SUMMARY
PROJECT SUMMARY
The 2014 Praxis Community Design Studio: The Nichol Avenue Project was based on feedback from a meeting of city officials, university administrators, and neighbors faced with concerns about multiple development proposals that would dramatically reshape the edge between Cook Campus and the neighboring residential community. This project was an open student exploration with a well-defined studio data collection and analysis structure.
The studio recommends a Community Engagement Plan that integrates activity programming to promote campus and community interaction, a Streetscape Plan that improves the existing sidewalk system along Nichol Avenue, a Recreation Park Redesign Plan that establishes a community park for students and residents and a Campus/Community Open Space Plan that makes permanent improvements to the campus open space plan and establishes long term working networks between Cook Campus and the Nichol Avenue community.
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Cook/Douglass Campus, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
The studio combined outreach, mental mapping, sketching and participatory design to broaden the campus/neighborhood community dialogue. Research, outreach, surveys, analysis and design were led by students as a way to practice design partnering, democratic participatory design and co-learning. The studio findings and final design report were presented to the Nichol Avenue Community, Rutgers Planning and Facilities and submitted to the Rutgers President’s request for suggestions to the Campus Strategic Plan. This work continues, with anticipation that it will be used in the Planning Guidelines for the Cook Campus Planning Committee. The Urban Design Plan, envisions Nichol Avenue as a pedestrian and vehicular corridor that visually and physically connects Voorhees Chapel and Recreation Park. In addition the plan includes a significant community/campus component that coordinates campus programs with local residents.
Problem Statement ............................. 4 Existing Conditions ............................ 6 Site Photos and Sections Time line
Analysis ................................................ 12 Mental Maps Case Studies Case Study Street Typologies TrafďŹ c and Circulation Workshops/Survey/Issues
Design and Phasing ............................ 20 Design Synthesis/Conceptual Phasing Urban Design Plan Community Engagement Plan Streetscape Recreation Park Campus/Community Open Space
Acknowledgments/References .......... 40
The Nichol Avenue Project
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Project Summary ................................. 2
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PROBLEM STATEMENT
INTRODUCTION
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Like any town or city a campus has visible and invisible limits. These limits, be they legal (property lines), physical (walls, fences and changes in topography), socio-political (campus vs. neighborhood, citizen vs. denizen) create edges and borders that are speciďŹ c or implied. Not all limits are antagonistic or binary, but the edge of a campus, speciďŹ cally in urban areas, is complex and worth exploring. This studio studied Nichol Avenue as an edge condition between the Cook/Douglass Campus and the adjacent neighborhood. The studio proposed designs and programs based on analysis, community workshops, digital and analog mapping, campus site visits and social media. The main goal of the studio was to engage actively in the process of community design, place making, and programming. This praxis studio class is made up of Landscape Architecture students (juniors, seniors and graduate students), from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Under the direction of Richard Alomar we explored the visible and invisible connection between community and campus.
Study area
Nichol Avenue
The Nichol Avenue project study area comprised Cook Campus and part of the New Brunswick Second Ward (above). Various forms of outreach, including a Flickr photo stream (below), were used to communicate with campus, neighborhood and other interested groups.
Cook/Douglass Campus, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
OUTREACH “It’s easy to build a garden...but much harder to build community”
The goal of our outreach program was to make information readily available and transparent to the community. We accomplished this through social media such as Flickr and Google Blogs, surveys, and workshops. Every week, a new post on the blog kept the public updated on the following topics: Existing Conditions, Field Trips Student Work, Case Studies, Survey, Workshops, Reflections and Journal Entries.
