XJTLU_ Studio URBAN DESIGN PROJECT (CDE306) - draft print by christian nolf

LOU BEI_SUZHOU URBAN DESIGN STRATEGIES FOR A TRANSFORMING NEIGHBOURHOOD

STUDIO CDE306 (14/15) URBAN DESIGN PROJECT

URBAN DESIGN PROJECT :

STUDENTS :

STUDIO CDE306 14/15 Spring Semester 2014 - 2015 BEng in Civic Design Department of Urban Planning and Design XJTLU

Hao Xue Yuyi Zhao Yuxiao Chen Shixin Li Ci Li Huahui Ai Xinshuang Hong Liwen Bian Gao Du Yi Yu

dra

n o i s ver

LOU BEI_SUZHOU

URBAN DESIGN STRATEGIES FOR A TRANSFORMING NEIGHBOURHOOD

01 02 03 04

Studio Methodology Posi oning Lou Bei Documentaries Design Strategies

Studio Methodology

As the last studio of the Bachelor of Arts in Civic Design program (op on urban design), the Urban Design Project module emphasizes the link between analysis (problem formula on) and project (proposal of a design strategy). In contrast to earlier studios for which a site and a program were in general predefined, this studio aims to address the complex process of urban projects as a whole. Focusing on a problema c area in the city, the studio engages student to: 1) assess a par cular issue of concern in the study area and iden fy the key actors related to it; 2) develop a design strategy to address the iden fied issue and elaborate a method of implementa on (including a phasing and the involvement of key actors). The method of this module is problem- and inquiry-based learning. Students are expected to work autonomously on a complex urban situaon, to iden fy par cular issue(s) inherent to the area, to ques on it and to solve it through a contextualized design strategy. The studio encourages the use of crea ve tools and techniques of analysis and communica on, such as video, models, interpreta ve mapping and visualisa on. The studio is structured in two main parts. 4

A first part focuses on the analysis of the area. In groups of two, students analyse the area through a par cular theme of interest. In the second part, each student works individually on a design strategy that addresses some issue highlighted in the first part. The first analy cal part was carried out in small-groups of two people, while the second part was based on individual projects. However, throughout the whole module process, the studio has been organised as a mul disciplinary team work in which the individual contribu ons were coordinated. A common base-model produced at the beginning of the semester served as support of discussion and exchange. The present final report combines all the work done by the students. Combining a summary of all problem formula ons and design strategies, the collec ve studio report aims at exploring the specifici es and poten al of the studied area, and thereby contribu ng to inform its future transforma on and development.

Site visit & fieldwork

CW1: documentary

CW2: Final Report

Activities BlueÍ˛green syst

Contribution to a project definition and urban design guidelines

Mobility Heritage Housing W1

Problem Formulation (SWOT) per thematic

Design Strategies

W14

Posi oning Lou Bei (娄北)

Suzhou’s frene c transforma on Like most ci es in China, Suzhou has seen its urbanisa on transforming radically over the past two decades. From a rather compact city surrounded by an open agricultural landscape, Suzhou expanded into a gigan c urban area mixing urban,-industrial and (relics of) agricultural func ons. It now forms an almost indis nguishable part of the emerging Yangtze River delta metropolis that stretches from the Taihu Lake to Shanghai. In contrast to the old city centre characterized by a dense mesh of street and canals, the urban expansion is a based on a wide grid of roads and canals defining large mono-func onal plots zoned by types. If it turned out suitable for rapid economic and industrial development, this development model has also had some seriously nega ve impacts. In par cular, the destruc on of the pre-exis ng natural and cultural landscape (including former villages) and the fragmenta on of the territory by infrastructure barriers and oversized blocks. Lóu Běi as a residue The site of Lóu Běi, a 1.5 x 3 km unstructured piece of territory situated north-east outside Suzhou Old Town, collects all these flaws. Isolated by large infrastructures and occupied by enclaves of disused industries, the site moreover hosts a series of undesirable func ons of the city, such as a prison, a small gas central and the police’s parking depot. In terms of buildings, a few fragments of derelict fishing villages are mixed with low-rise se lements, occupied in great majority by migrant workers. In short, the area of Lóu běi appears as very una rac ve and chao c. 6

Yangcheng Lake

LOU BEI

Suzhou SIP

500m

adapted from: (c) Baidu 2014

Old Town Suzhou

1000m

New poten al Lóu běi might however gain a new interest in the near future. In the new structure plan of Suzhou (due in 2015 ), a greater emphasis is put on ecological and landscape aspects. The plan envisions among other a project for a “Chain of Lakes”, i.e. an ambi ous programme for the reconnec on and restora on of the whole water network of rivers, canals and lakes. The government of Suzhou city, whose historical heart is interna onally known as the Venice of Asia, wants to capitalize on this feature as a natural, ecological and recrea onal asset. In the “Chain of Lakes”, s ll a schema c stage, the site of Lóu Běi is projected as an ecological corridor between the city moats and the Yangcheng Lake, both of which have seen their waterfronts recently converted into large public green parks. There is no doubt that with this new func on as hinge of two important blue-green elements in the city, and with its proximity to the city centre and main train sta ons, the area of Lóu běi will get a renewed a en on. Framing transforma on An cipa ng the (probably) imminent redevelopment of Lóu běi, the studio aims to propose an alterna ve to the usual prac ce of tabula rasa and development of rows of generic towers. The close reading of Lóu běi and its users should contribute to highlight the specific needs and poten ali es of the site, and the defini on of locally-based strategies should outline less generic, more site-specific and be er integrated forms of (re)development. Students are therefore expected to address some of the following ques ons: how could the enhancement of the water connec on at the same me structure this residual site into a coherent and appealing part of the city? How to balance space for nature and space for development? How to deal with lack of connec vity of that place? Which exis ng qualies (physical features and ac vi es) should be maintained and reinforced? Who are the inhabitants and users of the site and what are their 8

From an Enclave to a Hinge: Historically isolated by infrastructure barriers, the area of Lóu Běi in Suzhou was for long a residual space. The site might however gain a new a rac veness in the near future as the main ecological and recrea onal connec on between two major blue-green areas of the city. 9

Documentaries

The first part of the studio focused on the analysis of the area. In groups of two, students analysed Lou Bei through a par cular theme of interest: mobility, ac vi es, heritage, blue-green structure, and living condi ons. The analyses pay specific a en on to the usersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; perspec ve through interviews and/or portrayals. The outcome of this first part lead to a problem formula on in terms of strengths, weaknesses, opportuni es and threats for the area and conclude with the outline of crucial design ques ons. It was presented in an original video documentary combining in a coherent and convincing way documenta on, animated maps, on-site fieldworks, interviews, and key-ques ons.

MOBILITY HUAHUI AI, CI LI From the mobility point of view, Lou Bei is strongly influenced by the transport system. However, surrounded and framed by very important transportation infrastructures, Lou Bei is at local level paradoxically one of least accessible places in Suzhou. It is surrounded by multiple fast transport system, including national high way (G2), railway, national road (G312), expressway and high speed train. While they transit across Lou Bei, these fast mobility facilities influence the area only in negative terms: enclosure and noise and air pollution. Moreover, the local road and public transport system is underdeveloped. Because of its situation at the boundary of three different administrative districts, investment in transport infrastructure have been less than in other areas. There is only one street giving access to the area, with two main entrances from heavy traffic roads. This street moreover combines all kinds of transport modes: pedestrians, bicycle, e-bikes, cars and trucks are all bunched together in a narrow street. Meanwhile, retail stores are extending their stalls on the street, which further aggravates the problem of traffic congestion. However, there should be some improvement in the future. A new metro line is planned in transport strategy plan, and a subway station will located in the southern part of the site. A possibility to decongest and connect the area would be to create a new east-west connection across the water channel, linking the road from the central railway station to some new developments happening on the other side of the canal, such as a commercial centre.

