Local Students Think Outside the Bus Stop for Design Challenge

Students from Brackenridge Elementary School, C.C. Ball Elementary, and KIPP Camino Academy converged Monday morning at the recently renovated multimodal transportation center, VIA Villa, in the city’s near Westside. The elementary and middle school-aged children were involved in the Southwest School of Art‘s student program, Kids Initiating Design Solutions (KIDS) and were charged with the task of thoughtfully designing a bus stop that provides riders activities and opportunities to educate themselves or even grab a bite to eat while waiting for their bus.

A student brings in a classroom designed bus stop made out of cardboard and plastic. Photo by Scott Ball. — A student carries a model of bus stop made out of cardboard and plastic by her class. Photo by Scott Ball.

VIA President and CEO Jeffrey Arndt takes a look at student designs. Photo by Scott Ball.

Students look at each others work displayed on tables. Photo by Scott Ball. — Students look at each others’ work displayed on tables. Photo by Scott Ball.

The results were nothing short of spectacular and served as a reminder for adults, who often think linearly when it comes to transportation and infrastructure, to think outside the box – er, bus stop. Along with individual models and written essays on the students’ ideas on a personal bus stop, the classes joined together to present larger scale stops that would be placed in front of the schools they attend. KIPP Camino Academy students said there was a lack of food options near their stop, which inspired a model that included a mini health food store and an educational kiosk overlooking the historic Southside Hot Wells.

After the children presented their models to their fellow students, VIA officials, teachers and Southwest School of Art representatives, the students took a tour of the new Centro Plaza, the second phase of the VIA Villa development, and spoke with local artist Bill FitzGibbons on his latest public art piece, the Centro Chroma Tower which serves as a beacon of light to the plaza.