Reshaping Suburbia into Healthy Communities
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IMCL 50th Conference portland, or
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design for social change june 23-27 2013
Design: its importance and possibilities
Content Design: It’s Importance and Possibilities Social Sustainability Guiding Factors for Holistic Design 7 Principles of Universal Design Ecuador & New York Reflections
Our lives consist in a series of movements and interactions that exist in a sequence of spaces and places. In a single day we move about microcosmically in order to fulfill schedules and ritual tasks; we open doors, we sit in cars, we pause for a coffee break, etc. Essentially, all our little and sometimes seemingly insignificant daily actions are shaped by the built environment around us, which in turn has implications on our physical, mental, and social wellbeing. Since the 1950s, housing in the suburbs, commercial strips, shopping malls, and big box stores have exponentially grown. The initial development of the suburbs was to provide housing for returning soldiers and their families. This urban sprawl was possible due to the proliferation of the automobile in 1946. With individualized transportation systems, people were now able to commute from their workplace in the city to their white picket-fenced houses in the suburbs. These new technologies led to a complete transition in lifestyle; city and suburban design was now centered to accommodate the automobile rather than the human. Instead of being able to walk to work, school, or shops, Americans today spend unnecessary amounts of their lives in the car. To compensate the sedentary lives spent in cars, couches, and office chairs, people spend their time commuting to a gym, buying medicine to aid their ailing bodies, or purchasing weight-loss books, videos, pills, and equipment. Not only is this car-centered design system conducive to poor health, but also to a culture of consumers. In many European cities, walking and biking is the preferred mode of transportation; there are often streets that simply do not permit automobiles. Walking and biking have dual benefits;
people can accomplish their daily tasks while exercising and increasing their chances of social interactions. The practice of going to the gym can be obsolete once exercise is naturally imbedded in the fabric of everyday life. Additionally, designs that minimize car reliance transform the notion of “running� errands into a social event and memorable experience. When there is a constant flux of individuals outdoors, there is an exponentially higher chance of social encounters compared to the seclusion of cars. In America, the human lifespan has increased by 30 years due largely to infrastructure change. Specifically, men can add 5-7 years to their life if they are physically fit. Furthermore, a recent study proved that there was a 7 pound difference in people living in walkable cities versus non-walkable cities. In summary, planners and designers play a dramatic role in determining the overall health of a region through their strategic organization of space. People will walk and bike if it is convenient, safe, and comfortable. However, this process is not merely as simple as it sounds. A city would not be as successful and sustainable if it simply added bike lanes to promote bicycle use. Changing infrastructure requires social acceptance from the citizens. In other words, the once neglected and ostracized bicycle must transform into a respected mode of transportation and become the new social norm. Additionally, infrastructure in the surrounding area must complement the bicycle routes to ensure safety and create an aesthetically pleasing experience for the riders. As complex as our lives may seem and our bodies may be, humans are essentially simple beings. If a group of people were to be placed in a maze, the majority of them would automatically
follow the path created by the maze’s walls, without question. Needless to say, people would most likely be texting, reading, or doing something while walking through the maze because human beings have become masters of multi-tasking. This makes us that much more distracted and desensitized from our surrounding environment. As a result we become susceptible creatures that condemn to the convenience and ease of what’s right in front of us. Many Americans claim that biking or walking to work takes too much time. But if holistic and integrated systems were designed in the first place, time would not be a concern as our schedules and habits are structured around what is most convenient in the built environment. Thus, the manner in how objects and spaces are designed is a catalyst that can change and reestablish lifestyles, traditions, and eventually social norms.
social sustainability
what is innovative about Portland Recycle Bins
Street Performers
LEED Architecture
Intruiging Bike Racks
Public Vertical Gardens Local, Organic, and Healthy Food
Art Festivals/Community Gatherings
Wind Power
Safe Public Space For Children
Social sustainability is essentially a quality of life that focuses on the present and future conditions of human well-being, while fostering the social and cultural endeavors of a people. The determining factor that makes a city truly sustainable is the commitment and capacity of its people to galvanize themselves as an ethically integrated group of individuals who share a personal sense of place; and then go on to perpetuate their successful patterns to the future generations. A place is a social environment as much as it is a physical environment. The physical and social factors must be carefully and consciously integrated because this is what develops the characteristics and livability of a space. This symbiosis between people and their built environment creates a reliable foundation for sustainability to inevitably flourish in. It’s important to question who will be living in the space and how can the space be conducive to their lifestyle patterns before the design process begins. Once again, physical design alone cannot ensure a healthy, sustainable and livable space, but it is conducive to creating this ideal environment.
holistic design
guiding factors 1.
