NEIGHBORHOOD MAPPING PROJECT: PT. 1 by

Lindon

u1434744 — 2024-09-08 21:34:04 UTC

For my mapping assignment, I decided to travel around the city of Lindon, Utah. Lindon is home to around 12,000 people, with neighboring cities being Pleasant Grove and Orem. Contrary to the near city of Provo, Utah, Lindon offers a more relaxed and suburban atmosphere. The city motto "Lindon: A little bit of country", makes sure that you are made aware of it's ruralness. At first glance, it may appear that there isn't much to be seen in Lindon, Utah. This is far from true. After my explorations, I can conclude that Lindon is history rich and full of interesting sites to visit.

History

u1434744 — 2024-09-08 22:29:55 UTC

Lindon is considered to be one of the older cities in Utah county, settled in 1861 by Mormon pioneers. Originally, Lindon was established to be a farm town. According to the Lindon Chamber of Commerce Industry, Lindon was referred to as the "String Town" because of how the houses were aligned along the roads. Unfortunately for many of the historical buildings, destruction and remodeling was inevitable. Nowadays, only sparse remnants remain of many historical wonders. Still, you can see the influence of old architecture around the city through old homes and graveyards.

Neighborhoods

u1434744 — 2024-09-09 00:03:11 UTC

For my project, I drove around the neighborhoods of south-western Lindon, bordering Orem. It was shocking to see how stark the divide between those in poverty and those with wealth was. It seemed that there was no middle ground between the rich and the poor. Higher in the hills were lavish homes within large properties. The roads were better taken care of, with more space on the roads and less potholes. There were more street lights and less trash up the hill. The area was taken care of more adequately than the area just down the hill.

Apparent Issues: The Roads

u1434744 — 2024-09-09 00:16:03 UTC

Within the lower income neighborhoods were a great number of problems. For example, the roads were damaged and not properly upkept. The lines on the streets were faded and inconsistent, as well as with numerous potholes. It would seem that the roads would also not be as well lit as they should be, as visibility during the late hours of night is low. The image displayed above was taken in front of Oak Canyon Jr. High School. It is a decent stretch of road with no street lights on either side. With the amount of deer that live in these hills, this is could be a serious hazard. The crosswalks in front of the school were also dramatically faded and unaligned.

Apparent Issues: Pollution

u1434744 — 2024-09-09 00:19:59 UTC

Trash and roadkill lined the roads at the end of the hill. I had circled around these neighborhoods a couple times over the span of a few days to get a better general idea of the area, and throughout the whole time, I was able to spot the same remains of deceased animals that the city had neglected to clean up. Each gutter system was filled with plastic waste, which could easily clog the drains and lead to flooding.

Apparent Issues: Speeding Regulations

u1434744 — 2024-09-09 00:26:13 UTC

Lindon is filled with hills that people love to fly down and ignore the speed limit on. Located at the bottom of many of these hills are crosswalks between schools. There are no stop or crossing lights to provide pedestrians with some sort of protection. The speeding signs that are in place to regulate people are dirty or destroyed.

Attractions/Landmarks

u1434744 — 2024-09-09 00:39:11 UTC

Lindon is plentiful in trails to explore. The scenery around the city does not disappoint. Pictured above is the Lindon Murdock Canal Trail, a lovely trail to take a leisurely stroll on, which also contains historical significance. There are attractions such as the popular Lindon aquatics center and a variety of parks. Escape rooms are an option as well, if the outdoors doesn't interest you as much.

Reflection

u1434744 — 2024-09-09 00:51:38 UTC

I chose Lindon because I spent the first couple years of my life here, but of course I have no recollection of it. I was concerned that it would not be a fitting topic for a project. After spending time in a city that I thought to be insignificant, I have grown to appreciate the smaller aspects of it. Walking/driving through the various sides of Lindon enabled me to open my perspective to finding the beauty in things you'd otherwise not notice. Spending so much time in Salt Lake City can be tiring and overwhelming, so it was nice to breathe in a calmer town. Even though Lindon has it's obvious flaws such as the lack of care for the less fortunate neighborhoods, people still roam each road with a smile on their face. Everybody who I spoke with was full of kindness. Taking the time out of my day to observe another side of life is an experience that was inarguably worth it.