CURRENT ISSUES IN ARCHITECTURAL THEORY AND URBAN DESIGN
Sidewalk as Public Space Towards Pedestrian Vitality
Master of Architecture, Fakulti Alam Bina, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia prepared by Ahmad Safwan Ismail . MBE161108 | Wan Mohammad Hafiz Ridzwan Wan Pauzi . MBE161105 | Shahrul Afifi Zakaria . MBE161109 Dr Wan Mohd Zakri Wan Abdullah
0.0 | Contents 1.0
Introduction
1.1
Aim
1.2
Objectives
1.3
Limitation of Scope
1.4
General Definition
2.0
Theoretical Viewpoint on Sidewalk
2.1
Towards Pedestrian Vitality; The Sidewalk Realm
2.2
Current Issue on Sidewalk as Public Space
2.3
Active Sidewalk Design Approaches
3.0 3.1
Conclusion Discussion References
1.0 Introduction
1.0 | Introduction 1.1 Aim Sidewalk design as active public space towards pedestrian vitality 1.2 Objectives 1.2.1
To evaluate sidewalk as public realm and its vitality
1.2.2
To identify current sidewalk issues and theoretical solution
1.2.3
To understand active sidewalk design method
1.3 Limitation of Scope Sidewalk along commercial building and shoplot in Kuala Lumpur 1.4 General Definition 1.4.1
Sidewalk
: a walk, especially a paved one, at the side of a street or road.
1.4.2
Pedestrian
: a person who goes or travels on foot; walker.
1.4.3
Vitality
: capacity for survival or for the continuation of a meaningful or purposeful existence. The state of being strong and active; energy.
2.0 Theoretical Viewpoint of Sidewalk
2.0 | Theoretical Viewpoint on Sidewalk Type of sidewalk 2.0.1
Residential Sidewalks
Residential streets require less capacity than bustling urban centers, sidewalks must always maintain a comfortable and accessible clear path. The frontage zone may vary depending upon whether buildings are set back from the street edge and how fences, front yards, stoops, or planting strips are designed. Residential sidewalks are used for walking, playing, and socializing and should include street trees and planting where possible. The furniture zone should be designed to accommodate additional play facilities or green infrastructure where possible. Curb cuts for vehicle access should be minimized.
2.0 | Theoretical Viewpoint on Sidewalk Type of sidewalk (cont’d) 2.0.2
Neighborhood Main Street Sidewalks
Neighborhood main streets sidewalks include mixed-use street frontage alternating between residential and commercial uses. Main street sidewalks should accommodate moderate pedestrian volumes with large numbers of people stopping, sitting, and pausing as well as the extensions of ground floor uses. Sidewalks should be appropriate to the local climate and well lit, with frequent pedestrian seating. Curbside parking or transit facilities may require shelters or parking meters in the curb zone. The curb zone can be designed to accommodate green infrastructure.
2.0 | Theoretical Viewpoint on Sidewalk Type of sidewalk (cont’d) 2.0.3
Commercial Sidewalks
Commercial streets are characterized by large pedestrian volumes, active ground floors, street-facing entrances, commercial activity spilling onto the sidewalk, and loading activities. Commercial streets range from large streets to small alleys and laneways. The sidewalks on wider commercial corridors should have clearly defined frontage zones and street furniture zones to accommodate restaurant seating, commercial goods, benches, street planting, signs, street lights, and other necessary infrastructure. The curb zone may also include transit facilities and may have curb cuts or loading ramps for freight services.
2.1 Towards Pedestrian Vitality; The Sidewalk Realm
2.1.1 | Public Space vs. Public Realm Public Space… is a place and physical Public Realm… is public space that is shared communally by the public *Note: Paquot (2009) distinguishes between singular and plural public space. Public space therefore corresponds to the public sphere and public spaces to public places. In French,the concept of “l’espace public” is founded on two central objects: “l’espace public” as a physical location that creates social ties (the public space) and “l’espace public” as the collection of attributes contributing to the formation of public debate (the public sphere).
Municipal Development Plan (MDP) defined public realm as the space around, between and within buildings that are publicly accessible, including streets, squares, parks and open spaces. These areas and settings support or facilitate public life and social interaction. (source:https://www.calgarycommunities.com)
Public Space (Source: google image)
2.1.2 | Public Space A public space will only work if there is already pedestrian activity in the area. A public space cannot attract people where there is no one there to begin with and people do not feel safe stopping in a public space if there is no one walking on the surrounding streets. Public spaces must therefore be located in areas with existing pedestrian activity. (Jane Jacobs, 1961)
Public Space in Góra Puławska, by 3XA, Góra Puławska, Poland (Source: https://www.land8.com)
2.1.3 | Public Realm More and more people are appreciating that architecture and urban design of streets and public spaces have the power to connect, engage, and inspire us. Krier’s diagram clarified that public realm and civic building were an important part of a true city. And the street was an important part of the public realm as connector between public spaces.
