Assignment 1 - Carriage & Car Issue

My take on whether the controversy involving horses is not clear cut. I believe that there should be some type of compromise. While the carriage industry may not bring very large profits on its own, I believe they're still vital to the tourism in cities. It goes without saying that there are also issues involving the safety of the people and horses involved in the carriage industry. I would propose that activity involving the use of horses be confined to mostly park type settings. Keep in mind these animals have been utilized by police forces in cities all over the world. The horses are to be taken care properly or the owner shouldn't be allowed to care for one at all. If the animal is found to be poor condition or not taken care of properly, heavy fines should be levied immediately.

I've taken into account that PETA really does want to protect animals, but they are extremely biased when it comes to issues such as this. They are not looking at it from the economic side of people, who drive carriages to earn a living. I find it imperative that there be logical thought, when it comes to a "tricky" matter such as this, instead of immediately taking the position of an organization on either side of the issue.

I scoured around on Google and typed in "Horse-Carriage Industry" purposely to find a mix of news and commentary about the subject in different cities. I came across an article from the local Memphis, Tennessee negotiation website wmctv.com You get both points of view in this article addressing the good upkeep assurances of the carriage operators, and the concern of the treatment of these horses. One particular portion of the article struck me, as an argument to counter those who believe this industry are in its "dying days". In the article it is stated that the "horse-drawn carriage industry is thriving in downtown Memphis". Also noted, is the city of Memphis saying that the few complaints that have been filed were from tourists who then left town. Sounds more like city residents complaining about their inability to speed up and down the streets as they wish, which is becoming more of a trend in this increasingly fast paced society. It's not my opinion that all residents rationalize this way, but I wouldn't be reluctant to say that there are those that think this way.

Simply stated some who advocate a ban on these carriage, come off as if they're experts on animal welfare. Before drastic solutions are proposed look at involved human and horse. With many movies projecting horses to be the great animals that they are, I fail to believe that humans are so cold hearted to abuse these animals blatantly, and don't believe it. I'm sure there are operators that care for there horses as if they were part of there family, like the common family pets including cats or dogs. I really like animals and care about there well-being, but I can't ignore a good hearted person's need to make a living. There is a compromise here and hopefully each group will come out of their "corner" to meet in the middle.


Top Image provided courtesy of New York Led
Bottom Image provided courtesy of wwp.greenwichmeantime.com

Assignment 2 - Juxaposition

Alright I'll admit that I had no idea what the word "Juxaposition" meant until about a few weeks ago. Mostly everyday since, I've been a student here (transfer) I've awaken to this cool apartment with high ceilings and a lot of space. It will probably be a while, before I live somewhere this nice again, even after I graduate. What do the people and families living just one block north of me wake up to?

Once you cross 10th and Berks everything becomes a lot different. On one side of the street you have a well known university that rakes in millions, and on the other side you have homes many of us would rather not live in. The economic contrast between the two sides of Berks St. In this area couldn't be more apparent. I am in no way trying to pass judgment on anyone, who lives on either of this particular street. My only point is: that looks different when you're on the side of the street without Temple banners flapping on flagpoles.

The structural disparities between the Public Housing Development and Kardon-Atlantic Terminal are very different. It would seem as if you could fit one of the houses entirely into the smallest apartment in Kardon. I have never been inside one of the homes, but I'm atonished at certain portions of my apartment.

Before I even got the apartment I remember the leasing agent saying, that someone had fit an entire small couch into their bathroom. Who knows if that thought could even be entertain in one of the homes on the other side of Berks Street. Overall my point would be: if I thought about these differences, surely those that live in the homes adjacent to Kardon have though about the same thing. What do we think of one another, because of our living circumstances. Are we spoiled students that expected every thing to be handed to us, and people to clean up after us? Are they people who take no pride in their surroundings, thus upkeeping it is no real issue. Keep in mind these are just thoughts, not facts or judgements on my part.

Althought I must point out that this Housing Authority Development hasn't undergone the rehaul that many other neighborhoods have. I'm talking about the suburban styled seperated homes that you can now find in other parts of Philadelphia. I have no idea if the development has even been proposed to undergo this change. I had one question that I have to ask though: If the homes underwent such a change into Suburban like housing, would they fail to exist as a Juxaposition then? Photos are of left and right sides of street at 10th and Berks Sts.