Loca on of the site

more images

New opportuni es

Main infrastructures

Market street

Crossing the na onal road

Conflicts 13

BLUE GREEN LIWEN BIAN, SHIXIN LI Lou Bei can be considered as a place with mixed resources of water and green. READING THE PLACE Lou Bei has a con nuous water system that links Yangcheng Lake in the northern part to the outer ring river of Suzhou’s old town in the southwest. In terms of green space, Lou Bei has various types of green, including farmlands, parks, buﬀer zones alongside and under the expressways, as well as several empty spaces and inaccessible nature reserve (in the north). CHALLENGES Although the overall green looks abundant, it is not well inter-connected as a system and there is li le and even no green space inside the community. Moreover, due to numerous expressways, the site faces a huge problem of noise and the large-scale green space cannot solve this issue. Low accessibility is another challenge caused by expressways. For instance Liuyin Leyu Park is difficult to access because it requires to cross an important road. Meanwhile, the exis ng condion in some places is bad and green was not u lized that is full of garbage. In terms of water, the rivers and creeks inside the Lou Bei community are severely polluted and contain numerous garbage providinig from the surrounding households (such as residue of food, plas cs and construc on materials). However, the pollu on is only centralized in the river in the community. From river in Lou Bei community to the outside canal, the water is from dirty to clean. RESEARCH QUESTIONS 1. How to make the green space work as a system? 2. How to maintain and develop urban farmlands and make the locals inhabitants benefit from it?

Farmland

Park

Buﬀer zone

Empty land

Inaccessible nature reserve (Liuyin Leyu)

Heterogeneous and fragmented green: although at first sightLou Bei looks green, its green spaces are of very diﬀerent types and are hardly interconnected into a system.

The pollu on of water provides from the (absence of) sewer system in the village

Clean river in the outside canal

Water pollu on & garbage in the community

A pollu ng area: Lou Bei is not only suďŹ&#x20AC;ering from the bad water quality, it is also one of the main contributors to water pollu on due to the disposal of solid waste and the absence of a sewage treatment system

ACTIVITIES HAO XUE, YUXIAO CHEN

From the point of view of ACTIVITES ON THE SITE , Lou Bei is a mul -func onal, complex and vibrant neighbourhood. A detailed explora on of the site was conducted in a walking tour. In 10 different loca ons (as indicated on the map), 12 people were asked which were the main issues about the area. The main responses were: 1) Some enterprises such as gas company causes traffic conges on and poten al danger; 2) There is a serious sanitary problem on the street and market; 3) The public space is invaded by private ac vi es; 4) There is a lack of designed public space for recrea on. Generally, ‘Dirty, messy and bad’ were the words mostly used by the locals to qualify their neighbourhood. On the other hand, the site shows an intense mix of very different func ons. It combines housing (in old villages or more informal) with small and medium entreprises, recycling ac vi es, fresh markets, a school as well as a deten on house. The area is also densely inhabited and the public place is intensively used. In that sense, Lou Bei can be seen as a model of lively neighbourhood. It can represent an inspiring alterna ve for the mono-func onal and zoning-based type of development found in the rest of Suzhou.

Mix-City: both the exis ng Land Coverage and Land Use maps based on Suzhou Master Plan (2012-2015) indicate the dense mix of func ons in Lou Bei area.

Based on these observa ons and interviews, some of the key issues to be addressed in terms of ac vity for the future of the site are: 1: What can be learnt from the richness of uses in this area? 2: How is this complex interrela onship of ac vies organized spa ally? 3: How to balance the rela onship between acvi es and environment? 4: Which ac vi es could (shoul) be preserved and which should be removed? 5: Which ac vi es have poten al to be developped in the future? Traﬃc jam caused by big gas truck 16

Store owner

Informal se lements on the road Walking tour across the site.

Farming along the canal

Current street condi on

Water pollu on 17

LIVING CONDITIONS YUYI ZHAO, HONG XINSHUANG

From the current land use map, the area combines various func ons: mainly commercial (small shops and markets) and residen al foncons. This co-exists with a (the last) factory in acvity and governmental facili es like the jail and the place for vehicle applica on. To understand the living condi ons in Loubei, three ques ons were asked: who is living there? Where do they live? How is the living environment?

Land Use

According to the interview with local residents, over 80% of the residents in HuaFei New Village are migrant workers. They come from all over the country, especially Anhui and Jiangxi. This diversity is reflected in various types of restaurants. Except a few business owners working in Lou Bei, most people work as skilled labors in different factories across Suzhou. The age of the popula on is diverse as well, with many children (every interviewed family has at least 2 children) and also elderly (mainly local residents). There are 4 main housing types: residence in converted factory buildings, flats, workers’ apartments of the former chemical fer lizer plant, and more recent residences. Absent on the real-estate market, the site seems to have at this stage no a rac veness for poten al new residents. In addi on, the housing condi on for the migrants is low with less than 10 square meters of housing area per person and no private toilet or bathroom. According to the interviews, people are mainly unsa sfied with their living environment. this is due to the noise generated by the elevated highways and railways surrounding the district, but also the local traffic. The amount of green spaces is insufficient to absorb the noise. Another main concern relates to the lack of (safe) space and infrastructure for the children. 18

Housing types and average area per dwelling

Interview of Local Residents

Working places of interviewd people living in Lou Bei.

Noise pollu on in the area

HERITAGE GAO DU & YUYI ZHAO Lou Beiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s present situa on is the result of three main waves of development. In 1940s, Lou Bei was a rural area consis ng of a (series of) fishing villages surrounded by cul vated lands. During the 1960s, two main factories (for ferlizer) established along the canal. As a consequence, addi onal se lements and some basic commerce developed and gathered spontaneously in the surrounding to create the northsouth market street. In the mean me, addi onal industrial func ons developed. In the 1980s, the two large factories were demolished but a factory cluster was set up in the north part. From these developments in the past, some elements can be considered interesting from the heritage point of view today. Docks, Waterfront dwellings and market street. - Many abandoned docks could be iden fied in the site. However, their aatrac veness is hampered by water is seriously polluted by domes c waste water and garbage. Moreover, with the decrease of water transporta on, the docks lost their role as center of public life. - Waterfront dwellings are another strong element. Ancient fishing villages were in mately connected to the water system. However, they face problems of water pollu on, of lack of public and green space, as well as street conges on due to the increasing use of cars. - Finally the Market Street is a strong feature of the area, but faces challenges. Currently, the capacity of the road is quite limited and many vendors and businessmen just occupy some parts of the roads. This requires a reprofiling of the street sec on. Also, the area is complex in terms of land-use, with a.o. some factories s ll ac ve along the streets. The faĂ§ade and style of the buildings located along the street need to be ruled and improved. The enhancement of these elements as heritage will be the focus of some design strategies. 20

EXISTING SITUATION

Docks

Waterfront dwellings

Street market

MAIN CHALLENGE

1940s

1980s

1960s

2015 21

04 Urban Design Strategies In the second part of the studio, each student developed a design strategy. The design strategies aim to be a contextualized response to the problem formulated in the first part of the studio. The design strategies can take various forms (a physical interven on, a design code, a collabora ve design process and/or a so policy) and include the reference to relevant case studies. Essen ally spa al, the design strategies also include no ons of stakeholders, implementa on method and phasing. Interes ngly, the tle of most strategies starts with “Re-”. This indicates a par cular focus on the re-use and enhancement of exis ng and latent quali es. This a en on to the site and its users diﬀers radically from the usual “tabula rasa” approach that characterizes the urbanisa on process in Suzhou and more generally in China. When taken independently, the design strategies are coherent responses to specific issues. When taken all together, they form an interesting and complex overlay of complementary and some mes contradictory ideas. In all cases, they form an insigh ul framework that reveals some of the poten ali es of the site. It is not a masterplan, but a set of features and ques ons to be considered in the future transforma on and development of Lou Bei.

9. (Re-)Cycling Lou Beiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Waterfront

8. Tradi onal village recovery

7. Crossing Border

6. Revival of the Blue Finger

5. Quiet Lou Bei

4. Market street design

3. Revitalizing Louhua Market

2. Reconnect Loubei

1. Re-Farm Lou Bei

1. RE-FARM LOU BEI LIWEN BIAN

Focussing on the aspect of BLUE GREEN structure, this design strategy “urban agricultural park” aims to drive the redevelopment of the le over space of Lou bei by reinforcing its exis ng rural character. The main func on is to proceed intensive agricultural produc on, and to provide sideline products as well as good ecological environment for urban residents. WHY DEVELOP GREEN ? Suzhou has abundant resources of green space from large city parks to small gardens, which provide prerequisite for developing farm park. Among all these parks, Lou bei Site has rela vely the largest area of green space in the whole city. Moreover, according to the Suzhou Immediate Plan (2012-2015), Lou bei Site belongs to one of the ‘green wedges’: these are planned ecological cul vated districts that are supposed to bring suburban ecology from the suburbs into the city center. The analysis of the green map reveals three diﬀerent parts of quali es: waterfront, under the bridge and alongside the road. Distribu on map of parks in Suzhou City & tourist a rac ons

WHY DEVELOP PARK & TOURISM ? A ac on plan called ‘ecological garden city’ is introduced in the Immediate Plan, including several construc ons of parks, and ecological tourism. The surrounding tourist a rac ons provide the opportunity to develop tourism and connect the exis ng spots. Lou bei Site

WHY DEVELOP FARMING ? Lou Bei Site has the exis ng farming ac vi es and villages. villagers living here are mainly migrants and were used to be farmers. So they s ll have the skill to farming. The exis ng farmlands provides the demanstra on of farming but majority of them are informal farming. 24

Comparison at scale between the green spaces on the site and other parts in Suzhou

CASE STUDY 1 MIDDLESBROUGH URBAN FARMING PROJECT

CASE STUDY 2 Xiaoshan Leisure Agriculture

The mapping project was a comprehensive record of places for urban food produc on, revealing where residents wanted to grow food, iden fying existing allotment gardens as well as poten al loca ons for producing food in Middlesbrough, and connec ng these spaces of opportunity together to show the emerging green network within the town. Community groups, volunteer organiza ons, youth and school groups and even preschools organized to grow food in le over and adaptable spaces, enac ng the design ideas shown on the map.

