PUBLIC
SPACE
PUBLIC
LIFE
NOR
MAN
OKLA
HOMA
OU IQC
PUBLIC
SPACE
PUBLIC
LIFE NORMAN
OKLAHOMA
CONTENTS INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
PART 1: PLACES
MASS TRANSIT / MASS HOUSING . . . . . . . . .8 LIGHTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 PROGRAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 FAÇADE ANALYSIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 PUBLIC SEATING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
PART 2: PEOPLE
DEMOGRAPHICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 VEHICULAR TRAFFIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 PEDESTRIAN/BIKE TRAFFIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 TRAFFIC SPEED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 VISUAL PRESENCE RATING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
2
3
ACRES ST
INTRO-
DUCTION PO E RT
FLOOD AVE
VE RA
Public Space Public Life Norman documents a portion of the research and analysis done by The Institute for Quality Communities at the University of Oklahoma in the Spring of 2012. Our study focuses on public spaces in central Norman and the people who use them. We modeled our research on work done by Gehl Architects on the city of Perth. By combining their work with our own observations and interpretations we made the following presupposition: that new modes of performing activities such as shopping, commuting, and entertaining have emerged to compete with public spaces as venues for social and economic interaction. Thus, now more than ever, the quality of public space determines whether or not it will be utilized. Furthermore, in order to increase quality of public space, we see it necessary to quantify the conditions we seek to improve. The following report begins to create and apply a series of metrics by which to evaluate the public experience of space in Norman, Oklahoma.
CL
MAIN ST
SEN AS
FOCUS
D
BLV
A R E A
I-35
LINDSEY ST
4
LINDSEY ST
5
PART 1
PLACES
7
MASS
TRANSIT
MASS HOUSING
APARTMENT SHUTTLE BUS 1-100 RIDERS BUS 101-200 RIDERS BUS 201-500 RIDERS BUS 500+ RIDERS MASS HOUSING
CART, Cleveland Area Rapid Transit, is Norman’s public transportation system. As can be seen on the map, the most frequented routes are those associated with the University of Oklahoma. One of the busiest routes connects an off-campus parking facility to the South Oval. The popularity of this de facto park and ride system can be attributed to the expense of on-campus parking. Other routes see limited utilization as limited range and infrequent arrival times prevent CART from becoming a viable alternative to driving except where parking is elusive or costly. This theory suggests a negative feedback loop–that the reduction in supply of parking spots eventually reduces demand.
8
MASS PARKING
9
STANDARD ADEQUATE ILLUMINANCES (fc)
LIGHT -ING
IN
MA
ST
EXISTING LIGHTING
St. he anc m o E. C St.
Good Pedestrian/Bike Way ( >2.2 fc) Good Pedestrian/Bike Way ( >2.2 fc) Bad Pedestrian/Bike Way ( <2.2 fc) Bad Pedestrian/Bike Way ( <2.2 fc) Good Parking Space ( >1.2 fc) Good Parking Space ( >1.2 fc) Bad Parking Space ( <1.2 fc) Bad Parking Space ( <1.2 fc)
ve. rA rte
o S. P
ray E. G
ve. dA for aw
r S. C
St. ain E. M
ve.
sA ter
e S. P
Lighting plays a critical role in security and perception of security. The benefit of civilian “eyes on the street” expires after sunset if insufficient lighting fails to expose potential security threats.
Pedestrian way 2.2 Bike way 2.2 Pedestrian (comm. area) 2.0 Outdoor Parking 1.2-1.6 Street w/o Pedestrian 1.0 Freeway thru comm. area 0.6-1.1 Freeway thru res. area 0.7-0.8
DOWNTOWN University Blvd.
We see the need for adequate pedestrian lighting to extend past the peripheries of nightactive zones. This would encourage the expansion of nighttime activity and help maintain security by illuminating the dark edges of nightlife
UNIVERSITY BLVD
Campus Corner and Downtown Norman function as the two epicenters for nightlife in Norman. They are also the only areas of the city with adequate pedestrian lighting–which is both a cause and effect of their success. Or in other words, adequate lighting does not guarantee the success of a district, but inadequate lighting undoubtably snuffs out all legitimate forms of nocturnal life.
T
S AY
GR
White St.
W Boyd St. Asp Ave
BOYD ST
ASP AVE
districts.
CAMPUS CORNER 10
11
PRO-
GRAM
RESIDENTIAL
COMMERCIAL CIVIC
The Island Effect
CIVIC COMMERCIAL
We acknowledge the success of Campus Corner and a portion of Main Street as individual hubs of activity, but what about the interstitial space? A swath of residences divides the two most programmatically active zones of our study. The resulting schism between the two most lively parts of the city eliminates the possibility of symbiosis between complementary zones and functions.
