Dec.03 high line

Interesting video on highway removal in other cities

updated slides

A Mysterious Vacancy

part of why this video came up is because it points out the great quantity of land lost to roads.  our team likes the way this kind of altered reality can draw attention to gigantic urban-design moves we tend to take for granted, like an ugly-ass 17-lane highways.  it's also just super freakin' cool :)

McNabb Studio

Wooden Towers. Aggregate Cities.

What the Cell?!

Our guest Nick McClintock, M. Arch 600 and Social-Impact-Design-symposium guy reminded me of this little gem.  When working on Soak It Up, I bumped into CUP's "Sewer In A Suitcase" concept- it's a cute origami-like fold-out pop-up city sewer system meant to interest city school kids in the universe of pipes that handle all the stormwater in a city and how their actions can affect it.  very brilliant.

CUP is basically our class as a nonprofit.  All they do is crank out clever campaigns.  Some favorites include:

What the Cell?
Participatory Budgeting
Know Your Lines (Why Redistricting Matters)
What Is Affordable Housing?  (a physical toolkit)
The Cargo Chain (those big shipping cranes explained)
 and

The Water Underground.

Will totally bring these guys up in class.  CUP rocks!

- j

http://welcometocup.org/Projects/UrbanInvestigations/WhatTheCell

I interviewed Diana Lind yesterday, November 18th, from Next City Magazine about the issues of I-95 for the DRWC Master Plan. Something that I found interesting that Diana pointed out was that Philadelphia has a property vacancy problem, and by tearing down I-95 the city will add to that problem. We discussed how I-95 may not be the issue, but instead Columbus Blvd. Finding smarter aesthetic solutions for I-95 is the best direction to go in because city leaders are not advocating to tear it down. This is causing Philadelphia citizens to have a hesitant attitude about the matter. Therefore, organized groups have not formed to fight the issue. 

FOR THE NEXT STAGE > ART CARNIVAL

step1 Rethink about the current situations. Filter the most valuable and potential art programs on the loft region.

step2  Reorganize the ART CARNIVAL's sub themes within complementary schedule;
            Reorganize the linkage through the art programmes. some activities may be organized on anchors, while some may be along the paths.

step3 Strengthen the networks of ART CARNIVAL
           HOW?
           Think much about marketing.
                   a. the propaganda/ ads/ poster/ logo/ color use/ slogan...
                   b. associated/ correlated with the current ownership/ businessmen
           Design specific facilities or infrastructures aligned with the programs.

LAN [Mid Review] The way to the new school

The way to the new school

Lady in Purple Jacket: Since the project is focusing on how to mix the new students with the former ones, she thinks some activity, like workshops or happy ours, may help. The community or the school could hold some workshops at the bus stop at regular intervals. In this case, the activity would become more and more famous and regular. People living in this area would feel it is part of their life.

The professor studies economy: He thinks the main value of the project is not the design itself, but the problem I pick. The problem of closing schools is not talking about “how would we use the empty buildings” but “how shall we do to switch those 20,000 students”. In this case, in the urban level, how we choose the path for students to go to the new school seems a good direction to go afterwards.I can create a model that helps to evaluate the path by some principles (such as safety, interesting, community around for example). The picked path could be recommended by the schools or government to the parents, so students would probably use them. Then, in the path level, there’re accessories I designed before. By doing this, the design would be guided by an evaluation system in the urban scale.

The Chinese girl who loves to smile: She also mentioned that we should hold some activities to make sure two groups of students would actually mix with each other by playing together along the road. She thinks what is really important in this design is not the physical projects, but how we guide students to do. So a research&design about the whole system is necessary: time, activity, users and projects.

Value of Closed Schools

Plan Philly Article & Map

COMMENTS ON ART CARNIVAL-MIDTERM REVIEW

COMMENTS ON ART CARNIVAL

The madame who lived in loft region--Impressive logo and envision images, great idea; think about more interactive activities rather than only attracting citizens with some artworks, but try to let them create sth by themselves such as clay workshop with crafts bazaar, or some tailor workshop...

Michelle-- think about how to put foot down, find out the supports from the businessmen or owners of buildings in this community, they may help to actualize and enrich the program. check my website..

The big guy-- why you choose this specific region of the community, think more and more various ideas of the events what can happens in this region and show them in the images.

The woman as practitioner in urban designing-- great idea, nice presentation, think about combine the program with specific facilities or infrastructures such as design some facilities for flea market.

Julie-- specific infrastructure design; what about organize a real art event such as choose a certain place in the community, buy some canvas and painting materials and make the advertisement, contact with artist group to create graffiti?

Jai-- nice presentation. Think more about marketing, who will come to participate each sub theme of your carnival.; rethink about the color use, make it more striking; think about the art programs in current situations as anchors and than find the best path to make the linkage, finally try to strengthen the value of the path, branding the carnival, focus more on how people can enjoy themselves through the various events along the path and each anchors. overlap the events map and make them into a network through the linkage.

Thank you all for giving me so much advice and suggestions for my ART CARNIVAL, and still sorry for that I cannot remember all the name of guests!

ART CARNIVAL-MIDTERM REVIEW