Methodology Ideas

Demographic Research of city populations? Who is living in the city?
-singles?
-elderly?
-families?
-children?
->WHY THE CITY DRAIN?

Research history of homeownship
-through statistics
-through ads - Levittown, current housing ads
-through government policies
Research status of American Dream now
Reserach Baltimore (and Portland?) specific situation
->DRAIN CAUSED BY CULTURAL IDEAS AND ECONOMIC DRAW OF SUBURBIA?

How do we draw people back to the city?? Make urban environments attractive to Americans, make it affordable
Hypothesis - use concerns about sustainability, transportation to form a marketing campaign
-portland and houston as evidence that ppl want to live in they city
-An inconvenient truth
-success of hybrid cars
-walmart going green
Problem - how do we attract this demographic to the city?
-> GIVE THEM SOMETHING BETTER THAN SUBURBIA

Analysis of contemporary suburban housing types - numerical and qualitative
-single family suburban home
__square footage
__number of rooms
__cost?
__yard
__access
__privacy
__flexibility- additions? grow old? use of unused space
__personal expression
__transportation issues
__cost
-Baltimore row house
-urban garden apartment?

Analysis of Contemporary Urban Housing types
__square footage
__number of rooms
__cost
__yard
__access
__privacy
__flexibility-additons? grow old? use unused space
__personal expression
__transportation issues
__cost
-high rise apartment buildings


Design explorations - how to have the best of both worlds: densifying the American Dream
-fleixble prefab unit
-flexible building configuration
-application to various sites