An Avid Dream of Transformation...
In the near future, these locations are going to be transformed from wild fields into cookie-cutter, residential areas. For the years and maybe even decades before this development, these plots of land have been used as parks and BMX biking areas. Families hike through handmade trails on the weekends and cut holes in their fences adjacent to the land so their kids can go play. These areas are known as safe places where the community’s youth play in the outdoors. A few years ago, the first plot of land was bulldozed, knocking down beautiful natural cliffs, and a wide road was built up the slope to the top. According to my father who has lived in Carlsbad for 30 years, this land was initially the Carlsbad City Dump and then was cleared out to be used for housing. After being bulldozed and the top flattened, the natural beauty of this place was almost lost and may be lost forever with future projects. A few weeks ago, my family was hiking in the second plot and met the owner. He informed us that he would be filling the land with condos and other residential structures in two short years. This land is even more important to the community and specifically my family because of the long days we played in the forest. My two sisters and I once teamed up and built a biking and hiking track around the whole grove as a present for our dad. Just this week when I was shooting photos for this project I noticed that several trees had been chopped down and BMX jumps flattened in an attempt to control the community’s use of this land. These areas were so important to my childhood and I thought they would be a place of fun for many kids and families in the future, but they are vanishing.
In my project, I show the natural beauty of these places and explore what they might look like in the future. Although I am sad to see these forests and fields built, they could become the homes for many happy families. Is it detrimental to the community to wipe out the natural landscapes around them that they enjoy so much? Is it worth it if housing is provided for the expanded community? These are the questions I bring out, but leave open and unanswered, in my photographs.
