My community market design, located at 2211 W 35th Street, will serve the community of McKinley Park by providing a safe, inviting area that allows the community to gain new opportunities for business and health. This market for social good will provide healthy eating options in this 'food desert' and a safe space for public gathering.

We first as a class read through the Design Packet found on the Discover Design Website and looked over exactly what we needed to create as a group. After this we decided that the McKinley site was most suitable to what we wanted to achieve due to the openness of the lot allowing us to work freely. We posted questions of 'What is a community?', 'Requirements of a Community', 'Types of Communities', 'Constraints of a Community', and the 'Purpose of a Community'. Following this, we went from board to board as a class and brainstormed various ideas on Post- Its and attached them to the corresponding board. This gave us a feel of what we already know and what we have to continue researching. Following this, we convened as a class and had a discussion on what we have posted and realized that we are not familiar with Transit Oriented Development Communities.

This prompted us to delve into research as a group into what markets have to offer, Transportation in the area of McKinley Park, Researched market places in our area that we could possibly draw inspiration from, and documented the site in Google Maps to find what is, and isn't, around our local area. We also looked into the Population, demographics, local economy and the history of the local area to get a feel of what we are working with.

My partner and I then went into in depth research on what place making is and T.O.Ds, as well as the importance of community gathering spaces. This research allowed us to grasp a further understanding of how we wanted to approach the project. We designed a 'How Might We' statement to guideline our research and development of the project. We then went online and found concepts of markets, amphitheaters, and cafe's that we could draw inspiration from for our project. We decided that we wanted to focus on these three distinct features of our market the most, as they allow the community things that are not available to them.

As a class we also took a walk around the school to talk about ADA requirements and to make sure that we are mindful that our market is disability friendly. Our class also held discussions on gentrification and what it could mean to the community if a very lavish market is designed in the lot location. We were determined to follow ADA guidelines and avoid negative gentrification.

Ari and I conducted research into the three main areas of our market we were looking to focus on, the cafe, stage, and general market itself, and were able to make a list of areas and various things that we wanted in our market.

Following the above, Ari and I outlined as a group what we wanted in our market place. By conducting research into the three main areas of our market, the cafe, stage, and general market itself, we were able to make a list of areas and various things that we wanted in our market. Then, we made a bubble diagram and an adjacency matrix to find out what exactly needed to be directly next to or near each other. Next, using post it notes, we designed a site plan that can easily be changed by simply removing, adding, or moving around said post its. After considering various designs we decided on one we would like to pursue and made a general site plan overlaid with a overview of the lot. Lastly we made sketches of the floor plan of the main structure of our market.

The entrance is designed to be from the corner of St Leavitt Street and W 35th Street. As you enter you can either go straight into our community market building or take the path through the community garden and into the open area behind our main building. If you decide to enter the building you are met with an open area design of kiosk as well as a loft. The purpose of the first floor is to serve as an area strictly for shopping. After you purchase your goods you can go through the open arcs in the back wall straight to the outdoors, or if you prefer to dine inside you can head upstairs and into our eating area. Of course we offer bathrooms downstairs, a unisex bathroom adjacent to it and an elevator for those that cannot move up the stairs. Upstairs we offer a loft area that serves as a eating area. There is also an outdoor balcony that has tables and cushioned seating to relax and dine, or head inside to the cafe/kitchen for an indoor eating experience overlooking the stage and outdoors.

Outside we offer kiosks available to local vendors to test market a product they are selling, and if they are doing successful business they can take residence in a main kiosk inside the building. Next to that is an outdoor playground for the kids, and also some bathrooms. The main feature of our outdoor area are the fire pits overlooking surrounding the stage, allowing locals to enjoy a show of any type in cozy, warm seating.

The purpose of this marketplace was not only to bring in necessary food into a 'food desert' but also to provide a gathering and social space for the community. We did not want the community to feel pushed out from a market in their own neighborhood, so our incorporation of kiosks available to local vendors and a stage for local acts, talkers etc. to perform was a must. This stage was positioned to allow whoever is on stage to be heard by the whole complex. A playground allows young children to enjoy the market. The inclusion of a community garden is also a way for us to bring the community in and essentially allow them to provide a way to care for themselves when the weather permits. In order to fight the ugly winter weather, we added a large indoor area as well as a covering along the entire outdoor walkway, and fire pits so that the outdoor section can be used during cold months. Benches wrapping around the trees and covered tables also protect market goers from the elements.