A website like the civic footprint is important because it allows people to see, in an organized way, important voting information. Providing an easily accessible, public service, to relay civic information is important in creating well informed others. I think the site could be more graphically appealing to make it more user-friendly.

Diversity is an important aspect of cities. It provides variety in activities, and restaurants, and provides interest for a wide range of people. A good city will take this into account when planning. Larger cities will have an easier time attracting and maintaining their cultural significance by virtue of their size. Smaller cities, like suburbs, I feel, do not work hard to maintain cultural diversity. In Chicago, this planning of cultures can be seen in areas like Boystown, Chinatown, and Greek Town. The city has put up signs to promote the diversity in this area. Instead of just a city, Chicago has become a theme park of cultures. People naturally settle in groups which lead to the formation of specific neighborhoods. In some cases this can lead to the negative effects of cultural and social stratification, for example the division between Black and White areas of the city. This negative diversity is a problem for the city because it creates social tensions. A good city will find a balance between these two forms of cultural division. As a resident, I enjoy this diversity in the city. Living in a “city of neighborhoods” provides almost endless activity for residents and tourists.

I looked at Caitlyn C’s blog. It is simple and straightforward. Her small bio gives a good sense of her personality, and her entries are insightful and revealing. Caitlyn is very interested in Chicago politics. As such her insights are given with the larger perspective of the political machine at hand. For me, this is interesting because I don’t know too much about Chicago politics. When I hear Caitlyn’s opinions, I am usually sure it is an informed one.

I felt the Reveal Chicago project was a more systematic, almost academic approach to photographing the city, though the pictures still maintain a high artistic sensibility. The Picturing Chicago site is a little confusing, but still offers beautiful images of the city. In think the organization of the site hinders the images. There are several links to get to the albums of the site. The pictures themselves seem to intersect the academic and artistic. The Chicago Image base is interesting because it offers a historical perspective on the city, which the other websites do not. I almost always have my camera with me, especially when in the city. I tend to take pictures of various places in the city. In this way, I think I am trying to document the city and my experience here. This includes buildings, parks, and restaurants.

I would like my capstone project to have relevance with my studies in architecture. I don’t think this correlation will be difficult to make because architecture is inherently a social institution and can be used, if so desired, to greatly enhance quality of life. I went through several ideas for the capstone project. Right now I have decided to work with Naida on a project she thought up. Her project involves creating an organization like Habitat for Humanity. The project is meant to serve as a service for its clients, as well as an outlet for those willing to help. These could include students and faculty of UIC, residents of Chicago, the state or country. Naida and I would like the project to include an international study/ service group. However, we’d like to start small, see the response, and build from there. This project is more service orientated that what I was originally thinking. I was initially thinking of more academic projects. Our schedules have dictated that I begin work on this project during the summer session and Naida will continue through the fall. We both feel strongly enough that we will work with each other throughout the project and hopefully further it beyond CCLCP to allow it to take on a life of its own.

I would like to see the capstone course be a combination of informational meetings and field work. The meetings or lectures could be about various organizations and agencies in the city, maybe about past projects like ours. The field work would be necessary to accommodate the work that needs to be done outside of the classroom. Of course, the course would also provide a place to ask questions and get feedback.

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