VISIONING
SWOT: REVEALED
SWOT
USING STRENGTHS TO ADDRESS OPPORTUNITIES
STRENGTHS VALUE IN ACTIVENESS OUTDOORS
OPPORTUNITIES PEDESTRIAN BRIDGES
PEDESTRIAN ACTIVIY
LYONS AVENUE CORRIDOR
PRIDE IN CULTURAL ARTS
I-10 PHYSICAL DISCONNECTIONS
BUS SHELTERS GROCERY STORES / MARKETS
CONNECTION WITH NATURE AND HONEST FOOD
INFORMAL INDUSTRIAL PUBLIC SPACE
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
TO DESIGN AN EVEN MORE COHESIVE, CONNECTED AND CELEBRATED COMMUNITY FOR DENVER HARBOR.
Vision THE ELEMENTS OF DENVER HARBOR THAT CALL THE MOST ATTENTION AND ARE MOST HEAVILY USED BY DENVER HARBORIANS ARE: DENVER HARBOR PARK, LYONS STREET AND THE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGES OVER I-10. FUTURE DENVER HARBOR RESIDENTS WILL USE THESE FEATURES WHETHER THEY ARE MADE BETTER OR NOT, THEREFORE THE FOCUS WAS DIRECTED AT THESE THREE ESSENTIALS. TO MAKE THE PARK, THE BRIDGES AND THE COMMERCIAL AVENUE FUNCTION TO THEIR FULL POTENTIALS BECAME THE BACKBONE OF DECISION MAKING DURING THE VISIONING PROCESS.
BRIDGES
LYONS AVE
DENVER HARBOR PARK
ENCOURAGEMENTS vs CONCERNS LIVING INCENTIVES FOR THE COMMUNITY
EAST PASADENA MEDIAN HOUSE SIZE: 1,107 sft for $51,487
Denver Harbor Multi-Service Center
Lyons Health Center
Houston Community Health Center Fiesta
Fifth Ward Multi-Service Center
FIFTH WARD / DENVER HARBOR TRANSIT CENTER
DOWNTOWN TRANSIT CENTER
Texas Southern University
Hoston Community College Main Campus
DO WN TO WN
University of Houston Downtown
PEARLAND MEDIAN HOUSE SIZE: 1,148 sft for $75,060
University of Houston
DENVER HARBOR MEDIAN HOUSE SIZE: 1,119 sft for $63,108
The size of the average house in Denver Harbor is comparable to an average house in Pearland and Pasadena, two neighborhoods outside of loop 610, Southeast of inner Houston. The drive to downtown, with traffic, from either of these suburbs would take over an hour one way. Denver Harbor is very accessible to the amenities of inner city Houston and the residents will attest to location and public transportation as being their neighborhood’s greatest asset. Most Denver Harborians get to work in little over 10 minutes...5% faster than the rest of Harris county. This is a reasonable incentive to live and stay living in Denver Harbor.
MAGNOLIA TRANSIT CENTER
EASTWOOD TRANSIT CENTER
Denver Harbor has access to the 5th ward transit center which has a new route to the Houston food bank and Houston Community College. Connectedness and accessibility are assets in Denver Harbor, however sometimes safety becomes a cause for concern. Bus shelters are sometimes missing at key stops and lighting along sidewalks, streets, parking lots and bridges is missing in key areas.
Denver > Harbor
Houston Community College Northeast Campus
Food Bank
SAFETY, CONNECTEDNESS AND ACCESSIBILITY
(Slight decrease in youth population)
Houston> (Steady youth population overall)
YOUTH AND YOUNG PROFESSIONALS (SLOWLY MOVING AWAY?)
Population: 18 Years or Younger 40 % 36% 34% 1990 2000 2010
PARK PROGRAMS MARY E. SCROGGINS SCHOOL YARD SPLASH PAD
1/4 mile
1/2 mile
KRESS LYONS PARK SKATE
FILLMORE PARK SOCCER AND BASKETBALL
MCREYNOLDS SCHOOL YARD FITNESS EQUIPMENT
SELENA QUINTANILLA PARK BASEBALL
TAX DELINQUENT PROPERTIES !
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TAX DELINQUENT PROPERTIES PARKS
TAX DELINQUENT PROPERTIES ARE LOTS WHOSE OWNERS HAVE NEGLECTED TO PAY THEIR TAXES IN SEVERAL YEARS BECAUSE THEY DON’T HAVE THE MONEY TO. INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, MUCH OF DENVER HARBOR’S TAX DELINQUENT PROPERTIES ARE CLUMPED IN AREAS THAT ARE UNDER SERVED BY PUBLIC PARKS. IF YOU VISIT THE MAP OF PARKS AND PROGRAMS OPPOSITE THIS PAGE, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE QUARTER AND HALF MILE WALKING DISTANCES SURROUNDING EACH PARK DO NOT QUITE REACH A FEW NEIGHBORHOODS. MUCH OF THESE AREAS LACKING PARKS ARE WHERE A HIGHER NUMBER OF TAX DELINQUENT PROPERTIES ARE IN DENVER HARBOR.
