TABLE OF CONTENTS 1
INTRODUCTION
2
YOUNG PEOPLE
4
THINK SMALL
8
OPEN SOURCE/ CIVILIAN CONSTRUCTED ARCHITECTURE
10
TEMPORARY CONSTRUCTION
11
REUSE OF EXISTING BUILDINGS
12
CONNECTIVY AND TRANSPORTATION
16
TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT
21
CONCLUSION
22
LIST OF REFERENCES
INTRODUCTION
1
over the past several decades a good amount of time and money has been spent looking for ways to revitalize america’s cities. some of these efforts have been successful, while others have fallen short.
this
booklet will put forth various suggestions for how to revitalize and improve urban areas. these suggestions come from my unique perspective as an architecture and gis (geographic information science) student. in particular, i feel that there are three areas that need to be considered in the revitalization process: economy, geography, and design. as you will see, these areas are prominently featured in the following recommendations. ultimately, i hope that these ideas will generate a worthwhile
and
useful
conversation
that
will
produce
results.
*please note the list of references at the end of this document*
2
YOUNG PEOPLE
throughout this booklet i will bring up several key points that are important to the overall conversation. the first is the idea that young people are increasingly moving to cities, as stated in alan ehrenhalt’s book “the great inversion and the future of the american city�. this trend appears to be particularly common in rust belt communities like pittsburgh and cleveland,
as
shown
in
the
self-generated
graphics
below:
percentage of people in pittsburgh under age 35, by census district
percentage of people in cleveland under age 35, by census district
YOUNG PEOPLE
3
while there are many potential reasons young people are moving to the cities the interconnected reasons of transportation and the environment are at the top of the list. transportation in the suburbs consists of driving pollutant emitting cars relatively long distances from place to place.
in cities,
meanwhile, many destinations are only a short distance away and can be accessed without a car, thus generating a positive environmental impact.
the youth migration to cities is not limited to major metropolises, however. smaller urban areas like harrisburg, pennsylvania are also seeing an increase in young people as noted in the article “bright kids, small city”. together these examples add two more key points to our conversation:
1) young people want to live where it’s afordable. even in major cities there are areas where it is inexpensive to live. money can often be tight, and fluctuations in the economy can exaggerate these circumstances. therefore, affordable housing is as important as ever, since many people simply can’t afford anything more.
2) as demonstrated in the harrisburg article, young people are creative. they have the ability to take a run down area and make it into something special. in “the great inversion” ehrenhalt discusses how some of the (now) hippest areas in new york and chicago were undesirable wastelands until young people moved in and made something out of them. a focus on simply coming in and revitalizing run down areas would be beneficial to everyone, particularly the young architects that could help lead this effort. these areas have the potential to demonstrate what can happen when people work together, and they should be a focus of the revitalization effort.
4
THINK SMALL
if cities are the future we need to work with them, not against them. when it comes to construction this means an infill approach that utilizes what is already there. in order to complement the existing infrastructure these infill buildings will often have to be small.
although this may seem challenging, many people have
already given the issue some thought, including mateusz mastalski and ole robin storjohann in their project “live between buildings�.
this interesting approach attempts to exploit the space
between buildings while using extensive windows to bring in light.
THINK SMALL
5
another infill appraoch is the homebox, designed by han slawik of the university of hanover. slawik came up with the idea by imagingng a shipping container that had been rotated into a vertical position. as such the homebox has the same dimensions as a shipping container, which means it can easily be transported by truck or ship. in addition it can be used as an infill device in cities. as slawik noted, “there are many gap sites within cities which can be used for temporary small removable houses. Furthermore, you can configure the [homebox] modules to
create
a
container
village
or
even
a
container
city.�
6
THINK SMALL
the more conventional concept of the micro-apartment is also gaining traction. new york city, san francisco, and london have all approved micro-apartment designs in recent years that highlight the abilities of several noted design firms. the winner and three finalists from the “adAPT nyc micro-apartment competition” are detailed below, winner, nARCHITECTs
finalist – jonathan rose companies, curtis+ginsberg, grimshaw, scape, and LifeEdited
7
THINK SMALL
finalist - bfc partners
finalist - blesso properties, bronx pro, james mccullar and hollwich kushner
8
OPEN SOURCE/CIVILIAN CONSTRUCTED ARCHITECTURE
one way to combine the creative abilities of young people with the need to revitalize cities is open source architecture, where designs are uploaded online for the benefit of society. one of the leaders in osa is alastair parvin, who gave a ted talk on the topic in 2013 in addition to developing the website wikihouse.
