Social Infrastructure: Creating a Community Place to Bridge an Urban Divide

Abstract

Infrastructure such as railroads have the ability to split communities in half, creating a divide physically and culturally. This divide is historically shown through segregation of race, income and education. The beach front city of Asbury Park, New Jersey was developed in the late 1800s, and was subsequently expanded and developed to the west of the train tracks based off segregation of race and class. This thesis explores how creating a community market space at the point of greatest separation can bridge communities that have long been divided. Along with this, the thesis will look at how community programming can strengthen a city’s identity and welcome visitors to promote local businesses and encourage further development in the area.