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THE LOOP
Harbor St. Industrial Edge
Kress St. Industrial Edge
Eliot Elementary School
Lyons Ave. Fiesta
Pedestrian Bridge [east] Del Sol Supermarket
Pedestrian Bridge [west]
Raul C. Martinez Elementary School
McReynolds Middle School
Denver Harbor Park
Harris St. Industrial Edge
Lyons Ave.
<SITES RELEVANT TO THE CONNECTION AND CELEBRATEDNESS OF THE VISION FOR DENVER HARBOR.
Pedestrian Bridge [east]
Harris St. Industrial Edge
Denver Harbor Park
McReynolds Middle School
Pedestrian Bridge [west]
Kress St. Industrial Edge Harbor St. Industrial Edge
Linking Fruit Corridors
Nodal points that drive community activity were identified to create a loop. This loop connects those points to create a connected neighborhood with a strong core emphasizing Denver Harbor Park, while activating Lyons Avenue and the pedestrian bridges. From this park, three green fruit corridors are established connecting areas of the neighborhood that are not being served with public recreation space. These corridors further emphasize a connection the industrial edges and the informal function that happens along those edges. These sites will be addressed through the implementation of three strategies - ADAPT, IN-FILL AND WRAP
STRATEGIES
EXAMPLE OF WRAP
CONNECTING AMENITIES IN DENVER HARBOR SUCH AS FIESTA, MCREYNOLDS MIDDLE SCHOOL AND DENVER HARBOR PARK VIA MORE PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY WALKING SPACES , PERHAPS USING ELECTRICAL CORRIDORS
Wrapping pedestrian connectors around already established programs to connect them
WRAP
EXAMPLE OF ADAPT
USING DENVER HARBOR’S STRENGTH OF PUBLIC ART MURALS AND ADAPTING IT TO LYONS COMMERCIAL STOREFRONTS OR TO THE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGES OVER I-10
Merge already established programs with community strengths and potentials to improve the connections or programs that already exist
ADAPT
STRATEGIES
EXAMPLE OF IN-FILL
INSERTING ATHLETIC PROGRAMS INTO THE INDUSTRIAL NORTH AND SOUTH EDGES OF THE COMMUNITY TO ACTIVATE THOSE EDGES, BENEFITTING BOTH RESIDENTS ON THE EDGE AND INDUSTRIAL WORKERS OCCUPYING THOSE SPACES.
Attach community potentials to places where it would spur development or improve areas that are not being addressed
INFILL
WRAP
ADAPT
FILL
ADAPT
WRAP
WRAP
FILL THE APPLICATION OF ADAPT AND IN-FILL AT SPECIFIC SITES IN DENVER HARBOR AND THEN USING THE STRATEGY OF WRAP TO CONNECT THOSE SITES.
DENVER HARBOR PARK < CURRENT
PARKING LOTS SIT WHERE ARAPAHOE STREET WOULD POTENTIALLY RUN THROUGH THE PARK.
< PHASE 1 REDEFINE STREET WITH CULTURAL AND SOCIAL MURALS ESTABLISH PATH THROUGH PARK AS PEDESTRIAN ONLY
< PHASE 2 ADD BENCHES FOR SEATING AND CONGREGATING PLANT FRUIT TREES ALONG PEDESTRIAN THOROUGHFARE
ADAPT PHASE 3
ESTABLISH NEW PARK PAVILION AS CENTER OF PARK AND AS A MAIN NODE ON THE LOOP. VEHICLE PARKING IS NOW ON OTHER SIDE OF PARK.
DENVER HARBOR PARK PLAN
Kress St. Industrial Edge
Eliot Elementary School
THE FUTURE OF DENVER HARBOR PARK IS BRIGHT AND DEDICATED TO CONNECTING ITSELF INTO THE CONTEXT OF THE COMMUNITY AROUND Fiesta IT. USING THE WRAP STRATEGY, ARAPAHOE STREET BECOMES A DESIGPedestrian Bridge [west] NATED PATH THAT CONNECTS MCREYNOLDS MIDDLE SCHOOL TO DENVER HARBOR PARK AND THE SURROUNDING RESIDENTIAL STREETS. McReynolds Middle School THE STRATEGY OF ADAPT IS USED WHEN ACTIVATING ARAPAHOE BY IMPLEMENTING STREET MURALS AND FRUIT TREES. A NEW PROPOSED PARK PAVILLION MARKS THE CENTER OF THIS PLAN, WHICH IN TURN WILL CONNECT ITSELF BACK INTO THE LOOP.
