This document contains Matthew Tarnowski's responses to discussion questions for an online course on American Diversity and Design at the University at Buffalo. The responses discuss topics like how diversity and design have impacted humanity, examples of designs that promote or hinder diversity, and how certain innovations have benefited and harmed various groups. Matthew provides his perspective on issues like ride-sharing services, water filters, photojournalism, communication through symbols like hats, and other design-related topics. He also shares some personal details about growing up near a steel plant in his hometown.

1. University at Buffalo
–
State University of New York
ARC 211 – American Diversity and Design – Spring 2017
Online Discussion Question
Matthew Tarnowski
Image source: https://www.tumblr.com/search/ying%20yang%20tattoos

2. Diversity and design has
affected every human to
walk on the planet. First, we
are all diverse. While we are
grouped into categories by
race and religion, among
others, there are so many
subcategories and
overlapping categories that,
in the end, we fall into our
own unique sphere of
humanity's Venn diagram.
This is what I have learned
about diversity. From
design, I have learned how
present it is in nearly every
aspect of society. From the
chair I am sitting in, to the
computer I am writing on, it
had to be designed for me to
use it now. As we learned in
this course, this concept of
diversity, along with the
idea of design, directly coexist, with one directly influencing the other, and vice
versa. Design is currently tailored to stereotypes of the "groups" of diversity.
However, due to every human's unique individuality, this leads to issues that will
be explored in the following pages. I hope you find the following questions as
thought provoking as I have, and use them as a springboard for your own personal
critical thought. The following pages document my responses to the online
discussion questions in the Spring 2017 version of ARC 211 American Diversity
and Design at the University at Buffalo –State University of New York.
Photographer: Matthew Tarnowski

3. Introduction
Hi all, my name is Matt, and I am a
second semester freshman currently
living on campus, studying Civil
Engineering. I am from Lackawanna,
New York, which is better known as
south Buffalo to most. I tend to
adventure a lot, and so my interesting
fact is that I have climbed a waterfall
before. Feel free to reply with any
social media usernames if you want to
connect!
https://wearelife.wordpress.com/2011/01/23/its-all-about-your-unique-brand-part-i/

4. http://www.pushinteractions.com/2014/09/uber-
everyones-private-driver/
Response to "What is design?" from
Hello World
A modern day invention/innovation
which has both benefited and harmed
various groups are ride-sharing
programs such as Über and Lyft.
These ride-sharing companies have
managed to become a method of
everyday transportation for someone
without access to their own vehicle.
They also provide a crucial service in
helping to keep drunk drivers off
streets by making it easily accessible
to organize a ride home. While these
are undoubtedly major contributions,
it has significantly hurt the taxi
business, and caused many taxi
drivers to be cut from their jobs.
Furthermore, the pace at which these
companies grew allowed them to
have political influence, and with this
always comes negative consequences.
The most recent example of this was
the taxi strike at JFK airport to protest
immigration bans. Über chose to
upstage the rally, and grant JFK
transportation service at discounted
rates, effectively negating the entire
effect of the rally.
Sisson, Patrick. "How Uber and Lyft
responded to a taxi strike at JFK
airport." Curbed. January 29, 2017.
Accessed May 01, 2017.
https://www.curbed.com/2017/1/29/
14430070/taxi-uber-lyft-jfk-airport-
protest.

5. https://www.ippinka.com/shop/lifestraw-portable-water-
filter/
Response to "Introduction" from
Diversity and Design
The Lifestraw was a design aimed
specifically for diversity groups,
primarily those without access to
clean drinking water. The design had
to be simple enough that it could be
used effectively by anyone, anywhere
in the world, otherwise improper use
would lead to illness and possible
death. Furthermore, there was a
possibility that the user of the product
would have little to no education, and
thus they would be unable to read
instructions if they were provided.
Also, the design had to be both
durable and affordable, as those
without access to clean drinking
water were typically impoverished.
The resulting product of the design is
now used worldwide in an attempt to
provide access to clean water
wherever there may be a water
source.
"We make contaminated water safe
to drink." LifeStraw. Accessed May 01,
2017. http://lifestraw.com/.

6. Response to Media/Society Chapter
and TED Talk on Photographs
I would place the photographs,
specifically iconic photos from
modern times, in the gray area
between readers or audience and
media message or product. Often, the
media provides meaning and bias to
an image with an article. This leaves
the audience to either accept that
meaning or reject it. Very few news
sources provide just facts with no bias
in modern times. Recently, the trend
has been to not only disagree with the
meaning of either an image and
article, but to go as far as to refute
the entire view as false, despite
proven facts.
One image which, while not
necessarily iconic, is one we often see
in review of our previous presidential
administration under Barrack Obama.
The image shows the physical wear
and aging which politics have caused
to our former president. This image
helps to show the true nature of
politics, and also stands to represent a
large portion of American society and
their view on politics. Some are worn
down by politics because they feel
progress is not being made fast
enough, and some are tired of the
partisan nature of politics. Others are
tired of eight years under an
administration which they did not
agree with. Whatever the case,
photos of Obama such as this have
garnered respect from one side of the
political spectrum, and insults from
the other.

