Reflections

NOTTINGHAM EXCURSION 5/17
MAKE observations:

Reducing single-use hot drink (coffee) cups – How are Nottingham coffee shops addressing this challenge? Offering reusable cup? 

Yes, for the most part we noticed that  smaller, less busy coffee shops  didn't have as many sustainable options as bigger, busier shops. A small coffee shop in an arcade offered plastic cups to serve their beverages, while th ecoffee shop we  met up at offered in house ceramic /glass cups. The bigger shop also only sold idividual drinks in glass bottles, no plastic.
Extra charge for disposable cup?

As far as I know, there was no upcharge for using a disposable cup.
Option of bring your own cup?

I know that coffee shops such as Starbucks offer a "bring you own cup" option, but after COVID-19, I'm sure a lot of coffee shops stopped doing this. I am not completely sure if this was an option at the other coffee shops I went to minus Starbucks.

GO observations:

Assisting mobility (walking & biking) – How is Nottingham designed to accommodate pedestrians and bicycles?
Signals?

Nottingham has the most clear and abundant signals for walking/biiong pedestriasn I have ever seen. There is no room for confusion with the amount of crosswalk signals/noises that they have.
Signage?

This was a specific aspect I noticed very quickly: how many signs there were that directed walking/biking pedestrians through tht ecity. They were more abundant in the  busy/nicer areas, but there was a sign for just about any importan tbuilding and an arrow to point in tth right direction.
Crosswalks and lanes?

Crosswalks and bike lanes are big and clear to see. No wearing paint or narrow biking area.

Assisting navigation (buses) – How is Nottingham’s transit system designed to help users get from place to place?
Maps before boarding and/or on board?

There were places to take pictures of maps before getting on the bus, and also pictures of maps within the bus.
Signage (words and pictures/symbols) at the stop and/or on board?

Signage was apparent on th e bus as well as at the bus stops and leading to the stops. It was very easy to navigate for this very reaosn. There wer eeven digital signs that could refelct ever-changing bus routes/times.
Color-coding and/or numbering of buses, routes?

There were colored buses to determine different bus routes. Buses were colored  blue, green, orange, rainbow, etc..
Announcements?

Each stop was announced on the buses, and there was also a screen that showed when stops would occur.
How did you know where you were going and what to do?

I communicated with my peers, and we worked together to read bus stop signage and determine the correct route to take, along with when to get off using visual on screen stops.

LIVE observations- The Park1. Historic Housing Estates - How is housing designed and constructed for different groups/social classes?

Housing for lower class is tightly packed with little to no access to essential transit, greenspace, stores and recreational places. This is in comparison to the following aspects of higher-class housing construction:
Size, design, layout of housing?

Big layouts, brick buildings, housing is close together, but roomy area.
Greenspace within community?

There are two central circuses that provide lovely greenspace within this community.
Visual cues for resident demographics?

No run down cars, everyone seemed to have one. There were garages. Well kept natural areas: cut grass, maintained shrubs, maintained public lights. Housing had private areas,
Access to transit, other mobility options? 

Close walking distance to many essential areas, including transit options like bus or bike path/lanes.

THE EMBANKMENT REFLECTION

The Embankment shaped the relationship between London and the Thames in many ways. The Embankment provided a stable place for buildings and transportation to be built and prevented flooding of the river by containing the water. It also created a pathway used for walking and easy access to the river for commerce and transportation. Also, this created new land to be used for greenspace in the city- parks and gardens. In addition, it provided a certain level of sanitation because before the sewage entered the river, it could be intercepted and treated before entering. 

Based on the boat ride we took; it seems like the relationship that London has with the Thames has changed drastically. We know that at one point, the Thames was used strictly for commerce, transportation, and a waste dump for people and industries. Now, it was clear that most, if not all, of the people riding the boat were there for fun/the experience. The only other form of transportation I saw was a motorboat ride, which was definitely used for leisure purposes rather than transportation. The river has been cleaned up and London's shipping industry has declined, so it is obvious why the use for the river has shifted. 

The experience of the Docklands Museum vs. visiting the Thames/Embankment in current time was an interesting juxtaposition. The museum seemed to put the viewer back in time, to truly see what the area was like back then. In contrast, visiting the area in real time was completely different. You could experience the shift in how the spaces were used to how they are used now. The old use of the river is touched on a lot throughout the museum by going over the Port of London, the development of the surrounding areas, and the current efforts to improve the riverfront. Now, the riverfront is flooded with shops, parks, food, venues, and more. Looking further into the museum itself, the exhibit designs had some cool aspects. I really enjoyed the perspective that the mock-rooms gave to the viewer. This was one of the key aspects of putting the viewer back in time to get a good feeling of what the area was like back then. I enjoyed the variety of ways in which information was presented on the top floor. Some interactive parts, videos, and paintings. I think that sometimes the writings were a little too long for me to follow, but that is almost certainly a personal problem. Overall, the exhibits were engaging and attractive as a viewer.

