Tag: Public space
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When someone’s struggling, ask them to help *you*
When he meets someone who’s struggling, Maff Potts relies on six words. “Could you do me a favour?” It’s counter-intuitive, but it’s never failed him, he says, even in extreme circumstances. Someone may be distraught, aggressive, or feeling utterly desperate. Instead of immediately trying to fix the problem, ask them for help. Can they offer…
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Chess, 3D printers -or doing nothing: public libraries as “shared living rooms”
“Hanging out at Oodi without a reason is welcomed and even recommended.” So says the brochure for Helsinki’s Central Library, named Oodi (meaning ‘ode’) – a vast ship-like, spruce-clad building that opened five years ago. It describes itself as “an open space for culture and creation”, and “everyone’s shared living room”. I don’t think that’s…
How can we help 