Riverside District

In unit 3, Flow, of Urban Planning we focused on what makes a city function and how its design affects the people living in it. We learned about some cities and how they had evolved into what they are today. During our external investigation we had to research a city and find out what could be improved. This lead us to our final action project, choosing a block anywhere in the world to pick out its flaws and redesigning it. It was really difficult when picking a space to reconstruct. There are so many places in the world that need fixing it is hard just choosing one. In the end I had chosen a space that was once a train yard because of all the possibilities I could do to improve it. I really enjoyed this project because I felt like it tied the whole unit together very nicely and it challenged me in different ways. Please enjoy my design down below.

The area I chose is southwest corner of Roosevelt Road and Clark Street. This used to be an old CSX rail yard that has laid abandoned for decades. The strengths this plot of land has is its location, it is next to the Chicago River and is in the Southwest Loop, causing it to be near many if the city's attractions. However location isn't everything and this area has lots of weaknesses. Despite its great location the old rail yard remains hidden by townhouses, railroads, overgrown shrubbery, and the elevated Roosevelt Road. Since it has been abandoned for so long it has hazardous materials all across the grounds posing danger to anyone that walks there. It also is a very unappealing site that many tourists see due to it being along a tour boat path. This space would benefit from adding a boarding dock, lots of plants, and a place where the community can get together. The area's shape is closest to that of a rectangle. The width is 1156.73 ft and the length is 2352.35 ft causing the area to be 2695893.24 ft squared.

TS "Labeled Map" (2016)

5 Redesigned Attributes:

1. Repurposed Bike Path - this path takes the old railway lines and fixes them so people can enjoy a small bike ride and have a clean path for walking 

2. Tour Boat Dock & Ticket/Refreshment Booth - gives tourists and Chicagoans easy access to the South Loop and access to food if people get hungry

3. Community Center - brings the community together and activity options for both children and adults

4. Park/Playground - gives the space purpose and a place for children to play since there are not many places in the South Loop that have playgrounds

5. Added Greenery - to bring the space some life, more appealing view, and a place where people can relax

TS "Sketched Design" (2016)

I was inspired by the TED talks and the docking system in Singapore. Singapore has many ports each within 1.5 miles of the last, and tour boats give easy access to major sites in the city. In Chicago tour boats are an extremely popular way to view the city all at once, but they only have a few docks to get on and off. Many tourists will end up where they started and have to make long treks to get to certain places. Since this area is located near the Buckingham Fountain, museums, and Soldier Field it seemed like a key spot to have a dock. The TED talker, Ellen Dunham-Jones, influenced me the most out of the three TED talks we watched. She had stated how empty spaces can be restored and repurposed and that adding green spaces would benefit both the area and environment. 

My area would benefit the flow of the city in multiple ways. For transportation it gives easy access to both the river and major Chicagoland attractions, along with the bike trail where people can enjoy the scene around them as they go down the paths. It relates to housing due to the ticket/refreshment booth and community center which can always act as a homeless shelter, especially during the winter season. The whole area would count as infrastructure, particularly the bike trail and the nearby bridge on Roosevelt Road. The solar panels on the dome of the community center will save money since they are providing their own electricity, this provides the services. 

Since my area had no previous buildings I had added two. The first was the ticket/refreshment booth which is a rectangular prism with a pyramid on top with an area of 3600 ft². The second was the community center which was a rectangular prism with a hemisphere on top with an area of 108000 ft². To find the volume of the rectangular prism with a triangular prism on top: (l*w*h) + (B*h) = (60*60*9) + (300*12) = 32400 + 3600 = 36000 ft³. To find the volume of the rectangular prism with a hemisphere on top: (l*w*h) + (2/3πr³) = (300*360*22) + (2/3π100³) =2376000 + 2094395.1 ft³ = 4470395.1 ft³.


