Annotated Bibliography Three: Revisiting Fear and Place: Women’s Fear of Attack and the Built Environment

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Koskela, Hille, and Rachel Pain. “Revisiting Fear and Place: Women’s Fear of Attack and the Built Environment.” Geoforum 31.2 (2000): 269–280. ScienceDirect. Web.

 

Hille Koskela, a professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Helsinki, wrote the article entitled “Revisiting Fear and Place: Women’s Fear of Attack and the Built Environment” to highlight that “fear of crime is so closely embedded in broader aspects of social life that, while improvements to built environments may benefit some aspects of quality of life, they are unlikely to have significant effects on fear of crime” (Koskela). She aims to show this by analyzing two cities, Helsinki and Edinburgh. When she talked to women from each city, she found that the spaces they feel unsafe vary greatly. Some are empty and open, such as parks, while others are empty and closed such as alleys and bridges. Other places women can feel unsafe are crowded and open, such as bus or train stations, or crowded and closed, such as restaurants, shopping centers, and underground subway stops. Hille makes a point that with such a diverse range of places, it is important to look at the social context behind each place. A good example of this can be seen in the reputation places have for being either safe or unsafe. She then goes on to say that the biggest reason women feel unsafe is due to the power inequality between men and women. She brings this up in light of the fear of a “dark figure” at night, which is always associated with being male. To sum her article up, she writes as a call to action: “Geographers and planners should take greater account of the complexity of fear; on this issue as many others social and physical space cannot be separated.” Her intended audience for this article is women’s studies academics, as well as those interested in the relation between women and the built environment. This source is useful to find how built environments are related to women’s fear, as well as what areas they may be fearful of.

Annotated Bibliography: Social Capital and the Built Environment: The Importance of Walkable Neighborhoods

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Leyden, Kevin M. “Social Capital and the Built Environment: The Importance of Walkable Neighborhoods.” American Journal of Public Health 93.9 (2003): 1546–1551. CrossRef. Web.

 

Kevin Leyden, Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at West Virginia University and author of the article “Social Capital and the Built Environment: The Importance of Walkable Neighborhoods” writes that “persons living in walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods have higher levels of social capital compared with those living in car-oriented suburbs.” (Leyden). Within this article, he defines different types of neighborhoods based on their walkability then compares their levels of social interaction. The first neighborhood described is a “city center neighborhood.” In these neighborhoods, everything required for daily life is in walking distance. Next is a “mixed-use suburb,” where necessities can be walked to but there are not as many things nearby as a city center neighborhood. Finally, the “modern suburbs” are entirely automobile dependent. When the three were compared based on how well residents knew their neighbors, their political participation, their trust or faith in other people, and their social engagement, it was found that neighborhoods entirely dependent on automobiles consistently scored the lowest, while city center suburbs scored the highest. Leyden uses these findings as a call to action, saying that suburbs should go back to being able to walk places in order to foster a sense of community. His target for this article is people who have the intellect and power to advocate for a change in government policy regarding zoning and other obstructions to city center neighborhoods. This article is useful in regards to the way that streets, sidewalks, and other routes of travel can shape entire communities. It also highlights the importance of location.

Annotated Bibliography: Gentrification and Socioeconomic Impacts of Neighborhood Integration and Diversification in Atlanta, Georgia

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Aka Jr, Ebenezer O. “Gentrification and socioeconomic impacts of neighborhood integration and diversification in Atlanta, Georgia.” NATIONAL SOCIAL SCIENCE JOURNAL Volume 35# (2010): 1.

 

The purpose of Gentrification and Socioeconomic Impacts of Neighborhood Integration and Diversification in Atlanta, Georgia, an article by Ebenezer O. Aka, Jr., a professor of urban studies and public policy, Director of the Urban Studies Program, and Interim Chair of the Political Science Department at Morehouse College, is stated as “To determine the occurrence of gentrification and its effects, there will be a longitudinal analysis on variables of race, age, educational attainment, income, housing values and rent cost” (Aka). With this in mind, he analyzes five Atlanta neighborhoods: Summerhill, Grant Park, East Atlanta, East Lake, and Edgewood. He begins by defining gentrification as “the upgrading of devalued or deteriorated urban property by the middle class or affluent people” (Aka). He then explains some of the benefits of gentrification, such as higher property value, better road maintenance, police protection, and improved public education. He then goes on to point out the negatives, which affect low income people, African-Americans, and the elderly disproportionately. The biggest is displacement, or the dislocation of the low income individuals. This is due to the higher property tax that comes along with the heightened property value. As these people are forced out, a population change occurs. The new residents are usually younger white middle class individuals. Other effects noted are social changes as community ties are severed, economic changes due to an imbalance of housing and job growth, and political changes such as decreasing federal funds and tax abatement. This article is written for academics questioning gentrification in an attempt to convince them to help alleviate its negative impacts. This article could be useful to anyone studying one of the five mentioned neighborhoods as background knowledge. Another way it could be used is as a supplement to any mentions of gentrification. As gentrification involves a community being “upgraded”, the exteriors of the buildings are sure to change in numerous ways to reflect this.

