As we start our project, our framing question is: should microclimate equity be addressed in urban design? Our focus question is, are urban gardens and permeable surface options available and successful in lowering the temperature of cities.
These are great starting questions, but should be re-worked for a couple reasons. First, they are both very “Portlandish”. It is important, especially in framing questions, to make sure that the question can be applied to anywhere and still be relevant. Microclimate and urban design are big topics for Portland, and perhaps for countries with heavy urban populations, but that is not always the case. These two questions are also big questions. They have many components that should be addressed, which could pose problems for a project that is going to be implemented in four weeks.