This leisure agriculture contains several agricultural projects in Hangzhou, such as ecological parks, demonstraons parks and happy farmhouses. These parks have various ac vi es, including fishing, catering, accommodaon, recrea on, sightseeing of animals and landscape, experience of plan ng and aquaculture and other leisure acvi es.

Analysis map of green in Lou bei Site

Sightseeing

Fishing Ac vity types in Xiaoshan Leisure Agriculture The mapping project â&#x20AC;&#x153;Opportuni es for a green and edible Middlesbroughâ&#x20AC;? Source: h p://www.ryerson.ca/carrotcity/

Source: h p://www.xsxny.com/

Benefits it will generate: Farm park could facilitate employment of locals, increase their income and create good economic founda on, through adjus ng agricultural structure, expanding agricultural func ons as well as developing tourism in the exis ng villages; overall urban-rural development would be enhanced that tourists in urban bring modern city informa on into the villages, while the locals provide agricultural products and skills for tourists to learn and experience. Regarding the financing mechanism and implementa on phases, the design strategy has two stages: 1. Op mizing of the current situa on Firstly, local governments invest on infrastructure and improve the exis ng disordered and dirty situaon, including water, road, sanita on and pollu on. Considering the polluted water, several treatment measures would be taken, such as some land could be purchased by governments to build wetland as a natural cleansing sta on. For the polluted land, both physical and chemical ac ons could be adopted. For example, concrete materials can be used to cover the contamina ve land as the isolated layer and then move new clean soil onto the isolators, so that the land can con nue being planted. Different degree of contamina on of land, cost, effect, me and difficulty level of implementa on should be considered when choosing the treatment measures. 2. Coopera ve development Private enterprises invest on several development programs to cooperate and guide villagers to develop agritourism. There are two types of opera on models. First, if villagers are willing to operate and manage by themselves, then they could learn these relevant skills from enterprises and guide other households. This model can maintain the real agricultural culture but the capacity of receiving tourists is limited. Another model is to let companies, like tourism company, to manage and villagers are as parcipators who are benefited through dividend. Idle proper es of villagers, affluent labors and farming ac vi es could be mad full use of so as to increase villagers’ income, and standard management would avoid bad compe on between villagers. 26

Design strategy: Urban Agricultural Park

650m

1300m

URBAN AGRICULTURAL PARK Considering the limited outputs of farmlands, the primary developing direcon is agritourism that integrates various ac vi es, including entertainment, tourism, sightseeing, educa on and demonstra on, rather than the tradional plan ng solely. The poten al customers are tourists from city, employees with stress, teenagers, migrants who previously lived in rural areas, and farmers.

The distribu on of agricultural educa on base in Lou bei and ideal ac vi es

1. AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION BASE Loca on considera ons: the distribu on of schools; a concentrated district (would be easy to manage and protect the safety of students) high accessibility of both coaches and boats; Adjacent to villages (convenient for villagers to show the plan ng skills and products)

650m

1300m

The distribu on of agricultural products market in Lou bei

2. AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS MARKET

The market support farmers by ensuring they have a direct outlet in which to sell their produce. Our customers can expect to find quality, fresh seasonal produce at a fair price.

Exhibi on Center The produce market has two development pa erns: 1. Indoor Exhibi on & Trade Fair (close to subway sta on) Products: local special es (crabs, river fishes, vegetables & fruits) and featured products from other provinces or countries; new skills & achievements

The distribu on of eco-tourist farmhouse in Lou bei

650m

1300m

3. ECO TOURIST FARMHOUSE Happy farmhouse: its loca on considered the high accessibility of both roads and boats, and adjacent to villages that was the declining fishing villages; it would drive the redevelopment of the exis ng fishing villages. Linear Market 2. Under-bridge Market The current informal market is managed and norma ved to relocate under the expressway. This linear market could be the drive-through type faced to the roads alongside expressways and people could also stay behind the stalls to sit or taste goods. 28

Park: is the con nua on of Liuyin leyu park that under the bridge in the sourthern part; The organic shape of this area provides advantages to develop various ac vites for sightseeing. Plan ng: large-scale of the green space; the land could rent to the ci zens from city to let them grow by themselves. Villagers would get some income through this measure.

HAPPY FARMHOUSE:

Before

A er

The fishing park: Before / A er

Leisure & Accommoda on

Sightseeing

Boa ng & Fishing

Experience farming Design proposal: ac vity types

2. RECONNECT LOUBEI SHIXI LI

Focusing on the aspect of green space and water system, this design strategy aims to redesign the Great Liuyinleyu Area to be more pedestrian friendly, more accessible and more comfortable and an exci ng place to visit. It uses different laneways to link the separated places, making the en re area more walkable and safety. Kinds of newly imported activities will attract more people to walk and cycle to and within this place. To be clear, Liuyinleyu Park is the heart of the whole project. Therefore, the name for the whole redevelopment project will be called ‘Great Liuyinleyu Area’. Enhancing Liuyinleyu Park is an important leisure place for local people, especially for children and old person. It is currently undergoing low accessibility, low recrea onal and full of transport noise. It is unique because this park is divided into four aspects by high way and affected by its noise. The name Liuyinleyu in Chinese means ‘people are sea ng under the willow and enjoy the view that fish are gliding in the water freely.’ The design strategy maximizes the u liza on of this park by redeveloping its great asset, the under bridge (under highway) green space and waterfront. It propose transform the exis ng green space under the bridge into amusement parks for all ages, for instance, a colorful children’s playground, older kids/ adult skate park, all ages swing and res ng place. The under bridge 30

places give the shelter for all ac vi es at any me. A proposed noise barrier along the high way will reduce the sound input to this area.To improve the overall ornamental value at night, a night scene will be added in the bridge and the highway where covering the park by lighting design and fountain.

as these two sites currently are isolated by high way and high-speed rail. A new sidewalk will link the Island plaza and the Liuyunleyu Park and Lou River amusement park. A new bridge will connect the Liuyinleyu Park and Loumen ancient city wall on the opposite banks of the rivers.

The strategy also proposes to redesign an empty land, located in the south of Liuyinleyu Park. It can oﬀer spaces for events, recrea on, art and culture. The new waterfront amusement park will provide large scale of place for ac vi es, including basketball, skate and swimming poor. It also will create the circle bicycle routes covering the Liuyinleyu Park and the newly built park. The amusement park will con nue the waterfront walking side along the river. Several small shops also will be located in the park to provide basic requirement for tourists.

Enduring The strategy has considered the project in a long-term way. It proposes innovated ways to address these key constraints. The new developments along the waterfront s ll focus on maintaining and connec ng the green space, therefore, it only propose less harmful (to nature)human ac vi es. The whole green space in this area will be important node to maintain the ecological system from Suzhou ancient town to the Yangcheng Lake. The proposed new amusement park is free for ci zens. The abandoned land where has been heavily aﬀected by the noise, but it has high accessibility. Local government could sale the land with cheap price for developer and requires them to provide support fund for the entertainment park along the river as it largely increase the a rac on for its business. This project could be regarded as the pioneer project for other place with complex transport system, especially the underpass place.

