Life is for‌.
Kathy DeKrey University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Master of Landscape Architecture Portfolio Submission January, 2016
Life is for…
Observation
I love romping around, finding places that have been and that could be…looking for and finding moments, capturing patterns, texture, light, movement, feelings …finding secrets.
There are so many moments in life where we can slow down and look at things from a different angle, a different focus, or pretend to experience as a different person or creature would experience. One object, space, or time can be observed and experienced in so many ways and that is magic. When have you experienced magic?
Life is for…
Participation
It is vital to our beings and our communities to come together and talk about what is important to us and what that means for our landscape. Photos are taken from community meetings that I created and organized to include a range of participants from the community about Bottineau Light Rail, the North Minneapolis Greenway, Penn Ave Community Works, and City View Community meetings.
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When or where have you had a time, place, or community to which you have felt connected? Did you help to keep the spirit of the place alive or work to improve it? How did that make you feel? In the photos you will see residents working on their community gardens along Plymouth Ave in North Minneapolis or see residents playing games made by their fellow neighbors used to get to know each other.
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Life is for…
Creation
Making moments, honoring emotions, celebrating our difference…showing, highlighting expressions, our experiences, and interconnectedness. How do you “get something out” so you do not burst?
In the photos you will see the Create Yourself Fair, which was a time for homeless youth to celebrate themselves
The event was held at Target Field Station and gave young people a chance to paint with local artists Youth could write or draw what they were feeling and talk with professionals about where they want to go in creative fields Youth wrote, drew, and played lawn games‌ whatever they wanted to do to have some fun
Show off some moves on the lawn or watch a locally made film on the Jumbotron
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How have you created yourself?
The Living Room Station was a labor of love. As the program manger, I helped dream, build, and program a bus stop and community space on 6th and Nicolette‌it was a dream come true. Myself and colleagues conducted extensive research by interviewing riders at the stop. We found that people do not feel safe or that they do not belong in the space because they did not have adequate shelter, seating, lighting, and other amenities at a highfrequency stop.  The Station redefined the space and user experience at 6th and Nicolet by creating a comfortable, inviting, and fun place to wait for the bus and enjoy downtown. The true sign of success was the joy, attitude, buy-in, and support from the riders that snowballed into a culture of community and connection that has never been created in any other Minneapolis bus stop. Â
After outreach was conducted, we developed a design that provided shelter, seating, and lighting for safety, along with games, paper, and markers—but that was the easy part. What we found difficult was finding ways to make people feel ‘warm’ without being able to provide heating, how to make people feel safe without having more security, and providing a sense of community in a transition space that individuals do not spend much time at. With these challenges in mind we generated feelings of safety and community by being welcoming and warmth by creating a space that is familiar, i.e., a living room. Many people asked if we were worried about items being stolen, but we knew that the collective ownership would take care of itself, and this was clearly demonstrated throughout the project.
Activities in the living room were programmed during peak bus hours. These actives were meant to replicate those that take place in a living room or invoke loving feelings. The following activities were some of the two-week long program: Just Because: Flowers and cards for a loved one
Tea Time: Tea and cookies in the Living Room
Trick or Treat: Candy and pumpkin carving in the Living Room
Well that is what I have found life is for me. What is it for you?
______ Life is for‌
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