MLA Capstone Midterm Review (1 March 2022) by Aubrey Olson

IN ALL the PLACES Aubrey Olson, 2022 Capstone Book

“Sometimes since I’ve been in the garden I’ve looked up through the trees at the sky and I have had a strange feeling of being happy as if something was pushing and drawing in my chest and making me breathe fast. Magic is always pushing and drawing and making things out of nothing. Everything is made out of magic, leaves and trees, flowers and birds, badgers and foxes and squirrels and people. So it must be all around us. In this garden - in all the places.” -Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden

CONTENTS Background + Research Questions Walking Imagination Psychogeography Maintenance Layering History Understanding the Past How did We Get Here? Existing Conditions Missed Opportunities Design Proposal 3 Themes Zones + Features Individual Placemaking- Setting up the Framework Environmental Phenomenon Appendix Acknowledgements

“Walking shares with making and working that crucial element of engagement of the body and the mind with the world, of knowing the world through the body and the body through the world.” -Rebecca Solnit, Wanderlust: A History of Walking

BACKGROUND + RESEARCH QUESTIONS

WALKING

Walking Poem, Aubrey Olson

Living Streets Walking Manifesto Walking is good for our minds, our bodies, and our cities, towns and villages. It connects us to ourselves and to others, to education, to economic and social life. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, millions of people rediscovered the simple act of walking – the oldest, cheapest and greenest transport there is. They rediscovered their local high streets, walked to local shops and around parks, canals, commons and rivers. But millions still struggle with narrow, cluttered, uneven pavements; crossings that prioritise cars rather than people; and growing numbers of speeding vehicles.

THE WANDER SOCIETY: a case study

Through independant adventures and urban exploreing, the direct human experiences have been diluted

and dulled through mass media and our excess use of technology. Senses are dulled through seeing the world through screens rather than through the physical body. TWS seeks to deepen our connections with eachother, the world, and ourselves. life outside the commercial world built on direct experiences , not second hand representations of reality. Through this, TWS has been able to curate curious urban adventures through literature, symbols, and freedom.

IMAGINATION Imagine a Better Future

Change starts with imagining a possibility. By imagining what a space could be, it starts the conversation for making it happen.

Stimulates Creativity and Innovation

by thinking outside of the box and allowing imaginations the freedom to grow and expand for creative problem solving, there is room for collaboration as well as sustainable innovation in material and use of spaces and products

Imagination is Magical

A child’s imagination is truly inspirational. The mundane becomes magical, inspiring wonder and sparking joy to imagine the endless possibilities of the world around us.

Imagine the investment into Northeast Walkways

PSYCHOGEOGRAPHY IN CONVERSATION WITH... currently reading The Wander Society by Keri Smith (2016)

Places of the Heart by Colin Ellard (2015) “If you care about your city and your happiness, read every page of this fascinating book. Places of the Heart offers a thrilling journey through the pathways of our cities and the human mind. This is no flight of fancy. It’s an evidence-based exploration of how the places we inhabit change our minds and bodies.”

Our Lives Through Urban Design

In Places of the Heart, Colin Ellard explores how our homes, workplaces, cities, and nature — places we escape to and can’t escape from—have influenced us throughout history, and how

IN COL ARD

ELL

our brains and bodies respond to different types of real and virtual space. As he describes the insight he and other scientists have gained from new technologies, he “This beautifully written book grabs the reader from the start, with personal stories from the author’s life interwoven with

assesses the influence these technologies will have on our evolving environment and asks what kind of world we are, and

history, archaeology, technology, and design.”

should be, creating.

—Esther M. Sternberg, MD, author of

Healing Spaces: The Science of Place and Well-Being

Colin Ellard, a cognitive neuroscentist at the University of Waterloo and director of its Urban Realities Laboratory, is the author of You Are Here: Why We Can Find Our Way to the Moon, but Get Lost in the Mall. His work at the intersection of neuroscience and architectural and environmental design has been widely published in international journals and he regularly conducts his field research by leading urban walking tours and putting his data on display, often in museum settings, around the globe.

