Division: Connecting Divided Places

Connecting
IVISION
Divided Places
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LUIZA ALBERTINI
PHUONG DIEP
MICHAEL ESTERAS
INGI KIM
HAOTIAN LIU
BEJE MELAMED-TURKISH
MARTA PIEDRAS
KEVIN WANG
HITOMI YOKOTA
JAMES YOUNG
INSTITUTE WITHOUT BOUNDARIES
CLASS OF 2014–15
LUIGI FERRARA
DEAN, CENTRE FOR ARTS, DESIGN
& INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
DIRECTOR, INSTITUTE WITHOUT BOUNDARIES
CHRISTOPHER PANDOLFI
ACADEMIC COORDINATOR
HEATHER DAAM
ASSISANT ACADEMIC COORDINATOR
MAGDA SABAT
EDITOR
COPYWRITING
DIVISION
Connecting Divided Places
GINNY CHEN
EDITORIAL & DESIGN DIRECTOR
LEAD DESIGNER
KAR YAN CHEUNG
PAUL DE FREITAS
KRISTINA LJUBANOVIC
SUSAN SPEIGEL
LAUREN WICKWARE
FACULTY ADVISORS
SPECIAL THANKS TO
The students, faculty and administrative staff
from the 2014–2015 classes of the Institute
without Boundaries at School of Design.
ISBN
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CONTACT
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publications or to place an order please contact:
The School of Design at
George Brown College
230 Richmond Street East,
Toronto, ON M5A 1P4
416.415.5000 x2165
Visit our website for
more info about the
School of Design
www.georgebrown.ca
design@georgebrown.ca
Institutewithoutboundaries.com
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INQUISITORS
What we see today is a
sophisticated network
of interconnectedness,
complemented by a world
of growing divides.
THE AUTHORS
EXPERIMENTERS
FUTURE FRAG-
MENT- FINDERS
CURATORS
How can we Connect
Divided Places?
R O A D T R
I P P E R S
The work of the Institute without Boundaries in 2014/15 was
guided by this question. In this book, you will find samples
RESEARCHERS
from our fieldwork, community interactions, results from
charrettes, new concepts, and design project proposals for
Connecting Divided Places.
the 2014/15 IwB cohort
LUIZA ALBERTINI
Architecture & Urbanism
PHUONG DIEP
New Media
POSTULATORS
MICHAEL ESTERAS
Political Science
INGI KIM
Environmental Design
HAOTIAN LIU
Architecture
DEBATORS
BEJE MELAMED-TURKISH
Political Science
MARTA PIEDRAS
Interior Architecture
KEVIN WANG
Industrial Design
HITOMI YOKOTA
Sociology & Advertising
&
DESIGNERS:
JAMES YOUNG
Urban Planning
SATIRISTS !
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The Institute without Boundaries (IwB) is a very
special place at the School of Design. Much more
than an academic facility, it is a centre for experimentation
and hands on experience. The IwB
students learn Interdisciplinary Design Strategy–
ideation, design thinking, systems analysis,
prototyping, and project execution. But what
makes the IwB experience is the chance to work
on real projects with communities that have real
problems, as well as community and business
leaders with the motivation to work together for
social change and a more accesible world.
At the IwB, we avoid terms like utopic or ‘too big’
because experimentation has to do with surpassing
boundaries, engaging the new, and taking
risks, and perhaps most importantly, trying to
understand something familiar in a new light.
So what happens when you take a group of postgraduate
students, from different disciplines,
and ask them to work together on what seems
like a ginormous task? Innovative design happens
that has high potential to be implemented.
Thinking about the IwB’s work on social innovation
and our ‘full speed ahead’ attitude towards
the world’s ‘wicked problems’ brings me to Connecting
Divided Places. It is with great pleasure
that I introduce the IwB 2014/15 cohort’s project
that valiantly took on the task of ‘Connecting
Divided Places’ through research, proposals for
design interventions as well as a noteworthy
philosophical exploration of ‘division’. In a world
of growing divides, Connecting Divided Places is
a timely and important project that I hope encourages
you to think about the root causes of divisions
in our societies, as well as the ways in which
design can be a contributing factor towards
social change in divided places.
LUIGI FERRARA
DEAN, CENTRE FOR ARTS, DESIGN &
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
DIRECTOR, INSTITUTE WITHOUT BOUNDARIES
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TABLE OF
CONTENTS
10 16 20
34 48
60
INTRODUCTION, DIVISION &
CONNECTING DIVIDED PLACES
RESEARCH & DESIGN APPROACHES
TERMS TO WORK WITH
WHAT IS DIVISION?
BOUNDARIES, POWER, FLOW, MOBILITY
IMPRESSIONS FROM THE FIELD
BREAKING BREAD WITH ED CONDEL
NOTES FROM THE FIELD:
A WALK THROUGH LITTLE VILLAGE
BREAKING BARRIERS AT THE
LOYOLA SCHOOL
VISUALIZING DIVISION,
STORIES FROM DETROIT
DIVISION & REVIVAL IN MOTOR CITY
TIMELINE OF DETROIT’S BLACK &
WHITE RELATIONS
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS: DETROIT &
GROSSE POINTE PARK
ENGAGING COMMUNITY &
CHARRETTING IN CHICAGO
STRONG COMMUNITIES &
BIG CHALLENGES
CHICAGO’S ENGLEWOOD, RAIL YARD
LITTLE VILLAGE: 26
DETROIT’S WALKING MAN
76 88 98
EXPLORING CONNECTIONS IN TORONTO
TORONTO & THE GREATER TORONTO AREA
IM TORONTO
MOBI
CONCLUSION & INSIGHTS
CONNECTING DIVIDED PLACES
LESSONS FROM DETROIT,
CHICAGO, & TORONTO
KEY INSIGHTS
REFERENCES
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INTRODUCTION
Division & Connecting Divided Places
In 2014–2015, ten students at the Institute without Boundaries
(IwB) undertook a project called Connecting Divided Places, which
looked at the social, economic, environmental, and cultural divisions
in Chicago, Detroit, and Toronto. The project was the second
year of a five-year research trajectory set by the IwB to explore
Regional Ecologies, an approach that emphasizes the study of the
networks that tie together cities and regions.
One of the most iconic images today that captures
extreme division: the Paraisopolis favela side-by-side
with a wealthy complex in Morumbi, Sao Paulo.
This book presents a selection of the students’ research and design
projects, which show how design can shed new light on the issue of
division, by providing a toolkit for understanding the systematic level
of the issues involved, and showing the power of design to transform
those systems, creating economic, political, and social access for
people in divided places.
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By exploring Toronto, Chicago, and
Detroit, the students had an opportunity
to respond to the debates around
‘division’ in three different urban contexts,
and expand the debate to a
regional perspective. Simultaneously,
The students spent the year studying varying issues
in this debate, for instance: segregation, poverty, environmental
injustice, crime, lack of access to education
and employment, physical mobility, as well as political
and social boundaries. Interestingly, the students also
emphasized the need to further theorize the concept
In both Chicago and Detroit, the students did fieldwork
and collaborated with the project partners
to run charrettes that steered their research; in
Chicago it was the “Resilient Routes Charrette,”
and in Detroit the “Eastpointe Charrette.” Both
charrettes looked at how public routes and common
spaces could increase local resiliency, inclu-
ronmental injustice and education access. They
also spearheaded the IwB International Charrette
called “Our City within a Park”, which brought
together over 200 local and international design
students and design professionals to propose
new ways to activate Toronto’s underused and
underappreciated ravine system. The charrette’s
by not for profit and grassroots organizations in
these cities. It also shows the students’ attempt
to develop a powerful visual language that conveys
the gravity and social consequences of
divided places, and their design work that transforms
divided systems to create opportunities for
connection.
the theme of Connecting Divided Places
directed the students to not only look at
specific instances of social, economic,
and political division in the three cities
they were studying, but also to try to
of division. They defined division as ‘the interplay
between Boundary, Power, and Flow, that can limit
access to opportunity.’ Thus, the students understood
that Connecting Divided Places is contingent on
understanding how division can limit people’s access
sivity, and desirability.
The students also worked on information visualization
and design projects. Among the many projects
they conducted about these cities, the IwB
students developed product and systems designs
success led to the commission of a report by the
Toronto Foundation called the RavineLine. Currently,
being developed RavineLine is a blueprint
of how to better manage and utilize Toronto’s
ravines for Toronto’s citizens.
DIVISION is our students’ exploration of how people
in divided places can be empowered, through
design, community resiliency, and new relationships.
We hope that you enjoy this glimpse at our
students’ fascinating year of work.
establish whether or not there were
regional connecting threads between
these cities.
to opportunity.
Together with the IwB staff and faculty, the IwB students travelled
to Chicago and Detroit, where they worked with local stakeholders,
including municipal officials, community leaders, and other students
from local and international educational institutions.
In Chicago, they worked with the municipal government, Cannon
Design, students and faculty from Polytechnic University of Milan,
and the Chicago Architecture Foundation as well as consulted with
several grassroots organizations, including the Little Village Environmental
Justice Organization (LVEJO). In Detroit, the IwB worked
with Lawrence Technological University and the City of Eastpointe,
but also consulted with several local organizations, including On
the Rise Bakery.
to improve local safety, environmental quality, and
community resiliency. Highlights from their work
in Chicago and Detroit are included in this book.
Most of the IwB students’ project work was conducted
in Toronto, which at the time was holding
its municipal elections. Working within the context
of the municipal elections, the students were
inspired to look closely at issues of division, mobility,
and access to Toronto’s political processes,
