Consider: What have you taken away from this course? What surprised you? What challenged you? What skills have you gained that augment / support your craft?
One of the most challenging aspects of this course was its focus on urban planning because it was a field which I was very new to, and didn’t know a lot about. However, it was also an interesting part of the course because I could learn the process behind the planning of New York City.
The most surprising and inspiring aspect was Jane Jacobs and her approach to modern urban planning because it changed my perspective of old buildings having to be demolished for a city to develop. The beautiful architecture was one of the biggest enjoyments of New York for me and her appreciation for these old buildings was something I agreed with.
I learned that it is important to understand the people who are going to be experiencing my design in order to create an effective strategy to existing problems in a system, through learning about the designing process involved in the New York Subway and the Pratt Manhattan Gallery exhibition. The documentaries viewed in class were also very helpful because they provided insight as to the types of questions and problems designers face when their design is put into reality.
