MOVE: site of trauma and memory

From the vernacular architectural character of West Philadelphia rowhouse at 6221 Osage Ave to its transformation as the headquarters of MOVE, and eventually a bunker/frontier site of a political conflict, to its destruction and rebuilding, what happens to architectural space, through what sorts of architectural interventions? And how does the architecture of the place take role in this violent history?

If we consider urban streets as social spaces, and as transitory spaces between the private and public, we controls this space and in what way? What is the role of urban codes and the city government's desire to keep it under control? (Questions of agency should be addressed here following the discussion)

When such a traumatic event, a painful memory in a city's history is not offcially acknowledged and "fixed" in a memorial or through a ceremony of remembrance, what happens. What does this say about the function of war memorials/commemorative monuments?

Posted at Jan 29/2009 03:11PM:
Lyndsey Barnes (1-29-09 3:10PM) In class today, I was mulling over how separate communities within cities survive, and trying to decide what made MOVE fail so drastically. For example, in Copenhangen, there's a community called Freetown, where the residents openly sell marijuana, and cars are not allowed, yet the area is generally tolerated by Copenhagen authorities and police. However, the people of Copenhagen are allowed to go in and out whenever they want. Thus, the communication is still open, allowing both parties (Freetown and Copenhagen authorities) to retain some agency in ruling Freetown. I think that's when the problem with MOVE really started, when MOVE started to become like a "bunker" and alienated its neighbors. Cities by nature are public - there are public leisure spaces, facilities, etc. - especially democratic ones. Almost all space is shared except for one's own home. The communication and interaction between these spaces is essential for the city's survival. When that is taken away, the community in question is not even part of the city anymore. The authorities can't trust it to not harm the city, so they think they have to take serious action. Since communication is no longer an option, disaster often strikes.

Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology