The Agro-Urban Community

THE AGRO-URBAN COMMUNITY Connecting & Retro-Fitting Torino, Italy’s Infrastructure & Agriculture

Table of Contents:

Background Information: Page 2 City and Site Analysis: Pages 3 & 4 Master Plan Iterations: Page 5 Master Plan: Page 6 Site Scale Design Development: Page 7 & 8

Site Scale Section Graphics: Page 9 & 10 Agricultural Prototype: Page 11 Piazza Grading Plan:

Page 12

Piazza Construction Section Analysis: Page 13-16 Design Planting Plan and Schedule: Page 17-18

Illustrations: Pages 19 & 20

Background Information: This project is an exploration aimed at solving the complex issues that are challenging many urban environments around the world. In 2012, The City of Torino, Italy held a design and ideas competition focused on redeveloping a large sub- urban industrial space into an ideal community of the future. Based on several criteria laid out in the competition the design of the Agro-Urban Community seeks to fufill the needs and desires of the Torinesi.

Torino, Italy as a whole is an incredible place. The city consists of a densely populated historical core lined with arcades and promenades, many large open squares, diverse markets, and multitude of public transit options. Torino can boast the greatest extension of public green areas in Italy; over 15.5 million square meters (about 14 square meters per inhabitant).

However, the city, with a population around 1 million is facing many of the same problems that daunt most globalized cities today. The issue of population distribution within the urban fabric is a primary problem that the Agro-Urban community solves.

In order to combat these issues we must consider retro-fitting or replacing the current models of urban management, life and development. We need to think about the ways we manage the urban areas by thinking locally, involving citizens and properly utilizing resources. If we properly design our communities we can begin to cope with the global economic cycles, climate and social changes. By introducing the principles of resilience, sustainability, adaptability and integration one can begin to develop a design program that will effectively function as needed.

The Argo-Urban community is a model that is designed to combine a dense urban core with a highly functioning agricultural system. By utilizing open space to create diverse agricultural areas, a highly populated community can begin to supply itself with many necessary resources. In this design, the Argo-Urban community begins to solve many of these problems by introducing any number of potential solutions. The site consists of a dense, walkable area of tree lined streets, open park and agricultural land along with commercial space aimed at bolstering local economies.

This book breaks down the design of the Argo-Urban community as applied to complex industrial site in the southern, sub-urban Torino area. Currently the site acts as shipping and loading lot for the Fiat Mirafiori factory and is comprised of large swaths of impervious land and a large 25 to 30 foot deep trench where trains enter and exit the site. If designed properly this site could be the lynch pin in connecting green space and agricultural land along the sub-urban edge of Torino.

2

City and Site Analysis:

There is a huge amount of free unused green space in between and around the complex site. These spaces have a high potential as agricultural and park land. There are chances to create new connections to pursue the integration between Mirafiori and other communiteis around the area. The narrow area of the FIAT production area car parking will provide Turin with a new model of urban life.

City Analysis:

Programming

Metro Line

Main Automotive Routes

3

River Network

Proposed Agricultural and Green Space: City Scale

Proposed Agricultural and Green Space: Site Scale

Site Boundry

Site Boundry

Panorama Looking West

4

Master Plan Iterations

1

4

2

5

3

5

Master Plan

North Corridor

Trench

Town Centre

FIAT

6

B’

Site Scale Site Development: North Corridor: The Retro-Fitting facrtories and Integrated Agriculture and Park Land The Northern Corridor of the site acts as an entry way into the Argo-Urban Community. The entry is marked with agricultural fields and orchards framed by newly retrofitted factory buildings.

These unused factory buildings will be converted into a multi-use development that begins to integrate green and agricultural space with urban fabric.

On the northern end, the re-programmed trench will serve as a park designed for adaptability. The space will cater toward farmers markets and cultural events such as concerts.

The trench will be lined with green walls, thus adding to in the innovative approach of the Argo-Urban community. 5 connectivity nodes line the trench at important locations. These nodes allow patrons to cross the trench, access the trench below and ascend to the 100 feet to viewing platforms at each node.

Retro-Fitted Factories Tree Line Boulevard Trench Entry at Stree Level Perma-Culture Forrest Connectivity Node

B

Reprogramed Trench

A’

A Agricultural Prototype

7

The Town Center and Contiued Patterns of Torino

D

This area is comprised of several important design motifs, pivotal to the site. The site is comprised of a many urban design patterns currently in use in Torino. Currently the city consists of 370 KM of tree lined street corridors. The tree lined streets of the Argo-Urban community act as the connective tissue of the site and the surrounding context.

