Z AG REB II P R OCESS
UNI VE R S I T Y OF B ATH S U S TA I N A B L E CI T I ES M.A R CH D ES I GN S TU DI O 6.1 20 1 9 / 2 0
Mark Kendernay Luca Pizzamiglio Andrea Popescu Sirage Saudi Ibreek María Villalobos Throughout the design process we have been encouraged to keep looking behind the surface and to develop a radical yet sensible vision for Zagreb. We would like to give thanks to the following people whose knowledge and insight has been instrumental to developing this report: BATH UNI VE R S I T Y OF B ATH
Jayne Barlow Anne Claxton Peter Clegg Rupert Grierson Jo Hibbert Andy Jarvis Professor Alex Wright Z AG RE B UNI VE R S I T Y OF ZAG RE B, FAC U LTY OF ARC HI TE C TU RE
Mia Roth Cerina Luka Korlaet Maroje Mrduljas C R OAT I A N A S S OCI ATI ON OF LANDSC APE ARC HI TE C TS
Barbara Klemar C IT Y OF F I CE OF S TRATE GI C PLANNI NG AND DE VE LOPMENT
Ana Magdić Nikola Petković Tomislav Dumančić 3 LHD A R CHI T E CT S
Marko Dabrović Goran Mraović TO BE RE AD I N C ONJU NC TI ON WITH:
Volume I — Research & Analysis Volume III — Proposal 4
Contents
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C I T Y C H OI C E : W H Y Z AG R E B?
2
READING THE CITY
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3
S T R AT E G I C C H A L L E N G E S
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4
D E S I G N D E VE L OPM E N T
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C I T Y C HO I C E
Why Zagreb?
Blue heart of Europe
I
C I T Y C H O IC E
T H R E AT E N E D BA L K A N R I VE R S
The Blue Heart of Europe campaign by a coalition of NGOs became an important motivation for the masterplan. The campaign raises awareness about the imminent dam craze on the Balkan peninsula, hopefully to spare the valuable remaining wild rivers of Europe. In the context of climate change and resilient cities, wild river ecosystems working in conjunction with the urban hardscape can provide an invaluable example of a simple, humble, sustainable nature-to-city ecosystem in which both parties benefit greatly. With this in mind, the team takes the opportunity of an academic environment to present the profession with a wider discourse about less intensive, more natural solutions to cities, protecting both people and nature.
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T H E VJ OS A R I VE R I N A L BA N I A THE O NLY R IVER IN EUR O PE THAT IS ENTIR ELY FR EE FLOW ING
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On the periphery
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C I T Y C H O IC E
H E L PI N G T H OS E I N N E E D
In the wake of a current climate crisis and mass extinction, it is communities on the periphery which will suffer the most; the consequences of our changing environment will be more severe and disruptive than in more affluent regions. There is a preconception that these communities need to grow and reach a level of wealth from where they can start to invest in postmaterial, sustainable infrastructure. However, it is our conviction that it is these regions which require simple, yet highly integrated and effective strategies for climate resilience. For these reasons, we have chosen a city in these conditions to prioritise a vision and roadmap towards a sustainable future, hopefully creating a simple model for other cities on the periphery.
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R E AD I N G T HE C I T Y
Journey to Zagreb
An indispensable piece of the journey to Zagreb was following the Sava River; documenting its condition before, within, and after the city. These observations were essential in developing the masterplan’s response to the Sava riverbanks. At the same time, the journey into the city revealed many discrepancies in Zagreb’s infrastructure and public realm, the latter which became primary elements of the masterplan’s urban intent.
Lonjsko Polje THE LAR GEST PR OTECTED W ETLAND O F THE DANUB E B AS IN
I I
R E AD IN G T H E C I TY
T H E S AVA F L OOD PL A I N S
The first destination of the site visit was Lonjsko Polje Nature Park: a 506 sq km retention basin, and one of the largest natural flood remediation areas in Europe. Flora and fauna of this area are as unique as its landscape. It is the most popular area for white stork gatherings, a bird species which nests on the rooftops of 19th-century vernacular wooden homes, characteristic of the area. At the same time, locals embrace the riverbank as a place for recreation: fishing, kayaking, boat rides and laying as if on a beach are all popular activities.