7. https://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/home/merigreenleaf
Response to Articles on Hats as
Communication Design
The two hats mentioned in the article are
vehicles of communication design because they
both carry a message for a larger purpose. For
both hats, the meanings are highly political,
and also vary based upon the point of view.
The intended meaning of the red hat is to
inspire a hope in middle America and a change
from the "establishment". The intended
purpose of the pink hat is to show, with a
double meaning, that sexist comments made
by the president were not supported, and that
as a whole, women did not support the new
president. For the opposing view, the red hat
came to signify racism, discrimination, hatred,
and intolerance towards anyone who did not
support the platforms agenda. For those
opposing the pink hat, it came to represent an
open dissent and disloyalty towards the
democratic process. The two hats are similar in
that the design was simple. The red hat simply
featured four words in white, times new roman
font, and the pink hat was a simple knit hat
with cat ears. Furthermore, both are meant to
show unity in their ideological groups. To those
who supported the groups, the hat showed
safety and a chance at camaraderie. To those
who opposed the views the hats represented,
it presented danger, and was an open
challenge to their ideals. The hats are different
in that the red one communicates a very
straight-forward and plain message, to appeal
to middle American and undecided voters. The
pink hat, features a satirical message, with a
play on words from comments the president
had previously made.
Budds, Diana. "The Worst Design Of 2016 Was
Also The Most Effective." Co.Design. January
03, 2017. Accessed May 01, 2017.
https://www.fastcodesign.com/3066599/the-
worst-design-of-2016-was-also-the-most-
effective.

8. Response to “Industrial Design” by John Heskett and
"The Incredible Inventions of Intuitive AI" by Maurice
Conti
The Ford production line allowed for mass production
of a mode of personal transportation which required
minimal effort from its user. This was, arguably, the
beginning of automation. Humans have continued to
look for ways to achieve more by doing less. The wide-
spread availability of the Model T allowed for rapid
personal transport. Ultimately, the user had complete
control over his or her final destination, how quickly
they wished to arrive, and whether to make stops
along the way. Previously, the only methods of
transportation which allowed this much choice were
bicycles and walking. Trains allowed for rapid
transport, but were not personal, as in someone could
not choose exactly where to end up, as those points
were determined by where train stations were
constructed. While bicycles and walking allowed
freedom, they required a great deal of effort,
especially for long distances. Now, you could travel far,
quickly and efficiently. This has had a lasting impact,
because we still rely upon automobiles as our primary
method of personal transport.
Within the next twenty years, I expect humans to
create AI which can create designs which can only be
produced by robots due to the complexity of the
designs. Manufacturing jobs are likely to be all but
eliminated. Companies will need to adapt their
practices rapidly, or else they will suffer from lower
productivity than these automated corporations.
These changes will produce results similar to the
changes which occurred due to the mass-production
line. New products will become available to the public
which were previously only for the societal elite.
Existing products and designs will either become
obsolete or improved in nearly ever aspect, to the
point where it is nearly completely unrecognizable
from the original.
Conti, Maurice. "The incredible inventions of intuitive
AI." Maurice Conti: The incredible inventions of
intuitive AI | TED Talk | TED.com. Accessed May 01,
2017.
https://www.ted.com/talks/maurice_conti_the_incred
ible_inventions_of_intuitive_ai?language=en.
https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/ibm-watson-health

9. https://www.dezeen.com/2015/03/25/mushroom-
materials-ecovative-modelling-kit-mycelium-designs-
of-the-year-2015/
Response IDEA Awards and Cradle-to-Cradle
Video
The Fade Task Light from the 2016 IDEA Gold
Awards seems to defy the Cradle-to-Cradle
concept. This design is only "less bad" in the
words of the video for Cradle-to-Cradle. The
design uses fewer resources, which is a good
start. However, there is no initiative in the
design to make it easily recycled for use as a
new product. For example, in the product
description on the award page, it is described
as "using minimal parts" and "ensuring
longevity", which is good, but does nothing
to ensure a complete product life cycle, in
which it is recycled into something new. A
product which does embrace Cradle-to-
Cradle design is Mushroom Materials. This
product embraces the idea that products
should be completely recyclable for use in
another product. Mushroom Materials is a
replacement for typical plastic foams for
packaging and other uses. Mycelium is used
to bind together crop byproducts such as
corn husks, and the resulting product can be
used for a wide variety of purposes. In the
end, the product can be composted, for use
in producing more Mushroom Materials.
Product Scorecard - Cradle to Cradle
Products Innovation Institute. Accessed May
01, 2017.
http://www.c2ccertified.org/products/score
card/mushroom_material.