Connected The strategy redefines and consolidates Great Liuyinleyu Area and improves its connec on to ancient city and surrounding commercial and residen al areas. This area will be defined by exis ng commercial building to the Northwest, the proposed Island plaza to the northeast, Liuyinleyu park and its extend park (Lou river amusement park) to the middle and the Loumen Ancient city wall to the southwest. The Liuyinleyu Park and Island market will become a focus for ac vity and will be be er connected to other places through a series of laneways. One of the proposed laneways, underground market, project A and B, will link the Island plaza to the exis ng commercial area and the Loubei Village (in the north of Island market),

Vibrant Apart from the emphasis of ecological, another focus is kinds of ac vity. The new park under bridge and riverfront development and the newly commercial area will create a vibrant environment for people to play in and work, and which is appealing to visit at any me of the day or night.

Analytical Diagram Water

Loubei has abundant water resources and are well connected. In planned area, it covers Lou River and Outer Ring River.

Green Space

Loubei has diverse green spaces distributed in different places.

Park Farming Empty&Grass

Station

Transport infrastrure Loubei is highly accessible .Bus and bicycle station covers many areas.

Bus station Bicycle station

Loubei is heavily affected by the complex transport network.

Proposed bicycle Viaduct Road High-speed rail

Proposed bus

Waterfront Accessibility

An Accessible Waterfront An Inaccessible

The accessibility in different bank is diverse, some waterfront are occupied by gated community, where only allowed residents get in.

The main function in Loubei is Residential area and possess several parks.

Land Cover

Residential area Green space Empty land River

Case Studies 1. Burnside Skatepark, Portland Many spaces beneath freeway overpasses have been coopted by skateboarders. Burnside Skatepark, like many underfreeway skateparks, was illegally constructed by groups of skateboarders over time. Eventually, this park, like some other skateparks, won the favor of the city and became officially sanctioned.

2. Amusement Park Under The Bridge Basurama Asociacion / Madrid, Spain

The project transform abandoned spaces under bridges all around the city into amusement parks for all ages. These parks will be built reusing materials a n d e n ga g i n g l o c a l c o m m u n i t i e s in the process of construction and management.

3. Exciting Activities in Seoul Along the Han River, Seoul, Korea There are over 257 sporting facilities, including soccer fields, skateboarding parks, tennis and basketball courts, swimming pools, workout stations, an outdoor climbing wall and biking / hiking trails.

the Banpo Rainbow Fountain

biking & hiking trails.

Picnics

Design strategy:Restore the Systems Ecological System

Currently, the ecological system in LoubeI is fragmented. The Liuyinleyu Park is divided into four parts by the viaduct. In its surrounding area, a large scale of land has been abandoned and now becomes an empty and chaotic area. To the southwest, it is the riverfront section of city moat, but without any link with Loubei. To the north, it is Yangcheng Lake, an ecological place. To evolve the ecological place working as a system, it will reconnect and continue the waterfront and the green space. Meanwhile, Great Liuyinleyu Area will become a main gathering place for people living in surrounding area by welldesign space and more environmental-friendly human activities.

t Stree

Entertainment System

Mall

Loubei district has diverse entertainment places, including street market, a leisure park and a mall. However, from map and site visit, they are located in different place and lacking of effective connection with each place. The design strategy, it proposes two methods to enhance the entertainment connection and making the entire recreational place becoming more pedestrian-friendly and more interesting. A new attractive commercial plaza will be located in the middle of Great Liuyinleyu Area to leading the development. Kinds of laneways will be planned to connect all the places.

Mall

Playgound

City Wall 34

Lou River Amusement Park Before the project, this place is totally empty. Only a few people grow a small scale of vegetable.

Before

After The amusement park will transformed the waterfront to an eco-friendly space of leisure, design and culture, including skateboarding parks, tennis and basketball courts, swimming pools , workout station and hiking or biking trails.

After

4 6 58

7 9

1 Some pools offer specific attractions catering to various tastes.

2 There are basketball courts scattered all along the beautifuland scenic Lou River.

Island Plaza

One important project in the proposal is the Island Plaza project aiming to create a new and modern market here, maximizing the advantage of high accessibility. It also becomes a significant node to strength the connection in surrounding area. 35

Before

Liuyinleyu Park

5 Swing

6 Skate

lighting Show

After

4 Skate

Before

The design strategy redesign the Under bridge space to be more comfortable and exciting place. Using the shelter of viaduct, people can skate, swing and have a picnic. At night, a music fountain and well-designed lignting will present a light show extravaganza. The newly designed park will create a virbant environment for people to play in.

After

Section A1-A2

Laneways

To improve the connection between different places, different laneways are used to link the separated places, making the entire area more walkable and safe.

8 A walk side link the Island plaza and waterfront.

A bridge to connect the city gate with Loubei district.

Two underground market will be built as a route to connect the Island plaza and the Loubei Village and existing Mall

Section C1-C2

After Before

Section B1-B2

3. REVITALIZING LOUHUA MARKET STREET HAO XUE

Louhua Middle Road is the main road in the Loubei village. Centrally located, it is pitch paved and varies in width from 5 meters to 10 meters. The street edges are composed of irregularly placed 1 to 5 story buildings. Most of the 1 story buildings are clothes shop, while higher buildings host residen al func ons and enterprises. Some of the buildings are already in a poor quality and have li le value to preserve. The street is a bustling market, where pedestrians, bikes, e-bikes and vehicles mix. However, the road is mainly occupied by the trucks, which are responsible for transferring the gas and vegetable for the gas sta on and fresh market. Thus, they are bringing frequently traffic jam for the street in rush hours. Moreover, the road will stop when it meets a T-junc on at the end of the road on the north. Moreover, the open space in front of the buildings is informally occupied by vendors and small market kiosks, covered by individual stalls. DESIGN STRATEGY The main aim for Louhua Middle road is trying to maintain the lively street atmosphere but to solve the conflic ng problem. This aim is achieved through four strategic approaches: 1) to release the nega ve traffic mobility by designing a new traffic circula on and distribu on system; 2) to widen the narrow street by replacing the low quality buildings, 3) to introduce a new typology for mixed use func ons and create more public space, 4) to create a tension between 2 a rac on poles in order to ensure an intense and permanent use of the street.

Case Study: State Street Design Project (Madison, USA 2001). Comprehensive design plan for the reconstruc on of the street. The state street could be seen as the ‘heart’ of the city, linking the Capitol and the University and including shopping, art cultural and entertainment area. However, there was growing iden fica on of conflicts between sidewalk ac vi es and traﬃc. The success of State Street as an urban des na on is that the street is designed as a flexible space capable of accommoda ng many func ons on a diurnal, weekly and seasonal basis. It mi gates the fixed element such as brick planters to promote and sustain the street’s long-term vitality. Furthermore, the project dedicated curbside zones for mul ple and overlapping uses. At the east end of the street, the Capitol Building dominates the view and provides a formal terminus to State Street.

Before

A er

The State Street is a strong linkage between University and capital

The well designed pocket park provides space for people who are working around

Rerou ng traﬃc and calibra ng the street for diﬀerent av vites

DESIGN STRATEGY A new accessibility Focusing on the traffic circula on aspects, the design strategy aims to reorganise the accessibility to the site. A new north-south connec on will be established, linking the planned metro sta on south of the site to the north of the site, where the exis ng industrial zone is proposed as a wholesale market in this project. Managing the traffic circula on Moreover, a road system consis ng of two oneway loops is designed in order to enhance the flow of traffic circula on and to save space for other uses. Widen the street The main road will be widened and sidewalk will be par cularly designed for the pedestrians. Curbside is considered as a flexible space that bridges and nego ates the street and the sidewalk. The pedestrian and bike users will be encouraged and the vehicle’s role will be mi gated. The current 10-meter wide road will be reconstructed as double size and divided into 3 zones, a 5 to 6 meter wide pedestrian and outdoor tea house zone adjacent to the buildings, and a 7 meters flexible zone providing space for bike and e-bike users as well as pedestrians. Moreover, it will include sidewalk furniture such as bicycle racks, trash bin, benches, short term parking opportuni es for service. The vehicle line is 3.5 meters wide in between. The street trees and streetlights are located to dis nguish the different zones.

Before: the car and truck dominate the street

Before: The current traﬃc accessibility

A er: New north-south pedestrian road enhances the accessibility between west and east, north and south

Before: Two way traﬃc circula on on the ex-

A er: Two loops traﬃc circula on and one-

is ng narrow street causes frequently traﬃc

way road is designed on the mainroad helps

conflicts and traﬃc jams in the rush hours.

to release the nega ve traﬃc condi on.

