"From Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five rapping in their 1982 classic “New York New York” about “Staring at a skyscraper reaching into heaven / When over in the ghetto I’m livin’ in hell,” to Jay Z rhyming on 2017’s “Marcy Me” that “I’m from Marcy Houses, where the boys die by the thousand,” hip-hop has always had an intimate relationship with the architecture of cities. But what if the low-income youth of color who live in the ghettos and housing projects of Gotham — or Los Angeles or Detroit — had the technical know-how to redesign their hometowns and create buildings that serve their communities?
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Architect Magazine Features - The Hip Hop Architecture Camp
Architect Magazine features The Hip Hop Architecture Camp.
Read MoreVideo: Madison Hip Hop Architecture Camp Recap
The Hip Hop Architecture Camp was held every Saturday in the month of February, in Madison Wisconsin. The camp was sponsored by The City of Madison's Planning Department, Capital Area Regional Planning Commission, Madison Public Library, Madison College and University of Wisconsin School of Education and focused on allowing the youth to participate in the creation of Madison's comprehensive plan, which looks 20 years into the future planning of The City.
Thanks to Madison 365 for the great coverage during The Hip Hop Architecture Camp in Madison and these awesome video interviews with the participants!
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ESPN Undefeated Features The Hip Hop Architecture Camp
On June 7, 2017, ESPN Undefeated featured The Hip Hop Architecture Camp.
Read MoreCityLab: The Future of 'Hip-Hop Architecture'
Ford is currently helping lead a design justice movement around that idea. He’s also working as the lead architect for the forthcoming Universal Hip Hop Museum, which he calls “the first representation of hip-hop architecture in the world.” In February, Ford launched a hip-hop architecture youth camp in Madison, Wisconsin, where city youth worked with city planners on the Imagine Madison city comprehensive plan. He hopes to replicate that in other cities this year.
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“Express Yourself” Shows Off Unique Visions for Madison’s Future
The energy for week one of the innovative Hip-Hop Architecture Camp at the Madison Central Library was going to be tough to beat, but week two was lively and spirited in its own right as area youth came together to explore architecture, urban planning, and economic development through the lens of hip-hop culture while simultaneously aligning with the City of Madison’s Planning Department’s mission to gather and use opinions of each and every Madisonian to update the City’s 20-Year Comprehensive Plan.