Cologne Site Analysis

cologne site analysis

ELLIE GARZA HUNTER SMITH LORENZO LOPEZ KRISTAN HARRISON STEPHANIE WHITE

our project the challenge the goals Our group was first given the task of researching and observing the existing conditions of a .61km2 site in Cologne, Germany. Once enough information had been gathered, we were to analyze the results of the search, with the intention of gaining enough knowledge to make smart design decisions to eventually create a comprehensive master plan. This plan will highlite the strengths of the site, and provide solutions the existing problems that we observe.

1. Create a space that is accessible to all.

2. Promote public health and safety.

3. Meet the needs and wants of the people and encourage pedestrian use.

4. Promote environmental sustainability.

5. Promote economic sustainability by attracting business and residents while also creating a destination to be used by residents in surrounding areas.

6. Restore areas of the site to its natural habitat by using native plant species, and encourage biodiversity.

COLOGNE

site location PROJECT SITE BOUNDARY COLOGNE CATHEDRAL 40 MINUTES FROM SITE COLOGNE HAUPTBAHNHOF 42 MINUTES FROM SITE

OUR SITE WITHIN COLOGNE

cologne, germany As shown by the graphic on the top right of the page, our project site lies on the south side of the city of Cologne, right off of the Rhine River. The same graphic shows how our site could become a strong connection between the radial greenway surrounding the inner city and the river.

The graphic on the bottom left of the page displays our site in more detail. Here you can see more clearly the greenway to the East and the Rhine to the west.

1801 The earliest map is shown above. This illustrates how our site rests at a major intersection of early paths.

1836 One interesting aspect of our site that this map displays is that there used to be a major fort within our project boundaries. It was connected to a series of major streets that helped to create the half-circle structure of Cologne.

1891 The image above shows the major growth that occured between 1836 and 1891 within Cologne. The boundaries of our site have now been defined as the railroad has been put in place. Even at this time, our site had not been urbanized.

HISTORY OF THE SITE

1943

2005

Even in 1943, the site seems to stand out from the organization of the rest of Cologne. It appears that while development was taking place in the area, it had not yet reached the level of density that we see in the more recent photographs, especially towards the west side of the site, which seems here to be simply a large, empty lot.

The photo above shows a much more recent aerial of our project site. By this time, the warehouse district in the west has been fully developed. Also, a large number of buildings of various uses have begun to fill in the space on the east side of the site, reaching all the way to the Rhine. From this photo you can see the level of density currently in the area.

2010 The most modern of the three site photos is shown above. This can give us look into our site’s more recent history.

There have been few major changes to the site since 2005. Several areas on the west side are under construction here and still are today. Due to limited space, new development must replace old development rather than spreading out.

HISTORY OF THE SITE

FIRST THOUGHTS

GRE ENW AY

cologne

ORIGINAL CITY

our site within cologne

RHINE RIVER

OUR SITE

NODES

DISTRICTS Major Intersection

BONNER

INDUSTRIAL CHIMNEYS

Site Entrance/ Exit FRIEDENSPARK

E GST RAS S EBIR VOR G

RESIDENTIAL

OFSW

EG

HOSPITAL

E LIN

HIGH RISE

BISCH

Major Intermediate Minor Interior

Tram Line Rhine River LANDMARKS Major Minor

M TRA

GREENWAY

OVAL OFFICES

ONT RFR

GROSTMARKTHALLE

Railroad

R

URBAN AG.

RIVE

ROUNDABOUT

NE

WHOLESALE MARKET

RIVE

RHI

URBAN AG.

NE

RHI

STRASSE

RAILROA D

PATHS

EDGES

FIRST THOUGHTS Much of the site feels neglected. While its used by some, its not cared for, and it doesn’t serve the general public.

The raised railroads on the north side of our site serve as a major edge.

Two areas within the project boundary are being used as temporary, grass-roots urban agriculture sites.

The Grossmarkt, located in the center of the warehouse district to the west, serves as a major site landmark.

as we first moved through the site We began by taking note of some of the defining characteristics that we observed. These included nodes, paths, districts, edges, and landmarks.

Our observations are represented graphically on the previous page. We also noted several interesting features of the site. Those features are displayed in the photos to the right.

