Blog 7 MAK Production

1. Hurricane Ike was a category 2 hurricane that struck the United States on the 13th of September in 2008 along almost the entire southern coast, from Florida to Texas. Ike’s produced damaging and destructive storm surge across the upper Texas and Louisiana Coasts; its likely to be the third most costly disaster after Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Andrew in the United States (Weather). Many in-land states were hit with power-loss and wind damage; In Ohio, the power was knocked out for 2.6 million people. The storm surge produced by Ike was comparable to a Category 5 hurricane. This storm took the lives of 112 people and the cost of the damage was over $35.7 billion. 

2. Not only humans were affected, but places like zoos were affected too. There is a story about a tiger and lion getting loose due to wind damage to an exotic animal zoo. After this incident was published, there had been a lot of push back from the community about there not being any sort of animal evacuation plan. The incident put more people in danger than just the hurricane, so people were very adamant new evacuation methods for animals that could be dangerous if let out. More than 4,000 cattle were lost in this storm and 11,000 individuals were unemployed due to lost businesses (Balance). The impacts of this storm were not only deadly to people, but deadly to the economy and the way of life that people once knew. Homes were destroyed, and within a matter of minutes, thousands of people were homeless. The New York Times has a specific section dedicated to hurricanes, and within this section are all articles relating to Ike. The communication of this disaster through this website followed the response and recovery aspects of the hurricane, but did not cover anything about mitigating the disaster for the next time or being prepared for it.
   
   3.Hurricane Ike hit in Texas with massive power, and coastal areas are more vulnerable to this type of disaster. The small island town that was hit hardest by Hurricane Ike was Galveston Bay. This area would have been more difficult to flee in emergencies because of it being an island and only having two routes of exit onto the mainland of Texas. If individuals did not take evacuation seriously, there was a huge likelihood that their lives would be put in danger. Galveston is only about 5-15 feet above sea level, and that makes the island very vulnerable to the large waves and destructive winds that the hurricane created. Lack of planning is one of the greatest sources of vulnerability. The city was hit in 1900 by a devastating hurricane, and the Galveston Plan was created to expedite recovery of this area. This plan probably worked in the area’s favor with continued development and communication about disaster procedures.
   
   4. Disasters can always be planned for and damage can always be mitigated with this prior planning. City planners and others in the field should be dedicated to the continual improvement of infrastructure to mitigate the damage from weather related incidents. This can be done in many ways. One way would be to educate people on the value of disaster preparedness. This means promoting insurance for tornados, floods, hurricanes, and other disasters that would be prone to the area. This education would also promote just having a plan and course of action for when disaster strikes. Having a population who is ready to retreat from danger at all times and who is insured for any physical damage that may occur will lessen the amount of lives and money lost. 

Another way to mitigate disasters would be to reserve flood plains for excess water only and to push all infrastructure in that path out. This shift would decrease the amount of physical damage and loss in critical infrastructure. This was done in the Netherlands where flooding is common, but almost never causes damage. The government bought land and buildings that were located in the natural and manmade floodplains so that there would be no physical infrastructure lost when flooding occurs naturally. This can be implemented in the United States as well. 

One last way to mitigate damage from disasters would be to rebuild what has already been damaged with better, sturdier foundations and construction materials. This would imply that we learn what made the building susceptible to damage and changing it to better handle inclimate weather.

5.Implementing these processes would have to occur in stages, especially the acquisition of land in flood prone areas. It would not only be expensive to buy the land, but it would not be easy to remove people from their homes and heritages and relocate them. There would need to be a shift in mindset for those affected individuals because there would have to be an agreement between the civilian and the government in order for the government to not pay more than what was absolutely necessary for the land and for the citizen to not give up their entire livelihood. It would be a tough process, however, through zoning, it would be possible to rezone the area and not allow any critical physical infrastructure to be built (or rebuilt after damage) in areas where flood and hurricanes are prone to cause mass damage. 

Implementing new designs and construction materials may be difficult due to the ties a community may have with a building. A historic wood building with a tall steeple may be a staple to the community, but if it keeps being ripped apart by disaster and rebuilt, it may not be the most sustainable option to keep rebuilding it the same way. The focus would be shifted from the ties the community may have with a piece of infrastructure toward an ideology that new buildings can and should be built that are more resilient and sturdy.  

