REBECCA FISCHMAN MASTER OF CITY PLANNING PORTFOLIO
rebecca fischman + Master of city planning + university of pennsylvania
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 olympic armature LEVERAGING OLYMPIC INVESTMENTS IN RIO DE JANEIRO
2 REKNITTING A COMMUNITY ENVISIONING ANACOSTIA AS A FRESH FOOD LOCUS
3 THRIVE.CONNECT.RENEW REVITALIZING A STRUGGLING PHILADELPHIA NEIGHBORHOOD
4 GLOBAL URBANISM CASE STUDIES IN LANDSCAPE URBANISM + URBAN DESIGN
olympic armature
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil
A work-in-progress, this studio examines the opportunities and challenges of major infrastructural investments required of a modern Olympics. The studio is divided into two sites, Beijing, China, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Within the Brazil team, small groups tackle specific sites dependent on personal interests. My interdisciplinary team chose Rocinha, an informal community, or “favela,” that is adjacent to a new metro line Rio is building in anticipation of hosting the Olympics in 2016. Unlike the other communities sited along the new line, Rocinha suffers from poor water and sewage infrastructure, in addition to deforestation. Rocinha also has a lower Human Development Index and median income than the comparable neighborhoods. In light of these differences, Rocinha seemed like an ideal site to explore how marginalized residents could benefit from Olympic investments. After analyzing existing conditions and traveling to Rio, we concluded that water, reforestation, and access should frame our design intervention. Since then, we have been working on building a development near the metro stop that integrates a stormwater collection system, an open plaza for gathering and informal vendors, and residential units. The residential units will house those displaced (and more) by my individual project: a water and reforestation plan to prevent flooding and sewage overflows. Mirroring the water flow, the paths slow and filter water. All together, the design hopes to create a safer and more environmentally sensitive Rocinha.
0
01
3
01 .
MOUNTAIN BOUNDARY EXISTING CITY PARK REFORESTATION AREA SITE
N
3
1.5
0
6km
New metro line 4 will connect two major residential and commerical areas
The federal government-initiated reforestation program is sited along armature
Rocina
NATURAL HERITAGE PROTECTION AREA INVESTED PROTECTION PROGRAM SITE 0
1.5
N
3
6km
Rocinha’s hills are a federally designated protection zone
*individual contributions to group project
The Rocinha favela could benefit the most from olympic investments
Elevation study from one of the peaks of Rocinha to the major road, analyzing green infrastructure and pedestrian opportunities
400m
300m
200m
100m
0m
existing Tranverse from the top of Rocinha to the beach, imagining a unified urban fabric
Axion of proposed green finger (highest elevation path) to slow stormwater
Axion of proposed lower elevation green finger with bioswale to filter water
AFTER
BEFORE
33’
30’
Alternative scenario: planting trees along major corridor to manage stormwater, eliminating a significant amount of parking
*individual contributions to group project
Model of a section of the favela before the green intervention
Model of a section of the favela after the green intervention
food as a catalyst
washington, d.c.
Anacostia’s social and economic landscape changed significantly after World War II. Large displaced populations resettled in the 300,000 newly built public housing units in the formely bucolic, racially integrated, and self-sufficient community, a result of myriad urban renewal projects in the district. The new and often poorly constructed housing destroyed open spaces and overwhelmed the existing resources. Moreover, the city built the Anacostia Freeway (I-295) concurrently, effectively cutting off the community from both the waterfront and from the rest of D.C. A once strong and vibrant community became increasingly isolated as the years passed. Beginning in 2000, however, Anacostia’s remaining residents and community leaders began imagining a new, revitalized waterfront community. From 2000-2003, stakeholders formed the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative and published the organization’s first framework plan to revitalize a 45-acre piece of the waterfront. This new energy and attention to the area prompted new nonprofits and social organizations to move into the neighborhood. Despite prolonged social and economic disenfranchisement, local leaders believe in Anacostia’s resilience and the desire to revitalize the community responsibly is palpable on the streets. As a group working for the Office of City Planning in D.C., we were presented with a study area, defined by the Anacostia River to the North and West, the tangle of bridges and highways to the East, and the historic intersection of Good Hope Road and Martin Luther King Avenue to the South, offers the ideal opportunity to reconnect Anacostia to its waterfront and spark environmental remediation and social and economic development.
