HSO Assignment 2 - Case study in places for wellbeing and the human scale
Indra Kooge 131788
“Human well-being is not a random phenomenon. It depends on many factors - ranging from genetics and neurobiology to sociology and economics. But, clearly, there are scientific truths to be known about how we can flourish in this world. Wherever we can have an impact on the well-being of others, questions of morality apply.� Sam Harris
Preface & index
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• Ripperda - Kazerne • Raaks • Mariastichting • Stationsplein • Plaza West • Remise • Apllicableness to Marlborough, Calgary
After the first assignment, where I researched what places for wellbeing are and what the meaning of human scale is within this, I wanted to research a couple of plan areas in Haarlem I know fairly well, because I have been there a lot and/ or know people that live there. Some elements within these plan areas work well, oher elements do not work as intended. To understand how why these elements do or do not work I made in depth case studies out of these areas rather then a lot of different areas that are not done so much in depth. The case studies start of with the first research Ripperda - Kazerne, and old militairy base, secondly the Raaks, thirtly the Mariastichting, an old hospital, fourtly the stationsplein, the square at the trainstation, fifth Plaza west, a redebelopment of an old trainstation area and finishing of with the Remise, an old remise for busses. All these areas have been redeveloped or planned since the 2000’s and have been in use for a couple of years. Within each case study I have research facination elements to see how they work and why they do or do not work. The report finishes with a summary of what works and what not together with a conclusion of these elements and their applicableness to Marlborough, Calgary.
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Ripperda - Kazerne, Haarlem
North of Haarlem the old militairy base “De Ripperda-Kazerne� has been realized in 2005. On the terrain 298 housing units for sale, social 79 housing units, 5 high end rent housing units, a childerens daycare, underground parking garage and 2800 m2 of office space and a nursing home for 90 residents is realized. The concept behind the plan was to create a neighborhood that is socially durable, where residents from all backgrounds, income and lifephase could live, the residents are central.1 3
The public space is focust on the residents and the idea behind design was a clean and safe environment. The area is very green, it has a lot of trees and green fields. Besides this the plan area is only accessible to emergency vehicals, besides this it is totally car free. This was possible thanks to the underground parking garage underneed the plan area. There are wide pedestrian paths and bikelines that are well connected to the city infrastructure. In 2011 was chosen for the most livable area in Haarlem.2
The urban plan is set up in a modern hofjes style. Buildings are arranged around public gardens. Being this several smaller public spaces are created. By having these smaller sizes public space, together with the buildings next to them, there is a high level of social safety. This is both day and night, because the buildings house different kinds of functions in a balanced way, that are used day and night, so the area is always alive. The reaction to this is that the public space is used more and is better maintained.3
What works and what not? • When implementing large green spaces, look at the urban fabric, does the area need a (new) large green area? • When connecting sidewalks and cycle paths from the buildings into the urban fabric people tend to use them more often. • People that cycle and walk more are more healthy, social and happy. The housing units are always connected by sidewalks and/or cyle paths that are connected to the urban fabric. Because there are no roads next to the sidewalks this improves the walkability of the sidewalks. By using this system of infrastructure walking and biking is encouraged. An other effect is the commutity it builds with it. The results of this are that people tend to use their car less and go on by or on foot more often. Because of this people get a better physical health, obesity levels and other health problems are lower. Besides this people see their neighbors more often and human interaction is improved. So putting emphasis on sidewalks and bikepaths instead of roads people get more healthy and social.4
