Redesigned Area

This is the unit 3 action project for my Urban Planning course. Unit 3 was titled “Flow” and focused on cities as a whole. We learned about cities’ origins and how they have evolved over time. We looked at what makes a good or bad city. The class examined what goes into making a functioning and efficient city. Cities throughout history and around the globe were studied in order to inform us as well as spark our interests. The unit’s action project asked students to design and build a perfect block. The purpose of the project is for students to take what they've learned and use it to redesign an existing city block. I loved this project because it allowed for us to take any city in the world and do to it what we please. I really enjoyed the ability to be conceptual with my ideas and then turn them into a 3D model. Overall, I loved this AP and am very happy to finish off my junior STEAM track with this course and this final project!

Palais Royal, 2016, MS

The real urban area I chose to redesign was Rue De Valois in Paris, France. Rue De Valois is a channel of the 1st arrondissement of Paris. The 1st arrondissement is one of twenty and is located at the city’s center. It is home to the the headquarters of the Ministry of Culture and its name has become synonymous with the Ministry in French media. Rue De Valois has a five star hotel named The Grand Hotel du Palais Royal. Rue De Valois is an area called the Palais Royal District which is the third of four administrative districts located in the 1st arrondissement. The Palais Royal was originally built in 1629 by a French Minister named Cardinal Richelieu. In the 1870’s the palace underwent an expansion in which arcades and shops were added. It currently houses the Council of State as well as other government offices. The actual palace is not open to the public but there is a wonderful courtyard and garden. The courtyard, Cour d’Honneur, contains various sculptures and fountains. The palace gardens, Jardin Du Palais Royal, is laid out around a center fountain. It's a peaceful and quiet escape in the center of the city. There are hundreds of arcade buildings along the sides of park as well as a selection of restaurants, shops, and galleries. The garden is an outstanding place to experience the harmony, beauty, and charm of French culture and architecture. This area possesses so much strength and value due to its amazing blend of modernity and nostalgia. This is a spectacular area due to its ability to combine commerce with culture. There is something for everyone at the Palais Royal and on Rue De Valois! Palais Royal and Rue De Valois’ importance is unparalleled making easy accessibility very important as well. Paris’s train and bus systems do a fantastic job of getting people to the area. One of the things that attracts me to the Palais Royal and Rue De Valois is its blend of the past and present. 17th century architecture collides with modern sculpture. I feel that the blend of times results in aesthetic beauty but would also like to see it applied to their energy systems. The palace uses a lot of power in order to operate all of its different attractions and areas. Traditional electricity methods are used which are costly both for France and the environment. This area needs a modern energy revival. It is now time for them to take action and implement several new sustainable and efficient energy systems.

The area I’m redesigning is surrounded by four streets which form a rectangular shape. The distance from the corner of Rue De Montpensier and Rue De Beaujolais to the corner of Rue De Valois and Rue De Beaujolais is the width of the rectangle and measures roughly 413 ft. The distance between the corner of Rue De Valois and Rue De Beaujolais and the corner of Rue Saint Honoré and Rue De Beaujolais is the length of the rectangle which is estimated to be 1253 ft long. The estimated total area of the the space, which can be found by multiplying the width by the length, is 517,489 sq ft.

Palais Royal Redesign, 2016, MS

My redesign for Palais Royal focuses on extending the area’s wonderful blend of nostalgia and modernity to the physical design of the space. It’s beautiful to see classic French sculptures and architecture seamlessly mixed with modern art and culture. I would like to see solar panels implemented on the roofs of the arcades. These panels could be installed to give the roofs a modern look as well as to generate renewable energy. This renewable energy could greatly reduce their spending and cut back on resources. The space is so popular and frequently used that there should be no excuse for the interference and disturbance of mother nature. A retractable glass sunroof, inspired by the design of the Louvre Pyramid, should be added in order for the space to always be useable. The wide and long walkways are fabulous but contain few areas to sit and rest. I want to add several benches and chairs. Going along with the theme of modern design, I would want the pieces to be designed and created by contracted artists. I want the traditional French sculptures to be complemented by their modern counterparts. I would once again contract artists to create sculptures which would be placed in the rectangular grass areas in front of and behind the central fountain. Lastly, I want there to be a freestanding wall located in the area of the already existing modern art piece titled the Buren Columns. This wall would be a reflection of the people that enter the space. It will be left open for additions and customizations. Its intention is to provide people with a free form way of expressing their feelings surrounded by their presence in the space. The wall will continuously evolve and act as a symbol of the different people and ideas that entered the space.

The long rectangles are representative of the solar panels that will be on top of the arcades. The dashed lines coming off of the panels are parts of the retractable roof. The four smaller rectangles are the new benches and sitting areas. The two stars located in the center green areas are the modern sculptures and the square on the right is the modern art wall.