especially in view of its highly multicultural and
immigrant-based population. But this was only one
aspect of their work on the divisions facing
Toronto. The students looked at many other issues
facing Toronto and Canada as a whole, like envi-
The IwB’s Detroit and the Chicago partners as well
as the City of Toronto, the Toronto Foundation, and
the Greater Toronto Airport Authority (GTAA) were
key partners of this project. Their enthusiasm,
dedication, and involvement, allowed the students
to experience real-world project scenarios,
with real consequences and the potential to have
influence through their research and design work.
It is the IwB students’ diversity of expereince
researching and developing design solutions for
divided places that is reflected here. The book
offers a glimpse at the students’ musing over the
defenition of ‘division’ itself as well as fieldwork
that zeros in on specific issues being addressed
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Division is
the interplay
between Boundary
Power, and Flow,
and how that
interplay limits
access to opportunity.
The border between the United States of
America and Mexico, and the various
journies that people take to cross it.
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RESEARCH &
DESIGN APPROACHES
The IwB uses a variety of interdisciplinary methods and tools
to inform its projects, emphasizing a commitment to collaborate,
conceptualize, create, test, and share, in all aspects
of the project, from brainstorming to system design to
design development and project completion.
Many paths seems staright foward, but are in fact
part of interconnected and diverse routes.
A big part of the Connecting Divided Places project was
the chance for the IwB students to learn and employ several
different research and design approaches, in particular
fieldwork, information visualization tools, charretting, and
a Think / Make philosophy.
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FIELDWORK
Through site visits, observations, and documentation
as well as interviews, the students gained
a firsthand understanding of the issues facing
the communities and cities they were studying.
Seeing division in actual lives made the project
very real and gave urgency to the issues the students
were exploring.
INFORMATION VISUALIZATION
A large component of the IwB approach is learning
how to visualize research findings through the use
of images, timelines, statistics, maps, and other
combined approaches.
Designing and visualizing provide new ways to
explore and understanding complex issues.
CHARRETTING
A charrette is an intensive collaborative process
that brings together students and professionals
from different disciplines. Over a few short days
of brainstorming, discussion, and expert consultation,
interdisciplinary charrette teams create
a range of concepts around a central theme or
challenge.
THINK/MAKE
Think / Make is an IwB philosophy, where the main
objective is to translate research into practice.
This means knowing how to design in context, to
make local solutions that are relevant and respond
to the needs of people.
The charrettes conducted in Toronto, Chicago, and
Detroit connected the IwB team with the local
community and professionals, who together came
up with innovative new design proposals.
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POWER
TERMS TO WORK WITH
BOUNDARIES
The Hover dam illustrates the different relationships
between power, boundaries, and flow.
FLOW
For each IwB project, the students develop concepts
and matrixes to describe the systems relationships
of the issues they are studying.
During Connecting Divided Places, the students redefined
the concept of division, identifying key variables that
inform the way division works.
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What is Division?
At first glance, division
can be a means of dividing,
sorting, or sharing.
To understand the
concept of division, we
needed to redefine it to
understand that it can:
We decided that division is not
inherently negative. Instead, we
defined it as the interplay between
Boundary, Power, and Flow that can
limit access to opportunity.
define us,
protect us,
separate us,
contain us,
enable us,
frame us.
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Boundaries
are natural,
physical, digital,
and social constructs
that determine
people’s mobility.
Hard
Visible
Soft
Invisible
Defined
Nebulous
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Power
is an individual or
group status that
gives influence.
Active
Silent
Overt
Disruptive
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Flow
is an individual’s
or group’s mobility
and the degree of
that movement.
Growth
Speed
Ease
Connectivity
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Mobility
is the key to
bridging divides
in communities and
building networks
for strong regions.
Growth
Connectivity
Disruptive
Soft
Nebulous
Hard
Visable
Ease
Active
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Underscored in these
definitions is that Division
is connected to access to
opportunity, which we define
as the freedom to seek
employment, education,
safety and security, political
engagement, and determine
your own identity.
These terms formed the conceptual base of the students’ project.
For the students, Connecting Divided Places meant using these
concepts to develop ideas and projects on how to create opportunities
for individuals and communities.
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Field Work
IMPRESSIONS FROM THE FIELD
Carefully crafted symbols in landscape paintings
express historical social norms, codes, and divisions.
It was by talking to people and observing the
communities that the students were studying that they
began to understand the complexity of division.
In the pages following are not only stories of
division, but also solutions in the making.
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Field Work
“If you’re in the
streets, you can’t show
anybody your weakness.
People need to be
able to trust each other and
these meetings are a place
where you want to come and
talk about anything.”
Ed Condel
Breaking Bread
with Ed Condel
In Detroit, the IwB students met Ed Condel of On The Rise Bakery,
a space run by bakers, who have recently been released from
prison or have completed a substance abuse treatment program.
On The Rise Bakery is part of Capuchin Soup Kitchen, an organization
built to address social injustice, from issues like poverty and addiction
to a lack of access to opportunities.
Ed Condel has been an addiction counsellor for seventeen years and
is a chaplain for the organization. Ed talked to the students about
how the work of the organization has opened up unexpected ways
for community-building.
IwB Tell us about your work as an addictions
counsellor at Capuchin Soup ple come to meetings. It’s really been a
We’ve had over a thousand young peo-
Kitchen.
powerful experience because they
never have any contact with young people
in their isolated world. It gives them
ED About 60–70% of our people at the
Capuchin Soup Kitchen have mental and
hope, and suddenly they have something
to give.
addiction issues. As we started these
meetings, we realized that people really
need a forum because they’re so isolated.
If you’re in the streets, you can’t bakey. Long story short: A prisoner
Then we started hiring folks to the
show anybody your weakness. People came out after 33 years in prison, where
need to be able to trust each other and he learned to bake. It turned out he was
these meetings are a place where you a really good baker, but he couldn’t get
want to come and talk about anything. a job. He kept coming to our meetings,...
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...and he said, “I can’t find a job in six months, I
think I’m just going back to selling drugs. I can
make money, at least.” I said, “Well, why don’t you
try this. Why don’t you bake in our kitchen at
night.” So, he started baking here.
We realized [that] a lot of guys are quite capable
of doing a lot of good things but they‘ve got a
felony. You grow up in a neighbourhood where
everybody did drugs, so you did drugs. You got a
felony and you can’t get out of that hole. [It holds]
you back from jobs. We started working with people
coming out of that. For one year, they live a
contributive life. They go to meetings. [They work]
30 hours a week. The other ten hours they’re paid
to do [other things]. We hired a few of them after
they finished their year with us and [now] they are
in management.
On Unconventional Strategies for
Community-Building
ED We work in the cities with the poor trying to
not just feed and clothe, but [we also] try to create
belonging, contribution, and a sense of identity.
We found that people that came in here started to
know who’s in the neighbourhood. We had bakers
go around in the neighbourhood with flyers, ostensibly
to advertise. But they also said, “By the way,
there’s eight of us down the road and if you see
any trouble, just come to us.” That’s what we need.
We need some kind of boundaries. People see
people scrapping houses and they’ll call the bakers.
You call the police, it doesn’t do anything. But
you call the bakers, they’ll show up or they’ll call
the police and let the police know.
It changes the whole feel of this place. Other businesses
have started to move in. The idea is that
you can actually rebuild a community from the
inside out. It requires relationships. It’s much
slower than putting up a whole beautiful set of
houses and then saying, “Hey, we’ve renovated.”
But, you got to start with that.
We’ve kept [the bakery] deliberately smaller. We
could service restaurants and all things, but we
felt like it changes the dynamic because this is
primarily a recovery place and a community-building
place. On one end, you can make a lot of money,
but you put our bakers under a lot more pressure.
We’re not trying to expand in that sense. Our vision
of expansion would be when we feel we’re ready
to take on more men and women who need help.
Right now we just don’t have the capacity to care
for them all. [As] an addiction counsellor, my job is
