As someone who has lived in several apartments during my lifetime, maximizing interior space has always been like a game show. After about 15 apartments under my belt, I found what I enjoyed was maximizing small outdoor space usually overlooked by other tenants. In my current apartment, the previous tenant used the outdoor space as a messy storage space her broken pots and graveyard for the dead plants that appeared to have withered long before I arrived.
Several ideas will be explored in this blog that have been extracted from personal experience, working and studying in some of New York City's toughest neighborhoods like Bushwick and Red Hook in Brooklyn and from ongoing interest in making Bloomfield Avenue more enjoyable through small changes.
Because of my location on Bloomfield Avenue I can attest to the horrible traffic conditions at the intersection of Midland and Bloomfield Avenues. Although several traffic studies have been conducted by the township, with no changes or improvements implemented, a resolution to an important problem needs to be initiated by residents. Thats the point of this blog!
Adding things to LOOK AT calms traffic immediately. Its a simple fix to s serious problem, especially with the number of children and families crossing at the intersection. Using "Cities Back from the Edge: New Life for Downtown" by Roberta Gratz and Norman Mintz is one of the driving forced behind these suggestions. Norman Mintz was one of my professors at grad school and is currently involved with Program for Public Spaces.
I've also extracted several ideas from academic projects I worked in during grad school at Pratt Institute's School of Architecture in the Sustainable Planning & Development Program. Using NYC as an important case study of urban anthropology, adding foliage to any area will make it more enjoyable.
TREE PITS!
This is public space with an interesting dynamic. The dirt is already there and the space is unused and valuable. Other than using it as a personal bathroom for dogs, tree guards and flowers can be added to immediately improve your area.
I've already checked with the town arborist and residents are allowed to add flowers to tree pits. New York City has done an amazing job of utilizing tree pits. So if Montclair truly is the "Place where the suburbs meet the city" then lets get moving! The total cost of adding flowers would top out around $30.00. Tree guards will run more, but if you are handy, making one yourself is an option. Additionally, if you need planting ideas for the tree pits, check out this LINK for plants that would be ideal for several reasons.
Several ideas will be explored in this blog that have been extracted from personal experience, working and studying in some of New York City's toughest neighborhoods like Bushwick and Red Hook in Brooklyn and from ongoing interest in making Bloomfield Avenue more enjoyable through small changes.
Because of my location on Bloomfield Avenue I can attest to the horrible traffic conditions at the intersection of Midland and Bloomfield Avenues. Although several traffic studies have been conducted by the township, with no changes or improvements implemented, a resolution to an important problem needs to be initiated by residents. Thats the point of this blog!
Adding things to LOOK AT calms traffic immediately. Its a simple fix to s serious problem, especially with the number of children and families crossing at the intersection. Using "Cities Back from the Edge: New Life for Downtown" by Roberta Gratz and Norman Mintz is one of the driving forced behind these suggestions. Norman Mintz was one of my professors at grad school and is currently involved with Program for Public Spaces.
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| Tree pit in NYC surrounded by Boxwood |
I've also extracted several ideas from academic projects I worked in during grad school at Pratt Institute's School of Architecture in the Sustainable Planning & Development Program. Using NYC as an important case study of urban anthropology, adding foliage to any area will make it more enjoyable.
TREE PITS!
This is public space with an interesting dynamic. The dirt is already there and the space is unused and valuable. Other than using it as a personal bathroom for dogs, tree guards and flowers can be added to immediately improve your area.
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| Tree pit with flowers and pit guard in Flatbush, Brooklyn |