the major problem with applying osa on a large scale is that the buildings have not necessarily been designed by a licensed architect. however, this could easily be fixed if a licensed architect in each state were to review the drawings and then create an “approved” list of designs that meet code.
individuals in various
towns and communities could then construct these buildings. a somewhat similar approach could be taken towards “superadobe” construction, where sandbags are filled with dirt and then stacked in a structural manner. the structure can then be covered in adobe or other materials such as plaster or stucco to create “superadobe”. more information on superadobe is availalbe in the list of references at the end of this document.
OPEN SOURCE/CIVILIAN CONSTRUCTED ARCHITECTURE
another civilian based approach involves the use of a grid based panel system. each panel would have “prongs” that would fit in holes in the floor. the panels could then be arranged to make rooms and buildings. each panel would be composed of two poles and two side pieces that could be taken off. this method of construction allows for a hollow interior that makes the panels lighter in addition to creating space for utility lines. each panel would have “clips” on each side that would permit the user to slide in “sheets” that would further customize the space. bottom left: a blank panel with no attachments. the prongs on the bottom fit into a grid of holes in the floor. if a hole is not being used it can be temporarily filled in for safety and convienence.
center: a panel with a customizable “sheet”. bottom right: a sheet with an extrusion.
An advantage of this
system is that it allows furniture to be built into the wall.
9
10
temporary construction
“pop-up” or “gorilla” installations have a variety of benefits over traditional architecture and design. to begin with they get the ball rolling and avoid the “pixel pushing” that can delay projects indefinitely. the fact that they’re temporary means that if they don’t work they can simply be taken down. as a result these installations are a way of seeing how something would work without really doing it. a great example of this approach is jason roberts and his better block program (below).
before and after a better block project
REUSE OF EXISTING BUILDINGS
11
due to the slow but steady decline of suburbia the renovation and reuse of big box stores, malls, and office buildings is going to become increasingly important in the upcoming years. big box stores can be converted into schools, libraries, churches, medical facilities, and greenhouses, amognst other things, while malls and office buildings can be converted into residential units. many of these renovations fall in line with the ideas of transit oriented development. more information on this kind of construction can be found on the “build a better burb� website.
following a deadly tornado in may 2011 an old big box store was converted into the new joplin high school.
12
CONNECTIVITY AND TRANSPORTATION
in today’s day and age people, especially young people, want to be connected to the important and interesting things in their lives. some of these things may be in communities or neighborhoods that are not self sustaining.
together these two issues illustrate the importance of
connectivity. if we connect communities together they can work together as the sum of their parts and serve as a stronger, more united whole.
this concept is illustrated in german geographer walter
christaller’s central place theory, which views urban areas as a series of interconnected cities and towns that each fulfill a certain role in order to maintain the health of the ecosystem. some communities and neighborhoods may not be strong enough to survive on their own but have something unique and interesting to offer the larger region. to better understand these ideas please see the following graphic.
CONNECTIVITY AND TRANSPORTATION
13
of course, to connect these areas there must be some form of transportation. one of the most promising methods is light rail transport, or lrt. this environmentally friendly option is gaining acceptance and may eventually connect to larger high-speed rail networks like the ones that are popular throughout europe and asia. more importantly, the individual train cars could serve as markets for various goods and services, similar to la petite ceinture in paris (below). rather than go to the market, the market would come to you. this method would drastically increase connectivity by creating links between people that otherwise would not see each other, and in the process generate commerce and interaction.