978-1-942658-00-9

www.blpress.org Cover design: Alban Fischer

$19.95

BLP

Copyright 2015. Bellevue Literary Press. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except fair uses permitted under U.S. or applicable copyright law.

CES PLA HE OF T RT A HE

LIN

PLACES CO

—Charles Montgomery, author of Happy City: Transforming

Psychogeography by Merlin Coverley (2018)

THE

T R A HE T

PS HE

LIF

EBSCO Publishing : eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) - printed on 2/11/2022 3:59 PM via UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA - TWIN CITIES LIBRARIES AN: 1031439 ; Colin Ellard.; Places of the Heart : The Psychogeography of Everyday Life Account: s5240361.main.ehost

psy·cho·ge·og·ra·phy (noun) The geographical environment of a particular location, typically a city, considered with regard to its influence on the mind or on behavior. As an practice, psychogeography is the exploration of urban environments that emphasizes interpersonal connections to places and arbitrary routes, and follows a loosely defined urban practice known as the dérive. It was developed by members of the Letterist International and Situationist International, which were revolutionary groups influenced by Marxist and anarchist theory as well as the attitudes and methods of Dadaists and Surrealists. In 1955, Guy Debord defined psychogeography as “the study of the precise laws and specific effects of the geographical environment, consciously organized or not, on the emotions and behavior of individuals.” As a practice and theory, psychogeography has influenced a broad set of cultural actors, including artists, activists and academics.

Mom + Pop Shops hyper-local Built by and for the people who actually live there.

Big Box Stores not-local Could be anywhere in the United States, or world

Mom + Pop Shops role in Community

If all cities were saturated by the same few large corporations, what would distinguish one city from the next? What would the tourist centers in each city be able to tell visitors about what their city has to offer? Mom and Pop small businesses give cities uniqueness. They give the community members a local space in which to connect with each other and share a unique experience. They give children specific memories about growing up in their hometown. They make each community and city culturally rich, but also helps to diversify and drive the economy at large.

RESEARCH QUESTION How to tell a story of place through a neighborhood urban trail? considerations: For a high renting population, how does one connect with the place they are in? With so much change in the area, what are the ‘constants’ that allow long time residents to feel at home

GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE

WALKABILITY

COMMUNITY

bioswales

bus shelters

benches

permeable pavers

complete sidewalks

lighting

street trees

bike stations

signage

green roofs

crosswalks

trash/recycling public art

Languages in the Landscape symbolic secrets

Vagrant Language understand safety and actions Language of Flowers express thoughtful and deep emotions

Kate Farquhar

“I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees” -Henry David Thoreau

LAYERING HISTORY

FINDING PLACE NORTHEAST MINNEAPOLS Rational Minnesota

Minnesota is known for its many lakes and forests, as well as its city centers of Minneapolis and St. Paul.

City of Minneapolis Hennepin Cty

Hennipen County established itself as the Upper Midwest’s hub of industry and commerce by 1900, through milling + farmland aided by expansion of the railroad. Later, the automobile also accelerated the growth of the suburbs. A case in point is the City of Bloomington, where construction of the interstate highway system led to a totally new kind of society built around the car.

Located in the heart of Minnesota, and on the banks of the Mississippi River, Minneapolis has a long history of industry and a strong sense of community, with many unique neighborhoods, restaurants, and top businesses.

Northeast, Minneapolis a unique sense of place

-Central and Broadway are high traffic roads servicing tens of thousands of people each day -strong artist + brew community -variety of immigrant communities -gateway between Northeast and the greater Minneapolis community

UNDERSTANDING THE PAST

BROADWAY ST NE An Unsafe Road for All The recent Vision Zero Crash study conducted by Minneapolis Public Works revealed that our roads are twice as dangerous as those in New York City; that of our dangerous roads, the most menacing were the four-lane roads divided only by paint; and that the “majority of severe crashes involving pedestrians happen on roughly 5 percent of the city’s streets” – “severe crashes” being those that cause death and life-altering injury. Broadway Street in Northeast Minneapolis is one of these streets. Concurrently, a recent community survey by area neighborhood groups found that the status quo is not working for residents, with 61% of pedestrians and 91% of cyclists feeling the street to be “unsafe”. Broadway St. NE already contains a narrow railroad bridge that doesn’t safely allow two cars to fit side-by-side, and functions as some kind of macabre car-and-cyclist-smashing machine -Streets MN