A er: The plan emphasizes the role of pedestrian ac vi es on the road

Before: Exis ng Urban typology

A new typology As alterna ve to the informal low rise buildings and kiosks invading the street space, a new typology is proposed: it accomodates a mix of func ons and provides new semi-public spaces between buildings, in courtyards and on roof terraces. The new building typology will be 3 to 4 floors high and host the following func ons in each floor: 1) restaurant/ outdoor tea house/ small cloth retail stores, 2) small business and enterprise, 3) residen al use such as household or dormitory. The industrial zone on the north of the site will get a new func on as a clothing wholesale area and it also will be a new node for the whole site. The current factory buildings located near the waterfront will be conserved. Openings on the ground floor will allow people to gain the experience of the water.

A er: New Urban typology

Proposed new nodes in the site

Before

A er

DESIGN STRATEGY The plan defines a new building front, the division of the street in lanes, and a general atmosphere. Secondary elements such as street furniture (benches, trash containers, bicycle racks, and planters) will be located accordingly in a more detailed phase of the project.

New typology genera onal process

Before: The factory buildings

New typology with mix-use on diďŹ&#x20AC;erent floors

A er: The designed wholesale market 43

4. MARKET STREET DESIGN YUYI.ZHAO

Focussing on the aspect of heritage: market street, this design strategy aims to regenerate the view of street market. (max 1000 words in total) . Market street is a tradi onal commercial type in daily ac vity by mee ng the basic needs of nearby residents. Street market in Loubei village is formed with the populaon growth and establishment of factories. In 1960s, two major fer lizer plants were built in Loubei village, and many residen al areas were occupied original farmland. In order to provide necessary daily services, a street market was generated along the major street. Exis ng site analysis In terms of land use condi on, four major func ons are concentrated in this market. Commercial area contains restaurant, barbershop, retail shops, street food, fruit & vegetable shops, supermarket and electric equipment store. These shops offer a wide range of necessary life supply, whereas, commercial standard, quality and sanita on condi on in this area are quite low. Some original factories and storages are maintained in this street market area which cause poten al threat towards transporta on and pollu on. Residen al area is combined with some old local residents’ houses and dormitories for workers of factories. The housing quality and related infrastructure is also unsa sfied. Network system of market street also faces large challenge of local traﬃc flow volume. 44

Major road is only 12 meters with mixed and occupied by market street, pedestrian, and many automobiles, especially, due to some needs of factories, some large oil tank trucks also go through this area as well. That cause much troubles in local daily life. In order to design and achieve a real market street regenera on, it necessary to improve surrounding buildings quality and their style. According to site visit, observaon and interview, four major approaches are used to evaluate exis ng buildings from historic aspect. Some tradi onal buildings and villages will be remained to maintain original Suzhou village style; all the stores which along major road will be reconstructed by changing color and material of façade and some simple improvement; some abandoned storages buildings will be reused as one poten al public spaces; and remove terrible buildings with low quality or large volume size. SWOT analysis From SWOT analysis perspec ve, strength in Loubei village is limited in heritage aspect, tradi onal housing style and urban fabric can be u lized for further reference of detailed design; as men on before, four major problem in that area: poor building quality, irregular volume arrangement; chao c street design and mixed func on arrangement. However, large vacant and undeveloped land provide poten al develop opportunity, and some original ar ficial landscapes are remained that can be

u lized in the future. A er project achievement, some unexpected threats will occur. Due to market street regenera on, it may cause further pollu on to surround areas, and traﬃc capacity also need to be considered. During the implement of project, it also leads to ignore local residents’ interest and lack of necessary public parcipa on easily, because that project will be developed by government oriented.

Land use of market street area

Network system

Heritage value judgement

Case study 1 Cang Bridge historic protec on district Cang Bridge historic protec on district is located in Shaoxing. It is the largest scale of heritage area with buildings, culture and relic. Total historic area covers 64,000 m2 and 53,892 m2 building floor spaces with 858 households. Cannel, dwellings and road are three major nfrom north to south. Building quality and façade are terrible and ugly due to lack of necessary repair, besides, some buildings that were built in 1990s are diﬀerent from original style in terms of volume and color that cause uncoordinated with surroundings. Moreover, property management oﬃce of local historic district did not play its role to dra relevant policies and documents.

Shaoxing Zhejiang

Six protec on main polies were implemented to protect historic district. Government intervenon is core principle to distribute work and proSolu on vide necessary financial support. 1) Financial policy: to provide local ci zens with financial support to build infrastructure, clean n cannel and rebuild historic buildings. Detailed d alloca on rate of government and households is 55% and 45% to share total coast. 2) Sign protec on agreement: the people who o nown historic buildings have rights to protect under guidance of agreement descrip on, such as doors, windows, wall, and pavement. a3) Evacuate resident policy: provide compensaon for people who lived in less than 8 m2 housee s floor spaces. Government also purchased housings in a high price to encourage evacuate resi-Construct unified infrastructure ty. dents in order to decrease popula on density. siA er policy implementa on, 20% of local residents moved to other places. n n4) Vacant housing policy: during whole reconastruc on process, related houses should be vacant to guarantee security of local residents. 5) Demolish illegal building policy: destroy illegal Demolish illegal buildings buildings in limited period without any compensa on. 253 buildings were removed and some original ar ficial landscapes were listed to be major protec on target. That policy achieve a reasonable coordina on with diﬀerent kinds of buildings and areas. 6) Historic street management policy: oﬀer necessary assistance for local dwellers and guide their further protec on work. 48

Evacuate residents

Prob

Renew facade

Widen street

Case study 2 Taiping Street historic protec on district Taiping Street (Hunan Changsha) is located in the core commercial circle in Changsha with rich historic and cultural resources. The area was abandoned before 2006. In 2006, Changsha government invested 0.13 billion Yuan to finish the first protec on period within one year. 380 meters length major street with its underground cable and pipe system. Un l 2007, general project has finished mostly in terms of crea ng tradi onal building style.

Changsha Hunan lem Solu on

Emphasize intangible heritage/culture

Rebuild/maintain original historic landscape

Redesign tradi onal commercial stores

Classify original buildings into 3 levels

Similar to Cang Bridge, challenges were occurred in Taiping Street in terms of building quality, faĂ§ade, infrastructure and terrible environment condi on. Except some solu ons that used in the previous case study, another four methods were implemented: 1) Redesign tradi onal commercial stores: diďŹ&#x20AC;erent from Cang Bridge heritage district, Taping street is a total commercial area with tradi onal style area. Therefore, redesign tradi on commercial stores is ini al proposal to rebuild buildings t achieve func onal use. 2) Classify all historic buildings into three levels that aims to distribute financial support orderly and frequency. 3) Emphasize intangible heritage and culture: government inves gate and develop local frui ul cultural as major protec on topic. That also become poten al a ract point in the future. 4) Rebuild and maintain original historic landscape: some remained classic landscape which present local iden ty. 49

Design strategies Government interven on

Lessons from case study

Government interven on: according to case study summarize, government is necessary in heritage protec on process in terms of distribute public source, finance and related policies. Other relevant departments which include planning bureau, engineering, real estate department, and cultural ministry also involve and form a close coopera ve rela onship with local government. From policy perspec ve, government can dra polices according to the latest trend and series of guideline from upper government. Furthermore, government also obtain accurate historic informa on easier to inves gate and research. Government also balance financial interest between ministries and local ci zens. These can be a very eďŹ&#x20AC;ec ve and useful strategy to implement heritage protec on.

Design code & Rebuild infrastructure Reorganize land use Heritage ritage protec on principle principle

According to previous analysis, reorganize land use of street market area is necessary. Some large volume and high density building areas will be demolished and change its func on to residen al housing, public spaces, hotel, and public spaces. This is also the major and founda on of project, other design strategies will follow this general guideline. Reduce housing density by creating new public spaces and also a new accessibility for pedestrians. That can achieve separa on between pedestrians and vehicle to reduce traďŹ&#x192;c congeson condi on. 50

Street & Public space design

Reorganize building typology and func on arrangement are core methods to achieve street design. Changing building typology to reduce building density that generates more vacant spaces between buildings. That can be used as public space and poten al path for pedestrian to reduce and avoid chao c street condi on. In order to maintain tradi onal street market view and avoid conges on in pedestrian area, five meters wide part is designed for street market. Therefore, people can trade their goods within this area so that people can go through this area quickly. Sec on image shows that design outcome. In terms of visual aspect, the building height which along major road is about 3 to 6 meters high (1F to 2F), and other buildings are around 15m. According to illusion analysis, this design can provide shadow for public space at noon.

