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Tom Paradis Associate Professor Dept. of Geography and Public Planning Northern Arizona University NAU Box 15016 Flagstaff, AZ 86011-5016 Email: thomas.paradis@nau.edu All
photos copyright by Thomas W. Paradis (unless otherwise noted).
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A Geography of Landscape and Community in Flagstaff, Arizona
FIELD QUESTIONS
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CHAPTER 5: DOWNTOWN Depot: Flagstaff Visitors Center 1) Look at the orientation of the commercial buildings behind (north of) the train station. First, describe their orientation with respect to the railroad. Secondly, what does this orientation tell you about how and why Flagstaff's downtown was originally settled? (see Chapter 3 for clues.) 2) Wander around inside the Visitors Center and take notice of how the space is used on the inside. What are the primary functions taking place inside? What features of its interior design still suggest its former use as a Santa Fe Railway depot? Public Art: Santa Fe Plaza 1) What does "Gandy Dancer" mean, and why is the term historically significant? Look for obvious clues around the sculpture. 2) Judging from the human landscape itself here at Santa Fe Plaza (including the depot, sculpture, signage, and locomotive), what specific aspects about the railroad are important to this community? List a few major aspects that reveal themselves in the landscape here. Anchor: Babbitt Brothers Department Store 1) What business currently occupies the ground floor of the original Babbitt Brothers Department Store? How does this business reflect recent economic changes in the downtown and in the Flagstaff economy in general? (Think about what is being sold here, and to whom, for what general purpose.) 2) As a geographer, you are interested in how the interior space of this old building is being used. By "reading" the landscape, determine as closely as possible what functions and/or people occupy the upper floor space. Look in and around the building, in places that are accessible to the public. Finally, list the clues in the landscape that pointed you to your answer. Public Park: Heritage Square 1) While walking around Heritage Square and looking carefully, list out as many different themes, or images, that provide some kind of meaning about Flagstaff and its environment. Be sure to list the "themed" item itself and what it was designed to represent about Flagstaff's sense of place. 2) Document the time and day of your appearance here at Heritage Square. Hang out for five or ten minutes and just look around. What kinds of people do you see on or near the Square, and what are they doing? How do they represent the importance of having public spaces such as this one downtown? Restoration: Weatherford Hotel 1) What seems to be happening at the Orpheum Theater lately? Read the landscape to your best ability to answer this question. In this case, what are the limitations of the seen landscape when trying to interpret what is happening at this place? List two unseen aspects of the Orpheum that you would have to investigate to gain more information about this place. 2) List at least six different businesses that exist along Aspen Avenue, just east of the Weatherford Hotel (across from Heritage Square), and along Leroux Street just north of the Weatherford (along the route of the Walk). After listing their names, indicate what most or all of them have in common, considering the clientele they are probably serving. What do these businesses indicate about the changing economy of downtown? Courthouse: Hub of Coconino County 1) On this same street corner in front of the courthouse (San Francisco and Birch), you will see a covered, green information sign. Look carefully at the information that has been placed around the glass. What basic type of information is presented there? 2) Do you think this information is being presented primarily for local residents in Flagstaff? Why or why not? 3) Now, look around you at the sidewalk landscape in all directions, paying attention to common, everyday features. Would you consider this a friendly place for pedestrians? Why or why not? Office Tower: Bank of America Building 1) Compare the façade and form of this building with others surrounding it, listing out some fundamental differences. What explains the notion that this building "just doesn't seem to fit in" with the rest? Think in terms of how the downtown developed over time. 2) The color of this building was until recently a bright turquoise hue - until July, 2002 when its owners (based in Sedona) decided to have the building repainted to how you see it here. Not surprisingly, the changeover enjoyed local media coverage. Given the trends that have been taking place downtown lately, what do you think explains this building's new color? In other words, why did they choose this color when they had a seemingly limitless choice "across the rainbow"? Postmodernism: County Administration Building 1) Walking around the building, and perhaps through its entryway to the lobby (if it's open), what features in the building's landscape indicate to you that this is quite an important hub of centralized authority here in downtown Flagstaff? List specific items that support the claim of this building's importance. 2) Compare the front and sides of the building with the back of the building (walk up the hill on San Francisco Street for the best view). How is the front different from the back? What typical American cultural value explains this dramatic difference? (Think of the discussion of middle-class suburban houses in Chapter 2.) Streetscape: Transition on Cherry Avenue 1) What types of landscape features exist on the south side of Cherry Avenue as opposed to the north side? Did city developers just forget to finish the north side of the street? Explain why this is the case. 2) As you walk along Cherry Avenue, pay attention to the landscape on both sides of the street (beyond the sidewalks). Would you describe this as a "landscape in transition"? Why or why not? Use specific examples that support your answer.