LONDON PARKS QUEST 5/22

My group and I visited the park of Hampstead Heath. The journey getting there was enjoyable and easy. The copious number of signs, on the roads and in the underground were very helpful. As long as you are close enough to a station, all you have to do is follow the signs from there. The signs were frequent enough to where we were not second guessing ourselves on if we were going the right direction. I didn't have reliable service during this time, so I relied heavily on seeing where I was on a map (GPS wouldn't work for me) and cross referencing with the tube maps. It took a lot of collaboration and reassurance from my group, but we got there. 

Once we arrived to the station in the park's neighborhood, we walked to our assigned park. The park was surrounded by beautiful landscape- a man-made pond, seating areas, and a conservatory. Upon entering the park, I noticed just how preserved the land was. The paths were dirt and the old trees were unbothered. It looked like a truly appreciated that civilians respected as nature. The park had unpaved paths that were also documented on Google Maps. The park itself was huge, and we definitely did not get to see the whole thing. What we did see of it was absoloutley beautful and very unbothered by humans.  It seems like the park was designed to take the shape of nature, and allow humans to admire, but not obstruct. Also, there was shade everywhere due to the huge tree canopies that have been left to flourish. There was a large variety of people in the park, including but not limited to elderly groups of friends, dog walkers, young couples, and young groups (study abroad, perhaps). People were taking pictures in the pergola, walking dogs along the dirt paths, hanging out and walking, exploring alone, and exercising. There was a cafe we ran across with lots of food options and also an ice cream stand. This was at a point where I wasn't sure if we were in the same park or not because I believe it had a different name. There was outside seating surrounded by nature. 

On the way back, I realized that noting landmarks on the way there helped me be sure of the correct direction. We could have taken a different way back, but the same way we took there showed to be the most efficient way to go. We already knew the lines we had to take, we just had to take the reverse direction to get back to where we started. The signage became even easier to read and use to navigate, as we were finding out exactly where certain signs/maps are in/around each station.

HARRY BECK'S MAP 

1. What made this map so innovative? How was it different from earlier maps of the Underground? 

The way the map is easy to read made it so innovative. Instead of taking the routes so literal and correctly proportional, Beck made them easy to read and took away the realistic style that was once illustrated.

2. How do color, shape and/or line assist in wayfinding?

Color helps differentiate the lines and keep that differentiation long term for people who frequent the area. It is an easy reminder of where you are once you commit it to memory. The simple shapes and lines created for merges, turns, and station dots (filled/hollow) make it so easy to navigate the system because of the consistency. Once you commit these identifiable characteristics to memory, you know the whole system. Lastly, where lines intersect/overlap, it is clearer to read with straight, “inaccurate” lines.

THE UNDERGROUND POSTER REFLECTIONS 

1. What attracted you to this poster? 

A) I really like the art deco style of this poster, or that’s at least what it looks like to me. I like the black and white because it keeps it simple and lets the picture speak for itself. I like how the expression in the characters really exhibits the playfulness and beauty of the theatre.

B) The nature aspect and use of different shades of green is what drew me to this poster.

C) The beautiful, large, and eye catching illustration is what drew me to this poster. I couldn’t help but admire the beautiful pairing of colors and attention to detail of this unique flower.

2. What service or destination does it depict? 

A) This poster depicts the ease and safety in which families can access plays and pantomimes via the underground.

B) This poster depicts the access the underground grants to green spaces within the city (parks and gardens).

C) This poster also depicts the access the underground grants to green spaces within the city, but in a less specific way than the second poster.

3. What emotion(s) does it evoke? Why? 

A) The poster evokes curiosity and pleasure. It ignites wonder about what else you would be able to do via the underground. It also evokes pleasure because of the thought of partaking in family activities safely and easily.

B) This poster evokes relaxed, refreshed, and playful feelings. The natural elements on the poster does this because of the bright colors and beautiful flower depiction. 

C) This poster evokes curiosity and imagination. The big, bold picture influences every person who walks past it because of it’s undeniable attractiveness. This makes people curious as to what Key Gardens is and/or what could be in it if this poster is so beautiful.

4. Who designed it? When? 

A) Dora M. Batty 1921

B) Dora M. Batty 1935

C) Dora M. Batty 1924

5. What audience do you think the poster was intended to serve? Why might that have been important in the development of the Underground? 

A) I think this poster was intended to serve people with children. This was so important because I think public transport is viewed as unsafe and gross: somewhere that parents/caretakers don’t wan their children. So emphasizing that it is actually safe, comforting and inviting in addition to being fast, cheap and convenient really helped attract people with children.

B) I think this poster was intended to serve people in the city who didn’t have direct access to green space. The poster brought awareness to the fact that the underground made it extremely convenient to get to green spaces throughout the city.

C) I think this poster was to reach all eyes walking by. It’s not a very informative poster, but it is very eye-catching. Anyone walking past will give it a look, and be drawn to the big, but minimal words written on it. It is important for people to be aware of the available green spaces by way of the underground, and this plays a similar role as the previous poster. Although, I believe the design of this one is to quickly catch people’s attention and hone in on one specific park.

