Roberts Neighborhood

Roberts Neighborhood Roberts Neighborhood Comprehensive Project Proposal Brandon Roos Instructor: John Motloch Chris Marlow LA 404 Department of Landscape Architecture College of Architecture and Planning Ball State University 11 March 2013

Comprehensive Project Brandon Roos Ball State University College of Architecture and Planning Department of Landscape Architecture LA 404 Spring 2013

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Abstract

Research informed the development of a smart-growth community

plan centered on promoting healthy lifestyles for the new neighborhood’s residents and residents of its surrounding communities. The project area is the current site of Roberts Stadium in Evansville, Indiana. This design demonstrates how smart-growth community development can encourage not only healthy lifestyles, but multi-modal ways of connecting the site to its surroundings, ways of connecting people to nature, and natural ways to purify stormwater on-site.

Most of the research came from journal articles and case studies,

investigating the most effective known ways to treat the primary design features of the project (healthy living design features, connectivity to surroundings, connectivity to nature, and natural stormwater management techniques). These articles and case studies were compared and contrasted against each other, discovering new findings based off the research. The research informed design decisions, such as developing diverse green-spaces and ways to promote multi-modal transportation. In addition, the placement of ecological corridors, and methods of utilizing water filtration techniques are design elements based off research. With these discovered values being implemented for future growth throughout the region, the Midwest could see a new generation of physically active and socially healthy citizens.

Acknowledgements Special Thanks to...

My Family: Rick, Susan, Alicia, Tim, Eric

For the support and encouragement over the years

Bo Zhang

Chris Marlow, John Motloch

For advising me through the duration of this project

For guiding me through the various steps of this project

My Favorite Uncle Bill

I told you I would put your name in here.

You’ve done a lot for me over the years, and I really appreciate the love and support

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Contents 1.0 Background 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Problem and Setting 1.3 Sub-Problems 1.4 Problem Statement and Goals 1.5 Project Requirements 1.5.1 Assumptions 1.5.2 Deleminitations 1.6 Significance 1.7 Review of Literature 1.7.1 Introduction 1.7.2 Human Health 1.7.3 Connectivity 1.7.4 Stormwater Management 1.7.5 Conclusion 1.7 Methodology

2.0 Site Investigation 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6

Design Program Context and Site Inventory Site Summary Design Concerns Design Considerations Site Analysis

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3.0 Design Process 3.1 Case Studies 1.7.1 Boulder, CO 1.7.2 Asperg Spring Neighborhood 3.2 Initial Design 3.3 Design Concepts 3.4 Master Plan 3.5 Site Plan: Stadium Reuse 3.6 Stadium Reuse Support Drawings 3.7 Site Plan: Community Center 3.8 Community Center Support Drawings 3.9 Stormwater Purification 3.10 Street Typologies 3.11 Post-Design Diagrams 3.12 Construction Documents 3.13 Summary

4.0 Appendix 4.1 Project Terms 4.2 Additional Site Images 4.3 Bibliography

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Table of Figures Figure 1.6.1: Ecological Neighborhood Components

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Figure 2.1.1: Evansville, IN Location Map

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Figure 2.1.2: Site Location

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Figure 2.1.3: Evansville Character and Vicinity map

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Figure 2.1.4: Neighborhood’s Surrounding Context

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Figure 2.1.5: Project Site

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Figure 2.3.1: Existing Site Conditions

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Figure 2.3.2: Current Vehicular Circulation

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Figure 2.4.1: Evansville, IN Proposed Bicycle Lanes

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Figure 2.5.1: Current Physical Health Amenities

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Figure 2.6.1: GIS Data Analysis

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Figure 2.6.2: Analysis Diagrams

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Figure3.1.1: Boulder, CO Images

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Figure3.1.2: Asperg Spring Community

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Figure3.2.1: Pedestrian Street Section

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Figure3.2.2: Pedestrian Street Perspective

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Figure3.3.1: Concept 01

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Figure3.3.2: Concept 02

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Figure3.3.3: Concept 03

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Figure3.4.1: Master Plan

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Figure3.5.1: Character Case Studies

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Figure3.5.2: Stadium Reuse Site Plan

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Figure3.6.1: Stormwater Management Diagram - Living Machine

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Figure3.6.2: Section A - A’: Commercial Center

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Figure3.6.3: Section B - B’: Entry Drive View

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Figure3.6.4: Stadium Reuse - Before

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Figure3.6.5: Stadium Reuse - Commercial Center

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Figure3.7.1: Community Reuse Site Plan

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Figure3.8.1: Community Center Entry Plaza

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Figure3.8.2: Community Center Site Connections

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Figure3.8.3: Section C - C’: Community Center Connectivity

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Figure3.8.4: Section D - D’: Entry Plaza Section

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Figure3.9.1: Stormwater Purification System

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Figure3.9.2: Stormwater Management Park - Before

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Figure3.9.3: Stormwater Management Park - After

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Figure3.10.1: Street Typology Diagram

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Table of Figures Figure3.10.2: Street Typology Sections

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Figure3.11.1: Site Circulation

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Figure3.11.2: Created Human health Amenities

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Figure3.11.3: Health Correlations

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Figure3.12.1: Grading Plan

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Figure3.12.2: Stormwater Drainage Plan

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Figure3.12.3: Rational Method Calculations: Pre-Design

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Figure3.12.4: Rational Method Calculations: Post- Design

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Figure3.12.5: Grading Plan of North West Portion of the Site

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Figure3.12.6: Grading Plan of North East Portion of the Site

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Figure3.12.7: Grading Plan of South West Portion of the Site

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Figure3.12.8: Grading Plan of South East Portion of the Site

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Figure3.12.9: Dry Dam Design

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Figure3.12.10: Hooded Trickle Tube Detail

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Figure 3.12.11: Boardwalk Design (TYP)

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Figure 4.2.1: Images of Site and Context

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Introduction

Due to urban sprawl over the past several decades, growth in cities,

like Evansville, has expanded around the automobile with low density. Many of these cities have lost a significant amount of residents and commerce in their central business districts (CBD). A global economy coupled with sprawled development has left many buildings underutilized in Evansville’s urban fabric. Some of these sites carry the potential to be refurbished for new use. Deviating from that potential, many locations are deemed to be demolished. The result is a location with a ‘blank slate’ to be designed.

This was the case for Robert’s Stadium, a 72-acre site located off the

city’s main arterial road. Like many typical mid-western cities, Evansville has not developed smart-growth neighborhoods, focusing on human health, connectivity, or sustainable stormwater management. With this site came an opportunity to design a neighborhood catering to those community needs. The city is a known hub for sporting events, and this site is adjacent to many athletic complexes. The design brings a newly developed community together and connects it to these adjacent complexes, creating an atmosphere of active living for peoples’ lives.

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Problem and Setting This project analyzes how community development can promote a healthy lifestyle for residents within and around a newly designed neighborhood. Specifically, it develops the 72-acre site of Roberts Stadium in Evansville, Indiana into a mixed-use community. Evansville is the most obese city in the United States according to 2010 statistics (Gootee). This site was largely made up of the stadium and parking lots. Roberts Stadium itself was being repurposed, and the site was being redesigned for community use. The research explored various healthy components for a new mixeduse community design to produce a model smart-growth neighborhood to be emulated for future growth in Evansville and other Midwestern cities.

Specifically, this project employs a new green infrastructure framework with enhanced streetscapes and open spaces. It also provides openspace pedestrian networks and promotes outdoor lifestyles, using the site’s context to connect residents with nature and their surroundings. Important contextual elements surrounding the site include the Wesselman Park Nature Center, various athletic complexes, the University of Evansville, Spring Park Neighborhood to the west, and Alvord Neighborhood to the south. The city of Evansville is completely dependent on vehicles as the primary mode of transportation. Therefore, this design creates non-auto connections between the residents and their surroundings. The project also includes sustainable stormwater management practices, as the site contains a large percentage of impervious pavements. The design merges these stormwater management practices with the streetscape and bike trail connections as well. Since Evansville operates on a Combined Sewer Overflow system (CSO), “green� storm water management practices reduce storm drains and enhance the health of local waterways. The result is a redevelopment plan for a community creating healthy lifestyles, connectivity to nature and to surroundings, and best practices for stormwater management.

Sub-Problems 1) This project explores which landscape architectural design principles can be employed to re-design the site for mixed-use development to promote a healthier lifestyle.

Solution: Uninterrupted bikeways and an extensive sidewalk network encourage connectivity between the site and its context.

2) This project explores how multi-modal connections can be made between the community and surrounding areas, relying on more than vehicular transportation.

Solution: Close proximity to green space which accommodates the needs of a diverse population, use of alternative modes of transportation, and designed spaces which encourage sociability are employed elements to promote healthy living.