CENTRAL AVE MN 65

State Highway 65 serves as a south–north route between Minneapolis, Fridley, Blaine, Cambridge, Mora, McGregor, Nashwauk, and Littlefork in east–central and northeast Minnesota. Highway 65 is signed locally as 3rd Avenue South in downtown Minneapolis. 3rd Avenue South leads to the Third Avenue (Mississippi River) Bridge and becomes Central Avenue upon crossing the river. After its intersection with Hennepin Avenue, the route becomes Central Avenue NE. Highway 65 is signed locally as Central Avenue NE for this section. Many Minnesota landmarks are located on Central Avenue NE including the Aveda Institute, the Heights Theater, and the National Sports Center. The route remains Central Avenue until separating in Ham Lake, except for a split in Fridley and Spring Lake Park between I-694 and US 10.

HOW DID WE GET HERE? GENTRIFICATION What can we understand from understanding one building at 945 Broadway over time? Land ‘o Nod Discount Paper Supply Co. The Broadway Building

1940s Olson Family Land ‘o Nod

1970s Hartwell Family Land ‘o Nod

1985 Discount Paper Supply Co

2012-present First + First the Broadway Building

CAMDEN NEIGHBORHOODS NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOODS

NEAR NORTH NEIGHBORHOODS

CENTRAL NEIGHBORHOODS CALHOUN-ISLES NEIGHBORHOODS

UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOODS

PHILLIPS PHILLIPS

POWDERHORN NEIGHBORHOODS

SOUTHWEST NEIGHBORHOODS

2000 indicators

LONGFELLOW NEIGHBORHOODS

2015 indicators: Minneapolis 2015 indicators: Sheridan Neighborhood

NOKOMIS NEIGHBORHOODS

2015 indicators: Logan Park Neighborhood 2015 indicators: St. Anthony West Neighborhood 2015 indicators: St. Anthony East Neighborhood median home value

median rent

median income

residents with bachelors degree

renters

residents in poverty

What are the Criterea for Gentrification? Dramatically rising house prices greater renting population

EXISTING CONDITIONS EDGES

EDGE CONDITIONS - Retaining Wall - Rail Road Tracks -Housing Developments (whats public?) -Zoning -Slope -Fast Moving Cars -Fencing -Ice Collection

INTERSECTION

collection

ABOVE fencing

tunnel

disinvested streetscape

lighting platform

train tracks

lighting

platform

neighborhood sign

gated sunken platform

graffiti

door

platforms

lighting

tunnel

graffiti

door

tracks

door

path

tracks

BELOW tunnels for Trains canvas for graffitti path

Community Commons Park Open Space Sense of Privacy (for better or worse) Day to Night unease (needs more lighting)

MEMORY MAPPINGS What do neighbors notice about their community? asked a variety of Northeast neighbors to map out Northeast without looking at a map.

What I was looking for: -what is the extent of northeast? -what streets did they include? -what types of spaces? -any emotions/memories tied to location -anywhere that cannot be labeled by maps (secrets) Linn Dury Anna Pate

Anna’s Friend? B Lauer Mr. Pate

Michael Talerico

Shane Kosieradzki Kate Cornish

TAKEAWAYS Most included either Mississippi or 35W Shops and Restaurants are placemakers there is a clear presence of RR tracks that divide NE Grid system is evedent in most memory maps Kate Noel

(how to highlight magic in the ‘inbetween’)

LAYERED SITE STREETS

RAILROAD TRACKS

AUBREY WALKS

MOVEMENT DIAGRAM

FINDINGS FROM LAYERING moments of transition (clear ‘zones’ or areas) How to unify these areas?