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IN S E AR C H O F A V E R NAC U LAR
While the area is rural, it regardless posed an example for the Zagreb masterplan, as there were principles learned from its ecosystems and relationship to the river Sava. These principles later became essential points of reference for the direction of the final proposal. At the same time, the vernacular quality of the area was an important precedent for the built proposition. The local architecture, natural resources, and construction methods made important precedents for the proposal, alongside each of the team’s individual projects.
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The medieval town
I I
R E AD IN G T H E C I TY
Z AG R E B’ S C ULT UR A L A N D C OM M E R C I A L H E AR T
The medieval town is the key branding neighbourhood of Zagreb, which locals and tourists alike identify as iconic of the city. It is evidently well preserved and in the best condition compared to other areas. Indeed, it enjoys multiple investments in the form of restaurants, cafés, commerce, and independent retail, among others. Because of this, however, the towns’ narrow medieval streets are often overwhelmed by traffic, as locals travel by car back and forth for work and leisure. The key challenge for this area is to enable public transport as a primary means to arrive and to leave the area.
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Urban expansion
S T R O NG PE R IM E T E R
L E A R N I N G F R OM T H E Z AG R E B BL OC K
The 19th century area of the city is with the highest urban density in Zagreb due to the urban planning undertaken. Strong perimeter blocks were designed to bring order and an Austro-Hungarian typology to previously more informal settlements. The rigidity of the blocks were such that there are spaces of permeability and passage through them, leading to public venues inside; most commonly: dance centres, restaurants, shops, among others. This quirky quality activates a very dense area in multiple scales and times of day. We visited a locally reknown dance center of these qualities (right) which became an important precedent for the masterplan building blocks.
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The railway and train station
V IE W A
I I
R E AD IN G T H E C I TY
S TA R K C ON T R A S T S
It was evident from the site visit that the difference between the north and south public spaces on either end of the train station needed to be addressed. The northern side facing the 19th century capital architecturally represented a city once part of the Austro-Hungarian empire. The southern end of the station clearly represented an uncertainly in terms of how to address the patchwork of typologies and scales resulting from several transitions in the country.
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A
B VIEW B
The amount of brownfield sites and abandoned buildings on the southern end of the rail, paired with the dark and infrequent pedestrian underpasses around it, makes this area of the city unpleasant for someone on foot. It was clear that the rail is a large barrier in the city, preventing a seamless and continuous liveable public realm as on the northern side of the rail.
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R E AD IN G T H E C I TY
N OR T H S I D E
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S OUT H S I D E
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Novi Zagreb & Zagreb Fair
I I
R E AD IN G T H E C I TY
Concrete pavilions from the Zagreb fair.
The team had an incorrect preconception that due to its distance from the city centre and the wide distances between buildings, the area of Novi Zagreb would not be appealing to the local resident. Indeed, the team was mistaken. The area’s proximity to the river’s edge, paired with the wide public space in between the buildings, as well as the cost of the apartments, evidently was most appealing to young professionals and families in the city; 100,000 people live in this area of Zagreb. These qualities were important precedents to address the modernist scale found below the area of the railway, as well as to provide appealing programmes for the locals along the locale.
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Housing typologies from Novi Zagreb.
It was also evident from the site visit that due to the popularity of the area, there is a constant influx of commuters during peak hours in the central axis connecting Novi Zagreb with the city centre. Because of the traffic issue such condition presented, it was clear that the masterplan needed to provide public infrastructure connecting the most popular residential area with the commercial and working centre of the city.
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Bundek and Jarun
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R E AD IN G T H E C I TY
Z AG R E B’ S R E L AT I ON S H I P TO WAT E R
Bundek and Jarun mark the recreational hotspots in Zagreb. Interestingly, locals explain that they identify these artificial lakes as representative of Zagreb’s relationship to water, regardless of the fact that the river Sava is more natural and less polluted in comparison. Indeed, locals confess to disregarding the Sava River because of the accessibility of these two lakes, paired with cultural neglect of the river after the devastating flood in the ‘60s. In other words, to them, the Sava is irrelevant.
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JARU N
B UND EK
S AV IC A
R E C R E AT IO N AR O U ND T H E S AVA
By mapping out services around the Sava, the team realised the riverbanks have a great potential for becoming a green corridor for crossing vertically and horizontally across the city.
