Wuhan Public Space Public Life Survey

WUHAN Public Life Public Space Study

Gehl Team

CSTC team

Ola Gustafson — Team Lead & Project Director Lisa Müller — Project Manager Sofia Schuff — Urban Anthropologist Karolina Petz — Architect Martin Nelson — Technical Designer Pernille Juul Schmidt — Graphic Designer

Yue Wang — Project Manager Chenyi Fei — Project Architect Xiaoxi Chi — Project Architect

Gehl Vesterbrogade 24, 5th floor 1620 Copenhagen V Denmark

June 2019

gehlpeople.com mail@gehlpeople.com

On behalf of the Wuhan Planning and Design Institute (WPDI)

Contents Recommendations 6 A Highly Connected Transportation System Thriving Public Life in Hankou District A Built Environment that Enhances City Life A District With a World Class Climate Resilience Strategy

How to Get Started

50

Public Space Plan Key Moves, Key Typologies

Analysis Transport Public Life Built Environment Climate Resilience

116

RECOM DATI

MMEN IONS

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Gehl — Making Cities for People

Studying Life in Wuhan’s Hankou District Wuhanese, like many people around the world, thrive most in a vibrant, well connected, and healthy environment. In China, streets and street life have always been the backbone of social and economic activity.

With this Public Space Public Life study of Wuhan’s Hankou District, we aim to understand how the district’s streets and public spaces handle the daily pressures put upon them, in order to provide a plan for a public realm that locals and visitors deserve. As the Hankou District continues to grow with more residents, businesses, and visitors each year, the district is faced with both opportunities and challenges.

The purpose of this report is to understand what makes the Hankou District great, what residents and visitors need from their public realm, and develop actionable recommendations to make it thrive. We hope this Analysis and Key Moves provide inspiration for the street life of the future for the Hankou District.

Recommendations | Introduction

Hankou District The Heart of the City Our site, the Hankou District, is the historical and cultural center of Wuhan which is surrounded by the wider city center area, spanning across both sides of the Yangtze River. The center is enclosed by the Metropolitan area, which is enormous in size, containing numerous lakes, agricultural areas and nature.

Wuhan has had three development phases. First, it grew along the Yangtze River. Then, perpendicular to the river and then, it spread over the river to the other side. The Hankou District forms part of the oldest area of Wuhan.

1910

Yangtze River

10

Yangtze River Lakes City center Hankou District Metropolitan Area

1990

Urban Development

Gehl — Making Cities for People

Hankou District

2013

Jiefeng Park

Wuhantiandi Commercial area

Legend / New Construction Historical Area Historical Modern Mix Area Modern Area

Breakfast street

Zhongshan Park

Main street Waterfront park

Yangtze River

Food area Elevated metro line

Small scale alleyways

Night market

Museum Square

Food street

Livey square

Important space for events Main pedestrian street and commercial area

Map showing development phases and key destinations

1_20 000

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Recommendations | Introduction

Key Challenges Today 1

2

3

3

4

1 2 3 4

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Wuhan’s built environment promotes severe air pollution and an extremely temperamental climate.

Parked cars dominate the district’s public spaces.

Some of the newer areas are not built with a human scale.

There is an undignified pedestrian experience for the many people walking and cycling.

Gehl — Making Cities for People

Main Potentials to Build Upon 1

2

4

3

1 2 3 4

There is a human scale base with a rich variety of historical buildings.

Many forms of mobility are present.

A rich public life already exists on many streets and in many public spaces.

There are fantastic green and blue amenities, such as the Yangtze River promenade.

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From a District of Untapped Potential ...

From a city dominated by fast moving car and e-bike traffic, with under-performing public spaces and a lack of standards for the built environment’s maintenance and quality, that doesn’t yet invite residents and visitors to walk, cycle or linger...

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Gehl — Making Cities for People

... to an Inviting, Lively and Resilient District for All. To a city with a well balanced variety of mobility options. One that invites its users to walk and cycle - with options for stopping and socializing. To a city with natural and environmental qualities that weave throughout a public space network of high quality and unique local character.

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Recommendations | Introduction

Four Key Themes Supporting the Vision

Four key themes address the most important issues in Wuhan today. These lead the way towards establishing a more sustainable future for the area. They span throughout the document and connect the different chapters.

M

M

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Transport

Public Life

A balanced street layout accommodating different modes of mobility in a space-efficient and sustainability-focused way.

Streets and spaces that offer ‘staying’ opportunities for residents, visitors and tourists, promoting a healthier and more social community.

Gehl — Making Cities for People

Built Environment

Climate Resilience

Streets and spaces that provide a historic character and an identity for the area and the individual buildings.

Multi-functional streets capable of adapting to climate change while improving the local micro-climate.

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Recommendations | Transport

A Highly Connected Transportation System M

M

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1

Prioritize Pedestrians Through a Coherent Network

Actions!

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Close the gaps in the pedestrian network Ensure a connected network of safe, attractive and comfortable pedestrian conditions: Create wider sidewalks, remove obstacles, use better maintenance to reduce uneven pavement and provide lighting at night.

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Increase the comfort of walking Make regular seating available along pedestrian routes and provide shelter from extreme weather.

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Always consider overall accessibility for vulnerable people Create safe streets for vulnerable people (elderly and children) by providing good lighting, reducing conflicts, and focusing on handicappedaccessible street design (sidewalks, street crossings, curbs, access to public transport, etc.) On all streets.

Wuhan — Public Life Public Space Study

•

Prioritize pedestrians at intersections Ensure cars and bikes have clear visibility of pedestrians and reduce speed at crossings. Provide frequent intersection crossings, every few hundred meters. Busier streets with dedicated traffic lights must have sufficient green lights for pedestrians.

Always prioritize at-grade crossings rather than under or overpasses.

•

Provide accommodating infrastructure during construction Ensure there is a clearly marked, continuous walkway even in times of construction - if needed, protect walkers from traffic through extra elements (planters, bollards, etc.). For long-term construction sites in busy areas, consider temporary activation of the street with temporary shops and restaurants.

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Recommendations | Transport

2

Improve Infrastructure for Bikes & E-bikes

Actions!

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Create a dense network of primary and secondary lanes Consider the primary and secondary network according to traffic volumes and street typologies. Bike lanes in the primary network must always be wellmarked and clearly separated from car traffic by a curb and maybe even bollards. The secondary network can provide shared infrastructure with cars, but only if car volumes are very low.

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Provide dedicated infrastructure to support bike and e-bike lanes Bike lanes need to be wide enough to accommodate for both bikes and e-bikes, to reduce conflicts.

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Make cycling competitive to using the car Scenic green bike routes and the implementation of dedicated routes will make long-distance commuting by bike / e-bike more attractive.

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Ensure that there are no obstacles on bike lanes Cars should never block bike lanes: Design-elements but also strict regulation, with high fees, are crucial.

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•

Ensure bike lanes continue across intersections Mark crossings with designated waiting areas for bikes and e-bikes, especially at major roads. Make dedicated bike traffic lights, with a 4 second head start at busy roads for better visibility and safety.

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E-bike and bike parking concept Plan strategic, safe and attractive parking possibilities that are close to major destinations and at public transport stops. Collaborate with offices and housing developers to ensure bike and e-bike parking at homes and at work.

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Provide accommodating infrastructure during construction Always ensure there is clearly marked, continuous bike infrastructure even in times of construction - if needed, protect from traffic with extra builtelements (planters, bollards, etc.)

Best Practice

The Dutch Cycling Strategy ‘Masterplan Fiets’ Growing fuel prices and difficulty in car ownership forced the government to find alternative modes of transportation. Local authorities began to make streets cycle-friendly with clear hierarchies between different modes of transportation. These local developments led to a 1990-1997 national strategy ‘Masterplan Fiets (Netherlands bicycle plan)’.

The plan improved street quality, public health, accessibility and safety.

Accompanied by national funding, each municipality allocates funding to ensure implementation. Bicycle projects often accompany bigger construction and infrastructure projects.

Key Lessons

cycle infrastructure • Standardized increase in cycling to and from • 44% train stations 2004-2008 the city saw • Between 604,000 trips daily by bike saw 4.5 billion bicycle trips, a • 2016 distance of 15.5 billion bicycle km 2016 cycling accounted for 25% of • Indaily trips

2004-2008 44% increase in cycling from and to train stations Standardized infrastructure in Rotterdam

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Recommendations | Transport

3

Build on Your Public Transport System

Actions!

•

•

•

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Make travel times more efficient Provide dedicated bus lanes Especially on major corridors, to ensure buses are not stuck in traffic.

Improve the bus routes But make sure the coverage is still good and station accessibility and design is functioning.

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Make convenient and efficient intermodal changes possible Reduce physical distances between interchanges of different public transport modes.

Reduce walking times and ensure direct transfers.

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Strategic location of bike parking Place bike sharing stations, and bike and e-bike parking in strategic locations close to public transport exits/entrances without blocking access.

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Coordinated implementation of new technologies When integrating new technologies, plan and think ahead. e.g. Make clearly defined drop-off zones in Mobility Hubs for new micro-mobility devices like scooters.

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Make generous infrastructure For pedestrians and bikes at stations, with direct crossings and short waits.

Communicate clearly With a way-finding system to and from stations.

•

Incentivize taking public transport Improve stations and their surroundings. For a more attractive experience around stations provide seating and basic services (kiosks, supermarket, laundry, tourist info, etc.), Some of which activate the often dark spaces in the evenings.

•

Constant life around hubs Place functions on ground floors of buildings around public transport stations to provide some level of activity at all times.

Best Practice

Guangzhou, China’s BRT Corridor Opened in 2010, the Guangzhou BRT corridor is an example of a BRT system at the center of a holistic transport network. The BRT has 22.5 km of fully segregated bus lanes, its stations are sized based on passenger demand, it provides direct access to metro and rail stations, and integrates bike parking and bike sharing into the BRT stations.

The implementation process was led by unwavering political support, despite public push-back. Using a holistic planning process, the BRT corridor has led to a high-quality service that both fits local people’s needs with an intermodal experience, and is also expected to cover all operating costs.

Key Lessons

large BRT network can open • Anew employment and business opportunities

million commute hours were • 52 saved the year it opened BRT reduced traffic congestion • The by 29% increased use of public • An transportation and reduced bus

•

overcrowding - with increased satisfaction of travelers from 29% to 65% The BRT system contributed to an estimated average annual CO2 emissions reduction of 86,000 metric tons during its first 10 years, through car-use reduction and biking promotion, and particulate emissions reduction of at least 4 tons per year

Source: https://www.c40.org/case_ studies/c40-good-practice-guidesguangzhou-brt-corridor

Guangzhou’s BRT System allowing for short travel times by bus Source: http://www2.hhh.umn.edu/uthinkcache

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Recommendations | Transport

4

Reduce the Impact of Motorized Vehicles

Actions!

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Prioritize people in your mobility network Always prioritize alternatives to the car and accommodate for active mobility walking, cycling, using public transport.

Allocate space and design streets accordingly.

•

Reduce car-impact by lowering speeds and reducing access Consider more car-free streets and/ or reduced access for private vehicles.

Think about further expanding the concept of Zhongshan Avenue S, where only buses and taxis are allowed. Start with improving certain routes and streets, then extend learnings to the whole district (see cases).

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Gehl — Making Cities for People

•

Provide and regulate a car parking strategy Do not increase the number of parking spots, but work with other tools.

Launch a residents parking permit system and introduce a regulated parking fee - there are barely any other cities with free city center parking.

Create more parking at the periphery of the center, along main routes into the city and near public transport lines.

•

Partnerships to promote sustainable forms of transport Public Private Partnerships can support a shift in mobility patterns.

Housing developers should be asked to provide sufficient bike parking, companies should encourage their employees to use public transport to get to work by sponsoring their yearly pass, focus on creating safe cycling and walking routes to schools and develop a school bus pick up/drop off system where possible.

EcoParq Strategy, Mexico City

Best Practice

Faced with unregulated parking, gridlock, congestion, pollution, and a poor pedestrian environment, Mexico City was once one of the worst commuting cities in the world. In 2012, EcoParq - an on-street parking management policy that introduced a system of payment meters and regulation on streets with previously free parking - was implemented in Mexico City. The policy utilized a thorough communication strategy, a user friendly website, and strong branding to help the parking strategy soar.

Before the implementation of the EcoParq Strategy in Polanco District

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• •

sustainable options and calmer streets The average time spent looking for parking dropped from 13 to three minutes, cutting back emissions Monthly parking meter revenues were estimated at $500,000 USD of which $150,000 USD were allocated to revitalize the public realm Collaboration between departments and police to build policy helped make enforcement possible The program paved the way for city wide off-street parking reform.

Source: https://www.ecoparq.cdmx.gob. mx/https://www.itdp.org/2012/07/26/ ecoparq-mexico-citys-on-street-parkingreform/

ks of their

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Recommendations | Transport

4

1

Reduce the Impact of Prioritize Motorized Vehicles pedestrians Less street parking, through a coher more publicnetwork life

3

Build on Your Public Transport System Good way-finding to the nearest metro or bus

Overview of Key Moves 1-4

Go to p66 for the full case

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Gehl — Making Cities for People

1 1

Prioritize pedestrians through a coherent Prioritize network Pedestrians Through a Coherent Network A pleasant walking environment

rent

2

Improve Infrastructure for Bikes and E-bikes Generous bike lanes and parking

After

Recommendations | Public Life

Thriving Public Life in Hankou District

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5

Celebrate the Users

Actions!

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•

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Design public spaces for all users Provide places for all of Hankou’s population: Meeting places for residents, spaces where office workers can enjoy their lunch break, places for children and young people to play after school, improve the network of destinations for tourists and visitors.

