Evan Sweet, Urban Planning

Planner, Geographer, Urbanist Columbia University MS Urban Planning 2017

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These selected maps and charts were created for the Introduction to GIS course taught at the Columbia GSAPP with Jeremy White as the instructor. My final project looked to explore gentrification and the large-scale waterfront redevelopment that occurred in Brooklyn and Queens between 2000 and 2010.

While gentrification is typically studies by exploring demographic changes to a neighborhood, utilizing census and other population data; for this study I explored physical changes to the neighborhoods and how those physical changes can be used to study gentrification. Utilizing New York City’s PLUTO files I selected a set of characteristics including: land use classification, construction year, building height, and property ownership to trace patterns development between 2000 and 2010 in both Long Island City and Williamsburg. Ultimately the analysis concluded that while both neighborhoods developed within the ten year period Long Island City kept much more of its original industrial character, while Williamsburg shifted substantially to mixed use and residential development. Moreover the type of residential development changed. While before 2000 most development was classified “multifamily-walk up” or “single family” by 2010 much more development was classified as “multifamily-elevator” indicating an increased development of large residential apartment buildings.

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Winter Warming Station

With tissue boxes, hand sanitizer, hand warming packets, tape and a poster two “Winter Warming Stations” were installed at the 125th Street One Train station after the early February blizzard. The project was a collaboration between Emily Kerns Minougou, Madeline McGrory and myself for Hacking the Urban Experience, a Columbia GSAPP course in the spring of 2016.

This project looked at how the built environment could be improved and better serve the community. Taking a metal support at the elevated station we created a resource for those waiting for the train. Exposed to the elements commuters lack the necessary shelter to protect themselves from harsh winter weather. With this simple combinations of materials we were able to create a resource useful to commuters. The small notice attempts to provide the warming station with authority suggesting that this addition is a realistic and implementable intervention for the NYC Transit.

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Inflatables

These pieces, part of a series, are a test of inflatables as interactive art. Constructed out of polyurethane plastic sheeting, the flock of birds and building access natural forced air from the subway vent to inflate and expand from tattered pieces of plastic into moving and active art. These are not finished works, but instead prototypes used as proof of concept for a yet unfinished project. This project was created for Hacking the Urban Experience. A Columbia GSAPP course in the spring of 2016

The figures on the right are a flock of birds which take of as the train speeds by. By adjusting the length of the string tethering these birds down the height of the birds flying is also adjusted. The final project intends to send a whole flock of birds up into the sky as the train rushes by underneath.

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FARM THE MALL, GROW DC!

Farm The Mall! Is a subversive zine and campaign strategy guide put together to blur the line between guerrilla political activism and mainstream political campaign. The product is a full color tabloid spread, which includes “overstuffed” posters, graffiti stencils and stickers. In the right hands this material becomes the tool of subversive activism, allowing for political graffiti, aggressive posters, TV advertisements and social media engagement with #FarmDC and #GrowDC,.The project was created for Fundamentals of Urban Digital Design at the Columbia GSAPP in the spring of 2016.

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Flint Water Crisis

This timeline chronicles the Flint lead water crisis. It is a continuous work which is 102’ by 11’ inches and presented physically as a folded booklet, which once unfolded stretches just under 10 feet long. The timeline was originally produced for a course called Urban Risk and Community Resiliency in the summer of 2016 at Columbia, GSAPP as part of my MS in urban planning.

The timeline goes through the events of the Flint water crisis from the day the water system was switched to when it was switched back. The intent is to explore and trace the human decisions, which both contributed to the disaster and allowed it to continue.  The intent of this project was to create a piece that was highly accessible to non-academics or people interested in policy. The charts, maps and text inform the reader, providing an overview of the crisis and a compelling narrative which guides the reader to conclusions about the cause and effects of the Flint disaster.