EXISTING BUILDING USES URBAN AGRICUTLURE MIXED-USE RESIDENTIAL OFFICE, RETAIL, SERVICES WAREHOUSES

EXISTING BUILDING USES WAREHOUSES

MIXED-USE

18%

50%

URBAN AGRICULTURE

16%

BUILDING USE PERCENTAGES We found that the vast majority of the existing buildings consist of warehouses towards the west of the site. The rest of the site consisted mainly of various types of residential buildings, office buildings, service buildings, and retail buildings.

12%

OFFICE, RETAIL, SERVICES

4%

RESIDENTIAL

shade shade throughout our site The graphic to the left shows how sunlight reacts to the buildings within our site to create shade in different hours of the day.

site topography The graphic to the left depicts the topography of our site, warmer colors show higher areas, while cooler colors show lower areas. As you can see, the site drops in elevation as it gets closer to the Rhine, with the highest elevations occuring in the southwest and the lowest occuring in the East.

soils

50+

48-49

46-47

44-45

49-50

47-48

45-46

-44

Our site is made up entirely of fluvisols and gleysols. These are young soils found mainly in fluvial plains and lower elevation sites. Because of this, periodical flooding is common. They typically signify good land fertility.

circulation RAILRO AD

RAILROAD

BIS

CH

OF

SW

EG

M

TRA

ROUNDABOUT

TRAM BICYCLE FRIENDLY ROADS/ TRAILS BICYCLE LANE MAJOR ROAD MINOR ROAD INTERIOR ROAD PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION STOP SITE ENTRANCE

circulation MOVEMENT THROUGH OUR SITE A graphic showing circulation and transportation within the site is shown on the previous page.

Included there is road hierarchy, site entrances, existing public transportation, as well as bicycle lanes and bycycle-friendly roads. In addition A brief mode of travel palette is shown to the right. This includes walking, car, public transportation, and biking.

*2582km

ROAD SYSTEMS THROUGHOUT COLOGNE

*58,187

REGISTERED VEHICLES IN OUR DISTRICT OF COLOGNE

* 30-50%

OF OUR SITE (AGE 18-80) USE A BIKE REGULARLY

* 500km BIKE PATHS AND TRAILS THROUGHOUT COLOGNE

EXISTING VEGETATION 12.1% green 42691.34m2

There is very little vegetation exisiting currently on the site. A greenway connects to our site in the West, providing a vast contrast to the sparsely vegetated warehouse district directly to the East. Further east, the site becomes more and more vegetated as the site moves towards the Rhine and into more office, retail, residential, and mixed use building uses. A list of some of the plants growing in these areas is displayed on the next page.

EXISTING VEGETATION

woodland aquatic disturbed meadow CORYDALIS CAVA

ORNITHOGALUM UBLELLATUM

LYCOPUS EUROPAEOUS

FALLOPIA CONVULVULUS

LATHYRUS SYLVESTRIS

CORYNEPHORUS CANESCENS

SCUTELLARIA GALERICULATA

DIGITARIA ISCHAEMUM

ONONIS SPINOSA

CENTAURIUM ERYTHRAEA

NYMPHOIDES PELTATA

CHELIDONIUM MAJUS

VEGETATION PALETTE POTENTIAL PLANTS The current site has a potential plant palette of nearly 80 different species. Shown to the left are just some of them. These species range from woodland plants, meadow plants, aquatic plants, and plants that could be used to restore disturbed areas. The list of species that we accumulated will help us to make design decisions that will promote the future biodiversity and regeneration of the site.

pervious and impervious cover ASPHALT PAVING - IMPERVIOUS CONCRETE PAVING - IMPERVIOUS COBBLESTONE PAVING - PERVIOUS

ASPHALT

CONCRETE

21.6%

48.3%

100,906.81m

VARIOUS OTHER PAVINGS - PERVIOUS The graphic above distinguishes between pervious and impervious areas of the warehouse district of the site, more specifically, between asphalt, concrete, cobblestone, and other pervious-paved areas. From this we can see that impervious pavement makes up roughly 69.9% of the site while pervious paving makes up 29.9%.