Léon Krier's 1983 diagram on the city knitting together public and private buildings (Source: https://www.cnu.org/publicsquare/2017/07/20/great-idea-public-realm)
2.1.4 | Street as Public Realm The presence of people and activities on the street affect the liveability of the city (Appleyard, 1981; Wan Ismail, 2010).
In order for the street to be used by people, the street should be designed to suit the activities (Norhafizah Abdul Rahman et al., 2015)
Brickfields Side walk revitalization , ‘active design’ handbook by NYC Planning Department (Source: Google image search)
Jane Jacobs, Patron Saint of Urbanism, on streets and city vitality. (Source: https://www.cnu.org/publicsquare/2017/07/20/g reat-idea-public-realm)
2.1.5 | Sidewalk as Street Component of it’s Public Realm “Its essence is intricacy of sidewalk use, bringing with it a constant succession of eyes. This order is all composed of movement and change, and although it is life, not art, we may fancifully call it the art form of the city and liken it to the dance—not to a simple-minded precision dance with everyone kicking up at the same time, twirling in unison and bowing off en masse, but to a intricate ballet in which the individual dancers and ensembles all have distinctive parts which miraculously reinforce each other and compose an orderly whole. The ballet of the good city sidewalk never repeats itself from place to place, and in any one place is always replete with new improvisations.” (source: Jacobs J. The Death and Life of Great American Cities. New York: Random House; 1961, p. 50.)
Sidewalks form one of the most fundamental networks of public open space and public realm. Connecting us to parks and waterfronts, and facilitating people’s ability to walk to schools, places of employment, and neighborhood amenities throughout cities, a key component towards vitality urban fabric.
Sidewalk in NYC. (Source: google image)
2.1.6 | Sidewalks; history Dedicated spaces for pedestrians to walk within the roadway have existed for thousands of years. While sidewalks are designed primarily to allow safe pedestrian movement separated from moving traffic, they have always been about much more. Sidewalks provide a fundamental network of public open space that allows pedestrians to negotiate their way through the built environment at safe environment from moving vehicles while simultaneously contributing to a healthy and active lifestyle. They can also be places of interaction and engagement, social spaces to see and be seen, places of economic trade, platforms for collective speech and gatherings.
Historic sidewalk, Pompeii, Italy. / By the late 19th century, sidewalks became a space for social congregation and activity, New York City. Today sidewalks still play a criticalrole in activating neighborhoods. (Source: https://www.cnu.org/publicsquare/2017/07/20/great-idea-public-realm)
2.1.7 | Sidewalks; overview Sidewalks can be ambiguous zones between public and private spaces which they were generally associated with their adjacent uses within the buildings and sometimes a blurred extension to it. It is a distinction from the moving traffic and pedestrian path. The sidewalk became one of the most active and vibrant elements of the city, helping shape a neighborhood’s identity.
PENANG MALAYSIA CIRCA MARCH 2015, Pavement Sidewalk Market, Late Afternoon, Men Buying & Selling (Source: https://www.shutterstock.com/-penang-malaysia-circa-march-pavement-sidewalk-market-late-afternoon.html)
2.1.8 | Placemaking Placemaking inspires people to collectively reimagine and reinvent public spaces as the heart of every community. Strengthening the connection between people and the places they share, placemaking refers to a collaborative process by which we can shape our public realm in order to maximize shared value. More than just promoting better urban design, placemaking facilitates creative patterns of use, paying particular attention to the physical, cultural, and social identities that define a place and support its ongoing evolution (its vitality).
A City may be expressed as a story. A Pattern of relations between human groups, production and distribution spaces (Kevin Lynch) (https://nacto.org/publication/urban-street-design-guide/)
What makes a successful place? (Source: https://www.pps.org/)
2.1.9 | Vitality The concept of vitality and the viability of urban public open spaces, on the other hand, depends on the steady flows of people, a high degree of visibility, a mixture of activity types and different age groups of people. (Montgomery, 1995). Public realm can be thought of as the lifestyle and values associated with daily life activities and routine. These values are expressed through social interaction in public spaces, such as streets, public squares and sidewalks. These interactions, often based around the daily flow of the workday, combine with chance encounters as well as other special events. This daily social life of the place drives its vitality and vibrancy in many important ways. The depth and richness of social activities have long been mainstays of urban vitality. The public realm is critical to fundamentally shape these activities for people to engage and interact.
