For Alberta Arts District’s Black community that have been historically and systemically displaced, Alberta Alive is a homecoming that offers affordable housing to the once displaced community.
3
Buildings
115
Homes
60% AMI Affordability
The Brief
The Ronnie Herndon Building, The Paul & Geneva Knauls Building, and Interstate Avenue Buildings located in Portland’s King neighborhood, are a collaboration between Community Development Partners and Self Enhancement Inc. (SEI). The three buildings belong within the shared Alberta Alive vision. Alberta Alive required a brand system, complete with logos, colors, typefaces and patterns.
The Team
Kierrah Byrd: Art Direction
HUB Collective: Strategy
Community Development Partners
Self Enhancement, Inc.
Skills Used
Art Direction
Branding
Illustration
Environmental Design
The Problem
In the early 1950s, the Alberta neighborhood became home to a large percentage of Portland's Black population and working-class families. As new developments emerge in the Alberta Arts District in Portland, OR, Black Portlanders are continuing to be displaced. Over time, Black Portlanders have been priced out of this historically Black neighborhood, increasing class and other systemic disparities. To address this issue, Alberta Alive was created to provide affordable housing for the historically displaced, and it needed a strong brand that was culturally responsive to the Black community.
Research Methodology
Qualitative data was used to conduct research for this project. I used research presented by the HUB Collective team and conducted placemaking workshops alongside their team. Specifically, we spoke with teens in the Alberta Community about how they felt about their community and their own neighborhood. We found that individuals sought three key elements when thinking of placemaking: home, neighborhood, and community.
Key Insights
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“These are HOMES! Feeling welcome is imperative.”
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“Neighborhood is VITAL!”
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“Community is CULTURE: generational roots & Black-owned businesses.”
The Solution
We created a culturally responsive brand that champions the heritage of Black Oregonians and the revival and reclamation of the Alberta area — its historic namesake as a Black N/NE neighborhood. Alberta Alive is where the history, present and future of the Black community is alive!