*individual contributions to group project
1% hispanic/latino
2% white
ANACOSTIA median age: 34.6 years
96% black
WASHINGTON, D.C. median age: 33.8 years 9% hispanic/latino 38% white
urban renewal displacement
51% black
34% OF FAMILIES IN ANACOSTIA ARE HEADED BY SINGLE FEMALES, COMPARED TO 16% IN D.C. AS A WHOLE
30,000 additional public housing units ANACOSTA MEDIAN INCOME: $33,684 D.C. MEDIAN INCOME: $58,526
17% OF ANACOSTIA RESIDENTS MAKE LESS THAN $10,000 ANNUALLY, COMPARED TO
11% OF ALL D.C. RESIDENTS
overwhelming of resources
34% OF ALL ANACOSTIA RESIDENTS LIVE BELOW THE POVERTY LEVEL
18.5% OF ALL WASHINGTON, D.C. RESIDENTS LIVE BELOW THE POVERTY LEVEL
construction of I-295
white flight/demographic shift
43%
39%
1%
MODES OF COMMUTING TO WORK
social and economic disenfranchisement
MEAN TRAVEL TIME TO WORK IN ANACOSTIA: 36 MINUTES MEAN TRAVEL TIME TO WORK IN D.C.: 29 MINUTES
83% OF ALL ANACOSTIA RESIDENTS ARE EMPLOYED WHILE 16% OF RESIDENTS ARE UNEMPLOYED (COMPARED TO 90% AND 9% OF D.C. RESIDENTS)
LACK OF CONNECTIVITY TO REST OF D.C
A TOTAL OF 46% OF ANACOSTIA始S POPULATION IS IN THE LABOR FORCE
Group Strategy:
tie and bond reknitting community through food access
Lack of connectivity to the rest of D.C. environmental equity and river ecology transcending barriers to become one city
Anacostia has a rich agricultural heritage, beginning with the Nacochtank tribe fishing and farming in and around the Anacostia River, tobacco farming in the late 17th century, and freed African American slaves working as farmers in the early 1800s. The community took pride in being self-sufficient. Today, however, as a result of spatial isolation from Washington, D.C., Anacostia suffers from a lack of access to fresh food. Anacostia’s food landscape is marred with Chinese takeout restaurants, corner stores, and one insufficient supermarket. As a result of this food inequity, 71.5% of Ward 8 (Anacostia’s political demarcation) residents are overweight or obese. Referencing Anacostia’s agricultural lineage, my individual design project aspires to increase food access and reknit the community via several food incubators: a community garden, a farmers market, and a community kitchen. The road will close when the farmer’s market is in operation. Along the same road, an artwalk will feature sculptures representing community members’ favorite fruit or vegetable. Remediating the waterfront and sourcing local restaurants, rice paddies will be built along the river. Catwalks and docks will crisscross the rice paddies and offer opportunities for observation, fishing, and recreation. Small green spaces integrated into the rice paddy design will offer additional opportunities for observation and relaxation. Nutrition education will be integrated into the design through an illuminated mural of seasonal recipes on the walls of the underpass that separates the waterfront from the rest of the community. Together, these interventions have the power to construct safer and more attractive corridors and reknit the community together.
19th century freed slaves worked as independent FARMERS
late 17th century native americans FISHED in the river and FARMED the rich riverabanks large TOBACCO FARMS
mid-19th century 20th century
central MARKETPLACE as focal point of new “uniontown” community
SELF-SUFFICIENT community develops
r.f. martin’s GROCERY STORE as hub
famous morgan’s family FISH FRY opens and thrives
WARD 8 71.5% obese or overweight 18.3% with diabetes
WARD 8 1:23,016 (supermarkets to pop)
DC 55% obese or overweight 8% with diabetes
DC 1:14,029 (supermarkets to pop)
Data from 2010 D.C. Hunger Report
Disproportionate Food Access in D.C.