Optimize the layout of streets to support local life Lay out the streets with an aim to support local life (more benches in social settings for creating possibilities to meet). Put a focus on slow traffic and accommodate for ‘resting’ and social activities, on places with local identity.

Upgrade public spaces to accommodate a diverse range of activities Make places flexible and possible to use for a variety of activities - both bigger gatherings and smaller social settings.

Allow for spontaneous activities by leaving open space and do not overprogram.

Design for women in public spaces Consider different gender needs in public space design - By prioritizing accessibility for pedestrians and bicyclists (see transport section), consider safety (through lighting and active ground floors) and create activities also for young women in public spaces.

Gender Sensitive Planning, Vienna

Best Practice

The Vienna planning department is gender mainstreaming, planning for the needs of overlooked citizen groups. They are using flexible planning methods, distribute usability equitably, and allocate resources based on gender sensitivity to meet public space demands.

Key Lessons • • •

Between 2005-2010 all planning departments in Vienna conducted gender mainstreaming pilot projects Planners now use innovative methods to plan for all people Overlooked populations are now included in the planning process

Image Source: https://www.wien.gv.at/stadtentwicklung/studien/pdf/b008358.pdf

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Recommendations | Public Life

6

Allow for Use at Different Times of the Day

Actions!

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Ensure spaces can be used at different times of the day Support activities which there are more of in the evening than during the day, by providing better lighting. Surround active spaces with active ground floor building functions. In the daytime, provide enough shade and shelter to ensure that otherwise empty spaces can be used.

•

React flexibly to different peaks of public life Accommodate for the changing rhythm of life in the Hankou District by closing food streets to car traffic when they are busiest and then open them back up to cars when they are less busy.

Best Practice

Nakadori Street in Tokyo Nakadori Street is an excellent example of a street which is used flexibly, based on user needs. From 11:00-15:00/17:00 it is closed for car traffic and used as an “Urban Terrace” to allow office workers from the surroundings to enjoy their lunch break. Food trucks and movable furniture invite people to stay, and together with the thoughtfully designed signs at the entrance cars clearly understand that they cannot access during that time.

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Gehl — Making Cities for People

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Create a Balanced Public Space Network

Actions!

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Increase the amount of usable public space Ensure a denser network of public spaces of different character throughout the district. Distribute different activities throughout the district, according to the type of groups who frequent them, the flows of people and functions of surrounding buildings.

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Create a network Understand streets as equally important public spaces and not just transport links. Create high quality connections throughout the district, with a dense public space network, connecting spaces with a common identity and way-finding system.

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Balance out crowds of people Spread out the amount of people across the district to take pressure off of highly visited streets and spaces.

Activate underutilized spaces (leftover, poorly designed) by turning them into more attractive and usable public spaces, design according to people’s everyday needs.

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Recommendations | Public Life

7

Create a Balanced Public Space Network By creating new invitations for staying

Overview of Key Moves 5-8

Go to p90 for the full case

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Gehl — Making Cities for People

3 Prioritize pedestrians through a coherent network

6

Allow for Use at Different Times of the Day Close the street for cars, allow deliveries at certain times

5

Celebrate the Users Create generous space for both vendors and customers

Recommendations | Built Environment

A Built Environment that Enhances City Life

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Gehl — Making Cities for People

8

Leverage the Existing Building Network to Meet People at Eye-Level

Actions!

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Active functions on ground floors Create transparent design and open ground floor zones for better connections from inside and outside of buildings. Activate every few hundred meters, even at major traffic arteries (which still carry surprisingly many pedestrians). In residential areas, regular street-side entrances create a certain level of activity.

•

Let functions “spill out” into public space Allow certain functions in the ground floors to spill out onto public spaces.

Allocate generous space for these outdoor functions but always ensure they do not block the pedestrian flow.

Allocate dedicated zones in streets to avoid spill-out that creates clutter and becomes too messy.

Wuhan — Public Life Public Space Study

•

Activate setbacks Turn setbacks, which today are underutilized wasteland or parking lots into small pocket parks, neighborhood meeting places, etc. Or densify these setbacks through low-rise buildings.

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Highlight buildings with special functions Building functions (i.e. historical buildings) should be reflected in adjacent public space: Celebrate special buildings by giving them “room to breathe” - widen the sidewalks, remove parking in front, improve the design and reflect the building’s function in public space. For example, the zone in front of a children’s library could be a child play-area and the square in front of the museum could display interactive art installations.

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Recommendations | Built Environment

9

Create MixedUse Human Scale Neighborhoods

Actions!

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Build on the district’s human scale Take the existing urban structure and scale as the baseline best-practice example for new developments.

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Integrate a variation of building typologies Build upon the already existing, diverse mix of building typologies. Continue to protect the existing building heritage and renovate and activate the vacant historical buildings.

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Preserve the fine-grain streets throughout the district Small scale streets and alleyways strongly contribute to Hankou district’s identity - Carry out basic design improvements and better maintenance, without over-commercializing them.

Ensure that the original character of streets is not lost. However, establish a better walking experience in the smaller scale network.

•

Don’t over commercialize the district (land use) There is a wish to commercialize the district in the future. When doing so, the original character of the district needs to be preserved.

Commercialization needs to happen in a soft way, still maintaining the balance of mixed-use functions that are already found in the district today.

Best Practice

Shanghai Chuangzhi Park The Tianzifang District of Shanghai is an exemplar of bottom-up change transforming itself from a cramped, poorly-serviced residential and factory area, into a vibrant mixed-use district.

The area is known for Shikumen buildings (housing with stone door frames and solid wooden doors), yet there are also French style remnants.

The legacy of these architectural styles has been one of the guiding forces in the neighborhood’s new identity.

Around the 1990s, planning decisions facilitated the area’s transition into a cultural arts district. Artists moved into the site’s vacant lots signing long term leases with factory landlords. Soon it was dotted with shops selling craft products, and today design studios, shops and galleries, antique stores, restaurants, cafes, and boutiques. The area’s physical form has changed in almost direct correlation with its rapid economic growth, de-industrialization and development.

Key Lessons

the area was transformed • While into a mixed-use neighborhood,

•

•

Wuhan — Public Life Public Space Study

the process resulted in an overcommercialization of the district and a loss of the local alleyway character Mixed-use planning requires a participatory approach, so that original residents understand and condone new users visiting the neighborhood and participating in new activities Carefully design the new developments and do not relocate original residents, as to not lose the original residential atmosphere

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Recommendations | Built Environment

10

Develop Maintenance & Design Standards

Actions!

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Design for experienced and perceived safety Open up views by reducing shrubbery or obstacles, improve lighting, and ensure activities in nearby buildings.

A constant flow of pedestrians and cyclists passing by does not only make a place more lively, but also increases the perceived safety through the increased presence of “eyes on the street”.

Inclusive streets Create a coherent street design strategy for the district with clear standards and regulations (sidewalk width, crossings, ramps, etc.) To ensure streets are accessible for all, as a basic requirement.

•

Create a common design strategy to strengthen Hankou’s identity A strategy for overall street-scape elements like lighting, kiosks, pavement and street furniture to create a coherent identity on the district level.

At the same time, ensure each square or street has its own unique character and is easily recognizable. Use high quality materials and ensure regular maintenance.

DESIGN

2019 ES WUHAN GUIDELIN STREET

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INES

GUIDEL

Best Practice

Melbourne Design Policies and Standards In the 1990’s, Melbourne’s street furniture design policy was renewed.

Carefully designed, it set the scene for the city’s street-scape and urban spaces. Café chairs and tables were initially purchased or leased from the Town Hall to ensure a coherent design of the urban landscape. Moreover, planters, litter bins and other furnishing elements follow the design policy’s palette of materials and colors.

The street furniture has consequently become one of the city’s signature visual identities.

In 2018, Melbourne City produced a new guideline, the Central Melbourne Design Guide, which would provide developers, consultants and planners with illustrations of acceptable and unacceptable design outcomes. These new rules provide all concerned with best-practice planning specifications.

Key Lessons

given the city’s developments • Has a renewed focus on ‘the city at eyelevel’

graphic nature of the guide • The makes the policy very clear and

accessible to a diverse audience

forced new developments • Has to respond to the function and character of local contexts

that all new development • Mandates provides direct and convenient pedestrian connections

possible, the guideline has • When also required new developments

to use multiple design practices to ensure competitive design processes

Source: https://s3.ap-southeast-2. amazonaws.com/hdp.au.prod.app. com-participate.files/8415/2998/6449/ The_Melbourne_Design_Guide.pdf

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Recommendations | Built Environment

Overview of Key Moves 9-10

Go to p98 for the full case

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Maintenance & Design Standards High Quality of Pavement & Street Furniture

9

Leverage the Existing Building Network to Meet People at EyeLevel

8

Create Mixed-Use Neighborhoods Fill vacant buildings with life

Recommendations | Climate Resilience

A District With a World Class Climate Resilience Strategy

42

Gehl — Making Cities for People

11

Harness Access to Nature

Actions!

•

Provide more nature within the city Ensure there is a green space within a 10 minute walking distance of every resident, to improve mental and physical health.

•

Diversity of nature Provide a diverse range of green across scales, ranging from small pocket parks to green boulevards and large parks.

•

From decorative to usable green Make manicured and decorative natural areas more accessible and usable. Ensure urban nature is not only serving decorative purposes, but can support climate adaptation, strengthen biodiversity and foster local neighborhood life.

Wuhan — Public Life Public Space Study

•

Establish attractive, people-friendly connections to existing green and blue amenities Encourage people to walk, cycle and use public transport to reach the major green and blue amenities, like the Yangtze River promenade or Jiefeng Park by establishing attractive links.

Create attractive entrance situations in strategic locations. Near exits and entrances that correspond with pedestrian flows and public transport stops.

43

Recommendations | Climate Resilience

12

Plan for Resilience

Actions!

•

Prioritize micro-climate considerations in public space design A pleasant micro-climate invites more people to stay in public space. Provide for more shelter from rain and sun through covers (membranes, roofs, etc.) And trees. Wind can provide a pleasant micro-climate with a cool breeze in the summer, but be careful to reduce the impact of wind in the winter.

Reduce pollution Use bigger green areas (the waterfront and parks) and nitrate fixing plantings to improve air quality while removing pollutant run-off. Measures to improve pollution will also reduce the need for air conditioning, mitigate flooding, and enhance property values.

•

•

•

•

Use permeable surfaces when possible Add permeable surfaces (e.g. cobblestones, turf, grass, reinforced grass, brick paving without mortar) to minimize the heat island effect and for better water management.

Diversify the planting selection Plan for any planting to bloom seasonally for aesthetics, but with a diverse variety of flora to attract a range of fauna. Adding species diversity in planting selection and a range of planting techniques (vertical green, green roof tops, etc.) Will make the district more bio-diverse and more robust against climate change.

44

•

Gehl — Making Cities for People

Extend the water management strategy to Hankou District A water management strategy will help you get more from limited resources by lowering the risk of disaster and limiting other expensive ‘grey infrastructures’.

Maintain existing trees Make a street tree strategy for improving water quality, replenishing groundwater supplies, improving air quality, and reducing the heat island effect.

Best Practice

Copenhagen Cloudburst Management Plan Copenhagen’s population is expected to grow 20% in the next 10 years.

Using this urgency for infrastructural changes, the City developed an offshoot of their Climate Adaptation Plan: The Cloudburst Plan, aimed to mitigate the impact of extreme rainfall while building climate adaptive infrastructure. The Plan is expanding the sewer network and 300 surface projects for water retention and drainage.

This is a long-term plan, to be implemented over 20 years and to achieve the following: Storm-water overflow for roads and pipes that transport water towards lakes and the harbor; Detention roads for storing water; Detention areas to store very large volumes of water, e.g. parks that could turn into lakes during flood events; Green roads to detain and hold back water in smaller side streets.

The climate adaptive spaces fulfill other functions than “just” water management., e.g. St. Annae Plads offers a playground, seating and game areas when not flooded.

Klimakvarter Østerbro: This new climate district is Copenhagen’s first adapted district. It is designed to withstand large amounts of rain, and instead of seeing rain as a problem, the plans uses rain as a resource. Landscaped channels direct rainwater to the harbor, while parks have artificial ponds where water can be led through vegetation that filters and stores it.

This project is based on intersection sidewalks 3-6m wide, bioswells and green buffers along sidewalks.

Public Private Partnerships with the Copenhagen Utility Company work to climate-proof the city by means of a rainwater piping tunnel, and urban green spaces that can handle 30% of rainwater.

Source: https://urbandevelopmentcph. kk.dk/artikel/cph-2025-climate-plan

Wuhan — Public Life Public Space Study

45

Recommendations | Climate Resilience

12

Plan for Resilience Activating the setback and using green for storm-water management

a

Overview of Key Moves 11-12

Go to p60 for the full case

46

Gehl — Making Cities for People

add collage

After

11

Access to Nature More green in the city Street trees, green roofs for a rich biodiversity

Recommendations | Summary

Summary of Key Moves Transport

48

Public Life

1 Prioritize Pedestrians Through a Coherent Network

3 Build on Your Public Transport System

5 Celebrate the Users

2 Improve Infrastructure for Bikes / E-bikes

4 Reduce the Impact of Motorized Vehicles

6 Allow for Use at Different Times of the Day

Gehl — Making Cities for People

7 Create a Balanced P Space Netw

Public work

The Built Environment 8 Leverage the Existing Building Network to Meet People at EyeLevel

9 Create MixedUse Human Scale Neighbor hoods

Wuhan — Public Life Public Space Study

Climate Resilience 10 Develop Maintenance & Design Standards

11 Harness Access to Nature

12 Plan for Resilience

49

HOW T STAR

TO GET RTED

How to Get Started

Implementing a Public Space Plan This Public Space Plan provides an overview of where to get started with implementing the key moves, and which streets and squares to prioritize. The key moves can also be applied to the whole of the Hankou District in the long-term.