S AVA AS G R E E N C O R R ID O R
Imagined bridge crossings and running routes if the riverbanks were more interactive.
Running/Cycling
Bridges
Despite being the city’s most important water resource, the Sava River mainly connects the two bodies of water and more recreational accommodation with a rarely-used cycle path. From this urban analysis, it was clear that the Sava River can compliment the Bundek and Jarun lakes, and vice versa. That is, Bundek and Jarun can remain manicured and recreational hotspots, while the Sava can become a continuous corridor for wildlife and green restoration in the city, similarly the English Garden in Munich.
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Mount Medvednica
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R E AD IN G T H E C I TY
A PR OT E C T E D N AT UR A L E C OS Y S T E M
Mount Medvednica is a cherished natural asset in Zagreb, symbolising the birth of the city and Croatian wildlife. While both Medvednica and the Sava River are Natura 2000 protected areas, only Medvednica is treated accordingly; the Sava is neglected both culturally and in local planning legislation. Indeed, developers justify billion-dollar projects on the fragile riverbank by explaining that the Sava has lost value and needs an active centre.
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E X IS T ING C O NDT IT IO N
Medvednica creeks cut off from connecting to the Sava river –– a crucial link in a river ecosystem.
INT E ND E D C O NDT IT IO N
Continuing river ecosystem.
It was clear from the visit that Zagreb lies between two important ecosystems: the mountain and the river. Instead of negotiating the two with a green corridor, the city physically cuts off a vital link between the pristine wildlife/water of the Medvednica and the stream of the river Sava. The epitome of this cut is the burial of the 66 creeks running down from Medvednica into the river Sava. This realisation highlighted the importance of connecting mountain to river as a masterplan move.
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Zagreb’s hidden creeks
I I
R E AD IN G T H E C I TY
POTOK Č R N OM E R E C & POTOK K US TOŠ A K
During our visit, we followed one of the uncovered creeks from Medvednica down to the Sava. On both ends, the creek exemplified two different landscape approaches. Around Medvednica, the poor burial of Potok Črnomerec means that the neighbourhood around it suffers from floods, the water picking up pollutants on its way downstream. Ironically, further south, Potok Kustošak becomes an integral part of the streetscape, as well as a vital flood remediation strategy: the deep ditch and bridges by the creek favour an uninterrupted ecosystem formed by water, and enables a pleasant leisurely walk towards the river Sava.
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S IT E O BS E R VAT IO NS
The success of the public space around the uncovered creek gave the team clues as to a continuous green landscape on the locale. Such a proposal would increase the greenery in the city and with it reduce the city’s flood issues from impermeable surfaces. At the same time, making references to Zagreb’s bodies of water would change paradigms about the city’s precious resource.
The comparison between the two landscape approaches highlighted the importance of making reference to Zagreb’s creeks to help solve two problems. On the one hand, underline the importance of the creeks as emblematic of Zagreb’s precious water resource. On the other hand, use the model of the creek along the locale as a sustainable urban drainage system to solve the city’s flooding issues.
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Sava riverbanks
Sava’s hostile riverbanks as seen from a 5m high levee
I I
R E AD IN G T H E C I TY
F R OM Z AG R E B’ S R I VI E R A TO Z AG R E B’ S BAC K OF H O USE
The main observation about the Sava riverbanks was that its cultural and physical prominence in Zagreb exists no longer since the 1960’s flood. The highly engineered clay banks impose a 5m tall barrier preventing locals from accessing the bank seamlessly as before. Indeed, now many buildings’ back-of-houses face the river instead. At the same time, it exhibits a mono-cultural landscape of grass and thorned shrubbery which prevent a diverse ecosystem from developing on the riverbank, as it does further down/upstream. It was clear from these observations that two priorities of the masterplan were to: increase access to the river as a recreational destination, and diversify its ecosystem.
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E X IS T ING C O NDT IT IO N
Engineered banks preventing the same interactiong with the river as in 1960, up until the 1964 flood event.
INT E ND E D C O NDT IT IO N
A green lung for Zagreb, boasting recreational activities, a diverse ecosystem for small species, and multiple pedestrian/cyclist accessibility.
While the priorities from the beginning of the masterplan surrounded the wilderness of the Sava River, it was clear from the site visit that its riverbanks in Zagreb were not appropriate as a locale for a built intervention. Indeed, this would contradict the aim of maintaining the pristine quality of one of Europe’s last wild rivers. Instead, the masterplan would have a heavily-landscaped, restorative and regenerative approach to the Sava.