3) This project explores which stormwater management practices can be employed to best treat polluted water and celebrate the water filtration cycle.

Solution: An array of water retention methods, including retention ponds, a wetland system, and vegetated swales were designed in conjunction to retain and treat water on site.

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Problem Statement and Goals

This project developed a smart-growth community promoting

active, outdoor lifestyles. Early 20th century styles of development created communities which focused on people and shaped social spaces for people to interact on the street level. This project brought that feeling back to Evansville. Green-infrastructure techniques were employed to achieve this creation of a denser, non-auto oriented, more social neighborhood. Part of the new green-infrastructure techniques were to craft this neighborhood to establish connections within itself and with its surroundings.

The triple bottom line dictates design should be focused around people, the planet, and profit. The planet is one part of the equation that was extensively looked at also, with nature being brought into the fabric of this new community. Beyond that, natural techniques are employed to purify and celebrate the water filtration cycle. This includes, but is not limited to curb-cut rain gardens, bioswales, and living-systems. To make these components more educational, they were woven into the fabric of this design for people to notice on a day-to-day basis.

Goal 01: This project utilized design principles for a new mixed-use development to create a neighborhood promoting healthier lifestyles.

Objective 01: This was accomplished by developing a higher density design focusing on destinations and walkability.

Objective 02: This was accomplished by creating a community giving priority to pedestrians and bicyclists, rather than vehicles.

Objective 03: This was accomplished by incorporating landmarks into the design to promote walkability.

Objective 04: This was accomplished by creating social spaces which feel ‘safe’ to the users and cater to the needs of each age group.

Objective 05: This was accomplished by including various forms of exercise in the design so each age group has activities to be immersed in.

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Goal 02: This project creates multi-modal connections between the community and its surroundings.

Objective 01: This was accomplished by creating a framework where bicyclists and pedestrians have priority within the community.

Objective 02: This was accomplished by including greenways which extend out into the surrounding communities.

Goal 03: This project connects people back to nature.

Objective 01: This was accomplished by incorporating green corridors into the site which attracts wildlife.

Objective 02: This was accomplished by creating an ecological bridge to merge the Wesselman Nature Preserve and adjacent parks together.

Objective 03: This was accomplished by connecting the neighborhood to the Wesselman Nature Center, a nature preserve located adjacent to the site.

Goal 04: This project developed stormwater management practices in natural and aesthetic ways for treating and celebrating the site’s water filtration cycle.

Objective 01: This was accomplished by merging stormwater management and public spaces together.

Objective 02: This was accomplished by designing a living machine in the heart of the neighborhood for visitors to interact with.

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Assumptions and Delimitations Assumptions • Roberts Stadium is repurposed.

• Surrounding areas are available for development by the city, not just to the 72-acre site Roberts Stadium sits on.

• All design elements comply with ADA regulations.

• The city of Evansville allowed the proposed pedestrian networks to connect to surrounding communities.

Delimitations • Demolition plans • Cost estimates for production or maintenance • Architectural design of residential units • Site specific design of each pocket park included in the design

Significance

In 2010, the metropolitan area of Evansville, IN was found to be

the most obese in the nation with an obesity rating of 37.8% (Gootee).

Evansville’s obesity epidemic is a complex problem with many contributing factors. One such factor is the lack of development in the city’s infrastructure to accommodate pedestrians. The city’s reliance on vehicles also leads to a lack of connectivity amongst various communities. With the construction of a new stadium in Evansville’s central business district (CBD), the city’s current stadium is set to be torn down. This demolition of Roberts Stadium and its adjacent parking lots gives the city space and potential to develop a new smart-growth community.

The newly developed smart-growth community focuses its design on non-auto users rather than vehicles. Designing for pedestrians not only decreases the vehicular dependency of a neighborhood, but also gives potential to curb the obesity percentages of the city’s metropolitan area. Health comes in many forms (physical, social, mental, etc.) and this focus on human health in development combines those various types as they all interrelate. Doing so gives Evansville a mixed-use community with a greater sense of place, encourages social living, and promotes active lifestyles. The finished product provides a new standard of development for future growth within and around the Midwest. Since typical Midwestern development occurs through sprawled communities, having a successful, model neighborhood in Evansville creates a platform of principles to be incorporated in projects of various sizes and scopes throughout the region.

Figure 1.6.1 provides a list of those principles found throughout Roberts Neighborhood.

Figure 1.6.1: Ecological Neighborhood Components

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Review of Literature 1. Introduction Principles taught in landscape architecture are not the same as those used in America’s infrastructure. Over the past sixty years, built cities in the United States have been ignoring people, solely focusing on vehicular movement with ease of access to businesses. This has been the case for Evansville, Indiana. This city has seen an increase in sprawl, which has neglected important needs of local pedestrians. The result is a city which has claimed the notorious title of America’s most obese metropolitan area. The streetscape resembles any other city. It lacks pedestrian access, connectivity, and sense of place. Now that Roberts Stadium has been relocated to the financial district, the 72-acre site will be developed into a community which promotes healthy lifestyles, connectivity to nature and to surroundings, and best practices for stormwater management.

Health is the quintessential human right. This project fosters human happiness, fitness, social life, and more. Health is the most basic of human needs, but this does not mean a health-oriented community requires everyone to be skinny.

Instead, this stresses that people have the opportunity to be more active in their daily life, which in turn creates a neighborhood with greater happiness.

Connectivity relates to the issue of public health because people must be able to relate to their surroundings, and to nature. Midwestern society has gotten away from those concepts over the years, but can learn to relate again through effective urban landscape design. Evansville neighborhoods lack connections. Few major greenways run through the city, and Evansville lacks a major public transportation system and green spaces. Incorporating these into the design was essential to connectivity and public health, but also relates to sustainable stormwater management. The city’s current CSO system poses a threat to the health of local waterways. Purifying stormwater naturally also creates aesthetic opportunities. Merging nature, stormwater management, public parks, and health can be achieved through a single, unified design, which is the focus of this research.

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2. Human Health

Most North Americans are now overweight. In fact, up to two-thirds of

the nation’s citizens fit in that category as of 2006. The consequences of living in an obese nation can be severe, since 30,000 people die each year from obesity-related diseases, equivalent to roughly one quarter of Evansville’s population (Platt 87). When analyzing the Nation’s health, most research focuses solely on our physical well-being. To understand ways for solving this obesity epidemic, designers must also recognize other dimensions of health.

There are six different dimensions of wellness: physical, social, emotional, occupation, spiritual, and intellectual. Planned spaces have the ability to engage each dimension, but designers should realize none of these problems can be tackled by itself—they are all interrelated.

Physical and social wellness are the most-studied forms of health. Many people blame the lack of physical activity for the obesity epidemic, and for good reason. According to Platt, “In 2002, 25% of Americans did not participate in any physical activity during the preceding month” (87).

Physical activity is vital for many reasons. It is an important component to playing, which has shown to help kids become more organized, social, and self-confident (The Built Environment 3). If an environment promotes active parks and recreational spaces, it enables people, especially children, to achieve their recommended sixty minutes of activity per day (The Build Environment 2).

2.1 Human Health and Suburbia

The growth of suburbia has been the dominant developmental

pattern in America over the past fifty years. But this increase in sprawl has brought consequences. With designed spaces, social health largely dictates the success of built projects. By nature, humans are social beings. Having daily interaction with family and friends is essential to promoting a healthy atmosphere for people. Lennard states that an individual’s sense of self is shaped and maintained through their social life. Having this social interaction and sense of belonging increases social health, but also greatly increases their physical health.

Over the years, designers have discovered links between suburban living and social issues. Suburban environments fail to promote social interactivity, which leads to an increased likelihood of detachment from the environment

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and social awkwardness when dealing with peers (Crowhurst Lennard). A related example comes from prison studies which indicate that solitary confinement leads to physical illness, depression, mental anguish, and more (Crowhurst Lennard). Living in a suburban community does not directly correlate to the affects of being in solitary confinement, but this illustrates negative aspects of being confined to areas without social interaction.

Crowhurst Lennard’s article “Planning for Healthy Living: The Next Challenge” (2012) effectively addresses the needs to develop social spaces for public interaction, but none of her studies offer design solutions. Frank and Engelke (2001) contend that our current urban forms discourage physical activity.

For example, our society addresses vehicular flow by widening lanes, but this reduces space allocated to non-motorists. It also reduces streetscape amenities and increases the risk for accidents. To address these issues, Frank and Engelke believe our communities must get away from suburban, largelot, single-family housing and switch to higher density design focusing on destinations and walkability (204).