Image provided by: Labaron Palmer

Assignment 3 - Community Map

This map is a picture of my neighborhood at Temple. I live in the Kardon-Atlantic Terminal, and this is the place I've come to know as home. Everyday when I look out of the window I see Temple's campus, this is what I'm use to seeing at least twice everyday. Many of my friends live here, University Village, or somewhere close by, which is cool. You see many of the people you are friends with or have class with. In short this is my community.

What defines a community is completely up to interpretation. It could be two blocks, three blocks, a quarter mile, a half of mile etc. Nevertheless you are surrounded by many of the things you will need. Whether it be the library, the Tech Center, the SAC, your dorm/apartment, your friends, and classmates; most are close by. As a Geography and Urban Studies major I have learned that there are key characteristics to what many but, not all geographers link to the term "community". These characteristics include close proximity of people to social, educational, recreational, and commercial institutions as well as adequate transportation.

I'll try to compare my community to the "geography version" of community to see how well it does. Lets start with the educational portion, this is very clear because, I practically live on my college campus. Access to transportation is easy. I lived just one block from the regional rail station, and just a few blocks away from the subway station. There's is a gym inside my apartment building, as well as others found around campus. Large fields and facilities available on campus to accommodate recreational activities. I'm guessing commercial institutions would include the numerous food stands and stores on Temple's campus, like the ones in Liacorous Walk. You could say that the university as a whole is a commercial institution, since it employs thousands of people.

Social institutions would include our dorms, apartments, the SAC; any social gathering place that the school accommodates. I believe socialization is probably one of the most important elements of a community. Besides visiting home, I typically leave the campus boundaries when going out with friends. So it would appear that my community has everything it needs.

I did want to mention that the areas listed as "Non-Campus Homes", are in fact the homes I allude to in my Juxaposition post. As you can see the areas near these homes are pretty much surrounded by Temple. To get a better look at my argument, you could take the time to stand on each side of 10th and Berks for a minute each and look. Hopefully then you'd get why I consider this area a Juxaposition.




Community map located above was created by Labaron Palmer
Picture below of Kardon-Atlantic Terminal is courtesy of Rent.com

Assignment 4 - Ethical Dilemma

In recent years many have heard this line repeated numerous times on television: We need to develop other means for our energy sources, so we won't need to depend on monopolistic and commonly unstable foreign nations. There are many ways to go about finding alternative renewable sources such as expansion of wind energy, solar energy, thermal energy, hydroelectric energy etc. My main focus is on the future use of nuclear energy. Almost immediately upon hearing the word "nuclear" there are some that imagine a hazardous, cancer causing glowing material. Other citizens may see it as an alternative to oil dependency. This brings us to the question asking: will the development of nuclear energy prove to be harmful to us, or save us from a future energy crisis.

This ethical dilemma addresses the pros and cons of expanding exploration into nuclear technology. There are environmental, political, economical, social, and health implications that may be involved with such a process. For now we'll take a look at the cons of nuclear energy development, these are the issues that frankly worry and/or scare many Americans. Horrible incidents including nuclear bombings, explosions, and large area contaminations are a few examples given for public apprehension pertaining to this subject. The public is also worried about the storage of nuclear waste, which takes thousands of years to lose its hazardous elements.

West of Philadelphia near Harrisburg is Three Mile Island, which houses aU.S. nuclear power plant. Its fame derives from a meltdown that occurred in the reactor during the late 1970's. While the average amount of radiation affecting residents nearby was about as much as you would get from an x-ray exam, the chemical contamination of the Love Canal Neighborhood remained fresh in the publics' mind.

Chernobyl, Ukraine is home to what many people consider the worst accident is nuclear power's history. A nuclear explosion was triggered killing dozens immediately, and major concerns about the contamination of groundwater and soil continue to persist.

Nuclear weapons proliferation is definitely a concern when, it comes to nuclear energy. There are nations that abuse a source that could provide electricity to its citizens, into something to be used for a world political and econmical tool. This is probably done to play on the global citizens & governments passed visions of the Nagasaki and Hiroshima bombing horrors. This type of abuse does much to negate the positive effects nuclear energy may have.

