We In in a time of great crisis; This is a time of questions, which we must ask ourselves as architects what is important to us.

Such as; makes a space political? And why is it important to have political space? I would suggest a need for space to express ones desires and ideas, to warn of danger as well as show support. For over 40 years our world has undergone drastic changes, many positive and history making, but also a shifting of wealth. These changes raise the questions of rights and privileges; of power and fairness. Such as: What good does the right to assemble mean if there is nowhere to do so. Where does one be political if such spaces are bought, confined or separated; if the only way to spread your message is to buy up advertizing? If forums of free speech are regulated and subject to the responsibility of those forums owners like Utube or Facebook. At the 2008 DNC, a free speech zone was set up far from where anyone could see or hear them. Zones like these are the only places one can protest, lacking one in New York; the disenfranchised have made their own. The Occupy Wall Street movement is many things, striking the perfect balance with a concise message against economic inequality and our corrupt political process, yet vague enough to be completely inclusive, even inviting the 1% to say they stand for change. But from the creation of a freedom zone comes all the problems that having a free speech zone creates like drug use, noise pollution, and unwanted instigators. Along with being a point of frustration at billionaires; Occupy is also an experiment in direct democracy. Using the General Assembly, we have a consensus driven process which organizes and connects the various working groups like Sanitation, Arts, or Medical which act independently but together. Thus problems are solved with negotiations and policy, creating an inhabited space governing itself, by itself. A movement managed by an organic, horizontal system; one that is part of a greater community which has developed to respond to internal and external challenges as well as to facilitate outreach to others. Since the movement began to be noticed, the corporate media hammers it due to a lack of specific demands. But this is a misinterpretation. A protest is not an answer, it is a question. A pure challenge: it demands the action of others; be those with power or others who sit on the sidelines. It is a demand for answers from our highest citizens; it raises the issues and problems at the heart of our society. Economics are unequal, our political institutions are broken. This challenge is to architects too. To leave the safety of school halls and competitions and take on new roles; to place ourselves in the public radar again and design for all and not those who can pay for the privilege of our services. Ask, could my design allow democracy to occur? Is it place of the rule of law, or of simply forces of order? Is social space enough? It is my perhaps extreme view to the last 30 years that our country has fallen under treat by despotism. Information restricted, political space squeezed, architectures civic value made limited. We should give our answer to the movements challenge; architecture is a right, to have the space to express ones ideas as well as ones life.