Sophie Granger Spring 2018 Studio VI – Writing workshop Prof. : Finn Ferris Introduction and values Inequalities can be source of great design innovations. As designers, turning our lens towards those imbalances can reveal a world of new possibilities which can in turn improve the lives of people. Inequalities can happen between classes of people, or between people and external situations that are oftentimes beyond their control. It is therefore important to consider human behaviors in respect to the kind of inequality that affects a group of people. My humble hope would be to use interior design to serve those who can’t always fight against their situation; sometimes because the problem is not obvious, sometimes because the magnitude is greater than their means. The goal would be to improve people’s environment in a way that is meaningful to them and beneficial to their growth. When visiting Nolita, boutiques with clever concepts and little restaurants reinventing brunch are likely to be things remembered about the experience. It is also likely to be the very same experience lived by all other visitors coming to the hip neighborhood for the weekend. The question that arises is: what part of the residents’ experience is unique to them? This reflection brings about another question: who are the residents of Nolita, and what do they consider to be elements that contribute to the growth of their feeling of belonging in this neighborhood? Research and contextual observations Rising rent prices have been changing the landscape of Nolita for about a decade. Luxury apartments and shops are pushing longtime residents and local businesses further out and it is changing the dynamics of the neighborhood. In 2017 alone, median rent prices have soared 147% compared to 2016. 1 Although clashing with the tenements of the 19th century, shouldn’t this real estate boom bring a new wave of residents? In fact, this real estate game possibly has a negative effect on the community, because people coming to Nolita no longer wish to establish a long term home there. Newcomers are gone as soon as a more profitable deal enters the market, creating waves of temporary residents. Given the circumstances affecting rent prices, one of the clienteles that would be likely to establish a longterm home in Nolita and see it evolve are families; due to children attending the nearby schools for many years at a time. 3,957 households with children represent 15% of all households in Nolita, 2 and because of the social network that emerges from elementary and middle schools, those families will potentially develop a closer bond with the neighborhood itself, than people following the real estate market trends. Usually, school children know all their classmates and some of the parents may be familiar faces to them. The same phenomenon applies to parents who, when picking up their child at school, will recognize other parents and children. Thus, school children can represent an axis around which a community builds itself. Kids naturally weave the community together. This can in turn reinforce the feeling of belonging for those families, who will build memories from their interaction with the neighborhood and its people. According to Sherry Tuckle, author and professor at MIT, it is those interactions that are unique to residents, as
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https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/ https://www.point2homes.com/US/Neighborhood/NY/Manhattan/NoLIta-Demographics.html