For Lease or Sale

In my ventures around Salt Lake City this past week, I could not help but notice a disturbing number of empty buildings that were for Lease and for Sale in parts of downtown Salt Lake and South Salt Lake.

Though I was unable to take many pictures as I drove (I am not the best driver and this is illegal anyway,)

I was able to scope out at least 12 different empty buildings.  A few of these buildings had beautiful architecture from earlier in the twentieth century.  Some of the locations of these buildings were right downtown, and it did not make sense to me as to why they were not filled with tenants or some sort of business.  The first photograph was taken right at about 400 S. and between Main and State Street.  It was a beautiful building with small lion statues guarding its entrance, as well as a bold red door as the entry.  It was an olive green paint over brick, with cream accents.  I would live in that building had it been used for affordable housing.  I find it disappointing that this structure sits on such a lively block, empty and serving no purpose.

In the second photograph, the pictured building is located on 700 E. and about 2200 S.  When I began to address why this building was empty, I was already able to give a good diagnosis.  First of all, it nears a very heavily trafficked freeway entrance/exit off of I-80 East.  Secondly, the walkways here are not inviting, and there is no obvious parking near this building, nor is there a bike rack.  Perhaps this area would have had a better chance to prosper if it were not for the huge freeway ripping through the residential area, connecting the residential area to the business district of this area.  I will never know who designed this city, but they did not do a very good job of it.

Something I hope to do one day is give a meaning and purpose back to these older, beautiful buildings that can be found empty all over Downtown Salt Lake.  Whether they be changed into affordable housing, a locally owned business, a place for artists to collaborate and work, or some sort of social place, it is right that these buildings have life to them.  It is senseless to continue building new buildings and expanding the city outwardly when we have so much potential and space that is there for us to use NOW.

I intend to photograph (with a better quality camera) more of these empty buildings as I see them through out the city.

Those are my thoughts for now, thanks for reading.

A. Ikegami

Observations from Praxis Lab Lecture December 2nd, 2014

During last weeks lecture my professor had us watch a case study on the city of Ann Harbor, Michigan.  This case study was a documentary filmed by a student who was studying and identifying trends that linked the happiness of city-goers and the city itself.  What makes a city successful?

Here are the qualities that we observed about Ann Harbor, Michigan that make it such an enjoyable, habitable place:

• There is efficient lighting during hours of darkness
• Many historic buildings with authentic architecture
• Widened, pedestrian friendly sidewalks
• Narrow streets with slowed traffic
• Less stop lights, more stop signs (contributes to slowed traffic flow)

When individuals (natives to the city as well as others,) were asked what they liked about Ann Harbor, these were common responses:

• Street names that identified the place
• LOCALLY OWNED restaurants, boutiques, shops, bakeries, cafes, bars, etc.
• Visual Diversity
• Shops with large windows for passerby observation
• Restaurant plaquards
• Things to read
• Places to sit
• Restaurants and cafes with outdoor seating
• Lights/Decor
• Trees and plants

When individuals asked what they disliked about a place, these were their common responses:

• Big, open spaces with no architecture
• Uninteresting buildings with no eye-level windows
• Large corporations/banks
• When there are no places to sit
• VOID
• When there is nothing to observe or look at

After watching this student-crafted documentary, it was obvious to me that the most successful, interesting cities are the places that facilitate interaction, conversations, and the chance for a random encounter with other individuals.  People are happiest when a city has places to sit and enjoy food amongst friends, little shops and cafes with new menus to explore, areas to relax and enjoy the ambiance, and interesting architectural detail that makes seeing and exploring the city something that is easily encouraged.  I feel that the reason that this documentary made so much sense to me is because I completely agree with the comments made by the individuals who were interviewed about their opinions on Ann Harbor.  I also enjoy cities that lack mainstream retail stores, chain restaurants, and big corperations, because these cities are filled with small businesses that were born and are unique to that area.  These places always have the most fresh, local food, the most interesting architecture, and the most historic character.  I would choose a small cafe downtown to grab a coffee and study in over a Starbucks any day.  Not only is the character of the local business different, but it feels more welcoming, warm, and inviting.  These kinds of places feel as if they are inviting you to stay and enjoy yourself, rather than to grab what you need and get the hell out so the next person can make a purchase.

Cities should be constructed to make its patrons feel happy, warm, and invited.  Instead, many cities are made for efficiency.  They are fast-paced, and designed to get you in and out as fast as possible, whether you are simply driving through the city or searching for a business within it.

I hope to find a project this semester that will help preserve or restore an area in Salt Lake City or on the University of Utah campus that gives SOLESTALGIA, the love of place.

That is all of my observation and thought for now!  Thanks for reading.

A. Ikegami

The SOUL of a citizen

Soul of a Citizen

September 13, 2014

The literary piece “Soul of a Citizen” is an insightful article that describes the how the human desire for interaction, companionship, social and environmental change, and collaborative acts for community improvement are often hindered by the negative thoughts people have towards their abilities to induce such movements.  The author describes how many individuals are discouraged from starting community movements for positive change because they feel that their voices will not be heard, and that they are not a powerful enough force to compete with larger organizations.  The author includes a few examples of true success stories of individuals from all socio-economical backgrounds that have prevailed in coming together with other individuals in their community for a common cause.

How did these individuals succeed against all odds?

One common denominator I found among the entirety of these success stories is that these people had a deep passion towards changing something that they saw to be detrimental to their community.  These individuals united others that shared this same passion for their cause, and erected the formation of a group that progressively became larger and more impact-ful as their efforts and labors increased.  These people worked side by side passionately for change with friends, neighbors, and family to come to an outcome that would benefit all.

I now see that our potential as individuals cannot be ignited without the help and concern of others.  To make change, we have to work together, we have to feel together, and share a passion.  We cannot hold back our voices, or wait for someone else to do the work for us.  We must feed off the energy of other people and climb together.  If we act helpless, we will become helpless.  If we believe we can be strong, we will become strong.

As the title indicates, we citizens have s SOUL that is representative of the passion that us humans have for interaction, communication, and the well-being of ourselves and the community.  How can we re-invigorate our cities in a way that allows its SOUL to flourish and prosper?  How can we rearrange, recycle, and rebuild upon our current assets so that it facilitates the coming together of people and the expression of our culture?  These questions are something I aim to solve in the coming months in this praxis lab.  I hope to diagnose the city of its ailments and isolate a treatment that will induce health, happiness, and wealth in our community.

In this praxis lab I hope that I can unite not only with my classmates and professor, but also with other powers in the community, the state government, and the citizens themselves to make Salt Lake City an even more beautiful place to live.  I am absolutely invigorated with motivation, energy, and passion!