MY CHICAGO

Where are you from?  Our big city contains multitudes.  And we understand that not only from common everyday experiences, but from meeting our classmates.  From learning the different neighborhoods where they live.  From visiting the "Folded Maps" exhibit at the Loyola University Museum of Art.  All of these experiences have helped me think about the city I live in -- and what about "Chicago" I can identify with.


I decided that my Chicago -- where I'm from in the city -- is best represented by my travels.  And not just in a car.  In a car, you don't necessarily 'feel' a place, you just drive through.  On a bike, though, it's totally different.  You're present in the space, open to the people.  It's easier to stop, talk, or just be curious as you pass by something interesting.



I have an annual membership with Divvy Bike.  That means I can ride those big blue bikes that you might see around the city, at any time.  But, even given that freedom, I don't ride ALL around the city.  I ride closer to places that I know, that I identify with, like my home and my work.

And Divvy keeps track of everywhere I go on the bikes.  Maybe that's sort of creepy, but I think it's interesting to look at that data.  And I think it's important to think about it since EVERYONE (I mean, companies, anyways) looks at my data. I'm fooling myself if I think my routines are 100% private.  If companies have my data, I'd rather investigate that information too, instead of just letting it get used without a second thought.

So I took my Divvy data from the past 5 months and created a map.  It's my Chicago.  I'm on the top of that folded map.
I think this is a fun experiment, looking more closely at our city and how we represent it.

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