Community Chalkboards

As a graduate student of Urban Planning at Columbia University, Chang had the opportunity to learn and collaborate with community groups alongside international architecture and urban design students through Global Studio. Working closely with Diepsloot Community News, Chang helped create public chalkboards in Diepsloot township in Johannesburg to provide residents with a free platform to easily share information and self-organize. After a young girl was lost in the township, local resident and Diepsloot Community News founder Bongani Baloyi observed the struggles in spreading the word. She was safely found days later and this experience became inspiration for the project. Inspired by a community-related chalkboard in Liberia by Alfred Sirleaf, these flexible forums have been used for various purposes, including publicizing events, posting jobs, and gathering contact information for community advocacy groups.