Existing Anacostia Food Landscape
Multi-nodal plan approach
4
1 2
5
3
7
8
6
9
Site Plan
1
Rice Paddies
4
Pedestrian Bridge
7
Catwalk + Dock Network
2
Community Garden
5
Artwalk + Farmers Market
8
Underpass Recipe Mural
3
Grass Parking
6
Observation Green Spaces
9
Green Corridor
Section Locator
Section Locator
Section of proposed waterfront
Section of proposed “food corridor� on a farmers market day
A revitalized Anacostia waterfront
thrive.connect.renew
philadelphia, pa
what makes allegheny west unique?
railway barriers threaten connectivity
industrial legacy parcels follow railways
there are only a few parks...
but many large cemeteries
home to one of north philadelphia’s historic commercial corridors
deliverance evangelistic church draws thousands of visitors to neighborhood
fragmented residential areas with a dense central core
*individual contributions to group project
Context
This foundation workshop focused on the North Philadelphia neighborhood of Allegheny West. As a group, and client of the Philadelphia City Planning Comission, we analyzed all facets of the neighborhood, identified issues and opporunities, and ultimately provided recommendations that we felt could enable the community to thrive, connect to its neighbors and resources, and renew its built environment and spirit. Zooming into one of my individual projects, I analyzed the open space network in the neighborhood and envisioned revitalizing the existing parks, activating the massive cemeteries, and linking the cemeteries to the existing street and park network. Parks in the study area vary in size and programming, but altogether they comprise a small percentage of the total green space; cemeteries and vacant land surrounding the railways are the largest green areas in Allegheny West. These green spaces are either inaccessible to the public or unsuitable for recreation. Moreover, safety is a real concern in the open areas around the railways. At first glance, the neighborhood seems well-served by parks and playgrounds. A large swath of the community is within a ¼ mile from a park or playground (approximately a 5 minute walk). However, digging deeper, 219 Allegheny West households are farther than a 5-minute walk from these parks or playgrounds. Most of these parks and playgrounds are very small and only a few are devoid of trash and broken glass. Notably, Shuler Playground seemed both utilized and maintained by neighborhood residents. The playground offers a significant smorgasbord of programming: swim team, swim lessons, art, basketball, chess, checkers, day camps, drama, soccer, table tennis, and track/ running. On a warm Saturday afternoon, many kids were playing basketball and scrambling on the playground equipment. The area seemed safe and hospitable for outdoor recreation. The study area would benefit from larger, more accessible, and redesigned green spaces.
WE IMAGINE AN ALLEGHENY WEST WHERE STRONG COMMUNITY NETWORKS AND INSTITUTIONS CAN WORK TOGETHER AND THRIVE TO CREATE A VIBRANT NEIGHBORHOOD OF CHOICE.
City Planning Workshop|Spring 2012
University of Pennsylvania|Department of City & Regional Planning
Instructor: Mindy Watts EXPANDING ON EXISTING OPEN SPACE AND PRESERVING RESILIENT Annie Bidgood|Kathleen Bole|Kacie Comly|Rebecca Fischman|Daniel Rhine|Juell Stewart|Scott Weber|Chris Whitenhill NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER HAS THE POTENTIAL TO RENEW ALLEGHENY WEST AND RESTORE VIBRANCY AND DIVERSITY TO THE COMMUNITY.
ALLEGHENY WEST EXISTING CONDITIONS
BY PROMOTING THE AREA’S TRANSIT ACCESS AND CENTRAL LOCATION, ALLEGHENY WEST CAN CONNECT TO THE REST OF THE REGION, ATTRACTING NEIGHBORHOOD INVESTMENT THROUGH ADAPTIVE REUSE AND NEW DEVELOPMENT.
WITH MULTIPLE MODES OF PUBLICNeighborhood TRANSIT Crime Heat Map (GIS data) ALLEGHENY WEST COULD BE POISED FOR TOD
BROAD STREET LINE
AMTRAK ROUTE
REGIONAL RAIL LINES
BUS ROUTES
Neighborhood Transportation Diagram
VISIONS FOR THE FUTURE | BACKGROUND
*individual contributions to group project
TOPOGRAPHY PREVENTS ACCESS TO RESOURCES
Extreme topography prevents access to resources
TOPOGRAPHIC CONDITIONS ALONG KELLY DRIVE
A NETWORK OF TRAILS EXISTS WITHIN THE CEMETERIES
RIDGE AVE ENTRANCE TO LAUREL HILL
Proposed trail network in cemeteries
LEHIGH ENTRANCE TO ODD FELLOWS
PEDESTRIAN ENTRANCES AT STREET GRADE CONNECT NEIGHBORS WITH AVAILABLE OPEN SPACE
Envisioning trails as fitness circuits for recreation-deprived community
PRECEDENTS FROM OTHER CITIES UTILIZING CEMETERY GREEN SPACE
global urbanism
multiple sites
Projects for LARP 780 “Case Studies in Contemporary Urbanism, Landscape Architecture and Design” travel the globe and range from urban infill development to rethinking park space and urban form. Interdisciplinary teams tackle each weekly assignment and the class operates similar to studio with regular critiques. The two projects included on this page are from Rio de Janeiro (Rocinha favela) and Ciudad Guayana, Venezuela. Rocinha is a dense informal community that is quickly spreading up the steep slope. As a result of the extreme topography and the density, local residents face stormwater, sewage, and access issues. Our design is an attempt to build “green fingers” that both slow and treat the flowing water and act as pedestrian paths. The paths connect to the main road, where a gondola quickly moves residents up and down the slope. The site in Ciudad Guayana, however, suffers from large, unprogrammed open spaces built for car traffic only. Thinking of the Venezuelan love for sports and the need for more affordable housing in the area, the project proposes building a soccer field with infill affordable housing. A market will operate in the surrounding arcade, protecting shoppers from the blazing sun and providing much needed pedestrianscale retail. Travel lanes surrounding the intervention will be cut down from five lanes to three, further facilitating safe pedestrian movement. These projects allow for discourse across disciplines and a labratory for crafting more abstract and theoretical ideas.