Urban Vitality (Source: google image)
2.2 Current Issue on Sidewalk as Public Space
2.2.1 | Current Issue ; Pedestrian vs. Vehicles 18 injured after minivan hit pedestrian in Shanghai
Tourist died after hit by bus during crossing a road in Kuala Lumpur
18 injured including 3 badly injured after a minivan lost control and hit into pedestrian area in the city centre.
A tourist from Poland was hit by bus at Jalan Tan Cheng Lock after she crossed the road.
(BH Online, February 2018)
(Harian Metro, 2016)
Cause
Theoretical viewpoint
❕ Lack of barrier in between road and sidewalk. ❕ Proper entry and exit point, into and from sidewalk.
The increased number of vehicles and the dominance of motorized movement in the streets; results in a demand that a separation should take place between vehicles and pedestrians to provide safety. (Dalia, 2016) For the street space, if the street is wide, this encourages motor vehicles for high speeds which have direct connection with accidents and pedestrians' injuries. (Dalia, 2016)
2.2.2 | Current Issue ; Pedestrian vs. Retails Motorcycle workshop encroaching into sidewalk area in Kuala Lumpur
Extra eating area on the sidewalk and parking spaces
Pedestrian to give up over ‘additional workshop area’ and take turn upon conflict with opposite flow.
A common scene in Malaysia of people eating on the walkways area denying public right to use the space.
(Sinar Harian, May 2014)
Cause
Theoretical viewpoint
❕ Retailer attitude not respecting public right. ❕ Wrongdoing become common practice and acceptable.
Although not all neighbors wish to participate in street communities, streets should be places where communal life is possible and where it can happen if street dwellers want it to. (Appleyard, 1980)
2.2.3 | Current Issue ; Pedestrian vs. Pedestrian Fine up to RM10,000 for smoking at prohibited area (covered walkway)
Pedestrian walkway area conquered by hawkers
Towards ‘Kuala Lumpur Bebas Asap Rokok’ by 2045, DBKL has prohibited smoking activities at all pedestrian bridges and covered walkway for a better walking experience.
Illegal hawkers along Jalan Sultan Ismail in the early morning blocking pedestrian flow. (Harian Metro, September 2016)
(Utusan, May 2017)
Cause
Theoretical viewpoint
❕ Smoking activities affect cleanliness and air quality for pedestrian. ❕ Occupied walkway affect the pedestrian flow, cleanliness and dangerous if without barrier.
The air they breathe should not be heavy with fumes. Dirt and soot should not forever be seeping through doors and windows. (Appleyard, 1980)
2.2.4 | Current Issue ; Pedestrian vs. Cyclist Overlapped route for cyclist on pedestrian walkway in Georgetown
Sharing narrow pedestrian and cyclist route in Pulau Pinang
Green-marking route (for cyclist) was painted over existing pedestrian walkway and vehicles route. This overlapped route will confuse users and become a risky public space.
Implementation of bicycle lane was not in compliance to local authority requirement leading to insufficient width for both walkway and cyclist route. (Utusan, February 2016)
(Sinar Harian, December 2015)
Cause
Theoretical viewpoint
❕ Misleading demarcation of the space belonging. ❕ Insufficient clearance for a comfortable usage and good efficiency.
Sidewalk may present but it is actually occupied with other uses which block and hinder pedestrians. These reasons definitely lead to the rise of the percentage of accidents occurrence in the street space due to the interference between the pedestrian movement and the vehicles one. (Dalia, 2016)
2.2.5 | Current Issue ; Pedestrian vs. Other Obstacles Deadly obstacles at Gurney Drive, Pulau Pinang
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Obstacles in the middle of sidewalk creating discontinuity and/or narrow access. This blockage affect the pedestrian flow and force pedestrian to walk over vehicles route which is very dangerous.
Fixed obstacles will block the pedestrian flow, but without these kind of obstacles, vehicles may park on the roadside. Besides, lack of kerb ramp and sometimes the access was blocked by vehicles.
Cause
Theoretical viewpoint
❕ Discontinuity of pedestrian flow. ❕ Not disable friendly.