The goal is to create a connected Public Space Plan of high quality streets, squares and parks where pedestrians, cyclists and

public transport has priority.

One where people are invited to meet each other, where buildings contribute to the liveliness and attractiveness of the district and where climate resilient solutions are implemented. This people-first network will make the Hankou District even more attractive to its many residents and visitors, and provide a basis for further development.

Three steps for incremental change

M

construction sites

1. Pilot projects

1_20 000

Use temporary interventions as built solutions to test new ideas and gain data based on how people use them.

Construction sites can be a great testing ground for new ideas that range from simple to complex. Pilot projects are a low-hanging fruit that can be implemented quickly and cost effectively.

52

Gehl — Making Cities for People

showcase projects

2. Showcase projects

1_20 000

Upgrade a small selection of streets permanently for a more people-friendly and sustainable street network. By making a selection of permanent upgrades, you will provide a showcase for not only the district, but for Wuhan to follow suit. Even though they are permanent solutions, they should follow a pilot project approach: keep 10% of the total construction budget in order to be able to refine the project at a later phase, and adapt it to the users’ needs.

M

3. Permanent change The valuable learnings from the pilot and showcase projects should form the basis for larger scale, permanent improvements to the whole public space network. The following catalogue of typologies of different streets and squares provides a general guideline on how to make each of these spaces accommodate people’s needs while accomplishing a longer-term climate strategy.

Zhongshan Avenue Yiyuan Road

Youyi Street

M

Sande Alleyway

M Jiefang Avenue Construction Site

Dongting Street / Poyang Street

M

Map of public space network Showing a connected network of high quality public spaces.

M

Legend / Pilot / Showcase project Main public space network Active public space Improved crossing 1_40 000

Applying Key Moves on Different Typologies The key arterial/barrier moves are applicable to the whole Hankou District, but major corridor they should always be applied with city street close consideration of the local local streets context. The following guideline alley way provides insight into how to food and market street apply the key moves on specific historical street streets and square typologies pedestrian street of the district, and serves as an inspirational catalogue for entrance riverfront identifying opportunities to major parks leverage current planning efforts, formulate future design briefs and pocket parks plans, and ensure that the district urban squares is planned holistically.

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54

Gehl — Making Cities for People

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Arterial arterial/barrier (Jiefeng Avenue)

major corridor Corridor

major corridor

(Jinghan city street Avenue)

city street

local streets

alley way

local streets

alley way

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riverfront Wuhan entrance — Public Life Public Space Study

uA ve .

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How to Get Started | Typologies

Arterial

Transport

Public Life

Built Environment

Climate Resilience

• Improve pedestrian conditions with wide pavements and frequent, easy-to-use crossings, and connections to side streets • If overpasses are needed, improve accessibility for bikes, elderly, children, and people with disabilities to cross and connect to the rest of the network.

• Safe infrastructure for bikes and e-bikes, generous width and dedicated crossings.

• Dedicated bus lanes and safe, attractive stations.

• Support existing public life by providing public seating opportunities at least every 200m.

• Unlock the potential of underutilized setbacks and integrate them into the street design.

• Bus stops need sufficient seating and shelter because these are where people meet.

• Ensure frequent active ground floors - some with night-time activity (at strategic locations, e.g. At crossings and connections to public transport) • Better dispersed lighting is needed for safety.

• Densification with low-rise buildings to activate setbacks and create a more human scale environment.

• As there is enough spatial capacity, generous sponge city concepts can be integrated into street design.

• Include pollution-alleviating and noise-reducing planting concepts.

• Micro-climate improvements (trees, shade) are needed for more comfort when walking or cycling.

Activation every few hundred metres

BU

S

Dedicated bus lanes

Greener streets for better micro climate and climate adaptation

Safe access to bus-

4

S BU

Good connections to the surroundings: crossings; embed the main route into the smaller scale network

1

3

More frequent & better crossings, on street-level whenever possible

56

Gehl — Making Cities for People

BU

S

BU

S

2

1

2

4

3

1 2 3 2

A green median helping pedestrians walk across - New York City, USA A protected bike lane, but not isolated Melbourne, Australia A generous crossing with traffic lights prioritizing people - Copenhagen, Denmark Bus stop with a safe boarding platform Copenhagen, Denmark

Wuhan — Public Life Public Space Study

57

How to Get Started | Typologies

Main Corridor

Transport

Public Life

Built Environment

Climate Resilience

• Embed the main route into the smaller-scale network.

• A more pleasant walking and biking experience with safe crossings.

• Traffic signaling programmed for people, not cars.

• Generous, wide infrastructure for bikes and e-bikes, and green wave for bikes where possible.

• Bicycle parking at stations and key destinations.

• Integration of public transport stops with comfortable waiting zones and bike parking.

• Make bus-dedicated lanes and phasing of signaling.

• Strengthen current public life with active ground floors, pocket parks and key destinations.

• Create places for recreation or leisure for people to engage in different activities.

• Strategically reduce parking to create space for public life.

• Continuous seating along the street for pedestrians to rest.

• Ensure frequent active ground floors, some with night-time activity.

• Densify with low-rise buildings to create a human scale environment.

• Activate the underutilized, inaccessible setbacks when there is a lack of meeting/ staying places in the area.

• Where possible, build generous sponge city concepts (permeable surfaces, rainwater retention areas on streets, etc.) and integrate into the design of setbacks.

• Micro-climate improvements (trees, shade) to incentivize walking and cycling.

• Improve connections across the street to green and blue amenities.

4

Activate area below metro with green or blue elements Active setbacks

2

50m

Active ground-floors every few hundred meters, especially around public transport and at crossings

50m

Seating, lighting and shade

1

3 Safe access to bus stop and pleasant waiting area

Integration of metro stop

58

Gehl — Making Cities for People

1

2

3

1 2 3 4

4

A kiosk on a railway station platform Copenhagen, Denmark A green setback with invitations to stay Street bioswells for water management and pollution alleviation, and a more pleasant micro-climate Low-rise fronts to high towers activating the street and creating a more pleasant scale Vancouver, Canada

Wuhan — Public Life Public Space Study

59

puq

iao

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lian

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an

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ling

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Case / Zhongshang Avenue North Completing the spine of the city Liu

Rd.

eng li S

t.

he

Rd.

W

Sh

ufu Zhongshan Avenue is a long street Rd. stretching through the whole of Hankou District. Its character Siw changes greatly over its length, ei R d. from a lively city street in the south to a rather inactive corridor in the north. The northern section has the potential of becoming a more people-friendly spine that truly connects the city.

Ery ao

Same street, different behavior.

Rd.

The existing bike infrastructure is fragmented

North

31%

39%

Weekday

7050

nR d.

22%

8%

33% 44%

Weekend

5328 16%

7%

A dominant tunnel exit cutting off views South 11%

14% 3%

Flow counts at 08:00, 12:00, 18:00 & 21:00 on Sat 09.03.19 and Tue 12.03.19.

Weekday

25362 72% 10%

Weekend

10%

Pedestrians Bikes E-bikes Cars

123 Total registrations

60

Gehl — Making Cities for People

2%

29412 78%

Crossings present frequent challenges

Before

M

M

M

M

From an interrupted street with an illegible identity...

...to a street with one identity and different characteristics

...to being well connected to the overall network with good crossings

...to diverse public spaces and activities for all

...to a green street with resilient pockets and connections to surrounding amenities

M

M

M

M

M

M

...to a high quality pedestrian, cycling and public transport environment

Wuhan — Public Life Public Space Study

M

61

Activate the edges

Before

Zhongshan Road meets Yiyuan at a busy crossing.

In a matter of minutes many activities are observed including dog walking, caregivers waiting for children to finish school, people lounging on mopeds, joggers passing by, and elderly people watching. These activities are not currently accommodated by the space, leaving people to either program it themselves or find another place to stay.

62

Gehl — Making Cities for People

Make use of open space and increase the amount of retention surfaces

Improved cycling and walking conditions, with a dedicated lane for both

a

add colalge

After

Keep existing trees and improve their maintenance

Better Bicycle crossings An improved crossing with a more efficient connection

How to Get Started | Typologies

City Street

Transport

Public Life

Built Environment

Climate Resilience

• Improve the pedestrian environment for a more pleasant experience.

• Provide excellent dedicated bicycle infrastructure with regular possibilities to stop and park at destinations, shops, and public transport.

• High quality design of public transport stations with generous waiting areas that are well embedded into the public space network.

• Introduce and regulate parking fees and communicate parking rules.

• Accommodate different users of a city street and provide them with needed functions and activities.

• Introduce regular commercial and noncommercial seating possibilities along the whole street.

• A pleasant environment will encourage people to stroll, dog walk, jog, etc. And not only to shop.

• Support life along city streets by allowing unique and cultural functions to spill out onto the street.

• Create generous space at the edge zones.

• A mix of functions should be placed along ground floors to ensure a high level of activity at all times.

• Turn city streets into green boulevards - Ensure enough trees provide shade for people strolling.

• Use permeable surfaces and consider biodiversity in planting.

Street trees providing shade Activated edge zone

1 Active ground floors and eyes on the street Varying street width

S

BU

BU

S

Lights for both cars, bikes and pedestrians

S

BU BU

3

S

S

BU

High quality pavement

2

Lane for bus and taxi

BU

S

64

Gehl — Making Cities for People

Public seating along the street

1

2

3

1 2 3 4

4

Street trees providing a good micro-climate, with active edges and a seating zone - Vester Voldgade, Copenhagen, Denmark A shared street with active ground floors Brighton, UK A creative planting scheme that increases local biodiversity while creating a unique experience - The Highline, New York City, USA Separated bike lanes and slow car traffic make this street comfortable for all modes of mobility - Vester Voldgade, Copenhagen, Denmark

Wuhan — Public Life Public Space Study

65

Zho ngs han A

an

eL nd

Rd.

Rd.

n.

St.

Ch

Case / Yiyuan Road A city street linking to the water

ez

ha

t.

Sh en gl iS Li

hu

an

gp

Rd .

o

Rd .

nR d.

Yiyuan Road has great local character with large residential condominiums in the east and more mixed-use buildings in the west towards the water. Today, the biggest challenges include the lack of a continuous pedestrian network, a poor connection to the waterfront and inactive setbacks.

0

500 1000 1500 2000

A place for everyday life

8 9 10

A lacking continuous pedestrian network

11 12 13 14

Qi

ng

da

15 16

Rd .

17

Rd .

ian

gA ve.

o

Yan j

g

Yiyu

Sa

yi

g

Ery ao

18 19

Pedestrians/hour

20

Weekday 12.03.19

21

Weekend 09.03.19 Dangerous crossings to the waterfront

High number of pedestrians

16% Cars

15% E-bikes

16794

Total registrations on 09.03.19 and 12.03.19 at 08:00, 12:00, 18:00 and 21:00

6% Bikes

66

Gehl — Making Cities for People

63% Pedestrians

Wide setbacks and inactive facades in the west

Before

resta large

1_7 500 + 10,0

+ 3,0

+ 3,0

+ 10,0 + 10,0

3,50

3,50

3,50

+ 6,0 + 6,0

2,00 2,00

+ 5,0

3,50

3,50 3,50

3,50 3,50

2,00 2,00

+ 3,0

+ 6,0

+ 5,0 + 5,0

+ 9,0 + 9,0

1_5 000

or

or After + 5,0

Street

+ 10,0 + 10,0

+ 3,0 + 3,0

+ 3,0 + 3,0

3,50 3,50

+ 6,0

+ 3,0

3,50 3,50

3,50 3,50

3,50 3,50

+ 5,0 + 5,0

+ 3,0 + 3,0

+ 6,0 + 6,0

open green setbacks

dedicated bike lane, raised and with safety bollards

ZOOM safety median with waiting zone for easier pedestrian crossing

activated setback

activated setback

active edge

extended sidewalk for better and safer crossing open schoolyard with playground and diverse seating

wider sidewalk

school drop-off

crossing at desire lines

1:3000 Activate Setback Extended sidewalk Bike lane

extended sidewalk at perpendicular street

Old trees New trees

crossing at desire lines

New crossings wider sidewalk

68

Gehl — Making Cities for People

fast sidewalk

slow sidewalk with seating

Yiyuan Street B commercial outdoor seating

flexible zone with pavement lights

B

E

S

B

B

E

S

S B

IK

E

S

IK

E

S

shaded public seating

mini playground

IK

E

lawn with trees and seasonal flowerbeds

IK

IK

1_1 000

bicycle parking raised pedestrian intersection permeable surface

BI

KE

S publicly accessible schoolyard

multi-use sports field

table tennis kiosk activating setback of public destination

1:500 activated entrance to the waterfront

Activate ground floor Permeable zones Bike lane Old trees New trees Bike parking Seating

safe crossing at the waterfront with median and extended sidewalk

Activity equipment

B

S

tree clusters with seating

E

miniature hilly landscape

IK

movable seating

Before

Yiyuan Road is a place where many spend their time.

People can be seen sitting on informal bollards or bringing their own seats to the street. Currently, a series of barriers are keeping pedestrians from navigating the street easily, making crossing difficult and pushing bikes onto the sidewalks. Given the popularity of the street and connection to amenities, there are quick gains to be had here.