CHAPTER 6: SOUTH SIDE Motel: The Original U.S. Route 66 1) Check out the old brick building, directly across the street from Motel Du Beau. Walk around to the track-side of the building. First, why is it located here, and what remnants in the landscape might indicate its original purpose? 2) What is happening inside the building today? Is this a good example of adaptive reuse? Why or why not? 3) If you were not told the dates of construction for the three motels along Phoenix Avenue (between Beaver and San Francisco Streets), how could you determine generally when they were built by looking at their form and floor plans? Use Figure 6.3 to assist you with your interpretation. 4) What are the three motels on Phoenix Avenue being used for today? How can you tell? Are they still basing their business on passing motorists? Why or why not? 5) At the Motel Downtowner (corner of San Francisco and Phoenix) is a rather significant steel tower with a large sign on top. Looking carefully at the sign's orientation and surroundings, what do you think was its main purpose, and is it still necessary today? Where are you more likely to see newer tall signs like this today, and why? Boarding House: The "Tourist Home" 1) Briefly compare the Southside business district here along San Franciso Street with the same street north of the tracks. Think in terms of buildinig size, architecture, business types, streetscape, and general maintenance. 2) Based on your comparisons above, do you think the Southside business district has undergone significant redevelopment projects similar to those north of the tracks? Why or why not? 3) In your own words, describe how the sense of place here in Southside is different than that of the north downtown. That is, how do you "feel" about this place, and why? What aspects of San Francisco Street contribute to your own sense of place? (Remember, there are no right or wrong answers when describing sense of place, but it may take some careful thought.) Bypass: Butler Avenue 1) What type of landscape feature do you find on the southwest corner of Butler Avenue (across from Fresco Market)? What do you think this place indicates about the interests of the local community regarding the appearance of major auto corridors such as this one? 2) Walk around inside the Fresco store, and observe how the store's interior is arranged and what types of items are for sale. List some general types of goods for sale here, and make a conclusion about what type of clientele the store is attracting. Why is this, and in what way is this store linked to Butler Avenue? (You may want to pick up a snack or two at this stop as well.) Town Creek: The Rio de Flag 1) Looking at the Rio's channel on both sides of San Francisco Street, what do you think are the sentiments of Southside property owners toward the channel, based on the level of care being placed into the channel's level of maintenance? Support your answer with some observations. 2) Are the property owners here actually responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the Rio channel through Southside? Can you tell by simply looking at the seen landscape? What might you have to investigate further in the realm of the unseen to determine who is in control here? Changing Neighborhood: Social Dynamics of Southside 1) Why might this modest-looking church be promoted as a superlative within the Flagstaff community? To help answer this question, read the historic plaque on the wall near the entrance. 2) In what visible ways has this local population (or what remains of it) been acculturated into the dominant Anglo-American society? Look at visible indicators such as the street grid, architecture, landscaping, and any signage that might indicate the long-term process of acculturation here since this neighborhood began to develop more than a century ago. (A shorter way to ask this question: Does this neighborhood look like a splitting image of one that might be found in Mexico? Why or why not?) 3) Briefly compare the two different types of landscape scenes separated by the standardized NAU marker at the corner of Dupont Avenue and Beaver Street. Use a few examples of elements in the landscapes to support your answer. Front: The Invasion of NAU 1) Standing at parking lot "P2," cite some visible examples of NAU's influence on this area. Look carefully for subtle aspects as well as obvious things. 2) What specific indicators of centralized authority can you find around this area? In contrast, what indicators clearly demonstrate this area's main purpose (land use) in the past?
