Bushwick Is Changing

Typographic Installation

A typographic installation using existing documents of building permits and certifications specifically from this construction site. This is a new 4-story building at 330 Bleecker Street. This building was previously used as a "Private Garage," "Stock Room for Cotton Threads," and a "Clothing Manufacturing Establishment."

330 Bleecker Street (December 2013)

Planning and design

Installation at night using handmade letterforms.

One day after installation:

Two days after installation:

Website Design: Layout and Content Ideas

Simple to navigate; possibly all on one page–scrolling. Incorporating various elements of previously developed visual identity.

Considering the bilingual nature of this neighborhood is crucial for all of my work, as it will reach a wider audience.

Utilizing my photo documentation of buildings under construction, I can better give context to the locations as well as the type of work being done on the building. Also, I am using nyc.gov's database "Building on My Block" as a resource for all documents related to current construction going on in Community Board: Brooklyn - 04 (Bushwick).

Documentation: Buildings Under Construction

Current Construction Sites as Compared to Google Maps' Street View (2011)

330 Bleecker Street

October 2011

November 2013

340 Eldert Street

September 2011

November 2013

Collection of Real Estate Materials

All found in Bushwick:

Found on Halsey Street

Found on Eldert Street

Found on Palmetto Street

Spotted on the corner of Wilson Avenue and Menahan Street

The WycoffHeights.org's side project "We Want to Buy Your House" has collected these flyers in the Bushwick-Ridgewood area for the past two years and is a great resource that is frequently updated.

Design Revisions

Redesigning the visual identity of "Bushwick is Changing" as well as adding more context and content to the project.

Information Design

Geographic location

Incorporation of English and Spanish.

Information Design Sketches

To show that the change in Bushwick is real, I attempted to make a comparison in the demographic shift between 2000-2010

Some important trends occurring:

5,412 newly constructed "Total Housing Units"
8,276 new residents in "Total Population"

216% increase in "White Nonhispanic" Population
79% increase in "Nonfamily Households"
43% increase in "1 Person Households"
20% decrease in "Own Child Under 18 Years"
27% decrease in ages "5 to 9 Years"

Outreach

To begin my project, I sought to hear from the residents of Bushwick by creating a flyer that prompts the viewer to voice their opinion.

Initial Ideas

1. 2.

3. 4.

1. Record noises of the neighborhood and create an alternative sensorial experience through sounds, not visuals.

2. Create an infographic of Bushwick, focusing on trends that reveal the change occurring in the neighborhood.

3. Make a booklet of my findings, through photography, found objects, writings and design solutions.

4. Create various typographic installations in provocative locations. Document the process and the following reactions by residents.

Summary of Thesis

Bushwick is Changing is an investigation of an urban environment that is in a current state of transformation–gentrification being the proponent. The issue with gentrification lies largely within economic disparity and a differing demographic that moves into a predominantly working class neighborhood, due to its affordability. This move often unintentionally creates tension among the community as longtime residents fear they will soon be displaced by this new influx of people.

There are new residents and old residents in Bushwick, but a lack of interaction between the two makes for an unstable community. My mission is to provide a resource that can effectively be used by all residents to better inform them of the changes currently underway. Through various design interventions I hope to stem a dialogue about the eminent changing culture in Bushwick and potentially impact future developments within the community.