to make sure their life is working, that they’re
focusing on recovery and that they’re working in
the community.
But we’re doing well. People are so generous. What
we found is that in the city, if you start to do something
positive, people want to be a part of it. It calls
out the best of people. We have all kinds of retired
pastry chefs that want to help out and train our
bakers. We have one guy who built that fireplace
just for us by hand. People came in and donated
chairs. There’s really tremendous momentum and
it takes on a life that’s not just a bakery.
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Field Work
Notes from
the Field,
A Walk Through
Little Village
Vividly missing in
Little Village are
communal parks and
green areas.
In Chicago, we explored several neighbourhoods inluding Little Village.
We met Kim Wasserman-Nieto, the Organizing and Strategy Director of the
Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO), a cultural and
grassroots organization that works to promote education and environmental
sustainability. Ms. Wasserman-Nieto talked to us about the neighbourhood,
detailing the industrial damage and change initiatives that LVEJO
is leading. IwB student Phuong Diep shares her observations of Little Village
and insights from the meeting with Wasserman-Nieto.
Phuong Diep, notes from the field:
An abandoned railway divides Little Village’s
residential areas form the industrial
zones found to the southeast. Huge lots
containing some active, but mostly abandoned
industrial buildings are found in this
area.
The infrastructure around the former railway
weaves a line through Little Village;
the steel frames of the old tracks surface
at times, and in other moments have been
completely removed, leaving a vast unused
post-industrial landscape.
The areas around the railway contrast the
vibrant residential parts and commercial
street in the neighbourhood that is found
to the northwest. On 26th Avenue, there
are many small businesses, including restaurants,
bodegas, and other local stores.
Colourful murals can be found throughout
these parts of Little Village, depicting cultural
references and struggles of the different
communities that have lived here,
principally Czech and Mexican immigrants.
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Vividly missing in Little Village are communal
parks and green areas.
We met Kim Wasserman-Nieto from LVEJO in the
new Little Village Skate Park, the new recreational
area in the neighbourhood that was built with the
support of the city of Chicago.
Kim is one of the organization’s founding members.
She joined LVEJO in 1988 as a community
organizer. Over her many years at LVEJO, she
successfully campaigned and won the close of
two local coal power plants, fighting for remediation
and redevelopment of the sites into playgrounds,
community gardens, and school parks.
Today she plays a leading role in overseeing the
community organizing and leadership development.
With Kim we explored the new Skate Park and
spoke about the challenges facing Little Village.
Kim explained that there is a general feeling
among Little Village residents that despite their
economic contributions to the city there is ongoing
disinvestment in the community from the
municipality. Many members of the community
feel ignored, overlooked, and disconnected from
the city government.
This was visible in the neighbourhood, where there
is a great lack of public transit, making Little Village
poorly integrated with the rest of Chicago.
With the advocacy of LVEJO and other community
groups, the 26th Avenue bus has been reinstated,
connecting the neighbourhood to the rest of the
city, but more transport is needed.
Kim spoke at length about the coal plants that had
been shut down in the neighbourhood. The plants
had been in operation for several decades and had
caused great environmental damage. LVEJO and
other organizations in the area have been advocating
for the city government to support the revitalization
of the industrial sites. Municipal funds
have started to come in, and have been used for
projects like the Skate Park, but Kim maintains
that a lot of work that still needs to be done.
She also spoke about the Cook County Jail, one of
the largest prisons in the US, which is housed in
Little Village. The Jail and the neighbourhood’s
high crime rate are sensitive topics in Little
Village. Kim explained that there is a lot of concern
over youth areas being adjacent to the jail.
Kim is hopeful that the work of LVEJO will continue
to make a big impact in Little Village and Chicago
as a whole.
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Field Work
Breaking
“If you’re a 14-year-old kid
living in a home where grandma
has lived off the system, and
your mom is living off the
system, graduating high school
seems unobtainable.
Where do you find the incentive
to work? Where in the world do
you find that understanding?”
Sean Purcell
Barriers at the
Loyola School
Access to education is seen as the key to breaking cyclical poverty.
But the issue is not as simple as getting students from poor neighbourhoods
or remote areas through the front door of the education system.
IwB student, James Young, spoke with Sean Purcell, a teacher for the
Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board in eastern Ontario,
about his experience working at the Loyola School of Adult and Continuing
Education in Belleville, Ontario.
Purcell shares his insights on how Loyola is working through barriers to
education.
JY You mentioned before that the type of different desires, expectations, understandings,
and really totally operate on a
people you teach [at Loyola School of
Adult and Continuing Education] are hidden
from us a lot of the time.
different level.
Like graduating high school. If you’re a
SP There are these insular populations– 14-year-old kid living in a home where
people who struggle with addiction issues grandma has lived off the system, and your
or mental health issues–who are segregated
to certain parts of the city and that high school seems unobtainable. Where
mom is living off the system, graduating
have a very different worldview, very do you find the incentive to work?...
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SP...Where in the world do you find that understanding?
It’s like me wondering what it’s like to
live as an incredibly rich person. I have no idea.
Really. What does Richard Branson’s day-to-day
life look like? It’s so foreign to me. It’s not part of
the world I live in. So, I don’t really think about it.
Seventy-five percent of the students in my class
will be the first person in their family to graduate
high school. If either you or I had said to our families,
“I think I’m going to graduate high school,” we
would have been laughed out of the room. Of
course we’re going to finish high school. We’re middle
class. In this other community, that’s not
something that’s a given. It’s not necessarily
something that you want.
JY How do your students find Loyola?
SP A lot of people end up getting to Loyola when
they get to a point in their life where they somehow
begin to aspire to something more. When [one
of the girls in my class] was around twelve years
old, her father killed himself. She went crazy:
drugs, alcohol, gangs. Twelve years later, she got
sick of not having the money she needed to take
care of her kids. She got sick of working at Value
Village when she was so bright. So many of them
are so bright. But it means so little. Shockingly little.
She came to Loyola and–long story short–she is
going into a practical nursing program after graduation.
I said to her, “You can create, within your
family, the expectation that in this family, you
graduate high school. That can be the legacy your
kids grow up with.”
JY You mentioned that a lot of your students are
really bright and intelligent and somehow that
wasn’t enough their first time through the system.
Is the playing field that uneven?
SP Special education is all about access to education.
We live in a society where, even though
education is free, people still don’t have equal
access to education. The kid who comes to
school and is starving is not accessing education
to the same degree as the kid who comes to
school and is well fed. The truth of the matter is
that starvation is one of the least severe situations
these kids find themselves.
The level of toxicity in some of their home lives is
beyond anything you can relate to. So much chaos,
uncertainty, anxiety, violence, abuse, neglect,
sexual abuse. School isn’t a concern when you are
coming from a chaotic environment, an environment
where you live in fear. When you’re dealing
with that, finding a way to get through the day is
your concern.
JY Those are really huge societal issues on a scale
that transcends the education system. What
would it take for schools to be able to put a dent
in that? Or does it need to be a more holistic
approach?
SP I think there are things we can do better.
Schools reflect society and what I’ve realized is
the importance of the family in shaping how a student
interacts with the school. We need significantly
more spending on support systems within
our schools: more mental health support, addictions
counselling, and special education for students
who need it. We need to find better ways to
engage students in their learning by catering to
their interests.
Within this community, social connections are
everything. That is the currency because it’s free,
especially when you don’t have wealth or education.
Word-of-mouth is huge. In schools, we always
talk about being part of the community. Schools
should be a place where parents and families are
given more support so schools really do become
more community-centred, as opposed to just
teaching kids.
JY What do you expect will be the breadth of
opportunity for the students who do successfully
graduate?
SP I think it really depends on what state they
arrive in at Loyola, where they are in their own life.
For some people, I think the experience changes
them and leads them toward opportunities, but we
have to be honest and realize that getting an education,
for many, is only one of many obstacles
that they face in their lives.
48
49