CHAPTER 7: NAU Campus: A Century of Growth at NAU 1) Standing in the area of the pedestrian corridor, you have buildings surrounding you that represent three distinct periods of growth at NAU. A) List the three buildings around you that represent these different periods of growth; B) List the dominant architectural style that each building represents, and C) Associate each building and style with its respective period of growth at NAU. Break: NAU's Pedestrian Corridor 1) While remembering the discussion about this Stop from your course packet, look around at the plaza area just north of the Union, at the precise location of the break in the landscape mentioned above. A) What type of activity once occurred here at this location prior to its becoming a pedestrian thoroughfare? B) What specific features of the landscape found at and around this location serve as indicators to the prior purpose of this location? List as many as you can find. 2) Walk through and around the Union building to observe the types of activities and services that exist there. A) List no less than six ways in which this building (and/or connecting buildings) serves as a geographic hub for activities on campus - for students or otherwise. B) List the specific features that you see inside this building that are directly associated with the activities you mentioned in part A. Urban Infill: Cline Library 1) Look carefully at the architectural style of the library's exterior, and compare it with other buildings directly to the north, east, and south (this will require some "skulking" around a bit to see the other buildings nearby). First, describe to your best ability the architectural style of Cline Library. Then, compare it with the other buildings around it. Does Cline Library seem to "fit in" with the others? Explain why or why not. 2) Carefully observe the entryway to Cline Library. In what ways, specifically, does the entryway signify the importance of this building on campus? Use examples to support your answer. Historic District: NAU's North Campus 1) Find the plaque (actually, I think there are more than one) next to Old Main's stairway, and carefully interpret what it says and means. What specific aspects and/or features of this building were important to those who created the plaque? Further, whose names are mentioned, and why? Be sure to use specific examples or quotes from the plaque in your answer. 2) Walk over to the University Union building directly across McMullen Circle from Old Main (see map in Figure 7.5 of packet). Specifically walk to the building's central plaza on the south side that faces Old Main. This building is listed as Building 3, "North Union" in the university map found in the semester schedule of classes. Based on what you see here at the plaza, and the general architectural style of the building, what role did this building and area play on campus at one time, and why doesn't it play that role anymore? Use examples to support your answer. Greek Revival: Blome Building 1) How does Blome Building exemplify well the concept of adaptive reuse? What was the building's original function, and what is it being used for today? If it's open, walk around inside to gain more information for your answer. 2) On the northeast corner of Blome Building is a bronze statue about 12 feet tall. You can't miss it as you walk around Blome to the sidewalk facing Milton Avenue. First, what does the statue represent, and what is it commemorating? Secondly, why does it make sense to have a statue of this kind here at NAU, given our location in a regional context? Think about the populations and places that exist in rather close proximity to NAU, given our location here in northern Arizona.
CHAPTER 8: MILTON AVENUE Approach Strip: The Milton Avenue Corridor 1) Scan the roadside businesses that you can see lining Milton Avenue from this location (some of them directly across the street from you). Observe the general maintenance and condition of these places, and the general architectural styles they represent. Based on this visible information, during what decades do you think this part of Milton Avenue developed initially? Cite some of your specific observations to help support your answer. 2) Given your answer to the question above (and clues from the packet), try to explain why this portion of Milton Avenue probably developed when it did. What type of development would you find further south, closer to I-17, and why? 3) What recognizable business logos can you see from this spot along Milton Avenue? List as many as you can see. Explain how these represent geographical indicators of a free-market economy and globalization. Big Box: Barnes & Noble Bookstore 1) If Barnes & Noble is considered to be a "big box" store, than why does its architecture not live up to that description? What architectural style that you've seen elsewhere along the Walk better represent what you are seeing here? 2) Would you consider this geographic space along Milton Avenue to be pedestrian-friendly, and designed specifically with the pedestrian in mind? Why or why not? Think about other types of landscapes you experienced along the Walk, and use specific examples of landscape elements here to support your answer.
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