Readings:
How to Encounter a Puddle by Anny Li and Index of Agency by Sophie Chien.

Questions:

What is Li’s overall idea about puddles? How does she connect the practical (photos, experiences) with the theoretical (ideas in the text)?

Li’s idea about puddles is that they are more than just a small pool of liquid. They tell a story. She connects her photos to her ideas by unpacking what is observed in her image and drawing generalised conclusions from them.

How might you sum up Chien’s ideas about agency? How does she connect the practical
(diagrams of spaces, experiences) with the theoretical (ideas in the text)?

I would sum up her idea about agency as the privilege you have to engage with a space. She connects her diagrams to her ideas by using them to explain the roles people have in different environments and how they play out together in a clear way.

Each writer poses questions within the text. What do you think the purpose of these questions are in Li’s piece? in Chien’s? How might we answer them?

I think the purpose in Li’s piece is to give the opportunity for the reader to try and formulate their own answer. In Chein’s I think the purpose is to show that she doesn’t have all the answers and is still speculating herself but also inviting the reader to step into the conversation by thinking about their own answers.

How are they engaging with the different/similar ideas of movement within cities
and spaces?

They are focusing on details that are often overlooked or accepted without any questioning or analysis and looking for deeper meaning in them to gain a better understanding of their environment.

What is the purpose of, or impression you get from the images within each text? How
important are they in your understanding of their ideas?

The images help communicate clearly the starting point for their writing. It gives the reader context and paints a very clear picture as we journey through the texts allowing for sound understanding of their ideas.

There are some key theoretical texts or ideas mentioned in each piece of writing. Research
them (briefly) and come up with a one or two sentence definition:

Ekistics – a science dealing with human settlements
agency + spatial agency – a new way of looking at how buildings and space can be produced
personal as political – political and personal issues affect each other
low theory – failure to live up to societal standards can open up more creative ways of thinking and being in the world.
Decentralised network – a “trustless environment,” where there is no single point of failure