The Equitable City

The mixing of educational, social, public and cultural spaces into urban infill development welcomes a wider demographic and provides accessible resources. Radical mixed use brings people together and creates a synergy that equitable cities command

Presented at Pecha Kucha Vol. 34 with San Diego Architectural Foundation

Project typologies are largely silo’d because of zoning, financing mechanisms and risk aversion. This is widening the equality gap

The market creates an either/or option for mixed use housing.

Option 1: Affordable Housing with a commercial ground floor that can be used for social services or by a non-profit in order to get tax credit financing

Option 2: Market rate housing with a few affordable units with a commercial ground floor.

We propose Option 3: A mix of affordable and market rate housing that provides resources in the building to serve everyone equally. Imagine a free health clinic along with a coworking space that rents a desk to a veteran who lives in the affordable housing and to a tech startup for the same rent. This creates a synergy far greater than any current cowork model provides. The exchange of ideas, new partnerships and the feeling that each person is contributing is the foundation of social equality.

A mixed-use building can have an informal marketplace with live/work units and mixed income housing above. The marketplace is a platform to sell goods and services to the local economy.  The live/work units are adjacent to the marketplace, removing the barrier of access from manufacturing to sales that entrepreneurs often face.