The Week's Work

American Studies 334

Urban America

Roger Williams University

T, TH 12:30 -1:50

GHH 105

Fall, 2009

Michael R. H. Swanson, Ph. D

Office: GWH 215

Hours: T, 11:00-12:30

M, W, F,  1:00-2:00

Phone:   (401) 254-3230

E-mail:  amst334urban@gmail.com

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For Tuesday, October 6

I’m back from celebrating being out of high school for 50 years.  Minneapolis survived our celebration.

We didn’t get to the Video on the Chicago Loop.  We’ll do that today.  We’ll also set up our groups–seven groups, 5 members each.  To refresh everyone’s memory, the volunteer group leaders are

∙Nicole Baker

∙Anthony Brahimsha

∙Kelly Cochrane

∙Caitlin Ferriter

∙Jennifer Paloulian

∙Molly Reynolds

And

∙William Wilcox

The Chicago Water Tower is not too far from here.  "Walk" to it by heading north on Randolph.  Turn right on Wacker and then left on Michigan.  You can't miss it.

For Thursday, October 6

Read, in Jacobs.

Chapter 8.  The Need for Mixed Primary Uses ML 198 - 232

Chapter 9.  The Need for Small BlocksML 233 - 243

Chapters 8 - 11 are going to be easy to read and digest.  The important thing is to make sure you understand the four conditions, one per chapter, which are presented in italics.  I’d like to have you prowl around various areas in various cities, using “Streetview” on Google Maps.  Find areas which qualify as meeting those conditions and find areas which fail them.  Post links to these in your journals so we can explore them together.  Once you’ve decided upon your cities of investigation some of you may be returning to look at these in detail there.  Remember we’re looking at districts within cities.  Some work well, some don’t, and this is true regardless of which city one looks at.

Chapter eight provides more detail related to ideas which Jacobs presented in the chapters on sidewalks and parks.  The idea is to have people out and about in significant numbers all through the day. If you have a grasp of what constitutes a primary use this will not be difficult.  She gives an example of a single use district which has severe, almost insoluble problems (as she defines them).  Some of you have visited the area.  If you’ve visited it on a Sunday morning you’ll know what she’s talking about.

Chapter nine is a short chapter dealing with a short subject.  It should occupy your attention for a short time.  All this shortness is making me feel gigantic.

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Consider, for instance, the situation of a man  living on a long street block, such as West Eighty-eighth Street in Manhattan, between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue.  He goes westward along his 800-foot block to reach the stores on Columbus Avenue or take the bus, and he goes eastward to reach the park, take the subway or another bus.  He may very well never enter the adjacent blocks on Eighty-seventh Street and Eighty-ninth Street for years.

Our hypothetical Mr. would be located about where the street view above starts.  Take a walk for him to see what he might have been missing.

The diagrams in the chapter remind me of Pacman and Super Mario Brothers.  Did any of you ever play them?

Don't play them in class.