BOROUGH MARKET 5/24

      The food at the borough Market was packaged in many different ways. Baked goods were typically kept in a case and packaged in brown paper of some sort when bought. Some were prepackaged, though. Produce was congregated in fresh stores with open-air market style. The produce was out, abundant, and organized. Cheeses were kept in cases or prepackaged in plastic of some kind. Fresh, raw seafood was kept out in an open-market style with ice or in a case. Other meats were kept in a case and packaged when ordered. Spices were prepackaged from what I could find, but they were in plastic, reusable containers. Everything was clearly priced or had a general label on the shelf/basket/bin. Shoppers at Borough market buying these products were very diverse. All genders and ethnicities were shopping here. I did notice that there was a younger demographic, but I also visited the borough market in the evening and saw many older people enjoying the restaurants outside. There were families, couples, and individuals at the market. I was not able to tell perfectly, but I think there was a majority of tourists at the market, but I am sure there were plenty of locals, including the vendors. I can assume that the array of restaurants filled with different cultures attract this much diversity. Most people I saw were here to hangout instead of shop at one place and leave. I saw a lot of lingering and talking, especially eating. Purchases were very quick, and vendors encouraged this quickness, as well. I noticed that card was the biggest form of payment, and I think someone I was with got declined to used cash. The experience at borough market was an interesting perspective on the city because it was the first extremely busy place that I visited in London.

OLYMPIC PARK 5/31

       The Olympic Park excursion was very interesting to me for many reasons. I think that seeing a city from this perspective is so eye-opening because it shows how much green spaces are necessary in cities. The Olympics and the park, designed by Gunther Griemick, was supposed to represent a new Germany. Germany was known as an aggressive place, so this park was supposed to serve as a peaceful, no aggressive Germany arising. Although, this perspective was ruffled when a terrorist attack occurred during the Olympics, and the games did not cease. Germany got a bad reputation for not stopping the games, and it’s as if the whole purpose of this park was mutilated. Another interesting concept of this park is the goal of democratic green space from Griemick. Democratic green prioritizes openness of nature to humans rather than intolerance of them disturbing it. Gunther Griemick had this in mind when utilizing the piles of rubble from the city that had been left after the Blitz. He took these mounds of rubble and made them into grassy hills equipped with spaces FOR people rather than for people to look at. He encourage interactions with nature and actually using what was there. These two concepts: designing with the goal of rebranding a nation and designing with the goal of encouraging the use of nature over aesthetics, were the most impactful of this excursion.

CHRISTOF MAUCH LECTURE 5/31
        This lecture was interesting to me because of the emphasis on how Munich was not built for the growing population. Christof touched on the population here being stubborn: not wanting to build up. So, it has been a challenge accommodating the growing population. Munich has a lot of tension within the city on wether to expand and how to expand. I also find it interesting how there were two big reasons that Munich was able to be built: the Isar River for transport and the Alpine Forests granted materials for building and charcoal. It was so interesting to learn about how Munich has grown into what it is today. From the Typhus outbreak leading to clean water systems to the streams being covered due to improper waste management, the growth of the city is full of interesting history. One of the most important concepts from the lecture applied to this course was the juxtaposition of the English Gardens and Olympic Park. The English Gardens shuts out the city and takes the human completely into natural elements. Meanwhile, Olympic Park embraces the city aspects and comes with great views of the city.

CYCLING IN MUNICH

      The cycling tour excursion was a fun and enriching experience. It reminded me of just how I enjoy riding bikes. The physical experience was a little uncomfortable because of my seat being too narrow, but the experience as a whole felt liberating. It was beautiful experience to see all of the architecture and have the city at my fingertips for a moment. One of the downsides of this experience was the traffic- having to stop with such a large group of people split us up more times than we would’ve liked. This caused a lot of stopping and starting and resulted in even more energy loss. Other cyclists were very nice and accompanying, they made their intentions on where they were going very obvious to avoid collisions, and they were respectful of our large group. It seems as though bike paths and roads that you can bike on are everywhere you could possibly need them here, I can’t remember a time in Cincinnati where I saw a bike path lined up with the sidewalk. The separate path for bikes is so important because it makes it safer and more efficient: for the walkers and bikers. I think that one thing that would make Munich better is marked paths for the bikers- there are a lot of people who mistake the bike path as just a walking path, so it is dangerous for everyone. I could see myself commuting to work on a bike if it was from my house, but I couldn’t see myself commuting to school on a bike. The path that I know has little to no sidewalks, and a super busy road. I couldn’t imagine putting myself through that. In addition, I never see anyone biking in these places until I’m already more than halfway to school. It seems like the only way I’d be able to bike places is if I took a bike in my car, and commuted to a place that is more accessible to bikes. Munich is much better at this aspect. Although Munich needs work, there are plenty of places in much worse situations regarding this topic.