14
CONNECTIVITY AND TRANSPORTATION
effectively re-using shipping containers will become an increasingly important issue in the near future. this is because each container is only allowed to make two trans-ocean trips. in addition the trade balance between china and the united states means that many containers that come to the u.s. do not return to china. there are many ways to transform containers into statinary buildings, which are detailed in the references at the end of this document. however, in this portion i will propose using them as stores that would travel around as needed. when a container reached a town it would be placed in a container park with other containers to form a market. when it no longer made economic sense for a store to stay in a given location it would be placed on a truck and moved elsewhere. in addition to providing more variety for consumers it would also create more flexibility for owners. this cost efficient method was recently pioneered by taco bell (below).
15
CONNECTIVITY AND TRANSPORTATION
another way of bringing the market to you is the system developed by south korean supermarket homeplus where virtual displays of items are installed in places like bus stops and train stations. each item has a qr code customers can scan with their phone, thus putting it in a virtual shopping cart (similar to the method used on amazon). once the customer is satisfied they can sign out, and the items will be delivered to their home within the next day. this technology has the ability to completely revolutionize shopping, and it is something that needs to be considered when revitalizing cities. for more information please see the
list
of
references
at
the
end
of
this
document.
16
TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT
the auto dependent society we live in has a number of negative side effects such as air pollution, traffic congestion, and sprawl.
to
combat these issues many people are turning to transit oriented development, or tod. a basic definition of tod is that it is a community within walking distance of mass transit, most notably buses and trains. in addition increased emphasize is placed on the needs of pedestrians and bicyclyists. urban theorist kaid benfield has developed a blog that highlights Transit oriented development, such as the improvements made to the downtown area of lancaster, california (below).
17
TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT
since tod is a particularly important topic i will expand on it in the following sections “benefits of tod” and “how to achieve tod”, both of which are heavily influenced by jeff speck’s noteworthy book, “walkable city: how downtown can save america, one step at a time.”
benefits of tod the most obvious benefit of tod is that it encourages more walking, which lowers obesity rates and promotes better overall health. in an age where health care costs are rapidly increasing this is an important factor to consider. furthermore, multiple studies show that more commuting time leads to more stress that increases the risk of a heart attack in addition to causing higher blood pressure, a lower frustration tolerance, and lower satisfaction with life (one study found that a 23 minute commute had the same effect on happiness as a 19 percent reduction in income). this increased commuting time also limits the amount of time for things like family activities and civic engagements. in addition to these health benefits tod provides
other
advantages,
such
as
a
lower
overall
cost.
18
TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT
the construction of the interstate highway system in the 1950s sparked a road building craze nationwide. by the 1980s many of these roads had reached the end of their first lifecycle and needed to be repaired or replaced. to pay for this maintenance many communities simply borrowed money, and now that the roads are at the end of their second lifecycle they will simply borrow money again. clearly this is an unsustainable trend that does not make economic sense.
by contrast, the cost of
installing tod infrastructure is almost always cheaper than maintaining or rebuilding the existing road network, and even in those circumstances when the upfront cost is higher it will always be cheaper in the long run. in addition tod is cheaper for the individual since it means less money spent on cars (insurance, maintenance, etc.) and gas. furthermore, the money saved on car expenses is often spent in the local community, where it does more good than in the hands of an automobile company or middle eastern oil prince.
as people become further and further
detached from their destinations the cost of owning and driving a car will continue to increase, thereby making the case for tod. another case for tod is that it is safer for both pedestrians and motorists. a good deal of tod is centered around the idea of putting the automobile back in its place so it doesn’t control our lives. one of the ways to do this is to slow down the car and limit how fast people can drive (more on this in the next paragraph). not only does this approach result in fewer and less severe pedestrian injuries, but it results in fewer and less severe car crashes since people are driving at a slower rate of speed. tod also helps eliminate drunk driving since more people are either walking or using public transportation. now that i’ve established some of the benefits of transit oriented development i’ll discuss how tod can be implemented.