My redesign was inspired by the cities and spaces I studied throughout the course. The two major changes to the physical structures are the solar panels and retractable roof. These were inspired by Denmark's energy plan. It was captivating to learn about the initiatives occurring in Denmark and how solar panels played a huge role in their success. I thought it would be interesting to redesign a very traditional space with a newer form of technology. My other additions were inspired by the TED Talk given by James Kunstler where he explained the need for a space to have a purpose and definition. My interest in art and design propelled a search for cities that used public spaces to implement medium to large scale art pieces. My research kept bringing me back to my hometown Chicago. The city is full of various art pieces in its neighborhoods and has Millenium park which is full of several large pieces. Chicago’s public art acted as my source of inspiration for a majority of my additions.

My redesign has little effect on transportation and housing. In terms of transportation, it provides walkers or bikers with areas to sit and rest. My plan impacts infrastructure in the sense that I’m proposing additions to already existing structures. I am looking to alter the present infrastructure by installing modern technologies. The goal of the redesign is to make these installations seamlessly flow and blend with the traditional infrastructure. The addition of benches and chairs also relates to infrastructure. My plan also impacts services. My plan would eliminate the need for electricity from outside sources. If enough solar panels were put in place, the Palais Royal could become completely self-sufficient.

One of the two new modern sculptures is comprised of a sphere resting on top of a cylinder. The radius of the sphere is 5 ft. Using the equation for the volume of a sphere, 4/3πr^3 , you’ll find the volume of the sphere is 524 sq ft. The cylinder supporting the sphere has a radius of 5 ft and a height of 10 ft. Using the equation for a cylinder's volume, πr^2h, one will find the volume of the cylinder to equal 785 sq ft. The second modern sculpture is a pyramid with a square cut out. The pyramid has a square base with an area of 100 square feet and a height of 25 feet. The volume of this particular pyramid is 833 sq ft. A 5 by 5 by 5 cube is cut out of the pyramid’s center. This has a volume of 125 sq ft. If you subtract the volume of the cut out cube from the volume of the pyramid, you’ll find the total volume of the sculpture equals 708 sq ft.

Modern Sculpture 3D Model, 2016, MS

Overhead 3D Model, 2016, MS

I created my 3d model using various materials and used roughly a 1/100 scale. I represented the base of the space with a rectangular metal container. I created the arcades and the surroundings of the palace using business cards supported by toothpicks. On top of the cards on the right side of the model there is a green plastic piece symbolic of the solar panels or strips. On top of the cards to the left is piece of the retractable roof. The metal container on top of the base is the modern art area where an already existing piece is located as well as my redesigned modern art wall which is represented by the charging block. The green lighters are the green areas that surround the fountain. The fountain is shown by the 10 bottle cap. The cardboard strips are the walkways with the crumbles representing both individual and group sitting area.

I encountered a variety of issues during the process. The initial step of choosing a city and then a specific area within that city to redesign was difficult. I was interested in so many cool spaces in various cities around the world that it was hard to finally pick one and dive deeper into it. A major difficulty for me was focus. As the end of the year approaches my attention span plummets. My abilities decrease and the time it takes me to complete tasks increases. I took it upon myself to recognize this shift and make the necessary adjustments in order to move forward with the the project in a positive direction. Additionally it was difficult to select the medium I wanted to use for my model. Overall, this was a difficult action project that required tremendous effort and commitment. I loved being able to take one of my favorite spaces in the world and rework it based solely on my creative vision

United States VS Jones

This is my unit 3 AP for my Policy class. Unit 3 was titled "Judge" and investigated the purpose and powers of the judicial branch. The class learned how the judicial branch functions and how that effects society. Additionally, we examined policy on a global scale and viewed what policies should govern all nations. The unit's AP asked students to select a Supreme Court case and analyze it. Students were asked to research both sides of the case as well as agree or disagree with the ruling based on the US constitution. I loved this AP and thought it did a phenomenal job of wrapping up the unit and the course. I really enjoyed selecting a case and seeing how its impacted society. Overall, this was an outstanding AP that was both interesting and fun!

Plan Colombia

This is the unit 2 action project for my Policy Class. Unit 2 was titled Execute and focused on purpose and powers of America's Executive branch and how those powers have been executed throughout our history. Students evaluated what the executive branch is and how it functions. The class learned how and who makes our policies. An important aspect of the unit was evaluating if a policy is right or wrong. For the units AP students were asked to select a war the US was involved in and determine if it was just or unjust. I really enjoyed this entire unit and especially the action project. I thought it asked us to show mastery of many of the important aspects of the unit and I loved being able to select a topic and dive deep into it! 