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ZAGR E B ’ S C HAL L E N G E S
Zagreb Manifesto
Learning from the site observations and discussions with local organisations and practices, the team synthesised the problems encountered as three priorities to be addressed by the masterplan: Green and Blue Infrastructure, to address the city’s pristine natural resources; Proximities, to combat the city’s issue of mobility, conflicting typologies and scales; and finally Resources, to propose an alternative to Zagreb’s inefficient management of natural resources paired with excessive use of oil derivatives and hydropower.
Three interconnected issues
GR EEN & B LUE INFR ASTR UC T U R E
Zagreb is surrounded by Sava’s virgin river ecosystem, the latter which supports outstanding biodiversity unparalleled in Europe. Threatened by a colossal hydropower project involving 3,000 dams across European rivers, capitals previously separated by the Yugoslav wars are now united to protect their wild rivers. Zagreb lies at the pinch-point of the river Sava where a crucial decision is yet to be made: to add four hydropower plants or to redirect the water to a bypass channel. It is therefore a challenge for the masterplan to safeguard the city’s blue and green infrastructure.
PR O XIMITIES
While Zagreb is a compact city occupying approximately 640 square kilometres, – a relatively small figure compared to other European capitals – the mobility infrastructure and urban hardspace of the city is such that it takes too long to get around. That is, the city feels expanded and poorly connected, whether by car, by foot, or via bicycle. A main challenge of the masterplan was therefore to increase the connectivity and proximity of the city.
I II
Z AG RE B’ S C H A LLE NGE S
R ESO UR CES
A main challenge for the masterplan was to propose a holistic renewable energy strategy for Zagreb, specifically one that made use of the city’s myriad of untouched natural assets. Such a site-specific response lies in sharp contrast to the current practice of using imported fuels from elsewhere in Europe as a primary source of energy. At the same time, diversifying the renewable energy portfolio of the city would render a heavy reliance on hydropower as unjustifiable, and consequently protect Zagreb’s green and blue infrastructure. Equally important, the Sava’s ecosystems near Zagreb and its other tributaries would be protected.
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The locale
Option No. 1 — Ring The iteration for the locale on the first week of the design involved a ringed enclosure around the main troublesome areas identified in the Zagreb Manifesto. Those are: the river Sava, representing Green and Blue Infrastructure; the train station, representing Proximities; and the void inbetween, which represents both the proximity issue in Zagreb as well as the inefficient use of resources and poor infrastructure for distribution. The main issue with this iteration was its scale; its scope enclosed a large part of the city centre and therefore would lead to very strategic proposals for the masterplan, as opposed to more focused, specific resolutions. At the same time, limiting the masterplan’s extent to only one neighbourhood of the city meant that the masterplan’s strategies could not be scalable or employable to other parts of the city. This is especially considering the conflicting typologies and varying characteristics of Zagreb’s districts. Ideally, the resulting masterplan locale and its subsequent strategies would act as a catalyst for change in the city.
I I
R E AD IN G T H E C I TY
More specifically, the circular enclosure naturally led to the proposal of public infrastructure along the ring. However, the team soon realised that there already exists public infrastructure on that ring, and yet does not function as well as it could. As such, this locale would perhaps be adding to the current issues in the city, as opposed to radically reimagining them.
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1
TWO MAI N
VO ID IN BETWEEN:
BARR I E R S :
Missing infrastructure and services — Resources; Urban patchwork — Proximities
Rail — proximities Sava — green and blue
2
CONN E C T I O N :
ENCLO SUR E:
Tackling the main barriers – rail and Sava — with a ring connecting the two
Surrounding the void in between with a ring to prevent sprawl and strategically fix its edges
3
RI N G:
• • •
Unlocking the two main barriers Containing the void Fixing the centre, then expanding outwards
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The locale
Option No. 2 — Spine Reflecting on the disadvantages of the ring alternative, the team realised that one critical component of the city is the central axis. It saturates with traffic as it carries commuters from New to Old Zagreb, yet it inevitably redirects them around the train station after being cut-off by the rail. As such, the team proposed to mark the central axis redundant for vehicles, limiting them to the outer ring of highways and clearing the space in front of the train station from vehicles. This move would then pave the way for a central axis of efficient public infrastructure, immediately connecting north to south. The pinch point, however, would be the rail. As a general move, a developed vertical axis along the void of the city would address two issues: on the one hand, it would immediately cut off the horizontal layers of the city with a vertical axis of development, encouraging the void to densify along this new axis and consequently addressing the urban patchwork of Zagreb. This move would also prevent the further horizontal sprawl of the capital.
