Links for Bushwick History and Ideas

time to get started with your research!

www.upfromflames.com: The original Bushwick History Site, with text by Schwartzy, maps by Lapidus, and many students from the class of 2009.

http://www.urbanresearchmaps.org/oasis/map.aspx: test drive the new online mapping system. got tons of data--demographic, especially.

http://www.socialexplorer.com/pub/maps/map3.aspx?g=1&animation=true This is a very useful demographic map making website. you can build a series of maps that cover each decade. really cool!

www.citynoise.org: A great place to find photos and discussions on Bushwick.

you can find the research guidelines at: http://docs.google.com/View?id=ddsg4qzz_38724nthgc4

Building Age Map

Return to your building age map and open the properties for the "Year Built" layer. Click the symbology tab and click the classify window.

Clicking on each Break Value will tell you how many buildings were built in each time period.

1) List the time periods on your map and how many buildings were built in each.

2) Is there a trend in building ages in Bushwick? When were the greatest number of buildings built, when were the least?

3) What does this trend tell you about the pace of change in Bushwick? What is going on now in Bushwick now?

4) Look at all the new buildings in Bushwick. What do you think was there before it was built?

Bonus Question: Use the selection tool (select by attributes) to figure out how many buildings were built in 2006 and 2007.

Eyes on the Street

‘Eyes on the street’

‘Eyes on the street’. Coined by the legendary urban sociologist, Jane Jacobs in her landmark book, Death and Life of Great American Cities, these are probably four of the most fundamental words when it comes to public safety.

The term is used by neighborhood watch programs across the country and familiar to law enforcement officials as well. In Jane’s words:

“There must be eyes on the street, eyes belonging to those we might call the natural proprietors of the street. The buildings on a street equipped to handle strangers and to insure the safety of both residents and strangers, must be oriented to the street. They cannot turn their backs or blank sides on it and leave it blind. The sidewalk must have users on it fairly continuously, both to add to the number of effective eyes on the street and to induce a sufficient number of people in buildings along the street to watch the sidewalks.“

What are "eyes" on the street? How do you think they affect personal safety and a sense of community?

What kind of streets have more eyes on them? Which kind of streets have less?

What are some of the "eyes" on the street where you live? Do you have enough?

PArt 2: The USes of sidewalks summary document

What role does Jacobs see for sidewalks?

/Which of her ideas do you agree with? Which do you think are totally silly?

Moses' Defeat Webquest

A.Stopping the Roads of Moses, who stopped moses? What did they want?

Map of the Lower Manhattan Expressway (LOMEX): It was never built. It was a huge battle that Moses lost.
http://maydaypost.wordpress.com/2009/03/22/lomex-revisited/

Moses' quote when he was defeated in his effort to build the LOMEX:

http://buildingstrongcommunities.wordpress.com/2009/04/24/city-planner-robert-moses-to-jane-jacobs-and-her-cohorts-upon-the-defeat-of-lower-midtown-manhattan-expressway/

1) What area would the LOMEX have gone through?
2) In what positive and negative ways would it would it have affected NYC had it been built?
3) How did Robert Moses see his opponents?


"Except for one old man, I’ve been unable to find anyone of technical competence who is for this so-called expressway. And this old man is a cantankerous, stubborn old man who has done many things which may have, in their time, been good for New York City. But I think it is time for this stubborn old man to realize that too many of his dreams turn out to be nightmares for the city. And this board must realize that if it does not kill this stupid example of bad city planning, that the stench of it will haunt them and this great city for many years to come" - Assemblyman Louis DeSalvio

4) How does this quote sum up Moses' career? Do you agreee with this assessment of Robert Moses?

http://www.livablestreets.com/streetswiki/eyes-on-the-street

5) What kind of city did his opponents want? Is this only something that a mother would have wanted?

C. Are cities for cars or for people?
"Cities are created by and for traffic"
--Moses quote

6) Compare this quote with the perspective in the bike-centered website below. Who do you agree with more? Give one reason why...

Streetsblog perspective:
http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/02/09/crisscrossed-with-freeways-studded-with-parking-lots/

Mapping the Bushwick Expressway

http://www.nycroads.com/roads/bushwick/

1.     Which route was selected for the highway and why? 

2.     How many families would have been displaced by each proposed route?

3.     Had the expressway been built, what do you think the impact would have been on Bushwick?  Which route would have been the worst for Bushwick?

4.     Why do you think the Bushwick expressway project was never completed?

5.     Look at a map of New York City Highways; do you think that the Bushwick Expressway project should be revived?

Robert Moses and Highways

A: “If you listen to the complaints of a few homeowners in every matter, nothing would get built…the individual has to yield to the interests of the entire country in this matter”
Robert Moses, talking about the Cross Bronx Expressway
















Do you agree with Moses on this matter? Disagree? Why?

B: Think about the different ways that NYC has been shaped by the automobile over the last 60 years. Do you think that the city ever get beyond cars? Are they now part of the "fabric" of the city? What would the city be like without cars, an with more transit options?

Robert Moses: Master Builder or Master Destroyer

1) Do you think Robert Moses was guilty of modernizing New York city housing at the expense of the people who would live there?

2) Some said that Moses didn’t care about people, do you agree or disagree? Explain.

3) What alternatives do you see to Moses’ strategies for modernization of housing?

Efficiency Vs. Pleasentry

Answer 3 of 5 questions in the comments of the blog

1. What do you think of LeCorbusier’s vision?
2. Is it right to destroy historic buildings to build more efficient housing?
3. What is more important in housing: efficiency or beauty?
4. Would you want to live in a machine?
5. What is the importance of street life?
6. Should cars, people, residences, and businesses all mix?

Robert Moses Webquest

Place all answers to this webquest in the comments section of this post. To be safe, type your answers in notepad and then paste them to the blog.

Here you can find a map of Moses's works in NYC
http://www.learn.columbia.edu/moses/
Click on the "city map"
1. Click on each legend item to add it to the map, these represent projects that Moses was responsible for. In what parts of New York City was Robert Moses influential?
2. Roll your mouse over some of the items on the map. Find two places you have been or are familiar with.

Go to this article on Robert Moses and read the first page
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Moses
3. During what time period was Moses influential? For how many years?
4. What are some of the parts of the legacy of Moses mentioned in the article?
5. Do a Google Search on “Robert Moses". What is one thing you find out? What is one question you have?
6. Do an image search on “Robert Moses", describe the most interesting image you find? What is one question you have about the image?