Learning Goals
Students will be able to investigate a Chicago neighborhood through firsthand observations and interviews to identify how transit access, public space, local businesses, and community life shape neighborhood opportunity and belonging.
Students will be able to synthesize maps, charts, ridership data, articles, and neighborhood stories to explain the root causes of uneven access and changing neighborhood identity in a Chicago neighborhood.
Students will be able to analyze how historical investment, disinvestment, and transportation patterns have influenced present-day community assets and barriers in Chicago neighborhoods.
Students will be able to define an evidence-based neighborhood design challenge using research findings and stakeholder perspectives.
Students will be able to engage in collaborative discussions and interviews to compare viewpoints from residents, workers, classmates, and community partners about neighborhood needs.
Students will be able to prototype a Chicago neighborhood asset map, identity profile, or community space proposal that translates user needs into a testable solution.
Students will be able to revise writing and visual communication based on feedback, testing data, and audience purpose to strengthen a neighborhood proposal.
Products
Chicago Neighborhood User Research Portfolio and Concept Prototype
Each student submits a research portfolio that includes firsthand observations, interview notes, source analysis, and a refined problem statement for one Chicago neighborhood. The portfolio also includes one individual concept prototype that shows an initial solution informed by user needs and evidence.
Community Feedback-Ready Neighborhood Asset Map and Service Proposal
Teams create a shared problem statement and a higher-fidelity neighborhood asset map, identity profile, or community space proposal for an authentic audience such as the Chicago Loop Alliance or other local stakeholders. The final product must show how individual research and prototypes informed the team’s solution and include a presentation plan for testing and feedback.
No rubric has been generated yet.