5. QUIET LOUBEI HONG XINSHUANG Focussing on the aspect of the living environment, this design strategy aims to decrease the noise of the site. The boundaries around Loubei are elevated highways and the railway, which causes noise pollu on that aﬀect the normal life of the local residents and migrants. As a result, this ‘Quiet Lou Bei‘ strategy will u lize various noise buﬀer techniques and propose a typology to mi gate the exis ng noise pollu on.

Elevated highway and the railway in Loubei 52

60m 120m

Problem Formula on

Children have no place to play

Noise from the elevated highway in the west of Loubei According to the interview and observa on, there are 2 main issue. The first is the noise from the elevated highway and railway. Based on the noise standard, the noise generated from the highway and the railway can extend to the residen al area. As a result, the residents suďŹ&#x20AC;er from the noise perennial. The exis ng green buďŹ&#x20AC;er between the residen al area and the highway cannot solve the noise problem. Second, dwellers here also complain about the sanita on and the unpleasant environment. In addi on, they also show their desire to have more space for children to play and educa on.

Dirty environment

Results of the interview with the local residents and their atdute towards the site 53

Case Study

Forest Corridor

Case study 1: Forest Corridor Architects: BREAD Studio Project Area: 3 km Loca on: Hong Kong, China Design Period: 2012 Func on: Highway Noise Mi ga on

What can be learnt? U lize the plants and flowers to absorb the noise and beau fy the environment.

Case study 2: Tree House Tree house internal room and outside Architects: Vo Trong Nghia Architects Project Area: 2265 s qm Loca on: Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Mini City, Vietnam

What can be learnt? 1. The combina on of trees and house to create an ecological environment. 2. The Courtyard typology to create interes ng and quiet space inside. Plan of Tree House 54

Tree House

Quiet space in the center

Design Strategy 1: Noise Buffer (West)Trees and tall building To solve the problem, a noise buffer is needed in the site. First, it is essen al to decrease the noise from the noise source – highway and railway. In the west of the site, there is an elevated highway with heavy traffic that causes the main noise of the site. As a result, the highway needs ‘plants’ to decrease the noise. Trees are planted along the both sides of the highway to absorb the noise. The vine plants are also used to twine the pillar to reduce the noise. Between the highway and the residen al area, several rows of trees and shrubs are used to prevent the residents from the noise in the horizontal direc on.

Another way is to use the tall buildings to prevent the noise. The building has 9 floors. The top of it is for adver sement because of the existing Ads board.

Ads

Oringal sec on BB’

60m

120m

Improved sec on BB’ (with the tall building and plants to

60m

120m

The rest floors are mu-func on. The 1 to 3 floor can be commercial use. The others can be oﬃcial use.

Oﬃce

absorb the noise)

Design Strategy 1: Noise Buﬀer (East)Slope In the east of In the east of the site there is an elevated highway, however, owing to the long distance from the residen al housings, it does not cause serious noise pollu on to the site. However, the open space between the house and the elevated highway can also be planted with na ve trees or flower trees to make some diﬀerence. The elevated highway can also be planted with vines similar to the west one. The solid slope with the tall tress that arranged close to the elevated highway can further reduce the noise.

Na ve tree poducts orchard

Oringal sec on AA’

Original one

60m

120m

Improved sec on AA’

Flower corridor

Ar ficial slope forest

The flouriest trees planted near the water can create pleasant green corridor for residents to release themselves. It is also men oned that the species for the plants. The species can provide products such as fruits. It is essen al to men on that na ve plants are a good choice to be planted largely to resist drought and con nue to thrive when others are fry out. Evergreen varie es are also planted to retain their leaves to give be er year-round protec on.

Design Strategy 1: Noise Buﬀer (North)- Living wall

Oringal sec on CC’

60m 120m

Improved sec on CC’

60m 120m

In the south of the site, the railway also caused the serious noise, moreover, the short distance between the houses and the railway also aggravate the problem. Due to these reasons, the integra on of the wall and plants are u lized. Wall is an eﬀec ve way to decrease the noise in this short distance, and combined with the vines on it, the wall will become livelier, which is called ‘living barrier’. The living barrier cannot just be a barrier, but also become a landscape for both the residents in side or the travellers in the railway to appreciate. The shape or the material of the wall can also be more ar s c.

The shape of the living wall can be like the skyline of the residenal houses to make the interes ng landscape. Some vines can also be planted to make it more lively and green. In addion, maybe the wall can have some small holes for people to climb and do exercise. 57

Design Strategy 2: Courtyard typology design and Tree house

The courtyard typology also used to protect the residents from the noise suďŹ&#x20AC;ering, meanwhile, providing pleasant space for residents to appreciate. Take the original dormitory for instance, the living condi on in it is narrow and unpleasant. In order to provide the livable condi on, the small factories surround it should be moved to other places. The dormitory could be demolished to build the new one. t

example

Places to choose for the new housing

The typology of the new building similar to the courtyard, the enclosed space inside can also be planted plants to reduce the noise

Sec on DDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 58

30m

60m

Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; D

Plan for the new house

30m

60m

The func on of the first and second floor can be given new func on, such as the fitng room for residents to keep fit, or the kindergarten for children to learn or play. The roofs of the house are planted with the tall trees, flowers and grass, which can also be the choice for residents to enjoy the different and pleasant environment. The stages can also be used to connect all the single buildings to be convenient for residents to walk and play, which is like the roof garden. 59

6. REVIVAL OF THE BLUE FINGER GAO DU BLUE FINGER The water network is of essen al importance in the urban texture of Suzhou. In addi on to the main canal system that border the whole site, a series of secondary and perpendicular riverways further mark the area. Either in the shape of a dock or outcome of creeks, these “blue fingers” used to structure the tradi onal villages and play a central role in their public life. In some cases, this link has been completely altered with the development of large size factories and modern residences. In some villages nearby Yangchen Lake, however, the blue fingers are maintained rela vely well. FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS VS. HERITAGE Several transforma ons planned in the near future will aﬀect the site. First, a new subway line and sta on will be constructed in the south of the site. Secondly, a new ecological corridor part of a “Lake Chain” for the city (see Suzhou Strategic Plan issued in 2014) will cross the site to link the old city moat to the Yangcheng Lake. The waterfront and adjacent space will thus be reconfigured. This eco-corridor will most likely be accompanied by a new recrea ve and slow traﬃc system along the eastern river bank, and possibly by a reac va on of the water transporta on for tourists. This might have a significant impact on the accessibility, visibility and recreaonal poten al of the site. However, Loubei village is a great witness of different periods; tradi onal dwellings, collec ve dormitory of 1950s, factories and cul vated lands. Instead of wiping them out, it could be worthwhile to preserve elements of those memories that belong to this land.

Collec ve dormitory

Water-based village

Old factory building

PLANNED TRANSFORMATIONS

“Blue fingers”

metro line sta on

Future subway sta on

The Lake chain

slow traﬃc system

Recrea onal route 61

SPECIFIC SITE To explore the poten al of heritage protec on and renewal in the transforming context of Lou bei, a fishing village located in the eastern part and based on the water finger structure, is invesgated as a pilot project. A morphological analysis reveals the specific features of the village. The figure ground indicates that the space is quite fragmented and impacted by lots of informal construc ons. A more detailed study of the front and back reveals that the urban fabric alternately faces or turns its back to the waterfront. The entrances are mostly located on the south facade. Finally, the analysis reveals the importance of courtyards in the fabirc. Some of these could be made more accessible and open to the public.

Figure-ground analysis

Back-front analysis

Space and entrance analysis 62

STEPPED SRATEGY 1. RENEWAL OF THE WATER FRONT Firstly, the canal is dredged and the bank is changed and expended slightly. Then, the infomal construc ons turning their back to the water are removed, to clarify the public space. The planned waterfront bicycle lane is integrated in the village. Finally, greenings and pavements are added.

before step 1

2. REORGANIZATION OF AC CESSBILITY Originally, the accessbility of the site is greatly impacted by the informal construc ons and the original layout. It is necessary to demolish them and reorganize the facade, in order to enhance and systema ze the accessibility. 3. ENHANCE SPACE

THE

step 2

Demoli on and facade adjustment

PUBLIC

The erasing of the informal construc ons also helps to improve the public spaces and open the semi-private spaces between the buildings. Moreover, the private courtyards are encouraged to be semi-public. Then, buildings are grouped with plots. Finally, some greenings and public spaces of small and middle size are embedded.

step 3

pedestrain only

a er

car-accessable

step 4

A re-enhanced public space

before

a er

Sec on AA’ _ Before

Sec on AA’ _ A er

7. CROSSING BORDER YU YI

The Urban Design Strategies consist of three diďŹ&#x20AC;erent methods in order to enhance the accessibility and attrac veness of Loubei. Surrounded by Highways in three direc ons and river in the south direc on, Loubei is actually enclosed by current physical environment, thus causing the border issue. Although highways provide enough mobility to city residents, we should also consider the livability of city. Whether Such infrastructure can only contribute to the transport only? Before we answer this ques on, it is surprising that only three entrances exis ng in this area which greatly limited the accessibility of Loubei. According to the data from housing agencies, no housing data is provided in this area and it could indicate the posi on of Loubei in housing market, lack of a rac veness and it is to no ce the change of typology in this area. Low rise housing accounts for majority of exis ng housing types. However, it s ll owns great vitality because diversity of people gather there and diďŹ&#x20AC;erent of ac vi es happen every day. High density space further facilitate the mixture of people and ac vi es, which forced local residents to communicate with other. So it is important to solve the border issue and also rise the attrac veness to public.