I I
R E AD IN G T H E C I TY
On the other hand, a vertical axis also presented many opportunities in terms of public space and green and blue infrastructure. The green public spaces of the Green Horseshoe above the rail could extend further south and connect with the central axis, creating a continuous green corridor along the city for pedestrians and cyclists. Equally, the axis could extend vertically to connect to Medvednica, linking an existing recreational area to the proposed recreational area of the Sava, as well as connecting two important ecosystems with a reference of Medvednica’s creeks.
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1
CE N T R AL AX I S I S RE D U N DAN T
2
G REE N E RY & L AYE R S :
• •
Existing greenery on vertical axis can be changed to more engaging Vertical axis cuts through every layer of the city and two main barriers
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SPI N E :
• • •
Unlocking the two main barriers Combats proximities inside void, as well as all the conflicting layers Extends to Medvednica Mountain and further south
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Diagram development
1
2
3
1
B AR R I E R N O . 1 : S AVA
2
B AR R I E R N O . 2 : R AI L
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5
3 MO B I L I T Y 4 P L AC E 5 E D GE 6 L AN D S C AP E
R AT I ON A L I S I N G T H E S PI N E
I I
R E AD IN G T H E C I TY
• • • • • •
Sava: Regeneration of the landscape to fill in void in regional green river corridor Rail: Finding a continous pedestrian corridor on the north/south axis Mobility: Public infrastructure to connect detached communities in Zagreb’s void Place: Activating new pedestrian axis with public services and spaces Edge: Providing an edge for the locale and order for the urban patchwork; Encouraging north/south development to prevent horizontal sprawl Landscape: Connecting two critical ecosystems with a green corridor; combating city’s flooding issue
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D E S I GN D E V E L O P ME N T
Zagreb Urban Toolkit
Subsequently from rationalising the locale’s diagram and its priorities, the team developed an urban toolkit corresponding to each category. Within each, a particular issue of the city is addressed in both city-wide and locale-wide scales, targeting the main categories of Green and Blue Infrastructure, Proximities, and Resources.
Sava in Croatia
I V
D E SI GN D EV EL OP M E NT
N AT UR A L F L OOD M I T I G AT I ON S T R AT E G Y
The study of the natural flood mitigation strategy outside of Zagreb — especially that on Lonjsko Polje — became an important part of the masterplan’s flood strategy. Based on a conversation with the Croatian Association of Landscape Architects, it was clear that if it was decided to enhance the profile of the bypass channel before Zagreb, its capacity would be sufficient to protect the city from flooding.
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E C OS Y S T E M E C ON OM I C S OF T H E F L OOD PL A INS
The study of the environmental economics of the Sava floodplains revealed the gravitas of this ecosystem service and justified several reasons why hydropower needs an alternative. The study revealed that for the same cost as the four proposed diversion hydropower dams in Zagreb alone (€1.5 billion), the floodplains’ capacity stops discharges coming all the way from the Sava’s beginning in Slovenia, while simultaneously providing life for critically endangered species unique in this region. Therefore, for double the price – i.e. payment of dams and destruction of ecosystem service as a result –, the government would be running these floodplains dry and cost the country the invaluable ecosystem service which these systems provide.
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Sava in Zagreb
STEP 1
Establishing important crossing points for pedestrians with existing points of interest.
STEP 2
Proposing new points of interest along entire Sava riverbank to activate the area.
I V
D E SI GN D EV EL OP M E NT
A C ON T I N UOUS R E C R E AT I ON A L C OR R I D OR
By encouraging the optimisation of the bypass channel, the Sava becomes a more approachable and less risky natural asset in the city. As such, the masterplan could begin addressing the first barrier of Zagreb: the Sava riverbanks, essentially cutting the capital in half for pedestrians. In light of this, the team studied the possible crossing points and “running loops� across the Sava with an analysis of existing services along the riverbank.
