Divisions make up and define communities.  They occur from the moment intangible lines are drawn over a continuous parcel and individual ownership of these fractions occurs.  As the community is established these intangible boundaries are reinforced through various means and mediums.  This project is an investigation of the phenomenon of the reinforcement and establishment of divisions, both tangible and intangible, that occur during the evolution of communities using the Faubourg Marigny and Bywater Neighborhoods as a case study. The Fauborg Marigny and Bywater Neighborhoods are located in the Upper Ninth Ward of New Orleans, east of the French Quarter.  The boundaries of the site observed within these neighborhoods is defined by Esplanade Avenue to the west, St. Claude Avenue to the north, the Industrial Canal to the east, and the Mississippi River to the south.  These neighborhoods contain a unique history in the context of the development of the New Orleans metro area.  They have both served as mixed use communities with an overlay of light industry and transportation corridors as the development from the center city of New Orleans has crept outward. Historical research provided insight into the past.  The history of the Marigny and Bywater reveals a past beginning with disintegration of the local plantation economy and transformation into a residential community.  The proximity of this developing community to the Mississippi River and the introduction of an industrial economy created an outer edge of industry as well as transportation corridors bisecting the communities.  The neighborhood became fragmented and divided as the industry increased and natural processes occurred.  These Divisions occur on several different scales and have varying consequences. A photographic journey attempts to identify and sort the divisions that are a result of the evolution of this neighborhood.  The journey breaks down the layers of divisions as the viewer enters the neighborhood, thereby placing them in a sub category of the larger urban context.  These divisions occur as the layers are exposed starting with broader context of the neighborhood into the private homes of it’s residents and terminating with the divisions observed between the residents themselves. The photographic journey is illustrated through a series of drawings attempting to visually locate, define, and highlight the nature of the division displayed.    Another series of drawings illustrate the same location of the division while placing the site in a sectional view.  Valuable quantitative information is gained through these illustrations.  Acetone transfer is used in both sets of drawings to create a collage of information, further defining the location and nature of the division illustrated. The second component of project 1.001 was a map study intended to serve as a foundation and resource for future projects while gaining a better understanding of the site.  These maps included base maps at 1”=1000’ and 1”=400’,  as well as maps documenting roadways, building massing, vegetation, flood infrastructure, building typology, program/use, and topography at the scale appropriate to fully demonstrate the information displayed. The maps are intended to emphasize their respective resources while maintaining a simple and clean display.  The composite map is a combination of information gained through the mapping exercise with the extra layer of the photographic journey and study of divisions to create a two dimensional hybrid of illustrating and mapping components of project 1.001. Project 1.001 properly introduced the site by identifying invaluable information on the history and layers of information focusing on the divisions that have evolved as time progresses.  This information will prove to be valuable in future assignments as it gains an understanding of the dynamic qualities of this neighborhood.

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