TOP BLOG ENTRIES See Our Community Workshop To see more photos click below: http://nicholavenueproject.blogspot.com/p/community-workshop.html
Facilities Workshop Head to our Community Workshop page to check out what happened when we met with some representatives from the university to discuss what goes on on Nichol Avenue and the surrounding campuses. http://nicholavenueproject.blogspot.com/p/community-workshop.html P+OS+P Addressing the Rutgers Strategic Plan This week students in the Praxis Studio submitted a proposal to the Rutgers Strategic Plan Group. The proposal advocates for the use of open space as a catalyst to improve the interaction among all people at Rutgers and in its surrounding communities. See the full proposal: http://nicholavenueproject.blogspot.com/p/student-work.html Physical Master Plan Forum Head to our 'Community Workshop' page to check out what we heard today at the Physical Master Plan Forum on College Ave. There you can also check out "The Swarm" video which depicts student movement between the five Rutgers campuses on a typical day. Also find links to the master plan web page and how you can get more involved with the process, just click the link below! http://nicholavenueproject.blogspot.com/p/community-workshop.html UPenn Case Study Visit To wrap-up our case study visits, we checked out the University of Pennsylvania's seam between residential and campus communities along 40th Street in west Philadelphia. Click the link below & head to our 'Case Studies' page to see what we learned & saw as we headed out to UPenn: http://nicholavenueproject.blogspot.com/p/case-studies.html The Nichol Avenue Project
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EXISTING CONDITIONS
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George Street (2W, E/W)
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Bookstore (Closed)
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Nichol Avenue (2W, N/S)
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Waller Hall
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Douglas Campus Center
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Floriculture Greenhouse
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Davison Hall
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Meteorology Building
Existing Conditions were compiled from aerial photos, Cook Campus CAD drawings and field verified.
Cook/Douglass Campus, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
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Blake Hall
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McLean Research Lab/Agricultural Chemistry Center for Vector Biology Labs and Annexes
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Thompson Hall
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Nichol Avenue Residential Area
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Corwin Building
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Suydam Street (2W, E/W)
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Recreation Park
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Dean Residence, Douglass Campus
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Fisher Hall
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CONDITIONS AND CONTEXT
a.
c.
b.
d.
a. Traffic problems along Nichol Avenue; b. Vehicular, pedestrian and bicycle require review and study; c. Drainage and runoff issues issues; d. The future of the Corwin houses is unclear.
STREET SECTION AT GEORGE STREET AND NICHOL AVENUE
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Cook/Douglass Campus, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
e.
f.
g.
j.
h.
i.
e. Sidewalks don’t accommodate foot traffic; f. In addition to Passion Puddle, the areas has visual icons; g. The campus area creates a distinct border and gives its “back” to the neighborhood; h. Recreation Park is an anchor to the southern part of Nichol Avenue; i. Traffic and bus stops is not well coordinated; j. Multiple forms of outreach and work products were used to develop ideas.
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TIME LINE
1931, 1979, 2002, 2007 Time line Maps
This series of maps shows the development patterns over time for the Cook/Douglass campus as well as the Nichol Avenue and G
1888, 1942, 1972, 2002 Topographical Maps
This series of topographical maps show the relationship between development and topography on the edge of campus and Nicho
1850 and 1910 Pictorial Maps of New Brunswick, The New Jersey Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health, and
These maps, rendering and photo illustrate the vibrancy and continued growth of New Brunswick and Rutgers University. They als 10
Cook/Douglass Campus, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
George Street corridors.
ol Avenue.
traditional Rutgers open space gatherings.
so connect urban development, advancement in science, technology and social research. The Nichol Avenue Project
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MENTAL MAPS
ANALYSIS
A series of ďŹ ve mapping, walking and sketching exercises were used to explore, document and represent a series of conditions around the site. The mental maps above represent each student’s summary of their exercises.
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Cook/Douglass Campus, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
[pe erman nent resiidents
co oop ope err dinin in ng ha h ll
& jameso on reside ence e halll campuss ca boo ok
sto ore
BUILDING foranhall
broken connecttions downtown
[loreee hall
PASSION
2200 min walk wa w a
hickmann hall]
[thompsoon halll] [martin halll] [bartlett hall]]
RUTG GERS GREE EE E ENHOU US SE E
rutgers univ. residential?
Eugene Fernandez
AREA &
NIELSON HALL
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CASE STUDIES The studio undertook a case study review of major local universities, Big Ten universities and the universities identified as “aspirational” in the President’s Strategic Plan. The major street that divided the university from the community was identified. A matrix was developed to document and compare street and sidewalk dimensions, street to building setbacks, construction materials, and sense of place. The studio visited five campuses, four of which are represented above.
