What is city planning? Neighborware? Getting prepared for next weeks speaker.

[Patricia Kovic]

OUR SPEAKER NEXT WEEK AT 10AM WILL BE:

Debbie Lawrence, AICP
Community Planning Bureau
City of Los Angeles Planning Department


http://cityplanning.lacity.org/

She will be talking about the Loyola Village Community Design Overlay.

What do you think the Loyola Village Community Design Overlay is?

Do you think neighborhoods can be created? How do neighborhoods happen? Type in neighborhoods in wikipedia.

I made up a word NEIGHBORWARE that we will use to help focus the final project proposals.

What do you think it this patty-fabricated term means?

[Michael Angelo Ponce]

Neighborware- A collection of physical things geared toward increasing interaction flow between two (or more) seperate groups. For ex: Westchester Senior Center + Westchester Community Library + Weschester Park(?)

The content of neighborware should be reviewed under the following creative problem solving (cps model) criteria:

1. Problem finding- Choosing a goal or target
*Proposal-How can we increase interaction within the Westchester Community?

2. Research- Why/how does this problem need to be solved?
*Proposal- see WSC/WCL descriptions

3. Ideation- Various/misc ideas to be considered
Film
*Proposal- Film, Clothing, Environment, Gifts/Exchange, Ware Store

4. Concept- Refined ideas. More clearly purposed and defined.
*Proposal-

Ware Store: -Community Oriented space located between WSC and WSL, that functions as a catalyst for people of all demographic tribes to attain/exchange products and gifts (i.e.-clothing, movies, tea.) In other words, the ware store should be not only be considered, but also acknowledged as a "Flow conductor".

5. Development- Specific specifications of product or object being created.
*Proposal- n/a

6. Presentation- Marketing/Distribution
*Proposal- n/a

[Cynthia Al-Hasbani]

Loyola Village Community Design Overlay <--- in general, very peaceful, quiet, and serene. However, going deeper (like we all did with our data mapping) we, or should I say 'I' personally noticed that compared to the WSC it's a little bit distant, not only in relationship and contact but in its content. Even down to the most intricate abstract detail like people's opinions of categorizing 5 words in order, the attitudes were different. I think the overall physicality of the library has this effect on the people who target it for visits.

As far as Neighborware. AHHHH NEIGHBOR TUPPERWARE FOR SURE!!!!!!!! 2 meanings to that (and that's just personal) 1) It could mean good quality tupperware that you can buy from hmmm say crate and barrel and pay expensive money for it. OR 2) Tupperware that is so magical and friendly that only the most neighborly delicious food can be cooked and stored in it.

On a more serious note, I think neighborware can also signify everything and everyone who is almost compatible with one another. remember the post its we did 2 weeks ago? yeah kinda like that. foods that go together, things like lock and key, or balki and larry or LA and NY etc...

Also, it could be 2 opposing things that attract in spite of everything e.g positive and negative charges.

[Patricia Kovic]

Excellent comments, Vanessa. What might Neighborware be for the WSC and the Library?

[Vanessa Hansford]

The beginnings of a neighborhood can be created by planning and building facilities that allow people that live near by to come together and interact in a common space. But once these spaces are designed and created, it is up to the people living in the surrounding areas to participate and collectively create a neighborhood amongst one another. Neighborware could mean many different things but one of the meanings could be a product that interactively connects you to your surrounding "neighbors" in order to chat, plan activities or trade / exchange services such as dog walking or house sitting.