Social Magnet
Activating Urban Voids
Lina Alsharif
CONTENTS 3 4 5 6 7 9 13 14 16 27 28 29 30 31 32
Introduction Thesis Statement Thesis Questions Urban Void Definition Typologies of Urban Voids Case Studies Thesis Questions Tool Kit Site Context Urban Voide exsisting use Intervention Examples Site Selection What define a place? Why? Working Bibliography
INTRODUCTION The urban fabric of contemporary cities is changing at a fast pace, in order to meet the needs of modern society. This acceleration is creating different voids and lost spaces in cities that are underutilized. These voids are a vital component in the context of social interaction and act as a meeting point to enable people to have direct contact with the society around them. In the words of Jan Gehl, “ Culture and Climate differ all over the world, but people are the same; they will gather in public if you give them a good place to do it�. Our role is to recognize these places that need activation and to create memorable and meaningful experiences for people in public. As busy daily lives continue, but the experience stays building connections to place and sense of self. Creative interventions in public voids brings a vibrant quality of life to a place, engaging locals and creating a sense of belonging to a community.
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THESIS STATEMENT
The thesis will focus to propose reclaiming Urban voids in a city fabric to create social interaction, Interventions and engage people to explore there city. This thesis aims to make people aware of their city’s urban fabric and engage them culturally, physically, and environmentally. The thesis illustrates the idea of Void space being reactivated which can act as a trigger for social engagement and creates a scenario for permanent or temporary use using. So the toolkit then will move people thru the city and seek destination.
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THESIS QUESTIONS
1-How can we unpack the potential of urban voids as a toolkit for exploring the contemporary cities? 2-How can make a space a place for social and cultural interaction? 3-How can utilize the space to benefit its community?
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WHAT IS URBAN VOIDS? Urban voids are all areas in a city, whose functions and designs have not yet been decided upon conclusively. It is also a space that is underused, misused or abandoned leftover spaces within the city. Urban voids as what Roger Trancik defined as lost spaces. “ Lost space is the leftover unstructured landscape at the base of high-rise tower or the sunken plaza away from the flow of pedestrian activity in the city. “ “Lost spaces are the surface parking lot that ring the urban core of almost all American cities” “Lost spaces are the undesirable urban areas that are in need to redesign- anti spaces, making no positive contribution to the sur-
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null
quash
em pt iness
NOUNS
avoid annul
vacancy
void, nihility, nothingness, nullity the state of nonexistence
nullify
vacuum
invalidat e
void, vacuum, vacancy, emptiness an empty area or space
ADJECTIVES void, null
lacking any legal or binding force
void
void
not hingness
containing nothing
VERBS
nihilit y em pt y
vit iat e evacuat e
nullit y
void
clear (a room, house, place) of occupants or empty or clear (a place or receptacle) of something
void, evacuate, empty
excrete or discharge from the body
VISUAL THESAURUS | https://www.visualthesaurus.com
m
Urban Void typologies according to Trancik
A “The entry foyer space that establishes the important transition, or passage, from personal domain to common territory.“
B “The inner block void – the enclosed “hole in a doughnut” – a semiprivate residential space for leisure or utility or a midblock shopping oasis for circulation or rest.“
C “The primary network of streets and squares, a category that corresponds to the predominant field of blocks and that contains the active public life of the city. Streets and squares were places to be- to spend time in- as well as corridors throgh which to move.“
D “Public parks and gardens are larger voids that contrast with architectural urban forms. Acting as nodes for preservation of nature in the city, they are incorporated into the urban grid. to provide relief from hard urban enviroment“
E “The linear open space system, commonly related to major water features such as rivers,wateronts, and wetland zones.“
7 Source: Finding Lost Spaces
Urban Void typologies
according to Erick Villagomez
As he called it Residual spaces
1.Spaces between
The result after urban demolition
2.Spaces Around
The result of new development in old context when new positioned building creates intermediary zones between the public street an private interior space of the building
Spaces Between
Redundant Infrastructure
Spaces Around
Oversized infrastructure
3.Roof tops
Underutilized rooftop spaces of building
4.Wedges
The result of intersection of conflicting urban grids or infrastructural lines
5.Redundant infrastructure
infrastructure which is not in use anymore
6.Oversized infrastructure
Overestimated spaces for traffic
7. Void Spaces
Roof Tops
Void Spaces
Wedges
Spaces Below
Large underutilized sites surrounding buildings
8. Spaces Below
Spaces below infrastructural element such as : elevated railway lines, Motorway flyover
8 Source : CLAIMING RESIDUAL SPACE IN THE HETEROGENOUS CITY
CASE STUDIES 1- The Place Of Giant 2- Under Flyover Spaces 3- Leftover Spaces
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1.The Place Of Giant By Collectif Etc Gehl pointed out that when the quality of outdoor spaces is desirable, not only neccessary activities but also optional activities take place there. Collectif Etc with participation of local residents turned a vacant land in Saint-Etienne into desirable place to stay.
“ First we shape the cities then they shape us� jan gehl Physical enviroment Hight quality
Physical enviroment Low quality
necessary activites
optional activites
social activites
Connection between outdoor and quallity and outdoor activities. An increase in oudoor quality gives a boost to optional activities in particular.
10 Source Arch Daily
2.Under Flyover Spaces Under Flyover Spaces The A8erna project by The NL architecture office This is an urban revitalization project that occupies the space below a raised highway, A8 in Koogaan de Zaan, Holland. (from where it takes its name, A8erna) In the early 1970s, this high freeway was built on pilotis to cross the river. This is traced in the middle of the city, generating a radical cut in the urban fabric, being that the church of the city and the rest of the municipality were in opposite sides. This is a formal request that shows in vacant lots the opportunity to request more public facilities and control over vandalism below the highway. The project is a chain of interventions of public programs and equipment that takes advantage of the highway to congure a great covered urban space. This series consists of a skateboard, a grati gallery, a sports court, a supermarket, a ower shop and a sh market, parking lots for 120 cars and a small marina.
