Friday, April 9, 2010

Neighborhood Project Research

Geographers!


We are studying urban geography. Therefore, we must dig deeper into our knowledge of cities and their influence to uncover what neighborhoods have to offer.


Assignment: Select a neighborhood, start online research of the nieghborhood, choose 7 categories for your paper. Below you will find the project sheet for the Neighborhood Study. You will be given this in paper form today as well.


Neighborhood Study


Due Friday 23rd of April
Name:___________________
Objective: choose a neighborhood to study, write a paper, and create a collage demonstrating your research and knowledge of selected neighborhood.


Part 1: Location Description (paper)


Write a 2-3 paper describing your neighborhood and what you did. There are 13 categories, choose 7. I want to see that you visited the area and spent time there. In addition, to reporting on your 7 categories, I want you to list at least 3 pros for living/working in the area and 3 cons for living/working in the area. Explain why someone would or wouldn’t want to spend time in this location. Finally, give a brief explanation of the fieldwork you did in this are. I want to know how much time you spent there, who did you talk to (not required), what kinds of stores did you visit? Describe to me the things you did and say. The categories you can choose from are below; if you want to research something that is not on this list please speak to Mr. H.


1. A brief history of the area (how old is the area, have any significant events taken place in the past).
2. What kinds of jobs are available in the area, are there many job openings?
3. How many schools are in the area, are they public or private?
4. Are there many places of worship in the area, for what religion(s)?
5. What kind of public transportation is available to residents of the area, do people have to own cars to get around or is located close to the bus or rail lines?
6. How many doctors’ offices or hospitals are in the area?
7. How many community centers, parks or other family oriented place are in the area?
8. How many grocery stores and restaurants are in the area?
9. What is the average family income?
10. How much housing is available in this area is it mostly apartments or houses?
11. What is the racial/ethnic make-up of the area?
12. What is the crime rate for the area is (include as many different types of crimes as you can find)?
13. Are there any festivals or well-known events that take place throughout the year?


General Paper Guidelines:
- 2-3 pages
- Double spaced
- 12 point font
- Times New Roman or Cambria
- 1” margins
- A Bibliography also needs to be included listing all the sources used in your paper

Locations to choose from:
a. East Lake Street in Minneapolis
b. Bryn Mawr
c. Dinkytown
d. Uptown
e. Cesar Chavez Blvd. in St. Paul
f. Downtown Minneapolis
g. Downtown St. Paul
h. Frogtown, St. Paul
i. Nicollet Ave (Eat Street)
j. The Powderhorn neighborhood, Minneapolis
k. Northeast Minneapolis, (Primarily along Hennepin Ave)


*You do not have to choose one of these areas but the area you choose must be in Minneapolis or St. Paul. (Unless you live outside the city)
**Students are not to explore by themselves. Travel another student or with parents/guardians!


Part 2: Collage


In addition to the paper, each student will be expected to turn in a small collage of information or pictures they collected from the street/neighborhood. There should be at least 6 things on the collage. Items can include pictures taken of the area, clippings from local newspapers, restaurant take-out menus, flyers or ads from local businesses, or any other items collected from the area that show me you spent time there. At least 1 of the items should be a map of the area you visited. Please do not have your collage bigger than 8.5”x11” (no poster boards).


NOTE: While much of this information can be found online, you are expected to spend time int eh area you choose. You should plan on spending around 2-3 hours in your location to gather all the information you will need. While you should use the internet as a resource for this project I want to know that you went to the location and really got a feel for the area.
Suggested Resources:



NOTE: Quick searches can also be done to find busing/transit information, job openings, and additional housing information. Use the newspaper (either print or online) as well as what you see locally advertised in your area to help you.
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