Sustaining urban spaces

Urban Ecology Spring 2017 Prof. Christine Wacta

courtesy “Google Maps. Google, n.d. Web. 27 May 2017.

SUSTAINING INFROMAL URBAN SPACES

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Table of Contents Urban Ecosystem 1 A closed loop System 3

Urban Spaces 8 PARK(ing) 12 Conclusion 26

courtesy “Noun Project.” Noun Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2017.

A Resilient City 4

WHAT IS AN ECOSYSTEM? NATURE

ECOSYSTEM

An ecosystem is a community of living organisms interacting with its non-living environment. Cities are not separate from nature and need to be considered in the study of ecosystems.

HUMANS

courtesy “Pet Friendly.� Stay Savannah, GA Short-term Vacation Rentals. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 May 2017.

Urban Ecosystem In a city, by studying the different parts of a city such as transportation infrastructure, parks, economy, etc separately, one cannot understand how the city functions: this is rarely the

case. Cities should be treated as urban ecosystem. People are the living things while buildings, streets, and other structures are non-living things.

FORSYTH PARK, SAVANNAH

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WHAT DOES A CITY COMPRISE OF? By studying the different parts of a city such as transportation infrastructure, parks, economy, etc seprately, one cannot understand how the city functions: this is rarely the case. Cities should be treated as urban ecosystem. People are the living things while buildings, streets, and other structures

Buildings

FACTS: -The world population is the total number of humans currently living. The world population was estimated to have reached 7,500,000,000 at 16:21(UTC) on April 24, 2017. The United Nations estimates it will further increase to 11.2 billion in the year 2100.

Economy

- Urban ecosystems occupy only about 2% of the land surface area of the planet, but provide a home for half of the world’s population.

-In the United States, more than three-quarters of the people live in urban areas.

Transport

Buildings

Goverment

CITY

Transport

Infrastructure

Goverment

Economy

Infrastructure 2

A closed loop System

courtesy - exploration architecture

CASE STUDY

A Closed loop architectural design in an dense urban setting defining urban resilience and symbiotic relationship with the city.

“A system isn’t just any old collection of old things. A system is an interconnected set of elements that is coherently organized in a way that it achieves something. The system produces its own pattern of behavior over time.”

- Thinking in Systems by Donella Meadows Mobius project, London Micheal Pawlyn, a British architect in his project the Mobius project, London, works with the theme of closed loop system the project has three main cycles: food production, energy generation and water treat-ment. The Project co-locates and integrates these processes in synergistic cycles. The methane derived from this process can be used to generate electricity and heat for the greenhouse. The restaurant, apart from being supplied with fruit, vegetables and fish from the greenhouse which cuts down on food miles, can operate at close to zero waste

as food left-overs can be fed to fish or composted.

Solids from waste water can be diverted to the anaerobic digesters while the remaining water can be treated for use as local drinking water or greywater for toilet flushing. Fertilizer from the various forms of waste handling can be used in the greenhouse and the significant surplus can help to remediate brownfield land on the outskirts of the city.

Courtesy - Thomson, Dave. “The Mobius Project - Explo-ration Architecture.” The Mobius Project - Exploration Architecture. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2016.

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A Resilient City “A resilient city is the one that has developed capacities to help absorb future shocks and stresses to its social, economical and technical systems so as to be able to maintain its essential functions” – relientcity.org Planning to effectively meet the conditions and realities of a Post Carbon, Climate Responsible world will require a shift in our current understanding of what constitutes good urban design and planning.

How can we make cities resilient ?

• Density, diversity and mixed use • Local sources • Infrastructure development

Sidewalks Grey infrastructure V/s green infrastructure Heat island effect The term “heat island” describes built up areas that are hotter than nearby rural areas. The annual mean air temperature of a city with 1 million people or more can be 1.8–5.4°F (1–3°C) warmer than its surroundings. In the evening, the difference can be as high as 22°F (12°C).

