In the Distance

There are two new posts on the way, but as a placeholder to force me to write the bloody things, here's some relevant links. One will be on the subject of Huw Benyon's brilliant chronicle of '70s industrial militancy Working for Ford, more specifically on what is current and not-current in his analysis of Fordism at its zenith; as a pointer to what happens next, and our failure to get to grips with it, read Kosmograd on the uselessness of Jane Jacobs for an analysis of Foxconn City (and Len on recent Chinese strikes). The other post is on, with what some may find crushing inevitability, the subject of Basil Spence's Southampton University and the Flower Estate that adjoins it, because I had a walk round both recently for the first time in around 15 years, and I might have some new things to say about the experience. Advance chippiness warning. A more lyrical evocation of Sotonian bitterness can be found on the excellent, and until recently unknown to me Nonism website.

Also occuring this week: two public things. There's a roundtable discussion of Footsteps, or more specifically 'the role of footsteps in reconstructing moments in the cultural history of particular parts of cities, will take place from 3-5pm on Tuesday 15th June in Room 101, 30 Russell Square. Speakers include Marshall Berman, Ardis Butterfield, Henderson Downing, Owen Hatherley, Victoria McNeile and Mica Nava.' I'll be talking about commuting, probably. I'll also be talking to Tom McDonough about The Situationists and the City at the ICA on the 16th. I presume we'll be slightly kinder than this.