10. Response to All Module 4 Materials
The Wainwright building in Chicago is a
building which challenged the traditional
ways of building tall buildings, while also
embracing the new technologies of the time.
Using steel frame technology, along with
elevators, the building was able to reach
heights which had been very uncommon
previously. What made the Wainwright
Building set itself apart from other tall
buildings at the time, was the emphasis on
the "tallness" of the building. Many buildings
of the time which were equally as tall, were
also made proportionately wider. They did
not have the same approach to verticality.
The Wainwright building was able to achieve
this by using a design technique known as a
tripartite design, which divided up the
building into three sections, and by
emphasizing the vertical supports by making
them extrude further from the building than
the horizontal floor supports.
The Arcus Center is a cultural center which
serves as a meet-up at a three-way
intersection of three different
neighborhoods. The building embraces the
concept of diversity and the need for dialog
between cultures and ideas. Rather than
making the center a "closed" environment,
like many historic buildings such as ancient
churches and halls, the building embraces a
more modern, open approach. The Arcus
Center features three glass curtain walls
which face the three neighborhoods, to make
it feel open to all. There is also a central fire
pit and den, and a kitchen. This creates an
environment which makes all who pass
through feel welcome, and encourages
conversation and socialization.
Kimmelman, Michael. "The Arcus Center for
Social Justice Leadership in Kalamazoo." The
New York Times. October 15, 2014. Accessed
May 01, 2017.
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/16/arts/
design/the-arcus-center-for-social-justice-
leadership-in-kalamazoo.html.
http://www.greatbuildings.com/cgi-
bin/gbi.cgi/Wainwright_Building.html/cid_1066071952_
wainwright07.html

11. https://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/i/impractical.asp
Response to Ballantyne and Zumthor
Articles
Ballantyne and Zumthor both agree
that architecture should be both
functional and visually appealing to
the average person. In fact, every
person would agree upon this
concept, except for architectural
extremists. Where their views differ,
is which they feel should be more
important. Ballantyne feels that the
comfort and functionality of a
building is a legitimate factor in the
appeal of a building. He feels this was
because the average person, who
uses said building daily, will forget
about the visual appeal of a building,
and begin to only notice the comfort
and ease of use of the building and its
circulation. Zumthor feels that
buildings must first and foremost be
more aesthetically appealing, and that
the visual experience is what makes a
building great, and is what visitors
and others will remember upon
leaving the building, not how practical
it may be.

12. http://www.nbcnews.com/video/see-drone-footage-of-
massive-fire-at-old-steel-plant-805158467544
Response to Levy Article
I grew up in Lackawanna, New York, which is
part of the area known commonly as South
Buffalo. My entire city was founded around a
steel plant, Bethlehem Steel, which provided
manufacturing jobs, primarily for immigrants.
The majority of these immigrants were Irish,
but over time the diversity continued to grow
and now there are a countless numbers of
nationalities present in Lackawanna. Nearly
all of the residential neighborhoods are within
ten minutes of the steel plant. However,
when the steel industry closed, the area fell
into a major economic depression. The
surrounding neighborhood has still not
recovered, and the majority of commercial
buildings are small, family-owned
convenience stores. The local beach,
Woodlawn Beach, was used as a dumping site
for byproducts of the steel manufacturing
process, and was entirely unusable, even
recently, until a clean-up effort from the city
government turned it into a popular public
beach. The issue remained that the steel
plant, which was nearly vacant except for a
very few storage businesses using the
warehouse space, was filled with hazardous
chemicals which could not be removed
efficiently. The chemical issue was so great,
that the majority of workers who had worked
at the plant have been diagnosed with various
forms of cancer. The issue recently reached a
head when the abandoned plant exploded,
and then caught fire, resulting in the nearby
neighborhoods to be exposed to a very
dangerous amount of chemicals. School
systems were closed, and people were
advised to stay indoors for many days, even
after the initial fire was extinguished. the
issue still remains, as even after the fire, man
parts of the industrial plant are still standing.
The attached image shows the proximity of
the residential neighborhoods to this plant.