I ran into quite a few difficulties when designing this project. The main problems I faced had been using Tinkercad to create my 3D model and coming up with the scale.  I had overcome the troubles with Tinkercad by asking a peer to help teach me how to use this program. After learning how to use this site it became fairly simple to use. However, since there were no curves, my bike trail had been difficult to create though I managed. To solve the situation with the scale I had asked my peers how they figured out theirs and then had done multiple calculations to determine the best sized scale. I have learned that you should take advantage of all the time you're given and that, even if a situation seems bleak, you just need to stay positive and work hard. If I were to change anything I would start working on it sooner rather than later and make sure I got feedback from my teacher.

Money Doesn't Make Equality

In unit 3, Judge, of Policy we learned about the judicial branch, their roles in the checks and balances, and the different levels of court. We went from the Circuit Courts, which primarily focused on state laws and minor criminal offenses, to our main focus, the Supreme Court, which handles all cases that challenge the constitution as well as federal crimes. We not only reviewed what the Supreme Court does, but also some of the most major Supreme Court cases along with the impact they had in American history. For our final action project we were asked to choose a Supreme Court case and present it. I ended up choosing Gideon v. Wainwright (1962), which dealt with a violation of the sixth amendment. I chose to focus on this case because I believe everyone deserves a fair chance in life and especially in court. This court case ensured just that. It had been difficult settling on just one case because I found so many interesting ones that are extremely relevant in today's society. I did enjoy looking in depth at a case that I am interested in and not one that was designated to me. Please enjoy my Prezi below.

 

The Joy of Giving

Over the course of my first school year at GCE I was immersed in a community that cared and helped one another. However GCE encourages us to go out into our own communities and help those within it. I had helped fix up homes in the Habitat for Humanity's Build project. This was where people from all over Chicago came together to help make homes in a two by one block radius more appealing and efficient. The build started at 8am and went on until 3pm. My specific group was tasked to fix a garden, paint the porch, and fix the stairs of the porch. During this whole experience I only had one fellow GCE student in my group and everyone else were strangers. It was a little awkward meeting my group mates and, at first, I thought we weren't going to be able to work fluidly enough to finish the big project. However it is a big suprise at how well people get along and are able to work when we come together for a good cause. By the end of the build the people around the neighborhood expressed their gratitude and it was more rewarding than any other kind of payment. Since our Thanksgiving break is a whole week versus the standard two days I was a teacher assistant for that Monday and Tuesday. I was in charge of the stations she laid out for the kids (grammar, matching, simple multiplication, etc) while she graded papers. The kids had been very sweet and loved my colorful hair, especially a little girl named Precious. I brought along a math riddle story, similar to that of The Two Pebbles, and they absolutely loved it. The children were engaged the whole time I was there always trying to show me what they knew. Whenever they kids had a specials class where the teacher and I weren't in charge I helped her grade papers and prepare for the next lesson. It definitely reminded me of my elementary school days and it was a complete blast spending time with these little fourth, fifth, and sixth graders.

To War or Not To War

In Unit 2, Execute, of Policy we learned all about the Executive Branch, from the people involved to the powers it holds. We also learned about the Vietnam War and the policies the United States had made that caused this war to be unjust. Leading us to our FE to the Veteran's Art Museum which showcased "The Things They Carried" exhibit which is based off of the book Tim O'Brien wrote. For our action project we needed to research a war the United States was apart of and a policy involved with it, then we had to decide if that war was just or unjust. I chose the first Persian Gulf War because it is an interesting war that one of my family members took part in as a United States Marine. I definitely enjoyed learning more about the war and how quick it was. Though it had been very difficult finding a policy that was involved with the war considering it did not last long and involved 39 nations. Please enjoy my essay on the Persian Gulf War below.
_________________________________________________________________________________

Staff Sgt. Vance. "Marines In The Persian Gulf War." (1991)

The first Persian Gulf War was fought in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia starting in August of 1990 and ending in February of 1991. This war was between Iraq and 39 allied countries, the largest being the United States, Great Britain, Egypt, France, and Saudi Arabia. This was one of the first wars that used pre guided missiles (PGM’s) which were “smart-bombs” that had laser guided targeting systems to help them hit their target. This war also had the appearance of the F-117 stealth fighter-bombers that were made to be undetectable by Iraqi radar, and Tomahawk cruise missiles that were made to launch farther than conventional missiles. This war was started by Iraq invading Kuwait on August 2, 1990. Saddam Hussein aimed to take over Kuwait’s large oil reserves and cancel Iraq’s debt to Kuwait. Not only did Iraq want to get their hands on the oil in Kuwait, but Kuwait had also refused to cancel Iraq’s war debts to them. This war was just because nations involved tried to solve the conflict peacefully and it could have had large economic effects.