Heat islands can affect communities by increasing summertime peak energy demand, air conditioning costs, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, heat-related illness and mortality, and water quality. – EPA

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Green infrastructure Green infrastructure is a cost-effective, resilient approach to managing wet weather impacts that provides many community benefits. Green infrastructure includes the following : • Rain Gardens • Planter Boxes • Bioswales • Permeable Pavements • Green Streets and Alleys • Green Parking • Green Roofs • Urban Tree Canopy

RESILIENT CITY

House

Office

Church

Infrastructure

MIXED USE DESIGN

Paved Parking

SAVANNAH

Urban heat island effects are created when cities grow and asphalt roads, tar roofs, and other features are substituted for areas where plants would otherwise grow.

Because dark surfaces like pavements store heat during the day, which is released at night, they keep cities hotter for longer periods of time.

Cities are Planned by centering around the automobile, with the assumption that this would increase personal freedom and quality of life create Urban Sprawls

Paved Parking Lots

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Green area & Unpaved parking

The Imbalanced proportion of Paved(in grey) and Unpaved(in orange) suggest redefining the surfaces and urban planning

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Urban Tree Cover

The urban trees canopy are restricted to Downtown and Midtown areas of Savannah.

on str eet

courtesy “Google Maps. Google, n.d. Web. 27 May 2017.

Abercon Street

Excess paved areas of the city increase the tendency of floods. The Abercon street in Savannah,Chatham county is a defined CEMA evaculation route during emergencies, redefining the street section will lead to improved disaster prepardness plan during natural calamities.

Hurricane Matthew Damage ; Oct 8th, 2016

Aberc

CEMA Evacuation Route

The Evacuation routes defined by Chatham Emergency Management Agency lack Urban ecology.

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Urban Spaces Distinctiveness Means that the spaces reflect the local character of the area and have a variety of uses, built form, features, colors and materials that give the spaces and buildings their own identity within the overall character of the surrounding urban environment.

Accessibility •Means that Good connections lead to open spaces and good connection from open spaces to other parts of the city.

Comfort •Environmental factors (shading from sun, wind, et).

•physical comfort (comfortable and sufficient seating, etc). social and psychological comfort (privacy, etc) Active/passive engagement: •“Means people stay calm and watch” passive engagement are provided in urban spaces by fountains, views, public art, and so forth.

Safety People use urban spaces without fear of tripping or falling, or being attacked

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Sidewalks

Sidewalks are visible on in Downtown and Midtown areas.

Some development patterns such as Housing for similar income levels was grouped together, retail stores were clustered into large malls, or strung out in strip shopping centers along busy thoroughfares limit the options for walking, biking, or mass transit and contributed to the problem of sprawl in many cities and suburbs.

In addition to environmental problems associated with sprawl, there are serious quality-of-life issues. People may feel separated and isolated from one another, a sense of community is difficult to achieve

“The sidewalk must have users on it fairly continuously, both to add to the number of effective eyes on the street and to induce the people in buildings along the street to watch the sidewalks in sufficient numbers.�

- The Death and Life of Great American Cities, Jane Jacobs

Street Lights

Sidewalks are visible on in certain parts leading to lonely and unsafe streets during night time.

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CRIME INDEX

A Crime index is a representation of lack of infrastructure, planning and mixed-use neighbourhoods.

Jane Jacobs in her 1961 book titled, “The Death and Life of Great American Cities,” Jacobs develops her “Eyes on the Street” theory.

Her theory advocates the use of high-density mixed-use communities, which are areas with residential and commercial uses, to stimulate street traffic.

Jacobs argues that increased street traffic, day and night, not only help communities flourish socially and economically, but also acts as self policing which deters criminal and anti-social behavior.

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Bike Routes

One way streets have potential for bike routes.

CAT Bus Routes

Encouraging public transport reduces cars on the streets.

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PARK(ing) The selected two parking lots are 10 mins walking from each other and encourage walkability.