70

Gehl — Making Cities for People

Less on street parking, more public life Good way-finding to the nearest metro or bus Generous bike lanes and parking

After

Trees and sun sails creating a pleasant micro climate

Activate setbacks: diverse activities, both commercial and noncommercial Open Ground floors A variety of different uses that spill out to the outdoor area

Create a pleasant walking environment

How to Get Started | Typologies

Local Street

Transport

Public Life

Built Environment

Climate Resilience

• Introduce traffic calming measures to increase safety and support local street life.

• Consider making residential parking zones or short term parking zones when many shops are present.

• Provide clear bike and e-bike parking zones out of the way of people walking.

• When traffic volumes are low, create shared streets for bike and car traffic.

• Create a range of local meeting places for the neighborhood .

• Make sure that there is an attractive public space in a 10 minute walking radius of every resident to reduce people driving to amenities.

• Provide spaces that accommodate the needs of different users - Both age and gender.

• Create generous sidewalks to allow for commercial activity while not disturbing the pedestrian flows.

• Make sure there is plenty of attractive and useful street furniture.

• Permit local food vendors to have outdoor seating areas.

• Create landscaping as green storm-water infrastructure Greening the street, calming traffic and offering more invitations for staying.

• Support meeting places with planting that produces a quality micro-climate.

Active building edges

Lights at different levels for cars/ bikes and pedestrians

4 3 Social seating with possibility for games and activities

Way-finding to destinations

2

Residential/short term parking

72

Gehl — Making Cities for People

Trees providing shade

1

1

2

3

1 2 3 4

4

An activated edge zone under shade from trees - Malmö, Sweden Commercial seating strategically placed in the shade - Madrid, Spain Traffic calming elements designed with natural pods Curb extensions (bulb outs) acting as traffic calming infrastructure and bike parking placement - San Francisco, USA

Wuhan — Public Life Public Space Study

73

Zho ngs

Ery ao

Rd.

an ezh Ch .

Rd

Yiyu

an

Sa

Rd.

n.

Yo

eL nd

uyi

St.

Case / Youyi Street A local street with commercial and everyday life Ch

Sh en gl iS

t.

ez

La

nl

He

zu

o

in

g

ha

nR d.

Youyi Street is an exciting local Li street hu for everyday life with many a smallngshops and restaurants. po Rd Living areas surround the street, . with many gates to alleyways facing Youyi Street, making it even more lively. Challenges include missing sidewalks and a lack of public seating options.

Rd .

Rd .

The only surveyed space dominated by men

35%

Qi

Women

ng

Sh

an

gh

ai

g

Rd .

gA ve.

in

o

Rd .

65%

ian

nj

da

Men

Yan j

Na

A local street with many small scale shops

Rd .

High number of pedestrians

Nowhere to sit for rest or socializing

7%

Cars

24% E-bikes

7716

Total registrations on 09.03.19 and 12.03.19 at 08:00, 12:00, 18:00 and 21:00

12% Bikes

74

Gehl — Making Cities for People

57% Pedestrians

A missing continuous pedestrian network

Before

e

e

After

3,00

3,00

2,50

3,00

6,00

3,00

3,00

3,00

2,50

3,00

6,00

3,00

Wuhan — Public Life Public Space Study

75

Youyi Street 1_1 000

Youyi Street

TO DO:

extended sidewalk at perpendicular street

. Surface for shared street . Legend . Add reference photos

extended sidewalk at perpendicular street

wider sidewalk

pedestrian crossings at desire lines

ZOOM

activate with stationary invitations

1:3000 Activate Setback

BI

KE

S

Extended sidewalk Old trees New trees New crossings

76

Gehl — Making Cities for People

accessibility for people with reduced mobility

waiting zone and drop off school bus

pedestrian crossing at desire lines talk-scape seating pedestrian crossing at desire lines with extended sidewalk

parking on permeable surface

wider sidewalk

extended sidewalk with public seating

seating stairs

raised pockets with shaded seating

accessibility for people with reduced mobility

pocket with permeable surface and green wall active ground floors existing stairs

1:500 Activate ground floor Old trees New trees Car parking Seating Permeable surface

Wuhan — Public Life Public Space Study

77

Before

Extended public seating offer

A speed reduced traffic environment for both, bicyclists and cars

Youyi Street is already a hub of bustling energy, from school children walking home, buying after-school snacks, to local community members shopping throughout the day. By minimizing clutter, providing easy-to-access bike and e-bike parking, and creating places to rest and pause, this street has great potential to provide a comfortable everyday experience to the many who frequent it.

78

Gehl — Making Cities for People

To be de

After

Reduce and rearrange car parking On permeable surfaces

Green pockets Activate small setbacks with vertical green and permeable surfaces

eveloped

Make use of existing level difference through seating stairs and terraced green

A shaded, green walking environment

How to Get Started | Typologies

Pedestrian Street

Transport

Public Life

Built Environment

Climate Resilience

• Remove traffic barriers at intersections to make pedestrian streets truly continuous and comfortable.

• Bollards are necessary to keep bikes, cars and e-bikes out, but integrate them into the overall street design and ensure they are not obstacles for pedestrians.

• Remove on-street parking, and only allow for delivery in morning or evening.

• Improve connections to the surrounding streets with way-finding.

• Put parking for e-bikes and bikes at street entrances and along side streets to not obstruct pedestrian flows.

• Extend and connect the network in order to release pressure from the highly frequented pedestrian streets.

• Provide other opportunities than commercial activities • Balance public seating with commercial seating by making it available and frequent • Embrace flexibility by allowing for other functions when shops are not open.

• Balance the distribution of active ground floors.

• Ensure high quality design and maintenance and implement a coherent furnishing system for a strong identity and legibility.

• Create a role model barrierfree street with a good wayfinding system.

• Ensure consistent lighting that supports night-time activity and safety.

• Maintain the existing street trees and improve the microclimate by adding more.

• Provide other shading/ shelter elements to allow for a comfortable micro-climate when walking or staying.

• The existing seating possibilities need to be shaded.

• Introduce climate resilient design elements especially when the pedestrian streets open up to a wider street or to a square.

s

oe

Sh

activity zones for more than just commercial activity

generous trees lining the street

non commercial seating

2 1 3

planters as bollards

5

4

80

Gehl — Making Cities for People

bike parking in the side streets which still gives unhindered access to pedestrians

1

2

4

3

5

1

2 3 3 4

A green tree canopy inviting people to stroll, even when not shopping with high quality materials and design adding to the atmosphere - Madrid, Spain Pedestrian street with non-commercial seating elements - Copenhagen, Denmark Large steel enforced planters instead of bollards - Herald Square, New York City (© DOT) Dedicated bike parking zones along sidestreets of a busier street - Nanjing Street, Shanghai Local identity being harnessed through lighting

Wuhan — Public Life Public Space Study

81

How to Get Started | Typologies

Alleyways

Transport

Public Life

Built Environment

Climate Resilience

• Don’t allow car parking within the narrow alleyways.

• Create dedicated on-street parking zones for bikes and especially for cars, for residents in front of the gates.

• Reduce obstacles and clutter for better pedestrian accessibility and access for vulnerable groups.

• Emphasize the neighborhood meeting places to strengthen local life and relationships.

• Add more seating options for people to meet outside their homes.

• Add activities such as sports equipment and mahjong tables where there is room.

• Maintain the built structure while softly upgrading the design quality of buildings and spaces.

• Introduce commercial functions carefully and balance them with residential needs.

• Create a distinctive entrance for sense of place and local identity because this is where most commercial activity takes place.

• Make a sewage and water management system and upgrade to avoid flooding.

• Add more permeable surfaces even in the narrow alleyways.

• Introduce more green - If no space, then on walls, in small pockets, and on roofs • Green pergolas can provide shade while at the same time marking important local meeting places.

Entrance situation

Green walls can add biodiversity when no space for green area

2

3 Bike parking

Short term parking

Good crossing

4

Semi-private zone where residents can put out their furniture and plants

82

Gehl — Making Cities for People

Space for activities, shaded by a pergola

1 2 3 4

1

2

3

4

Special lighting elements used as way-finding Athens, Greece Creatively decorated alleyway facades with planting walls - Melbourne, Australia A dedicated bike parking area in front of an alleyway entrance - Shanghai, China Seating for neighbours to rest, meet each other, and people watch in a local street Chongqing, China

Wuhan — Public Life Public Space Study

83

an .

Rd

Yiyu

an

Sa Ch

ez

t. hu

lin

g

an

gp

Rd .

g

o

Rd .

3% gA ve.

in

da

9% 1% E-bikes

Residential life is vibrant and informal

An alleyway for pedestrians

Cars

Bikes

ian

nj

Rd .

Rd .

Yan j

Na

ng

nR d.

Sande Alleyway is one of the more residential areas with a pleasant human scale structure.

The alleyways are the center of everyday life, with neighbors chatting outside, clothes drying, and children playing. They are very narrow with parked cars narrowing them even further. They are also poorly maintained with basic services in need of improvement and are currently under renovation.

Rd .

Qi

o

ha

Case / Sande Alley A local alleyway with thriving life

Sh en gl iS Li

an

Rd.

n.

Yo

eL nd

uyi

St.

87% Pedestrians

Parked cars make an already narrow space, even narrower

Pedestrian flow peaking in the morning 0 50 100 150 200 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

84

Gehl — Making Cities for People

Pedestrians/hour Weekday 12.03.19 Weekend 09.03.19

A lacking standard for maintenance or appealing design

T T S S Before

before before

After

after after

2,00

2,00

2,00

2,00 2,00

2,00 2,00

2,00 2,00

2,00

2,00 2,00

2,00 2,00

2,00 2,00 2,00 2,00

or

or or

00

00 Wuhan — Public Life Public Space Study

85

Before

These small-scale, fine-grain neighborhoods should be upgraded, but carefully, so as to not obstruct the local atmosphere. The structures are human scaled, and present some opportunities for interaction between local residents. However, the spaces do not accommodate or encourage interaction because they lack quality seating and infrastructure such as informal meeting places, sports equipment, and planned parking for bikes/e-bikes. The infrastructure that does exist is poorly maintained.

Improve existing urban furniture: high quality benches with seasonal flowerbeds

A greener environment through permeable surfaces

86

Gehl — Making Cities for People

After

A pergola with greenery providing shade No car parking in the alley creating more space for people, residential parking zones at the entrances

Outdoor gym for the local neighborhood

Dedicated parking space for bicycles and e-bikes

How to Get Started | Typologies

Food / Market Street

Transport

Public Life

Built Environment

Climate Resilience

• Close food streets for private vehicles, at specific times of the day or permanently.

• Reduce obstacles for pedestrians by cleaning up the street and allocating specific zones for vendors.

• Create dedicated bike parking at the street entrances, in the side streets, and on the street - If space allows it.

• Establish way-finding along public transportation routes to and from popular food streets.

• Offer seating possibilities for people to sit and enjoy the food - If possible make sure street furniture also includes some tables.

• Support the rhythm of the street with good lighting, shading/shelter, and furnishing flexibility.

• Organize the edge zones Give vendors more space and mark dedicated zones for offering their goods.

• Maintain informal character by continuing to let vendors spill out.

• Celebrate the entrance to the food street by creating a generous entrance situation with clear communication.

• Introduce permeable surfaces and more trees along the streets, which can also be used as traffic calming measures.

Green zones

4

1 Social seating

Active edge zones for vendors and restaurants

88

Gehl — Making Cities for People

Bike parking

1

2

3

1 2 3 4

4

Street trees that cover integrated commercial serving areas and public seating together Tokyo, Japan A popular food street allowing people to sit and enjoy - Burlington, Vermont Temporary easy-to-move commercial street seating - Portland, Oregon Active edges and a stimulating environment for street eating - Straedet, Copenhagen, Denmark

Wuhan — Public Life Public Space Study

89

Zho ngs han Av

Ery ao

Rd.

an ezh Ch .

Rd

Yiyu

Sa

an

eL nd

Rd.

n.

yi

You

St.

Case / Tiansheng Street A lively food market street for locals Ch

Sh en gl iS

t.

ez

La

nl

o

Tiansheng is an exciting street characterized by the daily rhythms of food consumption. The food Li hu an streets are where people meet, gp oshare news, and feel city life, Rd . making them important places for commerce. Car domination paired with high flows of other street users and a lack of a clear entrance and exit makes the area feel chaotic.

Rd .

Rd .

Mainly pedestrians

14%

A street layout not supporting pedestrians or bikes

1% Cars

E-bikes

Qi

ng

da

o

Rd .

Bikes

Na

nj

in

g

Rd .

iR d.

Sample flow counts at 12:00 ,16:00 on Thur 14.03.19

10% ian gA ve.

zu

g

nR d.

75% Pedestrians

Yan j

He

in

ha

An active place for local consumers

High commercial activity, and dominated by women Waiting for transport

Men

Cultural Activity

Women

Physical/Playing Reading/Resting Using Technology Chatting Eating Buying Selling

90

Gehl — Making Cities for People

Tiansheng Food Street Tiansheng Food Street after

Before ground floor food and commercial

info

2,00

4,00

2,50

2,00

efore

info

or

efore

1,00

1,50

8,00

or info

ground floor 1,00food and 8,00 commercial

1,50

info

2,00

2,50

4,00

2,00

After

after

nd floor and mercial

ground floor food and commercial

info

after

nd floor and mercial

1_2 002,00

4,00

2,50

2,00

ground floor food and commercial

info

2,00 Wuhan — Public Life Public Space Study

or

4,00

2,50

2,00 91

BIK ES RY IVE DEL KING PA R BIK ES

green pocket park shared street, one-way for cars and two-way for bicyclists

car parking

Tiansheng Food Street

pockets with permeable surface, trees, seating, bicycle parking, and delivery zones

OM ZO

meandering street do reduce speed of delivery cars

temporary delivery parking

celebrate the entrance to the food street

mobile vending stalls

1:3000

seating with tables at the corner

Car parking Pocket park Old trees New trees New crossings

92

Gehl — Making Cities for People

special pavement to celebrate the entrance to the food street raised pedestrian intersection

sidewalk, same level as street

human scale lighting

permeable surface and bicycle parking

shaded seating with small tables

BIK

extended commercial zone

ES

1:500 Activate ground floor Planting zones Old trees

RY IVE DEL KING PA R

New trees Short term car parking Seating Bike parking Bollards Lighting BIK ES

Shared space

movable bollards, access for delivery (only outside of peak hours) LED lights in pavement

bollards to prevent cars from parking

Wuhan — Public Life Public Space Study

93

Before

Currently people are able to enter the street, buy food and leave, with no places to stop and stay. The street is choked by people, cars, bikes and e-bikes with little organization. The lack of structure forces people to negotiate the car-traffic, making the street uncomfortable. A clear entrance to a shared street with restricted car access will help people continue their daily routines without the stress of competing for space.