Lyons Ave.
P Del Sol Supermarket
R
Denver Harbor Park
Harri
THE PLAN ADDRESSES DENVER HARBOR’S APPRECIATIONS FOR: > VALUE OUTDOOR ACTIVITY > CONNECTEDNESS TO THE EARTH THROUGH USEFUL VEGETATION > CULTURE AND EXPRESSION THROUGH PUBLIC ARTS
FRUIT CORRIDORS
EXISTING UTILITY CORRIDORS BEHIND ROWS AND ROWS OF SINGLE FAMILY HOMES IN DENVER HARBOR. THESE BECOME AN OPPORTUNITY FOR NATURE AND PRACTICAL FUNCTION TO COMPLIMENT EACH OTHER. NATURE TRAILS AND PEDESTRIAN PATHWAYS CAN PROGRAM THESE ZONES. < THIS UTILITY CORRIDOR IS BEHIND MCREYNOLDS MIDDLE SCHOOL AND DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE HIGHLY TRAVELED WEST PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE, LEADING TO FIESTA, IT CONNECTS TO ARAPAHOE STREET AND TO THE SOUTHERN INDUSTRIAL EDGE. THIS CORRIDOR COULD BECOME A VERY USEFUL CONNECTOR TO GET FROM THE GROCERY STORE TO THE SCHOOL TO THE PARK AND / OR TO HOME.
Phase 1: Adapt the back alley to pedestrians’ path ways • Encourages people do more outdoor activities • Create additional walks paths • Connects people to major nodes
Phase 2: Fill the back alleys with fruit tree & garden vegetables • Reduces dumping on back alleys • Provides an after school activity for the youth to take care of the garden and be involve in the community • Encourages people meet their neighbors
Harbor St. Industrial Edge
Kress St. Industrial Edge
Eliot Elementary School
Lyons Ave. Fiesta
Pedestrian Bridge [east] Del Sol Supermarket
Pedestrian Bridge [west]
Raul C. Martinez Elementary School
McReynolds Middle School
Denver Harbor Park
Harris St. Industrial Edge
IN-FILL
PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE, WEST
EXISTING CONDITION -UNADDRESSED GREEN EDGE - LOW CEILING BRIDGE - TERTIARY ROAD / VERY LOW TRAFFIC
ADAPT Kress St. Industrial Edge
PHASE 1: -PUBLIC ART - SIDEWALK REMEDIATION - SEATING - LIGHTING - PEDESTRIAN SAFETY BALLARDS
Eliot Elementary School
Lyons Ave. Fiesta PHASE 2: - BRIDGE INTERVENTION - SIDEWALK ART AND MARKETING - FENCE REPLACEMENT - DENVER HARBOR SIGNAGE
Del Sol
Pedestrian Bridge [west]
McReynolds Middle School
Denver Harbor Park
PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE, EAST
ADAPT
OPTIONS FOR BRIDGE EAST BLACKBERRY CLIMBING VINES AND PLANTERS ADVERTISEMENT FOR LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL TEAM ON GROUND OF BRIDGE
Pedestrian Bridge [east]
Supermarket Raul C. Martinez Elementary School OPTIONS FOR BRIDGE EAST SEATING TO THE SIDE OF THE BRIDGE ADVERTISEMENT FOR LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL TEAM ON GROUND OF BRIDGE BACKDROP FOR LOCAL CULTURAL MURALISTS
Harris St. Industrial Edge
LIGHTING ADDED FOR SAFETY
PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE, EAST THIS SITE IS AT THE NORTH ENTRY OF THE EAST BRIDGE OVER I-10. THIS INTERSECTION WITH THE FRONTAGE ROAD IS ADJACENT TO A VERY POPULAR EATERY EL POTRO (WHERE THE BBQ COOK-OFF IS HELD) THIS STAIR IS ALSO RIGHT NEXT TO DEL SOL MERCADO. UNFORTUNATELY THERE IS AN AUTO SALESMAN TAKING UP THE ONCEVACANT LOT WEST OF THE STAIR.
PHASE 1: -PUBLIC ART VISIBLE FROM HIGHWAY - STAIR USED AS ATHLETICS ADVERTISEMENT
PHASE 2: - VEGETATION AND PLANTERS INSTALLED ON BRIDGE WALKWAY - WOODEN STAIR BASE INSTALLED TO CREATE INFORMAL SPACE UNDER STAIRS -EAST BRIDGE SIGNAGE OVER ENTRY WAYS
Pedestrian Bridge [east]
ADAPT
Sol Supermarket Raul C. Martinez Elementary School PHASE3: - DENVER HARBOR SIGNAGE OVER HIGHWAY -RAMP CONSTRUCTED TO GIVE ACCESS TO THOSE WHO CANNOT USE STAIRS
Harris St. Industrial Edge
VACANT LOT, EAST BRIDGE
Lyons Ave.
