Mapping Queens
When distinguishing between urban and suburban areas, suburban refers to subordinate bed towns or satellite cities which mostly function to support its main urban center. The research starts from this premise. What is the role/function of suburban areas that have no supporting function for its main cities? Is it just abandoned space that is too far away to be connected to its center? Or is it a decaying place which has not been developed due to its own inherent land constraints?
This research takes the relationship between Queens and Manhattan as an example. What is the function of the part of Queens that is unrelated to Manhattan? The first step of the research is identifying the physical infrastructure connecting Manhattan to Queens and delineating how big the portion of Queens supporting Manhattan is.
The second step is mapping the workers and industries of Queens. How many of the residents of Queens work in Manhattan? What kind of jobs do the residents of Queens hold and where exactly are these jobs located?