to breach this impasse, it becomes necessary to relinquish a privileged relationship that links one's living environment with an image of protection, the latter being associated in turn with archetypical places. By the same token, one must resist the temptation to classify an area as a ‘place' or ‘non-place' without prior examination or analysis. Various methods capable of altering our perception of urban areas can be used to set this process in motion.