Downtown Cambridge Station Vision 2019 PLAN 409 February 11, 2019
Meet the Team
The report was prepared by the following members:
Anna Maria Levytska
Anna Yu
Annie Yang
Anthony Plath
Hatim Jafferjee
Sabrina Pan
Table of Contents 01 Site Analysis Summary .................................... 1 02 Vision Statement & Parti ...................................5 03 Charrette Materials ............................................ 7 04 Precedent Images .............................................. 9 05 References ............................................................. 12
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SITE ANALYSIS SUMMARY Site Analysis Opportunities Site Analysis Constraints
Site Analysis Opportunities TOPIC
OPPORTUNITIES
TOPIC
1. Site Context
Strong opportunity to enhance land uses and density surrounding proposed LRT stations and create destination hubs at these areas.
2. Topography & Microclimate Analysis
There are opportunities for development next to the Grand River based on the minimum amount of grading required.
7. Views and Areas of higher levels of elevation can be used to build significant and or tall Visibility Analysis developments so they are visible from any vantage point, avoiding potential obstruction along streetscapes. New storey additions need to have a set back of 3m for each storey to add variety to height and increase densification.
Utilize spaces with minimal shadow impacts from buildings for outdoor spaces and green spaces.
8. Street Analysis Based on the existing street network there are several opportunities to enhance both the roads and spaces around them.
3. Open Space The existing open space and green network along the river’s edge has room for expansion and enhancement. and Civic Facilities Analysis Surface parking lots may be used to create new open spaces, allowing for better green network connectivity from existing spaces to new areas of development.
Traffic calming measures can be implemented at various intersections and sections of road to reduce vehicle speeds and chances of collisions. Redeveloping transit corridors is an opportunity to enhance building facades, improve streetscaping elements and create a complete transit community.
More attention is needed to increase the amount of open space within the downtown core.
Opportunities to create a continuous pedestrian network and improve riverfront access.
Incorporate community gardens to support a strong local food system, while benefiting the existing Cambridge Farmers Market.
9. Built Form Analysis
4. Environmental Reduce flood risks by re-naturalizing Mill Creek, intensifying development in areas outside the floodplain, and retrofitting the downtown to accommodate for flooding Analysis events. 5. Circulation Analysis
Low density residential areas present opportunities for transition to medium-density and high-density built forms. Heritage buildings have opportunity for adaptive reuse and repurposing. Opportunity for developing distinct nodes on both sides of the river, increasing built form density and making distinct gateway transition areas.
Increase interregional connectivity within the Waterloo Region and encourage transitoriented development in Downtown Cambridge with the proposed ION LRT.
Development around Gaslight District
Improve active transportation infrastructure by introducing new bike lanes and multiuse trails. 6. Land Use Analysis
OPPORTUNITIES
High availability of vacant land for redevelopment allowing for room to densify and accommodate higher density of residents/jobs/commercial uses and mixed use. Potential for transit oriented development to proprite the LRT.
10. Morphology and Heritage Analysis
Ensure/make views of Grand River and heritage landmarks focal points.
11. Public Art
Create additional HCDs in areas with high heritage concentration.
Maintain heritage resources to attract residents, investors/businesses and increase heritage usefulness and accessibility.
With all the redevelopment potential, there is opportunity to inject public art into new developments and new green spaces Rich history of Cambridge coupled with a high number of local artists and architecture students, there is opportunity for lots of local collaboration for public art 1
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Site Analysis Constraints TOPIC
CONSTRAINTS
TOPIC
1. Site Context
River causes a divide between the two halves of downtown Cambridge, which can create some constraints in terms of flow and connectivity between land uses on each side of the river.
7. Views and The floodplain restriction makes it difficult for built forms to fully utilize the view of the Visibility Analysis Grand River.
2. Topography & Microclimate Analysis
The elevation increases and steep slopes occur in areas further away from the Grand River.
8. Street Analysis Heritage conservation districts limit the amount of development that can occur. Any streets located within the floodplain have additional considerations for redevelopment costs.
Developing tall buildings will result in a greater shadow impact. 9. Built Form Analysis
3. Open Space Green and open spaces along the river are inaccessible at most points due to the flood prevention berm. and Civic Facilities Analysis Existing green spaces on the peripheral of the site have a weak connection to the existing green network within the site.
