This week we've been asked to define what a neighborhood is. To me the most basic definition of a neighborhood is a shared residential area bound by various geographic and political constraints. Though our readings this week have given me the impression that a neighborhood is also an idea. A symbolic space that represents American communal life and values. Whether or not a neighborhood is able to enjoy the benefits of that idea is the most troubling fact to me.
Last week we took a walking tour through Southwest Baltimore. I always enjoy exploring an area that I'm reading about. It really enhances the experience when you are able to occupy the space that seems so abstract on paper. We did this quite a bit last semester in my History of Baltimore course and I found the practice to be very beneficial. On the tour I was really shocked by the number of vacant lots. I can only assume that the majority were purchased by developers who have held on to them and have no plans to build on them.
I really enjoyed reading Dr. King's work this week. Like most people in my cohort I have been thinking a lot about my thesis topic. I've begun considering researching something related to the housing and development practices in Baltimore. Maybe public housing like the Poe Homes, The Baltimore Plan, or something more recent. But this is all just based on surface level Wikipedia research. I'm just drawn to the idea of using this research to help people affected by these practices.
As far as our class project goes I've been trying to think of unique ways that we could present the neighborhood profiles. Print formats like a zine or a newspaper are timeless. I wonder if some kind of digital format might draw wider attention. Though while its easy for me to say that, making it a reality is a different story. I'll have to keep brainstorming and discussing with my classmates to see what we can come up with.
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