19
TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT
how to achieve tod as previously mentioned tod seeks to slow down and limit the number of cars on the road. this is in part because, contrary to popular belief, more roads and more lanes does not equal less congestion. as road capacity increases more and more people will drive because they feel that the roads can accommodate them. this may work for a while but eventually there will be enough new drivers that the road once again becomes congested. this phenomena is known as induced demand and is discussed at length in jeff speck’s book “walkable city”. therefore, one of the ways to reduce congestion is to reduce the number of lanes, as counterintuitive as that may sound.
reducing the number of lanes is also one of the many ways to slow down traffic, which results in fewer, safer drivers.
another
method is to narrow the width of the lanes. despite the fact that the average car is 6 feet wide, some traffic lanes are up to 14 feet in width, thereby inviting motorists to drive at unsafe speeds. making the lanes narrower will force drivers to follow the speed limit. the same strategy also applies to one-way streets, which in addition to creating confusion tempt drivers to drive faster because everyone is going the same direction. on-street parking (which will be discussed later) is another way to slow down motorists since they have to be on the lookout for cars pulling out into traffic.
bicycles also create this effect, while the addition of
trees tends to have a mental effect on drivers that forces them to slow down. in fact, the addition of trees can have a wide variety of benefits, which will be discussed on the following page.
20
TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT
the obvious advantage to planting trees is that they help the environment by reducing CO2 levels while absorbing rainfall that the sewer system would otherwise have to handle. the CO2 absorption is particularly noteworthy, as it reduces the urban heat island effect that can increase the temperature in cities and lead to a number of negative side effects. in addition trees improve the value of an area, which leads to higher property values and higher property taxes that generate more revenue for the community. finally, trees improve safety by providing a barrier between the road and the sidewalk that prevents accidents from impacting pedestrians.
on-street parking has a variety of benefits, including the aforementioned reduction in vehicle speed. it also increases safety for pedestrians by inserting a wall of metal between them and the traffic whizzing past them. although it may seem counterintuitive, paid on-street parking (i.e. parking meters) can also generate positive results.
most notably it prevents people from circling
around the block in an attempt to get a free spot, thus reducing congestion. in addition it gets people in and out of stores faster, which actually increases profits (more customers does equal more money). when combined with the other benefits of on-street parking it is clear that this is something communities should invest in and make a part of their streetscape experience.
CONCLUSION
21
in conclusion there is a great deal we can do to revitalize our cities, from how we approach our buildings to how we approach our roads. these improvements will generate numerous opportunities for consultants and planners while providing lower costs and an increased standard of lving to the residents of these communities. now is the time to act and shape the future that awaits.
22
LIST OF REFERENCES
part 1 - young people “the great inversion and the future of the american city” by alan ehrenhalt “bright kids, small city” - http://prospect.org/article/bright-kids-small-city part 2 - think small “live between buildings” - http://dornob.com/ultra-narrow-apartments-fill-gaps-between-buildings - http://freshome.com/2014/02/28/live-between-buildings-surprisingly-appealing-concept “homebox” - http://www.gizmag.com/homebox-compact-home/24576 - http://inhabitat.com/shipping-container-inspired-homeboxis-a-tiny-movable-3-story-vertical-home/homebox-han-slawik-6
“adAPT nyc micro-apartment competition” - http://inhabitat.com/nyc/narchitects-adapt-nyc-micro-apartmentfeatures-convertible-furniture-and-cool-multi-use-rooms
- http://inhabitat.com/nyc/jonathan-roses-micro-apartment-complexfor-nyc-balances-tiny-living-spaces-with-ample-communal-areas
- http://inhabitat.com/nyc/bfcpockets-entry-for-adapt-nyc-combinesloft-living-with-multiple-roof-terraces
