Sunday, February 19, 2012

The Manifesto




These graphics finally display what my big ideas and drivers are. It started with an idea of what I have traditionally liked in urban spaces, and some traditional notions of landscape architecture in an urban context.

With some research, I found that the 20th century paradigm of urban organization around the automobile is one of the major reasons that modern cities don't have the charm and appeal that cities used to carry. So, what did we used to do? We used to design for people. So, that's what I propose to do again. As noted on the manifesto graphic, I'm going to take that priority system of automobiles first, and turn it on it's head.

What if, instead of walking being the most inconvenient and uncomfortable mode of urban movement, driving your car was the mode that was least desirable? How would that manifest, and what would it look like? These are the big questions.

A few ideas on the ground



Over the last week or so I've been sorting out what, exactly, I'm doing. Previously I've had some amorphous ideas about neat spaces, but no drivers, editing devices, or succinct encapsulation of what this project is all about.

These are a couple images of preliminary ideas, and a map of green spaces in mid-south Minneapolis. In the sketch, the bulbous vertical piece is a quick sketch of what could happen with Nicollet Ave at the Greenway. Perhaps a cafe, and/or some vertical circulation?