13. Response to Pruitt Igoe Project, Talen, and Larson
The Pruitt Igoe project, for a short time, was a major success for all those who
lived there, however it was doomed from the start. If there were to be another
public housing project as large as Pruitt Igoe, Talen would try to make it a mixed-
purpose, mixed-economic complex. One major issue of Pruitt Igoe was that it was
less a means to benefit African Americans, and more a way for white society to
attempt to remove itself from African Americans. Talen would solve this by forcing
people of all backgrounds and economic statuses to become heavily invested in it,
as they live there along with many others who are from a different diversity group.
For example, an upper-class white politician would be much more likely to be very
concerned about the future of Pruitt Igoe and the project's wellbeing if he lived
there along with working class immigrants. The means of housing would not
necessarily be the same, however the building itself would be shared, so all groups
would be invested into the well-being of the building and nearby community. Also,
by making the buildings mixed-use, such as for stores, it would spur commercial
interest and concern in the project as well. Larson, on the other hand, would
attempt to make each building its own community. All the needed services would
be within close proximity to the structures. Furthermore, by incorporating new
technologies into the homes, the cost of living would decrease as space required
by each apartment is lowered. However, even with the lower rent cost, which
would worry some that it would again hurt upkeep and eventually destroy the
buildings, it would be more than made up for by the increased number of
apartments per building. Essentially, you would go from one unit at $40 per
month, to two units at $30 per month. Personally, I would like ideas from both
sides to be applied to a project. Have modular units, like Larson's idea, however
scale them in cost, and ensure that necessary services are located nearby. As the
cost of a unit increased, luxuries such as a more scenic view, and more non-
essential modules such as a fold-out gym are included. These would be strictly for
comfort and to attract wealthy clients, as well as middle class, along with the
working class. All of the optional, higher end add-ons would be located nearby as
well, such as a local gym and a laundromat. Finally, I would choose to include a
building style originally used in Le Corbusier's Unite d'Habitation, a layout which
essentially rotates the two apartments on either side of the hall around the central
corridor, allowing for more living space for every resident. My strategy would be
more effective than the original because it encourages diversity. This diversity
leads to more investment from more groups in the project. Furthermore, the
modules give people more feeling of choice and freedom. In the original Pruitt
Igoe, residents had very little they could do to change their environment. For
example, the walls were not allowed to be painted any color other than their initial
white, and residents were not allowed televisions for a time. This gave them the
impression over time that they were trapped and contained, which they were, by
white, upper-middle class society. By allowing the residents to customize as much
as they need to, it provides a sense of independence. Finally, at the most basic
level, all of the properties are the same: a modular, multi-level apartment, with
access to all necessities and amenities, either directly in the apartment itself or
located within walking distance. This provides a sense of equality to the lower-
income residents, while allowing the more privileged residents to relate to those
"below" them.
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/sh
owthread.php?t=176317

14. http://georginakelman.blogspot.com/2010/04/visit-to-
albright-knox-art-gallery.html
Response to F.L. Olmsted
The basis that Buffalo was the best
planned city, was the fact that his
parkway system was implemented as
the "skeletal structure" of an entire
area. It allowed access to parks for all,
within a few blocks of their home.
Unlike Central Park in New York City,
the Olmsted Parkways were not only
a central location of a city, but also a
feature which was planned with its
citizens in mind, and allowed for one
to travel from one end of the city to
the other in one continuous park.
Today, Olmsted would argue that
while his system was the best of its
time, it is currently not the greatest
globally. After the system was left to
complete disrepair and neglect, it
afforded Buffalo the perfect
opportunity to repair and potentially
expand the system, with more
modern aspects and features. Instead
of updating the area, we restored it,
which, while still very important as it
preserved one of the great works of
landscape architecture, did not truly
capture the progressive nature of the
landscape architecture field as a
whole, particularly with Olmsted's
visions for progress and growth of
greenspace.
Rich, Nathaniel. "When Parks Were
Radical." The Atlantic. August 12,
2016. Accessed May 01, 2017.
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazi
ne/archive/2016/09/better-than-
nature/492716/.

15. Response to Walter Hood's Work
If I were to design a landscape intervention, I would choose
to commemorate Buffalo's history with bodies of water and
waterways. It would likely be started in downtown Buffalo,
and end at or near canalside. The design is a system of
waterways, simple, black stone, narrow waterways which
all flow to the center of the city, and then meet a central
pool of water, ideally located in the center of the city. This
stream, then flows towards canalside, before flowing into a
split: one section flows into a simple pool of water, which is
recycled through the system, and the other, which flows
over the edge of a waterfall into a reservoir, which collects
excess water added to the system, which can then be
either recycled into the system, or is used to water a local
vegetable garden. The waterways represent the Erie Canal,
which is why they are relatively simple in design, yet so
striking to people who see them for the first time. The
waterfall is Niagara Falls, which, although it is not "Buffalo",
still is strongly tied to the area as a whole. This project
focuses on "Everyday and Mundane" and
"Commemoration" portions of Hood's "triad of
investigations". This relates to the everyday, because the
larger channel is fed by the many smaller streams, which
come from the various important Buffalo areas, both
currently and historically. It also provides a method of
arriving at the city's center, for someone who may be
unfamiliar with the city, and it will draw many people to
the center as a gathering point, then direct them towards
our city's current largest project, Buffalo canalside. Aside
from the physical commemoration of the waterways, I
believe we can hold yearly event featuring this system.
Simply, throughout the day, one makes a paper boat, along
with something meaningful from your area, typically a
historical photograph, or a small writing, or even a personal
letter. After you launch your boat from the nearest branch,
you travel to canalside, while watching the hundreds flow
down the primary channel. The boats are all directed into
the pool of water branch at the end of the system, and
when you arrive, you collect someone else's boat, and
simply take it and appreciate the associated object. This
connects the city physically, and gives a strong sense of
community and pride. Potentially, you may even have
others visit from outside of the area with their own boats,
which adds to the stories that are delivered.
http://www.suemarie.info/2015/05/canalside
-buffalo.html#.WQeoasa1tPY

