VIS101 Introduction to Urban Ecologies A New Urban-Ecological Imagination.

1B. Visualizing urban-ecological geographic conflict as creative tool

1B.a. Visualizing existing patterns

Once you commit to the particular urban-territorial zone, now you have to ‘pull it apart.’ Please analyze it visually, in depth, and expand, elaborate on the main critical issues you notice. It is important that you interpret -critically- what you see, asking deeper questions about the patterns, textures, contrasts and critical relationships among elements, that you notice. This also means a process of masking, editing, framing to identify each pattern on its own.

Select at least 5 patterns (each of these are presented in separate sheets), i.e., water ways, vegetation, transportation (freeways-roads, etc.), canyons (dramatic topographic features), buildings at different scales, parking lots. By isolating each of these layers you will see the drama of their shape, as individual operative diagrams (more on this during class)

Based on your critical observations, please add to these 5 patterns a series of personal graphic annotations -using digital or manual, Illustrator or any other graphic program, manual collages or hand sketches. These “graphic notes” should reinforce some of the observations you have made. These annotations include adding graphic systems, such as arrows, dashed lines, solid lines, circles and other geometries or symbols, to indicate the main critical ‘conditions’ you are prioritizing, etc

Once you have a visual and conceptual approximation of these existing patterns (this involves not only understanding what they look like, but it is about speculating about what these patterns ‘do’ to the territory, how they ‘perform,’), now it is time to begin combining them to open critical design research topics found in this area of study, and the conditions that have produced the urbanecological conflict.

1B.b. Visualizing existing patterns

Then combine some of these patterns or layers to dramatize the conflicts, between them, but also to suggest design possibilities. Develop 2 combinations, denoting 2 critical collisions – each combination is a graphic system conveying a particular idea about existing urban-ecological conflicts, within the area you selected.