Reflecting on the previous journey
After a full semester of lectures, tutorials, posting and commenting, and a lot of reading every week, I’m soaking it up like a sponge. It’s been painful, but it’s been very rewarding, and I’m starting to enjoy it a little bit more. it’s been a short first semester, but I remember how painful it was to think about writing my first blog.
At the end of the first semester at Newcastle University- photo taken by Dan Yu
It’s not a good beginning
Everything starts difficult and negative. The first issue is how to finish the post as a course. Until the topic selection process begins, I am unsure of where to start, so I can only make assumptions based on the topic’s general title. After each weekly lecture, I discover that my “imagined” topic and the actual topic are not quite the same. Fortunately, I can always learn more and gain fresh perspectives from the blog and classroom materials, which helps me gradually grasp these subjects. In addition, we can read each other’s blogs thanks to the publication of blogs, and what’s interesting about this is that while we read, we will gradually start to consider our own opinions and ideas, even if some of the topics are similar, everyone has a different perspective on these issues. As a result, my ability to think critically has improved, and I’m starting to believe that this course may not be all that bad.
Start thinking
As I got into the swing of things, I adjusted to the course, particularly the weekly lectures, which covered a wide range of topics such as economics, sustainability, public space, green facilities, and so on. I’m interested in the courses on Green Infrastructure and Public Space. The topic of green infrastructure came up because I noticed that the Newcastle government is concerned about the project including bike lanes and has implemented several bike lane designs that, when compared to the vast number of Danish citizens who ride, appear inadequate. there is no doubt that the Danish government will use a green system to lower the incidence of child-harming traffic accidents, this is largely responsible for the creation of bike lanes in that country. Surprisingly, they did a great job putting the plan into action and then progressively expanded it to include more safety islands, bike lights, pedals, and other cycling amenities to get people riding even more. Therefore, a well-established bicycle system can encourage individuals to travel in a low-carbon way even if the UK lacks Denmark’s desire. Another fascinating lesson is about public space. Through a little game, a word that appears to be defined can be understood in a variety of ways. For example, some people may think of public space as a place to relax and socialize, others as an area without age restrictions, and still others as an outdoor area where events can be held. In reality, there are a variety of different locations, cities, and cultures that can be considered public spaces. Although the definitions and purposes of these public areas vary, one thing is for certain: they serve the public. Another thought-provoking argument is that as designers, we are continuously thinking about the kinds of environments we want to build. However, this could be the future that the designers envision, as in the case of Brasilia design, where wide, straight pavements were too long and boring, while no store or market surrounded the residential, making it inconvenient for residents, and those designs leading to the spaces becoming urban problems. As a result, when discussing public space, we must always keep in mind that different spaces allow for different meanings.
Ending
From lecture to blog, it looks like a closed-loop course, understanding the course, reflecting, researching, then writing the blog, reading everyone’s comments, and then reflecting. Overall it has been very rewarding, reflecting on what I feel has been defined and then finding breakthroughs, and finally I hope to continue to use this kind of critical thinking to record my blogs in the future.
