From Cooper Hewitt site, courtesy of Moorhead & Moorhead/Mikiko Kikuyama
By The People: Designing a Better America, showing at the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, is an insightful look into a variety of design-based projects which seek to address an issue at hand in the communities which they are centered in around the nation. By highlighting the combined effectiveness and efficiency of design-based solutions, this exhibition encourages audience members to think critically about issues in their own communities, and question how thoughtful design might make an impact.
Two men looking over the Rent Regulation Rights poster (from Cooper Hewitt site)
The “What is Affordable Housing?” project was designed by The Center for Urban Pedagogy to share practical information about affordable housing access in New York City in the wake of skyrocketing property values. The foldout Rent Regulation Rights posters are a simple way to inform people of their rights as tenants in New York City, and explain what one should do if faced with pressure from landlords. This project was originally designed for residents of NYC’s Chinatown, with editions in English and Chinese, but a Spanish poster is in the works and the project is also looking to spread to San Francisco.
A prototype of Future People’s Future Cycle
Designed by the Future People, Future Cycles are alternate methods of transportation that rival the relative affordability of public transportation. Powered by man or electricity, these cycles provide an option for commuters that is safer than a bicycle, yet more efficient and less costly than a car to maintain. Perhaps most importantly, these vehicles challenge the notion that daily commuting is either done by car, bicycle, or public transportation; they combine the benefits of each into a newer, more efficient and affordable way to commute.
With transit fares rising beyond a reasonable cost and cars too expensive to maintain for many families in NYC, workers are forced to turn to human-powered transportation like biking or walking. Alternate options like Future Cycles are attractive on a surface level, but deeper issues involving accessibility and affordability are at play here. NYC does not offer much by way of charging ports for electric vehicles, and though these vehicles are highly efficient, it is unrealistic for many families to tack on the cost of charging a car to their monthly power bill. Besides the cost, one must also consider the current barriers between many workers and commuters in the city and state-issued driver’s licenses. It appears as though Future Cycles falls into the category of attractive solutions that are efficient and effective in the long run, but too initially expensive to be realistic for many New Yorkers and Americans.
4th Floor as featured on Cooper Hewitt site
4th Floor is an extension of the Chattanooga, Tennessee Public Library, where storage space was converted into an experimental multimedia lab open to public access. With flexible programming and a variety of machinery and materials, 4th Floor is a place where any person, regardless of socioeconomic background, can come and turn their ideas into reality. The open and cluttered floor plan promotes collaboration and sharing between neighbors. 4th Floor is a different approach to a public library space, encouraging the sharing of information not only through books and the internet, but also through human interaction.
4th Floor would be most fit for adaptation by the New York Public Library in several locations. Though most anybody can research and read about a skill via the internet at this time, it is very difficult for people to find space to learn and practice their crafts without spending an unrealistic amount of money. By providing open access to tools, materials, and educational programming, a 21st century lab/library like 4th Floor would allow many New Yorkers to learn and practice new crafts for any reason they want to. Projects like 4th Floor, located around NYC, would go a long way in building communities in a city that feels largely anonymous most of the time, connecting people through shared knowledge and skill.
By allowing access to a wealth of materials and knowledge, creative hubs like 4th Floor help people reach the full potential of their ideas and truly design their own better America. This exhibition shows just how positively impactful a single idea can be when given the attention it needs to flower. America is truly designed by its own people, and that will never change.
Julia Aneiro