In the heart of the plan area there is a big field with grass.This was the old exercise terrain in the militairy days and the designers kepth this in as historical value. But it is hardly used by residents. It lacks functions and the size is too large. The size does not make it very welcoming and the people feel small inside this large space. It is also unused because of the nearby parks, that have functions and program. So the designers did not factor in the urban fabric, because almost right next to the plan area is the city park Prinsenbolwerk, that people do use. Green spaces, especially large ones need to be implemented on a city scale and not on a neighborhood scale. It is all about context. When neglecting this usefull spaces can go unused because there are better spaces nearby.5
• Implementing an underground parking garage makes makes the public space more usefull. • By having cycle paths and bikepaths more nearby than the parking garage, people tend to chose the bike. • When having buildings surrounding a public space, the social safety levels go up. • When public spaces have a high level of social safety, the public space is used more often. http://www.nrpguldenfeniks.nl/hall-of-fame/jaargangen/2012/gebiedstransformatie/de-ripperda-1/ 2 http://www.dearchitect.nl/nieuws/2011/04/01/smaaktest-haarlem-2011. html 3 N. Korosteleva, Urban Safety Development Methods, State university of architecture and civil engineering Russia, 2016 4 E. McCann, New Urbanism, International Encyclopedia of Human Georaphy, 2009 3 A. Lindholst, Urban green space qualities reframed toward a public value management paradigm, Urban forestry & Urban Greening, 2016. 1
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Raaks, Haarlem
The Raaks is located in the city center of Haarlem. It was a urban redevelopment of an old school grounds from the early 1900’s and a large above ground parkin garage. The area was not very inviting nor estetical pleasing for an historical city center. So the local government issued an competion to get as much ideas for a redevelopment, what Urbis won and designed.1
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The sizes of the buildings within the plan area are designed as a transitional area, from the wide roads to the west to the narrow historical city center to the other sides.Within the plan area several public spaces like narrow streets and squares are realized to give it the same feel as the historical center. Like many historical cities had mixed usaged within their boundries, the Raaks also has mixed usage withing its buildings. The old parking garage has
been demolished and is moved underneed the plan area. By doing this the area has become an new entrence to the city center for people that visit the city by car. Because of this the plan area needed to be as inviting and vibrant as possible. They realized this by looking at the structures within the city and used the elements that devine the identity of the city center of Haarlem 2
What works and what not? • People who live arround a public space that is small and almost hidden, can see those public spaces as their own backyard. • People use public space more when they have a say what the program is and how it is furnished.
Because of the size of the street and squares in the area people go to the area. The size makes it possible to watch other people when youre sitting on a terras. This is very important, because wihin the nature of people it is important to see other people and be seen. Because of the mixed use in the neighborhood it has transformed in a very fibrant area in the city. Both day and night there are people in both the public and inside the buildings themselves. This makes for high level of social safety and because of the high density the way people act is diverent. The hardly use the car because they do not need to go far for their needs, work, recreational and social related. By having mixed usage there is a node made in the framework of a city, people from nearby neighborhoods also go to these kinds of areas. So it makes it socially, economically and healthy benificial.3
Housing units located in hofjes are very populair in Haarlem. These housing units tend to sell very quickly and for a higher price then a similair housing unit located in a normal street. By making them inline with the human scale these public spaces become cozy and there are high level of social controll and human interaction. People like clusters of these, because it feels like a neighborhood inside a neighborhood. The have more power to have a say in the way the public space is designed, used and maintained. Allthough these areas are publical accesible, people see them as their own backyard.4
• Also having bigger compagnies together with smaller ones, the realisation of a plan area is more economically sustainable. • When people see public space as something as their own, they tend to use it more often and maintain it. • By having mixed usage there is always live inside a neighborhood and people from surrounding neighborhoods tend to come to the area that function as nodes. • Mixed usages lowers car ownership, because all their needs can be furfilled nearby.
