Article by Farah Afza Jurekh Spark Your City, by Kipling, in Sutton Walk, London Imagine you are walking past the same old, boring tunnel to start your day, stressing about how angry your boss’ mood might be or how your presentation to the multibillion-dollar company will turn out. Suddenly, you notice a huge difference around you. The usually dull, gray tunnel does not look the same as you see every day. It is completely adorned, lively and colorful. And even though this bright, new change won’t necessarily turn your presentation into the perfect one or bring a smile to your boss’ face, this colorful tunnel will definitely lift your mood and relieve your stress, preparing you to give your day your best shot. The spaces around us can act like mood lifters. A vibrant, colorful space can bring joy and happiness, relieve stress, or create a festive mood of celebration, depending on how the space has been designed. A dull, shabby place can ruin our mood, depress us, or aggravate our stress levels.

Spark Your City
Spark Your City
Like the name of the project suggests, “Spark Your City” is a global movement — coordinated by the luggage brand Kipling — to spark joy in everyday city life. It is an exclusive initiative to transform the drab parts of cities into vibrant, interactive spaces to lift residents’ moods and bring joy to their mundane, busy, urban lives. In order to achieve that, Kipling invited creative, talented, pioneering, and influential women from around the globe who have expertise in their own fields to transform ordinary city routines and landmarks into extraordinary living playgrounds that will also inspire other women in their fields. Isn’t that exciting?

Spark Your City
The Start of a Global Initiative
The initiative started in London and will continue in 50 other cities, encompassing 1,000 events around the globe. The first event launch was ignited by Radio 1 DJ Gemma Cairney, with the makeover of London Bridge. The second event – the one we will talk about here — took place on Aug. 27, 2015, at the behest of the energetic television presenter Helen Skelton. She is a former Blue Peter presenter, currently working in different genres for the BBC. An adventurous spirit who has already broken two Guinness world records for her adventures, Skelton has always been passionate about trying something new. She has the ability and the intelligence to draw out something extraordinary from the ordinary. This was certainly showcased in her plan.

Spark Your City

Spark Your City

Spark Your City

Spark Your City

Spark Your City
Full Project Credits For Spark Your City:
Project Name: Spark Your City Event Year: 2015 Initiators: Kipling Location: Sutton Walk (Southbank), London Recommended Reading:
- Becoming an Urban Planner: A Guide to Careers in Planning and Urban Design by Michael Bayer
- Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design With Nature by Douglas Farrs
Article by Farah Afza Jurekh
Published in Blog