Spatial Gaps in Landscape Architecture

spatial gaps in landscape architecture a Story of undocumented immigrants in apopka, florida

Caro Rubio Master of Landscape Architecture

u.s. immigration history

anti-sanctuary states with high agricultural cash receipts

precedent Study: nuevo amanecer - woodburn, oregon

“relax preconceived notions” and “strengthen residents’ pride of ownership” - Carol Mayer-Reed

Planted buffers for privacy Playscape areas for children Vegetable/Herb Garden for families ’Paseo’ walking path for residents’ afternoon walk

It was extremely important for residents to have their own personal space in their frontyards.

Homes have no backdoors to emphasize importance of the frontward spaces of the community. Frontyards connect to the sidewalk to encourage public interaction amongst the community members. Larger social areas were implemented as extroverted spaces. The three neighborhoods surround a paved plaza and two parks. There is a space for families to grow herbs, vegetables and flowers.

research problem

The landscape architecture profession thrives from nurseries and their worker’s undocumented labor.

Undocumented immigrants are workers and family members of communities contributing to our larger society. Pre-conceived notions of undocumented immigrants are rooted in white supremacy (Perea, 2020). This reality forces them to live in a perpetual state of oxymoron, in a place that constantly uses them for their essential labor and simultaneously disposes their needs. Landscape architects are missing undocumented people’s perspectives and needs in the built environment.

research question

How can landscape architecture expand its understanding and respond to the needs of undocumented immigrants in unincorporated mobile home parks?

RESEARCH QUESTION TOPIC

SUB-QUESTION/S

LITERATURE REVIEW

How can landscape architecture expand its

expand its understanding Which theories support

Design for Ecological

understanding and respond to the needs of

and respond to

understanding and

Democracy - Randolph T. Hester

undocumented immigrants in unincorporated mobile

the needs

responding to the

home parks?

needs of undocumented

Environmental Justice as a

immigrants?

Justification - Hyejung Chang

Equity, Environment, Participation - Katherine Melcher

research question TOPIC

SUB-QUESTION/S

LITERATURE REVIEW

How can landscape architecture expand its

undocumented

How are undocumented

Legal Spatial Consciousness -

understanding and respond to the needs of

immigrants

immigrants’ experience

Andrea Flores, et al.

undocumented immigrants in unincorporated

different than

mobile home parks?

documented ones

Transbodied Spaces: Home

in the landscape?

experiences of Undocumented Mexicans - Tasoulla Hadjiyanni

Portable housing for Mexican migrant workers - Janet Corzo

research question TOPIC

SUB-QUESTION/S

METHOD

How can landscape architecture expand its

unincorporated mobile

How are mobile home

Stakeholder Engagement:

understanding and respond to the needs of

home parks

parks unincorporated

Farmworkers Association of

undocumented immigrants in unincorporated

from city limits? How

Florida (FWAF)

mobile home parks?

does it affect the undocumented

Interviews with Undocumented

community? How do

Community

undocumented people live in unincorporated

Apopka City & Unincorporated

mobile home parks?

Mobile Home Park Analysis: Geographic Information Systems

STUDY AREA: aPOPKA, fLORIDA

3,577 IN 1960 54,873 IN 2020

Displacement of nurseries

2014 PLANT NURSERIES 1

2

3

2016 CONSTRUCTION

2021 ROAD

apopka city analysis https://data.ers.usda.gov/reports.aspx?ID=17845

CLOSE PROXIMITY TO PLANT NURSERIES

mobile home parks

FIFTY PLANT NURSERIES

plant nurseries

INACCESSIBLE TO NORTH APOPKA

public transit

E. SE

MOR

E. SEMORAN BLVD: A LATINX CULTURAL HUB

The main colors used throughout the architecture of the Latinx businesses located in E. Semoran Boulevard include green and orange. These colors emphasize the presence of a large Latinx community in Apopka.

