Category Archives: Reading Summaries

Recognizing Campus Landscapes as Learning Spaces by Kathleen G Scholl and Gowri Betrabet Gulwadi

Reading Summaries,

 

The new central campus of Cornell
The new central campus of Cornell Tech University with a huge open space Source:Click Here

In the article, Scholl and Guwaldi focus on how American campuses are changing their landscapes to provide a more holistic learning environment to meet the needs of today’s college student.The article makes the claim that students who are enrolled at an open spaced campus tend to have a better learning experience compared to those in closed space campuses. Today’s universities are expected to look different compared to other places  and have better resources such as technology and more open spaces. The college experience is considered stressful and demanding and features such as a well -designed campus and connection of indoor and outdoor spaces influence student learning by refreshing functioning for attention drained students.

Scholl and Guwaldi go on to give a historical overview of traditional campuses,which we were located in rural areas and were secluded to ensure students were not distracted and devoted unlimited time to learning.In order to add quality to the campus environment and provide environmental benefits (such as limiting global warming),universities decided to integrate open spaces into green sections of the campus. In today’s age,college students get distracted and turn to their cellular devices,this allows them to text and be on Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook or other social media sites.However, the authors believe being outside helps them interact better with people,and focus more on their surroundings.

Scholl and Guwaldi believe that nature integration improves the attention span of students,study breaks taken within natural like settings help restore attention, and prepare the the student for the upcoming class.This in turn not only provides academic benefits but gives students a sense of community.Traditional campus indoor spaces provide the structured learning experience, however in order to create a dynamic learning environment,strengthen direct attention of students and encourage social interaction, a natural outdoor setting must be included in infrastructure as well.

Source: Recognizing Campus Landscapes as Learning Spaces Article

Schindler’s Piece : Segregation and Discrimination through Architectural Design

Reading Summaries, , , ,
Houston Bus Stop 1956
A Houston Bus Stop 1956

In part 1 of Schindler’s article for the Yale journal, she explores how people during the course of history have used “varied methods” to separate themselves from certain individuals.”These certain individuals are poor people and people of color. For example, the aesthetic design of places such as park benches, bridges, and one-way streets” (Part I Section A).These places have constraints and have changed the citizens behavior, because they’re unaware of these signs, they tend to overlook them. Many legal academics have proposed that places tend to have racial meaning (Part I Section A). Schindler goes on by giving examples by scholars such as Boddie,and Clowney to further explain this. Elise C. Boddie argues that places have racial identities based on their history or reputation for exclusion” (Part I Section B). Many inner-city projects/ghettos/slums are secluded areas where there is a lot of poverty and crime. Similarly, “Stephen Clowney has addressed the way in which landscapes, parks, and statues create a narrative that often marginalizes African Americans.” The racial meaning of these places, allows those in power such as the police to determine who belongs in that neighborhood or not.

Schindler goes on in Part II by giving examples in history, of physical barriers such as low bridges, road closings, and the construction of walls—as well as the placement of transit stops, highway routes, one-way streets, and parking-by-permit-only requirements. used to segregate people of color from white or upper class individuals. “The eight mile wall in Detroit, Michigan during the 1940s” (Part II Section A) is a good example.This same wall was the same title for a well known movie named “8 Mile” which showed how the wall caused racial tensions between the white and black communities. Another good of example is “Atlanta MARTA transportation system not having access to “white or upper class” neighborhoods/communities because those communities don’t want people of color or lower class there” (Part II Section B)  The Courts, and judges who are supposed to be upholding the law against racial discrimination,”overlook the racial identifiability of spaces” (Part II Section B) .Schindler’s audience in this article are the readers of the Yale law journal, judges, lawmakers, and professors of Law. She is making a very genuine claim/argument and her points are spot on with the topic.

Source:  Schindler, Sarah. “Architectural Exclusion: Discrimination and Segregation Through Physical Design of the Built Environment.” Yale Law Journal -. N.p., Aug. 2015. Web. 18 Sept. 2016. <http://www.yalelawjournal.org/article/architectural-exclusion>.

Photo Source: Houston Bus Stop 1956