Naomi Ono Kern

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West End Neighborhood Project



Phase 3: A Contributed Path


Simple idea: A series of individual contributions generate the emergence and maintenance of something larger and shared.

The rear boundaries of the lots form a spine that follows a midline through the block. For almost its entire length, this spine is traced with chainlink or wood-panel fencing. Newly de-paved backyards occupy the space between the house and the fence.

Phase 2 continues the pursuit of the thickened boundary, here in the form of a walking path. Through an incentive-based program, property owners and tenants can contribute a desired portion of the rearmost area of their yards to the creation of a communal path. The unit of the tile allows the path to remain malleable to residents’ changing desires over time, and a shared tool shed supports increased agency. Native saplings and shrubbery are planted along the path to densify tree cover and carry over the visual privacy previously afforded by fencing.





36-40 Arch St.


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