AN B

LVD.

community and stakeholder engagement

JANUARY TO APRIL

JANUARY

APRIL

FEBRUARY TO MARCH

nursery workers

age

years

values

housing type

positive landscape

SINGLE MOBILE HOME/ MOBILE HOME PARK 60+

24 Rural Living (Peri-Urban)

50 - 60

20

DRIVING TO: 20 TO 30 MINUTES

Hard Work

Community Centers

Religious Faith 40 - 50

21

Community Care Nature Parks

Mutual Respect Family & Children Following Rules

Bicycle Trails

Social Justice 40 -50

16 WALKING TO: 20 TO 30 MINUTES

APARTMENT COMPLEX

30 - 40

City Center Living

15 Structurally Sound Living

positive landscape

negative social barriers

negative landscape

UNINCORPORATED MOBILE HOME PARK

Rural Living (Peri-Urban)

DRIVING TO: 20 TO 30 MINUTES

Community Centers

COMFORT Unicorporated Mobile Housing

WORK Pesticide Exposure in Nurseries

LIVE

Urban sprawl displacing nurseries

Extreme Heat in Nurseries

Economic Barrier in Accessing City

No Showers in Nurseries

Water

Recreation Complexes SAFETY Home & Vehicle Burglary Drug Activity near Neighborhood Vehicle Accidents

Nature Parks

MOBILITY No Government Aid/Poverty No Time/No Forgiveness Labor Abuse/Neglect Hyper-Surveillance

Bicycle Trails

Fresh Food Insecurity HEALTH Higher Exposure to Pesticides

WALKING TO: 20 TO 30 MINUTES

Higher Exposure to COVID Higher Exposure to Heat

City Center Living

Driving Anxiety Social Discrimination/Exclusion FamilySeparation/Loss Social Isolation due COVID/Location Lack of Cultural/Ancestral Knowledge

Structurally Sound Living

Poor Mental Health: Depression & PTSD

LIVE Little to No Paved Walkways No Neighborhood Lighting

Harvesting Micro-climate Planting Privacy

Lot Deterioration/Mobile Park Negligence Overcrowded and Uncomfortable

Road Safety

Water Valve Shut-off in Mobile Home Park Foul Smell from Septic Tank Leaking Pipes in Mobile Homes

Attendance & Community Participation

Design Universal Design

COMMUTE Cycling

Extreme Heat in Mobile Homes COMMUTE Lack of Public Transit Affecting Work

Greywater

Multi-Modal Access

Walking Rideshare

Lack of Walkability to Parks & Businesses

Public

No Bicycle Paths

Transit

PLAY Lack Recreational/Play Areas No Communal Areas for Cultural & Religious Festivities

PLAY Community

Playscape

Engagement

Design Community

Cultural

Design

Enrichment

Therapeutic Design

negative landscape

design guidelines framework

GUIDELINES

UNINCORPORATED MOBILE HOME PARK WORK Pesticide Exposure in Nurseries

LIVE LIVE

Extreme Heat in Nurseries

Water Water

No Showers in Nurseries

LIVE

Community Community Greywater Greywater

Harvesting Harvesting

Gardens Gardens

Guideline #1

Introspective Introspective

Guideline #3

Sensory Gardens Sensory Gardens LIVE Little to No Paved Walkways No Neighborhood Lighting

Micro-climate Micro-climate Planting Planting

Canopy Trees Canopy Trees

Privacy Privacy

Design Design

Hedging && Hedging

Road Safety Road Safety

Universal Universal Design Design

Traffi c Calming Traffi c Calming Elements Elements

Lot Deterioration/Mobile Park Negligence Overcrowded and Uncomfortable Water Valve Shut-off in Mobile Home Park Foul Smell from Septic Tank Leaking Pipes in Mobile Homes

Attendance & Community Participation

Multi-Modal Multi-Modal Access Access

Religious Festivities

Walking Walking Rideshare Rideshare Public Public Transit Transit

No Bicycle Paths

No Communal Areas for Cultural &

COMMUTE Cycling Cycling

Lack of Walkability to Parks & Businesses PLAY Lack Recreational/Play Areas

Guideline #7

COMMUTE COMMUTE

Extreme Heat in Mobile Homes COMMUTE Lack of Public Transit Affecting Work

Guideline #5

Streetscape Streetscape Design Design Multi-Functional Multi-Functional Design Design