Under Flyover Spaces The A8erna project by
This is an urban revitaliza a raised highway, A8 (from Koogaan de Zaan, Hollan In the early 1970s, this hig river. This is traced in the in the urban fabric, being the municipality were in o This is a formal request th request more public facili highway. The project is a chain of in ment that takes advantag ered urban space. This ser lery, a sports court, a supe parking lots for 120 cars a
11 Source Arch Daily
3.Leftover Spaces Leftover spaces “ Islands” “Residual Space” Dumbo Brookyln Cities such as New York and San Francisco have recently created ‘Pavement to Plazas’ or ‘Pavement to Parks’ initiatives aimed at transforming residual spaces for people. These cities have reclaimed leftover space using paint, planters and inexpensive materials. Such projects have had much success, leading to permanent design solutions for these streets.
Leftover space Dumbo Brook
Cities such as ‘Pavement to P forming residu over space usi projects have tions for these
12 Source Jan Gehl Cities for people
Reactivation of the Urban voids is about making it accsessible for public use ,applying activities which would give an identity for the leftover spaces. How can we encorage people to walk and explore their city and spend more time outdoor? “ For popluation densities to increase and for walking and cycling to widespread, a city must increase the quanity and quality of well planned beautiful public spaces that are human in scale, sustainable, healthy, safe and lively� Richard Roger
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Urban VOID A Design project set in the city of Riyadh, Using the urban void as a tool to create a feeling of belonging.
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TOOL KIT
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Social Intervention A critical Understanding of Space as a meeting place
TOOL KIT
Design Strategy 1 Choose a site to investigate
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2 Identify the catogories of voids in the site.
Investigate site history and condition
4 Choose urban void space
5 Investigate possible future Social activities
On the toolkit I will use small-scale intervention to transform the larger urban context. Although it is small in scale, it is intended to produce socially catalytic interventions in the urban fabric. Creating a footpath systems that linkes theses interventions within the selected neighborhood
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Location
Riyadh , Saudia Arabia
16 Source labs.Strava.com
Site Context Urban Grouth population of riyadh , Saudi Arabia
6,370,000
7,000,000
6,704,000
6,000,000 5,000,000
4,227,000
4,000,000
3,035,000
3,000,000 2,000,000
3,324,000
1,401,000
1,000,000 900,000 600,000 300,000 200,000
125,000
182,000
Urban area and population growth of Riyadh
100,000
1959
5 years
1963
1985
1995
2000
2005
2016
The Historic Urbanization process in the city of riyadh shows that a large part of the city has been urbanized informally. This tendency has been consolidated during the last 50 years through accelerated urbanization due to migratory processes from the countryside to cities by people with low economic resources. In this particular context, Riyadh has experienced considerable demographic growth due to basic variables such as , birth rate, oil industry that brought a lot of workers to the city also along with other that correspond to the local context of the city. According to the (Administrative statistics division), in 1959 riyadh had 125,000 residents and in 1985, riyadh had a population of 1,401,000 showing a growth of 48.44% in the 26 years.
17 Arriyadh Development Authority
Location Riyadh Center Historic Destrict
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Location Riyadh Center Historic Destrict
19 Source labs.Strava.com
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Site Context, Urban Fabric Goverment Schools Cultural Residential Commercial / retail Mixed Use/ Commercial+ Residential Parks Mosque Services
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Site Context, Urban Fabric
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Site Context, Vehicles path
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Site Context, Urban Foot path
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Site Context, Urban Void
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Urban Void Catogory Small
Medium
Large
26 Scale 1:10000
Mapping exsisting use of empty spaces In the case of () nighboorhood Selling
Empty
Parking
Playing
?
Making
Homeless
Garbage
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Intervention Examples In the case of Historic District neighborhood Mapping Social activity , What is conseder a social ? With in the context of the region
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Picking The locations
Ownership of the land Government , Corporate , private ?
Temporary Intervention Permanent Intervention
show the proposed connections between them
In order to ensure success of intervention process, space users need to be involved and participate from the very start: from the location identification , through choosing intervention propositions, to implementation and active use. Providing high quality comprehensive spatial solutions also calls for interdisciplinary approch of collaboration and insight sharing.
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How can we make a city live? How can we make a space a place? We chould not only think about ensuring that people can walk and bick in cities, but what is chalenging is to enable people to have direct contect with sociaty around them. in turn that means that public spase must be alive, with many different group of people using it. Based on Project for public spaces, Their are 4 criteria that makes a great place: Sociability, Uses and activities, access and linkage and comfort and image.
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Why? One of the benecial factors of developing places like these urban “voids” is the fact that they will improve the quality of city life within the urban fabric for they will be converted into different functional spaces, which serve best the needs of the particular location they are in. Providing places for socializing and activities will improve the cultural connection between people and provide a sense of comunity and belonging to a place.
In the word of Jan Ghale
“ Culture and climent differer all over the world , but people are the same, they will gather in public if you give them a good place to do it “
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Working Bibliography
Gehl, Jan. Cites For people. Island press, 2010. Print. Oswalt P, Overmeyer K, Misselwitz P., The power of temporary use. Berlin/ Germany: DOM publishers, 2013. Print. Mikoleit A, Purckhauer M., Urban Code. Cambridge: MIT Press. 2011. Print. Bosselmann, Peter. Representation of places; reality and realism in city design. Berkeley and Los Angeles California: University of California press, 1998. Print. Hillier, Bill. The social Logic Of space. Cambridge University Press, 1987
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