static mobility

Perhaps the best function of LinkedIn is the links to many interesting articles on the homepage. The latest article I came across deals with the decrease of social and income mobility in the United States. After I read it the first thing that came to mind was the notion of mixed-use and creating vibrant neighborhoods, public spaces and streets.

How do we truly design for a variety of people, ethnically and across the spectrum of class and wealth. How does the design of vibrant and diverse neighborhoods accommodate the needs of many without compromising the expectations of the few? 


If mobility lacks, then I believe design needs to stitch together classes by overlapping uses so the strong dividing line between this neighborhood and that neighborhood vanishes. This is true for rich, poor and somewhere in the middle. If we erase the physical distinction of wealth and class perception, then maybe it can remind people that going up or going down is still possible.


There's something quite interesting about those interstitial spaces between one particular setting and the next. It challenges the notion of remaining stuck.