Integrative seminar migrate – urban analysis and methodology essayDone by: Sarah Lee Shan Yun

The definition of mapping is ambiguous in itself. Whether it is about saving

memories, deciphering information for another use or for the mere act of collecting,

maps are used for different reasons and to differing conclusions. In the context of

this project, mapping is a way to consolidate experiences and to summarize it in a

single visual. Mapping does not have to be strictly geographical, have a subject or

key. It is a way to identify a space with an idea that is unique and individual to itself.

The mapping method employed draws from the

subject of tourism. Specifically, portraying each

division or subdivision of New York City using

brochures. The front of the brochure is a design

work and will include names of 3 to 4 iconic places

within each neighborhood, which were mapped

methodically as the migration up Broadway was

conducted. For example, in figure 1, the following

places were listed: The New York Stock Exchange,

Trinity Church, The Federal Hall National Memorial and City Hall Park. The journey

of migration up Broadway is, therefore, captured in ‘snapshots’ of specific

neighborhoods (as seen in figure 1, which represents Wall Street or the financial

district). At the end of the traverse, all of the brochures will be consolidated

chronologically to create a master ‘map’ – a collage of the journey up Broadway.

Figure 1 – Design for Wall Street

1

Figure 2 – Map of Broadway Segments

1. Wall Street(Battery Place to Canal Street)

2. Chinatown(Canal Street to 14th

Street)

3. Union Square(14th Street to 34th Street)

4. Times Square(34th Street to 50th Street)

5. Columbus Circle(50th Street to 61st Street)

6. The Upper West Side(61st Street to 116th Street)

7. Harlem(116th Street to 170th Street)

8. Inwood(170th Street to 207th Street)

A total of 8 brochures will be created on the 8 neighborhoods we have selected.

2

Within each brochure, historical information on the specific iconic sites is

included, as well as details on how they help shape and contribute aesthetic value to

their current climates. With the proliferation of this knowledge, New Yorkers can

become more aware of the idiosyncrasy of the many places that make up New York

City, perhaps promoting more tourism as well as a sense of consciousness of one’s

surroundings.

On the subject of

data collection and

research methods, a more

qualitative approach was

applied. Information is

usually observed through

the senses (sight, sound,

smell, etc.) as we

‘migrated’ up Broadway

first hand, thus more

primary data was

collected through notes and pictures (see figure 3a and 3b). An empirical data

collection method was an essential part of the process, as more unexpected

information could be gathered – for example, the symbols used on Chinese shop

signs in Chinatown, or the mannerisms of people walking in Times Square. The data

collected was also more descriptive, rather than mathematical, as the end goal of the

project was to generate a creative design work or campaign.

Figure 3a – Images of iconic places, Chinatown

3

Figure 3b – Handwritten recording of experience at migration sites

4

On the other hand, some quantitative data was gathered as well, although

notably less with respect to qualitative data. Information on specific racial

population sizes and income levels lent a beneficial perspective when trying to

section or identify the different neighborhoods of the city (see figure 41).

Furthermore, this information gave us ideas on why and how a neighborhood has

evolved to be what it is today, lending to the historical aspect of our project.

Secondary data in the form of internet sources and historical literature was also

crucial to the development of the project, specifically in the understanding of the

iconic sites. The goal was to sift out information that answered the questions: why

does this place look like the way it does? How is the aesthetic of a building

1 "Urban research maps." The changing city at the sweep of your mouse: Block by block demographic changes mapped across New York, 2000 to 2010. Center for Urban Research, The Graduate Center, City University of New York (CUNY), n.d. Web. 19 Oct 2013. <http://www.urbanresearchmaps.org/plurality/blockmaps.htm>.

Figure 4 – Block-by-block demographic changes mapped across New York 2010

5

influenced by its history? Following the research, a short write-up on each iconic

place is included in the final pamphlet of the neighborhood, along with images and a

map of the sites themselves. For example, Licoln center was designed in the 1950s

to 1960s as part of an urban renewal project, with the purpose of becoming a

cultural hub for fine art and performance2. Thus its design was constructed around

the ideas of sophistication, refinement and meticulous detail and was inspired by

Michelangelo's Campidoglio in Rome3. Lincoln center, as an iconic site, thus

contributes to the majestic and cultivated aesthetic of the upper-west side.

