Utopia - Speculative design for Ferenc Tér

May the Smile be with you! #felicity 

Dystopia - Speculative design for the world and Ferenc Tér

Why are you so heartless?

Ferenc tér is a very popular park among people in Ferencváros, it is in a central location of the district, it's quite big and green. Despite the heated debate we saw at the community forum, people are probably much more tolerant with each other in everyday life than we think.

Dog owners

There are a lot of people who walk their dogs at Ferenc tér, even though signs show it is forbidden to do so, locals actually consider Ferenc tér quite dog friendly. Also because dog owners clean up after their dogs, and their community uses the square mainly in the evening hours. A woman with children mentioned conflicts with those who owned large dogs, meanwhile someone else with a small dog said she never had any conflict with people at Ferenc tér because of walking her dog there.

Young and dating

Somehow people in their 20s seem to avoid participating in local (community) conversations, despite the fact that they use the square a lot themselves. A young man living in a nearby street said he liked the square because it was nice for first dates; he preferred not having park guards but didn't want to share this at the community forum.

Social life

Elderly people sit a lot on benches at the park, and they are also taking part in community conversations. For them and for families having a dedicated space in the park for socialising would be important but for instance the local government is against having more tables and benches at the park because people would gamble at them. The framing of this same thing came from locals as "it would be nice to have tables and benches so that people could come together to play cards and chess as in other parks in Budapest".

The municipality provides a service for families on Thursdays, afternoon activities are organized for children. There are a lot of families with small children, and after spending a Saturday afternoon at the square, even I think the size of the playground is quite small, the opinion of locals about the need for more toys is a fair demand.

Marginalized and reported at Ferenc tér

The issue of homeless and drug addicts seemed to bother people at the community forum a lot, although I clearly remember spending time at the square last year, and noticing that unlike in more frequented public spaces, homeless staying at Ferenc tér were quite reserved, taking naps in a certain area of the square. A woman yesterday mentioned they preferred to stay at the benches close to the "whales", and they sort of disappeared as the construction started. Two women discussed if it was OK to allow homeless to sleep in the park, one of them said no while the other scorned at her "Why are you so heartless?".

At the community forum the director of the municipality police cited hard numbers of the past year about how many times his staff treated homeless, or reported drug addicts to police. He also said there are about 100 homeless who registered with the authorities as being from Ferencváros (District 9). There was a general push towards a vigilant behaviour (e.g. the park guard, calling police, talks about CCTV), and people in general expected the municipality to initiate things and keep things in order. Not only the authorities but people themselves enjoy the qualities of the park as nice and peaceful, and they are very articulate about the nice things gradually disappearing as you go further in District 9, and the number of homeless increasing on Haller Street.

Community Forum - Ferenc tér

RECONSTRUCTION OF THE PUBLIC DISCUSSION IN FERENC TÉR, LED BY CITY COUNCIL OFFICIALS AND ATTENDED BY THE LOCAL PUBLIC

We have to be able to talk to each other.

Some alterations are happening to be made.

More effective communication.

And action-sqad would be nice.

I have to say, that some people, I don't want to bother your sensitivity but  you all know what I am talking about, right? Yes, so certain people are doing certain things in this park that is – as we all know....

Oh indeed, we understand what you mean!

But to put it clear, I want to say it out: drugs. Drug addicts are singing all night long.

And the dogs are doing their dog-things everywhere. 

Dog-owners and dogs doing their dog-things.

This is fake democracy.

My grandfather was a very famous kinologist – which means: dog-expert.

That's how I learned basically everything about the nature of all kinds of dogs.

So on behalf of my famous grandfather i can tell you: dog-shit is smelly.

The problem is that we lost the RESPECT for each other.

And also the dogs.

And the littering.

Yes.

But there are no drug addicts any more. 

We successfully expelled them.

But what should be done by us, civilians if we see unwanted activity taking place in the park?

Call the police.
It's their duty.

Here is the phone number.

It took 2 hours for them to arrive last time I called them. 

Why is that?

 Why? Why? Why?

Why can't this discussion be more constructive?

And also to respond to the previous question:

some alterations on that field are taking place in the system.

And also: you all should know how expensive it is to guard a park.

We have to employ a person for that job.

And that goes from your tax money.

I would just grab them myself and then call the police.

Or maybe just tell them to stop their misbehaviour?

That is a very simple act, no?

 

I tried it and I don't recommend it,

as I got hurt, you know?

I think, we all can agree now.

Yes, we must say, that strict, new rules are going to take place in this park.

I can promise, that a very strict regulation will be made. That's why we are here, to make it together: this strict, new regulation of the park.

But where is the old regulation? 

I can't see it nowhere.

What's written in it? 

 Smoking is prohibited

Dog-walking is prohibited

But here are the people – smoking and walking their dogs? 

How did that happen? Why didn't we recognise this earlier?

Let's file a report on those illegal activities RIGHT NOW.

Who is smoking? You will get fined.

Smoking is prohibited as you all can hear now.

Very good.

No, there was no information provided.

And there are ashtrays everywhere.

I wanted this discussion to be about the future, not the past. 

 People... they are just like that.

THIS IS NOT THE END OF THE DISCUSSION

Observing a 'seemingly-functioning-park' under construction

Park

Cars, taxies, motors, bikes, strollers, drive by

“Cobblestone surface is not ‘child friendly’ so it should all be replaced by concrete”

Sun is shining

Birds sing

UFO is still present

The bins are super full…. Something must have happened here last night

Park is 75 Bart-steps wide

Park is 130 Bart-steps long

Atmosphere in the park is relaxed

Human behaviour

Male person freshens up at public water facility and coughs a lot

Kids who carried the chairs for the public meeting make fun of him by imitating the coughing

Another local brings his own chair

City council official opens by asking the male attendees to get the chairs and put them so everybody can sit.

The forum-setting is staged in the park using ‘indoor’ furniture

Cripple woman comes walking in straight line over the grass to join the meeting

Super big guy in black carrying his newly bought bread stopping at the talk… listens and walks on leaving the park on the opposite side.

Male person is feeding the doves from a bench away from the gathering as if nothing is happening

People come and go some of them in sports outfit

A male person in the audience takes the mic, being the first responder

Neighbour listens to the talks from his fourth floor apartment listening with his hands behind his ears

Older man is reading the newspaper in the shade…. Away from the gathering

5 dogs and their owners are present in the audience

A little princess passes by together with her Asian-like parents

More and more people from the audience start responding to the city council information and one and other

Guards walk up to a group (Pitbull and owner, girlfriend and three friends) since the talk and laugh to loud…. Almost annoying the meeting…

Mountain bikes cross the park

Mobile rings and is being answered

Camera men comes in to shoot the forum situ

Construction men and excavator have left…... it is Saturday

Pitbull and owner are still at the bench

Nature

A garden of ‘wild looking’ plants will be realised

2 persons imitating dove sounds

grass in the park is higher than average

grass on none gentrified area site is of less quality then on the other site

several birds fly over

Photos of first visit

The cover of the gasstorage, don't come closer than five meters, but a bench is placed at two metres

A fitness tool? A children's game?

Interior of the pavillion

Some remmants of a open air bedroom 

Elephant path, no elephant will ever walk on