Mobility:
balanced transport planning
-Pedestrian networks -Sidewalks & bike lanes -Safe streets -Public transport -Calmed traffic -”wohnstrasse” streets
3. Community active social life
-Neighborhood squares -Convenient for elders -Kids must be raised in a web of sustained adult relations -Mixed-use & human-scale frame -Beloved features (water, art, etc.) -Sense of place
Information From: Suzanne Lennard
2. Biophilia:
convenient access to nature
-Routes through nature -Kids have physical engagement with nature -For health and wellbeing -Community gardens & farmer’s markets -Parks -Harmony with land & built surroundings
4. Hospitability human- centered built environment
-Shops, restaraunts, etc. -Inner city courtyards -Aesthetically beautiful -City of short distances; 10min neighborhoods -Healthy urban fabric at the heart of the suburb
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principles of
“Universal design is a framework for the design of living and working spaces and products benefiting the widest possible range of people in the widest range of situations without special or separate design.” -Rosemarie Rossetti , 2006
Universal Design 1. EQUITABLE USE [no separate entrances for people with disabilities, marketable for people with diverse abilities] 2. FLEXIBILITY IN USE [accomodates wide range of individual preferences and abilities, provides choices, right/left hand access] 3. SIMPLE AND INTUITIVE USE [easy to use, consistency, effective feedback, informative signs] 4. PERCEPTIBLE INFORMATION [design communicates information effectively regardless of user’s sensory abilities, variety of techniques] 5. TOLERANCE FOR ERROR [design minimizes hazards, eliminate/isolate/shield hazards] 6. LOW PHYSICAL EFFORT [design is used efficiently and comfortably with minimum fatigue] 7. SIZE AND SHAPE FOR APPROACH AND USE [people are able to reach, approach, and manipulate regardless of a person’s size or abilities] Information From: Wolfgang Preiser
Ecuador After the Making Cities Livable Conference I had the opportunity to travel to Ecuador and New York. In these two very different places emerged aesthetic, environmental, and social factors that I had not recognized in my previous excursions to these lively lands.Thanks to the conference, I was able to observe, analyze, and reflect upon various situations that reflected the quintessence of sustainability.
"Positioned parallel to the equator, Ecuador is a country that has recognized, respected , and encapsulated the beauty of its diverse terrain."
New York City is known for its public transportation system. From the popular subway system to the CitiBike rentals, it is possible to live car-free in the bustling town of Manhattan. One day I expiremented with almost every mode of public transit available; I started on the subway, then hopped on a bike, walked, and returned home in my friend’s zip car. The best part of all this was the feeling of being part of a col-
accessabilityPhoto Angel Orensanz Foundation
signage While driving across the country of Ecuador I could not help but notice the signs that were posted along the highway every few kilometers that emphasized the importance of the environment and its protection.
art & activism ART & ACTIVISM: The photograph above was taken at Nina Shinku, a government-funded and youth-run center that serves to educate children, teens, and young adults on art, music, dance, Ecuadorian culture, history, and indigeneous knowledge. Community activism and sustainability are fundamental principals of Nina Shinku. LOCAL FOOD: Quito is filled with markets that sell locally grown food for a very reasonable price. A fresh squeezed vegetable and fruit juice costs approximately $1.
local food
SUBWAY Photo Netizem "New York is a human-crafted jungle comprised of concrete, cars, pavements, billboards, and gaping buildings. Yet underneath all the conundrum remains a city that has mastered the art of movement, human interaction, and a distinguishable sense of place."
lective whole. I wasn’t secluded in a car while I ran my errands singularly. Rather, I felt like I was contributing to the momentum of Manhattan which meant that although I was running my errands alone, I never felt lonely. In fact, I was never actually alone! Whether I was sitting on the subway or helping someone with directions on the street, there was always an opportunity for interaction. Furthermore, I couldn’t have had a better night’s sleep after all the self-movement I did that day from space to space.
BIKE RENTALS & LANES
New York
thank you for reading. Written, Photographed, and Designed By Leia Vita Marasovich Information Gathered From 50th IMCL Conference; June 23-27 2013 Portland, Oregon. August 22, 2013
A Big Thank You to the Pacific Basin Research Center at soka university.