These ideas align with the development of Paris, France, over the years. That city contains a series of smaller, connected villages. Each village provides most of what residents need for their everyday life within a five or ten minute walk of their homes (Larson). Paris also features an array of pocket parks for people to enjoy. When community design incorporates parks and greenspaces, people use them more frequently. Having essential elements of everyday life—schools, groceries, convenience stores—located within walking distance of residential districts is essential to promote daily walking and biking. Unfortunately, this distribution of commercial uses rarely occurs in typical Midwestern cities. Development around the automobile has left a scenario where these essential shops are clustered together, far beyond easy walking distance of the general population (Larson). These highdensity village clusters relate to the words Frank and Engelke brought up.

Larson defines environmental barriers as “Real-world conditions that place restrictions on physical activity, such as bike lanes on roads” (208). Paris pays attention to its pedestrian networking, preventing these environmental barriers from inhibiting its residents from using non-motorized methods of maneuvering around the city.

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William Whyte was an urbanist noted for studying the components of social spaces in urban environments, but his research did not discuss the issue of density. His findings related to human socialability show that public spaces should be located near streets, have movable seats, contain vegetation, have food access, have sun light, contain a draw, and be at ground level.

For increasing walkability, Whyte also found people walk further if they can see the building or landmark they are headed to (Platt 91). While having a landmark might not be necessary for walkability, it helps increase the distance people are willing to walk.

This research suggests deign implications. Evansville has seen little growth to its interior over recent years, but has sprawled around its exterior. The end result is a city with a cookie-cutter suburban feel, rather than a place with well designed housing, interactive parks, and well developed bicycle and pedestrian networks. Lennard provides strong reasons to develop sociable communities. However, her report, “Planning for Healthy Living,” fails to offer definitive design solutions to these problems. She is correct in pointing out that mixed-use development offers a greater sense of place in neighborhoods, but fails to delve deeper into design principles to carry forth in future projects. Frank asserts that narrowing streets, creating denser neighborhoods, and providing adequate sidewalk and bike lanes goes a long way to integrating a nonmotorists culture into the urban fabric. Finally, Whyte’s research on sociability and use of strategically placed landmarks is useful in creating lively spaces that people want to walk or bike to.

In Evansville, the site of Roberts Stadium is located adjacent to the Lloyd Expressway, the city’s main arterial road. Many clusters of shops are located along this expressway, but without an even distribution necessary for a walkable city. Most of the stores are located at major intersections, but those areas are also the most difficult for pedestrians to access. Only one grocery store is within a two-mile radius of Robert’s Stadium, and the area currently has a walkability score of only 32 out of 100 points.

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2.2 Implication for Children

Sprawled communities affect various age groups differently. To create

a sustainable community, neighborhood design must provide a healthy community for its children. Opportunities to walk and bike help increase a child’s physical health, but having community promoting social behavior is just as important. Community responsiveness in children results from areas ecologically and socially sustainable. When children become community oriented, they will continue that trend into adulthood. Poorly planned communities cause children to suffer first (Child-Friendly Communities).

The lack of accessible, lively places for children to meet and play led to a generation where teens now spend more time alone than with family or friends. This correlates to a world where youth have fewer friends than before. Children who are left alone tend to be less happy, less active, and are three times more likely to abuse alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana (Crowhurst Lennard). In order for the youth of today to reach the minimum of sixty minutes of play each day, an active lifestyle of outdoor walking or biking for transportation should be addressed more thoroughly. Streetscape design must be thoroughly investigated as well. Bob Cools believes incorporating streets and squares into mixed-use developments is important. Cityscapes failing to restrain vehicles are less desirable for families with children (Cools).

Many districts restrict children from walking to school. The American Academy of Pediatrics states that “the most universal opportunity for incidental physical activity among children is in getting to and from school.”

Walking or biking to school has not yet been documented to lower BMI, but it is a valuable opportunity for physical activity” (The Built Environment 3).

Environments promoting a healthy lifestyle correlate to higher developed support systems with adults as they engage in supervision, coaching, and mentoring their youth (The Built Environment 3).

In addition to this research, the perception of safety must be addressed.

Safety is a reason many students do not currently walk or bike to school, but is an issue that receives less attention than it should. Children look at spaces differently than adults. Because of their smaller size and lack of experience, they tend to find themselves in more accidents (Frank 209). A lack of safety does not just prohibit walking or biking to school, but can hinder this form of transportation to other activities as well. Designing communities which are well lit with street lights, contain a buffer of some sort between nonmotorist and motorist, and have higher densities start to create spaces which feel

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safer to users. Higher densities ensure more people are around, which decreases the likelihood of robberies or other forms of crime (Frank 209).

2.3 Implication for Adults

Health is strengthened for adults through better developed circles of

friends and family relationship. Having these groups forms what Crowhurst Lennard calls a ‘social immune system.’ This system eases stress, improves each person’s coping, and protects physical health. It gives greater meaning and sense of being to each individual’s life as well (Crowhurst Lennard).

Some of this can be attributed to the greater sense of trust which forms from that face-to-face interaction. Spaces promoting ‘chance meetings’ vary within each age group. Adults generally gravitate to environments around cafes and bars. Neighborhoods with a main street containing those amenities, rather than suburban neighborhoods which rarely contain these features, tend to bring out a greater sense of community (Crowhurst Lennard). In this way, mixed-use development increases community health.

Walkable mixed-use development generally dictates reduced driving and increased walking for adults. (Crowhurst Lennard). Walking not only increases physical wellness, but promotes happiness, memory, energy, and more (Top 10 Benefits of Walking). Thus, it is important to incorporate local shops, restaurants, safe playing areas, transportation, green spaces, street lighting, street cleaning, schools, shops, banks, farmers markets and more to create a catalyst for building a strong community (Crowhurst Lennard).

For physical wellness, the Surgeon General’s recommendations for exercise focus on three factors: intensity, duration, and frequency (Frank 204). For adults, simply incorporating casual walking from place to place in their daily routine provides a sufficient workout to address these three factors (Frank 204). To encourage greater physical activity one must consider, a combination of settings, facilities, and programs. However, unlike children, providing a setting with programmed activities revolving around intense forms of movement (e.g. soccer fields, obstacle courses, etc), are less likely to attract adults. For this age group, sustained health practices happen at a greater frequency with more moderate forms of recreation.

Lennard and Frank each bring about similar methods of keeping adults active. Combining their findings provides the greatest chance of success in creating active lifestyles among residents. Frank believes higher density correlates in shorter trip lengths, less vehicle usage, and greater mode-of-

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transportation choices. Dense, mix-use communities with businesses that attract adults, not only increase social-immune issues, but also physical health issues due to the greater amount of walking. More than walkability, providing space for more passive forms of recreation can engage this adult population in ways not currently occurring on-site.

2.4 Design for Elderly

Well-designed spaces play large roles for elderly populations as well.

Spaces for social interaction are just as important for this age group. Isolation can lead to increased risks of schizophrenia. Separation from intimate and social contact has proved to decrease life expectancy for the elderly as well (Crowhurst Lennard). Designing for an elderly population plays a large role in places with a lot of topographical change, which is not an issue in Evansville, Indiana because Roberts Stadium sits on a relatively flat area. Easy access to outdoor environments are key for elderly populations, so ramps with slight slopes, escalators, and elevators are strongly taken into consideration with design. Crowhurst Lennard provides many negative consequences for designing a space inappropriately around an elderly population. Despite the consequences, there is little claim to proper design in this paper. One key fact from Crowhurst Lennard’s article is the need of people to be social despite their age group. Creating vibrant communities around children can also play a role in attracting an elderly population. Once people reach a certain age, they start having their grandchildren visit them. If communities fail to provide children with playful opportunities, grandparents will not be able to get out and supervise their grandchildren.

Research also shows a relationship between comfortable living for an elderly population and providing spaces, which are familiar for these individuals.

Elderly people desire living out their years in familiar environments (Demirbilek 362). This need poses a significant challenge for this site in Evansville since it is starting from scratch, creating a different community from others. Other features for elderly design focus on safety, usability and attractiveness (Demirbilek 366).

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For an elderly population, it is apparent that passive recreation facilities should be incorporated into design to ensure they can get out on their own and exercise. Allowing an individual that ability to feel independent is important for the health of a senior citizen (Demirbilek 362). Mixing these ideas of having limited grade change, creating social squares where elderly populations can meet, having passive recreational opportunities, and ensuring safety is taken into consideration when designing. Therefore, design can play a large role in inviting senior citizens into a community. For any neighborhood to truly be successful, it must cater to the needs of each age group, allowing a multitude of people to inhabit and excel within its framework.

3. Connectivity 3.1 Connecting Communities Connecting various communities within a city is vital. Among the many reasons is that connectivity promotes healthy relationships and exercise. It also helps provide a greater sense of place and allows neighborhoods to become stronger through the sharing of their resources. The communities of Evansville, Indiana lack this sense of connectivity. Some parts of the city have a sidewalk network allowing pedestrians to move around, but the majority of the city is reliant on vehicular transportation. Many of today’s successful cities have taken initiatives to account for citywide access of more than just vehicles. Boulder, Colorado is one example of this. Boulder created a “super-highway” strictly for the use of joggers and bicyclists. With this, one can go from one end of the city to the other without even crossing traffic.