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Photograph of the existing Jakuševec landfill, Zagreb.
Project visualisation of Freshkills Park, Staten Island, New York City. PR ECEDENT
F R E S H K I L L S PA R K , N E W YOR K
Freshkills Park will be the largest park developed in New York City in over a century, three times larger than Central Park. The regenerative landscape project will transform the landfill on Staten Island — once the largest landfill in the world. It serves as a precedent for a large-scale and long-term regeneration project that cleans and reclaims land for public recreation while re-establishing vital habitats for urban and suburban wildlife. Such a regeneration project for the Jakuševec landfill in Zagreb, would catalyse a continous recreation and habitat corridor along the Sava by creating a designated green reserve at the edge of the capital.
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STEP 1
Establishing uninterrupted wildlife areas in between busy pedestrian areas.
Catalogue No. 1: Flora
STEP 2
Diversifying the ecosystem biomes along the riverbank to encourage myriads of species to inhabit them.
Catalogue No. 2: Fauna
I V
D E SI GN D EV EL OP M E NT
UN I N T E R R UPT E D W I L D L I F E C OR R I D OR
After establishing key pedestrian crossings, the team investigated ways in which wildlife could roam uninterrupted by people along the Sava. The final interation involved creating inaccessible wildlife islands on the river, alongside heavily forested areas on the riverbanks, both in areas with minimal pedestrian or cyclist activity. The landscape for these areas were proposed based on studies of the ecosystem biomes within the Sava basin, as well as an investigation into species for flora and fauna.
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Stage 1: Cross-hatch of the river banks to provide a grid for water to go through.
Stage 2: Eventually the river shapes the land as it flows, creating its own direction. PR ECEDENT
R E S TOR AT I ON OF R I VE R A I R E , S W I T Z E R L A ND Group Superpositions, 2002 – ongoing
To prevent an arbitraty design of a natural-looking river, the team looked into precedents of river restorations, such as the project for the river Aire in Switzerland. The cross-hatch excavations of riverbanks would be eventually shaped by the current and flow of the wild river. The final proposal of the project would build permanent wildlife islands with the excavation of the bypass channel for a continuous wildlife corridor; everything in between would be shaped by the Sava itself.
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Railway
O PTIO N 1
O PT IO N 2
I V
D E SI GN D EV EL OP M E NT
C R OS S I N G T H E R A I LWAY
The Zagreb train station as well as the tracks themselves have been perceived as barriers for long. In order to re-imagine these as gateways, initial feasibility studies considered the options of adding more pedestrian underpasses and burying the railway underground for its inner city section.
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OPTION NO. 1
OPT I ON N O. 2
O PTIO N NO . 3
U N D E R GR O U N D
OVE R
SH A R ED SPACE
•
• • •
Most expensive solution, but creates area of prime real estate in center of city Will create more barriers with ramping of the rails, but unlocks the city centre Extensive concrete use, but can it be impaired with greenery on top?
• • •
Lower embodied energy and cost than Option No. 1, but reduced opportunity for biodiveristy Does not address underpass issue Weighty, infrastructure bridges over the train station which may look visually cluttering Conceptual idea of putting pedestrians over rail
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• • • •
Lowest embodied energy and cost solution Does not address level change between rail platforms and south of rail Decreased biodiversity but could use SUDs with permeable paving for shared surface Unprecedented; not feasible with high-speed trains
I NI TI AL TU NNE L
S ECTIO NA L STUD IES
M OVI N G T H E R A I L UN D E R G R OUN D
I V
D E SI GN D EV EL OP M E NT
Moving the rail underground was the preferred option, as it maximised permeability on both North to South and East to West connectivities. This issue warranted a top-down jack-box construction (as opposed to conventional tunnelling) as the most convenient solution technically as well as with regards to cost and complexity.
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BO X C O NS T R U C T IO N
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Mobility
I V
D E SI GN D EV EL OP M E NT
F I L L I N G I N T H E VOI D
The main design development with the mobility toolkit involved a study of existing public infrastructure and filling in the voids. The main aim was to decrease travel times to and from the city centre as much as possible. At the same time, discussions with tutors and consultants encouraged the team to explore any complimentary routes outside of the city. With these discussions, the team designed a tram line which also took locals to the public bus/coach stations, the new proposed landfill park, and the airport.