2

45,513.9m2 iMPERVIOUS

69.9%

COBBLESTONE

11.7%

24,344.6m2 OTHER PERVIOUS

18.2%

38,104.67m2

Concrete can be found all throughout the site. It makes up much of the ground, and many of the buildings.

Cobblestone as well as other types of porous pavers can also be found throughout the site.

Various types of metals help to make up buildings, signs, pipes, and other items throughout the site.

While vegetation is sparce within the site, it is still present in some areas.

One major building material within the site is brick.

Throughout the project area, especially in the warehouse district to the west, one can find several piles of rubble.

site materials palette

area

We found that the area of Cologne is roughly 405.2km2 The city of Dallas is over twice as large as Cologne. Our site has an area of .61km2. This means that our site is a little less than 1/600 of the total area of Cologne.

DALLAS, TEXAS

999.3 km2

COLOGNE, GERMANY

405.2 km2 OUR SITE

.61 km2 BUILT SURFACES

land use We found that the population of Cologne is predominantly european. Those of middle eastern ethnicity follow behind with 5.2% of the population. Asian and Afro-German ethinicities hold about 1-2%, and the rest of the population is unspecified.

34%

CEMETARIES

1%

OTHER

1%

WATER

5%

GREEN SPACE

10%

more about our site

AGRICULTURE AND GARDEN

18%

FOREST SURFACES

16%

TRAFFIC SURFACES

16%

ethnicity

We found that the population of Cologne is predominantly european. Those of middle eastern ethnicity follow behind with 5.2% of the population. Asian and Afro-German ethinicities hold about 1-2%, and the rest of the population is unspecified.

EUROPEAN

88%

MIDDLE EASTERN

5.2%

population The population of Cologne is 1.017 million. That is roughly comparable to the population size of Dallas, Texas.

ASIAN

2%

UNSPECIFIED

gender The gender ratio in Cologne is fairly balanced.

Males make up 49.8% of the poplulation while females make up the other 50.2%. This is roughly .97 males per female.

2%

MALE

AFRO-GERMAN

49.8%

1%

DALLAS, TEXAS

1.223 MILLION COLOGNE, GERMANY

1.017 MILLION

RODENKIRCHEN DISTRICT

more about our site

102,446

FEMALE

50.2%

employment poverty in cologne

UNEMPLOYED

8.2%

Poverty in Cologne has been on the rise for several years now. From 2007-2010 the rise was gradual, moving slowly from a rate of 16.9 to 17.3. In 2011, however, the rate jumped up drastically to 20.0.

2011

20.0

2009

16.9

2010

2008

16.8

9-10€/m of living space

2

17.4

2007

As of the year 2011, the unemployment rate in Cologne was 8.2%. To help give that number some reference, this is about 2% higher than Texas’s uneployement rate, and about equal to New York’s unemployment rate.

17.3

more about our site

As of the year 2011, the unemployment rate in Cologne was 8.2%. To help give that number some reference, this is about 2% higher than Texas’s uneployement rate,

We found that there are over 50,000 households within our district of Cologne. Each of these has an average 1.93 people living there. The graphic to the right shows a breakdown of the different household types in our district.

there are

51,747

households in our district of cologne.

ONE-PERSON HOUSEHOLDS 272,644

RODENKIRCHEN, GERMANY OUR DISTRICT

more about our site

types of households in cologne

MULTI-PERSON HOUSEHOLDS 269,617

HOUSEHOLDS WITH CHILD 98,309 COUPLES WITH CHILD 65,472 SINGLE PARENTS 23,983

daylight hours

climate

The diagram below shows the average number of daylight hours in Cologn per month. The average yearly percentage of daylight hours in Cologn is 33%.

SEP.

JULY APR.

FEB.

24

MAR.

40

43

33

JAN.

17

36

36

MAY JUNE

30

AUG.

38

OCT.

37

DEC.

16

NOV. FEB.

17

FEB.

15

14

13

wet days

16

14

FEB.

FEB.

FEB.

FEB.

FEB.

13

JAN.

18

17

FEB.

14

FEB. FEB.

18

17

FEB.

17

The diagram above shows the number of wet days that Cologne experiences per month. Overall, there are an average of 182 wet days per year.

relative humidity JAN.