Larson believes this to be one of many key elements to greenways systems.

There is a saying coined in the 1989 film, ‘Field of Dreams,’ which states that “if you build it, they will come.” Getting people to walk or bike in their everyday life is as simple as creating a system promoting those activities.

Erlangen, Germany goes a step further than Boulder, Colorado. In the early 1970’s, Erlangen decided to fashion corridors which included bikeways and woonerfs that ran through a citywide park system. They also implemented streets dedicated to buses, bicyclists, and pedestrians. After the system was in place, just between 1974 and 1980, the city reduced its car traffic by 35% and increased the use of bicycles by 26% (Platt 92). This project demonstrates

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the immediate effectiveness of greenway systems in reducing vehicular dependency. There could have been an argument against this design, as Erlangen, Germany experiences all four seasons annually. Some projects are hindered because of the ever pressing issue of what to do with outdoor design during winter months. The initiative this city took combated that fear, creating an effective system to be enjoyed by its various inhabitants.

Similar to Boulder, Colorado and Erlangen, Germany, Evansville, Indiana also bears all four seasons. These two cities make for great case studies because of their populations as well, with each city being roughly the same size as Evansville. Boulder is generally considered a success story for an American city that promotes the interconnectivity within its districts. However, it did not go as far as Erlangen. Erlangen built up a stronger bicycle infrastructure, and made better use of various streets by creating whoonerfs. Boulder did not.

As a result, the residents of Erlanger have greater access throughout the city by means of walking or bicycling. This leads to greater percentages of nonmotorists movement. The design inspirations that could influence the Roberts Stadium site redevelopment include that use of greenways, bike lanes, and whoonerfs. The redevelopment process in Evansville will not be looked at extensively beyond the boundary of the 72-acre site, but these principles can still be incorporated within its borders. Addressing these issues on a larger scale can also be discussed.

The use of greenway systems was effectively handled in both case studies.

When designing for greenway systems, it is important to recognize the various functions greenways provide. According to the National Trails Training Partnership, planners must take into account the designing and maintaining for change, minimizing exotic plant and animal species, the impact of roads, the interactions of people and the greenways, and the maintaining of ecological health with the greenway (How Greenways Work). Reviewing the East Boston Greenway project, it is also important to recognize that greenways should be viewed as linear parks. They connect people to their surroundings. For instance, the East Boston Greenway project connects East Boston’s urban waterfront to its marshland habitat (East Boston Greenway).

These natural systems are always in a constant state of flux, which is why the National Trails Training Partnership recommends allowing for, and designing for change. Adaptive management must be maintained once a project is built, but while the design phase is in progress, identifying primary and secondary habitats to protect is essential to a successful design (East Boston

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Greenway).

Dealing with roadways also provides unique opportunities for designers.

Roads affect the landscape well beyond its edge. They consequently provide barriers for native species (East Boston Greenway). When looking at human intervention, it is important, especially for safety reasons, to account for roadway design. Most sources are correct in claiming that having uninterrupted access through a city is important. This calls for bridges, tunnels, etc. which keep pedestrian and bicycle traffic from having to stop at roadway intersections. The East Boston greenway system has a different solution. Since uninterrupted paths were not feasible, the designers utilized the rail history of the site for design solutions. To warn pedestrians and cyclists of an upcoming intersection, they laid rail beams perpendicular to the greenway. This change of pavement gives an amplified sense of awareness for users to stop before crossing traffic (East Boston Greenway). This is an acceptable solution when bridges cannot be installed, but if possible, creating uninterrupted flow of pedestrian movement is a priority. This helps with not just their safety, but helps promote the use of bicycles or pedestrian movement in an area. If walking or cycling from place to place becomes a hassle because those users are constantly trying to cross traffic, then it can deter the use of that means of transportation.

Recreational opportunities can be created since greenways are essentially linear corridors. Greenways utilize land wisely, allowing them to fit into the fabric of many settings (East Boston Greenway). Evansville, Indiana currently has a limited network of trails. There is one located a short distance from the site of Roberts Stadium which should be connected to. Providing these connections amongst neighborhoods will promote the health of not just the neighborhoods themselves, but the residents that travel them.

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3.2 Connectivity to Greenspace

Connectivity is important because every place should have

desirable inherent qualities. Connections to surroundings are important, but connecting individuals back to nature is just as important. It is becoming increasingly important to restore urban ecological services and biodiversity.

There are two approaches being tested for restoring ecological services.

Those two approaches center on conservation and restoration ecology (Platt 127). Robert’s Stadium in Evansville, Indiana has failed to conserve its biological ecology. The site it sits on was essentially leveled, making way for the stadium itself and parking lots to accommodate the nearly 13,000 spectators that can fit inside. The leftover landscape consists of a small row of twelve trees, and a couple grass islands. The Wesselman Park nature Center is located just north, adjacent to the site. This zone has sought to protect the inherent ecological value of the area, which was not taken into account when the stadium was first proposed.

In The Humane Metropolis, Platt makes a case that it is unnecessary to restore a site to its natural conditions. He mentions that the ecology of a site is not static; it evolves over time. Because of this, the introduction of native species is not necessarily sustainable in some situations, and the introduction of nonnative species may become unavoidable in others (Platt 127). Tallamy argues this point with his book, Bringing Nature Home. He contends that native species are essential to biodiversity, as they significantly increase the ecological value of an area. They attract native species of insects and animal life which adds value to a project (Tallamy 329). Both arguments provide valid information. It would be difficult to restore the natural ecology of the site at Roberts Stadium to what it once was, considering the site will be redeveloped for human use once demolished. Fortunately, the Wesselman Nature Center is useful in providing a glimpse of what natural systems were like before the stadium was constructed. Following Tallamy’s thinking will help to create a more sustainable site in Evansville. Connecting people to nature is a desirable aspect of the project, and providing the educational experience of seeing nature is a major component of that. The goal of this project then is to introduce nature back into the frame work of the future site as much as possible, but with the understanding that a complete restoration may not be obtainable.

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Leitao takes Tallamy’s stance one step further in the design process. He speaks of the fragmentation of habitats as a process affecting both the structure and function of an ecological space. To paint a larger picture of this, he quotes, “Habitat fragmentation is one of the greatest threats to biodiversity worldwide. Althouth, the affects of habitat loss far outweigh the affects of habitat fragmentation” (Leitao 72). Unlike Tallamy, Leitao believes connectivity to nature and connectivity between ecological sites is an important and measurable landscape characteristic. There must be strong connective corridors for plant and animal populations to survive in fragmented landscapes (Leitao 73). This brings about design implications which go beyond the use of native or non-native plant species. If large, intact green spaces are not feasible, green corridors are needed to support animal populations. To attract wildlife down these corridors, the use of native species is an effective option.

4. Stormwater Management

Sites only contain opportunities, never constraints. This means

regardless of the circumstances surrounding a design, successful solutions can be achieved. Stormwater management is rarely thought of in everyday life, but presents opportunities for designers as an aesthetic and educational component. Platt strongly believes “successful watershed management strives for a better balance between ecosystem and watershed integrity and provision of human social and economic goals” (141). For instance, the Prairie Waterway Storm Water Park in Farmington, Minnesota is an open water drainage system. The designer, Diana Balmori, made the conscious decision to celebrate water purification. Instead of collecting stormwater with pipes and sending it to a plant, she designed an open-purification prairie system.

Before this design, the sewage pipes would flood the streets after discharging large amounts of water from rain events. Designing this prairie-style open purification system gave Farmington 91 acres of green space for the public to enjoy. Streams open up to larger pools designed for function and recreational space (NRDC). This is important as the restoration, celebration, and rediscovery of waterways can be a successful way to reunite adjoining neighborhoods (Platt 141). This philosophy will be successful in Evansville, Indiana, where the celebration of a spring and water purification system will be implemented in the design process.

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The Asperg Spring Community in Stuttgart, Germany is another neighborhood designed around water filtration. The designer, Atelier Dreiseitl, sought to connect an entire community with a stream for collecting water runoff.

Dreiseitl utilizes water in many of his works, and he portrays it in various ways with this project. The stream running throughout the site harvests rainwater from individual houses and collects it in 14 different cisterns. This water is purified by a living system of plants and then reused to flush toilet and run washing machines. This site also contains underground parking to allow for green public meeting spaces. Because of these efforts, this project received the German Real Estate award for housing in 2003 (Dreiseitl).