PARKING 1 705 Montgomery St, Savannah, GA, 31401

5min

10min

15min

WALKING DISTANCE

PARKING 2 24 W Henry St, Savannah, GA, 31401 15min

Catergory

10min

5min

Value

Parking 1

Parking 2

USD $ % % % Number

19,355 29 18 8.3 6,137

17,605 18 37 5.5 7,368

Number

7,768

5,418

USD $ USD $

25.2 28.1 PARKING 2 3,713 5,007 Owner - City of Savannah 26,849 35,981

Informal greenspace as green infrastructure? They are anthropogenic, Population (2016) Numbers 9,755 12,389 socio-ecological space covered partly with spontaneous vegetation Population (2021) Numbers 10,251 13,146

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Household Income Eucation lvl (High sch) (Bachelors) Unempl Unemplyoment rate Daytime population (residents) Dayitme Population (workers) Median Age PARKING 1 Food and Owner - CitySnacks of Savannah Local ttransportation

COMMUNITY ANALYSIS City Commons - City Commons are found in large metropolitan cities, where most residents rent apartments in midrise buildings.

-They shop primarily at warehouse clubs like Sam’s Club and discount department stores.

-They enjoy listening to urban radio.

-Most households receive income from wages or salaries.

-Median Age: 27.6

College Towns - These are nonfamily households with many students living alone or with roommates for the fi rst time.

-Off-campus, low rent apartments comprise half of the housing stock.

-This market is bike and pedestrian friendly.

-They feel anything that can be done online is easier than in person.

-Have cell phones only (no landlines) and enjoy customizing them.

-Popular activities: backpacking, Pilates, and Frisbee.

-Own a laptop and a portable MP3 player.

-Median Age: 24.3

City Commons

City Commons

48.5%

52.1%

College Towns

College Towns

51.5%

47.8% 13

Courtesy - “Oglethorpe and Savannah’s City Plan.” Georgia Historical Society. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 May 2017.

THE OGLETHROPE PLAN FOR CITY OF SAVANNAH ENCOURAGING MIXED USE PLANNING

Oglethorpe laid out the city around a series of squares and laid out the streets in a grid pattern.

Each square had a small community of colonists living around it and had separate lots dedicated to community buildings Oglethorpe and Bull originally laid out four wards in two rows along the Savannah River.

Each ward centered on a square, each square was 10-12 mintues walking distance from each other and had four tythings on the north and south sides of the square. Tythings were rows of house lots, ten lots long.

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On the east and west sides of the square, there were trust lots used for public buildings such as churches or the courthouse. Today Savannah is one of the largest urban historic districts in the United States, and most of Oglethorpe’s original plan remains.

Oglethorpe only laid out the first six squares, but city leaders followed the design for decades after he returned to England. The city grew to include twenty-four squares. Today, Savannah includes twenty-two of the original squares.

ECOLOGY AROUND THE SELECTED PARKING LOTS

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NUMBER OF ADULTS WHO EXERCISE DAILY

Population in 2016 Daytime population(residents) Daytime population(workers) Shopped at convienence store in last 12 months Have a Gardern Participated in a Garderning Activity Visited Dunkin Donuts in last 6 months Own a Dog Have a Smartphone

In numbers (x) In percentage (%) Parking 1 Parking 2 Parking 1 Parking 2 9755 12389 6137

7368

62.91

59.47

7768

5418

79.63

43.73

3950 1458

4864 1762

40.49 14.95

39.26 14.22

1507

1961

15.45

15.83

87 897 4885

131 1271 6127

0.89 9.20 50.08

1.06 10.26 49.46

GREEN SPACES OWNED BY CITY OF SAVANNAH

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INFRASTRUCTURE- Bustops

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INFRASTRUCTURE- Sidewalks

INFRASTRUCTURE- One way Roads

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INFRASTRUCTURE- Site Features

Future Landuse

courtesy - ESRI

CONCLUSIONS FROM THE STUDY The suitability analysis of the area of interest shows that : • • • • • • • • •

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POTENTIALS FROM THE STUDY

The suitability analysis of the area of interest suggests that : • The vacant properties can be developed into the median age of people living in this comspaces of congregation to encourage public munity is between 23-28 years. use.