http://www.urbis.nl/portfolio-items/haarlem-raaksterrein-2/ http://www.architectuurhaarlem.nl/node/834 3 P. Filion, Suburban mixed-use centres and urban dispersion: What difference do they make? 4 N. Bratina Jurkovic, Perception, experience and the use of public spaces by residents of urban neighbourhoods, Urbani izziv volume 25, 2014. 1 2
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Mariastichting, Haarlem
The mariastichting was a old hospital in Haarlem from the 1800’s, located between The city park Haarlemmerhout and the Spaarne water. In the early 2000’s the hospital moved to a different location and the site became avaible for redevelopment. The result of the redevelopment are 385 housing units, 10.000 m2 of office area and an underground parking garage with 600 parkin places. All of this is places on a small piece of land and it resulted in a density of 150 housing units per hectare.1 7
The concept was to create a urban centre like density that resembles the city centre of Haarlem. The redevelopment was well received within the city of Haarlem, both by its residents as the local government. Due to the high density affordable housing prices could be achieved. By doing this people from different backgrounds could buy a housing unit in the plan area and together with the office spaces there is created a very multi - functional area. That is lively, both day and night.2
The area is only accessible to non motorized traffic and the underground parking spaces were sold seperatly for a fairly high price. The effect of implementing a high price for parking, in the city centre, that is well connected to bike, pedestrian and public transport infrastructure is that people tend to use those modes of transport instead of the car. And the effect of these other modes of transportation is that this improves the total wellbeing inside a city, on a social, economical and personal health.3
What works and what not? • With higher density an area get more affordable. • Mix housing types and prices for a more diverse neighborhood. • Mix the functions in the area to create liveliness day and night. • Make areas non motorized to get a calm place. The buidling heights in the plan area are in line with the human scale and mostly around 5 levels, with around 10 meters in between the building for paths and public space. When walking throught the area people do not feel like an ant by high rise buildings but feel comfortable and thus make for human friendly spaces. But there is one building in the plan area that is not the size of the human scale and that is the tower in the centre that many people like. The area around the tower is hardly used by the residents and is seen as less cozy because of its size. So like Gehl said, cities are not about the buildings but about the spaces and streets and people will use what is handed to them. When they have a choice they will chose the most easiest and pleassent experience. So people choice the smaller spaces instead.4
There are several small public spaces and streets This creates a calm area and the spaces are focust on the human size, were residents meet up, barbecue together and children play outside. People know each other in the neighborhood because of the sizes that are used in the designs. The spaces are around 10 meters. Within the 10 meter range human contact is possible. So when people leave their houses and go for work or to the city, they walk by their neighbors houses and there is a possibility to see each other. But more important is that people are almost forced to make contact because of the scale that is being used. Allthough the paths are wide for pedestrians, when they walk passed someone, human contact is created. This can be something more personal like saying hello and having a chat, to something very small like making eyecontact with each other. This results high level of social control.5
• When making it difficult to own a car, change infrastructure or parking facilities • Link up with excisting / create good pedestrain and cycle paths, to create a good alternative.People tend to use the car less or even do not own one at all. • Create cozy places within the human scale, people enjoy those more and will use them. • Create several public spaces near the housing units, people will will come in touch with their neighbours. • The spaces between houses must not be too far away. When they are closer social control and human interaction goes up. http://www.ataindex.nl/woon-werkcomplex-mariastichting-read-more/ http://www.dichtbij.nl/waterland/regionaal-nieuws/artikel/581265/foto/1/ woningen-mariastichting-bereikbaar-voor-starters.aspx?sml=true 3 Louise Kielgast, the cities of the future are people-friendly cities, e Architect’s Newspaper, 2008 4 Jan Gehl, Making healthy cities, DAC & cities, 2014 5 Sjoert Soeters, Lecture ideale straat, Amsterdam 2016. 1 2
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Stationsplein, Haarlem
The old square infront of the center trainstation was not a very pleasant place to be at in the past. It was very busy, and not designed in a good way. It was a an area filled with chaos of busses and cars driving all over the place. In 2009 the local authorities wanted to redevelop this area into a friendly place that could be seen as the entrence to the city center of Haarlem. The station needed to be connected to city center in such a way, that people that travel by train and arrive in Haarlem get 9
a friendly welcome and are lured towards the city center. To try and achieve this they redeveloped the square into an open area, that is only accesible by bus, bike or on foot. They connected the mainroad that leads towards the city center with the square and made this car free. So people would have a pleasant short walk towards the city center.1
By opening up the square it is easier for people to find their correct bus. But what happens now is that the space has become very large. The result of this is that it is not very pleassant to wait for your bus at the square, because it is very windy (Haarlem is located near the sea). So the concept for opening up the square it self is a good thing, but they failed to take into account how the place is going to be used and how to counteract negative influances as wind. They could have done this by having shelters.2
What works and what not? • Dont make space to large, places can get too big. It is hard to find your way there and natural elements can become unfriendly and it is easy to get lost. • When you take out the car, the other options need to be good. Connection with the existing infrastructure is nessesary.