R.R. cut through entirety and drive the historical buildings What is the best way to cross rail road tracks? train yards offer a unique viewing experience, feel part of the movement/ yet also desolate?

Significant Spots 36

24 29

26 30

1 8

Thorp Building Diamonds Cafe

Northrup used King Building to store seed

Delmonicos

The Margarete Barry house

The Broadway

Architecture Antiques

Upper Cut Boxing Gym

General Mills

Parking Lot _used to be victory garden

Highlight Center

Uncle Franky’s

Nation Signs

Beltrami Park

Edgewater Park Sign Community Garden used to be

Grain Elevators used to store seed grain elevators now torn down

Sample Room

Gluek Gazebo

Art-A-Whirl California Building

Bottineau Park

ESNS

used to be a scale

36 37 38 39 40

Davis Frost

Crown Iron Works

Aaron Carlson

Ideal Diner

Hollywood Theater 700 Central little sisters of the poor home for the aged

used to interact with grain or seed nationally registered historic building

Grain Belt Brewery Shoreham Yards

WORKING LIST of IMPORTANT PLACES

all connected through seeds (both vegeta

INDUSTRY HUB

CONNECT TO THE RIVER 1

33 22

32 3

24 29

26 6

13 7

NOON WHISTLE TOUR

by ArtShare

NEVER THE SAME RIVER TWICE TOUR

by ArtShare

“Isn’t that the only way to curate a life? To live among things that make you gasp with delight?” -Maira Kalman, My Favorite Things

DESIGN PROPOSAL

3 THEMES

MAGIC IN THE LIMINAL

OVERVIEW

-magic in the liminal (thresholds) -layer history (slow down) -re-framing emotion (how do moments of pause and reflection)

Key Features thresholds transitions slope change

Framing Emotion

LAYER HISTORY

view of downtown

view of industrial northeast

11 : 11

Key Features

HISTORICAL siness lo cal bu

11 : 11 57

Slow Down indirect path texture

structured view

local business

guided view

EXISTING

ephemeral

local business

Key Features hide + reveal borders highlight/underline the unexpected/ overlooked

TRAIL through NE

ast Minneapolis

13 18

12 19

Nation Signs

Edgewater Park Sign

Ideal Diner

Grain Elevators

Northrup King Building

Community Garden

Architecture Antiques

Art-A-Whirl California Building

Upper Cut Boxing Gym

Bottineau Park

Parking Lot

ESNS

Highlight Center

Uncle Franky’s

little sisters of the poor home for the aged

Grain Belt Brewery

Thorp Building

Aaron Carlson

Crown Iron Works

Davis Frost

The Broadway

PARK-

Beltrami Park

Gluek Gazebo

Delmonicos

Sample Room

Delmonicos

WORKING LIST of IMPORTANT PLACES 2 Zones of the walk-industry -connection to eachother + nature + the city (~how to connect the two~)

all connected through seeds (both vegetative and institutional) planted through time! -see how they grow and blossom, maybe die? (how does that make us feel?)

“How did it get so late so soon? It’s night before it’s afternoon. December is here before it’s June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?” -Dr. Suess

DESIGNED MOMENTS

moments that GUIDE us how we navigate through space ideas for places along the trail

SEEDS OF

-hide and reveal gardens through vegetation -wayfinding signs

Moments that Guide Us

“lighthousing” “hide and reveal”

SEEDS OF

moments of REFLECTION spots to pause + features that make you stop and look ideas for places along the trail -water garden -reading areas

Moments of Reflection bird baths/feeders water/river viewpoints benches

SEEDS OF

moments to ENGAGE spaces to gather and interact with the landscape ideas for places along the trail -raised viewing plaza -gathering patios

Moments to Engage with Eachother Pocket park rooms patios/walls/chalk walls

moments to FRAME how to highlight and underline the overlooked ideas for places along the trail -sound garden -layered planting plan in reminiscent forms

SEEDS OF C

Moments to Frame landscaping to highlight the buildings that hose various things over time

moments of CHANGE

ephemeral spaces and beings ideas for places along the trail

-grass garden -historical garden