Celebrate the users by offering generous space for both vendors and customers

94

Gehl — Making Cities for People

After

Sufficient bicycle parking: dedicated zones for bicycle and e-bike parking Create new invitations for staying

Multi-use zones Permeable surfaces with public seating, trees and human scale lighting

A meandering lane with reduced speed and prioritization of pedestrians

Close the street for cars, allow deliveries at certain times

How to Get Started | Typologies

Historical Street

Transport

Public Life

Built Environment

Climate Resilience

• Reduce or calm car-traffic to celebrate the historical importance of the street.

• Reduce parking in front of historical buildings and key destinations.

• Create a long-term strategy for car access to historic routes.

• Integrate public transportation options into the street design.

• When traffic volumes are low, create shared streets for bike and car traffic.

• Offer seating possibilities at historical buildings or at key destinations, but also along the route, as people walk along the whole length.

• Activate existing historical buildings, renovate and maintain, open up, and add public functions.

• Widen the sidewalk at important buildings to make sure they can spill out into the public space.

• Add a high quality design of streets (pavement, furniture) to highlight historic routes.

• Emphasize street character and buildings through lighting.

• Keep existing street trees and add new ones to create a boulevard character and a pleasant micro-climate.

• A greening strategy can be used to underline the street identity.

Historical building

Short-term parking

1

IN

FO

3 Celebrate the building site with attractive lights, greenery and seating

Short-term parking

96

Gehl — Making Cities for People

1

2

3

4

1

Well organized and highlighted pathway to a district’s municipal building - Vienna, Austria 2 Temporary seating activating an interesting historical area - Vienna, Austria 3 Way-finding signs helping visitors and locals navigate the city - Vienna, Austria 4 A playful water element bringing activity to a historical museum - Copenhagen, Denmark

Wuhan — Public Life Public Space Study

97

Zho ngs han Ave .

Rd.

Do

n gt

in g

St

Ery ao

Sa

Yiyu

eL nd n.

Sh en gl iS

t.

ez

hu

an

gp

o

Rd .

Rd.

Case / Dongting and Poyang Street Towards a world-class historic route

Ch

Li

an

ng St Poya

ha

n R Dongting d.

and Poyang Street are an important historical spine with many well-known buildings lining them, and old trees making them green and lush. However, the overall street design does not reflect its important role in the city. Dominated by parking, the buildings don’t land well in relation to the surrounding public spaces, which are often poorly maintained.

Balanced mobility

27% Cars

Scenes are occurring that are unworthy of this historical street

3000

Total registrations on 09.03.19 and 12.03.19 at 08:00, 12:00, 18:00 and 21:00

20%

41%

Pedestrians

12%

E-bikes

gA ve.

Bikes

Historical buildings can be inactive and inaccessible

Yan j

ian

Varying rhythms on weekdays and weekends 0

100

200

300

400

500

600

8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

98

Gehl — Making Cities for People

Pedestrians/hour Weekday 12.03.19 Weekend 09.03.19

Lacking a local character or identity

Dongting Street (historical street) Dongting Street (historical street) + 2,50

3,00

before

Before

after

before

fter

2,50

4,50

important historical building

info

27

3,00 + 2,50

3,00

4,50

+ 2,50

3,00

4,50

+ 2,50

2,50

4,00

2,50

or

2,50

or OPTION B Standard buildings along Dongting street

After

OPTION A Important historical and community buildings along Dongting street

3,00

+ 6,50

2,50

after

r

info

27

3,00

+ 2,50

4,00

2,50

info

27

3,00

+ 2,50

Wuhan — Public Life Public Space Study

4,00

2,50 99

1_500

Dongting his

activated building edge and extended surrounding sidewalk

pedestrian crossing at desire lines with extended sidewalk

activated ‘important building’ on the street and its surrounding outdoor space

increase tree planting where width of sidewalk allows along whole stretch of Dongting street

ZOOM

allow pedestrians to cross where it is safest and most efficient

1:3000 Important Historical Buildings Old Trees New Trees New/Improved Pedestrian Crossings Widened Sidewalk 100

Gehl — Making Cities for People

storical street

new pedestrian crossing at desire lines

LED lights in the pavement public seating framing the building entrance special pavement at the entrance of community building way-finding system and info about the building

let historical buildings open up to the public by activating ground floors

car parking on permeable surface

shared space with street width that allows for oneway car lane and two-way bicycle lane

increase tree planting where width of sidewalk allows

pedestrian crossing at desire lines with extended sidewalk

1:500 Activate Ground floor Permeable Grass/Short Term Parking Special Pavement in Front of Historical Building Old Trees New Trees Seating Way-finding System Wuhan — Public Life Public Space Study

101

Before

Lined with historical buildings, this street has the potential to give locals a sense of belonging and identity, while providing visitors with a clear sense of place.

Construction hinders the ability to walk, while other sidewalks are too narrow to walk with ease, forcing many to walk on the street. Wider sidewalks, more vegetation, opening up the historical buildings and a clear way-finding scheme will make this a focal point for the district.

Celebrate historical buildings and activate surrounding outdoor space

Mark the destination with a proper info board

a

Special pavement: highlight the entrance with h quality pavement and LED lig

Develop maintenance and design standards: High quality pavement and furniture

102

Gehl — Making Cities for People

After

Fill vacant buildings with life and create mixed use neighborhoods

add colalge

high ghts

Frame the entrance with unique invitations to stay

Reduce and reorganize parking, create permeable surfaces

How to Get Started | Typologies

Pocket Park

Transport

Public Life

Built Environment

Climate Resilience

• Embed the pocket park into the pedestrian network.

• Add bike and e-bike parking to the entrance.

• Establish way-finding along public transportation routes to and from pocket parks.

• Ensure pocket parks foster local community and neighborhood life.

• Offer space for different users and age groups to carry out a range of activities.

• Ensure there is at least one active function in the ground floor facing the park to create a safe environment.

• Maintain the pocket parks and keep them attractive for use.

• Turn underutilized setbacks, parking lots or infill into small unique pocket parks.

• Design parks with climate resilient infrastructure - Use elements such as permeable surfaces, water retention basins, etc. To make them more effective at handling storm-water.

• Introduce a variety of different species for a rich biodiversity.

• More than just green - Focus on the function that the green spaces create for people.

Play elements for children with seating facing them

Green walls add biodiversity

1

Active corners

2

3 4

Pergola with social seating and opportunities for board games

Bike parking

104

Gehl — Making Cities for People

Opportunities to relax

1

2

3

1 2 3 4

4

Small green space for informal meetings under tree shade - Copenhagen, Denmark Small pocket park to seek peace and quiet New York City, USA A shaded flexible area in a linear park - Paris’ 17 arrondissement, France A pergola offering shade and seating on a side street - San Francisco, USA

Wuhan — Public Life Public Space Study

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How to Get Started | Typologies

Metro Square

Transport

Public Life

Built Environment

Climate Resilience

• Make the interchange between different modes of public, shared and individual transport as direct as possible.

• Base the design of the metro squares on pedestrian flows to allow uninterrupted access.

• Create dedicated bike parking close to the metro entrance which is not in pedestrian desire lines, safe from theft and if possible sheltered.

• Drop-on and off zones for taxis and carpooling.

• Create attractive waiting areas for public transport which also serve as everyday meeting places.

• Complement the functional character of metro stations and allow for additional activities.

• Ensure a certain level of activity through active ground floors of surrounding buildings and kiosks, also providing ‘eyes on the street’.

• Use durable and resistantto-pedestrian pressure, high-quality materials.

• Use a common identity but underline individual character of each station.

• Create a way-finding scheme.

• Cater for vulnerable users with accessible design.

• Include climate-resilient design infrastructure where possible when undertaking redesigns and building new station areas.

• Produce a pleasant microclimate for waiting.

Green area for people-waiting and other visitors, with options to sit and to activate

Bike parking next to metro, with weather protection

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Easy to get from the bus to the metro and vice versa

Way-finding

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Playful swings activating the Triumfalnaya Square and Metro Station - Moscow, Russia An information centre pavilion that can be permanent or temporary - Shanghai, China A temporary pavilion offering scheduled events and a daily place for rest - Copenhagen, Denmark Convenient bus interchange with shelter and seating - Melbourne, Australia

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How to Get Started | Typologies

City Square

Transport

Public Life

Built Environment

Climate Resilience

• Ensure the square is well embedded into the pedestrian network - Connect it to surrounding streets.

• Provide crossings following people’s desire lines and use continuous level of pavement.

• Add generous bike parking in locations where pedestrian flows are not disturbed.

• Integrate existing public transport stations into the public space design of the city square.

• Regulate and ticket sidewalk and on-square parking.

• Provide a good mix of commercial and noncommercial seating.

• Program for flexible use, but don’t over program.

• Ensure urban plazas and squares foster life between different ages and user groups.

• Program and permit events and temporary activities.

• Allow for street vendors to bring vibrant atmosphere to squares.

• Increase the levels of activity in the surrounding buildings to support life on the square.

• Ensure institutions and landmarks near the square are reflected in the public space (e.g. Public art in front of the museum, outdoor reading area at the library).

• Use high quality materials and furnishings of unique character to support the square’s identity.

• Provide a pleasant microclimate with shade and shelter through trees and built structures like membranes and roofs to allow the square to be used at all times of the day and in all seasons.

• Use paved surfaces where flexible activities take place, but introduce more permeable surfaces and resilient planting.

Multiple active floors Activity space for groups with possibility of shade

Active edge zone with serving areas

Reinforced grass with shaded public seating

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4 Crossing at desire lines and well connected into the surrounding network

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Play, shade and seating opportunities tucked away in residential areas - Beziers, France A place to create your own perfect seating Place de la Republique, Lyon Plenty of room for seating and moving through - Somerville, Boston Many options for non-commercial seating and a choice of sun or shade - Copenhagen, Denmark

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How to Get Started | Typologies

Construction Site

Transport

Public Life

Built Environment

Climate Resilience

• Despite the construction work, make sure that there are safe conditions for cycling and walking -Use bollards or planters to make sure people are protected from moving traffic.

• Rather reduce car lanes than compromise on people’s safety.

• Measuring the effects of this alternative ‘temporary situation’ can serve as a base for informing about permanent changes in street design.

• Public transport stops should be safe, well marked and pleasant also during construction - Playful station design can be tested.

• Test functions, which could take place in the area in the future, along construction sites and evaluate their success.

• Activate future construction site plots which are still inactive with temporary functions e.g. Sports, play, outdoor cinema, etc.

• Engage the public in the temporary projects to create a strong sense of community.

• Activate the construction site wall, e.g. With art, information boards about the ongoing project, playful elements, greenery, etc.

• Temporary shops can be placed around construction sites instead of a wall and can be moved elsewhere afterwards - A way of testing, activating a street and creating a sense of place.

• Provide good lighting, also during construction period.

• Trees and greenery in planters can provide a more pleasant micro-climate.

• Use membranes and temporary roofs for shelter to create a more pleasant micro-climate.

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Art alongside the metro construction Copenhagen, Denmark A temporary public space with seating and shade - Frederiksberg, Denmark Temporary activation of a future construction site - Copenhagen, Denmark Replacing the construction site fences with temporary shop and restaurant units, creating a fantastic attractive small-scale buffer to the ongoing construction.

Chongqing, China

Wuhan — Public Life Public Space Study

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In Wuhan, large fenced construction sites pose a big challenge to people’s urban lives. The walls face the road with blank, uninteresting facades - Often with a length of many hundreds of meters. They do not offer temporary infrastructure alongside them for pedestrians and cyclists, which is putting users in danger as they are forced to walk or cycle directly on the car lane instead.

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Plant pots as a protection from traffic

After Temporary art wall where local artists can exhibit their current artwork

Use currently inactive construction sites and program them temporarily

Dedicated bicycle lane and sidewalk to allow continuous access along construction sites

Celebrate the bus stop, an important everyday meeting place, with playful urban furniture

Dedicated bus lane: A rapid transport lane free from traffic jam

From Strategic Vision to Action Collaborate in new ways When facilitating change, it is often crucial to collaborate across agendas and departments in new ways and seek out partners who will work towards a shared vision.

Setting goals and measuring the impact of change is key.

The goals can help guide the change process, while measuring the impact can track and communicate project success.

high- need to have

The indicators can serve to evaluate the implementation of the overall strategy, to assess the success of specific pilots, and to carry out short-term projects that are easy to implement. The indicators are based on public life targets which can be measured using a range of tools and are set to track impact and success of implemented projects.

Opportunity

low - nice to have

high - easy

Impact

low - hard

Prioritization matrix

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Build on collaboration Encourage collaboration across departments, sectors and agencies, and also ensure internal processes within the WPDI promote collaboration across departments.