The park in Farmington, Minnesota represents a creditable example of utilizing stormwater for functional and aesthetic appeal. The water heading into the filtration park has many contaminants within it. Being located adjacent to a housing community, oxygen demanding materials –grass clipping, leaves, etc.—are expected in its waterways. Nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorous, are also found in the water due to fertilizers, animal waste, decaying grass clippings, and more. Heavy metals also contaminate the site because of vehicular traffic emissions (NRDC). The newly proposed smartgrowth community in Evansville can be projected to emit similar pollutants.

There are Low Impact Development (LID) management strategies to treat these pollutants. Oxygen demanding materials are best treated by aerating the water with fountains, or having a proactive approach of capturing these materials before entering the waterway. Located downhill from an adjacent golf course, these materials, along with several fertilizers, can be expected from its runoff. Nutrients are best filtered through the use of bioretention ponds, wet basins, retention basins, and sorption ponds. Research also shows heavy metals can be removed from water through use of wet ponds, stormwater wetlands, and extended-detention basins. The soils on-site are silt loams, which prevent effective use of wetland systems. For a wetland system to function properly, soils with larger clay contents are vital. One issue with stormwater management is that regulations are constantly being revised.

They are a moving target. Regardless, designers must precede the best they can (Landphair).

Sending water to a treatment plant via storm drains can be problematic for several reasons. For example, if too much water flows into drains, they could potentially back up. This keeps contaminants from being treated.

Each type of contaminant comes with its own set of problems. Dissolving

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oxygen-demanding materials lower oxygen levels. This results in the death of fish and other organisms. When pathogens are found in water, such as Coliform bacteria, it causes diseases amongst humans and wildlife alike.

Nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorous, will increase biological oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand. This dissolves oxygen levels in the water, killing fish and other aquatic life. Common heavy metals in stormwater include copper, zinc, and lead. The impact of these elements is higher concentrations of illness, birth defects, and toxic microorganisms. Finally, it is essential to stop sediments from entering water ways. Not only do they cause erosion, but also carry other pollutants with them (Landphair). Without using natural stormwater management techniques, these pollutants have the potential to impact community and environmental health. Most importantly, the design should keep oxygen demanding pollutants out of water and treat nutrients that find their way into the waterway. Typical suburban watersheds face a variety of water quality problems. Included in this is point and nonpoint pollution (Platt 142). Many of the aforementioned sources of pollution are non-point sources, but to appropriately handle the health of a water system as a whole, a holistic approach must be taken into account. It is important to design at a large scale and zoom in for these instances.

5. Conclusion Each of the three sub-topics greatly contribute to a smart-growth, mixed-use development. For health, creating an array of recreational opportunities, having uninterrupted greenways, having public amenities within walking distance, incorporating social plazas, and having landmarks all contribute to locations which promote physical and social activity.

Connectivity to surroundings and to nature follow suit. Uninterrupted greenways are essential here. There must be access to surroundings areas, but also nature. Design is more successful when bridging the gap between nature and public amenities. Also, details can aesthetically be incorporated into a community design to effectively purify stormwater. This is potentially a major educational component for the public since Evansville lacks natural systems for water purification. When these three topics are combined, the outcome is a community effectively addressing the public’s needs. It will create a template for future growth in the city, so these themes can be expanded upon on a broader scale into the future.

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Methodologies

In order to support the decisions made throughout the design

process, various forms of research types were studied. Between the three research sub-categories, books, articles, lectures, surveys, and more were compared and contrasted to produce new ideologies of looking at healthy neighborhood development. Doing so gave a desirable range of scopes and information needed to accurately assess the effectiveness of various design elements.

1. Human Health

To determine methods of creating a community promoting healthy

living, primary and secondary research methods will be deployed. Case studies of exemplary cities promoting healthy living design aspects will be analyzed to determine key features. Specifically, Paris, France will be studied to determine its walkability, greenspace connections, and streetscape design. This study is found in “Brilliant Designs to Fit More People in Every City� at the Ball State University CAP Library. Other case studies, such as growth in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, analyze developmental patterns in Midwestern cities to compare to cities like Paris. Walkability analysis, streetscape design aspects, and environmental restraints will be studied to determine the success of these cities when it comes to creating healthy habitats for their citizens.

An interview will be conducted with Carl Conner of Conner Architects in Evansville, Indiana to gain perspective on professional design strategies and examples of projects. A qualitative survey will be given to Ball State University students to see what design features on campus promote or inhibit active living. Since Roberts Stadium is located near the University of Evansville, some members of this newly developed community could be university students.

Understanding what features promote activity around Ball State University then can dictate successful design elements around Roberts Stadium in Evansville. This data will be used to inform those decisions.

2. Connectivity

Mainly secondary information will be obtained when determining

connectivity issues with the site. Three case studies will be analyzed to see how cities of various locations and sizes are dealing with bringing people to nature and people to their surroundings. Boulder, Colorado is the first city analyzed for its keys to successful greenways systems and their extensive public transportation system. A city with a similar population to Evnasville but different geographical location is Enlargen, Germany. Studying this city

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will help understand successful ways of developing corridor designs, woonerf designs, and public transportation systems. A larger scaled example is Boston, with its East Boston Greenway Project. It addresses connectivity to nature with habitat restoration and greenway designs. Journal articles, such as “How Greenways Work,” by the National Trails Training Partnership, will be studied to gain further perspective on greenway design, habitat restoration, and community development. An important primary source of information is direct observations. The site needs to be understood on a personal level, and site visits will help to gain perspective on current site circulation, physical site conditions, and current connectivity to surroundings. Finally, an interview with Carl Conner of Conner Architects in Evnasville will be conducted to understand various techniques professionals in the field to handle connectivity issues.

3. Stormwater Management

Determining aesthetic and natural ways of purifying stormwater will

be found through various qualitative methods. An interview with Conner Architects will help determine best stormwater management practices and the logistics of purifying stormwater in southern Indiana. Direct observations will also be used to better understand methods used in the field today.

Specifically, bioswale design, pavement types, and a plant palette will be observed to carry those characteristics forth. Two case studies will be analyzed to determine real-world examples of effective stormwater management techniques. One study is from the prairie Waterway Storm Water Park in Farmington, Minnesota, which addresses the types of pollutants a typical community might need to address, and ways of merging people’s needs and nature’s needs together. The Asperg Spring Community in Germany is another example of a community which prioritizes natural water purification. Harlow Landphair, a professor and practitioner in the field, has done extensive research on stormwater management, so it will be important to understand his work as well.

4. Roberts Stadium

The final part of the problem is to apply this research to a specific

site. A site in Evansville, Indiana was chosen and site-specific information will be gathered. Bio-physical site investigation includes the mapping of soils through the USDA web soil survey, a look at the topography on-site, a study

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on the site’s hydrology. Finally, obtaining information on the wind patterns over the site will inform better positioning of street layouts and buildings for ecological design. Most of those aspects can be obtained through online sources, but some categories, such as the site’s hydrology, will be obtained through Conner Architects. The topographical map will be obtained through the USGS website. Other information about this specific site comes from cultural and historical categories. The cultural background and events will come from interviews of local residents. Accurate demographic numbers will be found through online census data. Meanwhile, the rest of the information, such as circulation and general observations will happen primarily through visiting the site at various times of day. This cognitive mapping will be important for understanding the site on a more personal level.

Design Program Human Health Included active and passive forms of recreation within the site

Passive recreation forms includ distanced jogging paths and biking trails throughout the design Active recreation forms includ playgrounds for kids, 2 soccer fields, a redesigned baseball complex with 5 fields, a community center, and a splash pad.

Connected the entire site with non-auto accessibility routes

Community Health Incorporated density within the design

Goal of 25 net dwelling units per acre through the site Current surroundings average approximately 9 units per acre

Incorporated a ‘main pedestrian street’ for cafes and bars within the site 1,000 Residents = 10,000 sq. feet of retail 10,244 Residents (not including what will be added through this design) within 1 mile of the site 10,244 Residents = 102,440,000 (currently 84 commercial businesses in the area

Created a landmark within the site of Roberts Stadium By way of a clock tower to locate residents to the site of Roberts Stadium

Included space for events such as a farmers market within the site

Ecological Health All units are connected with greenspace accessibility An ecological corridor connects the Wesselman Nature preserve to a

stormwater management park in the southwest corner of the project site Creation of a habitat corridor, providing avian and invertebrate habitat Rooftop gardens providing avian and insect habitat Increased Tree Canopy providing avian habitat Understory planting along greenway providing avian habitat

An ecological bridge links the project site to 130-acre park south of the designed neighborhood

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Context and Site Inventory

Figure 2.1.1: Evansville, IN Location Map

Figure 2.1.2: Site Location

Figure 2.1.3: Evansville Character and Vicinity Map

Figure 2.1.3 shows some of the character of Evansville, which carries a theme of historic brick buildings throughout much of its downtown. Moving away from the city’s CBD, brick buildings fade out to more of a stock theme.

