vol. V thesis.

ABSTRACT

This thesis reimagines the architecture of public transportation to align with the future of travel in the city of San Francisco, shifting from car-centric streets to public spaces that implement positive change through qualities such as urban growth, equality, culture, and sustainability. As new modes of transportation continue to be introduced into the flow of travel, commuting in the city has evolved rapidly and become even more multimodal than ever. Yet, despite constant ongoing revisions led by the SFMTA that aim to improve systems of transportation in the city, transit environments such as train stations or bus shelters remain as spaces that are undesirable, unhygienic, or unsafe. Consequently, revisiting the design of waiting spaces in transit environments poses the potential for a new standard for transit and street design for the public.

Designing specifically for waiting spaces related to transportation, combined with the integration of public resources and multimodality, allows for a more efficient and improved experience for travelers. This thesis explores transit architecture through both the analysis of smaller-scale station-street intersections as well as a larger-scale revitalization of the current Hallidie Plaza, which connects the underground Powell Street Station in downtown San Francisco to the streets above. The strategic design of station thresholds at the street level and the new Hallidie Plaza strives to transforms the current neglected and often vulnerable stations into desirable and active public spaces that embody the needs of San Francisco’s urban commuter population.

Brief historical context of public transportation in the city of San Francisco.

Mobility In The City

Current conditions of transportation in the city outlining ongoing and future SFMTA projects

The Future Of Transit

Envisioning the future of public transportation and the factors that point towards positive change in urban environments.

A graphic guideline of events that diagrams a framework of architectural thinking, with key dates and projects highlighting significant elements of the thesis process.

Background.

Historical Context

Transportation plays a vital role in any major city, especially in the city of San Francisco, which has the third busiest light rail system in the nation. From the early system of cable cars beginning in the year 1873 to today’s light rail vehicles used by 49 million riders annually, public transportation is a key part of the daily lives of people in the city. The system of mobility has continually reshaped the streets of San Francisco with its potential to create public spaces and connections that lead to urban growth and productivity.

San Francisco has an extensive history of public involvement in the formation of today’s transit system, with members of the community advocating for safer and more accessible systems of mobility as well as improvements in street design to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists. Traveling around the city by bicycle has always been a common and popular form of commute. The first bicycle club in San Francisco was established in 1876, and in 1896, a mass of 5,000 cyclists demonstrated through the city for better and safer riding conditions in the streets. Elderly and disabled community members also advocated for accessibility in transit throughout history. The “Transit First Policy,” first adopted in 1973 and still active today, has prioritized transit vehicles in the streets of San Francisco over any other vehicle. The policy has led to citywide projects for improvements in both the transit system and multimodal transportation system in the city.

Yet, despite the city’s rapid progress in improving efficiency for systems of travel, the spaces involved in transit environments are often neglected and unpleasant, with issues such as hygiene, safety, and defacement of public property. Stations and bus stops are a fundamental part of the daily lives of many people commuting in San Francisco, who experience these spaces and are affected by them. Implementing innovative ways to redevelop the waiting spaces through sustainable and inclusive design methods can allow for the transit environments to perform as social hubs that engage communities.

Mobility in the City. Current Conditions of Commuting in San Francisco

Since 1999, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) has managed all forms of ground transportation in the city. Currently, the SFMTA oversees Muni, the municipal railway public transit, along with bicycling, paratransit, taxis, parking, traffic, and walking. In terms of transit, the agency oversees the bus, light rail, historic streetcar, and cable car systems in the city, as well as paratransit.

The SFMTA has an extensive list of ongoing and future projects to improve public transportation for travelers in San Francisco. In addition to projects that introduce new bus and light rail routes and street reconfiguration plans, the agency is involved with educational programs, beautification projects, and plans to redesign the streets as public space for the people. The ongoing Better Market Street program aims to revitalize the street as a center for the public, with less dominance from cars and more presence from alternative modes of travel.

In the year 2017, non-automobile travel made up 52% of trips in the city. Bicycle travel continues to remain a popular mode of transportation, with the number of trips increasing by 213% since 2006. Shared-use scooter and bicycle programs introduced in the past few years have also had promising usage from commuters in the city, especially in highly congested areas where population and jobs are greatest.

The Future of Transit.

Envisioning the Experience of Tomorrow’s Traveler

Transit environments are not just passages but waiting spaces that people experience daily. As public transportation continues to become an increasingly integral part of the lives of city inhabitants, strategic design is more crucial than ever in framing urban cities. The future of spaces associated with public transportation (walk, bike, transit) require innovative design approaches that connect multimodal methods of travel, provide equal services for the public, and act as a social space for the city.

Cities and policies are moving forward and progressing towards more efficient and sustainable systems of transportation designed for its users. The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), for example, connects 81 major cities and transit agencies in North America to collaborate and share ideas to solve issues in transportation. Currently the association presents guides to improve not only public transit systems but the spaces involved in transit environments such as the street. The “Transit Street Design Guide” includes guidelines to promote better design in transit environments, including six key principles for transit in the street as well as specific areas of design, such as rules for accessibility in platforms and tips for designing safe and accessible bus stops.

