N.Y. / REGION|Can Gowanus Survive Its Renaissance?
Check it out – you will find many of the topics we discussed in class
Can Gowanus Survive Its Renaissance? NY TIMES article today
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TEAMS AND THEMES UPDATE
We were all relieved that the sun came out, after all, today and I hope that everyone had productive and enjoyable explorations. Some of you shifted teams today. Below is an updated Teams and Themes list:
Artists and Art in the Gowanus:
Researchers: Karla, Asli, Melissa, Andrew
Community Relationships/Gentrification —
Researchers: Rumana, Sanaya, Ashley, Lisa, Gerald, Kristopher
Green infrastructure:
Researchers: Elmer, Yuying, Anjali, Seline, Raju, Jinchang
Public space:
Researchers: Richard, Randy, Ajay, Jhojansy, Jarnelle
Potential topics that were brought up in class and not selected
- Urban Renewal/Public Housing
- The selling of new residential real-estate: Marketing vs reality
Looking forward to hearing about your adventures and discoveries on Tuesday.
Site Report 3 due Thursday, October 19
Site Visit #3: tomorrow, Thursday, October 12
Meeting Location: 4th Basin entrance to Whole Foods (The Promenade side) – See maps below
Meeting Time: 10:45 sharp.
Method of exploration: Yesterday we divided the class into teams. Each team will explore a specialized area of interest (See themes below).
Teams and Themes: Notes: (1) Themes are preliminary, more themes may be developed for the final project as the semester progresses;(2) A more refined definition and scope for each theme will take place by members of final project teams. (3) If you missed the class session yesterday, please select a team that has three people or less or if you have another idea for a theme – please post a blog with your proposed topic.
Artists and Art in the Gowanus:
Researchers: Karla, Asli
Economic aspects of the Gowanus neighborhood — gentrification and marketing:
Researchers: Lisa, Gerald, Kristopher
Community Relationships — existing and new residents of the Gowanus (another angle could be displacement of residents or businesses) This group is interested in Interviews as a research method.
Researchers: Rumana, Sanaya, Ashley
Green infrastructure:
Researchers: Elmer, Yuying, Anjali, Seline, Raju, Jinchang
Public space:
Researchers: Jarnelle, Richard, Randy, Ajay, Jhojansy
Preparation:
- Please consider your selected theme ahead of time and make a list of places you would like to visit in close vicinity of the Gowanus canal. Consider how the visit can enhance your understanding of your selected topic. Bring your list with you.
- All participants should wear comfortable walking shoes and clothing. Bring cameras/cell phones, sketchbooks, pens and soft pencils for sketching.
- If you have any problems reaching the site, please call me at 917-676-4656 or Prof. Almeida at 401-580-3423.
Link to Citizen Jane
Yesterday we watched and discussed parts of the documentary Citizen Jane – Battle For The City. See Homework in the Syllabus.
The movie is available for rent from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Citizen-Jane-Battle-Marisa-Tomei/dp/B075H3QF41/ref=tmm_aiv_swatch_1?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Site Report 2 – due date extension
We hope that everyone enjoyed the Conservancy Walk yesterday! Here is an important note regarding the homework:
- The due date for Site Report 2 is extended to October 5th.
- The reading assignment for October 3rd remains: How the Coastline Became a Place to Put the Poor
- No reading assignment on October 3
An updated syllabus reflecting this notice and some other minor changes will be published in the next few days.
Conservancy walk tomorrow – Thursday 28
Yesterday we had an interesting discussion about who is responsible for making residents and businesses that became victims to development and gentrification whole? The community, developers, businesses, politicians, are all involved in a very complex process. We then reviewed how zoning, community planning, and ecological issues, as well as landscape designers, are part of the process in the redevelopment of the Gowanus. We will continue the discussion on the Conservancy Walk tomorrow and in follow-up class discussion. Attached lecture summary/notes as a framework for discussions and further considerations. ZONING-COMMUNITY-ENVIRONMENT_GOWANUS_AJOELSON
Here is also a link to the EPA site regarding the process and progress of the remediation. https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/SiteProfiles/index.cfm?fuseaction=second.schedule&id=0206222
We meet tomorrow Thursday, 9/28 at 10:45 sharp on Union Street Bridge where we meet our guide from the Gowanus Canal Conservancy: Christine Petro (http://www.gowanuscanalconservancy.org/ee/)
Tour time: 10:45 am – 12:15 pm
Tour start – Union Street Bridge (map here) which is accessible by the R train to Union St or the F,G to Carroll St. A 5-10 min walk.
Tour end – the 6th Street Green Corridor (map here) which is accessible by the R train at 4th Ave / 9th St. or the F,G at Smith St / 9th Street. 5-10 min walk.
All participants should wear comfortable walking shoes and clothing. Bring cameras/cell phones, sketchbooks, pens and soft pencils for sketching. And prepare questions for Christine – our guide from the Gowanus Conservancy
If you have any problems reaching the site, please call me at 917-676-4656 or Prof. Almeida at 401-580-3423.
Looking forward to sharing a fascinating walk tomorrow!!
Prof. Joelson
Our first site visit at the Gowanus tomorrow — Thursday Sept 7
Tomorrow we meet at the Carroll Garden side of the Gowanus Canal at the point that Douglass Street meets the Gowanus Canal at 10:40 AM.
The attached map shows the meeting place (in red circle) and how you would reach the meeting place from Smith Street subway stations. The closest subway stops are the Carroll and the Bergen stops on the F/G line on Smith Street The walk from either of the Smith Street stations is about 10 minutes. You can also take the train to Atlantic Avenue -Barclay Center – but the walk from there is much longer. Union Street Station is also an option but check whether the trains are running/stopping at the station ahead of time; Nevins 2/3 stop and Dekalb a little beyond are also options.
In class yesterday, we viewed various types of street environments in neighborhoods surrounding the Gowanus: shopping streets like Smith street in Carroll Gardens and Fifth Avenue in Park Slope and streets lined with uniform brownstones and trees in both neighborhoods as well as in Boerum Hill. We discussed how streets change as one gets closer to the “Gowanus Houses” and to the canal.
Please notice these streets, how the environment changes and how the ground slopes on your way to our meeting point.
Due to time constraints, we need to start promptly. At 10:40 we will proceed from the meeting point to explore the canal and its surroundings at different locations. Bring your sketch book and soft pencils for sketching and note taking, your phone or camera for picture taking as well as rain gear and umbrella. If you have any problems reaching the site, please email me at ajoelson@citytech.cuny.edu or call 917-676-4656. Prof. Almeida can be reached at 401-580-3423.
looking forward to a productive, interesting and fun visit!!!