PLAY PLAY Community Community Engagement Engagement Cultural Cultural Enrichment Enrichment

Nature‘Paseo’ ‘Paseo’ Nature

Guideline #2

BicyclePaths Paths Bicycle Parking& & Parking Gathering Gathering SchoolBuses Buses School Gathering Gathering

PLAY Playscape Playscape Design Design Community Community Design Design Therapeutic Therapeutic Design Design

Soccer Fields Soccer Fields Play Structures Play Structures

Guideline #4 Guideline #6

Cultural Plaza Cultural Plaza CommunityCenter Center && Community

Guideline #8

APOPKA CITY LIMITS

MOBILE HOMES

UNINCORPORATED MOBILE HOME PARKS

“Anti-mobile home sentiment is due to the low status generally accorded to trailers and “trailer people” in years past.. mobile homes have been pushed into bleak, unincorporated fields outside of city limits” - Kneeland from “Tin Cans on Wheels” to the “Mobile Home”

john land apopka expressway APOPKA CITY LIMITS

MOBILE HOMES

UNINCORPORATED MOBILE HOME PARKS FROM APOPKA CITY LIMITS INCORPORATED MOBILE HOME PARKS WITHIN APOPKA CITY LIMITS

mobile home park ‘a’

40

AN GE R A 0 5

GE

20

E AG E NG RA

M E M A KE R

0

Agreements were made with the Locations and names community anonymizedtotoexclude protectmobile identityhome park names and addresses

HO

“About a year ago, someone broke into my home.

It was someone outside of our neighborhood”

“The mobile home park shuts off our water valves in the afternoon. My husband can’t shower because there is no water available”

-3

UNINCORPORATED MOBILE HOME PARK IN APOPKA

PLANT N

UR

SE RY

RK WO

Privacy Fence

ER

Main Road Vehicular Streets Pedestrian Pathways Mobile Homes Tree Canopy

Developed

Leasing Office

opportunity to play safely & authentically

Vacant Lots Utilities

Undeveloped

COMMUNITY O RG IZE AN R

“There is no infrastructure in place for people to take ownership of the road using their bodies, like to cycle with a bicycle or walk”

mobile home park analysis

opportunity to live & commute comfortably I wish I had somewhere to play with my friends, this road will have to do!

road for vehicles: children vulnerable to vehicle accidents

unprotected ENTRANCE: homes VULNERABLE TO CRIME trees close proximity to hardscape: root heave in concrete

exposed pipes for easy access to shut off water valves: no water in mobile homes in the afternoon ABOVE GROUND wastewater and SEPTIC: FOUL SMELL

opportunity to use resources safely no buffer zone: unattractive view

opportunity to play safely & authentically

open view to barre land: neighbors have open views to each other’s lots

“I want to ride my bike but my parents don’t think it is safe”

barre open land: children are not allowed in this area

IZE AN R

MOBILE HOME park GUIDELINE #1: Implement canopied and planted buffers in entryways and around premises to increase neighborhood safety

Increasing neighborhood safety will: Reduce undocumented people’s anxiety of external hyper-vigilance Discourage criminal drug activity near neighborhood Protect neighborhood from home and vehicle burglaries

ZONE 1A

ZONE 1B

BLOCKED BLOCKED FOR PRIVACY VIEW BUFFERED ENTRYWAY PROVIDES CANOPIED PROTECTION

VEHICLE CIRCULATION SEPARATE PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION

LIVE

COMMUTE

PLAY

LAYERED PLANTING BUFFERS

“About a year ago, someone broke into my home. It was someone outside of our neighborhood”

MOBILE HOME park GUIDELINE #2: Implement multi-modal parking, curbless walkways and bike trails to increase commuting options

