MACK JOURNELL
This is a figure ground drawing of Downtown Minneapolis and contains heavily used streets for cars, buses, bikes and pedestrians as well as two light-rail lines. The circled area represents the footprint of the Minneapolis City Hall which takes up one city block and sits adjacent to The People's Plaza.
Built from 1887-1909, the Minneapolis City hall is situated in the center of a bustling urban environment with two light-rail lines interesecting in front of it, bus lines flanking either side, and a plaza adjacent to it.
The drawing above hones in on the key characteristics in and around the City Hall Block, depicting the traffic of cars and buses one either side of it, trains in front of it, and people as they move through the plaza. As it is a space that is heavily interacted with, people are shown throughout the drawing to show their activity on the block.
This ANT Map primarily focuses on the accessibility of the City Hall and how that correlates to the accessibility of politics as a whole for the Minneapolis Area. A City Hall and surrounding space that welcomes people and encourages their participation yields a much more equitable democracy than a space that is intent on turning people away.
This GIF circulates through three images of the same view of The People's Plaza and the Minneapolis City Hall. As the frames progress, I redesigned the space in an attempt to give people a platform and amplify voices while providing a safer and more calming environment for gathering, assembly, and protest. The graffiti/mural walls that would surrond the plaza are the most prominent change, bringing vibrance and life to the block while allowing people to reclaim their plaza through protest art. Lights lining the plaza and glow in the dark street paint act to brighten footpaths and bring a sense of security while traveling to and from the block.