Choose between two assignments:

A view from a window

1. 1. Spend an hour looking at your window (any window in your house or in your workplace) across two or three different days.
   2. Record in writing the things you observe:
      1. • What catches your eye?
         • Why are you interested in it?
         • Did you notice anything new from before, or from a different day of looking?
   3. Finally, relate to some of the concepts or ideas that have been explored in class.

A view through the computer

1. 1. Pick a place you will like to learn about. It could be a park, a museum, a residential building, a shopping mall, a restaurant.
   2. Try to find ways to learn about that place. What sort of information is generated in the space of the internet? It could be both official or informal information (these are not hard categories for me). For example,
      • • (Official) What would the official website say about the place? Let’s say if you pick to learn about a restaurant. How does the restaurant describe itself? What does its menu look like?
      • • (Informal) Maybe you can look at reviews through Google, Yelp or Youtube. How are people describing this place there?
        • (Other) Or maybe you can view it through Google maps/ street view. What do you see around it? Or try to find out other information of that place such as rent info, land owner info, or if this place been featured in a song, or in films, or books etc
   3. Write about what you find and reflect upon your process. How is it different from learning a place by actually visiting it?

Also as an additional component, it would be interesting to include multimedia content into this project. If the project continues to interest you, feel free to find supporting artifacts to support your written assignment. Share with me what helps you think through the projects you are exploring.

This is a space for you to reflect on your entire semester of engaging with your senses through different materials around the questions of urban life. As you write 3 to 5 pages, reflect also on the things you’ve noticed about urban living that you haven’t before. How are you seeing the city differently now that you’ve taken the class?

This assignment will be due by May 10th (Sunday).

As usual, if you have any questions, I will be available via email.

Students’ work:

“Final Assignment: A View from My Window” by Kaylee Gutierrez

“El Barrio’s Artspace PS109” by Grace Hwang

“A window to Covid-19 efforts” by Jamie Monroy-Rojas

“A Final Reflection” by Cort Harlow

“A View Through The Computer: Hudson Yards” by Sheila Rivera