My stance on nuclear energy is that it benefits should continue to be explored, but at a slowed pace. The most substantial benefit would be to the environment. Nuclear energy does not release pollutants into the air, like fossils fuel fuels. Continued growth could result in a much cleaner atmosphere and environment for all of us. There are political benefits that would keep Americans vested interest outside of areas that are prone to conflict and violence. Nuclear plants may be expensive to open initially, but in the long run the electricity and energy produced, will cost far less than what the United States imports in oil daily.

This subject will be that is always open for debate, because it is a ''hot-button'' issue, which is why I don't really believe this type of energy will become more mainstream until the social climate changes. As I said there are plenty of other alternatives to take a look at as well, but this type of energy should be discussed. We must keep in mind that many of our energy resources are finite, and alternatives should be adiscussed, before an energy crisis is reached. Thus at this point in the 21st century ethically, a definite majority opinion on this topic may be hard to come by.
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Top Image provided by : www.ornl.gov
Bottom Image provided by: IAEA

Temple-North Philadelphia Community Description

My community description will be on the area surrounding Temple University. I ultimately chose this area not because, I couldn't find another section of the city to focus on, but for personal reasons. I haven't lived in this area since, I was about eleven years old, but I remember many of the things that have changed since I came back as a Temple student. I always knew I would attend college, but attending Temple was not an option I entertain at all when I was younger. I believed I'd had it with North Philadelphia and was only too happy to leave it behind.

What's unique now is how much has changed, and I am glad I came back. It took me two years and a visit to realize that I wasted two years of my college life at Delaware Valley College in Doylestown, when I should've been at Temple all along. The area is so different now, and I believe its for the better.There was a time when a Pizza Hut resturant stood on the corner of Broad and Cecil B. Moore, where a Temple bookstore sits today. As a kid I would go there, often as a reward from my parents for a good grade on a test or other achievements. I honestly can not remember if the chief volume of pedestrians walking about the area were Temple students, but that could be my fuzzy memory at play. It seemed as if the area cattered to many of the residents of the neighborhood as well as the Temple community.

The demographic of people in the area has changed throughout the years also. I think there are several reasons for this recent occurance such as : the expansion of infrastructure by Temple University, the development of attractive housing for students, and the loss of Superfresh the major shopping Center in the area. Many of the residents in this area of have now moved to different parts of Philadelphia. The change shows a drop amongst children of Elementary and Middle School age, with the closing of Wannamaker School.

The numbers of students applying to Temple, and those choosing to live in the area has risen greatly. This has caused a spur in housing development like my building Kardon, Oxford Villiage, University, and the soon to be opened mega residence on Broad and Cecil B. Moore. As the population of Temple students expands, the number of residents in this area seems to be declining. The area seems really quiet at night, and not that scary despite what some people would contend. The exception would be the students leaving the Draught Horse, the Seven Eleven or just Oxford Village students hanging out. I'm sure the Temple Police unit and the "Owl Light" security booths serves its part in keeping crime in the area down.

I never would've imagined things this quiet at night, when I was younger.I would say that overall the area has changed for the better. There are newer buildings like the Liacourous Center and beside the usual college kid antics crime incidents are down as well. It has certainly come a long way, since my sister worked at the old Roy Rogers as a teenager in.....(well I can't lead you on to her age, you know how women are. Let's just say it's been awhile)
Picture above shows Broad St. right up to Cecil B. Moore Avenue

Photo Courtesy of : Temple University News Media

North Philadelphia Industrialization Field Report

As the neighborhood surrounding Temple University undergoes economic change, you can also trace the legacy of industrial change in this North Philadelphia neighborhood. I took a tour of the area primarily near 9th street close to the regional rail tracks. As a Geography & Urban Studies major you learn about specific sectors of the economy and their impact on cities. As the case in numerous industrialized nations industrial facilities have since, folded or moved operations overseas to developing nations. While I didn't expect to see a lot of industry in the area, I saw there were surprises and pitfalls.

