Acupuncture urbanism
Creation of public spaces through the efforts of city residents
Urban acupuncture is the positive change of urban environment via work on its strategic points. The city can be improved not only “from above” through big urban planning decisions and serious financial investments, but also through the transformation of small but strategically located public spaces using smaller resources often collected by residents and business communities themselves.
The project is conducted by the SILK team and students of AUCA's Anthropology, Urbanism and International Development Master's Program Altynai Yusupova, Daria Lopukhova and Elina Saparova under the supervision of Dr. Emil Nasritdinov, with the support from the Open Society University Network and Bishkek Chief Architect's Office.
The project is conducted by the SILK team and students of AUCA's Anthropology, Urbanism and International Development Master's Program Altynai Yusupova, Daria Lopukhova and Elina Saparova under the supervision of Dr. Emil Nasritdinov, with the support from the Open Society University Network and Bishkek Chief Architect's Office.
(Among many other factors) our love for our homeland and our cities grows in proportion to our personal contribution to their prosperity.
Point #1
River in the City
Intersection of Aaly Tokombaev Street and Ala-Archa River
What the site looks like now
How we see the place it in the future
This is how the project was implemented.
Current Condition
What the site looks like now
Our first point is at the intersection of two very important pedestrian flows: along the Aaly Tokombayev Street and along the embankment of the Ala-Archa River.
At the moment, the space looks abandoned, ruinated and dangerous for people crossing Maldybaeva Street diagonally and climbing the hill in the absence of stairs or a ramp.
Nontheless, the site has a very great potential. It has a large tree with a wide crown, which provides attractive shade, and two irrigation ditches, which create a pleasant microclimate. The three-meter-high wall of Tokombaeva Street creates a feeling of semi-closed and protected space. It already has graffiti with Nelson Mandela's portrait and plenty of space for new graffiti or mosaics.
Our Vision
How we see the place it in the future
We propose to create a new public space on this derelict site with the following main elements:
- Amphitheater
- Ramps
- Bench around the tree
- A platform along the wall with experimental benches and a table
- Area for exercise
- Platform with benches at the riverwalk level
- Decorative paving using different types of hard and soft surfaces and mosaics
- Wall decoration
“River in the city” - a path of blue mosaic flows through strict geometric shapes symbolizing the city
Before and After
Compare how the site looks now and how it looks in our vision
The space will also have good nighttime lighting
Project Implementation
This is how the project was realized
We presented the project to Urmat Karybaev, Chief Architect of Bishkek City, and Einar Kulbaev, Head of the City Landscaping Department We gained their support and interest in cooperation, particularly in the further creation of public spaces along the Ala-Archa and Alamedin rivers. The report on the meeting was published on the economist.kg page
Meeting at the Chief Architect's Office
Once we received the green light, we have started fundraising campaign. The most important contribution came from the Instagram followers of one of the project initiators Altynai Yusupova, who collected nearly $3,400. Another very important contribution of $2,000 was made by the ecological organization Movegreen. Pr. Seth Fearey contributed $300 and Pr. Daniyar Karabaev $200. Altogether, we raised $5,900. All of this money was used for the purchase of construction materials and food and drinks for volunteers.
The construction started on June 16,2022. During the first month, there were very few people ready to help with their own physical labor. Luckily for the project, in July the group called Jerdin Baldary decided to join the project. Three key people Omar Dairov, Begimai Baatyrbekova and Elmira Djumalieva made the call for volunteers and nearly 60 young people came to help with the project construction. Interestingly, the vast majority of volunteers (at lest 90%) were young girls at the age of 15-20. Nothing stopped them from engaging in all activities on the construction: mixing concrete, making formwork, concrete screed, mosaics from tiles, carrying stones and moving soil.
The construction started on June 16,2022. During the first month, there were very few people ready to help with their own physical labor. Luckily for the project, in July the group called Jerdin Baldary decided to join the project. Three key people Omar Dairov, Begimai Baatyrbekova and Elmira Djumalieva made the call for volunteers and nearly 60 young people came to help with the project construction. Interestingly, the vast majority of volunteers (at lest 90%) were young girls at the age of 15-20. Nothing stopped them from engaging in all activities on the construction: mixing concrete, making formwork, concrete screed, mosaics from tiles, carrying stones and moving soil.
This, of course, was not just all work, work, work. There was a lot of fun too. Very few people knew each other at the beginning, but after working for several days together, many became close friends and there was a lot of socialization. Some really good friendships were born on the location.
This, of course, was not just all work, work, work. There was a lot of fun too. Very few people knew each other at the beginning, but after working for several days together, many became close friends and there was a lot of socialization. Some really good friendships were born on the location. Neighbors and followers of Altynai Yusupova's account brought food and drinks to support the team.
The images below show how the project was evolving over the Summer and early Fall.
In addition, students and volunteers got engaged at the new MakerSpace workshops of the American University of Central Asia, where they designed parametric benches, modeled them in 3D, cut them on the CNC machine, polished, varnished and assembled them under the guidance of a talented engineer Timur Azizbek uulu.
When the bulk of the work was done, artists from the Basic Colors group, led by the talented Victor Tsoi, joined the project and made a mural and graffiti on the main wall. Victor depicted a girl and a snow leopard as a personification of the river, which can be gentle and calm, but also turbulent and dangerous. The image of the girl was also symbolical because nine out of ten volunteers who worked on the construction were girls.
Originally, we thought of this public space simply as a place where people can sit and relax in the shadow of a large tree. We did not expect that the space also has the capacity of a place for events that can host a large number of people. The Amphitheater works well for that purpose. On October 12th, we had the first large event at the location, where we thanked volunteers.
On October 19th, we had another major Opening Ceremony for the park that hosted musicians, AUCA President Timothy O'Connor and Bishkek Chief Architect Office representative Einar Kolbaev. Altynai gave letters of gratitude to many of her Instagram followers who contributed resources for this project.
The project requires some more work, which will probably pick up again in the Spring. Meanwhile, we have started working on a new location in Bishkek - the nearly forgotten green space on Manas avenue, across from Asia Mall, also along the Ala-Archa River. We were also invited to initiate a similar project for the creation of public space in the city of Osh in Southern Kyrgyzstan. That is why we see this project only as a beginning and we look forward to many more new interesting locations and urban designs. Our main goal though is not the creation of public spaces, but in establishing the new practice of urban engagement, which hopefully become a new urban tradition!
together we can make our city better