On August 7, 1990, President George H. W. Bush ordered operation Desert Shield to start. This also signifies the beginning of the United State’s involvement in the first Persian Gulf war. The U.S. got involved because we believed that there was an immediate threat to Saudi Arabia which was, not only the world's largest producer and exporter of oil, but also an ally to the U.S. Operation Desert Shield placed 500,000 Americans in Saudi Arabia to ensure that Iraq did not end up controlling one fifth of the world’s oil supply. Democrats first brought the sanctions resolution to congress, suggesting that the U.S. to rely on economic sanctions instead of using force. This resolution was rejected in both the senate with a vote of 53 to 46 and in the house with a vote of 250 to 183. When the idea of the U.S. going to war was brought to congress, the senate adopted it 52 to 47 and the house agreed voting 250 to 183. This was congress's most explicit authorization of war since the Tonkin Gulf Resolution in 1964. This decision also stood out because it was the narrowest margin in the Senate’s votes since the War of 1812. Congress encouraged the President to start with a massive airstrike against Iraq and use everything short of nuclear weapons.

During this war, Resolutions 660-678 were put into place. The main ones were 660, 661, and 678. Resolution 660 demanded that Iraq immediately withdraw from Kuwait. Resolution 661 imposed economic sanctions. Resolution 678 established the United Nations Special Commision (UNSCOM) to inspect Iraq’s suspected chemical and biological weapons capabilities. The U.S. mainly used these resolutions to remove Iraq from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia without necessarily starting a war. Resolution 661 made it so that America could prevent imports from, the sale of weapons and military weapons to, and the availability of funds and financial resources to either Iraq or Kuwait.

The governments of the world interpreted these resolutions exactly as they were meant to be interpreted. They were a way to remove Iraq from Kuwait. To the U.S. however, they were somewhat of an excuse to retrieve the chemical weapons that they gave to Iraq during the Cold War. The way it was applied to the situation was justified. The multiple resolutions were warnings being sent to Iraq to let them know that if they didn’t remove themselves from Kuwait, we’d have no choice but to do it forcefully. Iraq, however, ignored the resolutions for the most part, so a war did break out in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. The resolutions did manage to remove some of the chemical weapons and advanced war machines from Iraq, as well as cut off military funding from other countries.

The United State’s involvement in this war was justified. America did what needed to be done to prevent Iraq from gaining control over one fifth of the world’s oil supply. Iraq’s intentions once in possession of the oil was unknown, so the economical effects were also unknown and possibly very problematic. Iraq received many warnings in the form of the resolutions and even attended the vote for Resolution 661 but chose to ignore them anyway. One unjust part of this war was the number of Iraqi civilians that were killed during the war, but civilian deaths are an unavoidable part of any war. All in all, the methods used were effective. The real fighting only lasted a month before Iraq agreed to a cease-fire after losing large numbers of their troops.

References:

Citino, Robert. "Technology in the Persian Gulf War of 1991." The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2016.

Fritz, Sara, and Wiiliam J. Eaton. "Congress Authorizes Gulf War : Historic Act: The Vote in Both Houses, Supporting Bush and Freeing Troops to Attack Iraq, Is Decisive and Bipartisan. It Is the Strongest Move since Tonkin Gulf." Congress Authorizes Gulf War. Los Angeles Times, 1991. Web. 14 May 2016.
United States. Resolution 660 (1990). New York: UN, 1990. Print.