Physical Environment

Housing Price

Typology of Current Site

Accessibility Acccessibility of the Site

Street life of Loubei 66

CASE STUDY The first case is located in Paris which is designed by Christo and he intended to wrap the Pont-Neuf resul ng in successive metamorphoses by a new sculptural dimension and transformed it, for 14 days, into a work of art. This site specific art provides a new angle to treat the original architecture and infrastructure and create new identy to it. It is very important to no ce that Highways are also important in this district and transforma on of Highway will bring significant influence to whole area. Jakarta Bersih is a rese lement program that incorporates occupy, define and finish the spontaneous building communi es, encapsula ng the social coherence and livelihood of the kampongs within a mul layered building structure, resul ng in a sustainable and manageable solu on. Loubei is also facing the same situa on as the case due to the increasing migrants yearly. Ver cal tower will provide more living space in compact environment to migrants and also built up faith to local residents. An iconic architecture will not dominates the external image and landscape and both local communi es and migrants will be considered.

The Pont Neuf, Wrapped (Project for Paris), CHRISTO, 1978

Jakarta Bersih, NUNC ARCHITECTS, 2012

Finally, the project â&#x20AC;&#x153;Confluenceâ&#x20AC;&#x153; shows a remarkable integra on of form and expression, crea ng a safe landmark bridge for the use of cyclists and pedestrians, while also acknowledging that thousands of motorists will pass beneath this bridge every day. Highways fragmented the site with other areas nearby so crea ng new connec ons seems very essen al in enhancing the accessibility of this area. Pedestrian friendly will be one considera on and the design of the bridge itself is also very important. Confluence, Bionic Landscape Architecture, 2015

DESIGN STRATEGY ONE From Border to A rac veness Highways are iden fied as nega ve elemens in this area becuase they are the causes of noise, shaping the exisi ng borders. Using silk or muslin to wrap the bodies of highways creates an art element in this area as right diagram shows, two highways are chosen for art transforma on because these two highways could be recongnised in mot area. Because it is temporary art project, it will be implemented in the first phase by both government and art ins tutes. It could a ract visitors from both city range to na onal range.

Sec on AAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

DESIGN STRATEGY TWO Horizontal Connec ons As men oned before, four points will be chosen to build new bridges for pedestrians and bycycles. High volume of traﬃc flow caused the diﬃculty in crossing the express roads. New bridges above the highway increase the accessibiity and also become new nodes in this area. Stylish design will make them a rac ve. Intergrated with surrounding environment, bridges will create public spaces for people to gather and have fun.

Sec on CC’

DESIGN STRATEGY THREE A Ver cal Symbol Growing popula on of migrants in this area leads to the future demand of land and living space. Currently, the average living space of migrants are about 15-20 square meters. High rise building will provide more living space in compact district. In addi on, Iconic architecture will provide a new image of this area and shape new landscape. Local communi es and migrants should be included in this project because they are important for the city future. In order to keep the local iden ty, ver cal life will be built in the high rise building so it is mul func on including residen al, small business, public spaces and workshop even places for sports.

Sec on BBâ&#x20AC;?

8. TRADITIONAL VILLAGE RECOVERY AI HUAHUI

The aim of this design strategy for Lou Bei is to recover from the dras c deurbaniza on. With the industrializa on and development of factories in the area from the 1960s, the local life in the tradi onal fishing villages was seriously impacted, and tradi onal architecture and building layout were damaged for land compensa on. Agricultural lands were changed into industrial land and the fishing ac vity was impacted by material and goods boat transport. Factories started to move out of the area from the 1980s, but the original local life in the villages was not restored. The environment was le heavily polluted and the facili es for water transport were damaged. DESIGN STRATEGY This design strategy aims to revive some of the tradi onal Suzhou life style, parcularly for architecture, building layout and port transport. To this end, a dismissed tradi onal fishing village is recovered and redeveloped into commerce and restaurant area. This village is located along a beheaded creek and composed of a cluster of tradi onal single or double stories houses. The village developped along an old dock. However, the dock is today abandonned due to the development of road based transport. With the shrink of boat transport, but also with the decrease of the water quality, docks along the creek got undermaintained, damaged 72

and gradually abandonned. Today the village is mainly occupied by migrant popula on for a cheap rent. For all these reasons, and despite its formal quali es, the village appears today as a slum.

SWOT ANALYSIS [Strengths] Tradi onal architecture: Architecture in Loubei is well preserved during urban development. It can be a resource for tourism development and architecture research. Agricultural and produc ve land: environment al friendly farming produc on. [Weakness] Water pollu on: sewage and other discharge without any treatment. [Opportunity] A possible street extension to the East: transport network and site communica on improvement New metro line and sta on: people a rac ve and be er accessibility [Threats] Infrastructure: fewer infrastructures Noise pollu on: serious noise from railway and highway Site barrier: land surrounded by canal, expressway, railway and high way.

COMMERCIAL AND RESTAURANT Because of the noisy context (railway), the residen al func on is not considered during land redevelopment while tradi onal village will be preserved.

However, with higher quality of communi es surround in this area, commercial and restaurant are required during site survey. Port recondi on is involved for the purpose of boat transport development and water quality improvement. Meanwhile, accessibility increase is possibly influenced by shipping encouragement.

Site loca on

Current situa on

Proposed situa on

30m

60m

Case study Pingjiang Road (historical design and cultural development), Suzhou Commercial street with tourism strategy and heritage protection (UNESCO World Heritage). Is a very good example of preservation/ restoration of traditional construction layout, architecture, and life style.

Green space To reduce the noise from the railway, a large green buďŹ&#x20AC;er is proposed in the south. Green space is also designed for best open space design along the water front of the canal and creek. Most of trees are plant along the pedestrian and plaza to providing si ng and shadow for people walking in this area.

Transport and public space New street will extended through this area and link to other side with bridge instead of current narrow path and end road. Plaza and street corner are designed for the main public space. Network footpath in tradi onal building layout is also involved in design for best accessibility to diďŹ&#x20AC;erent buildings. Subway entrance directly linked to the main pedestrian. Waterfront is designed as pedestrian and bicycle lane for people enjoys the water view. 74

Urban typology: fine grain Followed with traditional Suzhou architecture style, and combine with sunshine and wine direction. High density and grain distribution. For the purpose of best conservation of traditional layout and architecture design, principle of trational buildings in village are preserved and repaired during development process. Buildings are extended from traditional village.

Land use functions commerical development based on site survey tradtional village preservation Parking including car park and passenger boarding

Water front for creek As of the mean elements of Lou bei, creek and canal are frequently developed with water transport development in past. Many factories were constructed along the creek and canal for the reason of less material and goods transport cost. Port facili es were constructed along the canal one by one. With urban industrial adjustment, most factories are move out. Meanwhile, water transport is decreased and port facili es are fall into disuse without repair. Local residents are move into downtown during urbaniza on. For the lower ren ng, tradi onal buildings are reserved for residen al func on. Garbage and waste water are put into creek without any treatment for the reason of less public infrastructure improvement. Therefore, water polluon significantly influenced local development and foul smell odorized. Water transport recovery plan is considered for the purpose of environment improvement. Tourism ship transport and bank recondi on will involve during commercial street construc on.

Design proposal: Before / A er

Design principles Plaza is considered as the largest open space for local resident communica on and public acvi es development. Tradi onal gate is designed as land mark in this area and separate port from plaza. Screen wall is involved to separate commercial area from plaza, and provide site for people walking in plaza. Port recondi on is prepared for tourism boat transport; also steps along the creek create a pla orm to a ach to water, because water is a significant element for tradi onal Suzhou life during living and transport.

