JOE POLACEK URBAN DESIGN PORTFOLIO polac043@umn.edu
612-708-4074
new Kmart old Kmart
KMART SUPERBLOCK 2.0 IN PROGRESS
Parking lot frontage
EXISTING KMART
The Lake Street Kmart has been a site of contention for years. In the 1960’s its development transformed an urban thoroughfare into an auto-centric strip mall. The following pages make a proposal that builds from the twentieth century while attempting to repair the connections broken during that time.
Current site with traffic detour
90k
The private land-owner of the Kmart site has the potential to see large financial gains with the planned public investment of a streetcar on Nicollet Ave. By dedicating right-of-way back to the city, and by fostering transit oriented development, the developer could drastically increase their revenue generating floor area.
Current site with revenue generating area (in square feet)
KMART SUPERBLOCK 2.0 IN PROGRESS
128k 96k
64k 32k
90k
25k 50k 75k 100k 48k 96k 144k
192k
30k
60k 90k 120k
28k
56k 84k 122k
Proposed site with revenue generating area (in square feet)
15k 30k 45k
60k
vegetable greenhouse
bisected old store small retail
KMART SUPERBLOCK 2.0 IN PROGRESS
¿Hay productos o servicios para que necesitas viajar más lejos del barrio para encontrar? “Sí, los vegetales.” -Maria Are there products or services that you need to travel outside the neighborhood to find? Yes, vegetables.
With the construction of a new store (see following page) the vacated Kmart need not be removed completely and has the potential to serve the community. With a streetcar bisecting the building, the remaining could be used as a vegetable greenhouse, an indoor soccer field, and affordable retail space for emerging entrepreneurs.
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new Kmart store pedestrian and transit oriented outdoor vendor stalls bisected old store
KMART SUPERBLOCK 2.0 IN PROGRESS
“[A Kmart] compro comida, cosas por el baño, champú, ropa... ”Todo aquí.” -Isabel
[At Kmart] I buy food, things for the bathroom, shampoo, clothes... Everything’s here.
There is already a lot of action in the neighborhood. A streetcar through the site would increase foot traffic without the need for so much parking. A new pedestrian and transit oriented Kmart would better serve the neighborhood and establish a stronger footing in the evolving economy.
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Diverse 3-bedroom housing stock
Walkable street
Live/work units
KMART SUPERBLOCK 2.0 IN PROGRESS
“What do you shop for at Kmart?” “Clothes, dish-soap, shampoo, movies, books” “Family shopping” -Shukri
Redevelopment of the Kmart site must serve the existing neighborhood – with a large focus on families. A healthy neighborhood is one where kids can play outside in safety. Slow, narrow streets are ones where the pedestrian has priority. Drivers can maneuver the streets but are inclined to do so carefully.
LOWRY HILL BOTTLENECK FIX TURN DON’T MERGE One highly trafficked intersection in Minneapolis was layered with interstate lanes in 1971. While the freeway was buried below, ramps and merging lanes complicate the streets above. This historically influential neighborhood was transformed into a transitory space soley for the movement of automotive traffic. Minneapolis can regain a missing district by implementing one traffic modification: turn instead of merge.
Current configuration. Google image
Step 1: Two-way Lyndale and Hennepin
I-94 FR AN
KL
IN
E
AL ND
LY
HENNEPIN
HENNEPIN
Step 2: Intersect on-ramps
I-94 FR AN
KL
IN
E AL ND
LY
HENNEPIN
UPTOWN
Step 3: Replace grid
Full article at Bottleneck Fix: Turn (Don’t Merge) www.streets.mn
Regained real-estate (red = above tunnel, yellow = close)
DESNOYER RETROFIT A BETTER GREEN LINE CONNECTION
Building wrapping industrial warehouse with green roof
Elevation
The Desnoyer neighborhood was undergoing a transformation with the addition of the Metro Green Line to Saint Paul. At the same time, an industrial development was being proposed nearby. Neighbors expressed concern that the auto-oriented development would function as a barrier between their homes and the light-rail stop. By wrapping the previous proposal with mixed-use development, both parties could be satisfied. The industrial warehouse would function and could even benefit from close proximity to housing and commercial space. Neighbors would benefit from a pedestrian oriented environment on their walk to the train.
Historic neighborhood images
Composition of neighborhood (top) and building. Green = residential, yellow = industrial, blue = commercial.