MAIN ST
RESIDENTIAL
RESIDENTIAL
MIXED USE
BOYD ST
SEN
AS
CL
ARTS
D
BLV
RESIDENTIAL
UNIVERSITY
12
STUDENT RESIDENTIAL
EATERIES AND BARS RETAIL ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
LINDSEY ST
13 RESIDENTIAL
FAÇADE ANALYSIS
T
S AY
R TE PO
GR
VE RA
Transparency Allowing passersby to look into the building significantly increases the interest of a facade. Transparency also functions as secondary form of signage.
IN
MA
ST
Signage
Recessions in façades for display space and cafe seating make an area more interactive. Alleyways act as channels to parking and other businesses.
ASP ST
Recessions
UNIVERSITY ST
Good signage requires signs directed to both pedestrians and cars. This means having multiple signs at different scales. Signage perpendicular to a building’s façade allows pedestrians walking down the sidewalk to identify a building
BOYD ST
Engaging Façade Semi-Engaging Façade Dull Façade 14
15
PUBLIC SEATING
VE RA RTE PO
T
S AY
GR
These benches on campus lack shading or vegetation. Also, the seating arrangement lacks a relationship to a placemaking object, and is exposed to pedestrian circulation on all sides.
IN
MA
ST
ES
JAM ER
RN
GA E AV
behind.
This zone has a good amount of privacy and comfort. The retaining wall here serves as secondary seating since it does not signify a seat but it can easily serve as one. This area has became a popular spot for gathering and relaxing.
UNIVERSITY ST
These benches across from the entrance of the OU library provide better orientation, and bushes shield the bench from circulation
BOYD ST
1 unit = 1 seat 2 units = 1 bench 4 units = cafe seating
16
17
PART 2
PEOPLE
19
TOTAL POPULATION OF BLOCK REGION
DEMOGRAPHICS
1-300
110,925
NORMAN POPULATION
15,125
RESIDENTS IN STUDY AREA
In 2010 the University saw the largest number of enrolled freshmen in the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history. The population of Norman took a small dip in 2010, but finished around 6,000 higher than it was ten years prior. That increase also helped bring in 7,000 more jobs to the area. The most dense part of our study area is in the South Greek portion of campus.
1-300
301-600
601-900 901-1200 1201-150
30 1-600
601-900 901-1200 1201-1500 1501+
MAIN ST
109,323 110,349
111,543 112,551 110,925
15,126 13,050
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2000
2010
Source: 2011 Norman, OK Community Report Card
59,537
27,149
OU STUDENT POPULATION
PEOPLE IN LABOR FORCE BOYD ST CL SEN AS BLV D
27,149 26,696 26,219
26,201
2007
2008
2009
52,788
26,490
2010
2011
Source: OU Enrollment Services
20
2000
59,537
2010
Selected Economic Characteristics
LINDSEY ST
21
3 lane traffic 4 lane traffic
17929
3645
VEHICULAR
1302
7950
TRAFFIC ray E. G
13875
3645
W. Gray St. 6146
19418
W. Main St.
2077 14111
3221 7750
4513
Classen Blvd.
2634
4143 1312
1873 3716
4828
1136
18527
13638
14778
S. Jenkins Ave.
W. Boyd St. 17978 1615 3084
14968
8047 1602
Cla . lvd
nB
sse
S. Flood Ave. 5293
15684
22
St. 1597
5884 9339
ain
ve. er A ort S. P
E. M
S. Flood Ave.
Urban living depends on the fluid transportation of people and goods between cities and across the globe. This traffic allows for space to be differentiated and interdependentâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;both necessary conditions for urbanism. At the city scale commuter traffic differentiates work from home and event traffic mediates between play and home. At a global scale import/export traffic along with immigrant/emigrant traffic differentiate regions and nations from one another. If it were not for these forms of transportation, every zone of consumption would be its own zone of production, thus every community would be agrarian and rural. In this way urbanity depends on vehicular traffic. However, prioritizing this vehicular traffic at the local scale often ends up encouraging inefficient and non-social models of living.
12435
9783
19822
16552
St.
Average daily traffic count
5732
16285
14100
W. Lindsey St.
16875
23
PEDESTRIAN
AND BIKE
TRAFFIC
1 R TE PO VE RA
2
Though urbanism depends on motorized traffic on a global and regional scale, personal vehicular traffic at the local scale tends to inhibit density, and annul the economic and labor efficiencies which urban communities otherwise benefit from. In cities too small to support extensive mass transit systems, such as Norman, walking and cycling can provide the most efficient means of transportation.
MAIN ST
Our pedestrian and bike counts were taken on weekdays by video recording at a single location from 7:00 am until 10:00 pm.