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
PLAN OF INTERVENTION Cable Car Station
Mountain Boundary
Train Station
American School of Rio de Janeiro
Sewage Infrastructure Hill Elevator
Estr. da Gavea
Gavea
[Tunnel Zuzu Angel]
existing bas route Infrastructure network Cable Car Network
Estr. da Gavea
Cable car network connects across Da Rocinhato allow smooth ciruclation even on the mountaineous site. Stations are located aprox 500 feet apart. Sewage Infrastructure allows to capture the grey water and reuse the water for the use of washroom. Washrooms are located every 200 feet apart. New circulation network and water infrastructure network N will revitalize the city and decrease the issue of the mountaineous site.
Da Rocinha
Tv Alegria
Mountain Boundary
Av Niemeyer
100 m
Condominio Lote V
300 m
Train Station
Initial Design Concept Sketch
Tranverse from Rocinha to ocean
“GREEN FINGERS” INTERVENTION DEMOLISHED HOUSING
INSERTION OF LINEAR INFRASTRUCTURE, BATHROOMS, CLEARING PATHS AND RELOCATING DISPLACED RESIDENTS ON SITE
EXISTING HOUSING
DEMOLISHED HOUSING
*group project
W SE
ST WA ORM TE R
ER
RELOCATION HOUSING
RAIN WATER SEWER
ciudad guayana, venezuela
Focus: -Slow down traffic, narrow vehicular right of way -Create recreational node -Housing infill -Informal commercial corridors BEFORE
Existing
seating
Slow Traffic: -Lane diversion -Cobblestone paving
vendors pedestrians
infill housing
seating
Proposed
arcade
soccer field
seating
cobblestone
AFTER New Infill affordable housing development, seccer stadium, and market section
Looking at an abandoned airstrip in Caracas, Venezuela, this project aims to create a new park in the massive space that connects to the Burle Marx-designed “Parque del Este” directly north, mimicks the city’s geometry, retains the emergency airstrip, weaves in the urban fabric, and responds to the seasonal flooding of the river. The final design repurposes Burle Marx’s curvilinear paths and the linearity of the airstrip to guide pededstrians around the space. This design promotes both pedestrian and wild animal flow; within the park there are designated sunken “pits” for animals to roam freely and humans to watch safely from an elevated distance (as opposed to the traditional zoo in Parque del Este). Linear strips of programmed recreation spaces, gardens, and wetlands surround the animal park. Several new shops, markets, and restaurants provide the chance for residents to further interact with the space.
caracas, venezuela
Land Use Survey + Flow Diagram
green “caps” pedestrian bridge linear programmed spaces
wild animal pits
open green plaza pedestrian paths
*group project
Playground
Aviary
Natural History Museum
Zoo Extension Sporting Fields
Restaurants/Markets
Zoo Extension
Amphitheater Restaurants/Markets
Zoo Extension
Formal Garden
Bosque Formal Garden
N
0
150’
300’
Zooming into integrated zones of proposed park
HIGHWAY 5m
HABITAT
ON-RAMP
HABITAT
10m
LION’S DEN 5m
WATER HABITAT
10m
PATH HABITAT PATH 5m
10m
HABITAT