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Figure 2.1.4: Neighborhood’s Surrounding Context

Figure 2.1.5: Project Site

Inventory of the project site started broad before narrowing in. Figure 2.1.1 shows Evansville’s location within the state. 2.1.2 gives the location of the site in relation to the rest of Evansville. Evansville itself is nestled almost equal distant between the cities of Indianapolis, Indiana, St. Louis, Missouri, and Nashville, Tennessee. Figure 2.1.4 shows surrounding elements relating to the site. The contextual elements shown consist of the elements the final design connects to. Figure 2.1.5 demonstrates the neighborhood’s boundaries at a closer scale.

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Site Summary The chosen project site was located on the grounds of Roberts Stadium in Evansville, Indiana. With a population of approximately 117,000 people, Evansville is the third largest city in the state behind Indianapolis and Fort Wayne. Settled along the banks of the Ohio River in 1812, it has since established itself as the economic base Stadium facade still in excellent condition

of the region (McCutchan). Over the years, Evansville has become a hub for sporting activities and western music. Both of these attractions were accommodated in Roberts Stadium, as the arena was used throughout its life to house sports, concerts, and various public events.

The stadium itself was built in 1956 in what was then the outskirts of the city. It is located roughly 2.5-miles

Stadium interacting with surrounding parking lots

from the heart of the city’s CBD. The site it sits on is 72-acres and only contains the stadium and parking lots.

Few forms of vegetation are found on-site. The images in figure 2.3.1 display the decayed quality of the area. The massive area for parking was the biggest reason for the high percentage of impervious pavement on-site. These images also display the little amounts of topographical

Little vegetation on-site to interact with surroundings

change this site contains.

Once the stadium was built, other important features were established around it (McCutchan). Just north of the site are the Wesselman Park Nature Center, the Good Samaritan Home housing complex for elderly residents, baseball fields, and a golf course. To the west of the site is the Swonder Ice Arena, Hartke Pool, and the

Baseball fields north of the stadium are currently in a decayed state

Spring Park community. The Evansville Youth Baseball complex, youth soccer fields, a disc golf course, another neighborhood, the University of Evansville, the Boy Scout Headquarters building, the city’s Red Cross Center, and the Evansville State Hospital are all important features located just south of the site. To the east of the site are two soccer fields, a baseball complex, the US Army Reserve training facilities and Eastland Mall.

Little interruption of parking lots found on-site Figure 2.3.1: Existing Site Conditions

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An important contextual element to Roberts Stadium is the Lloyd Expressway. Being the city’s main arterial road, this expressway provides both opportunities and constraints for the site. On one side, it provides quick-andeasy vehicular access to the site. The Lloyd Expressway is a 6-lane road with limited locations to cross for non-auto users. This lack of crossing potential means the road acts as a major barrier between the site and contextual elements to the south. Figure 2.3.2 displays the vehicular circulation routes around the stadium, with the Lloyd Expressway being the only road system experience regular heavy traffic.

In 1990, the stadium underwent a $16 million dollar renovation. By 2007, the Evansville City Council approved plans to build the Ford Center (a new stadium in Evansville’s CBD), effectively dooming Roberts Stadium.

By May 2013, the stadium is set to be demolished and the site will then be redeveloped for the city’s use (Arena Study).

Figure 2.3.2: Current Vehicular Circulation

0’

100’ 200’

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Design Concerns Some desired stormwater management techniques were not applicable due to the soil type of the area. The soil is predominately a silt loam, which is a healthy soil for agriculture, but not for containing stormwater.

Soil with high clay content was needed to create a wetland-type system on the south west corner of the site. To prevent having to bring in too much off-site soil, other techniques were considered for most of the water retention design.

The high water table beneath the stadium created concerns for future development. The massive amounts of water led the City to install pumps for the stadium. These pumps were used to transfer water away from the arena.

If those pumps would have shut off, the entire stadium would potentially flood in just a few hours. Once the stadium was designed to be repurposed, water issues still existed within the site. The high water table meant below-grade parking was not an option, and designed structures could not extend too deep into the ground.

Figure 2.4.1: Evansville, IN Proposed Bicycle Lanes

Design Considerations Impacting this design the most was the site’s contextual elements.

Figure 2.4.1 shows the current proposal for Evansville’s future bicycle lane development. The neighborhood design shows bicycle connections within the proposed neighborhood, but being able to connect the neighborhood to the greater city was just as important. There is an array of parks located adjacent to the site, so connecting the residents and visitors of this smartgrowth community to them was important. Figure 2.5.1 shows a few of those contextual elements. Multi-modal transportation methods then become an important feature as well. The project focuses on providing opportunities for healthier lifestyles among its residents. This means walkways and bikeways will be featured throughout the site and will extend into the site’s surroundings.

Besides the contextual elements, water systems impacted the site in a major way. A high water table meant the redevelopment of the stadium could not maintain its bowl shape. Topography was created on-site to redirect water through a series of wet basins, culminating in a wetland. Water was also glorified for educational and aesthetic purposes. The project area contained a large percentage of impervious pavement, so incorporating natural stormwater management techniques helped educate the public on ways to harvest and treat their local resources.

Figure 2.5.1: Current Physical Health Amenities

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Site Analysis

Churches / Schools

Churches / Schools

Churches and schools help indicated the health of a community.

Because of the limited non-auto accessibility of the region, better connections were developed so these elements can maintain cultural significance on the site.

Vegetation Cover

Vegetation Cover

Vegetation cover helped indicated ecological health. The site did not contain a significant amount of plant-life. With the Wesselman Nature Preserve located to the north and a 130-acre park just south of the site, it was important to connect the two to create continuous habitats.

Building Footprints

Building Footprints

The contextual building footprints reveal the scale off the site’s surroundings.

It was important in the design to honor both the single family, detached homes to the south and west, and the large-scale commercial buildings east of the site.

Road Network

Road Network

Evansville lacks nonauto connectivity. With the Lloyd Expressway running just south of the project area, there is easy vehicular access to and from the proposed neighborhood. A more extensive transportation system was designed to enhance site circulation.

Contours

Contours

The 5’ contours displayed reveal a slight slope leading to the south west corner of the site.

With a lack of natural stormwater management techniques used in the city, these contours dictated a need for a stormwater management park located in this region of the site.

Figure 2.6.1: GIS Data Analysis

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Figure 2.6.1 layers various contextual elements, breaking down how each informed design decisions. Site analysis was further broken down into four categories, based off the site’s program (see figure 2.6.2). For community health, it is dictated that Roberts Stadium should remain to anchor the neighborhood. There was an opportunity to reconfigure the area around the former Army Reserve Training Facility as well. For ecological health, there was an opportunity for the Wesselman Nature Preserve to extend throughout the site, culminating in a stormwater management park in the site’s south west corner. There was also a need to extend the nature preserve across the Lloyd Expressway to the adjacent park. For human health, there was opportunity to promote active living by connecting the site with non-auto access, especially to existing physical health amenities. Those amenities are in various conditions, so each element was dealt with accordingly. Finally, the reuse analysis dictated the former stadium and army reserve training center were to be reused for community purposes. This preserves the sense-of-place of the site.

Community Health

Ecological Health

Human Physical Health

Architectural Reuse

Ecotones

Noise Levels Figure 2.6.2: Analysis Diagrams

Temperature Levels

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Case Studies Boulder, Colorado Connecting various communities within a city is vital. Connectivity promotes healthy relationships and exercise. It helps provide a greater sense of place and allows neighborhoods to become stronger through the sharing of their resources. The communities of Evansville, Indiana lack this sense of connectivity and continuity. Some parts of the city have a sidewalk network allowing pedestrians to move around, but the majority of the city is exclusively reliant on vehicular transportation. Many of today’s successful cities have taken initiatives to account for citywide access of more than just vehicles.

Boulder, Colorado is one example of this. Boulder created a “super-highway” strictly for the use of joggers and bicyclists. With this, visitors can travel from one end of the city to the other without crossing traffic.

The design for Roberts Neighborhood could not feasibly avoid crossing roadways all together, but the expanded non-auto circulation routes allow for healthier living. Roadway crossings were taken into consideration through the design process. The images in figure 3.1.1 give a glimpse of the character of this vibrant bicycle and pedestrian network.

Figure 3.1.1: Boulder, CO Images

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Asperg Spring Community, Germany The Asperg Spring Community in Stuttgart, Germany is a neighborhood designed around water purification and reuse. The designer, Atelier Dreiseitl, sought to connect an entire community with a stream for collecting water runoff. Dreiseitl utilizes water in many of his works, and he portrays it in various ways with this project. The stream running throughout the site harvests rainwater from individual houses and collects it in 14 different cisterns. This water is purified by a living system of plants and reused to flush toilets and run washing machines. This site also contains underground parking to allow for green public meeting spaces. Roberts Neighborhood does not provide underground parking or offer a system for treating black water.

