This is a picture of the basketball court located in The Commons apartments. It is a place where the residents of the Commons and other surrounding apartment complexes can get together and play basketball and get a chance to meet other people. Most of the time it is more guys that get together in this setting, but occasionally there are girls out there. This area would be defined as public space because even though it is located within the grounds of a private apartment complex, other people besides just the residents can use it. This place is important to the JMU community because it is a place where people with a common interest in basketball can get together and meet other people. It provides the community with something to do during the day and keeps them active. I think this space is used for people to have fun and is a practical space. The court is really informal with just one basket, so there is no pressure to be a superstar out on that little court. I think it emphasizes just having fun with the game and creates a more welcoming friendly atmosphere. The location of the court is also important because, for the residents of the Commons, it is close by so it provides them with a convenient way to have fun and meet other residents of the complex.
I found this post interesting because I know that not every neighborhood has a common area for residents to exercise and get together. JMU's campus is great because every dorm has some sort of common area where students can come together (lounges, courtyards, volleyball courts, basketball courts, etc). I am unfamiliar with off-campus housing, but it impresses me that the neighborhoods surrounding JMU's campus also kept common meeting places in mind in their design so that although the living spaces are off campus and are no way affiliated with the university, they are an extension of the friendly college living that the on-campus dorms put so much emphasis on.
ReplyDelete--Peter Amaral
Basketball courts are definitly the best examples of public space. As the photographer mentioned, basketball is a game that brings people together and gives them a chance to meet others. Unlike football or baseball, basketball is a game where a few people can just get together and start a game. The rules are minimal and the players don't have to know how to dunk to be able to carry on a good game of basketball. With that in mind, a few people from one apartment complex and a few others from another apartment complex can get together and start a game of basketball. When people get together to play basketball, they can meet and get to know each other, and that is why basketball courts are good public spaces.
ReplyDeleteJoey Omaid's comment for Dr. H
I found this picture very intriguing because I used to live in the Commons. In class we have discussed how the year round residents of Harrisonburg view the JMU students. The commons is located right next to a largely local resident apartment complex called Deer Run. There is a mere fence separating the two developments that have, in the past, collided heads. While I lived there there was an all out brawl between kids that lived next door to me and kids that lived in Deer Run. Somebody had insulted someone about being a "townie" and things escalated. Misunderstanding of each other lead to this fighting. That's why this court to me just represents another area of divide between the students in the Commons and the residents in Deer Run because it is essentially for Commons residents only. A communal court would force these two groups to come together and understand each others stance on life
ReplyDeleteTodd Hunt (Dr. H)