Linden Community Design Studio

Related people

Arin Blair (related to)
Lisa Kowalski (related to)
Luan Nguyen (related to)
Eunjee Son (related to)
Katie Dodaro (related to)
Evan Mulcahy (related to)
Kalindi Parikh (related to)
Beth Paulsen (related to)
Conor Willis (related to)
Nick Emenhiser (related to)
Nick Frye (related to)
Patrick Holland (related to)
Tengkun Song (related to)
Luis Teba (related to)
Jesus J. Lara (studio professor)

Date

2015

Location

North and Central America->United States->Ohio->Franklin (county)->Columbus->Linden

Description

The existing conditions of the Linden community are examined and divided into the subjects of: Health and the Built Environment, Quality of Life, Transportation, and Food Access.
The group examining health and the built environment sought to connect specific signs and identifiers embedded within the physical environment to health outcomes in the neighborhood. By studying parks, walking infrastructure, economic assets, and healthcare in the neighborhood, this group identifies the impact these factors have on the lives of residents. The group looked at the neighborhood as a whole in order to connect to CelebrateOne’s goal of holistic community revitalization.
The quality of life group studied the support network that the neighborhood provides for residents, specifically in terms of essential life needs. This study evaluated community amenities for families such as schools, childcare facilities (including 7-day-a-week and 24-hour options needed by many working families), and parks and open space. This study identifies to the full extent which Linden needs more parks, as well as the full extent of housing challenges, both in terms of quality and affordability.
The transportation study group studies existing conditions for mobility not just within the neighborhood, but for the residents of the neighborhood regardless of where they are going. For the extents of the study, they focused on the four modes of transportation found in Linden: personal vehicles, bus, bicycle, and walking. Special emphasis was put toward understanding the impacts of each mode on safety and stress. Through interacting with residents and stakeholders in the neighborhood, as well as simulating several practical trips in the neighborhood, this study makes observations that will shape key opportunities explored later in the book.
The food security study group sought to identify how Linden residents achieve health and nutrition goals within the confines of their neighborhood. By connecting those observations with statistical health outcomes, this group will paint a picture of how neighborhood health translates into public health. The group also went through the exercise of shopping from a healthy grocery list on the ground at the various options available to Linden residents, to quantify the extent to which the neighborhood puts healthy food out of reach.
By connecting these four study areas of Linden’s existing conditions, it will be possible to identify the key challenges within the community that translate into the unacceptable public health outcomes we are currently experiencing. Through this process, each group will also identify asset-based opportunities that can make Linden a healthy and supportive community. At the end of this phase, the studio will be able to identify key insights into the community in order to produce an actionable plan to transform Linden into the healthiest possible community.

---