Aerial Spraying, 2016, TheGuardian.com

The War on Drugs is an ongoing international campaign initiated by the United States that uses military aid and intervention, as well as drug prohibition to attempt to reduce the drug trade. This war is rooted in a set of policies that aim to combat the production, distribution, and consumption of illicit drugs. On June 18th, 1971, President Nixon declared that drugs were “public enemy number one” and a war against an opponent with no agenda began. The war on drugs is an umbrella term for a variety of United States foreign policy and covert military activities that took place in the United States as well as South and Central America beginning in the 70’s and continuing on today. The United States rationale for engaging in the War on Drugs arises from their inflated ego which feels it's required to police the world in order to protect American democracy and values. America felt obligated to intervene due to their desire to control the conflict and eventually destroy it. One such US operation, known as Plan Colombia, provided billions of dollars in military aid, training, as well as equipment to the Colombian government to battle insurgent groups and drug cartels. Plan Colombia was unjust because it was a costly plan which employed techniques that had previously been implemented in the war but failed tremendously.

The plan was originally created between 1998 and 1999 by Colombian President Pastrana and US President Bill Clinton with the goals of ending the Colombian armed conflict and drug trade. Prior to Plan Colombia, President Clinton had been actively battling the War on Drugs. In 1993 Clinton raised the Office of National Drug Control Policy, which was implemented in 1989 under President Bush, to cabinet-level status. Plan Colombia was in essence a plan for Colombia's peace and was originally presented to President Clinton in a moral context. President Pastrana requested an increase in US aid for counter attacking illicit drugs, creating sustainable economic development, securing human rights, and establishing humanitarian aid. President Pastrana understood the importance of the US and their money and outlined an official document which would sufficiently address US concerns. Clinton and his administration’s input into the plan was significant and focused primarily on achieving peace and ending violence through the destruction of the Colombian drug industry. Clinton and his administration involved the US in this sector of the war because they felt it was necessary for national security. The near-collapse of Colombian democratic governance which which was a product of the armed conflict and drug trade captivated the attention of US policy makers. Congress supported Clinton’s actions in regards to the plan. US drug czar General Barry Mccaffrey declared that Columbia was in a state of emergency regardless of the fact that neither of the Colombian insurgent groups posed any threat to US security. The plan was sold to policy makers and the US public as a necessary component of the ongoing war on drugs.

Plan Colombia was widely criticized due to the claim that the Colombian Forces were involved in supporting the right wing parliamentary forces. Another controversial component of the plan was the aerial sprays intended to eradicate the coca crop. The US had previosuly attempted aerial eradication on Mexican weed crops as well as Colombian coca crop, both costed tremendous amounts of money and resources and failed miserably. The aerial sprays apart of plan Colombia not only failed to complete their intended mission but damaged legal crops and created adverse health effects. The aerial spraying of illicit crops was unsuccessful in reducing the supply and had negative social and environmental impacts. The attempted eradication failed partly due to the balloon effect, which meant when one cultivation area was sprayed, another would pop up and continue on. Colombia has remained the world’s largest producer of coca throughout the years regardless of the many attempts to halt or slow down production. The sprays were completely contradictory to many of the plans main intentions in relation to human rights and humanitarian aid. Thousands of civilians were displaced and had their income and food supply threatened. The failed attempts have left a ripple effect which is still felt socially and environmentally today. Congress was unable to see their plan failing and in 1999 tried to employ a mycoherbicide called Fusarium Oxysporum which had been questioned by environmentalists and then finally opposed by the Colombian Government.

Plan Colombia was completely unjust due to its effect on American taxpayers and the people of Colombia. The US spent nearly $8 billion on plan Colombia over nearly a ten year period. The US failed to eradicate the coca crop like they had hoped and did very little to slow or stop the drug trade. They destroyed more than they helped and wasted the countries money and resources. The US attempted to implement a police and military solution to a problem they had no involvement in or relation to. These intervention attempts resulted in lots of money spent, lots of lives lost and an harmed environment. Overall, Plan Colombia was an unjust part of a much larger unjust war.

Sources:

Angell, Tom (December 10, 2012). "Does Bill Clinton Support Legalizing Marijuana?". Huffington Post. Retrieved October 28, 2014.

"AllGov - Departments." AllGov - Departments. Web. 15 May 2016.

"Plan Colombia: A Retrospective." Americas Quarterly. Web. 16 May 2016.

Weiser, Benjamin. (September 5, 2012) FARC – Revolutionary Armed forces of Colombia" The New York Times.

Stokes, Doug (2005). America's Other War: Terrorizing Colombia. Zed Books.

Circuit Board

This is the unit 2 action project for my Urban Planning class. Unit 2 was titled Power. Throughout the unit, students played the role of an electrician and studied the math and science concepts related to electricity. We studied the role of power historically as well as the current need for alternative solutions. The class used Chicago’s relation to the War of Currents to learn about the early years of electricity. The second half of the unit primarily focused on how we can use less electricity and how energy efficient homes and communities are structured. The action project asked students to create a functioning parallel circuit which would then be used as a model for an energy efficient and eco-friendly home in which each resistor represented a different feature of the house. I really enjoyed this project because it allowed me to use the math and science I learned in the unit to create a functioning circuit as well as my creativity which I used as the basis for creating an imaginary eco-friendly home. This was an amazing project that I’m very proud of!