Another problem affecting the people's safety is insufficient illumination, because of vision limitation at night, various dangers threatened users. (Dalia, 2016)
2.3 Active Sidewalk Design Approaches
2.3.1 | Prologue Sidewalk ● Sidewalks play a strong role in city life. As conduits for pedestrian movement and access, they enhance connectivity and promote walking. As public spaces, sidewalks serve as the front steps to the city, activating streets socially and economically. Safe, accessible, and well-maintained sidewalks are a fundamental and necessary investment for cities, and have been found to enhance general public health and maximize social capital. ●
The pedestrian is an active participant, who walks through the center of a room what we call “the
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sidewalk room.” It is a space defined by four planes: a ground plane, a canopy, a roadside, and a building side
2.3.2 | Conception Framework
“As a fish needs to swim, a bird to fly, a deer to run, we need to walk, not in order to survive, but to be happy.”
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Sidewalks: The Experience: The sidewalk is not a static condition, but a dynamic space that people experience at their own paces. How the human senses impact sidewalk experience, and design can impact some factors to control. Sidewalks: The Physical Space: The pedestrian experience occurs within a space shaped by a variety of physical elements, all of which contribute to its individual character. Sidewalks: The Policies: The physical elements that define sidewalks are regulated by a range of city codes and policies.
2.3.3 | Factor that contribute to active sidewalk
2.3.4 | The Experience
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How might they experience it? What are they seeing, smelling, and feeling? This means considering the physical space while also keeping in mind time, movement, and the human senses. Pedestrians typically experience a sidewalk by moving along it over a period of time and perceiving it with all seven senses, including proprioceptive (body position and force) and vestibular (moving through space against gravity).
2.3.5.1 | The Physical Space - Ground Plane Physical elements of GROUND plane Width / clearance Green strips (planters) Street trees (tree pits) Slope Service access Lighting/signage poles Pavement material/texture/pattern
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FRONTAGE ZONE
The frontage zone describes the section of the sidewalk that functions as an extension of the building, whether through entryways and doors or sidewalk cafes and sandwich boards. The frontage zone consists of both the structure and the facade of the building fronting the street, as well as the space immediately adjacent to the building.
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2. PEDESTRIAN THROUGH ZONE The pedestrian through zone is the primary, accessible pathway that runs parallel to the street. The through zone ensures that pedestrians have a safe and adequate place to walk and should be 5–7 feet wide in residential settings and 8–12 feet wide in downtown or commercial areas.
2.3.5.2 | The Physical Space - Roadside Plane ●
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Physical elements of the roadside planeof The roadside vertical plane can have a great deal Green strips/ depth, adding a number of layers to theplanters/ pedestrian Street trees experience. This plane is defined primarily by the Lighting/signage poles rhythm of vertical physical elements like tree trunks Street vendors and light poles that line the Parked immediate cars edge of the sidewalk. Bike lanes Bike spaced, racks The more closely these are the more prominent and dense the firstStreet layer furniture becomes. Fire hydrants The second layer in this plane is shaped by the immediate roadside adjacency, and varies greatly depending on whether it is a bike lane, a parking lane, or a moving travel lane. Parked cars and other static objects can act as buffering elements to moving vehicles, and can in some cases help increase the intimacy of the sidewalk experience.
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3. STREET FURNITURE The street furniture zone is defined as the section of the sidewalk between the curb and the through zone in which street furniture and amenities, such as lighting, benches and bicycle parking are provided. The street furniture zone may also consist of green infrastructure elements, such as rain gardens or flow-through planters.
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4. BUFFER ZONE The enhancement/buffer zone is the space immediately next to the sidewalk that may consist of a variety of different elements. These include curb extensions, parklets, stormwater management features, parking, bike racks, bike share stations, and curbside bike lanes or cycle tracks.
2.3.5.3 | The Physical Space - Canopy Plane ●
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The canopy or sky plane is the area pedestrians perceive as overhead. Zoning regulations play a big role in the composition of the canopy. In most cases, the canopy plane is defined by the amount of sky apparent to pedestrians. Sidewalks lined with trees provide a strong and diverse canopy filled with tree branches. The number of elements that project into this plane affects the sidewalk’s overall sense of enclosure as well as the amount of shade and shelter it provides for pedestrians in extreme weather conditions. Distant landmarks are often apparent in this plane.
Physical elements of the CANOPY Canopies/awnings Balconies/fire escapes Shading devices Street trees Signage Overall building height Above ground building Lighting /lighting poles
2.3.5.4 | The Physical Space - Building Wall Plane ●
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The building wall plane is the point at which the sidewalk meets the private property line. Zoning regulations typically have the greatest impact on this plane. The position of the building wall plane whether a building is set back or sits directly on the property line can greatly affect the sidewalk experience. For buildings set back from the sidewalk line, the building wall still has an impact, but what occurs in this setback zone also contributes to the pedestrian experience. Areas with smaller setbacks often feature plantings, cafés, signs, trashcans, stoops, and other street furniture; zones marked by larger setbacks with curb cuts tend to contain parked cars, larger trees or other plantings, and front yard furniture.
