Vital Kingston

Are you into Psychogeography? You probably are!

Monday, January 16, 2012

Dear Vital Kingston followers,

As you know, VK is about to organise another Jane's Walk to give our community a chance to explore our urban space and raise awareness about where we live, and how it can be improved.

According to urbanist Jeroen Beekman's Pop-Up City blog, this is a classic act of 'psychogrograhy'.  Psychgeography is defined as "the study of the precise laws and specific effects of the geographical environment, consciously organized or not, on the emotions and behavior of individuals", a definition originating from avant-gardist's in the late 50's, and revived during the 1968 student riots. 

Contemporary British proponants of psychogography include Iain Sinclair ('Lights Out for the City'), Will Self ('Psychogeography'), and the Director of 'Mend', Liane Hartley.

Beekman says that in 2012 psychogeography will be a hot topic.  VK would concur.  But it is not an elite sport.  In it's purist form it is no more or less than the art of strolling, or just about anything that gets pedestrians off their predictable paths and leads them to a new awareness of the urban landscape.