Redesigning Africatown
The impact of gentrification has effected numerous of cities and communities within the United States, especially the South Seattle area. A group of community activists, researchers, designers and I developed an event to revitalize the lost, yet rich Black History in the Central District of Seattle, WA.
Figure & Ground: Amplifying the Public Imagination of the Central Area
In the context of decades of disinvestment & current development-driven displacement, Central Area organizations, activists, and residents are engaged in a process of imagining ‘Africatown,’ a vision of the neighborhood as a place where a multiplicity of black life and cultural expression thrives. Drawing from a diversity of theoretical perspectives, including cultural geography, theories of black space, urban studies, and critical race studies, we used a hands-on, empirically-informed research and making practice to nourish a project of self-determination and imagination. Through design we elevated the legacies of innovation and community-building within the Central Area by inverting the valorized figures of contemporary urban development with the stories selectively rendered as (back)ground.
Time Frame: 10 Weeks
Role: UX Researcher & Designer
Prototyping of AR/VR
We developed a program that will allow users to use their camera phones to see the rich Black culture and history of the Central District area of Seattle, WA.
Flyers for Event