Increasing commute options will: Decrease community’s anxiety from driving personal vehicles while undocumented Increase undocumented people’s ability to participate in civic and work activity Build trust between undocumented community and the city/county jurisdiction

SCHOOL BUS & COMMUNITY BUS PARKING

FORMAL ‘RAITERO’ CARPOOL PARKING

“My parents have to take a risk to go to work and drive me to college. There is no transportation for us”

OP

EN

VE

HIC

LE

AC C

ES

S

CURBLESS WALKWAYS

CONNECTED PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION

LIVE

COMMUTE

PLAY

PLAY PLANTED BUFFERS BETWEEN LOTS

ES

D ERE

LAY

N ZO FER

F

BU

“Children like to play outside our home.

Since we don’t have enough space, they play on the road”

CURBLESS WALKWAYS ALLOW MOBILE HOME ARRIVAL & PROTECT PEDESTRIANS

ZONE 2B

ZONE 2A

COMMUTE

ZONE 1A

LIVE

PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION

MOBILE HOME park GUIDELINE #3: Implement canopied buffers between lots to increase privacy and shade for families

Increasing lot privacy & shade will: Protect children when they play on mobile home lots Reduce undocumented people’s anxiety of internal hyper-vigilance Promote ownership of mobile home and pride of the space surrounding it

LIVE

“Gardening is a beautiful experience. It helps me spend time with my family. I like to teach my children how to plant vegetables“ ITY

XIM RO

EP

OS CL

AYS VAL ANS

PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION

MOBILE HOME park GUIDELINE #4: Implement community gardens and greenhouses to increase conviviality among neighborhood community

Increasing community-based activity will: Reduce mental health related conditions associated to family loss and separation Encourage social inclusion, integration and belonging with other neighborhood members Encourage hands on education and learning activities to pass down ancestral knowledge to children

COMMUTE

PLAY

PLAY

MOBILE HOME park GUIDELINE #5: Implement a community center with bathrooms and showers as part of neighborhood facilities to increase improve undocumented community’s health

Increasing community health will: Encourage partnerships with non-profit organizations offering mental health services Encourage hygiene to prevent the spread of infectious diseases and pesticide exposure to workers and families Provide other sanitation opportunities to dwellers outside of their mobile homes

ES

E

ER LAY

ON RZ

FFE

U DB

OFFICE / COMMUNITY ROOMS

RESTROOMS / SHOWERS

ZONE 1B

COMMUTE

ZONE 1A

LIVE

OP

EN

VE

HIC

LE

AC C

ES

S

PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION

LIVE

MOBILE HOME park GUIDELINE #6: Implement outdoor communal areas for cultural and religious festivities to strengthen cultural preservation among undocumented community

strengthening cultural preservation will: Restore cultural values and promote relationships with the larger Latinx community Encourage traditional and cultural knowledge to be passed down to family members Allow cultural exchange of goods and services, such as traditional foods between neighbors

ES

OMS

FFE

U DB

ERE

LAY

ON RZ

ZONE 1C

ZONE 1B

ZONE 1A

WERS

PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION

COMMUTE

PLAY

PLAY

MOBILE HOME park GUIDELINE #7: Implement a water harvesting system to recharge the city aquifer, aquifer, and irrigate the neighborhood’s landscape, greenhouse and community gardens

Increasing natural resources will: Provide a stronger sense of place and connection to the mobile home park as a home Increase pride in their surrounding natural environment and resources Increase the value of mobile home housing in a city

ES

D ERE

LAY

WATER HARVESTING CISTERN

N ZO FER

F

BU

ZONE3B

COMMUTE

ZONE3A

LIVE

LIVE

MOBILE HOME park GUIDELINE #8: Implement sport fields and play areas for children and teenagers to be active

encouraging physical activity will: Enhances children’s relationships with one another Keeps teenagers engaged and occupied in playing sports Promotes endurance and health

R

FFE

BU

ZONE1A

BLOCKED VIEW

PE

DE

ST

RIA

NA CC

ES

S

PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION

COMMUTE

PLAY