For
the first time in history, most of the world’s seven billion people live in
cities. However, close to one billion of these people live in informal
settlements, crudely referred to as slums or squatter settlements. Many of
these people are forced to live on only 2 dollars a day, and as a result there
are many societal problems that arise. “Design With the Other 90%: Cities” is
an exhibition that helps to solve these issues through design. It is currently
on display in Portland, the only West coast city to host the exhibit. Take a
day to walk to the two display locations and you will see what an expansive
project this is.
Organized
by Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, “Exchange, Adapt, Include” can be
viewed at the Museum of Contemporary Craft. A short stroll to the MercyCorps
building and you can see the “Reveal, Prosper, and Access” portion of the
exhibit. Countries in Southeast Asia, South America, and Africa are the primary
focus of the design work. Design professionals from around the globe collaborated
with residents to create a new infrastructure for the poor that fosters and
accelerates innovation.
There are 60 projects, proposals,
and solutions on display at the two venues. Individual objects such as;
portable vendor stands, solar lanterns, and community kitchens help shine the
spotlight on entrepreneurship and innovative approaches to the needs in these
rural communities. There are also broader strategic solutions for farming,
irrigation, urbanization, teaching, and shelters. Each project is displayed
through use of; video and photo documentation, full scale artifacts and models,
and statistical data. The projects are presented beautifully and are visualized
throughout the exhibition to further contextualize the challenges met by the
design solutions. It is an extremely worthwhile way to spend your Saturday.