3
CL
FLOOD AVE
BOYD ST
SEN AS BLV D
Daily Traffic 100 500 1,000 3,000 6,000
4
Bike Pedestrian
LINDSEY ST
24
25
3
PEDESTRIANS PER HOUR
PEDESTRIAN
AND BIKE
TRAFFIC HOURLY
UNIVERSITY BLVD + BOYD ST
BICYCLISTS PER HOUR
PROFILES
400
1
EAST MAIN
300 200
0
100
TOTAL
0
0
NORTH ON PETERS
TOTAL
0
H O U R
SOUTH ON PETERS 0 EAST ON MAIN 0
P E O P L E
WEST ON MAIN
2
WEST MAIN
0
NORTH ON UNIVERSITY
200 100 0
SOUTH ON UNIVERSITY
TOTAL
0
100
NORTH ON PETERS
0
0 SOUTH ON PETERS
EAST ON BOYD
0
100 0
m
9:0
0p
m
8:0
0p
m
7:0
0p
m
6:0
0p
m
5:0
0p
m
4:0
0p
m
3:0
0p
m
0p 2:0
1:0
0p
m
am
12
:00
am
:00 11
10
:00
m
0a 9:0
m
0a 7:0
m
9:0
0p
m
8:0
0p
m
7:0
0p
m
6:0
0p
m
5:0
0p
m
4:0
0p
m
3:0
0p
m
0p 2:0
1:0
0p
m
am
12
:00
am
11
:00
am
10
:00
m
0a 9:0
m
0a 8:0
m
0a 7:0
26
am
WEST ON BOYD
WEST ON MAIN
m
0
0a
EAST ON MAIN
8:0
PE O PLE
P ER
HOU R
100 0
100
P E R
P E O P L E
P E R
H O UR
100
27
28 0p
9:0
0p
8:0
0p
7:0
0p
6:0
0p
5:0
m
m
m
m
m
m
0
0p
100
4:0
100
m
200
0p
200
3:0
300
m
300
0p
400
2:0
400
m
500
0p
500
1:0
0
am
300
:00
1000
12
400
am
1100
:00
500
11
1200
am
000
:00
1300
10
100
m
1400
0a
000
9:0
1500
m
100
H O U R
1600
0a
P E R
SOUTH OVAL
8:0
m
TOTAL 100
P E O P L E
600
0a
m
m
m
m
m
m
m
m
m
am
am
am
H O U R 900
7:0
0p
9:0
0p
8:0
0p
7:0
0p
6:0
0p
5:0
0p
4:0
0p
3:0
0p
2:0
0p
1:0
:00
12
:00
11
:00
10
m
0a
9:0
0 m
P E O P L E 700
0a
P E R 800
8:0
m
0a
7:0
4 200
SOUTH ON EAST PATH
NORTH ON EAST PATH
200
NORTH ON WEST PATH
600
SOUTH ON WEST PATH
29
R TE PO VE RA
3 lane traffic
TRAFFIC
4 lane traffic
SPEEDS 30 MP H
. Nearly all streets within our study area have been restricted to a 25 mile per hour speed limit. However, three and four lane roads along with slightly higher speed limits through major pedestrian zones both work to limit the walkability of central Norman.
IN
MA
ST
30 MPH
BOYD ST
30 MPH SEN
AS
CL E AV
35
FLOOD AVE
H
MP
LINDSEY ST
30
31
VE RA
PRESENCE
316
73
50â&#x20AC;&#x2122; 874
T
561
469
IN
MA
207
ST
334 780
1093
349
183
118
256
10 second experience 440
LOCAL BUSINESS
150 235
74
210
106 65 697
274
1,113
4 second experience
1,306
595
746
BOYD ST
AS
CL
LOCAL BUSINESS
SEN
92
This data set serves as an index for measuring the activity on any given street, and thus could prove a valuable resource in determining the most economically viable locations for future development.
530
We formulated our visual presence rating, or VPR, by combing pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicular traffic data to calculate the average number of seconds that people collectively spend on a fifty foot stretch of street in one hour. Essentially VPR measures how much time the public spends traversing a given area. The rating is weighted by street types. Streets with more lanes receive a slightly lower VPR score because of higher traffic speeds, fewer traffic stops and further viewing distances from storefronts.
S AY GR
787
LOCAL BUSINESS
798
RATING
457
91
562
325
300
890
2,859
1 second experience
FLOOD AVE
=
516
E AV
175
[50ft/mean traffic speed(fps)] x average hourly traffic volume
VPR
722
R TE PO
VISUAL
800
958
LINDSEY ST
32
33
Public Space Public Life Norman produced by the following University of Oklahoma Students enrolled in the Institute for Quality Communities course in the Spring of 2012: Dustin Blalock David Clayton Sam Day Hok-Yin Chan Kevin Ku Ty McCarthy Morgan Pinch Jasmine Rikin Vera Voropaeva Madeleine Wiens Adelle York Shelly Zhu Blair Humphreys instructed the course and directed research for Public Space Public Life Norman.
Public Space Public Life Norman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Institute for Quality Communities 830 Van Vleet Oval, Gould Hall, Suite 165 Norman, Oklahoma 73019