The living system designed in Stuttgart, Germany provided a template to show how stormwater can be managed on a neighborhood scale. It led to the development of a living machine located within the courtyard of Roberts Stadium where grey water and water runoff can be collected and filtered as an educational component.

The images in figure 3.1.2 demonstrate how that stormwater management element interacts with its surroundings throughout the site.

Figure 3.1.2: Asperg Spring Community

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Initial Design

Figure 3.2.1: Pedestrian Street Section

Figure 3.2.2: Pedestrian Street Perspective

The design process started with a sketch of a vibrant pedestrian streetscape in Perth, Australia. That sketch turned into the two images pictured above (figures 3.2.1 and 3.2.2). Bringing that feeling of a walkable, pedestrian streetscape to Evansville was important moving throughout the design. The idea of designing with a sense-of-place is shown as well, where the stadium facade and existing vegetation is preserved in figure 3.2.2.

Design Concepts 1st Concept • Grid street system matches surrounding neighborhoods • Pedestrian streets collect residents behind each of the building types • A linear park buffers the new neighborhood from the Lloyd Expressway to the south

Figure 3.3.1: Concept 01

2nd Concept • Direct link from the Wesselman Nature Preserve to the south west corner of the site • Streets surrounding Roberts Stadium are tilted 45 degrees to respect the angle of which the stadium was built

Figure 3.3.2: Concept 02

3rd Concept • Creates a courtyard feeling with pedestrian networks connecting to shared lawns behind residential units • Relocates the Army Reserve Training center to make-way for apartment housing • A linear park buffers the new neighborhood from the Lloyd Expressway to the south

Figure 3.3.3: Concept 03

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Master Plan

Post Design Commercial Space 121,200 sq ft.

Office Space 78,000 sq. ft Residential Units 2,288 residents 31.8 people/acre Townhomes 268 units 603 residents Apartments 777 units 1,356 residents Mixed Use 188 units 329 residents Recreation 5 - Baseball Fields Community Gardens 60,000 sq. ft.

1 - Ice Skating 1 - Playground 6 - Pocket Parks 6 - Racquetball Courts Running Trails, 2 - Soccer Fields 1 - Splash Pad 1 - Weight Room

Roberts Neighborhood master plan (see figure 3.4.1) preserves the facade of Roberts Stadium, turning the former stadium into a commercial center.

The former Army Reserve Training center is transformed into a community center with various indoor and outdoor activities. To deal with human health issues, walkability and bicycle networks were designed into the site. The neighborhood was also designed so different age groups can enjoy active lifestyles. This plan preserves the Swonder Ice Rink, revamps the baseball fields north of the ice rink, gives the golf course a buffer, redevelops the two soccer fields on-site, and more.

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Commercial Mixed-Use Apartments Town Homes

Figure 3.4.1: Master Plan

To manage social health issues, interior courtyards were designed for group meeting spots, and several pocket parks were included in the design. A new splash park, stage for community gathering events, and pedestrian streets were designed to promote chance meetings with acquaintances.

To remedy ecological issues, the Wesselman Nature Preserve was designed to extend throughout the site, culminating in a stormwater management park in the site’s south west corner. An ecological bridge extends over the Lloyd Expressway, allowing the nature preserve to filter into the 130-acre park south of Roberts Neighborhood.

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A

Site Plan: Stadium Reuse

Outdoor Dining

Commercial Building

B

Raised Planters

Lawn C

Splash Pad Plaza B

Commercial Building

D

Bell Tower

Figure 3.5.1: Character Case Studies

Figure 3.5.2: Stadium Reuse Site Plan

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The design for the site’s commercial center preserves the facade Site Location Map

of the stadium formally encapsulating the space.

The new space features an interior courtyard for outdoor dining and recreational use. Besides

Commercial Building

promoting active living and sociability, ecological health is taken into

A

account in this space.

Green House

C

A living machine runs throughout the site,

Outdoor Dining Splash Pad

providing an educational Raised Planters B

D

Bell Tower

B

component for stormwater management. Stormwater is collected from the roof of these buildings, and

A

Dining

Green House

is treated to be reused within the neighborhood.

Communities also become

Commercial Building

more walkable when landmarks are placed for people to visually see their destination. A clock tower was programmed into this space so no matter where visitors are in Roberts Neighborhood, they can always orient themselves (see figure 3.5.2). Figure 3.5.1 demonstrates different character elements found through the site as well.

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Stadium Reuse Support Drawings

1 2 5

4

3

3

6

Figure 3.6.1: Stormwater Management Diagram - Living Machine

(1) Primary Tank

Solids settle and degrade (2) Equalization Tank

Tank buffers periods of high and low flow (3) Stage 1 Tidal Flow Wetland Cells

Aggregate media-filled planters are alternately drained and filled

18 x’s per day (4) Stage 2 Tidal Flow Wetland Cells

A portion of the water moves to stage 2 where smaller treatment

media provides faster treatment (5) Polishing System

Water undergoes final polishing and treatment (6) Reuse Tank

Treated water enters the reuse tank before moving on to different

applications Due to the flat topography of the site, water being filtered in the living machine must be pumped to each station. Visitors can interact with this system, as tiered wetland cells take the form of raised planting beds in the courtyard, and green houses for people to visit demonstrate the water polishing systems (see figure 3.6.1). They also provide space for anaerobic treatment to reduce the smell of this process.

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B’ A

A’ B

Location Map

A

Walk

Promenade

Pedestrian Entrance

Lawn

Dining / Splash Pad

Sit Wall

Walk

Bell Tower

Figure 3.6.2: Section A-A’: Commercial Center

Pedestrian Walk 0’

15’

30’

B

A’ 60’

B’ Road

Tree Allee

Greenhouse

Pedestrian Walk

Greenhouse

Figure 3.6.3: Section B-B’: Entry Drive View

Tree Allee

0’

7’6”

Road

15’

30’

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Figure 3.6.4: Stadium Reuse - Before

Figure 3.6.5: Stadium Reuse - Commercial Center

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This design is developed around the site’s sense-of-place. Preserving the facade of Roberts Stadium was seen as an important design decision, as the stadium was redesigned to hold retail shops and small restaurants (see figure 3.6.2, 3.6.4, and 3.6.5). This enhances the visitor’s memories and feelings of the stadium, carrying them forward for years to come. This decision enhances physical health, social health, and ecological health within the site.

Figure 3.6.3 shows this converted space as visitors would see it driving through the neighborhood. Vegetation is used to frame views into the site’s central courtyard. In the foreground, visitors see the greenhouses where parts of the living machine are housed, and the bell tower which helps orient guests around the entire neighborhood.

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Site Plan: Community Center The design of this community center takes reuse into account, as it repurposes the old army reserve training center into a recreational

Wet Basin

space for visitors to enjoy (see figure 3.7.1). Valuable recreational components are designed inside the center and circling around the outside of the building as well. Included is an amphitheater to preserve the lyrical atmosphere of the former stadium. This amphitheater can also be used for plays, meetings, weddings, and more. A splash park and playground further develop connections to human physical and social health. The center’s green roof collects rainwater and sends it to a living machine to be filtered on-site.

Figure 3.7.1: Community Center Reuse Site Plan

Amphitheater

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Splash Pad

PLayground Green Roof

Civic Plaza

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Community Center Support Drawings

Green Roof Light Posts

Light Posts Plaza

Fountain Bench Entry Street

0’

Figure 3.8.1: Community Center Entry Plaza

Figure 3.8.2: Community Center Site Connections

C Community Center

Outdoor Stage

Figure 3.8.3: Section C - C’: Community Center Connectivity

5’

10’

15’ 20’

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Designing the community center

C’

entry plaza at a larger scale provided the opportunity to express material usage within the site (see figure 3.8.1). A flagstone island is designed into the

C

courtyard’s center, with fountains providing white noise for the site

D

surrounding this island. Trees also frame views within the design.

D’

Figure 3.8.2 demonstrates the running trails for visitors to enjoy. It also shows the wet basin, nature preserve extension, and amphitheater around the community center. Figures 3.8.3 and 3.8.4 also demonstrate different portions of the community center’s surroundings. Figure 3.8.4 displays a spatial look at the site’s entry plaza, while figure 3.8.3 provides a visual for how the community center, amphitheater, nature preserve, and wet basin interact on-site.

