Urban Relation

Abstract

Detroit is no doubt going through a phase of vast development and growth. The amount of construction projects one will see when venturing into the city can be absolutely overwhelming. As the city continues to develop, land will be blocked off along with the walkways frequented by Detroit’s bustling business people and residents. Many of these people will walk around the construction putting themselves in situations that were not given a second thought by the companies that placed these barriers and construction fences. This poses a problem for the well being of these pedestrians as they may find themselves in the streets where motorists are traveling. There are also issues with the companies in the vicinity of construction projects. Profits drop and small businesses close due to inaccessibility. “The M-1 Rail offers the promise of more customers to businesses along its path – if they can survive until it opens,” says Dickson of Deadline Detroit. While these situations are not ideal everyone accepts them and their temporality. What if, instead of mindlessly throwing down boundaries and forcing people to take a less safe route, new spaces were developed around construction sites that allowed for safe passage and new spaces that change with the city.

Interacting with ones surroundings will vary based on the individual’s unique experiences and encounters they have previously had in their lives. Whether it be as gradual as the passive adaptation gained from an institution or a spark that instantly changed the way you perceived the world, people are constantly growing and interacting with one another, spreading their knowledge and forcing change upon the world whether they are aware of it or not. Earlier in this process I was interested in the idea of interaction in chaotic and complex environments as apart of this study. Perhaps determining what those differences are, if any, and what makes the environment chaotic or complex. Create something that is placed within the space, which is unusual and promotes interaction and inevitably, learning could be a potential path. This book will begin to explain the process undertaken along with the thoughts and driving forces that have led to this process and where it is now. With many discussions consulting peers and instructors as well as full-scale exploration, the process has developed much over past months and will surely grow through time. Understanding the methods and relationships of all the thoughts and experiences that have happened thus far will allow this process to take a more direct path. Hopes are high and achieving a thesis that promotes critique and worthwhile conversation is where it will ideally end.