16. Response to the Brookes
To me, this graphic shows how
aggressively white society acted in
order to fight the rise of the Civil Rights
movement. Those opposed to the
movement went as far as to turn social
services, which were meant for the
betterment of all of our daily lives,
against the demonstrators. To someone
from a different background,
particularly an African American who
was alive and participated in the Civil
Rights movement, this image serves as
a reminder that no matter what
occupation or wealth, people are willing
to potentially injure and kill to oppress
minorities. Often, the police force and
doctors, and potentially city leaders are
demonized in African American
communities as being wholly evil and
opposed to people of color. While this
is largely untrue, this image and those
like it only serve to reinforce that idea.
The reason African Americans and I
have so wildly different views as to
what this photograph represents is
because of the belief in workers such as
police officers and firefighters, and their
morality. I was raised to trust police
officers, and to believe they are there
for the greater good of and protection
of society. However, select immoral
officers and workers often victimize
POC, which leads to a bad
representation of all officers.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-
nR2C3MdZTg8/Tsp9QwCxlyI/AAAAAAAAAmk/94r_Igcb
sSE/s640/Fire+Hose+60s+Civil+Rights.png

17. Response to Charles Davis and
equityXdesign's Work
The message of the MLK Memorial
was "softened" by a congress which
feared potentially re-inspiring an
African American community that still
suffers inequality today. Important
quotes were removed because they
were said to be too directly
confrontational, but this peaceful but
shocking confrontation and ensuing
discussion is what enable change.
MLK's face was made less intense,
and the space for past and future
contributors to the Civil Rights
Movement was removed. The
removal of the last feature goes
directly against equityXdesign's design
principle 5: speaking to the future.
That area was supposed to show that,
although MLK was a leader, who was
wrongly and unjustly assassinated, he
had a strong and loyal following which
also enabled change, and that the
potential for future changes was still
open, and the fight was not yet
complete. Another idea from
equityXdesign which is incorporated
in the memorial is belief 1: historical
context matters. The MLK Memorial
sits directly in line with the Lincoln
Memorial, and both of those
monuments face the Jefferson
Memorial in direct confrontation, in a
manner as to question why Jefferson,
who was himself opposed to slavery,
allowed it to reach the point it had.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ML
K_Memorial_NPS_photo.jpg

18. https://www.freevector.com/greek-pattern
Response to "Landscape Stories"
Chapter
In my family, the two largest
ethnicities which currently are
dominant are Irish and Greek (weird
combination, I know). In our house,
you will find lots of green, as well as
shamrock decorations littered
throughout, even when St. Patrick's
day is on the opposite side of the
calender. The Greek in our family is
represented much more subtly. Lots
of design patterns in our house are of
Greek origin. An example of this
pattern is one which you likely will see
if you ever visit a Greek diner. To be
completely honest, I have no clue
what exactly the pattern represents,
or why it is significant. However, I
consider myself much more Irish than
any other ethnicity, so in my own
home I would be much more likely to
continue my Irish heritage (and
decorations).
While often a minority in many other
locations, a large portion of my
hometown's (Lackawanna) population
is from Yemen, as well as other Arabic
countries. The influence on our
community can be seen across the
city. Many storefronts, particularly in
Arabic neighborhoods, have both
English and Arabic writing on the
signs. A recent example is the
slaughterhouse located in the largest
Arabic community in the city. Every
menu item is written in Arabic first,
and the location does not offer pork
due to the Muslim beliefs of many
from Yemen.

19. http://anaheimamigos.blogspot.com/2010/11/buffalo-braves-
in-news.html
Response to Article on Sports
Branding
Teams should not use
derogatory names such as the
Redskins unless the group the
term is aimed at (in this case,
Native Americans), come out
and explicitly state that they are
not offended by the name.
Currently, we do not ask
permission, and wait to see if a
group is offended, rather than
being proactive. However, this
applies more to names with a
much more derogatory
meaning. A name, such as the
Notre Dame Fighting Irish, is not
as offensive. While it does
represent a stereotype, it is a
very small minority, if any, of
those who are Irish who are
offended in any way by the
name. In fact, most embrace the
name, even if they feel it does
not truly represent their
individual personality.
"Washington Redskins Name
Controversy." The Huffington
Post. Accessed May 01, 2017.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com
/news/washington-redskins-
name-controversy/.

20. http://www.advocate.com/arts-
entertainment/2014/10/20/art-gender-bender-festival
Response to "Visualizing Gender"
Chapter
The approach used by the designer
here is "get the idea".The designer
takes an image we all know, the
foosball table, and changes it in a
subtle, yet noticeable way. One of the
players is highlighted by wearing a red
shirt instead of a blue one, like his
counterparts. Upon examining
further, we see that unlike all the
other players, this one player is
wearing red high heels. Yet, looking at
the face again, this player still appears
to be male. The message the designer
is sending, is that gender does not
strictly mean biology. I feel this is an
effective approach, along with the
rest of the images in this series,
because it applies traditional gender
stereotypes of one gender to the
biological opposite gender, in a way
that both grabs your attention and
looks somehow natural. This graphic
could be improved by adding a
second, "female" player next to him,
with long hair, yet wearing all of the
regular equipment the others players
wear.