"The Gulf War, 1991." Milestones: 1989–1992. United States Department of State, n.d. Web. 14 May 2016.

United Nations. Resolution 660 (1990). New York: UN, 1990. Prin

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia. "Persian Gulf Wars." Infoplease. Infoplease, n.d. Web. 15 May 2016.

The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Persian Gulf War." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 15 May 2016.

"Operation Desert Storm." Ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association, n.d. Web. 15 May 2016.

Rewire the World

In Unit 2, Power, of Urban Planning we learned all about electricity, ohm's law, and circuits. Starting with War of the Currents where Tesla and Edison fought for which was better, AC or DC, we then went on to learn about voltage, amperes, and ohms. We then learned about green energy appliances and Denmark's new innovative way of collecting and distributing energy. For our FE we went to the Museum of Science and Industry to take a look at Tesla's Coil, the Wooded Island, and the Brick by Brick exhibit. For our action project we were put into teams of two or three and were tasked to create a parallel circuit including one master switch, one parallel switch, and five resistors. It was difficult to get access to a circuit since all my group could do was wait for one to become available. I am very proud that my group was able to overcome the many obstacles and create a functioning circuit. Please enjoy my slideshow of my circuit below.

The Three Percent

In the first unit of Policy we learned about the Legislative Branch and the role they play in making the nations policies. For our FE we went to a city council meeting where the mayor and fifty alderman discuss the problems facing the neighborhoods in Chicago. In order to show our understanding of laws and affect people have in making them we needed to create a letter to send to a government official(s) regarding an issue we found important. The topic I chose was water, more specifically about the problems facing our nation in the matters of clean water, and decided to send it to President Obama since this is a problem throughout our whole country. It had been difficult writing the letter due to my troubles of formal writing, but I enjoyed the opportunity to have my voice heard. Enjoy my letter below.

_______________________________________________________________________________
May 1, 2016
President Barack Obama

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Barack Obama,

We only have three percent, no more but there most definitely will be less. Our nation is careless about taking care of our water supplies just because we have always had a seemingly infinite amount of it. We will run out, one of our states already has, California is going into its fourth year of serious drought. Flint, Michigan has been having a major water crisis for two years now where the citizens are being poisoned and having serious side effects from their water. These two places are not the only ones. So many states, cities, and towns are having problems getting access to water. The most atrocious example is in Pennsylvania, where 8.5 percent of the children tested were found to have dangerously high levels of lead in their blood. Not only is lead a dangerous element to have in your bloodstream, but children are still developing and are more vulnerable to the problems associated with lead poisoning. Also adding to this point is an analysis of Environmental Protection Agency data in the Washington Post, which said the data revealed that “about 350 schools and day-care centers failed lead tests a total of about 470 times from 2012 through 2015.” This shows that hundreds of kids are seriously at risk due to the problems with our water. I myself am lucky being a person who lives in Chicago which is located next to Lake Michigan, one of the Great Lakes that make up twenty-one percent of the world's fresh water. However I have family and friends across the nation who do not have as easy access to water as I do. Even people who are in my own state have trouble getting clean water. Without clean water people get sick, they die, and their children can develop physical or mental illnesses.

To prevent further damage to our society I propose a policy in which there is a stricter use of water and the complete stopping of dumping waste into rivers, lakes, et cetera. The use of water should be monitored in order to prevent overuse. We should set a limit for how much water houses and businesses can use a week. This may seem impractical now, but it will make a big difference in the future. Dumping toxic waste or garbage into our supplies leads to disease and disease leads to death or major illness.

I understand that money is a huge factor, but there has to be discretionary spending we can cut back on, such as the money spent for our military. We are currently spending around 597.5 billion dollars, that’s 451.7 billion more than China, the next country below us for military spending.

In the United States there are states suffering from drought, heavily contaminated water, and lead poisoning. These are all preventable problems, but like everything else, the solutions require a bit of work and money. If these problems are not approached and dealt with, our water situation will get worse, as will our chances of survival. The Earth will rid us from it’s surface the way a body would to a virus.

Sincerely, 

TS