A CATALYST FOR TRANSFORMATION

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A CATALYST FOR TRANSFORMATION

Tavernier, Neteya

URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10429/2322

Date: 2022-05-16

Abstract:

This thesis explores how underprivileged communities can be supported and transformed to overtime become self-sustaining. A self-sustaining community is one that is planned, built, or modified to promote sustainable living and has a strong balance between environmental and economic sustainability, and social equity. The guiding questions for this thesis aim to uncover elements that makes a neighbourhood fully functional, to determine which elements would best support existing residents, and how those elements can be combined into a model for future longevity. Analyzing existing conditions in the McDougall Hunt neighbourhood help to determine the best sites for development. Also, subjective methods reveal perspectives that are separate from this thesis’ perspective as an outsider of the community. Although the project focuses on the McDougall Hunt community located in Detroit, it aims to provide a solution that will generate an equitably designed, self-sustaining community – a model that provides resources and social infrastructure and a framework so that it can be replicated and adapted for any underprivileged neighbourhood. The goal of this thesis is to incite change or a way of thinking that will help build better and stronger communities in the future.

Description:

Through initial research, this thesis has defined a self-sustaining community as a community that is planned, built, or modified to promote sustainable living. This means that the needs of everyone in the community are met and people feel safe, healthy, and ultimately happy. Also referred to as a livable or eco-community, the environment of the community is appreciated, protected, and enhanced, while damage to the environment is minimized. The lack of resources and social infrastructure within communities is evident and continues to hinder the progression of such communities. While community relationships, especially in Detroit, remain strong, the desire and hope to improve their community remains difficult, with the barrier that is lack of resources. Ultimately, the thesis is trying to uncover how an underprivileged community can be transformed into a self-sustaining one. This requires an investigation into all the elements that makes a neighbourhood fully functional. Furthermore, determining which of those elements would best support existing residents in creating a self-sustainable environment and how they can be combined into a model for future longevity. This thesis believes that underprivileged communities were created as a result of unfair and unjust circumstance. With this in mind, this thesis recognizes that communities can be transformed to overcome the current conditions and re-designed for a more sustainable future. The key concepts/dimensions defined for a self-sustaining community are environmental and economic sustainability, and social equity. This thesis will determine a future plan that encompasses all the necessities and resources needed for a low-income community to improve and eventually become a self-sustaining community. Through an intersubjective/contextual framework, but also supported by a participatory/co-constructed framework, this thesis understands the past and present context of the community. This includes analyses of the social, ecological, and economic factors that are relevant to the community, and allows for engagement in many different perspectives that are separate from a perspective as an outsider in the community. Through a technical investigation, such as mapping, allows for the analysis of existing conditions in the community, while determining the best sites for development. This thesis has been explored in smaller scales with less resources. Although this thesis provides a solution to the lack of resources within a community, the proposed development requires the cohesiveness of many barriers, including zoning, funding and investment and maintenance. The barriers mentioned make the development of a project like this move slowly and it also may intimidate others. Stereotypes directed towards disinvested neighborhoods is another barrier that goes against this thesis. There are assumptions that projects like these shouldn’t be developed in these communities because the project could become neglected from lack of interest and care in residents. Besides the barriers, the thesis has limitations when determining if the model and transformation plan designed, will actually prove successful in the McDougall Hunt community and furthermore in other low-income communities around the world. This is due to the conceptual nature of the thesis and the inability to test the phasing plan within the thesis’ time constraints. Also, without community engagement this project will fail, as it is solely based on community engagement and partnerships to maintain the developments and progress of the plan. Equitable design is a pressing issue faced by designers, and it needs to be integrated into the thinking and design process. It is about finding ways to dismantle systems of oppression in communities, to be inclusive and bring forth healing through the creative process. Sustainability is also a current initiative that is necessary and crucial in any project worked on moving forward, to ensure health and longevity for the environment. Although the project focuses on the McDougall Hunt community located in Detroit, the thesis aims to provide a solution that will generate an equitably designed, self-sustaining community – a model that can be replicated and adapted for any low-income community. The goal of this thesis project is to incite change or a way of thinking that will help build better and stronger communities in the future.

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