PHASE 1: PLANT TREES ON THE SOUTHERN MOST EDGE TO DEFINE A SPACE
Pedestrian Bridge [east] THIS SITE IS ADJACENT TO I-10’S FRONTAGE
ROAD, THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF DENVER HARBOR RESIDENTIAL FABRIC AND SOME LIGHT INDUSTRIAL CAR MECHANICS TO THE EAST. THE EAST PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE ALSO CAN BE ACCESSED FAIRLY CLOSE TO THIS SITE. IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE SEVERAL FUNCTIONING PROGRAMS AT ONCE AND GIVE THE RESIDENTS A PUBLIC SPACE THEY CAN INTERACT WITH.
Del Sol Supermarket
PHASE 2: EVEN THE GROUND PLANE WITH CONCRETE AND GRASS GRID. CONTRASTS WITH THE SCALE OF THE HIGHWAY AND MAKES IT MORE SCALED TO THE PEDESTRIAN PHASE 3: INCORPORATE PUBLIC GRAFFITI WALLS AND PLACES FOR MURALS TO BE DISPLAYED. THIS COULD BE TEMPORARY OR PERMANENT INSTALLATION
Raul C. Martinez Elementary School
ADAPT
er Harbor Park
Harris St. Industrial Edge
LYONS STREET METRO STOP The current bus stop has no shelter and is right next to Fiesta and other shopping and commercial storefronts. However, there is nothing demarcating this important corner.
PHASE 1: Adapt the existing bike lanes along Lyons Avenue • Makes the street more distinguishable and safer for the cyclist • Attracts and encourages people to use bicycles more • Creates a notable separation of cars, bicycles and pedestrians
PHASE 2: Fill the corner with a bus shelter • Provides a covered and sitting area for people while waiting for the bus • Provides a display wall for the community art that celebrates Denver Harbor culture • Provides an after school activity for the youth and community in the creation of the shelter and art work
Eliot Elementary School
&
IN-FILL
ADAPT
Lyons Ave.
Pedestrian Del Sol Supermarket
Fiesta
rian Bridge [west]
Raul C. M
ds Middle Phase School 3: Wrap Lyons Avenue with green areas and trees â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘
Makes the street more pleasant to walk and provides more shade Encourages people do more outdoor activities
Denver Harbor Park
Harris St. Indu
LYONS STREET CAR WASH
Current Car Wash: Always busy, especially on the weekends It is a point of gathering along Lyons
Phase 1: Add benches and provide a sitting area for the people that frequently gather here Encourage outdoor activities
Phase 2: Plant trees and show representative murals on vertical surfaces to celebrate commerce on Lyons Add walkways
Eliot Elementary School ADAPT
Lyons Ave. Phase 3: Add a Canopy to define a sitting area Create a more sociable gather space Provides a covered shade and weather protection
Fiesta
Pe Del Sol Supermarket
Pedestrian Bridge [west]
R
cReynolds Middle School
Denver Harbor Park
Harris
SOUTH INDUSTRIAL EDGE ADAPT EXISTING CONDITION: UNADDRESSED EDGE CONDITION INFORMAL SPACES FOR OUTDOOR SPORTS LOADING DOCKS
PHASE 1: DEFINING SURFACES THROUGH THE USE OF COLOR AND STRIATION
PHASE 2: LIGHT INTERVENTIONS FOR SAFETY AT NIGHT BASKETBALL HOOPS
NORTH INDUSTRIAL EDGE
EXISTING CONDITION: METRO STOP WIDE STREETS, NO SIDEWALKS UNADDRESSED INDUSTRIAL EDGE PHASE 1: DEFINING SURFACES THROUGH THE USE OF COLOR AND STRIATION PUBLIC ART AT BUS STOP SIDEWALK ADDITION AND PLANTERS BIKE LANE PHASE 2: LIGHT INTERVENTIONS FOR SAFETY AT NIGHT BASKETBALL HOOPS
URBAN STREET PRECEDENTS
ORCHARD ALLEY PRECEDENTS
GARTENSTADT, GERMANY
AUSTIN BACK ALLEY INITIATIVE
EDIBLE ALLEYWAYS SAN FRANCISCO
BRIDGE PRECEDENTS
PROGRAM
VEGETATION
LIGHT COLOR
LIGHT