Information Visualization
VISUALIZING DIVISION
STORIES FROM DETROIT
The opulent United Artist Theater in Detroit,
before being abandoned and left in ruins.
Studying Detroit, the students were faced with
decades of complex racial politics that have produced
a surreal landscape of division.
The students made it their task to visulaize this landscape
to capture the complexity of the systems that
maintain and reproduce divisions in Detroit.
51

Division &
Revival in
The story of the downfall of Detroit, from a thriving hub of American capitalism to
a bankrupt and desolate urban landscape plagued by stark social, economic, and
racial divisions, is well known. Today, decades after the riots and urban exodus, Detroit
continues to struggle with extreme segregation, poverty, inequality, and race tensions.
These well known divisions, like the famous 8 Mile Road, which divides the predomi-
that remain in this small municipality. Eastpointe faces a lot of the same challenges
as many communities in the region; lack of density in infrastructure
that was built largely to promote car use, unemployment and lack of connection
to Detroit proper.
The students conducted extensive research about Eastpointe and Detroit
Detroit area that focuses on black and white relationships.
During their stay in Eastpointe, the IwB students also conducted a four-day
charrette called the Eastpointe Charrette that encouraged students, faculty
and other key stakeholders to reimagine the city’s common spaces. Leveraging
existing public spaces, redevelopment sites, infrastructure and
Motor City
nently black population living in the city from the white population living in the suburbs,
are examples of long held racial, cultural, and economic divides. At the same time, there
are clear signs of revival and new connections between the suburbs and Detroit proper,
in particular, in small, local creative entrepreneurial ventures.
A large part of the students’ work on the Detroit also part of the larger international region that
area looked at segregation patterns with the use links North Michigan and Canada through land and
looking at sites, where there is visible racial and social division, and at ways
that local communities were breaking down these barriers through economic
and social revival ventures, including On the Rise Bakery (see interviews section),
the Ponyride Incubator Space, a shared creative commons that uses
formerly foreclosed real estate, and Techtown, Detroit’s new business innovation
hub. These initiatives are slowly but surely changing the landscape of
division in the Detroit area.
resources, this charrette was intended to envision a more livable and regionally
connected Eastpointe.
On the whole, the students were able to see that change is slowly happening
in Detroit through small grassroots inititatives. However, there is continuing
and systematic reinforcement of division in Detroit that creates surreal situations
and landscapes. In the follwing pages, the students’ information visualization
work on Detroit is highlighted.
of different design visualization methods. At the
water border crossings. It grew and prospered
In October 2014, the IwB travelled to Eastpointe and got to explore the city
same time, the students’ work was grounded and
significantly as one of Michigan’s earliest subur-
and the surrounding Detroit area. The students did fieldwork looking at sites
focused in a partnership and collaboration with
ban communities, but it has also equally felt the
like the Farmers Market. Located in Eastpointe’s neighbouring city, Grosse
the City of Eastpointe, a small Michigan suburban
effects of economic decline, including rapid
Pointe Park, the market is a long-established racial and economic division.
community located on the northeastern side of
population shrinkage throughout the 1970s and
The students also tried to chart the missing connections in infrastructure
the famous 8 Mile Road.
1980s.
that account for stories like Detroit’s Walking Man James Robertson, whose
Eastpointe has a history as a regional connection
Since the 1990s, the population decline in East-
daily work commute of over 11 hours gained tremendous media at tention.
and access point between Detroit and the
pointe has leveled and there has been minimal
The IwB students spent time visualizing these divides; their work is show-
Macomb County communities and suburbs. It is
decrease, but there are longstanding challenges
cased in the following pages along with a timeline of race division of the
52
53

Timeline of Detroit’s Black & White Relations
The students focused on visualizing the major events in the relationship
between the white and black population in Detroit which is characterized by
drastic jumps and losses in population, political upheaval, and racial struggles.
LEGEND
Black Americans moving in White Americans moving in
Black population growth
Black Americans moving out
White Americans moving out
White population growth
Negro Convention urges
Blacks to leave the South
Great Migration
1910-1970
1869. Detroit begins
admitting Black
American children to
the public schools
1793. Jacob Young is
the first black
landowner in Detroit
1870. The 15th
Amendment to the
Constitution grants
African American men
the right to vote
1900. Black Americans focus on
creating businesses
1909. Founding of
National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People
1700
1800
67
1900
4,111
1910
5,741
1,355
1850. Shipping
becomes Detroit's
biggest industry
281,575
459,926
1701. "Le Détroit" (the strait) is
founded by a man named Antoine
Laumet de Lamothe Cadillac
1875. Congress
passes civil rights act
equal treatment in
public accommodation
1901. Ford opens his 2nd
car company Henry Ford Co,
which later becomes the
Cadillac Motor Co in 1902
1899. Detroit
Automobile
Company (DAC)
is created
Many Detroit inhabitants leave
the village for the new settlement
at St. Louis in present day Missouri
The Erie Canal is completed
The first wave of German
immigration to Detroit begins
Irish immigration to Detroit to begins
The first rail connection between
Detroit and New York City
is completed
1916. Ford employs 50
Black employees in a work
force of 32,702
1915. Thousands of Black
Americans migrate to Detroit
1920
40,838
952,065
1914. Ford increases workers pay to
$5 a day, which more than doubled
the $2.25 workers were being paid
1924. White collar jobs
still out of reach for most
black detroiters
1930
120,066 1,446,656
1940
149,119 1,472,662
1943. Detroit race riot at
Belle Isle
300,506
1950
1950. Plans to make Detroit a
central hub in the forthcoming
Interstate Highway System
1942. Production of commercial
automobiles in the city ceased entirely.
Factories were used for war
1,545,847
1963. Martin Luther King expresses his
dreams about freedom and equality
among the white and black
people.(First I have a Dream Speech)
1974. Coleman Young is
the first black mayor
1960
482,223 1956. The last
streetcar in
Detroit rolls down
Woodward Avenue
1,182,970
1970
660,428 838,877
1980
758,939 413,730
1970. Worldwide
energy crisis with high
gasoline prices and
serious competition
from imported
automobiles
1957. 163 auto plants factories
leave for the suburbs; 68 new
parts factories open in the
suburbs, while one does in
Detroit. The east side alone loses
70,000 auto jobs in that period
1984. Worst Devil's night in
Detroit history with 800 fires
1990
777,916 222,316
1995. Detroit city
officials organize and
create Angels' Night on
and around October
29–31
Census shows over
21,000 18 to 24-year-olds
moved into Detroit from
another city in Michigan
1991. From lack of maintenance
funds, the City of Detroit’s
Historical Museum is closed and
historic artifacts removed to
storage. Detroit Native
Americans protest the closure
2013. Goldman Sachs launches its Small
Businesses program in Detroit. An
investment to help entrepreneurs create
jobs and economic opportunity by providing
greater access to services
2000
775,772 116,599
590,226
2010
2020
75,758
2009. Chrysler and GM declare
Bankruptcy, and the Obama
administration provides financing and
guides the automakers through
expedited bankruptcy proceedings
2014. Detroit shuts off water to
thousands of broke residents
Greatest loss of population
of more than 200,000
2011. Detroit Collaborative Design
Center at the University of Detroit
Mercy announced the Bloody Run Creek
Greenway Redevelopment Project for
the naturalization of neglected riverfront
54
55

CITY OF DETROIT
CENSUS TRACT 5129
TOTAL POPULATION
1,542
DENSITY : 5,142/SQ MI
WHITE POPULATION
5%
BLACK POPULATION
88%
MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME
$16,992
FOOD STAMP/SNAP BENEFIT
IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS
62%
GROSSE POINTE PARK
CENSUS TRACT 5502
TOTAL POPULATION
4,043
DENSITY : 2,307.5/SQ MI
WHITE POPULATION
83%
BLACK POPULATION
12%
MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME
$62,361
FOOD STAMP/SNAP BENEFIT
IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS
13%
56
57