Heritage districts pose constraints on appropriate design guidelines that are in keeping with the existing character of the district, limiting the design of any new development or renovations that take place in that area.
4. Environmental Types of revitalization and development are limited by special policies imposed on sites within the floodplain. Analysis
10. Morphology and Heritage Analysis
The high permeability of grounds within the wellhead sensitive area restricts certain hazardous land uses.
6. Land Use Analysis
The area has significant cultural heritage resources which shall be preserved.
Views of Skyline may be altered by increased high-rise development Adaptive reuse costs might discourage developers. Increased developm might place strain on existing heritage resources.
Amount of impervious surfaces should be minimized to increase stormwater infiltration and decrease runoff. Lack of existing active transportation infrastructure such as bike racks and bike lanes within the 400 metre site radius.
Buildings impacted by the floodplain pose considerations in terms of renovations and changes to the built form as additional process needs to be followed to ensure buildings are built properly. Buildings on heritage properties are protected and have legislative and local barriers to redevelopment/development.
There are seasonal constraints towards the usability of open spaces during cold seasons.
5. Circulation Analysis
CONSTRAINTS
New development might alter character of the community through different architectural and design styles. 11. Public Art
The site lacks transportation infrastructure to meet projected density targets
Lower levels of public funding and the increasing cost of labour and art development, money may become an issue Difficult to implement public art pieces in well established neighbourhoods and higher density areas where there’s a lack of usable space.
Current policies such as maximum permitted fsi of 2.5 and lack of specific land-use policies can lead to disorderly development.
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VISION STATEMENT & PARTI Vision Statement Word Cloud Parti
Vision Statement The Cambridge Central design will breathe life into the area by motivating people to actively move through and enjoy a rich cultural experience. With attractive commercial, employment, and residential uses being paired with accessible transit, the area will become a new local and regional destination. This design will create a humanscale environment that builds on the existing economic and cultural health of Downtown Cambridge to bridge communities on either side of the Grand River.
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Parti Galt City Centre will be a connected, human-scaled and transit-oriented community that will support the areas vibrant heritage features and maximize the opportunities
Inspired by the existing structure of the Galt City Centre area which covers both sides of the Grand River, our team decided to use the bridge as a metaphor. As illustrated in the graphic, the bridge is the centre of the design and symbolizes more than just a physical connection across the city. It also facilitates connections between new and existing communities to cultural amenities, natural landscapes and transportation nodes. Furthermore, the design will strive to bridge a connection between new developments while respecting the existing heritage character of Galt City Centre. 6
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CHARRETTE MATERIALS Sense of Place Diagram Kevin Lynch 5 Elements Diagram Stoplight Diagram Redevelopment Structure and Green & Grey Network Diagram
Significant Natural and Cultural Heritage Features Significant Destinations LRT Route
Sense of Place Diagram
Kevin Lynch 5 Elements Diagram
In this diagram, we outline some of the heritage and cultural areas that we wish to highlight and enhance during our redevelopment process. The gas light district, the School of Architecture, and many of the churches are among the uses in this area that give character and definition to the downtown Cambridge area. These are sites that we wish to preserve and build strong nodes and pathways around, in order for them to be more accessible to residents and visitors alike.
Drawing upon Kevin Lynch’s 5 elements, our team outlined major paths, nodes, edges, districts, and landmarks that help one develop a strong mental map of downtown Cambridge. First, some of the major paths include Water Street, Ainslie Street, and Main Street. By focusing on these major paths and incorporating concepts such as complete streets, these pathways can set a strong foundation for the remaining elements. The Grand River acts as a strong edge, that creates a separation between the two halves of downtown, and creates distinct commercial and residential districts on either side, that we wish to connect through nodes at major intersections and bridges. Lastly, the site area is home to various landmarks and heritage structures that will be focal points in their local contexts and will serve to create multiple points of interest throughout the downtown area.
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Transitional Residential Areas Proposed Open Space Network Proposed Major Streets Key Intensification Areas Proposed Complete Streets LRT Route
Stoplight Diagram
Redevelopment Structure and Green & Grey Network Diagram
With the proposed LRT, there is a strong opportunity to intensify surrounding station areas and create significant commercial, employment, and cultural hubs. As such, we propose to redevelop a significant portion of the site in the core downtown area and to transition outlying areas to accommodate the proposed intensification and create appropriate land use and built form gradients that will transition towards the residential areas at the perimeter of the site area.
