Los Diarios Arquitecturas

“They paved paradise and put up a parkin' lot
With a pink hotel, a boutique, and a swingin' hot spot
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you got till it's gone
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot

They took all the trees, and put em in a tree museum
And they charged the people a dollar and a half to see them
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you got till it's gone
They paved paradise, and put up a parking lot

Hey farmer, farmer, put away your DDT
I don't care about spots on my apples,
LEAVE me the birds and the bees please
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you got till it's gone
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot
Hey now, they paved paradise to put up a parking lot
Why not?�

The social design issue I chose focuses on urban expansion and development. It has been a theme of American history to conquer what lies beyond, the frontier. American culture emphasizes the importance of having the cutting edge. When an area becomes dated, it is simpler for us to expand away from the city center, rather than trying to restore and renew the area. This has led to the neglect of urban areas and expansion into outlying areas.

Expansion is inevitable with the world’s current population growth rate. I speak not against expansion itself, but of the thoughtless development of land. We look outward to find a solution, for a place to develop into a cutting edge community. When in the cities there remains a great deal of unutilized space. It is possible that instead of expanding outward as population increases that we expand inward.

There are numerous countless and environmental effects because of this rapid and unorganized expansion. In recent years the twin cities have done an amazing job in re-development and attracting people inward. Yet, I believe there is much more that could be done here.

One idea in specific would be the creation of greeneries or nurseries all across the twin cities. Especially along the highways, where there is green space currently occupied by invasive species and weeds. The impression I would currently gain from the twin cities by driving through via highways would not be a good one. I would believe the cities to be run down and unorganized.

If we were to utilize city land on the side of highways, instead of leaving it a barren trash pit, we could perform several civic duties at once. First of all we would beautify the city and the roads through it. The nurseries would provide a more pleasant landscape than currently exists. Secondly, the plants, once raised and mature, could be transplanted to parks and streets across the city. Third, adding oxygen and greenery to areas consumed by pollution would improve air quality.

This plan could be implemented all over the city in different ways. Perhaps by turning small portions of parks into nurseries and encouraging community involvement. High school environmental clubs could work as volunteers maintaining facilities. Companies and organizations could “adopt a nursery� or support with funding. It could even be implemented upon a “receive the fruits of your labor� system, in which people could take the plants they raised.

This greening of the cities would greatly increase the cities image from the eyes of visitors. The cities and neighboring areas seem so disconnected along the highways. There is nothing but cement and signs bringing people into the city. The space around us needs to be utilized better and this is just one way we would do that.

To expand inward we must show people that the city has potential. Space needs to be thought of differently. The land outside the city, in danger of expansion, is valuable as simple farm land. Why waste this land when we could simply change our perception of the land around us, in order to make it more cutting edge. The side of the street does not have to be the side of the street anymore. There is nothing preventing this cement block from being something greater except for the inability of planners to see space differently. The city could be America’s next great frontier if only we use our imagination.