Because the area is not accesible by car, the main focus is on pestrians, cyclists and people that use public transport. They made it easy to get to the station by implementin the correct infrastructure and functions. The trainstation is now the heart where all the bikelines and sidewalks come together, so its easy to get there. Underneed the square itself they have developt a very large and free bike garage, where you can park your bike in a secured area. By doing this people will come on bike, go on foot or traffel by bus to the trainstation instead of the car. If they did not implement elements like these, people would react in a negative way towards the development. Now they made it easy for people to go there on foot, by bike or with public transport, so they will use these modes of transportation. People will use what is given to them and if they have a choice they will pick the way with the least resistant. And the result, more active people and less cars3
While the concept of the square is good, they failed to make it clear for people, so there have been made several design flaws. When people that havent been in Haarlem before exit the trainstation and want to walk towards the city center, most of them have no idea how to walk there. While they implemented a red carpet towards the city center, they failed toclearly connect these with the exits of the trainstation. This result in tourists wondering around the square not knowing where to go to and having to ask people how to get there. When they have been explained that the red street on the west side of the square leads towards the city center, people do not have any problems anymore to get there.Most of them did not notice the street straight away, because it uses the same bricks as the square and it is hard to see, because it is so far away. But if they have made this more clearly in the design these problems would not arise.4
• Colours can help a lot with guiding people, so use different kinds of colours to guide them to the location that you want them to go to, else they get lost.
http://www.wurck.nl/projecten/stationsplein-en-rode-loper-haarlem/ M. Carmona, Public places, Urban Spaces: Dimensions of Urban Design 3 Jan Gehl, Making healthy cities, DAC & cities, 2014 4 Sjoert Soeters, Lecture ideale straat, Amsterdam 2016. 1 2
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Plaza west, Haarlem
In the west of Haarlem an old trainstation area for cargo trains is being redevelopt. The last couple of years several businesses, like supermarkets, have opended up in the old trainstation buildings. This has become such a succes, because the lack of simulair functions in the direct area, that several investers and the local authorities want to redevelop the area. The want to transfor the area into a hub for living and shopping. There are 542 appartments planned, together with 3200 m2 of retail space.1 11
The buildings in the current plan are very large and unpersonal. They are divided by a large boulevard and the public space is focust on cars. This may result in a lower usage of the public space in the plan area and residents may fufill their needs elsewhere. This means a higher level of unnessesery movements within the city. Putting more pressure on the infrastructure with negative effect, such as polution, economical costs and a decrease of mental and physical health as a result.2
As can be seen is that most of the public space is given to the car. The effects of these kind of design is that car use is stimulated and other modes of transport are not. Also the infrastructure is designed in such a way that the pedestrian can not explore in the area. You go from A to Z, but there are 24 letters inbetween, that you would not experience with a urban lay out like this. The hofjes become totally private and are not accicible for non residents.3
What works and what not? • When the public space is designed for cars, cars will use them. • A public space that is filled with cars wont be used by people to stay there, it becomes a place of transit. • Focust must not only lie on buildings but on the space between the buildings and what happens inside the buildings on ground level. A smart way to hide cars from the views of people that are using the public space, like seen in the above impression, is working with heights. By lowerin the level of the area where people stay, the cars are not in the field of vision of the people and thus they do not notice the cars. But the problem with these public spaces is that they are linked with economical functions within the buildings. This means the public space would be primarely used during the day and not outside of business times. This has as a result that livability outside these times degreeses and public safety is lower then it is during the day.4
As seen in the impression, cars take up most space in the public space and the pedestrian and cyclist is pushed to the sides. The area is connected with the slow traffic infrastructure, but not in a user friendly way. This may result in a higher car use and a lower percentage of people walking or biking to their destination. People will not stay in locations like these because there is no reason to stay here, there is no public furniture nor functions that would invite someone to stay on the square. This may result in a desolated and boring public space, filled with cars where no one wants to come.5
• Developers tend to go for a quick economical succes, instead of making a durable and good place. • When you push slow traffic away and it becomes secondairy, people will choice the easier mode, thus the car. • Traffic jams have negative effects on the environment, economy and the mental and physical health of people. • When public spaces are only linked to economical functions, these areas will only be used during opening hours and may become unused and unsafe outside these hours. • Without furniture or housing units on ground floor, public space will be unused. http://www.plazawest.nl 1
L. Morgan, The effects of traffic congestion, USA Today. A. Aboekmakarem, Serial vision, Design A. Nasution, Public open space privatization and quality of life, Department of architecture, university o Sumatra Utaram Indonesia. 5 Sjoert Soeters, Lecture ideale straat, Amsterdam 2016. 2 3 4
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Remise, Haarlem
In the west part of Haarlem a new area is being developed. On the old Remise terrain for the public transport busses are coming housing units and several businesses. The architecture and urban design resambles the surrounding neighborhoods. This is a very populair area in Haarlem and the prices within this area are fairly high, because of the location. It is well connected to the highway by roads and to the city center by bike paths. 13
The structure within the area is layed out in an early 1900s way that is typical for this part of town. The results of an urban structure like this is that it becomes a neighborhood that is well connected with it self and has its own identity. Allthough the area is fully accesible by car, the cars are hardly seen in the public space thanks to te use of parking suitcases.1
Within the streets of the area there is a lot of greenery, this is something that is often overlooked. The mental and physical health of people improve when they oversee greenery. Within the neighborhood you can see greenery from every window in almost every house. This means that residents of the Remise will be more healthy, both mentally as physically.2
What works and what not? • Fufill needs inside the neighborhood it self so people do not need to traffel to other areas to fufill their needs. • By making streets more narrow traffic, accidents polution is reduced. And people tend to know the residents of street more often.
