Title: The Laundromat’s Network
Context: Corona, Queens, NYC.
Theme: Kids in the public space, communication and public programs.
Challenge: How might we implement public programs in an overcrowded neighborhood to provide learning support to its inhabitants and especially children?
Related Project:
My Story of Corona︎︎︎
Public/Communal spaces︎︎︎
Context: Corona, Queens, NYC.
Theme: Kids in the public space, communication and public programs.
Challenge: How might we implement public programs in an overcrowded neighborhood to provide learning support to its inhabitants and especially children?
Related Project:
My Story of Corona︎︎︎
Public/Communal spaces︎︎︎
Description:
During my exploration of the neighborhood of Corona, I started to focus on how children are interacting with public spaces. Indeed, the population of Corona is very yong (28% under 18yo), schools are over crowded with old infrastructures, and furthermore very few after schools programs are available. Morever, most of the parents are both workers. Therefore, from 2pm,
most of the kids are outside, following their parents at work, or in unformal nurseries initiated by members of the community.
After investigations, I discovered that this neighborhood was hosting the most of laundromats in New York (38) and that most of them was managed by women, often accompanied with children.
Those private spaces used by the public offer the potentiality to be turned into a communal space that we could implemant to provide learning activities.
Beyond children’s issue, there is a lack of communication between the different communities in Corona due to difference of languages and culture and a high leverage of unemployed inhabitants.
Regarding the network of laundromats we have decided to propose different programs in those spaces. Our purpose is to improve communication, provide services and preserve (and develop) cultural know-hows.
Theme: Kids in the public space
Insight: Children spend many times on the plaza. The space is not designed for them, thus they are bored with no activities for their age.
Methods:
Observations, ethnographic approach
Data research and analysis
Mapping networks
Cultural exchange
Sevice design methods
Use of scenarios
During my exploration of the neighborhood of Corona, I started to focus on how children are interacting with public spaces. Indeed, the population of Corona is very yong (28% under 18yo), schools are over crowded with old infrastructures, and furthermore very few after schools programs are available. Morever, most of the parents are both workers. Therefore, from 2pm,
most of the kids are outside, following their parents at work, or in unformal nurseries initiated by members of the community.
After investigations, I discovered that this neighborhood was hosting the most of laundromats in New York (38) and that most of them was managed by women, often accompanied with children.
Those private spaces used by the public offer the potentiality to be turned into a communal space that we could implemant to provide learning activities.
Beyond children’s issue, there is a lack of communication between the different communities in Corona due to difference of languages and culture and a high leverage of unemployed inhabitants.
Regarding the network of laundromats we have decided to propose different programs in those spaces. Our purpose is to improve communication, provide services and preserve (and develop) cultural know-hows.
Theme: Kids in the public space
Insight: Children spend many times on the plaza. The space is not designed for them, thus they are bored with no activities for their age.
Methods:
Observations, ethnographic approach
Data research and analysis
Mapping networks
Cultural exchange
Sevice design methods
Use of scenarios
People who interact the most with the public space in the neighborhood are kids. Indeed they used parks, school transportation, get out of school in groups, the public library,... Thus, children make the identity of Corona.
However, most of the children come from the Latino community. Therefore, the public representation of Corona’s identity is not exact. Are misrepresented the Chinese, the Afro-American and the Greek communities.
Children are the most imposing in public space.
The latino community is really young. Thus, the people you see the most are kids. They occupy the place and shape the neighborhood life (parks, gardens, school transportation,...). Therefore it results that Corona seems to represent the latino community only.
The geographic situation of Corona Plaza makes it a meeting point and a commercial attraction (market, restaurant, events). Thus many families use the place for a long time in order to enjoy all things that the place has to offer. That is why, on Market’s day, the place is full and chairs all occupied. People meet others, do their shopping, discuss when children play, eat and drinks. A good representation of this attractivity is the omnipresence of strollers. Corona became on those days more a communal space rather than a public one (communities conflict with dedicated time).
During days off, most of the people are lonely people. The function of the place change, here it is a public space in which you can feel alone, anonymous and free. At that time Corona’s communities are proportionnaly represented.
However, most of the children come from the Latino community. Therefore, the public representation of Corona’s identity is not exact. Are misrepresented the Chinese, the Afro-American and the Greek communities.
Children are the most imposing in public space.
The latino community is really young. Thus, the people you see the most are kids. They occupy the place and shape the neighborhood life (parks, gardens, school transportation,...). Therefore it results that Corona seems to represent the latino community only.
The geographic situation of Corona Plaza makes it a meeting point and a commercial attraction (market, restaurant, events). Thus many families use the place for a long time in order to enjoy all things that the place has to offer. That is why, on Market’s day, the place is full and chairs all occupied. People meet others, do their shopping, discuss when children play, eat and drinks. A good representation of this attractivity is the omnipresence of strollers. Corona became on those days more a communal space rather than a public one (communities conflict with dedicated time).
During days off, most of the people are lonely people. The function of the place change, here it is a public space in which you can feel alone, anonymous and free. At that time Corona’s communities are proportionnaly represented.
Project:
Laundromats are everywhere, and their use universal. As a space they provide the possibility to duplicate services and therefore touch different populations. A laundromat can welcome local populations and uses and thus be the place for commoning. Moreover, it is part of a wide network define by its first use, allowing us to draft new interconnected uses for a wider public.
I think that if we want to create more relationship between Corona’s inhabitants, one public space open to everybody will not be used as a communal one. We can not force people to act in the public sphere. However, through a network of different semi-public spaces as laundromats, we offer possibilities and curiosities. The object laundry defines a use, so if we go to a laundromat it is with a purpose. In this space everybody seems comfortable and familiar. People interact each other, avoid each other, work together. The body language to communicate in this type of space is well-known. If people are familiar with what we can call « their » space, and if new activities or facilities are added to it, I hope that users of laundromats will be curious to join these proposals and therefore the network. Step by step, it will create a community of users all across the neighborhood and then create new linkage.
Laundromats are everywhere, and their use universal. As a space they provide the possibility to duplicate services and therefore touch different populations. A laundromat can welcome local populations and uses and thus be the place for commoning. Moreover, it is part of a wide network define by its first use, allowing us to draft new interconnected uses for a wider public.
I think that if we want to create more relationship between Corona’s inhabitants, one public space open to everybody will not be used as a communal one. We can not force people to act in the public sphere. However, through a network of different semi-public spaces as laundromats, we offer possibilities and curiosities. The object laundry defines a use, so if we go to a laundromat it is with a purpose. In this space everybody seems comfortable and familiar. People interact each other, avoid each other, work together. The body language to communicate in this type of space is well-known. If people are familiar with what we can call « their » space, and if new activities or facilities are added to it, I hope that users of laundromats will be curious to join these proposals and therefore the network. Step by step, it will create a community of users all across the neighborhood and then create new linkage.
CORONA LAUNDROMAT’S NETWORK
In each laundromats there will be permanent tools such as an information board, a bookshelves and a Facebook page.
Trough the week different programs will take place there (citizenship and english lessons, workshops) and so activate the space for different public and uses.
PROGRAMS
SCENARIOS
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