Because of the negative physical and psychological effects of living in areas of concentrated poverty, reimagining a safe and supportive living community for low-income residents is a necessary foundation for increasing their quality of life. Taproot is an adaptive reuse mixed-income, mixed-use living community devoted to reimagining a safe and supportive living environment for low-income residents, as well as providing the materials and setting necessary to increase the wellbeing of all residents. Taproot hopes to redefine mixed-income living by achieving three main objectives. First, the facilitation of a strong community network among all residents. Second, the creation of an innate sense of safety for all residents by designing spaces that rely on informal and natural surveillance. Lastly, providing ease of access to everyday necessary resources for residents by integrating them into the immediate surroundings of their homes. If Taproot can successfully coordinate these three objectives into its foundation, it will serve as a model to address and break the cycle of despair and failure that often exists at the lower end of the socio-economic spectrum.