D Center

D’ Plaza

Fountain

Plaza

Fountain

Plaza

Lawn

Figure 3.8.4: Section D - D’: Entry Plaza Section

Walk 0’

Road 5’

10’

C’ Walk

Wesselman Nature Preserve Extension

Pedestrian Bridge

Berm

Wet Basin

0’

5’

10’

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Stormwater Purification

Figure 3.9.1: Stormwater Purification System

Natural stormwater management techniques are rarely designed in Evansville. Therefore, this neighborhood uses natural water purification techniques as educational components. The repurposed community center features a green roof, where grey water is treated in a living machine that runs throughout the site’s commercial courtyard. This living machine purifies the runoff from surrounding buildings, and treats the grey water from the community center to be reused on-site (see figure 3.9.1).

The post-design photomontage (figure 3.9.2) depicts the wetland system where stormwater eventual ends up on this site. Between the three main detention ponds, and the designed wetland, this stormwater management park will detain runoff from a 50-year rain event. This park leads people through a more natural environment. Running trails are located throughout the park, and a civic courtyard also extends into this environment. This design allows visitors the opportunity to interact with nature on a more personal level (see figure 3.9.3).

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Figure 3.9.2: Stormwater Management Park - Before

Figure 3.9.3: Stormwater Management Park - After

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Street Typologies

Figure 3.10.1: Streety Typology Diagram

When designing for neighborhood development, street typologies become critical component of the design process. Districts surrounding Roberts Neighborhood seemingly lack a well-developed hierarchy of streetscapes. Despite there being a limited road network within the design of this neighborhood, 5 different street typologies were developed to accommodate the context surrounding the site’s various elements (see figure 3.10.1). Within this neighborhood is a defined space for entry streets, boulevards, commercial streets, residential streets, and pedestrian streets.

For references on each typology, see figure 3.10.2. General characteristics found throughout each streetscape are narrowed road widths, bike lanes, and appropriately sized sidewalks. These elements coupled together form a system promoting walkability throughout the neighborhood.

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building

sidewalk

bike

road

bike

sidewalk

building

building

sidewalk

bike

road

Entry Street

building

sidewalk

parking bike

road

road

bike

sidewalk

building

Boulevard

bike parking sidewalk

building

building

Commercial Street

building

buffer

pedestrian street

basin bike

road

bike

basin

sidewalk

building

Residential Street

building

Pedestrian Street

sidewalk

building

ecological corridor

sidewalk

ecological corridor

Ecological Corridor

Figure 3.10.2: Streety Typography Sections

building

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Post-Design Diagrams

Evansville is set to upgrade their bicycle infrastructure throughout the city. An expanded bicycle network within the neighborhood and to its surroundings allows the neighborhood to connect to the rest of the city.

Walkable roads and an expanded pedestrian network throughout the neighborhoods promotes walkability for this neighborhoods, and still connects users to surroundings.

Surrounding neighborhoods frame their infrastructure off a grid system. Roberts Neighborhood used a reduced road network centered around the site’s key features.

The newly developed master plan demonstrates a neighborhood which promotes walkability with a reduced vehicular network, but expanded pedestrian and bicycle networks.

Figure 3.11.1: Site Circulation

Due to the lack of non-auto connectivity in Evansville, a more extensive transportation system was designed to enhance circulation. Figure 3.11.1 shows the limited street network leading cars throughout the site. An extensive system of bike lanes and walking trails connect cyclists throughout the area and to the greater city.

The Human Health Amenities diagram (figure 3.11.2) displays the range of physical health aspects developed into the site. The neighborhood design takes various age groups into account with community gardens, walking, and biking trails, a splash park, soccer fields, and more being programmed into the neighborhood.

The various programed elements within this site link together and affect various elements of the community’s health. Figure 3.11.3 demonstrates the relationship between several of these elements.

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Figure 3.11.2: Created Human Health Amenities

Figure 3.11.3: Health Correlations

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Construction Documents

Figure 3.12.1: Grading Plan

Figure 3.12.2: Stormwater Drainage Plan

0’ 50’ 100’

0’

50’

100’

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Figure 3.12.3: Pre Design Stormwater Management Calculations

Figure 3.12.4: Post Design Stormwater Management Calculations

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Figure 3.12.5: Grading Plan of North West Portion of the Site 0’

50’ 100’

Figure 3.12.6: Grading Plan of North East Portion of the Site 0’

50’ 100’

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Figure 3.12.7: Grading Plan of South West Portion of the Site

Figure 3.12.8: Grading Plan of North East Portion of the Site

0’

0’

50’ 100’

50’ 100’

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The construction documents further demonstrate the deisgn of a neighborhood which, among other things, filters stormwater on-site. Figure 3.12.1 and figure 3.12.2 display the grading plan and a drainage plan for the site. Stormwater falling west of the townhomes will enter a system of wetbasins which feed into a designed wetland at the end of the system. Calculations were done (see figures 3.12.3 and 3.12.4) to demonstrate on-site volume needs for a 50-year storm event before and after construction. The sizes of the ponds were appropriately developed off those calculations.

To deal with the affects of a flat project site, topography was added to the neighborhood (see figures 3.12.5, 3.12.6, 3.12.7, and 3.12.8). This use of designed topography allows for the stormwater filtration system to work as the peaks and valleys direct water runoff to designated locations.

Figures 3.12.9, 3.12.10, and 3.12.11 demonstrate different details designed into the site. A dry dam is used prevent water from flowing between wet basins unless overflow occurs, trickle tube drains send water between wet basins when roadways interfear with the site, and a boardwalk is necessairy to move visitors throughout the wetland.

Figure 3.12.9: Dry Dam Design

Figure 3.12.10: Hooded Trickle Tube Detail

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Figure 3.12.11: Boardwalk Design (Typ)

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Summary With the sprawling nature of the City of Evansville, the repurposing of Roberts Stadium and its surroundings into a smart-growth neighborhood is the first step to giving the City a sense-of-place design. The influence this development will have gives the surrounding communities a clear message that the City cares and is growing back into its roots. The hope is that this development promoting healthy lifestyles, concentrates on connectivity to surroundings and to nature, and promotes sustainable stormwater management techniques, gives people the opportunity to begin to seek and explore the world around them.

Good neighborhood development can never happen by taking project goals and looking at each one individually. The problems addressed by the Roberts Neighborhood community design are interrelated, with each one being woven into the fabric of project. The proposed non-auto connections extending out into the site’s surroundings means this development will be one which can be shared by many without the means of vehicles. Inside the neighborhood itself is an extensive bike and pedestrian network which expresses connectivity to the various elements, but also provides a framework for healthy living. The extension of the Wesselman Nature Preserve also provides access for people to connect to nature on a more personal nature.

This health conscious design element not only benefits humans, but the earth as well. The extension of the nature preserve reaches out to the site’s stormwater management park. This extension provides not just human health connections, but ecological health connections as well.

Each of the goals accomplished with this design were done not by ignoring the site and starting fresh with a ‘black slate’ design. Rather, the site itself dictated each of these elements. If the City can carry these principles further with future developments, then it can become a city which becomes vibrant once again. The result of this would make it one of the most sought-after cities in the Midwest.

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Project Terms Built Environment – A natural area which is altered in some way by human activity.

Health – A condition which expresses one’s physical, mental, or social state of being.

Healthy Lifestyle – A form of living which focuses around the well being of an individual’s mental, physical, and social quality of life.

Low Impact Development (LID) – An approach to developing a site using design practices and technologies to both conserve and protect natural resource systems.

Mixed-Use Development – A form of development where residential and commercial zones are incorporated in the same building, often separated by a floor.

Obesity – A measurement which analyzes Body Mass Index (BMI) to determine if a person has an excessive amount of fat in their system. In general, men that exceed twenty-five (25) percent body fat and women that exceed thirty (30) percent body fat are considered obese.

Park – A place for active or passive forms of recreation which allow users to get away from their everyday lives.

Smart Growth – A method of community development which expresses connectivity to its surroundings and focuses around the well-being of the residents living within it.

Streetscape – The visual characteristic of a street which includes anything the eye can see (e.g. road, street lights, building fronts, medians, vegetation, etc).

Sustainability – An evaluation tool to determine if an area (can be different scales) can maintain and sustain life and persist as a system.

Walkability – A measurement of the ease in which an individual can maneuver around and through a certain space.

Woonerf – a street system where pedestrians and cyclists have priority over motorists.

Additional Site Images

Former Army Reserve Training Center

Roberts Stadium Loading Dock

Surrounding Site Context: The Insurance Dude

On-Site Baseball Fields

Southern View of Project Site: Lloyd Expressway, Parking Lots, Public Swimming Pool, Swonder Ice Rink

Figure 4.2.1: Images of Site and Context The former Army Reserve Training Center, features within Figure 4.2.1, is one of the main contextual images and driving forces behind the neighborhood design. Additionally, topographic change will allow for infill of the stadium and below grade loading dock. The remaining 3 images in Figure 4.2.1 show additional quality of the current site.

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Roberts Stadium 02, Evansville, Indiana. Personal photograph by author. 2012.

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