They are tech-friendly and own gadgets • Since the future land-use planning lacks such as i-pad/laptop . mixed-use development, these spots should be A lot of them also own dogs. developed into functions which the area lacks, They shop generally at the convinence stores such as a medical center. and have rented apartments.

• The city of Savannah should incorporate more They like to go to cafes. pedistrian friendly infrastructure in their planThe stretch of MLK jr street has lot of CAT ning. bus stops.

A majority of the areas have sidewalks There are a lot of churches in the vicinity.

A lot of adults engage in exercise and garderning

EXISTING SITE

705, Montgomery Street Savannah 31401

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PROPOSAL

N

2M

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5M

10M

20M

Bioswales are vegetated, mulched, or xeri-

scaped channels that provide treatment and retention as they move stormwater from one place to another. Vegetated swales slow, infiltrate, and filter stormwater flows. As linear features, they are particularly well suited to being placed along streets and parking lots.

Permeable Pavements infiltrate,

treat, and/or store rainwater where it falls.

They can be made of pervious concrete, porous asphalt, or permeable interlocking pavers. This practice could be particularly cost effective where land values are high and flooding or icing is a problem.

Urban Tree Canopy Trees reduce and slow stormwater by intercepting precipitation in their leaves and branches. Many cities have set tree canopy goals to restore some of the benefits of trees that were lost when the areas were developed. Homeowners, businesses, and community groups can participate in planting and maintaining trees throughout the urban environment.

Planter Boxes are urban rain gardens

with vertical walls and either open or closed bottoms. They collect and absorb runoff from sidewalks, parking lots, and streets and are ideal for space-limited sites in dense urban areas and as a streetscaping element.

courtesy - EPA

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Infromal Green Spaces

A pocket park is a small park accessible

to the general public. Pocket parks are frequently created on a single vacant building lot or on small, irregular pieces of land. In highly urbanized areas, where land is very expensive, pocket parks are the only option for creating new public spaces without large-scale redevelopment. Small parks can increase the value of nearby homes

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courtesy - Google maps

CASE 1 : TRACKING HUMAN MOVEMENT Soofa Bench is solar-powered bench that charges phones and monitors its environment.

A Sensor Platform measures activity in outdoor public spaces. You can see how people are using the spaces in your city, neighborhood, or mixed-use real estate project. It brings benches into the internet era and gives you detailed insights into space utilization

A Communication Tool Share your

message with your community The Soofa Bench backrest add on is the perfect way to communicate with passerby and people who need a charge. Easily print your graphic on an acrylic courtesy - SOOFA

CASE 2 - KNOWING YOUR NEIGHBOURS How do you get strangers to bond? NescafĂŠ made a shrinking bench to help strangers get to know each other. NescafĂŠ rigged this bench to help you make friends. Sensors picked up when both the sides were occupied. It automatically slide the two ends of the bench together It is also a reminder to befriend your neighbors. It may just be a clever way to sell coffee.

Credit: youtu.be/oBwOac2A4gI 25

Conclusion Imagine a city where all buildings are net-positive, they are all tied up in a system that waste generated from one is food for the other, hence there is no waste. A city where people are aware where to go in case of emergencies. A City with enough public spaces of people of all age groups. A city whose government is efficiently taking care of basic needs (food, shelter and jobs) for all and the citizens are helping the efficient functioning of the government by producing, using and re-using local resources.

This is an ideal city, a resilient city.

Every big success is a culmination of small steps.

This urban ecology project is a grassroots pilot project suggested for a context like the city of Savannah. It is learning from the great history of savannah to create resilience in the community by sustaining small urban spaces. The study is done using the GIS tool to generate accurate data suggesting appropriate urban ecology insertions.

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According to NASA, the current population of the world is 7.5 million and is going to cross 10 million in the next 15 years. The scary part here is that most of the population is going to be in the cities.

Hence to be able to sustain, planners, developers, government and citizen need to work together with another virtual stakeholder “the nature�. Such a growth is sustainable and the future for cities. The project is a way of demonstration to generate good for people, planet and make profit.

© Kanika Golani SCAD URBAN ECOLOGY, Spring 2017