Making
Grosse
Physical
Pointe
Divides in
Aug 2014
A motorist travelling from
Park
Detroit crashes into the largest
of the farmer’s market structures.
It is unclear whether the
midnight crash was an inten-
Mid 2013
tional expression of protest or
simply due to the fact that a
The city of Grosse Pointe Park is
an upscale suburb that lies at
the western border of Detroit. Its
long time Mayor Palmer Heenan
was known for his controversial
1945–1960
The five Grosse Pointe suburbs
implement ruthless redlining to
preserve their “Americanness”
through racial segregation.
Grosse Pointe Park city officials
propose a five-storey medical
building to span the entire rightof-way,
rendering Kercheval Avenue
impassable. The proposal
encounters opposition from
both sides of the boundary and
is dropped in favour of a plan for
a farmer’s market and plaza.
Feb 2014
Kercheval Avenue is blocked
off by 10-foot high snowbank,
by Grosse Pointe Park snow
removal.
building had been placed in the
middle of Kercheval Avenue.
Grosse Pointe Park and Detroit
strike a deal: authorities agree
to move the farmer’s market
and reopen Kercheval to traffic
in exchange for the demolition
of dozens of blighted properties
along the municipal border.
Jan 2014
The structures are removed
from the right-of-way and a single
eastbound lane is hewn
through the former plaza, allowing
through traffic from Detroit
into Grosse Pointe Park.
policies, specifically his work to
keep his suburb seperated from
Detroit and Detroiters.
Among many of the former mayor’s
policies, the construction
around Kerchal Avenue and the
Grosse Pointe Park Farmer’s Market
was central in these policies.
Late 1980s
Detroit greenlights the plan for
Chrysler’s Jefferson North
Assembly Plant which perma-
Nov 2013
Grosse Pointe Park police officer
confesses that he recorded
video of a black Detroiter with
June 2014
Construction begins on the concrete
plaza for Grosse Pointe
Park’s soon-to-be relocated
Dec 2014
A plan is tabled for a multi-story
development at the site, which
would permanently obstruct
nently severs Kercheval Avenue
disabilities whom police had
farmer’s market. The develop-
Kercheval Avenue.
one mile west of the Grosse
commanded to sing, dance, and
ment spans the entire width of
Pointe Park border.
make animal noises. The incident
Kercheval Avenue, completely
prompts the department to
blocking traffic from Detroit.
launch an investigation into allegations
that its members were
taking demeaning photos and
video of black citizens to share
with family and friends.
Three large sheds are erected to
serve as vendor’s stalls. The
structures have their backs
turned to Detroit.
58
Grosse Pointe Park perspectives:
“To come over from either side of the border, anyone can take advantage
of the great opportunities that are going to be happening here.”
Mike Trudel, resident
Detroit perspectives:
“I want to say I’m shocked, but this has been happening for as long
as I remember. Might as well put up a sign that says, ‘No coloreds.’”
Cynthia Jackson, Detroit resident. 59

Information Visualization
James Robertson’s
Daily Commute
Detroit’s
Walking Man
In Detroit, in 2014, a story about transportation
access captured national and international
media attention. This is the story of James Robertson,
a 56 year-old black male living in Detroit,
who spent his days walking 37 km (21 miles) to
work. Robertson’s story became a key case
study during the year.
Robertson is one of the many Detroiters who
suffer from a lack of accessibility to regional
transportation services, this stems from issues
of physical and socially mobility.
During the height of Detroit’s success, the
region planned for the long-term permanence
and prominence of cars, creating a sprawling
urban population. Today, there are large expressways
and limited public transit within and
outside the city and the regional public transportation
system is extremely limited and unreliable.
Robertson’s story began when his car broke
down, he lacked the sufficient funds to be able
to fix it. Public transit fails to cover the entire
route to work for Robertson and so he was left
with no other option but to take on the route to
work by transit and on foot. Robertson ended up
spending 11 hours and 31 minutes commuting
to work and back each day.
James Robertson’s daily journey, highlights the
many intertwined issues at play: lack of connectivity
in the public infrastructure, scarce job
economy, and a general lack of options that
could create such a situation.
These issues cannot be separtated from the
history of segregation in Detroit that has
affected the positions of the black community.
Detroit has had a strained history between its
black population and white population. The continued
racial discrimination and lack of generational
wealth, due to a lack of opportunities for
black people has hindered the mobility of the
black population in the Detroit region.
Thus, Robertson’s story, his total lack of
options, is from one perspective a matter of
having a low income and lacking the ability to fix
his car.But seeing his, and other journies like his,
in the context of predetermined inequalities and
racial discimination, reinforced by biased policies,
makes his daily commute an example of
systematic divisions and blockades that prevent
black people in the region from access,
opportunity, and social mobility.
START
Home
(Detroit)
END
30 min 1h
4h
2h 25min
Total Travel : 5h 30m
Total Travel : 6h 01m
36m
3h
END
Ronchester
Hills
START
+ -
1h15min 11h31min $108/day
$320/week $220/week
Communing total by car
By transit With his wage ($10.55/h) Earned per week Paid in rent
60
61

Charretting
ENGAGING COMMUNITY AND
CHARRETTING IN CHICAGO
The after math of the Great Chicago Fire of
1871 that forced the city to rebuilt itself.
In Chicago, the students discovered vibrant and multi-ethnic
neighbourhoods. Leverging the initiatives already happening,
the students made several design proposals that addressed
boosting the quality of life in these communities.
63

Strong
Communities
Chicago is romanticized as a mobster paradise, a heaven for corruption
and big time gangsters the likes of Al Capone. In Chicago, corruption and
crime rates continue to be extremely high and surpass the US national average.
Chicago is also seen as a highly segregated city, with clear divisions in
wealth, race, and influence between its predominantly black south side, and
become a regular Chicago feature. Interestingly,
some of the murals began as a collaborative effort
between the Czechs and the Mexicans, depicting
immigration challenges and cultural elements of
both groups.
ployment rate is extremely high. It is also well
known for having established gang territories and
being very polluted due to the presence of a large
rail yard.
In Englewood, there have been intiatives within
in Little Village, Pilsen, and Englewood to form
more resilient communities.
The focus of the students’ work in Chicago
became how public routes and the common
spaces could be used to address the challenges
& Big
Challenges
predominantly white north parts of the city. These well known characterizations
of the city overshadow its many thriving and tighnit communities.
During 2014 –15, the IwB students re- United States and the Chicago area. These
searched division in different Chicago neighbourhoods are known for their rich histories,
tight knit communities, and evolving
neighbourhoods, looking at issues like
crime, segregation, safety, and education cultural fabrics. The two largest ethnic
access for residents. In preparation for groups in these communities have been
fieldwork in Chicago, the students conducted
data visualization exercises and the Czech Republic in the 1800s, and Mex-
Bohemians immigrating from what is now
designed several projects in their courses. ican immigrants who came to Chicago from
Then in April 2015, the IwB students, faculty the mid to late 20th century. Today the
and staff travelled to Chicago to do fieldwork
and conduct a charrette called the 80 percent of residents in Pilsen and Little
Latino population is by far the majority; over
“Resilient Routes Chicago Charrette”.
Village identify themselves as Latino.
Preparing for the charrette, the students Signs of these immigration waves are present
throughout the communities. Pilsen
researched several different neighbourhoods
including Pilsen, Little Village, and was named by the Bohemian immigrants,
Englewood.
taking its moniker from Plzeň, the fourth
largest city in the Czech Republic. Equally,
Both Pilsen and Little Village have been painted murals, an art form brought to the
entry points for new immigrants to the area by the Mexican immigrants, have
Major new developments in Pilsen, such as University
Commons on the site of the old produce terminal,
are driving gentrification that is attracting
new residents to the area and creating friction
between new and old communities.
Little Village has the youngest population of all
Chicago neighbourhoods and is experiencing
increases in residential density. This is not due to
the addition of higher density housing, but
because larger families are living in the same
homes. Thus, both neighbourhoods are significantly
above Chicago’s average population density,
meaning that private spaces are reaching
capacity for meeting the needs of residents.
Englewood is a different story. The neighbourhood
struggles with issues of high poverty, crime, lack
of safety, and environmental and health problems.
As of 2011, its neighbourhood median household
income was between $24,000 - $25,000 – well
below Chciago’s median. Less than half of its population
has completed high school, and the unem-
the community to curb the chaos, crime, and lack
of safety, including creating community gardens,
programming with former gang members, and creating
safer routes to school because in neighbourhoods
with high crime rates education is often
compromised because youth fear the route to
school.
All three areas have been heavily occupied by
industrial uses, resulting in very little land being
available for public and green spaces. Little Village
has less green space per capita than any neighbourhood
in Chicago and Pilsen is 76 percent
below the Chicago average. These density and
lack of public space issues are combined with
more widespread economic, social, and political
city challenges.
Working with their Chicago project partners,
namely the City of Chicago, Cannon Design, and
the Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF) as well
as the participating community stakeholders, the
students looked at ways to activate public spaces
facing these and other Chicago communities. The
concept of city resiliency was utilized as an overarching
theme to promote longevity and strong
urban communities.
Towards this goal, the students compelted extensive
research and design work on the city of Chicago.
In the following pages, we feature two
projects: “Rail Yard”, a design project for the students’
Environment Module that looked at school
safety routes in Englewood, and “Little Village 26”,
one of the design proposals from the Resilient
Routes Chicago Charrette”, which aimed to create
more resilient community routes in Little Village.
64
65

