Banqueteando
The Banqueteando project will be comprised of interconnected exercises that build onto each other, culminating in a final sidewalk-specific event during HOLA’s new building inauguration located in Lafayette Park. The four exercises are:
Exercise 1. Thick Mapping HOLA & Sidewalk Audit/Derive
Sidewalks are the dynamic public spaces we use and interact with the most: every day we walk along sidewalks to school or work; we share snacks from our favorite vendors on street corners and driveways; we meet friends and neighbors along these miles of paving. Both social and functional space, sidewalks serve as urban paths through our communities. As a result, each sidewalk has its own complex “ecology” reflecting the many activities that people perform on it, the places which border it, and the infrastructure which it hosts - fire hydrants, parking, signs, bus stops, and more.
The sidewalks in the Westlake/Pico-Union neighborhood are made unique by the great diversity of activities that occur on them. These sidewalks are primarily used for walking, waiting, and resting, but also for less conventional activities: playing, selling, dwelling, filming, illegal drug dealing, etc. These competing uses lead us to think of the sidewalk as a verb, a dynamic linear space that can accommodate and negotiate multiple activities throughout the day.
Not all sidewalks work well for all members of the community. Lack of seating or shade, cracks and uneven surfaces, and overflowing trash are just a few examples of how these public resources can quickly turn into spaces we’d rather avoid. Conventional solutions to these problems - like street trees, frequent sidewalk repair, and more trash cans - help, but are costly and don’t imagine new opportunities to not only solve problems but enhance the very concept of what a sidewalk can be. However, if we look at these sidewalk ecologies with new eyes, we can think of opportunities to re-make our most plentiful and well-utilized public spaces.
