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Teaching > RWU
HP150 Historic Preservation > Assignments
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Placemaker
Methodologies and Additional Reading
Read the annotations of the resource books under reading.
Visit the Architecture Library (reserve) and peruse each book cited
to find an approaches and methodologies that lends themselves to
your public place of choice.
Read the following (below), in addition, before planning and visiting
your place.
Placemaking
Tools, Project for Public Spaces. Note:This
great resource has also been added to the reading
as a methodology. It includes the charts to the right.
William
("Holly") H. Whyte (resources by Project for Public
Spaces). Whyte founded the Street Life Project in the 1970s to
observe and record how people really use their public spaces:
sidewalks, plazas, parks, and street corners. Instead of just
drawing pretty pictures of cities, he applied social science techniques
to the design and use of urban space. His results — time-lapse
photography, graphs, charts, and policies — came from watching
people. That simple technique earned Whyte the nickname, “The
Observation Man.”
Wegela, Karen Kissel. How to be a Help Instead of a Nuisance.
Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1996, "Mall Practice",
pp.21-22. [View
on Shambhala.] You will be investigating a place, and the people,
process of placemaking employing a specific methodology and with
a set of other (some preservation-related) preconceptions. But
it's good to understand a bit about our our perceptions, first.
Wegela's technique is a good way to start your on site investigation.
Practice it a bit before you go on site. Even at the mall.
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| Holly Whyte. |
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| Jane Jacobs. |
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Site / Field Work
The purpose is not to (quickly) photograph the place and then analyze
it afterwards. It is to "experience" the place, its built
environment, yes: but most importantly the interaction of people
in the place and its (varied) uses, over time. And how the place
facilitate or inhibits successful by a variety of people.
Presentation
Powerpoint or prints (mounted on poster board or in a binder)
or other (approved) means. You may include photographs, copies of
pertinent historical documents, contemporary references, maps, ephemera,
quotes, and other material. Reference all sources.
Written Report
Prepare a written report (approximately ten pages, double spaced,
excluding attachments) including:
- Writing — Technical
writing format.
- Citations — Published work should be
cited with endnotes using Turabian.
- Methodology — Refer to authors cited
in readings and above, and others whose techniques you employ
and assess).
- Documentation — Describe site: location,
context, use(s), users
- photographs (yours, or archival, with citation)
- sketches (yours, optional)
- maps (location for context, historical)
- Observation — On-site observation, using
specific methodologies.
- Interventions — If any, what preservation.
treatments/techniques have been employed.
- Research — Include at least five
(5) pertinent, specific references to preservation resources,
techniques, initiatives, players (including organizations), funding
sources, and other resources that have been or may be used to
engage the community, document, preserve and interpret the place.
- Incorporate readings — As needed, reference
class readings such as Kunstler
and Jacobs.
- Analysis — Reference methodologies
that you employed.
- Conclusion
- Recommendations
Integrate
- Your personal site-specific observations,
- Possible interviews with citizens to solicit their feelings
and perceptions, and
- Possible interviews with professionals, or references from written
and Web resources
| Sites The following 'sites'
are suggestions only: |
- Main Street
- Waterfront
- Town common
- Commercial 'strip'
- Community playground or park
- Bike path, walking trail
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- Event, in context
- Building
- Super block
- State highway route
- Streetscape
- Museum
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