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY New York, NY
Established: 1754 Enrollment: 6,068 Tuition: $49,138 2012 Endowment: $7,654,152,000
N 0’ 100’
350’
850’
SCALE: 0’-1’’=500’-0’’
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Cook/Douglass Campus, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
1850’
Rutgers College Avenue
Columbia University
City College of New York
University of Pennsylvania
CUNY CITY COLLEGE New York, NY
Established: 1847 Enrollment: 13,113 Tuition: $6,088 (in-state) $15,658 (out-of-state) 2012 Endowment: $196,775,707
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UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
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Philadelphia, PA
0’ 100’
350’
850’
SCALE: 0’-1’’=500’-0’’
1850’
Established: 1740 Enrollment: 9,682 Tuition: $45,890 2012 Endowment: $6,754,658,000
0’ 100’
350’
850’
1850’
SCALE: 0’-1’’=500’-0’’
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TYPOLOGIES The extensive analysis of street characteristics of the case study universities led to a series of spatial typologies. The basic characteristics that made a street “successful� were used to develop design criteria for Nichol Avenue and surrounding residential and campus open space.
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Cook/Douglass Campus, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
TRAFFIC AND CIRCULATION Vehicular and pedestrian traffic along Nichol Avenue was observed and documented for a two week period. The findings show conflicts at the Cabaret Theatre bus stop, the need for wider sidewalks to accommodate pedestrian circulation, and the perceived fast speed of vehicles along Nichol Avenue.
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Afternoon Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Evening
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ISSUES After an in depth .exploration of the site with a variety of quantitative and qualitative methods the studio developed a list of common issues. The issues were then categorized into long or short term concerns and built or programmatic products. The issues were cross referenced to the entity or group that regulated their implementation. This analysis developed into a network of issues, solutions and implementation strategies, seen below. In general the issues revolved around vehicular and pedestrian safety, lack of street identity, lack of campus/community communication, inefďŹ cient and ineffective use of existing open space and the overall poor state of sidewalks and structures.
Materi
Circulation
Sidewalks
Noise
Bus Stops
Pedestrian Circulation
Vehicular Circulation
Bike Circulation
Dudley Road Intersection
g Empty Rutgers Building
Planting
Re-route Bus
Remove Bus Stop
Re-route Traffic
Increase Width
Rutgers DOT
Bike Lanes
Traffic Calming
Add Traffic Lights
Signage
Demolish
Renovate
Re-grade
Plant Maintan
Re-design
New Brunswick Bike Exchange
New Brunswick DOT
New Brunswick Tomorrow
New Brunswick Department of Planning and Development
Shade Tree Federation
Trends in proposed interventions and the organization that would need to implement them
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Pedestrian Circulatio
Bike Circulation
Busess B
Cook/Douglass Campus, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Rutgers Facilites
Lo
SURVEY
ials
on
Lighting
Identity
Drainage
Sidewalks
Road Conditions
Planting
Identity
Seating
Aesthetics
Boundaries
Pedestrian Circulation
Sidewalks Fo Food
ence
Planting Design
Park Lighting
Change Material
Gateways
Add Benches
Create University and Community Events
Street Lights
ocal Community Groups
New Brunswick Parks Dept.
Public Art
New Brunswick Department of Planning& Development
PSE&G
New Brunswick Public Sculpture
Emergency Towers
Bike Circulation Crime
Increase Commercial Property
“Adopt-a-Tree� program
Rutgers Police Department
Add Public Space
New Brunswick Depart. of Traffic & Parki
Proposed interventions that are temporal
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DESIGN SYNTHESIS
Existing Conditions
DESIGN
Issues Spatial Diagram
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Open Space Activation and Programming Inadequate physical and programmatic connection between the neighborhood and the campus, lack of a coherent street identity and conflicts between pedestrian, buses and other vehicles were primary issues. The Open Space and Programming diagram, above, begins to address these issues. Cook/Douglass Campus, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
CONCEPTUAL PHASING The design for a vibrant corridor that connects the ends of Nichol Avenue to the campus and neighborhood can be attained through seasonal programming followed by permanent elements as time passes. The first physical intervention would move the bus stop at Cabaret Theatre to Lipman Drive and widen the existing sidewalk system.
