(Urban Anthropology) Brown University, Fall 2015
THE FUTURE OF URBAN PARKS IN PROVIDENCE: STUDENT RESEARCH AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT A report by students in ANTH 1236: Anthropology in and of the City (Urban Anthropology) Brown University, Fall 2015 Submitted on February 8, 2016 to Cliff Wood, Executive Director, Downtown Providence Parks Conservancy Participating Students: Gray Brakke, Audrey Chisholm, Zola Doyle, Laura Durand, Greg Garcia, Tim Ittner, Alina Joharjian, Julie Kwon, Nadia Larasati, Cameron Osborn, Paige Parsons, Alexis Rodriguez-Camacho, Sean Scott, Monika Sobieszek, Khanittha Wang, Kayla Weststeyn, Jessica Zambrano Instructor: Rebecca Louise Carter, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Urban Studies Teaching Assistant: Clayton Kindred Special Acknowledgements and Thanks: Cliff Wood, Executive Director, The Downtown Providence Parks Conservancy Department of Anthropology, Brown University Urban Studies Program, Brown University The Swearer Center for Public Service, Brown University CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 SECTION I - BACKGROUND Relevant History and Context 2 The State of the City 5 The I-195 Recovered Land: History and Development 7 Research Questions and Methods 9 Field Sites 11 SECTION II – RESEARCH FINDINGS Summary of Findings 12 Recreation 14 Aesthetics 15 Place Attachment and Memory 16 The Perception of Downtown 17 On Being Homeless in Kennedy Plaza 18 Participants’ Visions for the Future 21 SECTION III - PROPOSALS Student Ideas for Development of the I-195 Land: Summary of Overarching Themes 22 Student Ideas: Rethinking the Knowledge District and Subsidized Housing 23 Student Ideas: Multi-Purpose Use and Increased Connectivity 25 CONCLUSIONS AND NEXT STEPS 25 INTRODUCTION To study the city is a complex endeavor, situated at the intersection of numerous overlapping networks of environments, cultures, and forces.
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