Skye and E. Resendizrojo’s Annotated Bibliography on “Sexism Is Alive and Well in Architecture”

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Hosey, Lance. “Sexism Is Alive and Well in Architecture.” Huffpost women. Huffington Post. Web.26

January 2016 .

 

Lance Hosey, Chief Sustainability Officer of the international architecture firm Perkins Eastman and author of the blog article, “Sexism Is Alive and Well in Architecture,” writes that “Emulating women’s bodies in architecture objectifies women, but it also objectifies architecture, reducing buildings to mere totems, ciphers reminding of us who is in power.” To prove this he first examines the gender gap within the field of architecture, noting how many females do not feel respected and only one female architect has ever won the architectural Gold Medal. He then looks at the creations themselves, specifically the ones inspired by women. He notes that by incorporating the human body it objectifies women. By writing on all of this, he hopes to change the sexism in the industry: “Using the human body as a model for architecture is as old as architecture itself, but maybe it’s time for architects to rethink where they get inspiration” (Hosey). This sentence is directed at other architects, as they are the ones with the power to change the industry. Overall, this is a very useful source when looking for an idea of gender inequality and sexism within architecture.

The Stability and Community of a Home: A Summary of Nersessova’s Article

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Photo by Yale University Press, cover of The Tunnel

Photo by Yale University Press, cover of The Tunnel

Nersessova’s article, Tapestry of Space: Domestic Architecture and Underground Communities in Margaret Morton’s Photography of a Forgotten New York, is a literary analysis of Morton’s book The Tunnel: The Underground Homeless of New York City”. In this article, she examines the pictures and stories of homeless people in Morton’s book as a way to interpret urban life and the human psyche. She argues that a person’s house is an imperative part of themselves and that its fleetingness affects us greatly, saying: “Because shelter is an essential part of sustaining oneself, identity is closely tied to one’s place of home, and because no place is guaranteed to be a permanent home, this aspect of identity is consistently fragile” (Nersessova). She then goes on to make a point that though the shelters of the homeless are more at risk, no one’s home is permanent.

 

When taking photographs of others, one must be careful of the intent behind them to not erase the subject’s own story. Nersessova analyzes Morton’s photos with the concept of dérive. She goes on to explain the history of that term, writing: “The precursor of the dérive is flânerie. The flâneur, or one who practices flânerie, is a mercurial character, who plays roles ranging from a dandy stroller to a careful observer who studies social space” (Nersessova). The difference between a flâneur and a dérive is that the flâneur involves a picturesque stroll and an interpretation of their surroundings based on that, while the dérive is just an everyday person walking through their surroundings. Morton therefore takes the pictures as they are, attaching no other meanings to them.

 

Nersessova makes a point to say that the building of the houses in the tunnel is a form of art. The residents are expressing a part of themselves to their community and the world at large. This in turn brings them closer to each other, allowing for a sense of community and safeness. She paints the tunnel as a sort of escape for people both mentally and physically. It allows its residents a peace of mind and a place to hide from the aboveground world and problems within it.

 

Though the tunnel offers shelter to the homeless, it is not a stable life. They construct their houses, only to find themselves locked out of the tunnels by the city. They are accused of trespassing and could get in legal trouble if they continue living there. Nersessova makes a point that this is more similar to the general public than we would like to admit. Our homes are also fragile things that can be taken away the moment something goes wrong. Though we see ourselves as very different, it is a common problem that both the homeless and people with homes share, but something the homeless are more acutely aware of.