CHICAGO’S ENGLEWOOD
ENGLEWOOD STATS AT A GLANCE
Population change 1930-2014:
89,063/ 30,654 (-65.6%)
less than high school:
43%
1 or more years of college:
14%
Algae-Powered Building
It is estimated that in Chicago’s Englewood population over 20 percent of
people are affected by asthma, due to a large frieght yard that stands in
the middle of the community. In 2014, Norflok Southern Corporation began
making plans to expand the rail infrastructure through the aquasition of
cheap vacant city lots surrounding the rail yard. The company has purchased
105 vacant city-owned lots for only $1.1 million. These zones,
which include residential and green spaces will become a part of the
84-acre freight yard; a 57 percent increase in the frieght yard’s size.
The IwB students designed a proposal called Rail Yard that features an algae-powered
building that covers the rail. It acts as a protective barrier and includes filtration systems
to help reduce air pollution. Algae panels cover the building and absorb sunlight allowing
the algae to grow. It is then separated and converted for use as biofuel. The aim of the Rail
Yard project in Englewood is to help find alternative solutions for the environmental issues
affecting the community.
Median Household Income 2011:
$24,000– $25,000
(Chicago: $43,628)
Violent Crime:
The highest in the nation
Asthma Related Hospitalizations:
60% the highest in Chicago
(Chicago’s average: 31.6%)
66
67

ALGAE
PRODUCTION
Algae-Powered Building
Vision
A safe, healthy, and
livable Englewood.
Co2 & No2
Diesel Pollution
+ =
Sunlight for
photosynthesis
Bio-adaptive
Algae Panels
Generates electricity
& heating for the center
Mission
Biofuel Production
The aim of the Railyard
project is to boost quality
of life through secure spaces,
encourage intellectual and
social development through
programming, and improve
environmental conditions
through alternative energy
sources, infrastructure, and
policy changes.
Algae ready for harvest
ALGAE FARM &
AIR FILTRATION
Separated & transferred to
Energy Management Center
= =
Fermented as Biofuel
$$$
7
Overview
The Railyard project focuses on promoting
health, safety, and opportunity for all residents
living in Englewood and in the region.
6
68
69

Opportunity
Strategies & Solutions
Youth Programming and Mentorship
The goal is to provide a safe and neutral space for youth to access after
school to connect and engage in physical activity, and help develop crucial
life skills. Basketball courts, dance studios, music and art spaces,
and workshop spaces provide opportunities for social and cultural development.
Creating these opportunities for youth will bring a sense of
belonging and engagement that is lacking in the community. These
opportunities also create jobs so that youth can secure a good income.
Policy Initiatives
and Innovative
Technology
For a safe,
healthy,
and liveable
Englewood.
Youth and
Community
Programming
Sustainable
Built & Natural
Environment
Safety
Health
ING
MEMORIAL
WALL
10
13
70
71

Englewood’s
Schools and Safety Routes vs. Gang Territories
Issues Surrounding Kids and Education
Crime rate (2011)
# per 100,000 population
562
214.1
Englewood ranks
#4
Chicago, IL
U.S average
out of 77 Chicago neighbourhoods
for violent crime (2013)
School closure
50 9
562
of 664
of 34
Chicago (2013) Englewood (2013)
Race of students affected by school closures in Chicago
88% 10% 0.7%
Black
Latino
White
Household income of families affected by school closures in Chicago
LEGEND
LEGEND
Gang territory Territories
Black Disciples (Folks)
Gangster Disciples (Folks)
Party People (Folks)
New Breed (Independent)
Black P Stone (People)
Conservative Vice Lords (People)
Latin Kings (People)
Mickey Cobras (People)
LEGEND
Chicago Public School
Englewood
Safe school passage route
94% 6%
Low income
Other income
72
73

Charretting
LITTLE VILLAGE: 26
Over 82%
of residents in Little Village identify
themselves as Latino
Average household income
$33,000
what is left to spent is often spent
on 26th Street
Annually 26th Street generates
Strategies & Solutions
Resilient Systems and Economic Networks
900 million in profits
this is only second to the Magnificent Mile.
26th street is the center for cultural activity in Little Village that attracts
people in the region for events such as Mexico’s Independence Day. However,
26th street faces many challenges, such as poor integration with the Chicago
region, a lack of social services, aging infrastructure, and disinvestment from
the city. For instance, stormwater management is a pressing issue.
The goal of the 26 project is to catapult the social and economic networks that exsit in Little
Village and increase community resiliency by focusing on the social and economic integration
of the community within the Chicago region, and creating innovative spaces and opportunities
to share the vibrancy of the neighbourhood.
26th street is the destination for the
500,000
Mexcian Americans
within a 10-minute drive of Little Village
74
75

Vision
The project aims to
support the health and
growth of the community.
Mission
This is a proposal for Little Village
to build on the existing assets of Little
Village, and to continue to position the
street for the future as a center for
community, visitor and commercial
activity by developing spaces for
community gathering, recreation,
and everyday life.
RECYCLE WASTE WATER ROOF GARDEN IRRIGATION ART
MUSIC RECYCLE WASTE WATER ROOF GARDEN IRRIGATION ART
MUSIC RECYCLE WASTE WATER ROOF GARDEN IRRIGATION ART
MUSIC RECYCLE WASTE WATER ROOF GARDEN IRRIGATION ART
MUSIC RECYCLE WASTE WATER ROOF GARDEN IRRIGATION ART
MUSIC RECYCLE WASTE WATER ROOF GARDEN IRRIGATION ART
MUSIC RECYCLE WASTE WATER ROOF GARDEN IRRIGATION ART
MUSIC RECYCLE WASTE WATER ROOF GARDEN IRRIGATION ART
Overview
MUSIC RECYCLE WASTE WATER ROOF GARDEN IRRIGATION ART
26 (twenty-six or veintiséis) is a project proposal
for creating public green space on 26th street that
is resilient for neighbourhood economic, social and
built changes in Little Village.
RECYCLE WASTE WATER ROOF GARDEN IRRIGATION ART
Rain Storm Roof Top Water System
Site plan of roof top system
76
77
Cross Section

Think / Make
EXPLORING CONNECTIONS
IN TORONTO
The GTA is a city divided through an incomplete
and disjointed transportation network.
Addressing their own city’s divisions, the students were
faced with looking at the reality of Toronto’s reputation
as a multi-ethnic place of opportunity.
They created several design projects that focused on
addressing social gaps in Toronto.
79

Toronto
and the
Greater
Toronto Area
Toronto has historical roots as a meeting point for trade, new cultures,
and immigrants. “Diversity Our Strength” is the city’s motto. Toronto is
well known for being an incredibly ethnically diverse place, and a place
of great opportunity and social mobility for immigrants. But while the
city’s multiethnic composition and integration are not to be undermined,
Toronto has many dividing lines.
In the last several decades, Toronto has to resources. Importantly, Toronto lacks
developed as a network of neighborhoods a transportation network that supports
and communities that reach beyond the the GTA, making divisions in mobility and
city’s actual boundaries. The city has access tense issues in the area, especially
since many of communities with lim-
grown to function as a region with many
neighbouring cities spilling into the ited transportation access tend to be
metropolis and together forming the lower-income immigrant communities
Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The downtown
core remains the epicenter of the of discussion on how to bring the new
(though not exclusively so). There is a lot
new expanded metropolis, with the largest
concentration of wealth and access been little definitive
regional entity together, but there has
action.
In 2014–15, at the time of the Connecting Divided
Places project, the city was holding its mayoral
elections. The elections themselves represented
the divisions between Toronto and its surrounding
municipalities. The then city mayor, the late Rob
Ford, was a central figure in this debate because
he so vehemently identified with the politics of the
suburbs, and was viewed by many Torontonians as
not representative of their city and its interests.
Aside from the mayor’s colourful personality and
media scandals, the mayoral race heightened the
existing tensions in the city.
In the context of the municipal elections, the students
spent a lot of time looking at issues of division,
mobility, and access in Toronto’s political
processes through the lens of immigration, political
identity, opportunity, and transportation. These
issues led them to other issues facing Toronto and
Canada as a whole, like environmental injustice and
education access.
In the following pages are two projects that deal
with these issues: IM Toronto and MOBI. IM Toronto
is a communication campaign that the students
made for their Communications Module. The project
looks at identity politics in the GTA, specifically
impediments to voter knowledge and
participation. MOBI is a design proposal for a seamless
transportation system designed by the students
for their Products, Systems, and Services
Module. MOBI addresses the ‘last mile’ of a commute
and forecasts what the use of the autonomous
car would mean to Toronto’s transportation
infrastructure. Ultimately, the students’ research
and project work in Toronto focused on creating a
more accessible and connected region.
80
81

