Parts of me + Explorations in PK

Hi my name’s Elle. I enjoy coffee in the mornings and tea before bed. I read books on the subway during my 35 minute commute –I’m on my 12th book since moving to the city six months ago. I’m a daughter and sister, a partner and friend. A graduate from Hobart and William Smith Colleges with a bachelor’s degree in architectural studies and Asian studies; I currently study architecture at Parsons School of Design. 

I’m a collector of memories. My studio desk, coffee table and bookshelves are all home to my extensive collection of tiny beautiful things; reflective of a Past whose Present was overlooked. I’ve found my community, a family, and home in this collection of tiny, beautiful things. But struggle with the idea of any additions to my curated selection. Stuck in the past, I overlook the now, leaving my foundations for the future in disarray. 

I look back to a time when I engaged with the now, celebrating it even, during my time spent in undergrad in Geneva, NY. I enmeshed myself with the present then because I was so scared to lose that gift. I spent all my time in the community, volunteering on my own or with my school, I was a part of different organizations, working jobs on and off campus. I spent the days of covid driving up and down Seneca Lake, hiking, walking, running –I know that place so well I could drive there blind-folded from here. 

But if I cracked the code there — the ability to be in the now, to be in and of community — why can’t I now in NYC? Why am I so disconnected from a community here? And why does that matter in the larger discourse of architectural development? Looking into my disengagement with my present, I conducted a data collection from recent college graduates in transition periods of their lives to try and find an answer. 

Out of the twenty 22-29 year olds in my study, 39% said they feel disengaged with the community they currently live in; a popular reasoning being that individuals cannot see themselves in the same place geographically after 5 years. My research concluded that 90% of the sample set do not see themselves in the same location they currently reside in –so why would they try to engage with a community they don’t see themselves a part of? 

In 2021 Penn State University conducted a research study on ‘Why Community Engagement Matters’, their key takeaways include: “Increased likelihood that projects or solutions will be widely accepted. Citizens who participate in these processes show significant commitment to help make the projects happen.” “More effective solutions. Drawing on local knowledge from a diverse group creates solutions that are practical and effective.” “Opportunities for discussing concerns. Regular, on-going discussions allow people to express concerns before problems become too big or out of control.” And “Community trust.”

So how can we construct this community engagement, this sympathetic involvement, this celebration of now? 

I think the prime creators lay right within the Poughkeepsie town limits –young voices. There are currently 5 schools located in Poughkeepsie, NY, with a total population of 19,189 enrolled during the 2022-2023 academic year. Over 19,000 students that can, and should, celebrate the now of their lives. 

This semester I’m excited to explore the current involvement, or possible dis-involvement, of the collegiate community surrounding or within Poughkeepsie, and find the design potentials of branching the town and the surrounding campuses.