April 2017 | Eyesore

Commentary on architectural blunders in monthly serial.

Could we do this any worse in America? Behold: childhood development completely subordinated to the project of free parking in Naperville, Ill. What’s even more astounding: it’s the “play lot” for a Montessori “academy,” which stresses freedom-of-movement in educational activities. Wikipedia says of Montessori education: “The model has two basic principles. First, children and developing adults engage in psychological self-construction by means of interaction with their environments. Second, children, especially under the age of six, have an innate path of psychological development.”

Let’s hope they can overcome the effects of their “play” environment.

Submitted for your approval by correspondent Tim Moyer who writes: “The school is not in a congested urban location – rather, it’s in my corner of exurban Chicago sprawl. Ironically, there are vast intramural fields just beyond the large dumpster/fence at the public middle school…. I “like” other details in the image: the orange pylon; the frightening overhead infrastructure; the deathly black paint/tar/rubber chips (sure to be scalding hot in July.”