21. Response to Bathroom Bill
In arguing for people being forced to use the
bathroom which corresponds with their
biological gender:
It is courtesy to the other patrons of a
restroom that you use the restroom which
matches your biological sex. Many females
are uncomfortable with the idea of a male who
identifies on the female spectrum being in
their restroom, and vice versa. Furthermore,
this idea of being a gender which does not
match your biological gender by birth goes
against most religions, and we must respect
that as much as we respect the right to not
practice a religion.
In arguing against people being forced to use
the bathroom which corresponds with their
biological gender:
Forcing someone to use a restroom which
matches their birth sex can be very cruel,
particularly to those who may be still
questioning what their true gender is. While it
is not impossible, it is improbable that most
people match their biological gender entirely,
especially given how unrealistic male and
female gender constructs are. For example, a
biological male, particularly today, is unlikely
unsympathetic, strong-willed, and the
completely dominant force he is supposed to
be, as defined by the gender stereotypes of
past. Most meet somewhere in the middle of
the spectrum, and this can be very confusing
and emotional to many, given that we are told
from birth, "this is male, this is female".
In order to solve this gender dilemma, it is a
very simple solution. Having a third, gender
neutral bathroom solves any issues of people
offending others by simply using a restroom.
Many locations already have a "family"
restroom, which is usable by all genders. This
family restroom is the equivalent of the
gender neutral bathroom which is required.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/skarlan/1
7-of-the-most-fabulous-gender-
neutral-bathroom-
signs?utm_term=.htnlYobZn#.fq1V15
e0D

22. Photo Credit: Matthew Tarnowski
Response to Hidden Ways
The image on the top is of a pond in
Forest Lawn Cemetery. I would
characterize this location as stealthy,
because it is an absolutely beautiful
location which many would never
know about if they had not happened
across it upon visiting the cemetery.
However, while this is certainly a
stealthy location, I do not feel that it
is meant to discriminate against any
groups. The photograph on the
bottom is of the field area of Nichols
High School. This is an example of a
crusty location, as the fence was
clearly created in order to keep
anyone outside of the area who does
not attend this school. However, I
disagree with this policy, because for
many, fields such as this are one of
the only outdoor spaces with
equipment such as soccer goals. This
was clearly intended to separate
those who attend Nichols School from
those who do not (which, based upon
cost of yearly attendance, is obviously
a case of class/wealth discrimination).

23. Photo Credit: Matthew Tarnowski
Response to People like Us
Environment and social pressures are
largely what affects Tammy and her
family the most negatively. Her oldest
son feels the need to attempt to
present himself as upper middle class,
simply so he can have friends. This
isolates him from her, to the point
where she has to feel she is looked
down upon, not only by society in
general (as the name calling as she
walks to work suggests), but even by
her own children, which can greatly
affect someone's overall esteem and
motivation. Considering her largest
motivation was not only for herself,
but also her children, this is
devastating. I feel the first and largest
problem is this isolation. Tammy and
her family need to be situated closer
to the rest of the population, and
given proper housing. Furthermore,
Tammy and her family need to be
provided basic items which can help
mask her economic situation, such as
clothing and a working vehicle. One of
the largest issues is the view that she
has no way to bring herself out of
poverty, and this is caused by this
isolation due to class separation. This
ability to live with the rest of society
also affords her more free-time,
which she can apply to a variety of
things. My idea is to teach Tammy
how to make money in a more
entrepreneurial way, so she can use
this free time to bolster her income
and potentially save money to send
herself and her children to school.

24. http://riderarchitect.blogspot.com/2013/05/an-infinite-
climb-up-escherian-stairwell.html
Response to Carroll Article:
“(Re)forming Regent Park: When
Policy Does Not Equal Practice”
Actual integration of the elderly into
normal society is a start, obviously. In
the project, the elderly were isolated
from the other families into their own
separate building. While this could be
rationalized because they could
potentially require special care, the
execution of this suggests no such
thing. The elderly were given one of
the largest towers at 22 floors tall.
This does not bode well for the
elderly, particularly those who have
mobility issues. Furthermore,
necessities such as laundry are not
readily accessible by the elderly
residents. While these services are
located in their building, they are
located on entirely separate floors. If
the elevator were to require service,
the mobility impaired would have no
way to enter to exit their floor. At the
very least, if the elderly absolutely
had to be isolated, they could have
executed the design much better.
However, this is not what is required.
Often, prior to redevelopment, the
elderly would care for the children of
working families. This allowed them
to be a part of the community. By
placing them in a separate location,
they are essentially cut off from
contact to others, except for the
occasional family visitors. They need
to be placed in the community with
the rest of the residents, otherwise
this project is a massive failure, mired
by corporate influences which
overruled the needs of the residents.

