Beyond Growth

The Beyond Growth Photo Blog

2008-03-06T18:23:00.000-08:00

EDAW photographers are making their way through some of the world’s most vibrant urban contexts in a whirlwind trip capturing imagery for the EDAW book Beyond Growth. An initiative of Asia and its ‘EDAW-in’ group, Beyond Growth is a vivid exploration of the most urbanized corner of the world – an arc of geography that spans from Shanghai to Mumbai to Dubai. This is one of several photo journeys by EDAW’s photographers. Dixi Carrillo captured construction in Beijing in late 2007, and David – the flavor of Mongkok (the world’s most densely populated square kilometer). Both will return to Asia this year for further photography alongside similar lines.

This emerging world is experiencing history’s most dramatic physical transformation with intriguing ramifications for the larger world’s natural and social environments. It is a part of the world defined by massive urbanization, vast migrations of people, the world’s tallest buildings, Olympian construction, magical reclamations, and barebones poverty alongside ever-more ostentatious wealth. It is redefining the way designers/planners practice in new and interesting ways, stretching our notions of scale, long-term environmental vision and social stability. This is a place with more than 170 cities that have more than 1 million residents. It is a place with hundreds of Louis Vuitton stores, almost all of them new, but with a floating population of millions of migrant construction workers from Lahore to Lanzhou, all of whom are far from home. It is a place with about 3.7 billion people, more than 12 times the population of the United States.

EDAW has been practicing in this place for many years now, and our links are deepening here and our geographic scope is widening to take on new Asian societies. Beyond Growth is both a celebration and documentation of the built transformation we are witnessing here as practitioners.

-Daniel Elsea, EDAW

Re-Entry

2008-03-06T15:36:00.000-08:00

We finished up this leg of the journey in Dubai. Dino continues his self exploration throughout India, while after a 21 hour flight I'm back in San Francisco with the task of processing the thousands of images we took. It was challenging and exhausting at times but visually rewarding and culturally insightful. Over the next few months I'll continue to post images from our recent trip and other related travels. Thanks for checking in - David

Dubai - Supersize

2008-02-25T00:27:00.000-08:00

Dubai - Beyond Growth

2008-02-22T00:08:00.001-08:00

Mumbai - The People

2008-02-21T12:53:00.000-08:00

Mumbai - Respites

2008-02-21T12:40:00.000-08:00

Mumbai - Life On The Streets

2008-02-21T12:10:00.000-08:00

Mumbai Opens Up

2008-02-18T21:09:00.000-08:00

As our explorations near Mumbai, our minds overflow with the dreadful reputation of India.

We arrive at night, and through the windows of our taxi Mumbai seems menacingly anxious to deliver.

However, the dawn brought us some serious productivity and after our first morning we are feeling welcomed by the people and even by the geography of Mumbai. This cannot last long?!

And a sidenote - The Air is as much it's own entity as the city itself. Throwing thick scents from an endless source. And playing tricks on our eyes with an ever shifting visibility.

Mumbai- Colaba the Old Town

2008-02-18T10:18:00.000-08:00

Bangkok -Treasures Left Undiscovered

2008-02-14T08:32:00.000-08:00

Manila seemed as familiar as home in just a few short days. However, Bangkok proved to be infinitely more challenging.

Bangkok's emergence is years ahead of Manila. Bangkok International Airport seemed to even dwarf Makati City.

We left Bangkok with our heads hanging out of our taxi windows still shooting, feeling like we only scratched the surface of the scale and complexity of this sprawling city.

Bangkok - A Closer Look

2008-02-14T08:25:00.000-08:00

Bangkok The City

2008-02-14T08:20:00.000-08:00

Off to Bangkok

2008-02-11T09:02:00.000-08:00

We finished photographing Manila and arrived in Bangkok yesterday. We'll be posting additional photos to our flickr gallery so check back... Another long day of shooting in Bangkok. I hope we can keep this pace up through Dubai.

Faces of Manila

2008-02-11T08:54:00.000-08:00

No matter what their circumstances the people of the Phillipines seem to always be smiling.

Contrasts

2008-02-09T06:45:00.001-08:00

Coke and a Smile

2008-02-07T08:08:00.000-08:00

Early Rush Hour(s)

2008-02-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

So much for traffic control. Everyone must have switched license plates.

Anvaya Cove

2008-02-07T07:38:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday we left the smog of Manila and headed south. We arrived at Anvaya cove, a secluded beachside resort planned and designed by EDAW.

MRT

2008-02-07T07:02:00.000-08:00

Heading out of the CBD we discover the grit of sprawling Manila. The MRT is one of the ways Manila is dealing with congestion. The other we discovered on the way back from Anvaya Cove- our driver had to switch cars to get us back to the hotel during rush hour...only license plates ending in odd numbers are permitted into the CBD on Thursdays. It seems to be working.

Manila

2008-02-05T06:36:00.000-08:00

We survived an 18 hour flight and we were rewarded by a warm and sunny morning. At 1:30 pm we headed out to our first EDAW project site, Nuvali. An expansive Master Planned Community - currently rolling hills and roaming cattle.

This evening we photographed the upscale business district of Makati.

San Francisco { rain and more rain }

2008-02-03T11:10:00.001-08:00

The closed gate of the Luggage Store Gallery on Market St. Home to some of San Francisco's most Famous Artists, including one of my favorites the late Margaret Kilgallen as well as and many others.
Dave is packing and organizing equipment for the trip and as always 5 or 6 other simultaneous tasks. And he is now playing with Kestler, trying to get a few pics of his boy to carry with him on the 3 week trip. From a distance Kestler sounds like he is not into it. We embark late Sunday night, 15 hours of flying time, to the Phillipines.
-dino