While the streets are accesible by cars, the narrow with of them make people drive slower and more savely. By doing this it lowers accidents, noise polution and traffic that usa the area as a short cut. Also it makes the social interaction of the residents within streets like these more prominent. People see each other more often and are more likely to interact with each other. The plan area also connect with its surrounding area this way and becomes a part of the city district and does not become an isolated island with a whole other design. Because of this the plan area will become a part of the area and can have the same identity.3
Inside the plan area there are several car free small green spaces. By doing this the needs for recreation can be fufilled inside the neighborhood it self. By doing this they used the Christaller theory that people need to have surtain functions that furfill their needs inside a surtain distance. Because in the direct area there are hardly green spaces the area needed green spaces, so their needs can be fufilled inside their own neighborhood.
• When using the same measurements of the surrounding areas, a plan area can become a part of the surrounding area. • Greenery has a postive effect on human wellbeing. It increases mental and physical health.
They are designed in such a way that it can be seen as a communal yard. The front facades of the housing units are faced towards them, together with the narrow with, makes this a socially safe space.4
http://www.remisehaarlem.nl R. Clay, Green is good for you, American psychological association, 2001. 3 R. Steuteville, The new science of street design, CNU Journal 2016 4 http://uprav.ff.cuni.cz/?q=system/files/christaller.pdf 1 2
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Conclusion - what works and what does not? From the case studies it can be concluded that public space is very important to the wellbeing of humans. But the way public space is designed and used will have a postive or negative effect of that wellbeing. Humans are social creatures and in most cases they need human liveliness around them. When having a fairly high density together with mix-useage an area will become lively both day and night and will act as a node in the urban fabric. Residents and people from surrounding neighborhoods are drawn towards it and it can become a place, when its designed properly, of human interaction.Within these designes size and function are the most important things. The size needs to experiences as cozy, so spaces do not need to be large to be succesfull. Smaller spaces often are used more and maintained more by the residents. When focussing on pedestrians and cyclist at te infrastructer instead of the car spaces are also used more. But maybe more important, the way people transport themselves changes. When good sidewalks and bikepath are present and connected to the infrastruture of the city framework and the car is pushed away from the street, people will use the car less. Implementing this together with having their needs nearby, people hardly use their car.
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Applicableness to Marlborough, Calgary Many of these elements are usefull for the redevelopment of Marlborough, Calgary. The residents of Marlborough use their car a lot and hardly go by foot or on bike. This is because Marlborough is sowly focust on living, so people need to furfill their needs elsewhere. This is the mayor reason why public space is not used in Marlborough, because people do not have a reason to be there. So mixed function is the first step that needs to be realized. When people can furfill their needs inside the neighborhood themselves, the distance towards forfilling their needs is short. When implementing a good network of bikepaths and sidewalks, that are inviting and have a pleasant experience, together with “blocking� the car, people tend to use their car less. What also is important is to look at the urban fabric of Calgary. Because you can develop a large green space like they did at Ripperda, but when there is allready a simulair function nearby, that is allready asstablist and working well, people tend not to use the new space. When using their car less they will experience the space, and thus the public space, around them more. When these are developt into places, where sizing and function is correct, these spaces will act as a conduit and will be used. This will improve mental, physical, economical and social wellbeing and Marlborough can become a fibrant node inside Calary that even attract people from outside the neighborhood. 16