CRUISING PLACE The Placemaking Practices of Men Who Have Sex with Men by John T. Bezemes ©2018 John T. Bezemes A demonstration of professional competence submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Urban Placemaking and Management School of Architecture Pratt Institute May 2018 Received and approved: _______________________________________________________ Date_______________ Thesis Advisor Signature _______________________________________________________ Thesis Advisor Name _______________________________________________________ Date_______________ Thesis Advisor Signature _______________________________________________________ Thesis Advisor Name _______________________________________________________ Date_______________ Chairperson Signature _______________________________________________________ Chairperson Name TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………….…….....………………………………………….1 1.1 Statement of the Issue………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….1 1.1.1 The Lawn on D & Times Square Pedestrian Plaza 1.2 Objective………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………5 1.3 Methodology………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..5 1.3.1 Case Studies 1.3.2 Interviews 1.3.3 Spatial Typology 1.4 Literature Review…………………………………………………………………………………………………...........................................................8 1.4.1 Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM 1.4.2 Cruising 1.4.3 Homosocialization Through Contact 1.4.4 Queer Heterotopia Chapter 2: CASE STUDIES…………………………………………………………………..………………………………………..16 2.1 A Sex Stop on the Way Home………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………17 2.1.1 Cunningham Park, Queens, NY 2.1.2 Study Area Overview 2.1.3 The Woods 2.1.4 The Parking Lot 2.1.5 Interviews 2.2 A Gay Sex Playground………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….26 2.2.1 Belle Isle Reservation, East Boston, MA 2.2.2 Study Area Overview 2.2.3 The Parking Lot 2.2.4 The Promenade 2.2.5 The Tower 2.2.6 Interviews 2.3 A Gay Backyard…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..35 2.3.1 Forest Park, Queens, NY 2.3.2 Study Area Overview 2.3.3 The Red Trail 2.3.4 The Yellow Trail 2.3.5 Interviews 2.4 The Outdoor Bathhouse……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..45 2.4.1 The Back Bay Fens, Boston, MA 2.4.2 Study Area Overview 2.4.3 The Reeds 2.4.4 The Victory Gardens 2.4.5 Interviews 2.5 Cumulative Observations……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………53 Chapter 3: SPATIAL TYPOLOGY……………………………………………………………………………………………………..54 3.1 Types of Contact 3.2 Runway 3.3 Ramble 3.4 Maze 3.5 Cul-de-Sac 3.6 Shelter 3.7 Field Chapter 4: INFORMAL WAYFINDING…………………………………………………….........................................................70 Chapter 5: CONCLUSION………………………………………………………………….………………………………………..72 Chapter 6: RECOMMENDATIONS…………………………………………………….….…………………………………………78 6.1 Unplanned Contact 6.2 Recognize the Value of Marginal Spaces 6.3 Without Fear of Persecution 6.4 Provide Discreet Wayfinding 6.5 Encourage & Support BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………………………………………………..…………………………………………….82 APPENDIX……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...86 A.1 Formal Interviews A.2 Demographic Maps A.3 Site Visit Notes A.4 Yelp Reviews Figure 1: Miguel Angel Rojas, "Paquita" .......................................................................................... 1 Figure 2: Excerpt from "Rules of The Lawn", The Lawn on D .......................................................... 4 Figure 3: Thomas Roma’s ‘The Vale of Cashmere’ series. ............................................................. 10 Figure 4: Cunningham Park, regional context ................................................................................ 17 Figure 5: Cunningham Park, neighborhood context ...................................................................... 18 Figure 6: Cunningham Park, study area ......................................................................................... 19 Figure 7: Cunningham Park, parking lot ......................................................................................... 21 Figure 8: Cunningham Park, woods ............................................................................................... 20 Figure 9: Belle Isle Reservation, regional context .......................................................................... 26 Figure 10: Belle Isle Reservation, neighborhood context .............................................................. 27 Figure 11: 2009 Google Street View of cruising in Belle Isle parking lot ....................................... 29 Figure 12: Belle Isle Reservation, parking lot ................................................................................. 29 Figure 13: Belle Isle Reservation, promenade and connected passageways ................................ 30 Figure 14: Belle Isle Park ................................................................................................................ 31 Figure 15: Suffolk Downs drive-in theater ..................................................................................... 31 Figure 16: Belle Isle Reservation, tower and bridge ...................................................................... 32 Figure 17: Forest Park, regional context ........................................................................................ 36 Figure 18: Forest Park, neighborhood context .............................................................................. 37 Figure 19: Forest Park, study area ................................................................................................. 38 Figure 20: Forest Park map, New York City Parks .......................................................................... 39 Figure 21: Forest park, the Red Trail .............................................................................................. 39 Figure 22: Forest Park, the Yellow Trail ......................................................................................... 40 Figure 23: Forest Park, men cruising the Yellow Trail .................................................................... 41 Figure 24: The Back Bay Fens, regional context............................................................................. 47 Figure 25: The Back Bay Fens, neighborhood context ................................................................... 48 Figure 26: The Back Bay Fens, study area overview ...................................................................... 49 Figure 27: The Back Bay Fens, reeds and passageways ................................................................. 50 Figure 28: The Back Bay Fens, the Victory Gardens ....................................................................... 51 Figure 29: Forest Park Drive Runway ............................................................................................. 59 Figure 30: Belle Isle Runway .......................................................................................................... 60 Figure 31: The Back Bay Fens Runway ........................................................................................... 60 Figure 32: Forest Park Ramble ....................................................................................................... 62 Figure 33: Part of Ramble in Forest Park ....................................................................................... 63 Figure 34: Back Bay Fens Maze ...................................................................................................... 65 Figure 35: Aerial of Back Bay Fens Maze, Google Earth ................................................................ 65 Figure 36: A Cul-de-Sac in the Back Bay Fens ................................................................................ 67 Figure 37: Belle Isle Shelter ............................................................................................................ 69 Figure 38: Sex-related litter in Forest Park, Queens, NY................................................................ 73 Figure 39: Cruising in Dongdan Park in Beijing, China ................................................................... 74 Figure 40: No cruising sign, Los Angeles, CA .................................................................................. 76 Figure 41: Frank Hallam, En Masse Sunners seen from Pier 45, 1985........................................... 77 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I’d first like to thank my husband Hugo for being so supportive throughout this study, always pointing me in the right direction and never letting me give up. Next, I’d like to thank my friend and mentor Aurelie for giving me the courage to pursue the ta- boo and to not fear my own curiosity. Third is Nick, who through many happy hour drinks gave me some of the best advice about queer placemaking and the literature to back it all up. Additionally, I want to thank Michael, my advisor, for always pushing and challenging me to think two steps ahead. And finally, I’d like to thank David Burney for creating the Placemaking program at Pratt where I was given the resources and support to pursue my passions. Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION Figure 1: Miguel Angel Rojas, "Paquita" Now all systems tend to close off reflection, to block off horizon. This work wants to break up systems, not substitute another system, but to open up through thought and action towards possibilities by showing the horizon and the road. Against a form of reflection