Dr. J. Mark Souther
Rhodes Tower 1904
Department of History
Cleveland State Univ.
Spring 2005

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Euclid Corridor Project

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Sample Questions to Consider When Viewing Your Site(s)

These questions are only a rough guideline. Please do not write an essay that simply answers these questions in "laundry list" fashion. Instead, organize your observations about the appearance of your site(s), who seems to use them, what lies around them, etc. You might also consult the Project for Public Spaces website (clicking on the What Makes a Successful Place link) for other ideas about how to view urban places.

1. What is there?
2. What isn’t?
3. Who is there?
4. Who isn’t?
5. What kinds of buildings do you see? Would Stewart Brand call them “high road,” “low road,” or “magazine architecture?”
6. What do the buildings look like? Look at the roofs, windows, building material (limestone, sandstone, granite, marble, brick, stucco, wood frame, aluminum or vinyl siding, steel and glass, concrete), architectural style (Gothic, Tudor, Victorian, Italianate, Georgian, Colonial, Art Deco, Modern, Postmodern), type of building (bungalow, Cleveland double, mansion, cottage, skyscraper, warehouse, commercial building)
7. Are the buildings newly painted or do you see peeling paint?
8. Do you see graffiti or evidence of vandalism?
9. Do you see mostly buildings from the same time period? What time period?
10. Are the buildings from different time periods?
11. Do the buildings appear to be used for different purposes than when they were built?
12. What kinds of businesses do you see?
13. What do people appear to be doing if you see people there? Are they working? Hanging out? Walking dogs? How are they dressed?
14. What kinds of cars do you see?
15. Do you see social diversity?
16. Do you see police or security patrols?
17. Is the area neatly landscaped or does it appear neglected?
18. Are the streets well-paved or bumpy?
19. Are there sidewalks? Benches? Bike racks? Does it appear well-lighted?
20. Do you see buses? Railroad tracks? Coffee shops? Churches? Apartments?
21. Does the place seem safe or unsafe?
22. Would this be a place that tourists or out-of-town guests might enjoy?
23. Is your site in a primarily residential, commercial, industrial, or institutional area, or is it a mixed area?