Roads outlined in red are what we envision to be designed as complete streets. These are major streets that connect various nodes and landmarks of the downtown Cambridge area within a walking distance, and an important focus in the redevelopment process in order to achieve our goals of increasing active transportation within the area. Additionally, we wish to create a connected network of green spaces that connect from all four directions of the downtown area towards the riverfront areas. By having complete connections and networks, we can increase the usability of these green spaces and use them as transportation networks. Finally, the areas shown in purple are those that we wish to intensify, in order to increase accessibility and usability of the proposed LRT and to concentrate uses within the core area.
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PRECEDENT IMAGES
Open Space & Trails Buildings River Flood Management Gateway Features Streets Public Art
OPEN SPACE & TRAILS
Chicago Riverwalk
Unique Open Space Features
Open Space between Streets
Landscaped Stairs
Walkway & Multiuse Trails
Chicago, USA
Tychy, Poland
Nantes, France
Iowa, USA
Calgary, Canada
A pocket of green space between two roads that allows for public gathering.
This is the Tom Hanafan River’s Edge Park where the stairs are integrated with softscape elements to create permeable pavers.
The Bow RiverWalk is Calgary’s downtown waterfront has an abundance of pedestrian and cycling experiences.
Luminated public seating design by the Unique promenade space along river. Paprocany Lake focus on exposing values of the landscape and expanding recreational elements.
BUILDINGS
Adaptive Reuse Building
Farmers Market
Modern Integrations
Community Center
Townhouse Designs
Sheffield, England
Rotterdam, Netherlands
Winchester, USA
Ozark, USA
London, UK
The architecture of the Ozark Community Centre uses a good balance of glass, wood, and stone.
The Thames Bridge House design are townhouses that corporates brick with glass with a contemporary modern design.
This adaptive reuse building is an This farmer’s market is Rotterdam’s biggest Integrating modern architecture with example of many projects where indoor street market consisting of a 2.5km long heritage buildings. modern extensions are added onto track of over 400 stall. of older buildings.
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RIVER FLOOD MANAGEMENT
GATEWAY FEATURES
Riverside Transformation
Riverside Transformation
Transit Station
Centre Bus Station
Open Space Area
South Korea, Korea
Lyon, France
Copenhagen, Denmark
Denver, Colorado
This is the Guardian of the Cheonggyecheon greenway that has replaced traffic-filled stretch of elevated freeway with public space, water, and vegetation.
A before and after riverside transformation of the Banks of the Rhone, where parking lots were replaced with public space.
Norreport station is Denmark’s busiest transport hub, with a large frontage to accommondate for the hundreds of commuters everyday.
Straffordshire, UK
City center bus station with a functional and urbane design. Seating and bike racks are available.
This centre commercial area is well lit and has alot of room for pedestrians movement.
STREETS
Wayfinding
Stratford, London
Patterned or color coded pavements for wayfinding.
Patterned Pavements
Complete Streets
Landscaped Walkways
Public Space
Stormwater Management
London, UK
New York City, USA
Dandenong, Australia
Mexico
Seattle, USA
Patterned wayfinding element for a cross
Streets designed for everyone.
Seating and planters along Lonsdale Street.
Streets with tables, seating and planters.
Stormwater planters with seating.
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PUBLIC ART
Interactive Art
Innovative Bridge Design
Public Murals
Montreal, Canada
Iowa, USA
Memphis, Tennessee
Interactive light-up wheels on the streets of Montreal. While it is an interactive art piece, it also offers public seating.
High Trestle Trail Bridge is made out of raw steel and ambient lights.
Murals on Broad Avenue adds color and live to the area.
Painted Walls and Floor
Public Art Sculptures
Enhancing Public Realm with Art
Paris, France
Shanghai, China
San Franciso, USA
Utilizing art to paint ball courts in a different light.
