134 Line Street
Charleston, SC Summer 2022
Peninsular Conceptual Layout
Project Introduction The addition of the Septima Clark Expressway into the fabric of the vibrant neighborhoods of downtown Charleston indeed connected the peninsula to a widened urban context, however, it left the neighborhoods physically divided and socially stymied. This project centers around proposed permanent tactile interventions aimed at reconnecting these neighborhoods with the expressway still intact. Initial designs first happened broadly across the peninsula with conceptual and repeatable ideas at major intersections and popular public areas, then showcasing multiple focused ideas at one particular intersection. All proposed designs had to be implemented on land currently owned by the city and minimally interfere with the expressway,
Several issues became clear upon researching: the experience of walking along the Septima Clark Expressway is hostile and has become deadly, the pedestrian overpass entrance is nearly impossible to locate and its ramps are inaccessible, and Charleston isn’t the only city where neighborhoods are divided by civic infrastructure.
Q
'EQIVE Q q 2 q ;
Tactile urbanistic features are meant to be low cost and low risk solutions to improve pedestrian experience. Repeatability heavily influenced my design decisions so that a collection of interventions can be sold as a kit or parts to reconnect Charleston specifically and similarly torn cities. In addition, these features should engage communities to interact with the local ecology. Practices such as adding sound emitting road rivets at intersections along the expressway can alert drivers of potential cross-walkers in an effort to reduce pedestrian fatalities. Another tactile feature implemented is using familiar red brick pavers across pedestrian corridors, this would bring foot traffic away from the expressway and onto streets with lower speed limits.
Q
Adding listening stations in popular areas would engage streamers to listen to local artists, podcasters, or ecological educators. Improvements to the single pedestrian bridge can be made to address its accessibility short comings and connect it to a popup market. Several non-tactile ideas are used to separate vehicular and pedestrian traffic. These include the removal of redundant car ramps to the Ashley River bridges, the addition of a mixed income multifamily housing village, and an adjacent community center with a market and a station for public transit connection.