Think / Make
IM TORONTO
Immigrant Population:
2nd highest in the world
Foreign-born Population:
50%
Torontonians without
the right to vote:
1 out of 7
Boundaries determined by identity such as citizenship status decrease
the capabilities of individuals to have a political voice. Immigrants in
Canada vastly contribute to the growth of the economy and society,
but they lack access to political leadership.
IM Toronto addresses issues of identity and political access in Toronto
by building political presence for immigrants.
Visible minorities in GTA
government officials:
11%
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Vision
To make Toronto a
welcoming home for
every new Torontonian.
Mission
IM campaign empowers
permanent residents and
new comers by promoting
their presence as well as
keeping them engaged.
Overview
The IM project is a communication campaign that
addresses issues of identity in Canadian municipal
politics. The project focuses on promoting the presence
and engagement of immigrants and permanent
residents, in order to increase minority voting and
political leadership despite citizenship status.
here
are you?
여기
당신은?
Strategies & Solutions
Information & Engagement
The IM App is a means for creating personal connections and providing
access to information about politics to immigrants and permanent residents.
The App acts as a networking tool to connect professionals to
the IM community. It is available in multiple languages to fit the cultural
needs of the user and encourage ease. The app holds features such
as an integrated voting system that acts as a mock polling station
operating during real time elections, a feature profile page to generate
public recognition, and various updates on electoral information and
events to keep members engaged.
Networks
The IM campaign is a strategy to promote the political presence of
immigrants and permanent residents as contributing members of
Toronto. Using strategies for public branding, the aim is to bring awareness
and spark the interest in politics of people as they move through
their daily lives and interactions. Touchpoints are identified throughout
the city, where marketing initiatives take place to increase curiosity
and interest among Torontonians. Following this phase, the IM network
seeks to generate members and support through a loyalty program
that offers member perks.
The IM campaign aims to overcome regional division and inspire change
throughout the region, recognizing that the diversity of identities in
the Toronto.
在 这 里
你 呢 ?
hier here
are ben you? jij?
在 这 里
你 呢 ?
here
are you?
여기
당신은?
在 这 里
你 呢 ?
hier
ben jij?
여기
당신은?
hier
ben jij?
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Think / Make
MOBI & LAST MILE
Cars are parked
95% of the time
Average Canadian spends on parking
$1040 per year
Strategy & Solutions
Toronto’s current system of transportation is not inclusive, efficient, or economically
accessible. In transitioning to the future of autonomous cars, The IwB
students foresaw a service that upholds core values of inclusivity and cooperation.
Since 1994, Canada has deployed 50 car sharing programs. Approximately
100,000 Canadians belong to co-operative car sharing networks. Given this
increasing trend of sharing, and a decrease in an affinity to ownership from the
millennial generation, the IwB students designed a social service called mobi.
mobi reflects the shifting values and beliefs of future car culture, mainly becoming
a member in car organization rather than an autonomous car owner or renter,
with emphasis on participation, cooperation, and sharing. With mobi the students
wanted to promote a future in which cooperation with our neighbours can
help achieve universal mobile freedom.
Area land occupied by
surface parking
25%
Number of people who died in
traffic accidents in Toronto 2015
64 people
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9:28 AM
9:28 9:29 AM
9:28 9:29 AM
9:28 9:30 AM
Vision
A future where everyone,
everywhere can obtain
personal physical mobility.
Where would
you like to go?
Saved Destinations
Home
Institute
without
Boundaries
Most Visited
Woodbine
Beach
Aunties
& Uncles
Momofuku
Nikai
A
B
Current
Location
Woodbine
Beach
When would you
like your mobi?
Now
Later
Today
9.00 AM
Mission
The project aims to create a time
sharing system and service that
bridges the divisions of mobility
faced by the disenfranchised.
Request
Request
Request
Request
Overview
We envisioned an integrated and seamless transportation
system that includes the Smart Bus, regional rapid
transport, and last mile transport as a solution to traffic
congestion, long commute times, and regional fragmentation
— creating isolated and disconnected centres
with different transportation systems and behaviours.
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CONCLUSION & INSIGHTS
Looking for an ecology of division.
Copy here
91

Connecting
Divided
Places
The Connecting Divided Places project came out of an urgency of seeing the growth of
divided places and a motivation to know how ‘division’ operates. The students’ initial
research question – With so many new systems and technologies that are meant
to connect people, why is the world increasingly divided? – recognizes that social,
political, and economic divisions are growing in the world, even though we have more
capacity and tools than ever for connectivity.
This means that as segments of the world are is an ecology of division that is made up of the
experiencing increased global awareness, connectivity,
interplay of boundaries, power relations, and flows
flows, and financial benefits of these con-
that determine people’s access to opportunities
nections, other segments are either completely in divided places.
left-out of these connections, or more frequently,
form the basis of complex webs of exploitation. In
The students wanted to be able to find a way to
effect, what has been historically true remains so:
talk about division that sheds light on how it is
the availability of tools and ready access to knowledge
maintained and reinforced, how the original problem
do not necessarily change the structure of
can spiral or have domino effects creating
the game. To the contrary, many times they do the
new divisions, and how it can also be transformed
opposite–they reinforce existing world inequalities.
for social good.
The IwB students work during 2014-15 aimed to:
Lessons
from
Detroit
Researching and travelling to Detroit, the students experienced a
place known for its stark racial segregation. They attempted to visualize
the history of segregation by timelining and looked at ways
to represent the total embeddedness of racial divison. In Detroit,
racial segregation affects every part of the landscape and people’s
lives: job availability, public transport, education, crime rates, etc.
On the surface, James Robertson’s commuting story seems to call for an immediate
need to develop inter-municipal transport routes. Surely, this would help in
the short-term, but the systematic issues that keep Robertson travelling close
to 12 hours per day, to a minimum wage job, cannot be solved with the installation
of a bus route because the lack of transport is not the main boundary that determines
Robertson’s access; it is rather Robertson’s complete lack of options and
communal support systems.
In the students’ interview with Ed Condel of On the Rise Bakery, Condel described
the way the bakery has impacted the whole neighborhood. The bakery it turns
out is not only a place of employment and support for people newly released from
prison, but a community space that extends to the whole neighbourhood, creating
a safer and more active community. The investment and connection felt by
The IwB students addressed these issues by first
attempting to redefine the concept of division
itself. For the students, it was important to isolate
the variables that organize divided places.
Given a question like: How did this neighbourhood
come to be divided? The students not only
addressed the social, political, and economic context
of the issues involved, but also thought about
the composition and ecology of division; an introspection
into the different variables that together
circumscribe how divided places function.
Does this mean that the students were looking for
a kind of ‘formula’ of what makes a divided place?
In a sense yes, but less so a formula, and more an
‘ecology’ of the parts, systems, and connections
that make up a place. For the IwB students, there
1) shed new light on the issue of division; 2) provide
a toolkit for understanding understanding the
systematic level of the issues involved in division
by sketching out its ecology; and 3) show the
power of design to transform those systems, creating
economic, political, and social access for
people in divided places
Responding to the debates around division in
three different urban contexts, and expanding the
debate to the regional perspective, Division
shows highlights from a year of research, exercises
in information visualization, and design work
that focus on illustrating the complexity of the
ecology of divided places as an interplay
between boundaries, power, and flows that can
limit people’s access to opportunities.
the bakers, according to Condel “change(s) the whole feel of this place.” What
started as a bakery has created domino effects in the whole neighbourhood, creating
tremendous momentum. Thus, according to Condel:
You can actually rebuild a community
from the inside out. It requires building
relationships.
Looking at the work of Condel at the On the Rise Bakery, Robertson’s story
becomes one where we have to think about the necessity to create sustainable
change through new options and community support that lie outside the established
frameworks of division.
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Lessons
from
Chicago
In Chicago, the students investigated Little Village, Pilsen, and Englewood.
With a great lack of green and safe public spaces, these
neighbourhoods do not have infrastructure that encourage the
growth and prosperity of their communities. For example, through
their visualization of Englewood’s gang territories, the IwB students
show that access to education is not solely and issue of availability
Lessons
from
Toronto
How is it that we live in a society where education is free, but people
still do not have access to it? In his conversation with Sean Purcell,
a teacher from the Loyola School in Bellville, IwB student James
Young unearths the depth of division in Ontario. Purcell describes the
totalizing aspect of being stuck and isolated in a cycle of poverty,
where graduating high school, a commonplace Canadian rite of pas-
of school programs (though there have been many school closures),
sage for most young adults, is an insurmountable task.
but the ‘safe journey to school’. In Englewood, students face a maze
composed of gang territories on their daily walk to school.
Safe and green public routes are
needed to create resilient communities.
Creating access is about widening
perspectives.
Purcell highlights that divisions do not operate in silo, access to education is
dependent on support systems like health care, addiction counselling, special education,
and so on, for the students who need it and cannot receive it at home. Pur-
The IwB students focused on promoting sustainable and active public routes and
exploring the work of grassroots organizations in Chicago, who are already doing
much of this work. LVEJO representative, Kim Wasserman-Nieto, demonstrated
cell imagines that schools can become community-centred hubs that can help
students on a wide variety of challenges to their learning, and, most importantly,
be places where students can gain new perspectives.
how a community’s work on environmental sustainability has greatly improved
the quality of life in Little Village. LVEJO’s community action is slowly but surely
rebuilding the neighbourhood’s spaces damaged by decades of industrial pollution,
they are also working to provide much needed youth programming.
Issues of class, diversity, and access were also focal points in the IwB students’
investigation of Toronto’s political climate. Working at the time of the municipal
elections in Toronto, the IwB students witnessed how division can be a political
tool that is used by politicians to heighten differences between people. The stu-
The students Railyard and Little Village 26 are projects that respond to these
circumstances and try to imagine large-scale changes in these neighbourhoods.
dents designed IM Toronto to create political engagement and representation for
immigrants in Toronto. They also proposed MOBI, a seamless transportation system
that could connect the citizens of the GTA and make a more accessible region.
The IwB students’ work captures important aspects of the ecology of division and
leaves us with several key lessons on Connecting Divided Places.
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Key Insights
Divisions are maintained
through an ecology of division,
made up of an interplay
between of boundaries,
power relationships, and flows.
Division manifest itself in different
scales.
Division spirals and dominos into
new and more complex scenarios.
Division can be manipulated
as a social-political tool.
More connections do not
result in fewer divisions.
Connecting divided places requires
building relationships and creating
resilient communities.
Creating access is about widening perspectives.
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97