TRANSIT ANALYSIS GIS FINAL
The public transit system in the Twin Cities is growing. With the construction of multiple light-rail routes, rapid bus routes, and a new bus station program, large investments are being made across the region. This map and the following maps compare housing, employment, and ridership numbers to the locations of proposed investments as part of a ten-map series.
ridership density (right) concentration of ridership > north minneapolis > south minneapolis > university of minnesota extended to > apple valley trips taken per hour 1 -15 16 - 32 33 - 54 55 - 100 101 - 191 data from met council
0
2.5
5.0 MILES
7.5
TRANSIT ANALYSIS GIS FINAL
proposed transitways (right) extended to > job centers > highway corridors > eden prairie > bloomington jobs per acre 7 - 25 26 - 45 46 - 90 ` 90 - 200 proposed line data from met council
0
2.5
5.0 MILES
7.5
TRANSIT ANALYSIS GIS FINAL
better bus stops proposed concentrated in > north minneapolis > south minneapolis extended to > saint paul > inner ring suburbs people per acre < 10 10 - 25 50 - 200 200+ better bus stop data from met council
0
2.5
5.0 MILES
7.5 POLACEK
North Loop
MINNEAPOLIS
NORTH LOOP IN THE SHARING ECONOMY PROPOSAL FOR PUBLIC SPACE
Parking lot and loft apartment mix. Google image
Inner-block courtyard
Boulevard 2.0
The North Loop neighborhood is now the site of tech startups and loft apartments â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in many ways it sets the trend for urban neighborhoods for the sharing economy. However, it lacks some of the attributes expected in a vibrant neighborhood. The North Loop needs a variety of public spaces.
Pedestrian passage grid
Inner-block courtyards (middle left, and next page) would provide space for neighbors to stay outside and for kids to play. Pedestrian passages (bottom left) would let people move in and around the neighborhood comfortably by foot. Finally, by replacing the 4th Street viaduct with a shared boulevard (middle right), the neighborhood could better serve itself and the greater city. With Pei Yu Phua and Eric Van Oss
NORTH LOOP IN THE SHARING ECONOMY PUBLIC SPACE: COURTYARDS The introduction of inner-block courtyards in the North Loop would do two things: preserve movement on high capacity thoroughfares, and dramatically increase the opportunities to create new attractive public spaces. Possible uses can include: public plazas for face-to-face interaction between residents, sports facilities for neighborhood pickup games, space for pop-up markets, and urban foliage for environmental conservation and shade cover.
Courtyard section
Inner-block courtyard
With Pei Yu Phua and Eric Van Oss
NORTH LOOP IN THE SHARING ECONOMY PUBLIC SPACE: PEDESTRIAN PASSAGES Pedestrian passages create entirely new venues for social connectivity without disrupting existing thoroughfares. Commercial, social, and civic activity could be highly concentrated in shared public passages. Coupled with courtyards and the Boulevard 2.0 proposal (next page), passages can shift pedestrian movement into and between blocks. Possible uses can include: frontage for small retail spaces, dedicated running trails for health and recreation, safe routes to school, and garden benches for relaxation. Pedestrian passage section
Pedestrian passage
With Pei Yu Phua and Eric Van Oss
NORTH LOOP IN THE SHARING ECONOMY PUBLIC S PACE: BOULE VARD 2.0 Removing the 4th Street viaduct would make way for a wide boulevard to host a variety of programs. This boulevard could complement the existing block structure by increasing the intensity of right-of-way through greater transit options, while maintaining the high private vehicular capacity. Possible programs can include: clear lane delineation for self-driving vehicles, wide sidewalks for walking and bikeshare stations, and wide medians for high-quality transit stops. Boulevard 2.0 section
Boulevard 2.0 outer lane with bike priority and parking
With Pei Yu Phua and Eric Van Oss
W. BROADWAY RAIL TRANSIT NORTHSIDE - RIVER - DOWNTOWN West Broadway is an important Minneapolis thoroughfare but it is physically divided from downtown and the rest of the city. Highwaysand railroad tracks make travel between North Minneapolis and downtown unattractive. Additionally, the North Side has a weak connection to its riverfront. The very railroad tracks that are contributing to this division could also be a solution.
NORTH SIDE
Full article at West Broadway LRT www.streets.mn
DOWNTOWN
Proposed route, downtown to North Minneapolis
WASHINGTON AVE AND 10TH AVE N
West Bank of the Mississippi between Plymouth Ave and Broadway