Research Essay Urban Space

Rewriting Urban Space
The Research Essay

Rationale. In the first unit, we considered individual works of architecture. Moving forward, we will widen our scope to consider the impact of developments, policy proposals, utopian visions, and demographic trends on city neighborhoods. We will consider these relationships from distinct disciplinary perspectives including architecture (Le Corbusier), sociology (Jacobs), environmental studies (Owen), and economics (Glaeser). For this assignment, after analyzing contemporary place-based controversies during our debate, you will choose a recent urban controversy and build a research-based argument around it.
Assignment. Write an essay exploring the implications of an urban development, policy proposal, preservation or environmental initiative, or demographic trend. Past exhibits have included revitalization plans, like Envision San Jose 2040; recently expanded bike lanes in Portland, Oregon; LEED certification building trends in Mumbai; master-planned communities like Columbia, MD or Woodlands, TX; gentrified Chinatowns; and urban farming programs in cities like Baltimore or Milwaukee. A good exhibit will both inform and extend the discussion of urban planning offered by our texts. You may use any of the sources discussed in class for this essay, but you must also incorporate:
*At least three separate scholarly sources
*At least one visual element (diagram, rendering, schematic, photograph)
*Some form of demographic, numerical, or statistical evidence

In total, your essay should incorporate a minimum of 10 sources. These could include newspaper articles, promotional materials (i.e. press releases), documentaries, letters, or materials from the collections at the AU library. The sources you choose should be shaped by your exhibit. For example, if you are interested in NIMBY rhetoric in New Orleans, then blog posts may be appropriate. However, a consideration of the eminent domain for the streetcar in Arlington might require a closer look at policy or legal dispatches.

Word Count. 2,500 words.

Deadlines.
Topic Proposal—Mar 8
Annotated Bib—Mar 19
Formal Draft—Mar 29
Final Draft—Apr 16

Suggestions. It is your responsibility to find an exhibit that interests you. Our texts cover a lot of territory, and there’s plenty of room to move in different directions. If you can’t seem to find a good exhibit, don’t be afraid to go local. There are countless developments and policy proposals afoot in the DC region, many of which invite further research. Students who don’t push themselves to find engaging exhibits generally struggle with this assignment, so be sure to drop by office hours if you’re having a hard time finding a subject worth exploring.
I recommend paying close attention to our supplementary readings in this unit. Along with They Say, I Say, we will be looking at excerpts from The Craft of Research and essays from Writing Spaces. Many of the strategies offered in these texts will save you research time, so be willing to apply them to your own work.
Finally, prepare to embrace anxiety. As writers and as researchers, we are constantly deciding what to include and exclude, how much stage time each element deserves, what we should be reading and what we shouldn’t. This process can be overwhelming, but don’t let the big picture stand in the way of the small steps that help you build a cohesive essay. Many of our activities both inside and outside of class are designed to help you organize your research and ultimately save time.

Evaluation Criteria. Below you will find questions that help spell out my priorities for each of the five major categories listed on the WSP rubric.

Thesis & Argument. How incisive, creative and relevant is your thesis? How clearly and fully is your argument demonstrated? To what extent does your research position itself in relation to other thinkers? Is the scope of your project too big or too small for a 10-page paper?

Organization. How well does your essay establish and follow an overarching organizational principle? Is there logical movement between paragraphs? Between larger sections? Have you followed structural suggestions from your peers and from me?

Support. Does your essay incorporate detail and quotation? Does your essay accurately reflect your texts? Do you incorporate diverse forms of evidence? To what extent does the evidence you provide bolster your argument?

Style and Tone. How well written is your essay? Do stylistic decisions enhance or impede its overall movement?

Mechanics. Format, grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc. All papers will use standard M.L.A. citation format.