Streetscape Plan
A strong streetscape design that includes open space programming leads to better connections to the neighborhood. In this phase neighborhood streets can be improved with better street trees, and sidewalk improvements (Coordinated with residents and New Brunswick City Planning).
Neighborhood Corridors
Future development along the campus edge, the opening of neighborhood to campus gateways can be designed through campus/community workshops.
Concept Plan
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URBAN DESIGN PLAN The Urban Design Plan, envisions Nichol Avenue as a pedestrian and vehicular corridor that visually and physically connects Voorhees Chapel and Recreation Park. In addition the plan includes a signiďŹ cant community/campus component that coordinates campus programs with local residents.
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Community Engagement Plan
Streetscape Plan
Program events on underutilized campus open space.
Relocate Cabaret Theatre bus Stop to Lipman Drive.
Create Community/Campus events with temporary physical interventions.
Widen sidewalk network.
Use social and traditional media to communicate activities, events and workshops. 22
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Coordinate circulation experience with trees, bicycle lanes and distinctive pavement.
Cook/Douglass Campus, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Rutgers Chapel
Nichol Ave
Rec Park
Community
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Recreation Park Redesign Plan Design a safe, family friendly recreational space. Incorporate access to adjacent campus and neighborhood spaces. Coordinate circulation experience with trees, bicycle lanes and distinctive pavement.
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Campus/Community Open Space Coordinate future design and development through campus/community networks. Design physical campus/community gateways. Make successful temporary interventions permanent and explore new temporary interventions. The Nichol Avenue Project
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COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLAN C The plan creates a calendar of events organized around existing events taking place on underutilized campus open space. Outreach is done via traditional and social media Passion Puddle
Movie Knight
Antilles F Field
Rec Park
Nichol Avenue e
Kids Day
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Passion Puddle e
Cook/Douglass Campus, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Antilles Field
Antilles F Field
Rec Park
Nichol Avenue
Smorgasburg Food Market
Passion Puddle
Lipman Drive
Nichol Market
Nichol Market
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URBAN DESIGN PLAN - STREETSCAPE
The Purpose of our proposed redesign for Nichol Ave. is to create a safe vehicular and pedestrian corridor to connect Cook/Douglass Campus and residential communities, and create clear gateways from Nichol Ave. to the campus. The proposed redesign reduces each lane from 14.5ft to 12ft, while adding a bike lane on the campus side to encourage cycling experience on campus, adding crosswalks to increase pedestrian safety, and widen the sidewalks on the campus’ border as well as creating an interesting space on the street.
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Cook/Douglass Campus, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
SpeciďŹ caly, in the end of Nichol Ave, towards George St., each lane will be 12ft, a 5 ft bike lane will be added to connect the Rutgers campus bicycle lane, 2 rain gardens will be aded to catch storm water runoff. The Rutgers sign will be added on the street post for creating feeling of campus. Plants will be selectd carefully to creat enjoyable space for improving the pedestrian walking experience.
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NICHOL AVENUE STREETSCAPE SECTIONS
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Cook/Douglass Campus, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
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URBAN DESIGN PLAN - RECREATION PARK
Cook/Douglass Campus, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
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RECREATION PARK SECTIONS
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Cook/Douglass Campus, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
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Nichol Avenue terminus at Stanford street is visually nondescript and has no visual or physical connection to Recreation Park.
Recreation Park is splintered into a large play field ans a few smaller areas. Topography, poor sight lines and perceived lack of safety influence the parks under use.
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Cook/Douglass Campus, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Nichol Avenue terminus at Stanford street is visually enhanced to create a visual and physical connection to Recreation Park
Recreation Park has great potential. Significant and spatially rich areas can be designed to create a true neighborhood park.
The Nichol Avenue Project
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URBAN DESIGN PLAN - CAMPUS/COMMUNITY OPEN SPACE
Gateways, enhanced streetscape zones, are designed to improve physical and visual connections between community and campus.