Engage new partners Good partnerships can bring additional expertise, knowledge and support into your work and can act as multipliers of change. Partnerships can include local businesses, schools, universities, developers, or NGOs. See citizens as a resource Involve citizens to identify needed projects or upgrades by asking them directly (can be done like the PinHankou Survey) or by getting their support in the design, evaluation and refinement of projects.

Pilot projects as a standard for testing Pilots create momentum, showcase projects at an early stage and support communication between stakeholders, and also allow the observation of behavioral change. Even when not following a temporary approach, a measure-test-refine strategy is key: Save 10% of the construction budget for later adjustments.

Document and communicate progress In order to understand how people use their city today and what can be done to improve life in the future, it is crucial to measure and document change and communicate it transparently to the public.

Big strategies and “low-hanging fruit” Working across time-spans and scales is crucial: Develop strong strategies for the future, but also build projects in the short-term, which are low hanging fruit and are cheap to implement, easy to get approved and have a big impact. When deciding on which project to prioritize, the following matrix can be used.

Indicators to measure progress

Transport More people walking Movement counts More people on bikes and e-bikes Movement counts Less waiting time at crossings Public space observation and timing Less jaywalking Movement counts Higher number of dedicated bike crossings Public space observation More cyclists using the bike lane in comparison to the street or sidewalk Movement count 50% less illegal parking Public space observations More public transport users Passenger numbers

WPDI

Public Life A more diverse range of activities in public space Stationary activity mapping Increase in # of people stationary in streets Stationary activity mapping More age groups present in public space, especially children and elderly Stationary activity mapping Activities at all times of the day, week and year Stationary activity mapping More public seating offered and occupied Public space observation, seating mapping/count + Stationary activity mapping (position) A variety of public space types within walking distance in all neighborhoods Public space mapping, Typology and program index Increase in public life activity across more public spaces in the neighborhood - Stationary activity mapping

Wuhan — Public Life Public Space Study

Built Environment Decrease pedestrian movement obstacles in streets Public space observation, obstacle mapping Increased accessibility for vulnerable users Intercept / Online survey Increase in linear meters of active ground floors Public space observation, ground floor mapping Ground floor activity visible in public space Public space observation, ground floor mapping Better lighting Public space observation and mapping, Intercept / Online survey Reduction in noise levels dB measurement Improved feeling of safety - Online survey and public space mapping of safety indicators

Climate Resilience Increase in m2 of green surfaces in the city GIS, increase in m2 Increase in # of street trees - Public space observation mapping of trees - GIS Less water in the sewage system after heavy rainfalls - Precipitation sensor Higher bio-diversity of flora and fauna Study of species density within an area Decrease in temperature measured in public space in the summer Temperature measurement Reduced levels of pollution - Air quality index / measurements Better access to green and blue amenities Increase in number of people entering the amenity, Intercept Survey

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ANAL

LYSIS

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The following analysis is the result of the PSPL study - Conducted by over 30 local university students.

The types of data collected were movement counts and stationary counts, alongside additional observations carried out by Gehl, CSTC and WPDI. This analysis should be used as a reference to support the Recommendations and Key Moves.

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Methodologies ...!

0238

The PSPL Methodology

Processing the PSPL

A PSPL provides empirical evidence and arguments for improving the public realm.

We survey people’s personal sentiment and count people moving through the city on different modes of transportation.

We map where and how people stay, the activities they engage in, and the demographics of people present or missing from the public realm.

Once the PSPL is conducted we gather the data in a Gehl owned People-Data Database. Processing PSPL data allows us to tell stories of the life of a place. Once we understand a place, and compare it to data collected in other cities, we can begin to decifer what changes are needed in the physical environment to create a more sustainable and livable city for all.

Gehl tools applied ? in Wuhan

• Movement Counts of pedestrians, bicycles, e-bikes and motorized traffic (cars, buses, lorries) • Activity Mapping • Age and Gender Registrations • Mapping • Observation • dB Measurements • Test Walks

...!...!...!

0238 02380238

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Counting

Observation

Activity mapping

Data on how people behave in public space

PinStreet Hankou App

Big data analysis

The PinStreet Hankou investigation invited people to participate in a transportation and public space improvement activity, by collecting their opinions about the walking and staying environment of Hankou, the different modes of transport and the general public space design. It was held in three different spots within the district on March 9th and 10th. The key outcomes of the survey are used throughout the report.

Additionally, a big data analysis was carried out by CityDNA around the survey locations to get an insight into where people stay, both indoors and outdoors. This data was used to qualify the PSPL study conducted by Gehl. Data privacy has been respected for the collection of this data.

Wuhan — Public Life Public Space Study

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PSPL Studies Gehl Copenhagen

Gehl has conducted Public Space Public Life studies (PSPL) in cities around the world, producing empirical evidence and arguments for improving public space.

Gehl New York

Gehl San Francisco

Gehl’s work is based on the research conducted by professor Jan Gehl. With the human dimension as a starting point, he has worked to improve cities for over 50 years.

↑ Map of the cities where Gehl has worked over the years.

ALMATY

4 STRATEGIES FOR SHANGHAI RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT

TOWARDS A PEOPLE ORIENTED WATERFRONT

LIVABILITY AND GREEN MOBILITY

TOWARDS A LIVEABLE AND LEGIBLE CITY PUBLIC SPACE PUBLIC LIFE 2015

XUHUI

A LIVABILITY AND GREEN MOBILITY STRATEGY

HUANGPU

SHANGHAI

SHANGHAI

BASED ON A PUBLIC SPACES & PUBLIC LIFE SURVEY

NOVEMBER 2015

1

Towards a Livable and Legible City, Almaty, Kazakhstan

Huangpu, Shanghai After a PSPL study that surveyed key streets and spaces in Shanghai, Gehl developed a strategy for the Huangpu District. Clear recommendations for a more people-friendly district were created, with visualizations illustrating the changes along selected streets in more detail.

We conducted a PSPL study that described the current situation and made strategies to guide development – Mainly focusing on the central areas of the existing city center.

Recommendations included creating a well-balanced transport system, utilizing the wide streets to cater for a mixture of all transport modes, and creating a city that is accessible and attractive for pedestrians.

Xuhui Livability and Green Mobility, Shanghai

Towards a People-oriented Waterfront, Shanghai

Gehl created a strategy for liveable and green mobility, better connecting Xuhui to the rest of Shanghai. Generous sidewalks, dedicated bike routes, efficient public transport and traffic calming measures allow access for all modes, and support people-friendly mobility. Cultural destinations, public spaces, pocket squares and programmed local streets are now better connected and form the backbone of the Xuhui District.

For a long time, the route along Huangpu Riverfront was broken into small segments with almost no bicycle routes and a lack of pedestrian priority, lacking coherence and connectivity. Gehl developed a strategy with a focus on nonmotorized access throughout the riverfront, dealing with issues such as eliminating obstacles and detours along the river. In the last few years, the city have implemented this strategy and today the riverfront is connected on a stretch of 42km.

Public Space Public Life Studies by Gehl

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Wuhan, China

2019

Lausanne Switzerland

2018

Xuhui, China Sofia, Bulgaria

Bern, Switzerland

2017

Shanhghai, China

Almaty, Kazakhstan

2016

Shanghai, China

Eskilstuna, Sweden

Mar del Plata, Argentina

2015

Oslo,Norway

2014

Moscow, Russia

2013

Adelaide, Australia

2012

Hobart, Australia Launceston, Australia Melbourne, Australia

Chongqing, China

Auckland, New Zealand

2011

Istanbul, Turkey

Christchurch, New Zealand

2010

Perth, Australia

2009 Seattle, Washington, USA

2008

Svendborg, Denmark Odense, Denmark

New York City, USA Rotterdam, Holland

2007

Sydney, Australia

Copenhagen, Denmark

2006

A People-First Approach

72˚

Hotel

Alleyway

degree viewing angle

Our work is based on the human dimension – The built environment’s effect on social interaction between people. People experience the city using all of their senses. The starting point for this project is to put Wuhan at eye-level and prioritize a ‘peopleoriented’ focus in the planning process.

Walking We walk at an average of 5km per hour and we experience many details at this speed.

A 5-minute walk can feel longer or shorter depending on the level of variation when walking along facades and public spaces.

People need stimuli that appeals to all their senses & environments that make them feel comfortable.

People tend to walk slowly, meaning that human scale and social environments can invite for a diverse range of activities, while large-scale, unpleasant environments cannot.

Hearing A positive and low sound-scape is important for human well-being and communication.

Seeing people, spaces & buildings

Distances

Smelling A desirably scented environment is stimulating and can positively affect our emotional state.

5km

0,5-3,7M

30M

Recognising individuals & one-way communication

Talking & interacting

0,5M

Intimate distance, strong impressions

72˚

visual angle

20M

Recognising faces & emotions

Our senses are mainly horizontal and our sight range is limited when we look upwards.

Wuhan — Public Life Public Space Study

Distances play an important role when we experience cities and social contact increases when we get closer.

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Transport The Hankou District has a rich mix of mobility options and is of a compact and walkable scale. Though there are high pedestrian, bike and e-bike volumes in the district, the car still dominates. The public transport network is broad but there is a need to improve the inter-modal changes of stations and their integration in the street network.

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Analysis | Transport

Mobility in Hankou District Potentials A diverse mix of mobility The district is comprised of pedestrians, cyclists, people riding e-bikes and driving cars. All modes are sharing the streets, often in close proximity when navigating their way around the district. The modal share indicates that the majority of locations counted have the highest volume of pedestrians and e-bikes. Only in key transit corridors do cars out-number pedestrians and e-bikes.

There is more movement during weekends than weekdays. Even though bikes, e-bikes and cars are dropping in numbers, there’s a big rise in pedestrians.

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29% Cars

56% Pedestrians

12% E-bikes

3% Bikes

Flow counts at 08:00, 12:00, 18:00 & 21:00 on 12.03.19 and 09.03.19, all locations combined, including pedestrian streets

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Analysis | Transport

Motorized traffic Challenges Parked cars as barriers Despite the overall low share of driving cars, we observed very little space given to pedestrians and bikes/e-bikes, and instead given to car traffic and parking. Parked cars can be the most significant obstacles on many streets. Along one section of Shengli Street, 40% of the parked cars were parked illegally. This was not a unique finding, indicating that cars are exceeding capacity and regulation of car parking is critical.

Chaotic, illegal car parking blocks the pedestrian network

Along a section of Shengli Street, there were 22 parking lots and 40 parked cars - 40% parked illegally!

At Shengli Street in front of a school

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Pinstreet Hankou respondents feel that the parked cars are taking too much space from pedestrians

Heavy traffic on streets is weakening the connections On one hand, main arterials cut off the pedestrian network, forcing pedestrians to take inconvenient fly-overs. On the other hand, the inner streets of the district are often occupied by both driving and parked cars, making it impossible for pedestrians and bicyclists to continuously walk or cycle from A to B. This uneven distribution of traffic is causing an unpleasant experience and building habits to take the car instead of alternative modes.

Some streets are difficult to cross and hereby isolate Hankou District from its surroundings

Jiefang Ave 9500 pcu/h

Sanyang Rd 2080 pcu/h

Dazhi Rd 3000 pcu/h Jinghan Ave 3000 pcu/h

Map of heavily trafficked streets with peak hour traffic volume 1_20 000 Showing peak hour traffic volume, data provided by client.

Typical pcu values: Private car (including Taxis or pick-up): 1 Motorcycle: 0.5 Bicycle: 0.2 Bus, tractor, truck: 3.5 1_40 000

Wuhan — Public Life Public Space Study

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Analysis | Transport

Pedestrians Potentials arterial/barrier major corridor city street

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Wuhan’s Zhongshan Avenue has almost three times more pedestrians than Peoples Square in Chongqing

34188 Tverskaya, Moscow, May 2018

47406 Jianghan Pedestrian Road, Wuhan,

March 2019 (8,266,273 people in the urban area)

59934 Zhongshan Avenue, Wuhan, March 2019

Overview of pedestrian counts Legend / Weekday hourly average pedestrian count

123

Weekend hourly average pedestrian count

66702 George Street, Sydney, March 2017 (4,859,432 people in the urban area)

93273 Nanjing Road, Shanghai, March Number of pedestrians in different cities between 10:00 - 20:00 on a weekday

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2014 (23,482,181 people in the urban area)

1_20 000

123

1_40 000

Walkable distances The district’s hubs are well connected by metros, buses and walking routes. You can cover two km in about 25 walking minutes, which takes you almost halfway across the district.

M

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Interesting pedestrian environment Wuhan has a lot to offer when it comes to diverse and entertaining pedestrian environments. From bustling markets and food streets to fully pedestrianized streets that allow for joyful day or night-time strolls. Yet, the overall pedestrian network is fragmented due to dominating car corridors and obstacles throughout the district that challenge the efficiency of getting from A to B.

M

Map of walking radius Showing the distance and estimated traveling distances from the metro stations Legend /

M ............

1_20 000

Metro station Walking radius

1_40 000

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Analysis | Transport

Challenges Obstacles forcing people to use the street differently Obstacles such as the ones on sidewalks and bike lanes prevent people from using the intended space provided for them. Parked bikes, cars and e-bikes litter the streets and sidewalks, forcing people to be creative when finding somewhere to walk, bike or sit.

This results in people walking in the bike lane, and cyclists biking in the streets. This shift of all users causes congestion and frustration.

obstacles in the bike lane

obstacles on the sidewalk

people walk on bike lane cyclists go on car lane

cars have to go around cyclists

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sidewalks are blocked

Street design not reflecting needs

Vulnerable user groups challenged

Users are forced to adapt to the surrounding environment

The design of the streets often doesn’t support the way people use them, resulting in urban furniture that is used in others ways than intended with little comfort for users. A general lack of public seating urges people to use random street elements as seating options.