- http://inhabitat.com/nyc/hwkn-blesso-properties-and-bronx-pros-gorgeous-greenroofed-max-tower-a-finalist-in-bloombergs-adapt-nyc-competition
part 3 - open source/civilian constructed architecture “wikihouse” - http://www.wikihouse.cc/about “alastair parvin ted talk” - http://www.ted.com/talks/alastair_parvin_architecture_for_the_people_by_the_people.html “superadobe” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ODplmnpSts “shipping container stores” - http://inhabitat.com/taco-bell-unveils-its-first-shipping-container-store-at-sxsw
LIST OF REFERENCES
23
part 4 - temporary construction “jason roberts ted talk” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntwqVDzdqAU “better block” - http://betterblock.org part 5 - reuse of existing buildings “build a better burb” - http://buildabetterburb.org part 6 - connectivity and transportation “la petite ceinture” - http://inhabitat.com/la-petite-ceinture-is-a-waste-free-traveling-market-on-a-train “homeplus shopping system” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJVoYsBym88 part 7 - transit oriented development “walkable city: how downtown can save america, one step at a time” by jeff speck “how retrofitting a california suburb for walkability is spurring economic development”
- http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/kbenfield/how_a_california_suburban_retr.html
24
LIST OF REFERENCES
additional shipping container links “a new twist to container homes” - http://bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com/2010/02/ new-twist-to-container-homes.html “22 most beautiful houses made from shipping containers” - http://www.homedit.com/22-most-beautiful-houses-made-from-shipping-containers “eye catching library built from recycled shipping containers” - http://www.homedit.com/eye-catching-library-built-fromrecycled-shipping-containers “coca-cola EKOCENTER: water purifying shipping container unit” - http://www.designboom.com/architecture/coca-cola-ekocenterwater-purification-shipping-container-10-9-2013 “5 more spectacular shipping container projects” - http://www.homedit.com/5-more-spectacular-shipping-container-projects “porchetta shipping container kiosk by noiseux + sasseville” - http://www.designboom.com/architecture/porchetta-shippingcontainer-kiosk-by-noiseux-sasseville-11-17-2013 “top 10 shipping container strutures of 2013” - http://www.designboom.com/architecture/top-10-shippingcontainer-structures-of-2013-12-2-2013 “SuperPier Gearing Up for Renovation into NYC’s Premier Shipping Container Anti-Mall” - http://inhabitat.com/nyc/superpier-gearing-up-for-renovationinto-nycs-premier-shipping-container-anti-mall
“Sustainable Container Home Selected in Competition for Sydney’s Bondi Beach” - http://www.archdaily.com/461443/sustainable-house-designby-czech-architect-selected-for-sydney-s-bondi-beach “shipping containers converted into homes” - http://www.nbcnews.com/id/30088780 “shipping container apartments coming to downtown phoenix” - http://www.azfamily.com/story/28536027/shipping-containerapartments-coming-to-downtown-phoenix
LIST OF REFERENCES
25
additional tod links “getting rid of your car could save you $10,000 every year” - http://inhabitat.com/getting-rid-of-your-car-could-save-you-10000-every-year “what if the best way to end drunk driving is to end driving?” - http://www.citylab.com/commute/2014/06/ what-if-the-best-way-to-end-drunk-driving-is-to-end-driving/372089
“what transit will actually look like in the new suburbia” - http://www.citylab.com/housing/2014/06/what-transit-will-actuallylook-like-in-new-suburbia/372580
“the case for tearing down park-and-ride lots” - http://www.citylab.com/cityfixer/2014/06/the-case-for-tearingdown-park-and-ride-lots/372558
“the whole city of florence can fit in one atlanta cloverleaf” - http://www.treehugger.com/urban-design/you-cant-set-shop-side-expressway.html “transit oriented development is the key to better cities” - http://www.treehugger.com/urban-design/transit-oriented-developmentkey-better-cities.html
“your commute is killing you” - http://www.treehugger.com/urban-design/nytimes-communtings-hidden-cost.html“just get up and walk” - http://www.metropolismag.com/point-of-view/june-2013/just-get-up-and-walk “now coveted: a walkable, convenient place” - http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/27/opinion/sunday/now-coveteda-walkable-convenient-place.html
“people in pedestrian-friendly cities make more money” - http://www.wired.com/2014/06/walkable-cities-income-education “how denver is becoming the most advanced transit city in the west” - http://www.citylab.com/commute/2014/06/how-denver-is-becomingthe-most-advanced-transit-city-in-the-west/373222