Bird view for west plaza design

9. RE CYCLING LOU BEIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S WATERFRONT YUXIAO CHEN

Focusing on the aspect of waterfront ac vity, the design strategy aims to revival the waterfront in Lou Bei, also in a wider context (whole Suzhou). In detail, it aims to provide be er waterfront transporta on for recrea onal use, meanwhile strengthen the recycling use located near the water in Lou Bei site and promote it to more people from other places. SWOT ANALYSIS Strength: 1) River in the east side of Lou Bei has been dredged at a set me, which could provide a be er water environment with a higher quality for human ac vi es. 2) There are pieces of lands have been used by residents for agriculture, which shows the poten al of the ac vity of farming. 3) Current acvi es in the waterfront area include: farming, fishing, recycling, industrial work. Weakness: 1) Disordered layout of waterfront areas without planning and design. 2) There is no enough public space and facili es for people to have more ac vi es. For example, most villagers just sit on vacant lands and chat with each other. 3) There is no con nuity of public access to the waterfront. 4) The main user of waterfront is only local people or migrants who live in the site, without more users. 5) There is no good use of water. 6) As posi oning in the connec on of three districts of Suzhou, the site has not been real used as a good hinge. Opportunity: 1) Lou Bei area is as 78

a hinge of recrea onal routes between Yangcheng Lake, Old Suzhou City and Tai Lake. 2) There are bicycle routes around Tai Lake and Yangcheng Lake, tourist boat route on City Moat, which provides examples and opportuni es for the site to create new routes to connect them. 3) The site shows the poten al of the ac vity of recycling, which could be enhanced in the future. Threat: 1) If the site become a good linkage of three districts with a convenient water transporta on and it brought more visitors outside, it may cause problems such as pollu on, crowded and unsafety.

Current waterfront with good condi on

Agriculture lands in waterfront area

Focusing Area (Waterfront)

Yangcheng Lake Church near the lake

CASE STUDY There are three main cases that give good ideas for the project. Case 1: Bicycle Path around Tai Lake Total length: 316.6km The bicycle path has connected several scenic zones such as the East Mountain, the West Mountain, Guangfu Town and Mudu Town, includes 197 natural scenic spots and 849 cultural scenic spots. What can be learned for Lou Bei: the site could learn from this case to establish the bicycle path along the river, which could enhance the convenience of transporta on and a ract more people to go into the site to make the place more lively, even they just pass by. Case 2: Beijing Panjiayuan Flea Market Total area: 48500m2 Main commodity: an que, handiwork, collecon, old furniture Beijing Panjiayuan Flea Market is the biggest flea market in China, with more than 3000 stalls. There are six func onal areas, street store area, old building area, modern collec on area, stone carving area, classic furniture area and food service area. What can be learned for Lou Bei: Recycling is a poten al use in the site and it could be developed to be a flea market, including diďŹ&#x20AC;erent func onal areas to a ract more residents and visitors to concentrate in the waterfront area. Case 3: The concept planning of Datong Gashouse Designer: Turen Design It is just a concept planning. The design aims to transform a gas factory to a theme place, including func ons of exhibi on, museum, crea ve culture, cultural workshop, snack street, hotel, commerce and diďŹ&#x20AC;erent kinds of landscapes. It will not demolish original buildings and just redesign and redevelop them. What can be learned for Lou Bei: Remain original warehouses, and add new func ons to give a new meaning to them.

Case 1: Bicycle routes around Tai Lake

Case 2: Beijing Panjiayuan Flea Market

Case 3: The concept planning of Datong Gashouse 79

DESIGN STRATEGY There are two aspects of design strategy. One is the recycling use, the other one is the waterfront transporta on which includes bicycle and tourist boat. Recycling Use ---- Flea Market The Flea market locates in the point that between Lou Bei community and Yangcheng Lake. It is one part of industrial companies with a lot of warehouses. The flea market includes more than ten houses near the canal and remains their current building appearances. Studied from the case of Beijing Panjiayuan Flea Market, the designed flea market will include four main areas with diďŹ&#x20AC;erent commodi es, old books (magazines and newpaper) area, old furniture area, an que area and second-hand bike area. There will also be a outdoor stalls which will open on weekends. Old book area: This area aims to mainly a ract children and young people who are living in Lou Bei community or near Lou Bei. Old furniture area: This area aims to a ract both local people and migrants. Local people might sell old furnitures from their home and migrants could buy what they need in a lower price. An que area: This area aims to a ract people from other places in Suzhou even other ci es and countries who are having a tour in Suzhou. The an ques might be with tradi onal Suzhou style which have cultural significance. Visitors from other places will be interested in this area most. Second-hand bike area: The opera on of this area includes both spot transac on and online transac on, such as Taobao and Ebey. Because this design strategy also includes bicycle route, the demand of bike may increase. One important meaning of the flea market in to promote the ac vity of recycling in Chinese city, which is beneficial to environment protec on and sustainable development. It will also a ract more people to Lou Bei in the waterfront area. 80

Flea Market Design

Flea Market

DESIGN STRATEGY Waterfront transporta on: 1) Tourist Boat route There is an exis ng tourist boat route on the city moat of ancient Suzhou city from Midu Bridge to Chang Gate. Because of a great deal of scenic spots and abundant canals in Suzhou, it is suitable to develop tourist boat routes. As a hinge between old Suzhou city and Yangcheng Lake, Lou Bei site should play its role, also to a ract more visitors from old city to Yangcheng Lake, which could bring poten al users into the site. Detailed design: It will remain the exis ng boat route, and add routes from Tiger Hill, Midu Bridge to Lou Bei, and then extend to Yangcheng Lake. Passing Scenic Spots: 1.Xiangcheng District: Tiger Hill; 2.Ancient City District: Shantang Street, Chang Gate, Xu Gate, Pan Gate, Midu Bridge, Feng Gate, Xiang Gate, Lou Gate; 3.Lou Bei: Commercial Street (designed by other student), Flea market; 4.Yangcheng Lake District: Yangcheng Lake Church, Golf Club, Sports Park..... Wharf: Original: Chang Gate & Midu Bridge; Planned: Tiger Hill and Yangcheng Lake Church.... Boat Stop: Pan Gate, Xiang Gate, Guanduli Overpass, Commercial street (in Lou Bei), Flea market.....Stops are for people to get on and oďŹ&#x20AC;.

Tourist Boat Routes Design

(Note: the tourist boat route is mainly considering the old city district and Lou Bei, without detailed considera on of Yangcheng Lake.)

Tourist Boat on the canal 81

2) Bicycle Path Route This is the important design strategy in this project. To bring and a ract more people go to or pass by Lou Bei, besides tourist boat, bicycle is another good approach. Actually, there are exis ng bicycle paths aroung Tai Lake (as case study part men oned) and around the island on Yangcheng Lake. It just so happened that Lou Bei is on between. Back to the role of a hinge among diďŹ&#x20AC;erent districts of Suzhou, Lou Bei site could also be designed in this design strategy. Route design in a wider context (Suzhou): In order to make one feasible approach, it uses scenic spots and water way. The designed bicycle routes connec ng Tai Lake and Yangcheneg Lake are mainly along the water way and passing by several scenic spots, which could provide a better natural environment during riding. (Note: There are many solu ons of the feasible bicycle routes between two lakes and it is difficult to decide which one is the best. In this strategy, it only considers the one that relates to water and scenic spots. )

Exis ng bicycle routes around Tai Lake and on the Yangcheng Lake

Route design in Lou Bei: The bicycle route in Lou Bei along the canal is from southwest to northeast, then extends to Yangcheng Lake. When passing through the site, riders could feel diďŹ&#x20AC;erent senses on waterfront, such as village image, a great amount of landscape of green areas, tradi onal commercial street and canal. -There is a parking area in the Flea Market. -It provides a bike hire sta on near the planned subway sta on. -A bridge is also designed for connec ng Lou Bei and Yangcheng Lake. The design of bicycle routes is not limited in Lou Bei, also in a wider context, which could bring more people to the site and make the waterfront area more lively.

Scenic spots between Tai Lake and Yangcheng Lake

Feasible bicycle routes connec ng exis ng bicycle routes

Before

A er: The bridge connec ng Lou Bei and Yangcheng Lake

100m

200m

Before

A er: Bicycle route along the canal in Lou Bei

Before

A er: Bicycle route along the Flea Market and under the overpass

Bicycle Route and Boat Route in the context of Lou Bei

The rela on of Flea market and the designed waterfront transporta on 85