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Menaul Lousiana
Urban Analysis
Jackson Morsey – CRP 437 Urban Systems – Fall 2011
Jackson Morsey CRP 437 Urban Systems Fall 2011
Introduction Albuquerque, New Mexico The area around Menaul and Louisiana experienced a building boom following Boulevards was planned around the WWII, and single-family housing car. Most businesses are set back became the residence of choice for from the street, and lack pedestrian the growing population. Subdivisions access. Sidewalks in many areas are multiplied, and the city limits of against the street, with no buffer from Albuquerque grew. oncoming traffic, and are often too narrow for more than one pedestrian across to walk. Large parking lots are rarely used, even on the busiest days. The space could be utilized for infill development, with mixed-use ground floor retail and residential above. This would enable a walkable lifestyle, and encourage transit use. 1
Aerial View From an aerial view the enormous size of parking lots becomes apparent, especially when compared to the size of the houses in the areas north of Coronado Mall and the office park. The area examined is 4500’ x 4500’
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Block Pattern The blocks north of Menaul Boulevard follow a rectangular pattern, while south of Menaul Boulevard blocks are irregular and follow no set pattern or design. The rectangular housing blocks are roughly 630’ long by 300’ wide, larger than ideal, but still within walkable scale. The mall, and surrounding parking lots are over 1500’ by 2000’, an enormous piece of under utilized land.
Average American walking distance = 1/4 mile, or 1320’
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Streets + Buildings Menaul and Louisiana Boulevards are the main arterials through the area. Streets through the commercial areas are curvilinear in form, whereas the residential streets follow a grid pattern, up until they meet newer subdivisions with cul-de-sac and dead-end streets. Buildings are set back from the streets. Commercial buildings vary from 10 stories to only one floor. Almost all of the residential housing is single-story.
Buildings
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Streets
Building Form
Buildings currently range in height from mostly single-story, up to 10 stories for some of the taller office buildings.
Buildings
Streets
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Intervention A grid with smaller blocks can be retrofitted within the mall and office parking to promote walkability, and give the area a human-scale approach. These new streets would be limited to one lane in each direction, with wide sidewalks and on-street parking. Alternative pavements and street furniture would be implemented to signify to drivers that this is a special area and should be driven through with caution. Pedestrians would be given priority over cars and crosswalks and stoplights would be implemented along Menaul and Louisiana Boulevards to enable residents from existing neighborhoods to utilize the services in the area.
Currently pedestrians can only comfortably walk within residential neighborhoods, the goal is to enable pedestrians to access all points of interest in the area.
Buildings
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Streets
New Streets
Grid Adaptation
Only three existing buildings would have to be removed to make way for the new streets. This includes the former Sears auto garage, and two small office buildings.
Buildings
Streets
New Streets
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Infill Footprint Infill buildings would be built up to the street to create a feeling of enclosure and safety. Pedestrians feel more comfortable walking along side buildings, than they do out in the open. New buildings would incorporate retail and commercial on the bottom, and residential living on upper floors. Two or more parking garages with retail along the bottom floor would replace current parking lots. A new park could be created for recreation in the space just south of the center of the mall. The small connection between the two sides of the mall would be opened up to create a new outdoor link between the north and south sides of the development. The office parking lots could be utilized for denser office space, as well as apartments. Old
Street
New
Building
Street
New Building
Currently buildings are set back from the street, New buildings would be up against the street.
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Buildings
Streets
New Streets
New Buildings
New Parking Garage
New Open Space
Infill Building Form
New buildings would be a median of four stories tall, and taper away from the streets to provide sunlight and open views to the sky.
Buildings
Streets
New Streets
New Buildings
New Parking Garage
New Open Space 9
Coronado Infill The mall infill development would be centered around outdoor spaces created at the intersections of the new streets. The smaller block arrangements would encourage people to park once and walk to their destinations. The existing mall building would stay, and new buildings would surround and complement the mall. These buildings would include retail and commercial on lower floors and residences above.
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Office Park Infill The office park has plenty of room for expansion. Parking would be incorporated into underground or attached parking garages. Multi-family housing and apartments could be implemented into the area, encouraging a live, work, play lifestyle.
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Jackson Morsey CRP 437 Urban Systems Fall 2011