Rural Moves
New Perspectives for Rural Areas in China and Germany
Friday, 16 March 2018

On the occasion of the exhibition opening Rural Moves - The Songyang Story at Aedes Architecture Forum

Rural Moves

Welcome
Hans-Jürgen Commerell, Director, ANCB The Aedes Metropolitan Laboratory, Berlin - 00:00:00 - 00:08:41
Xie Yazhen, Vice County Magistrate, Songyang - 00:09:19 - 00:10:28

Introduction
Eduard Kögel, Research Advisor and Programme Curator, ANCB, Berlin - 00:18:42 - 00:26:29

Input: Rural Areas in Germany, Introduction of the Baukultur Report 2016/17 'City and Village'
Niklas Nitzschke, Federal Foundation of Baukultur, Potsdam - 00:26:55 - 00:43:41

Presentation of the Projects in Songyang
Xu Tiantian, DnA_Design and Architecture, Beijing - 00:44:29 - 01:09:57

Podium Discussion - 01:10:37 - 01:19:49
Niklas Nitzschke, Federal Foundation of Baukultur, Potsdam
Xu Tiantian, DnA_Design and Architecture, Beijing
moderated by Eduard Kögel, Research Advisor and Programme Curator, ANCB, Berlin

The revitalisation of rural areas has been neglected for a long time not only in China, but also in Europe and worldwide, and has consequently given rise to big socioeconomic and political challenges. Architecture and committed architects play an important role in countersteering these challenges through (re)production of attractive living spaces. Aedes has identified built examples in Songyang (China) that provide fascinating impulses for the discussion regarding the improvement of rural regions also in Europe. On the occasion of the exhibition opening Rural Moves - The Songyang Story, DnA_Design and Architecture founder Xu Tiantian presented her architectural acupunctures that generated a kind of new 'rural self-confidence'. It was followed by a discussion about new perspectives for rural areas together with Niklas Nitzschke, Federal Foundation of Baukultur.

This exhibition talk is part of the ANCB Theme Regions on the Rise, which focuses on fresh concepts and rethought design approaches with which to understand and plan rural regions. Conceptual understandings of the region as only a supportive hinterland for the city appear invalid, out of date and ineffective; as are the design and planning tools and instruments grown from this thinking. Rather, as an examination of recent generations of economic, environmental and recreational activities in the rural region can demonstrate, the region is built upon spatial interdependencies that are increasingly autonomous of the city 'proper'. The goal of the project is to identify and highlight strategies for the development of a future sustainable rural area, connected to the Metropolitan areas and cities in the digital age. Another aim is to explore what choices, offers and services are needed to identify a new regional self-consciousness and create an attractive environment for the next generation of rural citizens.