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
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