Mike’s thesis for Kossman focused on the idea of aquaponics in San Francisco. He organized these 6-10 ft aquaponic for both public and private use scattered across San Francisco on sidewalks as well as introducing the systems along unused building facades. By integrating these green towers into buildings he was able to structure them without having to deal with zoning laws. These are affordable and adaptive structures that reduce food miles with their scattered placement throughout the city.
One critique during Mike’s review was that of the scattering method of the green towers rather than having one centralized location. Missing from his presentation was a figure ground map that would located where these green towers would lie and indicate the need for specificity. Mike placed several of his green towers in locations that were abandoned and did not have a future goal in place as well on the side of streets. Because these green towers were not overwhelming tall they fit the nature of the street without sticking out like a sore thumb. However the jurors felt that the “towers” were placed in a similar fashion to that of furniture. They wanted to see that the towers somehow connected to the city’s character and that they had some sort of specificity to their location. The aquaponics serve a noble purpose and would greatly help the hunger problems that San Francisco currently faces.
Thesis: Gentrification creates a negative atmosphere amongst the longtime residents of the affected neighborhood and ultimately financially harms their livelihood.
The Merriam Webster defines gentrification as “the process of renewal and rebuilding accompanying the influx of middle class or affluent people into deteriorating areas that often displaces poorer residents”. The definition of gentrification alone lends itself to be defined as the destruction of lower class neighborhoods by the affluent population. Raising rent and housing prices as well as rebuilding the neighborhood creates a negative atmosphere amongst the longtime residents. Although bringing in gentrification can mean cleaner and safer streets it becomes difficult for the lower income families to afford the neighborhood. Having a safer environment is definitely a desire but what good is it if those already occupying the space can no longer afford their rent or pay their bills? The criminals are forced out but so is everyone else.
The process of gentrification starts with the introduction of chain stores. Chain stores such as Starbucks, for example, attract gentry into a neighborhood. Property owners take note that the gentrifiers are able to pay higher rents and home prices and results in higher property values that longtime residents cannot afford. Thus the longtime residents are forced to look for affordable housing now that their rent has increased. In addition, those residents are not able to afford places such as Starbucks. The local coffee shop now has to appease the gentry or lose business. Now longtime residents may lose their jobs, businesses and livelihood. Local politicians recognize gentrification in a neighborhood and look to focus on the higher income residents that have the financial income to support those politicians and their campaigns, leaving longtime residents feeling ignored and unwanted by their government. Continue reading Side Effects of Gentrification→
Laura and Rebecca’s intention is to create a transportation hub that encompasses multiple forms of transportation for the young demographic in Dumbo, citing that this is something that the site is lacking. The pedestrians are brought into the site through Jay and Bridge Street onto a meandering pathway that wraps around the buildings on the site. The desire of the meandering pathway is to create moments of pause for the pedestrians to engage with the buildings.
Through this idea the electric car parking garage is placed on the corner of Bridge and Jay Street, the entrance of the site. Though the intention of this movement is to put the innovative technology on display it appeared to cause disagreement amongst the jurors. On technical terms, Scott stated that the parking garage was inefficient in that it was more circulation rather than parking. Mehrdad felt that the parking garage took up prime real estate on the site. However with that being said the intention of their project was to bring attention to transportation on the site. By making the parking garage more of a public, stationary place for people to stay their project can achieve this attention to transportation. While the wires and signs bring attention to the actual building it does not bring the attention to the innovative technology that their project is introducing. Continue reading Design Development Review: Laura DeLuca→
The surrounding area in and around Dumbo, Brooklyn is demographically sectioned by industrial, residential, and mixed-use commercial and residential sectors. In utilizing this information as well as the previously existing Hamilton Road that divided the site the design is able to separate into two separate realms, a private and a public.
A parking garage is placed on the previously existing in order to maintain the idea of transportation. This aspect again divides the site as the road had previously done, creating a public realm on the west side and a private realm on the east side. The public realm consists of a subway along Jay Street and an open pavilion for movie viewing utilizing the garage façade as a projection screen. The other side of the parking deck consists of a residential, office and daycare complex.
Lying between the parking deck and the complex is an indoor market, which acts as a filter for pedestrians that come into the building complex. This market averts the public sector from coming into the private building complex allowing for a relaxed and quiet environment. The end results in a space that gives back to the neighborhood a space for congregation as well as a work/live environment.
Thesis: Gentrification creates a negative atmosphere amongst the longtime residents of the affected neighborhood and ultimately financially harms their livelihood.
The Merriam Webster defines gentrification as “the process of renewal and rebuilding accompanying the influx of middle class or affluent people into deteriorating areas that often displaces poorer residents”. The definition of gentrification alone lends itself to be defined as the destruction of lower class neighborhoods by the affluent population. Raising rent and housing prices as well as rebuilding the neighborhood creates a negative atmosphere amongst the longtime residents. Although bringing in gentrification can mean cleaner and safer streets it becomes difficult for the lower income families to afford the neighborhood. Having a safer environment is definitely a desire but what good is it if those already occupying the space can no longer afford their rent or pay their bills? The criminals are forced out but so is everyone else.
The process of gentrification starts with the introduction of chain stores. Chain stores such as Starbucks, for example, attract gentry into a neighborhood. Property owners take note that the gentrifiers are able to pay higher rents and home prices and results in higher property values that longtime residents cannot afford. Thus the longtime residents are forced to look for affordable housing now that their rent has increased. In addition, those residents are not able to afford places such as Starbucks. The local coffee shop now has to appease the gentry or lose business. Now longtime residents may lose their jobs, businesses and livelihood. Local politicians recognize gentrification in a neighborhood and look to focus on the higher income residents that have the financial income to support those politicians and their campaigns, leaving longtime residents feeling ignored and unwanted by their government.