Micromobility and autonomous vehicles will have a significant impact on the future of city travel. The growing adoption of shared-use scooter and bike systems have rapidly transformed the urban environments of cities around the globe. With newly introduced methods of transportation and a paradigm shift in the structure of mobility in cities, transit environments in the streets must be reshaped to combat the problems caused by car-centric design in urban realms and promote the positive changes that alternative modes of transportation instill.

Explorations

GENERATOR COLLAGE ILLUSTRATING THE SPATIAL SEQUENCE OF A TRAVELER TO ACCOMMODATE FOR THE FUTURE OF MULTIMODAL PUBLIC TRANSIT

HYBRID ITERATIONS

MULTI-MEDIA REPRESENTATIONS OF INITIAL CONCEPTS AND IDEAS

SITE ANALYSES

ANALYSIS OF CURRENT SITE CONDITIONS AND EXISTING PARAMETERS OF CONTEXT THROUGH DIAGRAMS AND DRAWINGS

PRECEDENTS

EXISTING PROJECTS INSPIRING IDEAS OF THE THESIS AND THESIS PROJECT

ABSTRACT

WRITTEN ABSTRACT OUTLINING THESIS AND PROJECT GOALS

DATA MAPPING CONNECTING HISTORICAL MOMENTS IN THE EVOLUTION OF TRANSIT AND USER RESPONSE IN SF

SITE MAPPING

DETAILED ANALYSIS OF COMMUTE AND TRANSIT ENVIRONMENTS IN THE CONTEXT OF SF

“SECTION

DESIGNING & MAKING

PRELIMINARY DRAWINGS

PLANS, SECTIONS, AND DIAGRA MS ILLUSTRATING INITIAL APPROACH TO DESIGN AND SITE TRANSFORMATION

PRODUCTION PHASE

FINALIZING DESIGN IDEAS AND STRATEGIES, STARTING TO MAKE FINAL PRESENTATION DRAWINGS

“DETAIL SHOW” [APR. 14]

FINAL PRESENTATION

FINALIZING DRAWINGS, DIAGRAMS, WEBSITE, THESIS SHOW PREP

“DALE’S DOLLS” [MAY 28]

"FINAL STOP"

FINAL PRESENTATION THESIS SHOW AND WEBSITE LAUNCH

RESEARCH + ANALYSIS

TEAM RESEARCH

UNDERSTANDING THE DESIGN METHODS OF FIRMS AND PAST THESIS PROJECTS THROUGH RESEARCH AND APPLYING THEM IN INITIAL TEAM DESIGN EXERCISES.

“ABSTRACT SHOW” [0CT. 7]

DIAGRAMMING

INITIAL DESIGN STRATEGIES

DESIGN + DEVELOPMENT

GRAPHIC REPRESENTATIONS CONVEYING KEY IDEAS AND ATTRIBUTES OF THESIS

FIRST APPROACHES TO SITE TRANSFORMATION AND DESIGNING OF A NEW HALLIDIE PLAZA IN DOWNTOWN SF

“SECTION SHOW” [FEB. 10]

FALL QUARTER 2020

WINTER QUARTER 2021

SPRING QUARTER 2021

A experimental collage analyzing the spatial experiences of a modern commuter in an urban area, studying the potential for transit environments to serve as inclusive and resourceful public spaces that convey the culture of a community.

A graphic timeline that draws connections between different layers of information relating to public transportation in San Francisco, including historical moments in commute and statistical data reflecting public activity and response to the various systems of travel in the city.

Projects and design proposals that address a positive direction towards the future of public transportation concerning new modes of travel, multimodal transportation, micromobility, and sustainability. These projects exhibit innovative ways to regenerate the street as public spaces for the people, stepping away from car-centric development through innovative ways that integrate methods of sustainability and social engagement.

“A good connection between bicycle and train is an indispensable link for the urban mobility network. However, underground parking facilities are often unpleasant spaces due to low ceilings, the lack of daylight and a view of the surroundings.”

Bicycle Parking in The Hague. Silo

& Studio Marsman

Completed in early 2020, this bicycle parking garage is one of the largest in the Netherlands and located in The Hague, a city in the Netherlands that is home to both the court and the government. Built in front of The Hague Central Station, this parking garage has the capacity to store approximately 8,000 bicycles and provides a safe and pleasant experience for cyclists with its unique spatial qualities, including white interior, high ceilings, clear directional markings, and back-lit walls. These walls also exhibit designs that reflect the facades of iconic buildings throughout the architectural history of The Hague using morphing tessellations.

Autonomous Architecture: Towards a New Transitopia!

Evan Shieh, Harvard University Graduate School of Design

In this thesis for his Master of Architecture in Urban Design, Evan Shieh looks to the near future in the year 2047 and proposes a manifesto on modern travel that adapts to the automation of vehicles. Introducing a shift to autonomous commute in the Los Angeles transit system, he creates a narrative on the future of travel through the use of graphic story-telling, with specific examples of characteristics that represent the people and neighborhoods of Los Angeles. He argues that while automobile dependency has reduced the use of public transit in the city, the automation of the car can bring back public transit as a “model for urban growth,” and transition the city from Autotopia to Transitopia in the next few decades.