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I NC RE ASI NG CO NNECTIVITY W ITHIN THE VO ID
A NA LYS IS O F INT E R S E C T IO NS – C R E AT ING AC T IV IT Y W IT H S TO PS
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Place
I V
D E SI GN D EV EL OP M E NT
The main development for the “Place� urban toolkit was analysing the existing services and public destinations along the local, establishing which ones would benefit from public transport access.
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PL AC E - M A K I N G SECTIO NA L STUD IES FO R S TR ATEGIES W ITH EXIS TING B UILD ING S
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Edge
I V
D E SI GN D EV EL OP M E NT
T H E Z AG R E B BL OC K
The main challenge was designing a building/block typology which appropriately mediated the conflicting scales of the existing city fabric. For this, the team took precedent from the 19th century city, in which large perimeter blocks are broken and permeable to allow for pedestrian movement in between. These types of blocks also encourage public venues within them, allowing for a range in public, semi-public, and private spaces to activate the city.
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S T UD I E S I N S C A L E
At the same time, certain spaces warranted for wide, grand public spaces (e.g. the modern buildings), which naturally led to more compressed spaces of intimacy. The variety of scales in public space led to an appropriate range of scales for pedestrians: spaces of celebration like squares, boulevards, spaces for marathons, etc.
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Landscape M AC R O
EXTENS IO N O F GR EEN HO R S ESHO E
CENTR A L B O ULEVA R D
I V
D E SI GN D EV EL OP M E NT
S AVA R IVER B ANKS
From the start of the design process, the main focus for the landscape strategy was threefold: to mitigate the flood issue in the city; to create a continuous green recreational corridor on the locale; to feed the Sava with clean, filtered water from SUDs. This first drawing represents the vision for the landscape, which later the team realised needed to be different to the Sava river realm.
The team worked on negotiating the formal landscape from the Green Horseshoe and the informal, wild landscape from the river Sava, to create a green corridor that was more appropriate to a boulevard/urban conditions.
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MESO
STU D I E S I N P L AN
Creating a strict area of uninterrupted landscape, though with formal walkways around it to allow pedestrians to walk in between. Some areas could be higher in elevation to encourage protected wildlife, uninterrupted by people.
STU D I E S I N S E C T I O N
Studying how landscape can mediate between the scale of modern planning vehicular infrastructure and informal housing settlements –– e.g. an underpass with a car park, dangerous at night, becomes a shared park.
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N
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MICRO
I V
D E SI GN D EV EL OP M E NT
US E R I N T E R AC T I ON & WAY F I N D I N G
Different pavement arrangements were studied to show a clear difference in use and allow for continuous user interaction in plan and section. That is, paving sizes, types, and colours show the difference in tram areas, shared areas, cycling areas, among others. This strategy used instead of kerbs or level changes, which are less seamless. Additionally, no balusters were used, as these would obstruct the interaction between different zones.
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M AT ER IA L CH O ICE
Different enviromentally-friendly, untreated surface materials and products were explored for the landscape applications early during the design process. This sourcing was crucial to re-establish and protect ecosystems on the public realm, especially if there would be water runoff into the river Sava. In addition, materials were chosen to be locally sourced, as explained in the following section, Resources.
S US TA INA BLE UR BA N DR A INAG E
For flood mitigation during periods of heavy rain, soft and permeable, recycled surfaces were explored to allow water to slowly be absorbed by sublayers. Aco-trays, drainage channels, as well as systems to recycled collected rainwater for plant irrigation were also investigated. These lowmaintenance systems would allow the greenery on the locale to be healthy and full throughout the year.
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Resources
P L U GI N TO EX I S T I NG
City-wide strategy for access to renewable energy.
R E N E WA BL E E N E R G Y:
D E SI GN D EV EL OP M E NT
The main challenge was designing methods for renewables which interlink and solve multiple issues at once. One of the main consequences of these constraints was the decision to plug into the existing infrastructure of the city and to minimise the construction of new infrastructure. The team took advantage of the 130 million EUR investment into two of the city’s thermal plants. The idea was to propose a scenario where the two plants are decommissioned, and renewable facilities are built next to it. These facilities would then use the existing energy network to distribute electricity and heating across existing and masterplanned Zagreb. The main reason for this was to prevent the costs and construction of entirely new infrastructure.
