ReciprociUdad. Design Diplomacy in Seville

ReciprociUdad_Design Diplomacy in Seville contains a perspective developed between Carlos Tapia and I through our symposium held in Seville in 2020. The overall framework is an extension of the Design Diplomacy initiatives generated in collaboration with Charles Anderson. The seminar attempts to probe the complex maturing of the hybrid Sevilla’s cultural landscapes, with a desire to decipher the fiery welcoming city that set me wondering on my last visit.

The Andalusian capital city resonates with many singularities. It remains a challenge to the usual socio-economic prediction made through the earlier crises. At the heart of the global economic crises of the past decade that hit Europe and especially Spain, the city of Seville shines as if these torments were irrelevant ; its architectural heritage resplendent like few other European cities, its open spaces testifying to new landscape dynamic competing to blend its territorial legacy and environmental concerns, its social capital facing a growing tourist economy with profound dignity. At the time of social cohesion improvement and the difficult maintenance of intangible cultural landscapes identities, Seville presents an intriguing example of what is now called a Sustainable City.

To consider those sibylline conditions contradicting current predictions, and to meet the Design Diplomacy aims, exchanges are established between Carlos Tapias and myself, resulting in the creation of the ReciprociUDdad Seminar. (The title ReciprociUdad was coined after a conversation with Charles Anderson on his anticipated Recipocity lecture. City : Ciudad in Spanish.)

The ReciprociUdad Seminar aims to better understand the urban and territorial policies implemented by the Andalusian region and the design/planning actions/projects undertaken/implemented in light of these policies, in order to identify the specificity and particularity of the resilience challenges and opportunities of this region in achieving a resilient city/territory. Through this policy initiative, the team of both local and international experts observes and discusses the territorial policy put in place by the region, as well as the suite of projects undertakes over the last few decades. Similarly, local geopolitics are questioned to better estimate how the regional decentralisation inherent in its history has allowed its region to avoid the ruin caused by the escalation of European crises. Finally, from the analysis of its social capital, the capacity of its inhabitants to conjugate Iberic arts of living with the requirements of a major tourist centre, the team questions the suitable character of the Andalusian communalism.

The ReciprociUdad Seminar is a part of the international seminars series Design Diplomacy which aims to provide an overview of the current Seville Social Cohesion and Environmental Justice achievement ; develop critical tools and methodologies of engaging in this arena ; provide a systematic compendium of case studies of these complex phenomena for the enthusiastic new generation of landscape architects, planners, and environmental designers concerned with the ethical behaviours towards humans and non-humans.

Founded in 2019, Design Diplomacy also held ‘Hokkien Mee Diplomacy’ in Malaysia/Singapore. Its work has been presented at the exhibition ‘Super Tight’ in Australia and Singapore Architecture Biennale Archifest 2020 ‘Saving Our World’, including the Academic Journal Special Edition of ‘Citizen Participation Pedagogy’ in Korea. It is now our honour to exhibit and discuss the ethical philosophy of this approach in the Italian Pavilion during the Venice Biennale 2021.