2 Roth, Leland M. (2001). American Architecture: A History. Boulder, Colo.: 3 Magnet, Myron. n. page. <http://www.city-journal.org/html/10_4_a_new_lincoln.html>.

Figure 5 – Architectural planning process for the Lincoln Center inspired by Michelangelo's Campidoglio in Rome

6

Moving on to the more

aesthetic aspect of the

project, several

representational methods

that were employed during

the creation of the brochure

covers will be discussed.

Since the medium selected

was 2-dimensional image

designs, an abundance of

visual cues and details could

be employed. This also allows

the viewer to differentiate

and distinguish one poster

from another as the visual

detail creates the main contrast between them. They make each brochure individual

and unique to the specific neighborhood of interest, thus creating an array of

differing aesthetics and subsequently, a ‘collage’ of the city. Firstly the use of

symbols and imagery played a significant role in the designs. For example, the use of

the iconic Union Square subway station in the Union Square brochure design makes

it instantly identifiable (see figure 6). Furthermore, the choice of hand-drawn

sketches of the subway station, the equastrian portrait of George Washington and

the water-color tiles creates a certain antiquity, suggestive of stamps, lending to the

7

iconic history the location. Proceeding from that discussion, the use of color in the

designs was arguable the most critical indicator for the sites themselves. As seen in

figure 7, the use of traditional chinese colors of prosperity (red and gold), made

more striking in contrast to the desaturated background picture, was employed to

suggest the distinctive visual quality of Chinatown. They were inspired by the shop

signs, building colors and customary décor of the area surrounding the iconic sites.

In other posters, such as the one of Wall Street (see figure 1), the colors black, white

and silver were utilized to describe the masculinty, dominance and severity of the

place and industry – colors that are associative and evocative rather than self-

evident. Symmetry also played an important part in the designs. For example, in the

Chinese culture, symmetry

invokes balance and peace (see

figure 7). The assymetric buildings

in figure 1 suggest the aggressive

competition to constantly

‘construct’ higher, bigger, stronger

brands, metaphorically

represented by the ‘competing’

buildings. Lastly, the use of

typeface and language in the

designs is essential in embodying

the character of the places.

Chinese calligraphic fonts were

8

used in the Chinatown poster to appeal to the cultural significance of the chinese

language. The font chosen for figure 1 (the poster of Wall Street) was inspired by the

typeface used in the Wall Street Journal4.

A homogenous brochure layout was created to make the brochures cohesive

and consistent in design (see figure 8). A description of the surroundings, a brief

history of the location, interesting facts on the iconic sites, a map and a tourist

business contact card was included to create a complete pamphlet.

In conclusion, the mapping medium, content, research method and

representational techniques were all considered, examined and utlized as

methodologies for the planning and creation of this mapping project.

Appendices

4 Garcia, Mario. "The Wall Street Journal." Font Bureau. The Font Bureau Gallery, inc., n.d. Web. 20 Oct 2013. <http://www.fontbureau.com/gallery/newspaper/WallStreetJournal/>.

Figure 8 – Brochure layout

9

Bibliography

Figure 9 – Brochure cover designs

Figure 10 – Final brochure

designs

10

"Urban research maps." The changing city at the sweep of your mouse: Block by block demographic changes mapped across New York, 2000 to 2010. Center for Urban Research, The Graduate Center, City University of New York (CUNY), n.d. Web. 19 Oct 2013. <http://www.urbanresearchmaps.org/plurality/blockmaps.htm>.

Roth, Leland M. (2001). American Architecture: A History. Boulder, Colo.: Magnet, Myron. n. page.

<http://www.city-journal.org/html/10_4_a_new_lincoln.html>. Garcia, Mario. "The Wall Street Journal." Font Bureau. The Font Bureau

Gallery, inc., n.d. Web. 20 Oct 2013. <http://www.fontbureau.com/gallery/newspaper/WallStreetJournal/>.

11