I V
PL UG G I N I N TO E X I S T I N G I N F R A S T UC T UR E
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P R O BL E M 1
Water contamination from excessive waste.
C O M BINE D S O LU T IO N
Energy from waste to combat: INF O R M AL WAS T E D U M PS WAT E R C O NTAM INAT IO N S T R E E T PO LLU T IO N
P R O BL E M 2
Excessive waste causing street and water pollution.
WA S T E & WAT E R
An example of the holistic approach taken is the waste-water solution developed during the design, which solves three issues at once: promotes alternative energy sources other than fossil fuels and hydropower, stops the pollution of the city by using an accumulating waste product as a source of energy, and stops the contamination of groundwater from informal waste dumps. Though the team predominantly focused on EFW as a renewable energy solution, we ensured that we shifted our focus to other renewables as well, to prevent the city from producing more waste as a means to get energy. The idea was to use EFW for existing waste, and propose renewables for when waste is no longer needed.
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FIL L I N G I N T HE VOID
Locale-wide strategy for new infrastructure. City centre now has access to services.
I V
D E SI GN D EV EL OP M E NT
N E W I N F R A S T R UC T UR E
The team had to propose new infrastructure in the central axis of the city as currently there is none; neighbouring residences do not have access to essential services. The team took advantage of the heavy excavation and construction of this decision by adding as many services into it, so that it serves multiple functions, for instance electricity distribution for homes, charging points; heating and cooling of residences and offices; infrastructure for EFW, geothermal energy, and solar power, and lastly, providing infrastructure for SUDs.
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M AT E R I A L S
For all construction, excavation, and landscaping, the team brainstormed the source, reuse, and waste of materials to maximise closed-loop cycles. The material excavated from the locale for energy infrastructure, for example, could be crushed and used as aggregate for landscaping pavers. On the other hand, the soil excavated from the bypass channel could be used to landscape the Sava riverbank. With similar objectives in mind, the team looked to source the proposed building materials within a 100 km radius from the city.
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Evolution of Design
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Zagreb study trip
LO N DO N
BATH
BU DA P E S T Z AG R E B
TOTA L C OL L E C T I VE C A R BON F OOT PR I N T
V A PPE ND I X
1627.21 kg CO2
BUS
A I R BUS A 3 2 1
F OR D F OC US 2 0 16
CYCLING
WA LKING
1 .3
2 2 . 74
0 . 11
0
0
KG C O 2 P E R K M
K G C O 2 PE R K M
K G C O 2 PE R K M
KG CO 2 PER KM
KG CO 2 PER KM
0, 02 7
0.1
0,022
0
0
KG C O 2 P E R K M
K G C O 2 PE R K M
K G C O 2 PE R K M
KG CO 2 PER KM
KG CO 2 PER KM
per passenger
per passenger
per passenger
per passenger
per passenger
(with 48 passengers)
(with 230 passengers)
(with 5 passengers)
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Travel carbon footprint
DISTA NCE: 24 2 KM 3 2. 67 KG CO 2
B AT H
LONDON
B U S STAT ION
LUTON AIRPORT
DISTA NCE: 1,4 50 KM 7 25 KG CO 2
L O N DO N
BUDAPES T
L U TO N AI R P ORT
AIRPORT
DISTA NCE: 54 5 KM 59. 95 KG CO 2
B U DAPES T
ZAGREB
AI R PO RT
TOTA L DRIVING TIM E: 5,5 H RS (10 0 KM ) 3 7 2 KM
11 KG CO 2
6 DAY S IN
6 DAYS IN
Z AG R EB
ZAGREB
DISTA NCE: 3 7 2 KM 4 0 . 92 KG CO 2
BUDAPES T Z AG R EB
AIRPORT
DISTA NCE: 1,4 50 KM 7 25 KG CO 2
B U DAPES T
LONDON LUTON
AI R PO RT
AIPORRT
DISTA NCE: 24 2 KM 3 2. 67 KG CO 2
L O N DO N L UTON
BATH
AI R PO R T
BUS S TATION
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UN I VE R S I T Y OF H UNIVERSITY OFBAT BATH
R E AD IN G T H E C I TY
S US TA I N A BL E C I T I E S
M.A R CH DESIGN S TUD IO 6 .1
I I
201 9/20
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