One Linear Mile
The concept of "one linear mile" frames our activities at Mixplace Studio. It begins with a single hypothesis: the tensions that define a city such as Philadelphia are typically experienced within any given ten-block distance.
Mixplace Studio is located along one of these linear miles at 40th and Walnut Streets. The ten-block distance from the corner of 40th and Walnut to the corner of 40th and Brown, and back again, is our particular focus. As we walk this linear mile, we move across race and class, from public school to private university, and from public disinvestment to total privatization. Visualizing and representing this movement from different perspectives is central to our activities.
More than just a visual or spatial concept, a linear mile is a psychological device that focuses our attention on the shifts in economic opportunity, institutional access, and social relations that divide Philadelphia. This attentiveness enables us to engage with and take responsibility for these shifts. The following principles guide our application of the concept of the linear mile:
- It is a moving conversation on the scale of the individual, the building, the block, and the city.
- It is a process of walking and gathering community voices, local histories, and everyday experiences.
- It is an educational tool for learning about and renewing social trust across divided constituencies.
For more information:
Aaron Levy, "One Linear Mile" (2012, PDF)