My goal was to set out and find at least five places that have been home to an industry. The first stop was the now defunct factory known as J. McAlieer and Co. at 9th and Jefferson Sts. There was a company that specialized in making home furnish goods. A large portion of the building was still standing, but it had the look of a abandon building in a Hollywood movie. It gave a cold empty vibe, and you could tell it had been years, since workers had been in there. Across the street to the left of the building was an empty lot, which could've been much dirtier than it appeared to be. The few homes found near the factory were primarily abandoned or in bad condition. There was also trash scattered around the place.

Right next to the old furniture you could hear the echo of hammers bouncing off a bricks. We found workers turning a fallen into a business. Brick by brick, they were taking apart the eastern wall of the furniture building. There were at least three guys dismantling the wall, while one worker loaded the truck. It made me feel good to see, that there was some sort of income being derived from a building that hadn't been in use for at least two decades.

One block closer to Girard Avenue at 9th and Masters stood the Atlantic Manufacturing Company. At first glimpse it looked as if it was now a storage facility. Next door in a separated stood a converted boxing arena. You could hear a few people inside. I finally figured out that the storage facilities were used by different food vendors. They may store equipment for many of the venders lining Temple's campus everyday.

At 9th and Thompson stood another huge building, that had remodeling activity going on near by. It made wonder with all emphasis on student residential housing, could this building be under repair to house students? One quick peak inside an open door revealed that theory not to be the case. You could hear machines grinding in the front of the building , which was engraved with the 1904. I assume if that's the age of the building, its over a century old and still in use today. There was even a for rent sign, although I think it was being advertised for business purposes.

I suspect that the regional rail line running through the area has hurt industrial development in the area. Quite frankly no one wants to live up under a loud train track, nor do I believe businesses want to located here. Residential homes can be found at least one block away from the tracks in each direction. At night these areas could be prone to illegal activity, in part due to its isolated location, which doesn't help its attractiveness. Overall there was just little human activity in the area period. It made me wonder if the old industries in the area slowly wither away or did it happen over night? Where did all the people go when the industries left? The area is remarkably quiet. If you didn't hear the constant splatter of pigeon waste hit the ground, you'd feels as though you should be waiting for a tumble weed to bounce by, like a deserted town in an old western.

The pictures above (left) are the J.McAlieer Factory renants and Brickwall Dismantling site(right). Located on the bottom are photos of the old Atlantic Manufacturing Company(left) and "1904"Building (right)

Pictures taken by: Labaron Palmer

North Philadelphia Healthscape Field Report

Forty million Americans without health insurance and rising, is one message proponents of universal healthcare use to plead their case. There's just a few questions I would ask anyone in favor of this proposal. Is universal healthcare enough to improve the overall health to members of disadvantaged neighborhoods? Is it enough to improve the overall quality of health of residents in this North Philadelphia community surrounding Temple University. Students have access to health care services an campus, but where do non-Temple residents go? Is their environment helping or hindering their general health? As eluded to, observation is a key in answering some of these questions, ant least in part.

Diet, Physical Activity, Air quality, Water quality, Hygiene, Disease Prevention, Education, and Health Facilities are just a few determining factors, when looking at the Healthscape of a neighborhood. Once again I took a walk and made observations walking from 12th and Broad Street up to 20th Street. It is easy to observe the dividing line after you've crossed 12th Street. Between 12th and 14th Street you see an array of buildings operating under Temple University. Located here are many different shops and Temple's Recreation Center, which are located on relatively clean streets.

Upon reaching 15th Street you start to come across abandon open spaces. You're presented with lots that have been converted into green space, while others have become deteriorated and fill with trash. Lots filled with garbage can contain all kinds of bacteria as well as used needles. This is dangerous, since they are target play areas for children. Open areas converted into green spaces need additional investment from public and/or private funds, if they want to be well maintained. On 16th Street there was a closed down doctor, which can only be a hindrance on the neighborhood as a whole. The irony is on that same street as you look and see a yellow liquor store on the corner.