Obstacles and poor maintenance challenge the vulnerable portion of the population, such as elderly, children and people with disabilities. Handicappedaccessible design with ramps, wider sidewalks, and elevators should be implemented.

Gaps in the pedestrian network

Construction sites as barriers

Despite the comfortable walking distances, sidewalks and streets are lacking overall maintenance and design quality. This manifests as a disincentive for walking and cycling.

Construction sites are frequent, and while sometimes not present for long, they cause unnecessary safety concerns. The construction sites are usually covering the sidewalk and bike lanes, which means people are forced to walk in the street in the midst of car traffic.

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Analysis | Transport

Crossings Challenges

arterial/barrier major corridor city street local streets alley way food and market street historical street

Unintended consequences pedestrian street of crossing design entrance riverfront

Currently the district has an major parks approach to crossing design that pocket parks is commonly forcing pedestrians, urban squares e-bikes and bikes to share themetro plazas crossings. The district also metro plazas underground prioritizes car traffic by providing longer green lights to cars than pedestrians, despite high pedestrian volumes. Generally, a lack of crossings forces people to jaywalk throughout the district.

On highly trafficked streets, overpasses are provided rather than at-grade crossings.

1 Linzi Rd and Jinghan Ave

2 Yiyuan Road 3 Dazhi Street and Jinghan Ave

4

Crossing to the waterfront at Yanjiang Avenue

This uneven planning standard causes users to not only feel de-prioritized, but can cause unnecessary and severe safety hazards.

Map highlighting described crossings Legend

1 1_40 000

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Crossing location

1_20 000

Traffic light signaling prioritizing cars 1

A lack of crossings encouraging jaywalking 2

With only a few seconds before the signal changes, you have to run!

Many crossings have a signaling system that have very short green intervals for pedestrians. People have to rush in order to get to the other side in time. Of course, those with reduced mobility struggle even more.

The distance between crossings is too far, often bookending each block. People are forced to cut through mid-block and jay-walk, which is dangerous in areas of high car speed.

Over- and underpasses as obstacles

Unregulated crossings

3

Over- and underpasses at major streets are a challenge for elderly, caregivers, and people with disabilities.

Wuhan — Public Life Public Space Study

4

Car corridors can often be 8 lanes wide with no traffic lights, long waits and a dangerous crossing experience.

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Analysis | Transport

Bikes & E-bikes Potentials High numbers of e-bikes and bikes Bikes and e-bikes cover the district, with e-bikes accounting for 12% and bikes accounting for 3% of the modal share. This means that 15% of vehicles moving through the Hankou District are two-wheelers.

Jinghan Avenue has the highest quantity of e-bikes. Compared to Shanghai, Wuhan has more e-bike riders and less cyclists.

18%

51%

Pedestrians

5%

Cars

Bikes

26% E-bikes

Jinghan Avenue in Wuhan is the street in our survey with the highest quantity of E-bikes, compared to Shanghais busiest E-bike street (Zhonghua road).

12342

5733

12032

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2304

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Bikes

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Compared to Shanghais busiest E-bike street (Zhonghua road), Wuhan has more e-bikes but less regular bikes.

Counted between 10:00 -20:00 on Sat 09.03.19 in Wuhan, and 14.03.19 in Shanghai.

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79% of all mobility is by people without cars

Challenges Lacking infrastructure

Inconsistent bike lane design

Not all streets provide adequate bike or e-bike infrastructure. Many streets surveyed don’t have bike lanes. Despite the lack of infrastructure there are still high volumes of e-bikes and bikes.

If streets provide bicycle infrastructure, it is often poorly designed, discouraging people from actually using it.

Often the bike lane ends at the pedestrian crossing, causing congestion and unnecessary safety concern for cyclists and pedestrians.

E-bikes dominating

Unmet demand for bike & e-bike parking

The PinStreet Hankou survey uncovered a lot of local sentiment about e-bikes. People feel there are too many e-bikes on the streets, that they go too fast, and that they don’t follow the rules, making traffic more dangerous.

There is an unmet demand for bike and e-bike parking at public transport stations, common destinations and in front of, or near, schools for pick-up and drop-off, making them park on the sidewalk and take pedestrian space.

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Analysis | Transport

Public Transport Potentials A solid public transport network to build upon Metros and buses are available in the district, meaning people have the possibility to move without a car. The district is well connected to the rest of the city, especially by metro, as many lines intersect within the district. Public transport stations are important amenities in the 21st century city, as meeting places and information hubs, and can be further strengthened.

Public transport map

Public transport stations are important meeting places today, some of which are equipped with modern design and high comfort.

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10 min walk 5 min walk

Legend / M

M

Huangpu Road

Metro Station Public Transport Line Plaza 5 min - 10 min walk Waterfront Park

M

Sanyang Road

M Dazhi Road

M

Xunlimen Road

Public transport with walking radius M

Jianghan Road

1_20 000

The busiest metro station is Jianghan Road station with 109 000 passengers entering, 43 377 exiting the station on the weekend

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Analysis | Transport

Challenges Pinstreet Hankou responders feel that public transportation is too slow and not convenient

Public transport is not efficient We have observed high numbers of PinStreet Hankou respondents who say that public transport is too slow and that it isn’t convenient enough. This is especially true for bus transport, which is today inefficient because of long travel times due to a lack of dedicated lanes. This keeps buses stuck in traffic. Bus routes are planned to be simplified and gathered on main corridors, which is generally a good idea and positive for travel times. However, good coverage of public transport, way-finding to stations, interchange between modes and station design need to be considered.

The sign for the metro station isn’t very clear and it is hard to find

Inter-modal change

“

Respondents of the PinStreet Hankou Survey mention that the transfer experience isn’t pleasant.

Interchanging from one public transport mode to another often includes long walks and unclear wayfinding.

Currently, interchange between public transport and bikes is not solved ideally, as there is a lack of dedicated bike parking, which would encourage people to cycle the last mile.

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A lack of a signage system marking the way to and from the metro and small signs at the station itself makes wayfinding to and from stations difficult.

Public transport stations poorly integrated into the street network

bus - eye level

Sanyang Road Metro station showing the lack of activation, basic services and interchange - Making the experience of arriving at the station rather dull.

Bus stops provide too little space for waiting and a lack of seating options. Often there is no real-time information or shelter, making the wait rather unpleasant. Due to a lack of dedicated areas for getting on and off the bus, dangerous conflicts between passengers and bikes, e-bikes and cars are created.

Metro stations, especially when elevated, land poorly in the surrounding urban network. They lack way-finding and activation, making the experience at these places dull and uninviting.

bus stop and street furniture blocking the already narrow sidewalk

no safe place to cycle

lack of space for waiting

Getting to and from stations is a challenge, due to an inconsistent network and poor way-finding.

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Analysis | Public Life

Public Life The district has a vibrant public life. Food streets create natural daily rhythms, and active and passive recreation are common. There are high volumes of people staying but the public space network doesn’t always cater to people’s desired activities. There is a general need to maintain and upgrade the existing network, while accommodating the life that already exists.

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Analysis | Public Life

Public Life Potentials Many people staying in public spaces of Hankou District It is obvious that Wuhanese have a strong culture of using public space. The high volumes of people staying in public spaces show that the stickiness of certain streets and spaces is high. Especially the streets are in the center of everyday life, each with a unique character and rhythm. The activities people are engaged in vary widely, from eating, to shopping, to playing and dancing. The district’s vibrancy means any changes made will be impactful immediately.

A lot of life is created around the topic of food, making natural rhythms throughout the district of people meeting in the street, shopping for food, or just people-watching.

The surveys show that over the two survey days, an average of 398 people/hour were registered on the weekday (13.03.19), with all sites combined, while there were 1068 people/hour on the weekend (16.03.19).

The busiest location is Quanjin 5. Rd with 724 people at 18:00 on a weekend

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1_20 000

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Analysis | Public Life

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Activating the empty spaces with public life will create an active and lively feeling throughout the whole district and reduce the pressure on today’s overcrowded spaces.

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Not a lot of greenery or parks, group dancing is everywhere and we have no place to go.

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Pressure on the square at Zhongshan Avenue

Underutilized park at Jiefang Avenue

Leftover setback at Zhongshan Avenue North

The Zhongshan Ave. square has a great design, and is in very high demand - People gather to dance, sing, eat or chat. At times, there isn’t enough public seating, and other times the programming doesn’t match the activities taking place. The square has a daily average of 256 people staying with peaks up to 598 people.

Some spaces in the district are underutilized, despite being well designed. These spaces could cater to a wide variety of activities if programmed to do so. The park on Jiefang Ave. has a nice presence of green, and a quality of design, but a lack of seating or points of access makes the park difficult to enjoy, resulting in low numbers of users.

The district is too densely populated to leave the leftover spaces empty, often due to building setbacks being too large. This space is green and pleasant, but presents little opportunity to stay or use it. We counted between 0 and 6 people staying, with no access to seating or invitation to be active.

The daily peak on the weekend 16.03.19 is at 20:00 with 598 people staying

Wuhan — Public Life Public Space Study

The daily peak on the weekend 16.03.19 is at 20:00 with 28 people staying

6 people were registered at 16:00 on a Wed 13.03.19

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Analysis | Public Life

User Groups Potentials Diverse user groups and all ages present ...

The district is bustling with activity for both local residents, visitors and tourists. People are choosing to stop and stay, showing that they feel invited to spend time in the public realm. There is a high volume of people staying in public spaces engaged in a wide variety of activities.

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4%

... but elderly people and children are underrepresented at early and late hours The youngest and oldest are rarely present in the early and late hours of the day. The character of some public spaces makes them more suited to certain age groups than others, but the overall lack of play spaces or comfortable seating throughout the district is keeping elderly and small children from participating in the public realm and outdoor life. The survey has shown that Quanjin 5 rd. has a very low number of children and elderly, despite being a place that more demographics might enjoy.

3% 3% 0-4 5-14 15-24 25-64 65+

46%

44%

Share of age groups in all public spaces

The majority are women in the public realm The gender balance of people staying represents the balance of residents quite well, as 47% of the population are men and 53% are women as of the end of 2016, according to data received

by WPDI. There are a majority of women staying in the public realm throughout the day, yet the trend shows men are more present in the morning hours. Public spaces are crowded by women in the afternoon and evening. In total, there were over 1000 more women counted than men on Saturday, and the Lihuangpo pedestrian street stood out as a place where women make up the dominant portion.

Wuhan — Public Life Public Space Study

Women Men

44%

56%

Average distribution of gender in all public spaces The highest percentage of women was registered on the square for elderly and children by Lihuangpo pedestrian street, on Saturday 19/03/16

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Analysis | Public Life

Activities Potentials A mix of activities taking place There is a wide diversity of activities taking place, and people often create the activity options themselves, rather than the spaces catering to specific activities.

We noticed that people bring their own chairs to sit on when necessary, and that people will engage in activities regardless of programming. At the Museum Square we observed, during one evening, a dog meet-up, children playing, four different groups dancing, and a photography gathering happen spontaneously.

Passive recreation on the Jianghan Pedestrian Street

1% 5% 8% 27%

13%

8% 24%

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14%

Stationary Activities Waiting for Transport Cultural Activity Physical/Playing Reading/Resting Using Technology Chatting Eating Buying Selling Based on the average of all stationary registrations on 19/03/13 and 19/03/16

Some of the most common activities are passive recreation such as talking, physical activity such as dancing and dog walking, and engaging in commerce both

Challenges The design doesn’t always support the activities taking place As previously mentioned, the design of the district’s busiest places often doesn’t support the activities taking place. Some areas exceed capacity, making for uncomfortable stopping and staying experiences. On a street like Quanjin Road for example, which is popular for eating and socializing, there are almost no public or commercial seating opportunities. Meanwhile, other places, such as the plaza at Zhongshan Avenue and Dazhi Road would have the necessary size to cater for public life but are almost empty.

Only an average of 12 registered people per hour chose to stay in the Jiefang Ave Pocket Park at Saturday 16.03.19. Those people who still use the space program it themselves, as the space does not cater for their needs.

Wuhan — Public Life Public Space Study

724 people on Qianjin Rd at 18:00, but nowhere to sit and enjoy your food

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Analysis | Public Life

Daily Rhythm Potentials The district is busiest on the weekend, during the evening The highest volumes of people participating in public life are during the weekend, increasing steadily after lunch into the night.

Counts from the weekday show that areas become busier around meal times. The busiest places during the weekend are where people congregate for food such as Quanjin 5 Road, and where people gather to dance such as both squares around the Wuhan Art Museum.

2000 1800 1600 1400

Not counted due to heavy rain, sample counts from another

1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 8 Weekday

10

12

14

16

18

20

Weekend

Total number of people staying in all registered public spaces on Wed 13.03.19 and Sat 16.03.19

44% of activities are happening after 6 pm on weekends

The square at Zhongshan Avenue attracts almost 600 people to stay at 8 pm on the weekend

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Quanjin Road - a lively street in the evening with up to almost 750 pedestrians at 6 pm on the weekend

There is a street for every time of the day Streets are diverse in character and each street supports different daily rhythms. The rhythm of the street is quite similar during weekdays and weekends, showing that the character doesn’t vary during different days of the week.

The district’s streets range from breakfast streets, to afternoon streets, to evening streets, and many streets host over 1,500 people at a given hour. The evening streets are most impressive, hosting up to 10,000 people at night. Examples of such streets are Shanhaiguan Road, which sees its peak between 08:00-11:00 on weekends and 08:00-10:00 on weekdays, while southern Zhongshan Avenue sees its absolute peak between 07:00-09:00 on both weekdays and weekends, but performs well between 16:00-22:00.