The students of year 2 of 5 year the Regional Ecologies project
would like to specially thank Luigi Ferrara, Christopher Pandolfi, Paul
INSTITUTE WITHOUT BOUNDARIES (IwB)
institutewithoutboundaries.ca
CANNON DESIGN
cannondesign.com
KEA
kea.dk
LAWRENCE TECHNOLOGICAL
UNIVERSITY (LTU)
de Freitas, Susan Speigel, Heather Damm, Magda Sabat and Ginny
Chen. Luigi Ferrara for creating the theme of Regional Ecologies and
Connecting Divided Places. Christopher Pandolfi led, guided and
inspired our exploration of regional divisions, and continued to push
us to take risks. Paul de Freitas for his continuous passion about our
thinking and enabled our exploration to understand division in
regions. Susan Speigel opened our minds and perspectives on the
different ways people interact with divisions. Heather Damm encouraged,
organized and developed our logistics of our projects, charrettes
and curriculums ensuring the year run smoothly. Magda Sabat
The Institute without Boundaries at
George Brown College is a Toronto-based
studio that fosters collaborative design
action and seeks to achieve social, ecological
and economic innovation in the
public interest. The Institute consists of
a post-graduate education program, a
research think tank and a special projects
division.
CannonDesign continues to be a growing
company. This growth opens new opportunities
that energize designers to collaborate
and evolve in extraordinary ways.
Cannon Design’s achievements are
grounded in their ability to bring together
world-class talent and thought leadership.
KEA educates highly skilled and professional
designers, communicators and
technologists who are able to work in an
international context. The school offers
programs ranging from architectural technology
and construction management, to
computer science, product, software and
web development.
www.ltu.edu
LTU was established 80 years ago in the
middle of an innovation explosion that
would change the world. None other than
Henry and Edsel Ford helped launch the
revolutionary experiment that would
become LTU, providing guidance and
space in their sprawling former Model T
assembly plant for the fledgling school.
for structuring our methods and clarifying every sentence we had
trouble explaining. Ginny Chen beautifully organized and made sense
of our thoughts, ideas and vision for this book.
CITY OF TORONTO
toronto.ca
POLITECNICO DI MILANO
polimi.it
Established in 1863, the Politecnico has
OCADU
ocadu.ca
As Canada’s “university of the imagina-
TORONTO FOUNDATION
torontofoundation.ca
Special thanks to Beje Melamed-Turkish for taking on the impossible
task of writing the missing parts of the book. As well as Kevin Wang
for sourcing and organising all the content and images in this very
complex book of information.
In year 2, the students had the incredible experience to work on
charrettes within the three regions of study, focusing on pressing
issues of division determined by the cities. These charrettes provide
opportunities for the students to apply their theoretical exploration
of division into current issues of division.
As well the students of year two would like to thank
our partners throughout this discovery into division in
regions to tackle the question “How to Connect
Divided places?”.
As the municipal authority, the City of
Toronto is one of the Institute’s primary
project partners for the charrette in
Toronto. Their services include planning,
housing, roads, water, wastewater, culture,
recreational and emergency services.
THE CITY OF CHICAGO
cityofchicago.org
The City of Chicago is one of the primary
project partners for the charrette in Chicago.
Their staff provided key insights
into themes and locations and connecting
our planning team to advisors and
partners throughout the city.
THE CITY OF EASTPOINTE
cityofeastpointe.net
Eastpointe is a city with 34,077 residents
and an area comprising 5.1 square miles
located in Macomb County in southeast-
played a significant role in the field of
engineering and technology as well as in
architecture and design. Today the university,
with its premises in Milano-Leonardo,
Milano-Bovisa, Como, Cremona, Lecco,
Mantova and Piacenza, offers its students
some of the most advanced laboratories
for scientific and technological
research in the world.
ECV
ecv.fr
Founded in Paris in 1984, ECV was a pioneer
in developing relations with communication
agencies. ECV alumni are active
in all graphic arts sectors including advertising,
design, multimedia and illustration.
Today, the school also has campuses in
Lille, Nantes, Bordeaux and Aix-en-
Provence.
tion,” OCAD U is the largest and most
comprehensive art, design and media university
in Canada, and offers its students
a unique environment that combines studio-based
learning with critical inquiry.
Programs lead to a BFA or BDes and, as of
2008/2009, an MA, MFA or MDes.
DUBLIN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (DIT)
dit.ie
DIT is one of the largest higher education
institutions in Ireland. It is known particularly
for programmes in Architecture, Engineering,
Marketing, Hospitality, Music,
Optometry, Pharmaceuticals, Construction,
Digital Media and Journalism. The
School of Art, Design & Printing at Dublin
Institute of Technology launched a new
MA in Design Practice in collaboration
with Dublin City Council, the IwB and D21C
in September 2012.
Established in 1981, the Toronto Foundation
is one of 191 Community Foundations
in Canada. They are a leading
independent charitable foundation that
connects philanthropy to community
needs and opportunities. Individual and
family Fundholders support causes they
care about in Toronto and across Canada,
through grants to any registered Canadian
charity.
FRIENDS OF THE PAN AM PATH
panampath.org
Friends of the Pan Am Path is an independent
community-led non-profit organization
that initiated the creation of the
Pan Am Path. As the largest Host City Program,
Friends of the Pan Am Path has
been mandated by Toronto City Council to
bring the Path to life through arts, culture
and sport and will establish a legacy that
continues to grow beyond the 2015 Pan
Am / Parapan Am Games.
ern Michigan, they were the primary project
partner for the charrette in Detroit.
Its southern boundary is Eight Mile Road,
which is also the dividing line between
Macomb and Wayne Counties. Eastpointe
proudly refers to itself as the “Gateway to
Macomb County”.
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Michaux, Frank. Kennedy Space Center. Digital
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Little Village: 26
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EXPLORING CONNECTIONS
IN TORONTO
IM TORONTO
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