Lab 4 - Learning Story Maps

Positioning Tool 1

A) Aged, Poor Condition, Concrete Jungle

B) Abandoned DISD Office Building & Storm Drain overlaid with Trash

C) We walked about a mile in a square around our chosen area. The general pattern we saw were maintained (residential) areas then an unmaintained (urban) areas, almost one after the other. The residential areas seemed to be old but maintained, and the urban areas were both old and unmaintained.

D) There are two types of people you might see in this type of area: The residents and the workers. The area that was more urban and had lots of small businesses seemed to be more run down and had terrible roads and sidewalks, so I'm guessing a worker might see this area as old and broken down. The residents, on the other hand, live in bigger houses with nicer streets and have much more greenspace, so they might have a much more positive outlook when it comes to Old East Dallas.

Positioning Tool 2

Positive: Nice Residential Homes, Several Churches (Community Centers), Local Schools, Public Transit Stops

Negatives: No Maintenance, Lack of Parks/Greenspace, No Crosswalks, Sidewalk Obstructions

POV

My point of view is that this area is older, but depending on where you are, not necessarily run down. It is very clear that the more urban area is very run down, with the missing crosswalks, cracked sidewalks oftentimes covered in overgrown grass, and terrible roads. However, when you look at the residential areas that have been maintained very well, there is a stark contrast in the look and quality of the sidewalks, size of the buildings, and the amount of greenspace available. This just goes to show how old infrastructure isn't necessarily bad infrastructure if you maintain it and have good consistent funding.