Our preliminary research proposal

Logan Square Boulevard District
Planned study sites:
From the southern end of the district starting in Humboldt Park, north along Humboldt Boulevard to Palmer Square. We will continue with the boulevard system west through Palmer Square to Kedzie Avenue, then north along Kedzie Avenue to Logan Square, where the Illinois Centennial Monument is located at the center of the traffic circle. At Logan Square there is also a small community garden with a stage and chess boards present. Continuing east from Logan Square along Logan Boulevard to the Logan Boulevard Skate Park located underneath the Kennedy Expressway overpass at Western Avenue and Logan Boulevard.
Public Spaces theoretical models:
All three models of public space theory will be used to frame our research. The most significant model used will be civil order. The Logan Square Boulevards are models of civil order because they connect several public spaces and parks where people from the surrounding communities interact with one another. People walk their dogs, play sports, have picnics, read the paper, relax and watch their children play. For many neighbors, these spaces are the center and meeting spots for the entire community. The power and resistance model will also be used because connecting all of these parks and spaces are strip of green spaces along main thoroughfares, hence the boulevard moniker. Along these boulevards are some of the largest and majestic homes built in Chicago. Historically, they housed Chicago’s elite and important families. The connecting boulevards are seen as more private spaces and can be viewed as demonstrations of power and wealth. The least significant, but still useful model is art and performance. The boulevards are known for their statements in architecture, the focus of Logan Square is the Illinois Centennial Monument, and there are also spaces within these public parks and places set aside for performance and theater.
Research Question:
This research will investigate who uses these public spaces and how are they used today. Moreover, how are the uses and patrons of these public spaces differing in 2010 from how the designers of the boulevard system originally envisioned the boulevards to be used nearly a century ago?
Initial hypothesis:
We think the uses will differ with how the city has changed over the past century. Now, there is very little green space on the northwest side of Chicago and the use of these spaces has greatly intensified from how the originators saw. Logan Square is at times used as a park with people playing croquet and having picnics all while surrounded closely on all sides with heavy car traffic. The people who use the spaces have remained the same as the designers originally saw. They wanted these places to be for everyday Chicagoans, but at the same time the boulevards housed Chicago’s elite, so this aspect of the study is quit unpredictable at this time.
Study conduction:
We plan on observing several parts of these spaces. Some of them are small and one person can sit anywhere and observe everything happening within the space. Others, namely Humboldt Park are rather large and multiple points of observations will be necessary to study the site properly. For example, the playhouse, garden and baseball fields are all potential sites of observation within Humboldt Park.