Post #5 - Big Belly Compactors (Reinvestment Project)

One of the reinvestment projects that caught my eye was called the North Avenue Big Belly Solar Waste System. It is a project involving all sorts of people, from the sponsors to the contributors to artists to the community. There are four main sponsors (funds) that are encouraging this project - Charles North Community Association (CNCA) – Business Committee, Midtown Community Benefits District, MICA and Center City, Inc. The project itself is super creative and interesting – obviously it is an attempt to clean up the litter around Station North, but it’s more than that. The sponsors are installing four Big Belly Compactors (solar intelligent) along the corridor of one of SNAED’s major areas (North Avenue) that will be used for litter. It is a long-term plan that will hopefully improve with time, but there is another aspect that caught my eye: the city and sponsors are allowing artists to decorate the compactors with art to improve the visual impact of the compactors and to add to the design.

Big Belly Compactor

So the reinvestment agents understand and organize the project, the stakeholders fund the project, and the change agencies make the magic happen!

Sources:

"$86,000 “Spruce-up” Grants Awarded to Station North Arts and Entertainment District." what weekly. N.p., 2 Jan. 2013. Web. 24 Feb. 2014. <http://whatweekly.com/2013/01/02/86000-spruce-up-grants-awarded-to-station-north-arts-and-entertainment-district/>.

"North Avenue Big Belly Solar Waste System." The Robert W. Deutsch Foundation. Central Baltimore Partnership, n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2014. <http://rwdfruhoh.ookb.co/whatwedo/solarwaste/>.

Post #4 - After our first trip to SNAED...

We took our first trip to the SNAED in Baltimore last week as a class. And my first impressions of the city were nothing like I thought they were going to be! Although the area we studied was partially rundown and abandoned in some parts, there was a beauty in the construction, layout, and design of Baltimore. It’s interesting to read Jane Jacobs’ The Death and Life of Great American Cities and how she does not think that art can relate to city design.

 

The first statement in Chapter 19 that caught my eye was this: “A city cannon be a work of art” (Jacobs 373). Take a look at some of these pictures (all of which below I took on our trip) – what do you think?

 

 

She writes that we need art to explain and reassure us of our own humanity. This is an interesting thought, because being human can mean many things. It is making mistakes and learning from them, thinking critically, and having our own opinions about what the world means. Some of this is evident in the murals that we saw in Baltimore – different interpretations of society.

 

The first item that Jacobs discusses as far as maintaining order and some form of logical assembly in a city is the street. I apologize if some of this is repetitive from my last blog post, but the streets are very important in a city. They show organization and unity among the city.

 

The second item she touches on are landmarks. The term landmark covers many types of structures, spots, locations, positions, or items throughout a city. Landmarks must emphasize the diversity of the city while drawing attention to areas in the city which are important. These can be schools, railway stations, and more.

 

 

The third item she mentions are eye-catchers. This can mean multiple things, but the initial thought in my brain after our trip to Baltimore was of graffiti alley. Eye-catchers offer character to the city and make people pause and think about where they are and what they mean. Here are some pictures of graffiti alley and other eye-catchers in the area we were (LOAD OF FUN, Red Emma’s, Tool Library…).

 

 

But I would like to add more to the list. The first type of structure that I think gives order and removes chaos from a city are the housing units. Pictured are two different types of housing that give creativity while inspiring order as well. Although they are very different, they keep the surrounding areas clean and visually appealing.

 

 

In addition, I believe that architectural techniques in general are important to keep a city less chaotic and more beautiful. The different rooflines, windows, bays, doors, and building materials offer both unity and separation, and give life to the city.

 

 

It is incredible to believe that this is all just from SNAED, right?! The city is beautiful in its own unique way, plus it gives very positive images to everyone, despite its negative reputation. I could not count the number of times that I saw this message throughout the area:

 

 Keep smiling, everyone! J