Urban Intervention: Community Cycling Center
       
     
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Exploration: Geometries Assimilated with Access to Amenities After identifying the items of interest, we established a set of parameters around access that yielded underlying geometries in the proximate relationships of public housing to that of
       
     
Intervention: Community Cycling Center Our assessments revealed that the majority of transportation services exist near the perimeter of our area of interest, thus resulting in a void of convenience near the center. While this central area boasts
       
     
Urban Intervention: Community Cycling Center
       
     
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Urban Intervention: Community Cycling Center

Objective: To Invigorate the Public Housing Communities

In an effort to gauge the possible impacts of services and amenities, and the relative proximities of such, to that of public housing, we performed a geographical analysis of a select neighborhood, the Near West Side, of Chicago, IL. Initially, we mapped out the locations of current public housing and affordable living projects in our designated area of focus. After marking these “nodes”, we mapped the exact locations of existing and available parks, schools, libraries and bike racks. We chose these select services and amenities for their impact on the inhabitants of a community. The parks enhance well-being and also allow people to congregate and socialize; the institutions enable growth and can be vital to the rejuvenation of a region; and the bike racks/shared services (such as Divvy bikes) enable transportation, not only within the selected area of focus, but beyond it, thus extending the reach of the community and establishing a further connection to the overall urban fabric.

Collaboration with Bahareh Jafari


Chicago-Map.gif
       
     
+
Exploration: Geometries Assimilated with Access to Amenities After identifying the items of interest, we established a set of parameters around access that yielded underlying geometries in the proximate relationships of public housing to that of
       
     
+

Exploration: Geometries Assimilated with Access to Amenities

After identifying the items of interest, we established a set of parameters around access that yielded underlying geometries in the proximate relationships of public housing to that of the parks (Diagram 1), the schools and libraries (Diagram 2) and the bike racks (Diagram 3). We then considered possible interventions that could encourage the activation of the neighborhood.

What does this region need? What is it lacking? Are there gaps in the convenience of access? Do the underlying geometries suggest that additional housing complexes be added? Do the geometries suggest that additional services be implemented?

Intervention: Community Cycling Center Our assessments revealed that the majority of transportation services exist near the perimeter of our area of interest, thus resulting in a void of convenience near the center. While this central area boasts
       
     
+

Intervention: Community Cycling Center

Our assessments revealed that the majority of transportation services exist near the perimeter of our area of interest, thus resulting in a void of convenience near the center. While this central area boasts public housing and public services, and also becomes the geometrical intersection of the fabric of transportation locations, it lacks a node a transportation. With our proposed intervention, the Community Cycling Center, we aim to bisect that void and further invest in the amenities near the center, by celebrating the available transportation outlets. The center will surpsass merely adding to the convenience of a bike rack, but will provide a repair shop, a shelter, a cafe and a space for socializing.