25. http://soil-environment.blogspot.com/
Response to Enriquez TED Talk: “What Will Humans
Look Like in 100 Years?”
Extended lifespans would imply an increased wellbeing
over longer periods of time. For example, 120 years old
will be similar to current 80 years old, while 65 years old
will be closer to current 30 years old. Because of this
increased time span, societal periods of growth and age
will shift. Currently, we treat 0-12 as childhood, then
the teenage years, then young adult, and so on.
However, with this shift, childhood could potentially be
considered 0-18, young adults 24-40, and so on. This
increased span will allow more time to not only develop
mentally, but also as an individual, and we will begin to
see much more rapid "progression" as a society. I use
progression less as ethics, but more on the basis of
science and creation. I would argue that this phase, L2,
began as early as the 1800s. By that basis, we were in
the L1 phase from the first humans on Earth, over
200,000 years ago. Needless to say, this is a massive
span of time, from our perspective. Yet, while we are
still early in our L2 phase, it seems as though we will be
able to exceed any previously possible lifespan in as
soon as 10-15 years. On top of this, it appears certain
characteristics of the L3 phase are already being
practiced upon other species, such as crops. Further
proof for my argument of the "speeding up" of time is
seen in the geologic timescale. As time moves forward,
the periods and eras become shorter by spans of
millions and even billions of years. Further evolution
continues to push this forward exponentially. Aside
from this, and remaining grounded in the current,
designers will need to look at the downfalls of our
current elderly care systems, and implicate them in
future designs for the "new" elderly age. Also to be
considered by designers, what happens if we reach a
critical age; a point where the progression outpaces the
rate of time, and you could perpetually live forever? To
be fair, this whole question is nearly impossible to
answer, as the implications on the built environment
simply have not been thought of yet. Again, ideas which
were developed over hundreds of years in the past,
have began to be conceived and developed in spans of
less than fifty years. So it is likely that the solution to
this problem is impossible to solve, because the
implications and effects on life are simply impossible to
be understood as of presently.

26. http://images.zesco.com/pimages/225/225-d-030-
400.jpg
http://www.torreswelding.com/restricted/tinymce/jscripts/tiny_mce/plugins/imagemanager/files/
door1.JPG
Response to PPT, Smithsonian, and
Roy
The swinging double doors which
open both ways are helpful because
they are usable by all, and do not
stigmatize any one group. On the
other hand, the secure door on the
bottom is impossible to use by people
with a mobility impairment, primarily
if they are wheelchair bound.
Furthermore, if someone has limited
arm use, as in one or both arms are
incapacitated either through being
occupied or by loss of limbs, then the
door on the right is more difficult to
open, as it requires the person to put
their body as a doorstop after
opening the first door. The double
door opens both ways, and has no
handles, so if needed, someone can
travel directly through it with no arm
usage required. The good design
could be further improved by
including a larger window, located
further down the door, so people who
may be wheelchair bound can see
through to the other side.

27. http://www.psychedelicadventure.net/2009/06/time-is-
speeding-up-everything-is.html
Response to Survey, FIXED, and Stelarc
The first historical example which came to
mind, was the Holocaust, and Aryan
supremacy. Aside from blaming those of the
Jewish faith for Germany's troubles since the
end of WWI, it was taken a step further by
Hitler's Aryan race propaganda, which
claimed that Aryans were the chosen ones,
and possessed far greater capabilities than
normal humans. Furthermore, Hitler also
pushed disabilities as a blight on society,
which he looked to rid through
extermination. While the thought of such
actions taking place are incomprehensible in
the current age, we often forget that this
event happened around 70 years ago, which,
when speaking about history as a whole, is
not long ago. Furthermore, while it is unlikely
such a catastrophic event could happen
again, a similar ideology may be developed.
The primary fear is that those with the
enhanced capabilities will view those without
enhancements as inferior. If such thing were
to happen, it could potentially escalate over
time. However, as a firm believer in the
advancement of the human race as a whole,
the steps taken by human enhancement will
push the advancement of technology even
more rapidly. Increased mental capacity and
creativity will push development of ideas.
Based upon the geologic history of Earth, the
end of every major segment of Earth's
history has been due to a mass extinction
event. This was often because species were
simply not diverse or intelligent enough to
survive. I feel that if humans as a whole are
to survive any possible mass extinction, be it
here on Earth, or by inhabiting another
planet, these technologies will need to
continue to develop and be allowed to
become integral parts of our lives.