 

 

NERSESSOVA, IRINA. “Tapestry Of Space: Domestic Architecture And Underground Communities In Margaret Morton’s Photography Of A Forgotten New York.” Disclosure 23 (2014): 26. Advanced Placement Source. Web. 20 Nov. 2015

Consequences of a Built Environment: A Summary of Schindler’s Article

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Architecture shapes a majority of our everyday lives and is far more influential than most people realize. Built environments change our methods of travel, our homes, and accessibility to certain places. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, this power can be used to exclude and discriminate against people. The majority of people who face this are low-income people in cities, particularly African-Americans.

long island

One notable example of built architecture restricting access was in New York. Robert Moses was in charge of creating low hanging overpasses on Long Island parkways. He purposefully built them low so that buses couldn’t fit under them on the way to Jones Beach. As the people that normally use public transport are low-income individuals, he effectively kept them off the beach. While not all examples are this extreme and many are not intentional, this serves to highlight just how powerful architecture can be.

marta

Another way built environments influence people is with public transport itself, or lack thereof. Atlanta’s public transportation, MARTA, has been attempting to expand for many years. Suburbs outside the city have refused to let this happen, as they don’t want to become accessible to the people who typically use public transportation. This in turn harms low-income people even more as without public transportation they have no way of getting to potential better jobs outside of the city. The location of public transportation stops is another key factor in restricting access. If they are placed in a location that isn’t safe for pedestrians, it is a clear sign they are not welcome.

gated

Suburbs are a prime example of an attempt to keep people out. They are filled with cul-de-sacs and subdivisions with only one entrance. These discourage anyone to enter without an explicit reason. Many lack prominent signs, which serves to confuse outsiders and dissuade them from traveling through. An extreme instance can be seen with gated communities. These make the “keep out” message very prominent. By creating this environment, people can control who resides in these locations.

oneway

A final example of discrimination can be seen in the roads around cities. Many are one way, directing traffic away from nicer neighborhoods. These also con confuse people unfamiliar with the area, discouraging them from coming that way. Sidewalks and bike lanes can be in short demand, alienating people without a car. If there is a particularly unpleasant part of the city, oftentimes roads will be run through the center of them, fragmenting them and displacing the people who lived there. Exit ramps can also serve this purpose, as well as directing people away from the better parts of the city.

Though these built environments may not be designed to be exclusionary on purpose, their effects can still be felt today. Architecture gives people an invisible power, as many people don’t consider the implications of something being designed a certain way. This allows it to be overlooked in courtrooms and by the law in general, further perpetuating the divide between the well-off people in suburbs and the low-income people living in slums.

 

SCHINDLER, SARAH. “Architectural Exclusion: Discrimination And Segregation Through Physical Design Of The Built Environment.” Yale Law Journal 124.6 (2015): 1934-2024. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 Nov. 2015.

Syllabus Quiz

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What are the major projects? In a bulleted list, provide links to the project descriptions for each of them.

How will your final grade be calculated?

Grades are calculated with a point-based system. Students who earn 2,500 points will receive an A, while the rest are determined by the top points earned in each section.

What is the “submission form” and how do you use it?

Embed the form below your answer (hint: Google “embed Google form” to find out how).

The submission form is the method of turning in work done on a student’s blog. To use it, one simply has to fill it out and submit it.

Embed the course calendar and weekly overview below this question.

Where on the course website can you find an overview of what’s due and the readings for each unit?

One can find a unit overview as well as a weekly agenda under the calendar section.

What is the best way to see an overview of what’s due each week?

The best way to see an overview of what’s due is to look at the agenda section under the calendar header.

What is the attendance policy?

If one misses class, 20 points will be subtracted from his or her total. Tardiness will also result in the loss of 10-20 points. The only excused absences are the ones listed in the student handbook: university-sponsored events, religious holidays, and legal obligations. Family emergencies or extended illness will be looked at on a case-by-case basis.

What are my office hours, and how do you make an appointment to see me outside of class?

Office hours are Tuesdays at 9:30am – 11:30am. and appointments can be made through email.

How do you earn participation credit? Provide a link to the instructions/guidelines for particiption.

Participation can be earned in countless different ways. Some examples of participation include attending class, going to study groups, making blog posts, creating Facebook groups, and contributing to the glossary of terms.

Projects

How many points can you earn by participating in or organizing a study group session?

One can earn up to 25 points.

How can you be assured of earning an “A” in this course?

One must reach 2,500 points.

What are the minimum requirements for earning a passing grade of “C”?

To get a C, one must go to class and complete the four major projects.

What do you do if you’re not sure how to document your participation in order to earn points?

If one doesn’t know how to document his or her participation, they should ask before or after class or stop by the professor’s office during office hours.