Cultural Activism and the Politics of Place-Making

In this paper, we explore the relationship between creative practice, activism and urban place-making by considering the role they play in the construction of meaning in urban spaces. Through an analysis of two activist groups based in Stokes Croft, Bristol (UK), we argue that cultural activism provides new political prospects within the wider context of global capitalism through the cultivation of a shared aesthetics of protest. By cultivating aspects of shared history and a mutual enthusiasm for creative practice as a form of resistance, Stokes Croft has emerged as a ‘space of nurturance’ for creative sensibilities. However, we note how Stokes Croft as an autonomous space remains open-ended and multiple for activists interested in promoting different visions of social justice

Puentes de carretera de montaña, Inglaterra

The new layout of the road between Hirwaun and Abergavenny, in the Welsh district known as «Heads of the Valleys», has involved the construction of four new bridges, which because of the difficult terrain, were very carefully designed before the best solution could be discovered. Traditional methods would have required the use of much scaffolding and tall supports, owing to the depth of the gorges to be traversed. Hence progressive cantilevering from either side of the span was chosen. In three of the four bridges the final method was the one mentioned above. In the other, a treble portal frame, resting on two intermediate slender supports, hinged at their base, was preferred. The first three bridges are all of very similar construction: in each case an initial mass at the springer was concreted, to which additional sections, each 3 m long, were added, and attached by means of prestressed reinforcement. The fourth bridge was built with double T girders, cantilevered in 3 m sections. The 3 m spaces between the chords of parallel girders were concreted at the site. A set of four of these girders, and the slabs between the chords, constitute a box girders, and the depth of this structure decreases from 4.50 ms over the supports to 1.50 m at the crown. The mixed system of prefabricated units, and slabs, concreted at the site, was made possible because of the prestressing.La reforma del trazado de la carretera entre Hirwaun y Abergavenny, en la zona denominada «Heads of the Valleys», ha motivado la construcción de cuatro nuevos puentes que, por su situación y por lo accidentado del terreno, fueron objeto de particular estudio a fin de lograr una solución óptima. La adopción de métodos tradicionales exigía el empleo de grandes cimbras y soportes por la profundidad de las depresiones salvadas. Por ello se recurrió a los sistemas de construcción en voladizos. La solución definitiva fue, pues, de arco en voladizo, en tres de los cuatro puentes, y el cuarto, de tramo central y dos laterales aporticados con intradós formando una superficie curva y dos soportes intermedios de mediana altura, esbeltos y articulados en su base. La descripción de las tres primeras obras se ha hecho admitiendo una gran similitud entre ellas y, por tanto, como si se tratase de una sola. La cuarta es diferente y se ha construido con vigas doble T, montadas en voladizo por trozos de 3 m y hormigonando en obra los huecos entre alas de estas vigas, espaciadas a 3 m. El conjunto de cuatro de estas vigas y las losas que cierran los huecos entre alas, forma una estructura hueca tipo cajón. El canto de la estructura así constituida varía desde 4,50 m sobre soportes hasta 1,5 m en la clave. La construcción en voladizo empezó hormigonando un primer bloque al cual se le iban añadiendo trozos de vigas de 3 m que se solidarizaban con la parte anteriormente construida mediante armaduras pretensadas. El sistema mixto de piezas prefabricadas y losas hormigonadas en obra ha sido posible gracias al pretensado