Educating the population would not be nearly as difficult to implement. This could be done through government programs, student programs, or even non-profit programs. Money used towards promoting plan-making procedures, disaster supply kits, and evacuation tips have the ability to save more money and lives overall. Also, promoting education on how to communicate in a storm or weather emergency could save money and time in searching for people, so it may be easier for funding to get passed on this education. 

Bibliography

https://www.weather.gov/hgx/projects_ike08

https://www.thebalance.com/how-hurricane-ike-impacted-the-u-s-economy-3306022

MAK Production Blog 6

New Village Place is an affordable housing site at 130 Piscitelli Place in Columbus, Ohio. This building, in our opinion, is in a great location. There are nearby schools, religious centers, and parks. Its architectural style and red brick exterior matches nicely with the surrounding buildings. This building fits in well with the neighborhood and the nearby apartment complexes near to it. There are some single family homes in the area, but we observe that a large percentage of the population lives in multifamily buildings or apartment complexes. The landscape of the building is well kept and appealing with many flowers, bushes, and trees. Within the area, there are various spaces for recreation and family services- like parks and religious centers. There is a Kroger within walking distance (0.8 miles away). With past experience of the area, it would be safe to walk during the day while there is light, but traveling on that sidewalk alone at night may want to be avoided in order to stay safe; however, there is always plenty of lighting on High Street, and if the walk couldn’t be avoided past dark, it would likely be safe. We gathered that there is no nearby parking lot for the facility, but there is enough within walking distance that not owning a vehicle would not lower the quality of life for residents. There are also public transportation stops near the house that are likely helpful to people without vehicles.  The aesthetics and location of the building are nice and do not seem to stand out in any way.

Crime may be an issue near the area due to North High Street being the next block over from the residence. North High Street can be full of life, but also it is dangerous to walk alone and is not as well kept as many would like. High Street is the main corridor to basic necessities for people in this residence, so this could be an issue for New Village Place. At 500 feet from the residence, there were roughly 7 accounts of crime. There were 118 accounts of crime within 1000 feet of the residence. There were 163 accounts for .25 of a mile, and 191 accounts for .5 mile distance from the house. The density is highest on North High Street, probably due to the high pedestrian and car traffic. Burglaries and thefts were most common. Prices for nearby homes is relatively constant within 500 and 1000 feet, so we have assessed that affordable housing does not necessarily impact the costs of other homes. As you get further from the property to the West, properties seem to lose value due to being so close to High street and towards the East, homes go up in value. The schools available are Weinland Park Elementary School, Dominion Middle School, and Whetstone High School. The GreatSchools Rating for local schools are relatively low. 

Elementary

Middle

High

1531 Perry Street Columbus, OH- Creative Living Center

The Creative Living Center is located at 1531 Perry Street in Columbus, Ohio. It is an affordable house complex with mostly one-bedroom apartments. One of the team members, Kari, lives just a few houses down from this complex and feels that it is a great neighborhood to live in with rich culture and ties to its history. This building, though, is not a great fit into the neighborhood of single-family historic homes. The Creative Living Center is single story and built in a square shape with a grass plaza in the inside of the building complex. It is located directly across from the Ohio State Medical Campus and Hospital. It is in a great location, however, it doesn’t fit all too well with the other buildings and homes in the area. The building has an attractive grass plaza but the mix of a brick and vinyl looks cheap on this building. The fencing outside of the building looks old and run down as well. Fixing this fence would make the housing complex more inviting and modern. Without prior information on what the building was, it only stuck out as a run down building; now knowing what it is, it is understandable why it is not well-kept. The street next to the building is brick and the surroundings of the building are aligned with the rest of the historical district. Parking is available on the premises, along with opportunities to street park. With the hospital across the street, the streets and sidewalks are typically well-lit and well-kept. The nearby buildings are mostly just residential, other than the hospital. King Avenue is a road nearby with food and retail, and a little further down in North High Street. Access to the closest grocery store would be taking that path to Kroger on the corner of King Avenue and North High Street. It is a fifteen minute walk or three minute drive to the grocery store, and from experience, the walk is relatively pleasant and safe. 

Crime is low in the area. Only 1 crime was reported within the last 6 months within 500 feet of the residence. Within 1000 feet, there are 7 reported incidents. In a quarter mile distance, there were 14 incidences and in a half mile there were 169 incidences of crime. Most crimes are burglary from motor vehicle and theft. Crime is not concentrated around the property. There are more dense crime areas near the hospital and down the street towards King Avenue. The price of houses in this area is very constant. Due to being near the university and the hospital, the prices of homes are high and get lower as there gets to be more distance from the school and hospital. The affordable housing complex makes no difference in the prices or values of nearby homes. The schools serving this home have relatively low GreatSchools Ratings, especially for elementary school children. This may be because there may not be a large number of school-aged children in the area. 

