Manchester, NH, USA II, 2020

What defines the heart of a city? This drawing focuses on Elm Street, Manchester’s main downtown corridor, and examines who the city centre is designed to serve. Is it shaped by commerce and entertainment, or by spaces that support everyday public life?

From a bird’s-eye view, the work shows how access to the city shifts with income and mobility. By recording restaurant prices and local rents, it draws attention to the rising cost of daily life and the limits this places on who can fully use the area. Walking and using public transportation revealed streets that were difficult to cross and limited access to affordable, nutritious food, even over short distances. The drawing makes visible how urban design and inequality shape who is able to participate in the life of the city.