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Integrative seminar migrate – urban analysis and
methodology essay
Done by: Sarah Lee Shan Yun
The definition of mapping is ambiguous in itself. Whether it is about saving
memories, deciphering information for another use or for the mere act of collecting,
maps are used for different reasons and to differing conclusions. In the context of
this project, mapping is a way to consolidate experiences and to summarize it in a
single visual. Mapping does not have to be strictly geographical, have a subject or
key. It is a way to identify a space with an idea that is unique and individual to itself.
The mapping method employed draws from
the subject of tourism. Specifically, portraying each
division or subdivision of New York City
usingbrochures. The front of the brochure is a
design work and will include names of 3 to 4 iconic
places within each neighborhood, which were
mapped methodically as the migration up Broadway
was conducted. For example, in figure 1, the
following placeswere listed: The New York Stock
Exchange, Trinity Church, The Federal Hall National Memorial and City Hall Park.
The journey of migration up Broadway is, therefore, captured in ‘snapshots’ of
specific neighborhoods (as seen in figure 1, which represents Wall Street or the
financial district). At the end of the traverse, all of the brochures will be
Figure 1 – Design for Wall
Street

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consolidated chronologically to create a master ‘map’ – a collage of the journey up
Broadway.
Figure 2 – Map of
Broadway Segments
1. Wall Street
(Battery Place to
Canal Street)
2. Chinatown
(Canal Street to
14th Street)
3. Union Square
(14th Street to 34th
Street)
4. Times Square
(34th Street to 50th
Street)
5. Columbus Circle
(50th Street to 61st
Street)
6. The Upper West
Side
(61st Street to 116th
Street)
7. Harlem
(116th Street to
170th Street)
8. Inwood
(170th Street to
207th Street)
A total of 8
brochures will be
created on the 8
neighborhoods we
have selected.

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Within each brochure, historical information on the specific iconic sites is
included, as well as details on how they help shape and contribute aesthetic value to
their current climates. With the proliferation of this knowledge, New Yorkers can
become more aware of the idiosyncrasy of the many places that make up New York
City, perhaps promoting more tourism as well as a sense of consciousness of one’s
surroundings.
On the subject of
data collection and
research methods, a more
qualitative approach was
applied. Information is
usually observed through
the senses (sight, sound,
smell, etc.) as we
‘migrated’ up Broadway
first hand, thus more
primary data was
collected through notes and pictures (see figure 3a and 3b). An empirical data
collection method was an essential part of the process, as more unexpected
information could be gathered – for example, the symbols used on Chinese shop
signs in Chinatown, or the mannerisms of people walking in Times Square. The data
Figure 3a – Images of iconic places, Chinatown

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collected was also more descriptive, rather than mathematical, as the end goal of the
project was to generate a creative design work or campaign.

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Figure 3b – Handwritten recording of experience at migration sites

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On the other hand, some quantitative data was gathered as well, although
notably less with respect to qualitative data. Information on specific racial
population sizes and income levels lent a beneficial perspective when trying to
section or identify the different neighborhoods of the city (see figure 41).
Furthermore, this information gave us ideas on why and how a neighborhoodhas
evolved to be what it is today, lending to the historical aspect of our project.
Secondary data in the form of internet sources and historical literature was also
crucial to the development of the project, specifically in the understanding of the
iconic sites. The goal was to sift out information that answered the questions: why
1"Urban research maps." The changing city at the sweep of your mouse: Block by block demographic
changes mapped across New York, 2000 to 2010. Center for Urban Research, The Graduate Center, City
University of New York (CUNY), n.d. Web. 19 Oct 2013.
<http://www.urbanresearchmaps.org/plurality/blockmaps.htm>.
Figure 4 – Block-by-block demographic changes mapped across New York 2010