28. http://thepocahontasfiles.com/?p=9
Response to Titicut Follies
Wiseman was right in filming the
residents at Bridgewater
Massachusetts Correctional Facility.
It clearly exposed the cruelty
imposed upon those who were
condemned to these "hospitals".
The fact that the state of
Massachusetts opposed its release
clearly reveals that the state, as
well as almost every other state
with institutions like this, were
soon to be exposed in their
inhumane treatment of those with
mental illness. Prior to this
documentary's creation, state and
federal governments made it clear
that they cared nothing for the
treatment and care of those with a
mental illness. In no way was
Massachusetts suddenly concerned
for the privacy of the patients of
this ward. Rather, they challenged
this documentary legally as long as
possible, while they worked on
ways in which they could cover up
the cruel treatment of its patients.
Designers across all fields and
specialties should take this as a
lesson to carry through their work.
Just because something is ignored,
and made to be the social norm,
does not mean that it is right.
Designers must acknowledge that
something is broken and expose it
as such, in order to begin work on a
solution.

29. Response to PPT, The Architecture of Autism, Public
Space
As a resident of the neighborhood, I would not be
opposed to this group home being built, even after
learning the information in the second portion of the
question. Firstly, just because they are intellectually
challenged, does not mean they have any major
outstanding psychological problems. Thus, there is no
real danger to me, and it is unlikely that this group home
will affect any dynamics or the environment of the
neighborhood. Secondly, even if they have exhibited
these behaviors in the past, it is clear something has
changed in their issues. It has been four years since any
of these residents had exhibited these behaviors, and,
while we still struggle to understand why, something in
their brain processes has changed. One possible solution
is an apartment-style complex. After reading the New
York Times article from our weekly readings, it is clear
that social spots like communal kitchens have little to no
success in getting residents to interact. Rather than
forcing the residents into uncomfortable situations for
them in order to do something as simple as make a meal,
providing a simple kitchen for each to use independently
is a much more realistic solution. For any other person,
we do not use a communal kitchen as adults, so forcing
those with any sort of intellectual disability to do so is
nonsensical. Rather than modifying the definition of
independence for those with intellectual disabilities, we
should attempt to normalize their lives as much as
possible, and potentially enable an actual life for those
with these disabilities. With that being said, social skills
are still an important aspect of anyone's life. It is clear
that, when willing, those with intellectual disabilities are
more than capable of conversation and interaction.
Communal spots, like pools, are a very good place to
encourage this interaction. Water clearly had a
therapeutic effect on those with intellectual disabilities,
so by discovering more locations that draw the residents
from solitude willingly is a priority. The inverse of this
was the public farm that was created on the site. The
residents were highly hesitant to visit and interact with
this area on their own accord, so staff are stuck
maintaining this area. Creating areas where the residents
actually want to go and interact, rather than locations
where they are forced to go, is a critical concept which
will likely be explored further.
http://quotesgram.com/quotes-about-calm-waters/

30. http://www.panoramio.com/photo/5613350
Response to The Connection Between
Religion and Urban Planning by David
Engwicht
The place of worship I chose is the Our Lady of
Victory Basilica in my hometown of
Lackawanna. This is one of the few grandiose,
European Style Basilicas in the United States.
Built with the Basilica was the Baker Victory
Homes, which was a home for orphaned
children. This area became the center of
Lackawanna's (minimal) growth. Essentially, to
the left of the exterior of the building is the
"nice" neighborhoods, with schools and a few
commercial stores. A few blocks to the right,
across a bridge over a railyard, is the
"dangerous" neighborhoods, with a few small
family stores and liquor stores. The basilica
essentially formed the divide between the
middle to lower middle class, and the true
lower class. At one point, this divide was closer
to the upper middle versus the lower middle,
but after the steel industry left, losing the main
source of jobs in the areas essentially crushed
the region. The creation of the basilica was
completely done through charity donations,
which is astounding considering the marble
construction. Originally, the basilica served as
primarily a place of worship. Now it serves for
community gathering, as well as a school
ground. Mass still takes place every Sunday,
and, due to the relatively close community, it is
not unlikely that you run into people you
know. Unfortunately, Lackawanna is one of the
many cities that remains neglected, as the
gentrified areas of Buffalo continue to rise.
Due to this, I feel that the basilica will remain
in its current role as the area remains stagnant.
http://truegoodandbeautiful.net/posts/5-destinations-for-your-
catholic-road-trip-northeast-edition

31. http://www.wirednewyork.com/bridges/willis_avenue_bridge/
Response to Prospects for the
Future of Diversity and Design
Currently, the civil engineering
field is facing a massive
infrastructure maintenance issue.
Many of the roads and bridges that
were constructed through the New
Deal during the Great Depression
are beginning to fall into disrepair.
While this could be solved by
funding to update existing road
systems, this funding is not being
granted. Many fear that it will take
thing such as bridge collapses with
casualties to begin to get people to
realize the danger that we will
soon face. While we can do the
bare minimum to ensure we do
not have a complete failure, it is
inevitable that systems will begin
to fail. In order to combat this, and
without any increases in funding,
we need to continue to research
materials that are more durable
and less costly, in order to begin
the process of repairing and
replacing our infrastructure
systems.