Physical elements of the BUILDING WALL Land use Ground floor setback Overall building height Above ground building setbacks Front yard planting Off-street parking Length of lots/frontages Entrances Security gates Architectural articulation Signage Outdoor uses Lighting
2.3.6.1 | The Policies - Width
MINIMUM WIDTH Require sidewalks in every neighborhood, for both sides of the street depending on the type of street, land use, density, and the presence of destinations like schools, hospitals, and transit stops. CLEAR PATHS Define minimum and appropriate clear paths that accommodate the expected pedestrian flow for a given neighborhood. WIDENING Require sidewalk widening for new developments and enlargements in neighborhoods where sidewalks do not comply with proposed minimum width requirements.
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2.3.6.2 | The Policies - Green Strips/Green Trees PLANTING STRIP WIDTH Require a minimum width of planting strips between the clear path and the roadside. Widths can vary according to type of street. STORMWATER MANAGEMENT Allow the use of street swales and other stormwater management strategies along green strips. MINIMUM TREE SPACING Establish minimum tree spacing measurements based on tree species. Specify minimum distances between trees and light poles and other vertical element in the “roadside plane.” MINIMUM TREE PLANTING Require property owners or developers to plant a minimum number of street trees. This number can be determined according to property characteristics such as frontage width. TYPE OF VEGETATION Suggest the use of certain tree species according to local availability, climate characteristics,or the type of shade desired.
3.0 Conclusion
3.0 | Conclusion ● ● ●
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The public realm should be designed to encourage the activities intended to take place within its public space. Sidewalks should be designed to accommodate a range of users and uses, thus create visual interest and amenity to encourage social interaction. The sidewalk function may equal or outweigh the pedestrian movement function. This can be satisfied by providing a mix of various dimensions and active design within the sidewalk planes. Issues of sidewalk designs that has been a global thing needed enforcement and implementation in order to resolve this issues appropriately. The key for vitality of these sidewalks design is to think carefully about the range of desirable activities for the environment created and to vary designs to suit both the public and social realm.
3.1 | Discussion A mixture of activities and use can create a successful community and public space that enables the street to attract more people to come (Shamsuddin, 2011)
Main factors that make people used the street; attractions on the street, activities on street, commute distance (proximity), congestion and other supportive factors (public space, greener/trees, public amenities, maintenance and cleanliness and freedom of actions). (Norhafizah Abdul Rahman et al., 2015)
Many factors contribute to creating a “walkable city” but the most important, and arguably the most neglected, is the design of the sidewalk. More than simply a concrete apron to mediate between road and building, the sidewalk is the stage on which pedestrian life plays out. It is the floor for the pedestrian “room” and as such deserves as much design attention as the living room of a home. A well designed sidewalk can make a street pleasurable and safe to walk down. A poorly designed sidewalk can be a deterrent to pedestrian traffic. Active Design Sidewalks intended to assist designers and governments create beautiful, enjoyable sidewalks that make our cities more walkable. David Burney, FAIA, Commissioner, New York City Department of Design and Construction (source: https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/planning/download/pdf/plans-studies/a ctive-design-sidewalk/active_design.pdf)
References Books ● ● ● ●
Montgomery, C. 2013. Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design. New York: Farrar, Strauss & Giroux. Townsend, A. M. 2013. Smart Cities. New York: W.W. Norton & Co Gehl, J., & Svarre, B. (2013). How to study public life. Washington, DC: Island Press Jacobs, J. (1961). The death and life of great American cities. New York City, New York:Vintage.
Journal ● ● ● ●
Gehl Architects. (2016). Public space public life strategies. Retrieved June 6, 2016, from http://gehlarchitects.com/services/public-space-public-life-strategies/ Appleyard, D. (1981). Livable streets. London: University of California Press. Wan Ismail,W.H. ((2010). User’s perception of shopping activities in the Historic City of Malacca. Asian Journal of Environment Behaviour Studies, 1(3), 73-82 Dalia Abdel Moneim Osman (2016). A Tale of a Sidewalk; the Conflict of Its Presence and Usage in the Streets of Cairo. European Journal of Sustainable Development (2016), 5, 2, 1-12
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