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Cook/Douglass Campus, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
The Nichol Avenue Project
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A view of Nichol Avenue facing south (towards Recreation Park) before (top) and after streetscape and open space improvements (above). 38
Cook/Douglass Campus, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
WORKSHOPS
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Nichol Avenue Residents Vince Rifici (principal contact and organizer), Alex Milleraud, Maria Pellerano, Pat Dalton, Peter Montague, Susan Painter, Marge Kerber, Phyllis Koening Rutgers University Frank Wong, Executive Director, Planning and Development Jack Molenaar, Director Department of Transportation Jeff Livingston, Director of Facilities Design Larry Porter, Rutgers Landscape Architect Elizabeth Reeves, Rutgers Architect Jen Stuart, Manager Transportation Planning Rutgers Department of Landscape Architecture Laura Lawson; Department Chair, Prof. Dean Cardasis Prof. Wolfram Hoefer, Prof. Jean Marie Hartman, Prof. Seiko Goto, Prof. Frank Gallagher, Luke Drake; Research Associate, Anita Bakshi; Instructor STUDENTS Juniors Arturo Hernandez (Blog editing, Survey development, Issues synthesis, Community Engagement Plan), Chelsea Beisswanger (Blog editing,Traffic and Circulation, Survey Report, Final presentation coordination, Final Report editing), Daniel Rodriguez (Blog editing, Master Plan analysis, Community Engagement Plan), Eugene Fernandez (Land Use analysis, Recreation Park design), James Cocorles (Master Plan analysis, 3D modeling, Campus/Community Open Space) Johnny Jacobs (Existing Conditions Plan, Campus Community Open Space), Scott Miller (Blog editing, Master Plan analysis, Final Report editing) Brian Maher (Historic Time line, Campus/Community Open Space Plan).
Seniors Areli Perez( Blog editing, Issues synthesis, Campus/Community Open Space), Josh Mieloch (Issues synthesis, Design Synthesis/Conceptual Phasing, Rutgers University President Strategic Plan response, Final Report editing), Nate Kelly (Case Study/Street Typologies, Design Synthesis/Conceptual Phasing, Rutgers University President Strategic Plan response, Final Presentation coordination).
Graduate Students (2nd Year) Jacqueline Abelltin (Blog editing, Traffic and Circulation, Survey Report, Final Report editing, layout and design) , Jenny Burkhalter (Blog layout and editing, Survey development and tracking, Issue synthesis, Survey Report, Design Synthesis/Conceptual Phasing, Urban Design Plan, Rutgers University President Strategic Plan response, Final Presentation coordination, Final Report editing), Xiaoxia Wang (Case Study/Street Typologies, Streetscape, Campus Community Open Space, Final Report editing, layout and design). Instructor: Richard Alomar, Assistant Professor. Department of Landscape Architecture.
Cook/Douglass Campus, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
REFERENCES A Strategic Plan for the New Rutgers http://universitystrategy.rutgers.edu/ Master Plan, City Of New Brunswick Department of Planning and Economic Development Glenn Patterson, Director of Planning http://thecityofnewbrunswick.org/planninganddevelopment/master-plan/ Penn Connects University of Pennsylvania: A Vision for the Future http://www.pennconnects.upenn.edu/ Rain Garden Manual of New Jersey Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program http://water.rutgers.edu/Rain_Gardens/RGWebsite/rginfo.html Rutgers University Physical Master Plan http://masterplan.rutgers.edu/ The Changing Landscape of New Brunswick http://oldnewbrunswick.rutgers.edu/ Corner, James. “The agency of mapping: Speculation, critique and invention.” Mappings 213 (1999): 300. Jackson, John B. A Sense of Place, a Sense of Time. Yale University Press, 1994. Lima, Manuel. Visual Complexity. Princeton Architectural Press, 2007 O’Rourke, Karen. Mapping and Walking: Artists as Cartographers. MIT Press, 2013. Percy, Stephen l., Zimper, Nancy L. and Brukardt, MJ, editors. Creating a New Kind of University: Institutionalizing Community- University Engagement. Anker Publishing Company, 2006. FIGURES, ILLUSTRATIONS AND IMAGE CREDITS
All images produced by Praxis Studio Historic NJ Maps - Old New Jersey Maps (http://oldnewbrunswick.rutgers.edu/) Historic Aerial and Topographic Photos from NetroOnline (http://www.netronline.com/) Survey (administered through Survey Monkey)
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