The district’s streets are not particularly flexible in allowing for the people moving through to stop and stay. Daytime activity is often low, due to a lack of adequate design (shading, seating, etc.) while in the evenings spaces are very crowded, but still allow for car traffic to pass through.

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Built Environment The district offers a human scale environment, but newly developed areas are facing challenges. The mixed-use functions and rich variety of building typologies with fantastic historical buildings from different eras are the highlights of the Hankou District. Yet, poor design standards and maintenance are present throughout the whole district.

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Analysis | Built Environment

Human Scale Potentials A district with a fine grain network The Hankou District has some very nice human scaled streets, connected through a fine grain network that invites residents and visitors to stroll around and enjoy the pedestrian-friendly areas.

Not only does the network itself feel walkable and comfortable, but the range of building typologies and scales produces a stimulating experience. People need 1,000 stimuli every 4 seconds as they walk, and we found that the district is able to offer this in the more historical and older residential areas.

While the pedestrianized Lihuangpi Road has a European feel to it, it offers a pleasant pedestrian experience. The human scale of its network creates a slower pace than in the rest of the district. Hankou District’s alleyways are another example of the city’s humanscaled neighborhoods, characterized by low-rise buildings and a fine-grain network.

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Challenges But the human scale is not promoted consistently throughout the district

Dazhi Road caters to car traffic and is unpleasant to walk along, despite its central location in the district and proximity to well functioning streets.

The human scale is not promoted consistently throughout the site, both in the building types and the street layout. Streets such as Jiefang Avenue present challenges to cyclists and pedestrians, making it difficult to move through certain areas of the district and offering an unpleasant, dull experience.

People depend on a scale that is stimulating and diverse, and this quality gets lost throughout the district.

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Analysis | Built Environment

Functions Potentials A diverse mix of building functions There is a wide diversity in mixeduse functions in the district’s urban fabric such as commercial, residential, offices and schools.

This variety of functions are within walking distances to the public spaces in the district and ensure different users have access to necessary and optional amenities.

Modern office buildings at Sanyang Road

School building at Yiyuan Road

A large amount of housing - traces of life can be seen on the many different types of residential buildings

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Map of building functions Legend Residential Commercial Offices Schools 1_20 000

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Analysis | Built Environment

Building Typologies Potentials There’s a rich variety of building typologies and history present The mix of building types, from cultural institutions to residential units and offices, adds a particularly unique character to the district and sets it apart from the rest of Wuhan. Even though there is a challenge with the conservation of many of the historic buildings, the diversity of building types appeals to the senses of people passing by. The historical buildings add a layer of complexity to the Hankou District, and offer a clear potential in building up the district’s sense of place.

Museum, Japanese Hospital, Old train station,

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Challenges There’s no interaction with the street Despite having such a wide variety of historic and cultural buildings they don’t yet evoke a sense of place. They don’t interact with the adjacent outdoor spaces and the pedestrian and bicycle connections to those buildings are poor. Care and attention for the public spaces surrounding historic buildings can create a new sense of belonging for residents and place specific identities will become apparent to visitors.

Important buildings such as the renovated industrial building and the children’s library don’t spill out to the outdoor area, and are a lost potential for inviting people in

The risk of over commercialization The City of Wuhan is planning to add more commercial and recreational functions and remove part of the residential functions in the south and on the riverfront area. The areas affected are Hanjiang Road area, Qingdao Road area, and 8-7 conference hall area. The commercial share will increase from 14% to 22%.

The commercial and recreational proportion is currently 6:4, with an aim to rise up to 5:5.

today

in the future

The planned land use for the Hankou District aims to increase the commercial share by 8%

Wuhan — Public Life Public Space Study

Commercial Residential

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Analysis | Built Environment

Ground Floor Activation Potentials Vibrant activity in buildings at eye-level There are many active ground floors and a good density of small vibrant businesses. We call the presence of commercial and cultural institutions on the ground floor an active facade. Streets with active facades are both more interesting to walk by, and increase people’s perception of safety due to the increased presence of others.

Youyi Street has a fantastic range of businesses both formal and informal creating great local character. Overall 86% of facades are active.

Youyi Street

86% Active Facade 14% Inactive Facade

Challenges Yet, not all streets provide this stimulating experience Some streets like Yanjiang Avenue provide little interest because the buildings don’t offer a stimulating interaction with the street. Large set backs, enclosed building forecourts, and long dull facades leave pedestrians feeling exposed and unsafe. With less than 10% of active facades facing the street, this is a dramatic difference from Youyi Street.

Along the waterfront, there are beautiful heritage buildings but they are fenced off or their facade is inactive.

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86% of active facades along Youyi Street

Analysis | Built Environment

Design Quality & Maintenance Challenges An unpleasant and unsafe experience Many corridors and alleyways are lacking a design and maintenance standard. Broken surfaces, dirty road spaces, and insufficient infrastructure make the overall experience on the street unpleasant and feel unsafe.

Cleaning up streets and alleyways and institutionalizing a standard for maintenance quality will show residents and visitors that they deserve a dignified experience in their neighborhoods, and will - over time - change personal behavior to match it.

Vulnerable groups such as the elderly, young children, or disabled people do not seem to be given the same level of care or planning as able bodied people.

Many alleyways are used by people moving through the smaller districts, but are unhygienic and hazardous for children, women, disabled people and the elderly.

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Too narrow or no sidewalks at all According to people’s responses to the PinStreet Hankou survey, they acknowledged that sidewalks are often too narrow, that they experience too many people on the sidewalk, or that the way people enter or exit vehicles competes with the space allocated to the sidewalks.

Poorly designed bollards are obstacles and block flows. Bollards are necessary, but should function better for the people they are protecting.

Large gap in public space quality Public spaces are not all maintained or designed with the same level of quality. A lack of local identity and prioritization of people’s specific needs is keeping public spaces from providing a unique and comfortable experience, and on the contrary, provide a generic unused space.

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Analysis | Built Environment

Public & Private Seating Challenges Insufficient public seating We observed many people bring their own seating, utilize whatever is available but unintended for seating, and even use their own motorbikes. The lack of seating is making people improvise and is creating a culture of discomfort or ‘fending for yourself’. People responded to the PinStreet Hankou survey saying that they feel that there is a lack of public seating.

Even though there are seating options in 11/14 of our stationary survey areas, there is a lack of seating in the most visited places, such as Quanjin 5 road, the food street, the museum square and Yiyuan Road.

People bring their own chairs or sit on motorbikes, tricycles or on fences. This pattern can be observed all across the district, clearly reflecting the lack of public seating.

The museum square - A café and bus stop, but few public benches

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Analysis | Built Environment

Safety & Lghting Potentials High safety perception through mixed activities and presence of many people The fantastic amount of activities happening throughout the day and night means that there is an overall high perception of safety.

Eyes on the street mean that people themselves are acting as natural forms of surveillance and the social life of the district is varied and positive.

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44% of activities are happening after 18:00 on weekends

Challenges Poor lighting Night time activities are high, but lighting provided for those activities is poor. We saw that 44% of activities are happening after 18:00 when the sun is down, yet those activities are happening in the dark. 66 people responded to the PinStreet Hankou survey saying that they feel there is insufficient lighting at night and that lights are not frequent enough.

Lighting at night is insufficient and not frequent enough

“

66 out of 767 respondents of the Pin Hankou Survey

Neon light is the only light provided

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Climate Resilience The district has a high potential for creating a climate resilience plan that mitigates climate change and provides a nice experience for citizens.

Currently the district is lacking useful vegetation and climate adaptive infrastructure, but through long-term thinking and local interventions a sponge city approach could make Wuhan world class.

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Analysis | Climate Resilience

Climate & Pollution Challenges

Wind Rose Wuhan

A general micro-climate challenge

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Due to the fact that Wuhan has to deal with extreme heats, and cold, humid winters, there’s an urgent need for multi-functional public spaces that are capable of dealing with storm-water retention and balancing the local micro-climate.

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High levels of air pollution Wuhan as a whole, has one of Hubei Province’s highest rates of air pollution and is China’s 14th most polluted city (Source: Greenpeace). Air pollution impacts physical and mental health, hindering early childhood development and adult’s lung capacity, making mitigation crucial.

According to the WHO, air pollution kills 7 million people a year, and 90% of the world’s children are breathing unsafe air. Air pollution also has a direct impact on city life, as outdoor activity levels can decrease when pollution rates are high.

Wuhan is among Hubei Province’s 5 most polluted cities.

Ranking of most polluted to least polluted city in China

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Annual average PM2.5 level (micro-grams per cubic meter) Source: Greenpeace

A 2013 survey showed that in Wuhan 65% of people were unaware that governmental action is being taken to mitigate air pollution, and 95% expressed willingness to shut down highly polluting enterprises.

Source: Public Perception Survey Study on Air Quality Issues in Wuhan, China. 2017.

Scientific Research Journal

Air pollution causes early deaths and lost food production, costing 267 billion yuan of the Chinese economy* *Source: https://www.scmp.com/ news/china/science/article/2166542/ air-pollution-killing-1-million-peopleand-costing-chinese

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Analysis | Climate Resilience

Blue & Green Amenities Potentials Fantastic large-scale green amenities in proximity to the district The Hankou District is located on the Yangtze River which is a fantastic amenity. We counted 10800 people entering the waterfront park during the peak hour of 19:00 on the Saturday 16th of march, meaning the waterfront is being utilized by many, especially on the weekends. Different activities take place along the waterfront, such as jogging, flying kites, in-line skating, sitting and chatting, tai chi, etc.

Besides the waterfront, there are a few larger parks in great proximity to the district such as Jiefang Park, which attracts people of all ages.

Jiefang Park offers large green lawns, lush trees and a lake.

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Many street trees on pedestrian routes The district offers an abundance of green streets with beautiful old trees that support a pleasant micro-climate and street character. However, a more holistic concept for greening the city is needed. Both vertical and horizontal natural elements, such as green facades and ‘living’ rooftops can help mitigate the effects of climate change, reduce heat islands during hot summers, mitigate air pollution and absorb rainwater during the wet season.

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Analysis | Climate Resilience

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,,There are not many green places or parks, even though group dancing is everywhere, we have no where to go for leisure.’’

Pin Hankou Survey

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Legend Pocket park Park Yangtze River 1_40 000

Weak connections to the natural amenities The connections to the green and blue amenities result in limited access. The waterfront and large parks are certainly people’s favorite places, but the poor access to them means that not many people can visit them easily and they are perceived as difficult to get to.

In order to reach these destinations on foot or by bike, one has to overcome several unpleasant situations due to a lack of crossings, wide streets which become barriers and unclear way-finding. This shows that these popular amenities are not embedded well into the public space network.

park entrance

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Getting to Jiefang Park is a challenge - there is no at-grade crossing and visitors need to use the over- or underpass. At the same time, the entrance is not marked clearly and is difficult to find

When walking to the waterfront from the city, one has to cross a 6-lane wide street with insufficient crossings

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Analysis | Climate Resilience

Climate Resilience Potentials Wuhan is a famous sponge city The city has been reported as a leading sponge city, using an ecological pilot approach to building flood defenses and updating drainage systems.

There is a city wide goal to make 20% of the city’s land include sponge features by 2020. By 2016, 9 districts were implementing sponge city techniques. However, dense districts such as the Hankou District face challenges due to the price of retrofitting old historic communities, among others.

Article in The Guardian, 23.01.2019

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Xinyuexie Park, which is designed to preserve and improve how the city copes with storm water. Photograph: Obermeyer

Challenges There is a lack of dedicated, climate mitigation strategies The district currently isn’t implementing enough strategies for mitigating climate change.

The prioritization of car traffic and parking, and the poor perception of public transportation options, is keeping residents dependent on fossil fuels and vehicle use.

only

1/10

year floods can be handled by the City of Wuhan today

paved, impermeable surface

Street design with no climate mitigating elements

There is a lack of climate adaptive projects The urban form significantly affects GHG emissions. The district’s current use of materials and lack of permeable surfaces is unsustainable and will produce long-term problems for the district.

At the same time, the district is lacking a clear strategy for adapting to the climate change happening in the city, and creating projects that improve the built environment while coping with extreme climate conditions such as heavy rainfall. During the survey time, we did not observe any adaptive projects in place.

no shade on a hot summer day

paved surface as a heat island

The square next to Wuhantiandi is popular at night, but during the day there are no people using it due to the poor micro-climate Wuhan — Public Life Public Space Study

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Summary of Key Findings

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Transport

Public Life

• A diverse selection of mobility, but the space is dominated by cars.

• Many people walk, but there is an uninviting environment for pedestrians.

• A culture for cycling, but lacking coherent infrastructure.

• A good public transport network for longer journeys, but challenges connecting it to the last mile of your trip.

• A rich culture of using public space, but a lack of quality public spaces (activities, design, everyday use, play, underutilized areas, …)

• A diversity of different users in the area, but spaces that don’t support their needs.

• Public spaces are used differently at different times of the day (especially in evening), but spaces don’t react to that (lighting, traffic, etc.)

Built Environment

Climate Resilience

• A diverse mix of different functions - but there is a risk of over commercialization in the future.

• Mix of building typologies with many historic buildings, but they don’t interact with the public space.

• Human scale, with good scale buildings and narrow street network.

• High levels of pollution with insufficient strategies for mitigation.

• Extreme climate, but public spaces not adapting to it • Fantastic big-scale amenities in proximity, but few local, usable green spaces.

• Leading sponge city, but no integration of this concept into existing communities.

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