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does this place look like the way it does? How is the aesthetic of a building
influenced by its history? Following the research, a short write-up on each iconic
place is included in the final pamphlet of the neighborhood, along with images and a
map of the sites themselves. For example, Licoln center was designed in the 1950s
to 1960s as part of an urban renewal project, with the purpose of becoming a
cultural hub for fine art and performance2. Thus its design was constructed around
the ideas of sophistication, refinement and meticulous detail and was inspired by
Michelangelo's Campidoglio in Rome3. Lincoln center, as an iconic site, thus
contributes to the majestic and cultivated aesthetic of the upper-west side.
2Roth, Leland M. (2001). American Architecture: A History. Boulder, Colo.:
3Magnet, Myron. n. page. <http://www.city-
journal.org/html/10_4_a_new_lincoln.html>.
Figure 5 – Architectural planning process for the Lincoln Center inspired by
Michelangelo's Campidoglio in Rome

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Moving on to the more
aesthetic aspect of the
project, several
representational methods
that were employed during
the creation of the brochure
covers will be discussed.
Since the medium selected
was 2-dimensional image
designs, an abundance of
visual cues and details could
be employed. This also allows
the viewer to differentiate
and distinguish one poster
from another as the visual
detail creates the main contrast between them. They make each brochure individual
and unique to the specific neighborhood of interest, thus creating an array of
differing aesthetics and subsequently, a ‘collage’ of the city. Firstly the use of
symbols and imagery played a significant role in the designs. For example, the use of
the iconic Union Square subway station in the Union Square brochure design makes
it instantly identifiable (see figure 6). Furthermore, the choice of hand-drawn
sketches of the subway station, the equastrian portrait of George Washington and
the water-color tiles creates a certain antiquity,suggestive of stamps, lending to the
Figure 6 – Design for Union Square

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iconic history the location. Proceeding from that discussion, the use of color in the
designs was arguable the most critical indicator for the sites themselves. As seen in
figure 7, the use of traditional chinese colors of prosperity (red and gold), made
more striking in contrast to the desaturated background picture, was employed to
suggest the distinctive visual quality of Chinatown. They were inspired by the shop
signs, building colors and customary décor of the area surrounding the iconic sites.
In other posters, such as the one of Wall Street (see figure 1), the colors black, white
and silver were utilized to describe the masculinty, dominance and severity of the
place and industry – colors that are associative and evocative rather than self-
evident. Symmetry also played an
important part in the designs. For
example, in the Chinese culture,
symmetry invokes balance and
peace (see figure 7). The
assymetric buildings in figure 1
suggest the aggressive
competition to constantly
‘construct’ higher, bigger, stronger
brands, metaphorically
represented by the ‘competing’
buildings. Lastly, the use of
typeface and language in the
designs is essential in embodying
Figure 7 – Design for Chinatown

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the character of the places. Chinese calligraphic fonts were used in the Chinatown
poster to appeal to the cultural significance of the chinese language. The font chosen
for figure 1 (the poster of Wall Street) was inspired by the typeface used in the Wall
Street Journal4.
A homogenous brochure layout was created to make the brochures cohesive
and consistent in design (see figure 8). A description of the surroundings, a brief
history of the location, interesting facts on the iconic sites, a map and a tourist
business contact card was included to create a complete pamphlet.
In conclusion, the mapping medium, content, research method and
representational techniques were all considered, examined and utlized as
methodologies for the planning and creation of this mapping project.
4Garcia, Mario. "The Wall Street Journal." Font Bureau. The Font Bureau Gallery, inc., n.d. Web. 20 Oct
2013. <http://www.fontbureau.com/gallery/newspaper/WallStreetJournal/>.
Figure 8–
Brochure
layout

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Appendices
Figure 9 – Brochure cover designs
Figure 10 –
Final brochure
designs

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Bibliography
"Urban research maps." The changing city at the sweep of your mouse: Block
by block demographic changes mapped across New York, 2000 to 2010. Center
for Urban Research, The Graduate Center, City University of New York
(CUNY), n.d. Web. 19 Oct 2013.
<http://www.urbanresearchmaps.org/plurality/blockmaps.htm>.
Roth, Leland M. (2001). American Architecture: A History. Boulder, Colo.:
Magnet, Myron. n. page. <http://www.city-
journal.org/html/10_4_a_new_lincoln.html>.
Garcia, Mario. "The Wall Street Journal." Font Bureau. The Font Bureau
Gallery, inc., n.d. Web. 20 Oct 2013.
<http://www.fontbureau.com/gallery/newspaper/WallStreetJournal/>.