There are of optimism on 17th Street in the form of the Women's Christian Alliance/ Family & Children Services Center. Along with the APCS Charter School it founded on 18th Street, alliance have the opportunity to spread good health messages contributing to overall community health. This neighborhood is without any large supermarket with an extensive variety of food choices. Small variety store line the streets in the area. Its likely that many of these stores don't carry the most healthiest of foods, but carry alot a quick foods with fats and sugars.

As I headed back to Temple from 20th Street I realized how far many of the neighborhood residents travel to get proper healthcare. Many go to Temple University Hospital and other facilities to seek care. It made me see how lucky I am. Health Facilities on campus are available for me and other students if we get sick.

I began to look for the connection between the three themes of my field reports in this Philadelphia neighborhood. It took awhile, but the wheels in my brain began to turn and connections appeared alot clearer. My theory is that lack industry and commerce allow for gentrification to occur in economically depressed neighborhoods. As industry leaves and jobs close people that are able to afford it leave the neighborhood as well. The flight of jobs and commerce leave a lagging neighborhood to seek out financial attention. This situation leads the way for easier investment into the community by other interest groups, while the residents can't tell if this will hurt or help them in the long run. Without industry and commerce its likely that the neighborhoods health will go downhill as well. It ties into the lack of investment from public/private funds into healthcare clinics, cleaning up trash lots, improving dangerous sidewalks, and just lack of interest.

Pictures located above Women Christian Alliance Center (left) & Local Variety Store (right). Pictures below Converted lot into a greenspace (left) & Neighborhood Beer Store (right).


Pictures taken by: Labaron Palmer

North Philadelphia Gentrification Field Report

Gentrification can be a puzzling concept when, you're thinking about its true meaning. The process tends to place you into two groups. The first group consist of those who believe the building of new structures in established neighborhoods will simply, push the poorer residents out of their homes. In the second group you have people that believe new construction projects, help neighborhoods rise economically. Thus, this will improve the lives of the native residents in the long run. I'm not at liberty to tell you the right answer, but both sides of the issue have their strong points. In a city like Philadelphia walking down the street could provide you with examples of gentrification, which are created through both public and private investment.

Heading towards Girard Avenue, I walked down 13th St. to look for signs of private and public investment. As I referred to in my "Community Description" blog entry this North Philadelphia neighborhood has gone through changes in recent years. As I walked down 13th Street away from campus, I saw that this area was very nice and well kept. I also observed several older residents tended to their porches and catching some fresh air. My first encounter with private investment occurred at 13th and Masters. "Taken applications now" was scrolled across the new elderly home development . As you'll find out later this new development is a portion of a trend I caught on to.

As I reached Girard Avenue from 13th Street I observed money from the city government being put to good use. Workers in orange vest followed behind a large steam roller paving the street with fresh tar. Brand new Girard Avenue flags decorated each lighting post. Across the avenue stood the office of a Philadelphia congressman, helping to further display the importance of this transportation hub.

Turning off of Girard Avenue I began to walk down Broad Street. Stopping at Broad and Masters I came across a mural at William Penn High School. Now the first thought that ran through my mind was: "This must have been paid for with public funds", but I was wrong. As I looked closer I discovered the mural was sponsored by a mortgage company. Right there on Broad Street was an example of public and private interest working together to empower the students of the neighborhood. Directly across the street was the Blue Horizon with a new make-over and mural painted on its side.

On the next block heading north is the Human Services Center. All kinds of public and private companies had a presence here, from Clearvision to Channel 6 advertising to offer residents with tax advice. Across Broad Street you could see people visiting the North Broad Street Senior Center, which helped to envision the trend I eluded to earlier. This trend I refer to involves the numerous facilities dedicated to the "senior" residents of the community. I talked about the changing demographics of the neighborhood in an earlier post, but have I now observed it with a new angle. Not only are many of the native families leaving the, but the older residents looks as if they've chosen to stay. They probably feel more of an attachment to the area, and are less willing to relocate to somewhere new. So did private and public investment help this area? In my opinion I would say "Yes". Could my opinion be subjective simply due to my interpretation of initial observations? Definitely!

Pictures above: Girard Avenue (left) & Mural on William Penn High School (right). Pictures below: Human Services Center (left) & North Broad Senior Center (right)



Pictures Taken by: Labaron Palmer

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