The Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics recognized the “Connecting the Dots” project with an Honorable Mention at last night’s first-ever Boston Public Space Invitational Awards. The project submission to the Boston PSI was facilitated by I2UD Research Associate Maren Larsen, working in close collaboration with Codman Academy teachers Vanessa Savas and Haley Malm, as well as the Codman Academy Class of 2014.
From left to right: Maren (I2UD), Haley, Asia, Martin, Vanessa, and Francis (Codman Academy)
The Codman Academy’s project submission proposed a walking tour of the Codman Square neighborhood, highlighting the historic and civic assets of the community through interactive tour markers that would describe different tour stops and link visitors to information through a telephone number and a QR code. Inspired by the My Dot Tour project in Field’s Corner, students at Codman have already hosted several “D-Tours” for visitors and community stakeholders with the goal of combating stereotypes associated with Dorchester and reflected in the French Consulate’s Boston travel warning advising French tourists against walking in Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan. It should be noted that the wording of this advisory has recently been changed.
Photo Credit: Office of Mayor Walsh
All submissions to the Boston PSI will be on display at Boston City Hall through early July and are also available online here.