Emily Johansen

Emily Johansen

Comparing my sketch to a map of Harvard Square, I was unsurprised to find that the areas I walk were much more accurate than other areas in the square, but I was surprised that my ability to recall the region was markedly influenced by the types activities I do in those areas, rather than the amount of time I spend in them. I walk down Dunster Street everyday on my way to class, yet I forgot to include Winthrop Street, which is one of very few streets I cross to reach the Yard. On the other hand, I was able to easily recall the area along river (Eliot, Winthrop, Leverett Houses) with significantly greater accuracy, even though I live in none of those houses and only spend a fraction of my day in the area. I have rowing practice along that stretch of the university almost everyday, where I am not mindlessly distracted by thoughts of the next class. Though I am not at that point of the river during practice for an extended period of time, my time there is directed and part of my identity in a way that walking to class simply isn’t. This caused me to think beyond the trope of the city’s ability to affect its inhabitants and see the reverse: that my activity changes (my perception) of the superstructures around me. In other words, while I am influenced by my built environment, it is simultaneously influenced by me.