On January 21st, Slam Jam and 2050+ launch CIRCLE, a digital think tank that gives voice to the most pressing issues of our time, with an eye on multiculturalism and the changed climate regime.

The aim of the platform is to provoke vibrant conversations and to ignite positive change.

The genesis of CIRCLE lies in an in-depth research conducted by 2050+ with the support of Slam Jam that looks at the city of Milan as a concentrate of contemporary and future challenges (climate change, migration, mass tourism, urban development, etc.) – hence, as an ideal blueprint to investigate global conditions. Premised on an expanded definition of sport as a practice that thrives across labor, leisure, and body politics, the research highlights a number of significant changes that the city is undergoing through the specific lens of urban movers (delivery riders, building climbers, arborists, urban dancers, etc), the main vector of an urban renewal based on multiculturalism and inclusiveness.

In a time in which the Covid-19 situation has forced everyone into digital environments, and the driving force of online forums is more present than ever, Slam Jam and 2050+ have joined forces to create a tool for sparking thought-provoking conversations around what matters the most.
This is how CIRCLE came into being.

From January 21st till mid February, CIRCLE will host a series of editorial “pills” by 2050+, with a focus on HEALTH, GREEN, PEOPLE, and WASTE.
From mid-February onwards, the platform will host a series of commissioned contributions, curated by 2050+ and Slam Jam, by a stellar cohort of guest contributors that, with their practice, challenge the traditional boundaries of architecture, urbanism, and design, proposing instead experimental ways to engage with space, materials, and communities.

The editorial pills by 2050+, together with the guests’ contributions (performative lectures, voice memos, digital animations, speculative graphics, etc) will be instrumental to stimulate online users from all over the world to contribute with their own thoughts, with the hope to inspire critical reflections on the key issues of our time and to promote positive change. In this regard, CIRCLE will function as a collaborative online forum: it will not only provide key information, but also offer a platform for exchanging ideas and catalyzing collective participation.

CIRCLE can be freely accessed by everyone on circle.slamjam.com.

Milan has one of the highest average levels of air pollution in Europe. Partially due to its geographical conformation of and meteorological conditions, partially to the high density of industrial plants and car traffic.

Air pollution poses a major threat to natural and cultural ecosystems, it compromises biodiversity and makes open-air spaces less accessible. How does this affect the way we live in the city and the way e practice sport out there? (via @2050.plus)

In the rapidly changing morphology of Milano, professional climbers move on the urban walls of towers and skyscrapers. Equipped only with ropes and harnesses, they clean offices and houses windows, operating in spots that cannot be reached by any other means. At those extraordinary heights, their perspective on Milan and its surroundings is unique.

«We know where all the hawks’ nests are. On Allianz, Unicredit and Pirellone. They cannot be touched. Nature is nature.»
Dimitar Harizanov, building climber

«Up from there, above 150m, you can see the smog line, you can see two horizons, one below and one above.»
Teo Poggi, building climber (via @2050.plus)