Elementary

Middle

High

Overall, the two affordable housing complexes we studied were in relatively safe and high populated areas. The buildings may not have blended in great with those around it; however, neither of the buildings were too worn down or unpleasing. The greatest concern for these two affordable housing complexes would be the quality of schools in the area. This does not give equal opportunity to other children or families. If we were to change what we didn’t like about the housing complexes, we would modernize the building and advocate for better public schooling in the area.

High Street is a street with a high level of pedestrian traffic due to the college and dormitories on the west side of the street and the many commercial eateries on the right side of the street. Some problems with this area make the area seem unsafe and without character. There is no greenery on the east side of the street. With no connection to nature, that side of the street seems dull and dirty. For the most part, the biggest problems are on the east side of the street because along with no connection to nature, there is no connection to the area. Virtually all of the restaurants in this area of N. High Street are chain and can be found nearly anywhere in the country. There should be a draw to this area that makes it different from everywhere else just off campus. Local and family businesses benefit the area by making it more unique and also benefit the economy of the area as well; this area seems to have none of that. Lastly, the issue of safety needs to be addressed for pedestrians. This street has a high volume of car and pedestrian traffic. Pedestrians have a few crosswalks in the area, but they are not differentiated from the street and can be dangerous. 

One approach to make this area more lively would be to make it green and environmentally connected. In between Lane Ave. and Woodruff Ave., one side of North High Street is green and beautiful, while the other side is plain and dull. This unbalance is somewhat unappealing. The campus (west) side of the street is clean, organized, and inviting with green space. On that side of the street, we would add more natural colors- like flowering trees or a fountain. This would add a deeper connection to all of the environment’s natural features. The east side of the street is very different and has very few small trees and no grass. To fix this problem, we would add grass and trees to balance the area. Adding these natural features helps connect it with the other side of the street to make it look more unified and clean. The sidewalk may need widened in order to support the pedestrian flow of traffic along with adding the grass. Overall, by making both sides of the street green and uniform, the whole area will look cleaner and would brighten up the whole area.        

The left side of the street would benefit greatly from more green space and trees.  Here is a sketch I drew up to make the street more appealing.

Another approach to revitalize the area would be to take a more people-centered approach. This intersection is a fairly bleak area that does not live up to its full potential. This is not an intersection in which people would want to spend very much time. There are many small yet worthwhile efforts that could be made in order to change this. The first change that could be made would be to implement vibrant brick crosswalks in this area. This would make this intersection feel like an entire new area that stands out.Those driving in this area would go slower as the vibrant brick would catch their eye which in turn would make things safer for pedestrians. Parts of Columbus, specifically High Street, have art on buildings that add to the culture of the city. Something similar could be done on this specific intersection. Another way to promote people in this area would be to put in interesting benches- much like the one seen below. Along with these benches, street lights with similar features could be added to bring the area more depth and personality. Lastly, promoting the local businesses in the area may draw in a wider variety of people. Family or local businesses bring people to the area because it is one of the only places to get the specific good or service that they provide. It promotes a unique environment and possibly would stimulate that areas economy. These additions to this intersection would make this area have more cultural significance and become a more memorable part of High Street.

Implementing either of these two approaches could mean very high costs. The green approach would be a great effort to bring uniformity and a calmer atmosphere; however, the cost of expanding sidewalks could be high, as well as the high impact it may have on traffic. The green approach would be a good long-run plan because it would create a more walkable area where people want to spend time and money in the area. To make this happen, city planners would want to communicate with OSU students and others who use that strip everyday and see if there is a lot of support for the effort. If there is sufficient support, the city could allocate funds for the green approach on this part of high street. The people-centered approach would be much more expensive. Adding these brick pathways would be appealing to the area and make the street safer and more accessible to pedestrians. It would be feasible for the area because it is constantly packed with visitors to the university and perspective students. Using policy and incentives to bring in local businesses would benefit students and visitors greatly because there is a need for the culture local businesses provide. Ohio State and Columbus have so much to offer, and these approaches bring people together and promotes nature in our everyday lives. 

MAK Production

Matthew Farrell(.335)

Austin Workman (.1297)

Kari Kueterman (.6)