Walkability and green spaces

WALKABILITY AND GREEN SPACES Downtown Tucson

Julio Carrillo Baran Farahani Katharine Mitchell LAR622 – December 6, 2011

Study Area This area is 788.3 Acres and was chosen due to the fact that the new Modern streetcar route will be running through, and this part of Tucson is more compact than other parts, such as east Tucson.

PROBLEM VACANT &PARKING LOTS

DOWNTOWN TUCSON

The study area also currently has a large number of vacant lots not currently being used. The negative impacts of these vacant parcels include: - an aesthetic eyesore - encourage crime in the vicinity or on the lot itself - the city is missing out on the potential to attract businesses - create low activity clusters

GOAL GREEN SPACE

DOWNTOWN TUCSON

The goal of this analysis was to identify parcels which will be converted to green spaces to encourage walkability in the study area

Encouraging walkability

OBJECTIVES GOAL

Identify parcels which will be converted to green spaces to encourage walkability.

1:Identify land suitable for open spaces/ parks 1.1: Identify vacant parcels

SUB-OBJECTIVES

1.2: Identify parking parcels 1.3: Identify low slope under 5%

2:Identify walkable/ accessible areas suitable for open spaces

2.1: At least around 1/8 of a mile away from “commercial-office” land use.

2.2: At least around 1/8 of a mile away from “entertainment” land use 2.3: At least around 1/8 of a mile away from “industrial” land use.

2.4: At least around 1/8 of a mile away from “institutional” land use.

2.5: At least around 1/8 of a mile away from “mixed-use” land use.

2.6: At least around 1/8 of a mile away from “recreational” land use.

2.7: At least around 1/8 of a mile away from “residential” land use.

2.8: At least around 1/8 of a mile away from “retail” land use.

2.9: At least around 1/8 of a mile away from “services” land use.

2.10: At least around 1/8 of a mile away from “modern street car stops”.

2.11: Closer to “modern street car route”.

2.12: At least around 1/8 of a mile away from “bus stops”.

2.13: Closer to “bus routes”.

SUITABILITY ANALYSIS Our methods: • LUCIS : Land Use Conflict Identification Strategy • “Paired Method” (survey)  Defining weights • Zonal statistics  Averaging land suitability to parcel suitability.

 Objective 1 : Identify land suitable for open spaces /parks - Sub-objective 1.1 : Identify vacant parcels.

 Objective 1 : Identify land suitable for open spaces /parks – Sub-objective 1.3 : Identify low slope areas (under 5% rise)

MUA = Objective 1 

 Objective 2 : Identify walkable/accessible areas suitable for open spaces /park  Sub-objective 2.1: At least around 1/8 of a mile away from “commercial – office” land use.

 Objective 2 : Identify walkable/accessible areas suitable for open spaces /park

 Sub-objective 2.11: Closer to “modern street car route”.

 Objective 2 : Identify walkable/accessible areas suitable for open spaces /park  Sub-objective 2.12: At least around 1/8 of a mile away from “MSCar stops”.

Goal: Identify parcels which will be converted to green spaces to encourage walkability.  Objective 2 : Identify walkable/accessible areas suitable for open spaces /parks



Weighted Overlay from public input

Suitability analysis

Rate the importance (%) of having a green space at a walkable distance from_____, so all the values add 100.

Commercial_Office Entertainment Industrial Institutional Mixed Use Modern S Car (route) Modern S Car (stops) Bus routes Bus stops Recreational Residential Retail_Sales Services

Baran Micah Julio Arthur Sally Katharine 15 15 8 5 5 5 8.8 5 2 4 5 15 3 5.7 3 4 8 5 3 8 5.2 5 1 3 5 5 8 4.5 15 20 15 10 5 10 12.5 2 9 10 7.5 5 5 6.4 10 9 6 7.5 5 10 7.9 2 1 6 10 5 2 4.3 5 3 5 10 5 2 5.0 8 10 2 10 25 2 9.5 15 20 10 10 15 20 15.0 10 3 8 5 7 20 8.8 5 3 15 10 0 5 6.3 100 100 100 100 100 100 100

MUA = Objective 2 

MUA = Objective 1 + MUA = Objective 2

FINAL SUITABILITY 

FINAL SUITABILITY 1. Applying Zonal Statistics • Identify average suitability per parcel • Useful tool for city planners to identify potential parcel conversion to green spaces

FINAL SUITABILITY 2. Identifying potential network connections • Useful tool for designers to evaluate creation of WALKABLE ROUTES

FINAL SUITABILITY 2. Identifying potential network connections • Useful tool for designers to evaluate creation of WALKABLE ROUTES

POTENTIAL OUTCOMES AND BENEFITS

Walkable networks provide: • Transportation efficiency.

• Reduction of VMT. • Encourages daily physical activities.

WALKABILITY AND GREEN SPACES Downtown Tucson

THANK YOU!…. Questions?

Julio Carrillo Baran Farahani Katharine Mitchell LAR622 – December 6, 2011