Paint Drop is a creative These Bike Corrals have colorful patterns on painted on the public space intervention pavements to distinguish where bike racks are located. designed to create a visual link between the main plaza and a newly open retail space. 11
05 REFERENCES Open Spaces & Trails
Streets
[Calgary, Canada]. (2015). Retrieved from https://www.csla-aapc.ca/awards-atlas/bow-riverwalk
[Dandenong, Australia]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://b-k-k.com.au/projects/central-dandenong-lonsdale-street-redesign-and-upgrade
[Chicago Riverwalk Expansion]. (2016, July 27). Retrieved from http://www.landezine.com/index.php/2016/07/chicago-riverwalk-expansion-by-sasaki/
[London, UK]. (2016, September 23). Retrieved from https://www.dezeen.com/2016/09/23/camille-walala-multicoloured-pedestrian-crossing-london-design-festival-2016/
[Paprocany Lake Shore Redevelopment]. (2015, October 18). Retrieved from https://www.archdaily.com/775301/ paprocany-lake-shore-redevelopment-rs-plus
[New York City, US]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/dot-economic-benefits-of-sustainable-streets.pdf
[Square Jacques de Bollardière, Nantes]. (2016, June 21). Retrieved from http://www.landezine.com/index. php/2016/06/square-jacques-de-bollardiere-nantes-by-map-paysagistes/
[Mexico City, Mexico]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://globaldesigningcities.org/publication/global-street-designguide/streets/pedestrian-priority-spaces/pedestrian-plazas/example/
[Tom Hanafan River’s Edge Park, Iowa]. (2018, January 11). Retrieved from http://www.sasaki.com/blog/view/1025/
[Seattle, Washington]. (2013, August 3). Retrieved from https://www.spur.org/news/2013-08-08/8-shades-greeninfrastructure
Buildings
[Stratford, London]. (2018). Retrieved from https://thomasmatthews.com/project/placemaking-for-stratford/
Hobhouse, J. (n.d.). [Sheffield, England]. Retrieved from https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/adaptive-reuse-modern-architecture [Ozark, USA]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://sdaarchitects.com/
Public Art
[Rotterdam, Netherlands]. (2016, January 20). Retrieved from https://www.dezeen.com/2016/01/20/rotterdam-city-of-the-future-say-architects-netherlands-architectural-innovation-experimental-construction/
[Bike Corrals, San Francisco]. (2016, April 13). Retrieved from http://blog.publicbikes.com/2016/04/cars-jealousof-colorful-bike-corral-mural/
[Thames Bridge House, UK]. (2015, November 12). Retrieved from http://www.cgarchitect.com/2015/11/thamesbridge-house
[Broad Avenue, Memphis]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.broadavearts.com/public-art/ Kandalgaonkar, A. (2018, Nov 7). [Shanghai, China] Retrieved from http://88designbox.com/architecture/paintdrop-in-shanghai-by-100architects-2698.html
[University of Winchester Winton Chapel, UK]. (2017, March 30). Retrieved From https://www.archdaily. com/868112/university-of-winchester-winton-chapel-design-engine-architects
[High Trestle Trail Bridge, Iowa]. (2016, August 1). Retrieved from https://www.archdaily.com/792420/high-trestletrail-bridge-rdg-planning-and-design [Montreal, Canada]. (2016, December 14). Retrieved from https://inhabitat.com/giant-interactive-wheels-light-up-montreal/
River Flood Management [Banks of the Rhône Development, Lyon, France]. (n. d.). Retrieved from http://www.river-cities.net/pages/news/ Banks_of_the_Rhone
Cover Page Image
[Cheonggyecheon Greenway, Seoul, South Korea]. (2006, Nov 1). Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/ environment/2006/nov/01/society.travelsenvironmentalimpact
Krajewski, A. [Cambridge, Ontario]. (n.d). Retrieved from https://www.krajewskigallery.com/merchant/product/ walking-down-main-by-alex-krajewski
Gateway Features [Denver, Colorado]. (2018, February 28). Retrieved from http://www.thegoodlifedenver.com/2018/02/28/dairyblock-bringing-the-good-life-to-denvers-alleys/ [Nørreport Station, Copenhagen]. (2016, August 1). Retrieved from http://www.landezine.com/index.php/2016/08/ norreport-station-copenhagen/ [Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, UK]. (2016, February 26). Retrieved from http://www.designcurial.com/news/theworlds-10-best-designed-bus-stations-2016-4823398/6
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