The Building masses are scaled based on sizes found in Torino’s city center (approximately 4 to 6 stories tall).The building edge facing the boulevard is designed as an arcade. (This can be seen in my piazza design). Two connectivity nodes stretching 100 feet up serve as panorama view points for the sites patrons.

The intersection of the 2 main boulevards serves as an activity node with 3 different piazzas each catering to a wide verity of different programing.

As you travel south through the trench one will find a series of different uses. Seating walls and fountains are followed by a comprehensive skate park that leads into a public recreational center.

Seating walls and fountians See Piazza Design (13) Underground Parking Largescale Muli-use Building Skate Park Pedestrian Walk

C’

C

Tree Lined Boulevard Connectivity Node

Main Automotive Route 4-6 Story Building

D

Public Recreation Center

8

Site Scale Section Graphics:

C

B

Retro-Fitted Factories Section Facing North West

A

D

Town Centre Section Facing East

9

C’

Trench Section Facing South

B’

A’

Trench Section Facing North

D’ 10

Agricultural Prototype

Orchards and Perennial Crops: Provides the community with year round food from a verity of fruit and nut baring sources.

Public Garden Plots and Row Crops: This Land serves as a the primary area for food production. Crops will rotate seasonally and will be run and operated by members of the community.

Agricultural Infrastructure: This area includes a verity of parts aiding in productive Agriculture.

These include farm buildings, green houses, tool sheds, cisterns, energy resources, staging areas, and path ways.

Agricultural Prototype: All together these areas are designed to function hand and hand with the community. If successful the areas could provide the community with food year round thus curbing the need to import resources.

11

Piazza Design Grading Plan

Park Bench

Arcade Planter Bench Outdoor Eating

E’

E Fountain

12

Construction Section Analysis:

E 13

14

E’

15

16

Piazza Design Planting Plan

17

Plant Schedule Plant&Type:

Options&for&ideal&plant&palette:

Quantity: Spacing: Symbol:

Norwegian&Spruce,!Picea!abies Aleppo&Pine,&Pinus!halepensis Lime&Trees,&Tilla Horse&Chestnuts,&Aesculus!hippocastanum!

White&Elm@Trees,!Ulmus!laevis Siberian&Elms,&Ulmus!pumila!

Italian&oak,&Quercus!frainetto Pubescent&Oak,&Quercus!pubescens English&oak,&Quercus!robur Turkey&Oak,&Quercus!cerris Beech,&Fagus!grandifola!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Walnut,&Juglans Large&Overstory&Tree

Medium&Overstory&Tree

Understory&Tree

Large&Perenial&Shrub

Medium&Pernial&Shrub

Smalll&Coarse&Perrenial

Small&Eddible&Plant

Birch,&Betula Hornbeams,&Carpinus Italain&Plum,&Prunus!cocomilia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maple,!Acer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Peach,&Prunus!persica&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Apricot,&Prunus!armeniaca!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kiwi,!Actinidia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Almond,!Prunus!amygdalus

Butterfly&Bush,!Buddleia!davidii!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Roundleaf&Garlic,!Allium!sphaerocephalon!!!!!!

Blueberry,!Cyanococcus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hydrangea&paniculata,!Hydrangea!paniculata!!!!!!!& Rose&of&Sharon,!Hibiscus!Syriacus Lavender,&Lavandula!

Rose&Mary,&Rosmarinus!officinalis Thyme,&Thymus!vulgaris Sage,&Salvia European&dwarf&cherry&,Prunus!fruticosa Rosy&Garlic&,&Allium!roseum Dyckia,&Dyckia!fosteriana!!!&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Day&Lilly,!Hemerocalis!Species!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Heuchera,!Heuchera!'Caramel'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yucca,!Yucca!filamentosa Broccoli,!Brassica!oleracea Parsnips,&Pastinaca!sativa Carrots,&Daucus&carota Artichokes,&Cynara&cardunculus& Garlic,&Allium&sativum,& Field&Mint,&Mentha&arvensis& Valerian,&Valeriana&officinalis

18

19 30'&OC

7 20'&OC

15 10'@&15'OC

31 8'@10'&OC

83 4'@6'&OC

171 2'&OC

160 1'OC

Planter-Bench Illustration

19

Piazza Fountain Illustration

20

Noah Shaye • Summer 2013 • The University of Georgia • LAND 4900 • Spooner and Lahaie