81%

APR.

FEB.

78%

The diagram below shoes relative humidity percentages for each month of the year in Cologne. The average precipitation rate in Cologne is 708mm per year.

MAR.

74%

MAY

69% 66%

JUNE

69%

JULY

71%

AUG.

NOV.

74%

OCT.

SEPT

76%

80%

DEC.

83% 82%

SEPT

16c MAR. JAN.

1c

FEB.

5c

JUNE

3c

APR.

7c

MAY

10c

14c

JULY

18c

AUG.

19c

OCT.

12c

NOV.

7c

DEC.

11c

average temperature

The diagram above displays average temperatures in Cologne for each month of the year. Cologne has an average temperature of 11C.

climate

s.w.o.t. analysis

In this area of our report, we hope to learn more about our site through the in-depth analysis of four specific subjects, water, urban agriculture, bio-diversity, and industrial recycling as it relates to economic development. For each of these subjects we will explore, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats within our site. Our hope is that this information will help us to make stronger desgin decisions as we begin to develop our master plan.

water This important resource is one of the four major pillars of our project that will influence the outcome of our design. It is an essential social, natural and economical aspect of any place and it’s character provides a unique benefit for it’s capability. Harnessing this powerful amenity can further progress the strength of the design.

Cologne’s mild climate, steady rainfall and proximity to the Rhine provide a favorable environment for the site to use this resource to our benefit. The important focus of water for our site is to capture the stormwater before it runs into the Rhine and keeping it on site to be used as a physical and economical amenity.

strength: grading

The site contains minimal grade change or depressed areas allowing future redesign of this space to imitate these natural waterways. This can be used to capture the stormwater before it enters the Rhine’s polluted water source to be used as on-site gray water in an easily moderated manner.

water RESIDUAL RISK 0.5 - 1m FLOODING DEPTH 1 - 2m FLOODING DEPTH 2 - 3m FLOODING DEPTH 3 - 4m FLOODING DEPTH <4m FLOODING DEPTH DIKE

weakness: floodplain

Our site’s proximity to the Rhine can cause issues when dealing with major natural hazards such as floods. The dike found along the Rhine’s riverfront helps to avoid problems from major catastrophes. Further planning should focus on the mitigation of any water events that pertain to this major water source.

opportunities and threats

soils

rainfall

groundwater climate

The two types of soils found on our site affect the stormwaterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capability to drain back into the water table, affecting what methods & materials we will use to drain the water.

Cologneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s consistent and steady rainfall provides an opportunity to capture the water source efficiently through out the year.

Mitigation will focus on major rain events that occur infrequently and these effects on the Rhine.

The groundwater of Cologne is affected by different urban factors that hinder it from being a great resource. Capturing the stormwater before it returns to this source will benefit the site to be used as an essential source of natural and economical production.

Cologneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mild and temperate climate provides an adept environment to allow the evaporation rate to be relatively low on our site.

Water can be retained in open-air containers without a significant loss.

opportunities and threats storm water runoff Current Stormwater Runoff Calculations Average Annaul Rainfall 70.8 cm Average Annual Runoff 23.31 cm Annual Rainfall Retained 35.2 % Annual Wet Days Runoff Retained 34.24 % RAINFALL RETAINED

groundwater composition CHLORIDE

SULFATE

PESTICIDES

NITRATE

HEAVY METALS

HEAVY

35.2%

the rhine river The Rhine’s current state does not allow it to be used as a fresh water source, but instead as a physical amenity for the social aspects of the site. It’s history as an important transportation highway to the city of Cologne and it’s future potential should be highlighted in our design.

LIGHT

urban agriculture Urban agriculture is simply the growing of plants and the raising of animals in and around an urban area. As many cities, including Cologne become more and more urbanized, food security is a major concern, especially for those in poverty. U.A. helps to remedy this issue.

urban agriclture in cologne The information on the right shows all of the fresh food sources in and immediately surrounding our site. The sources are categorized by type. Included are existing urban agriculture sites, grocery stores, and wholesale markets.

FRESH FOOD SOURCE URBAN AGRICULTURE 1. U.A. TERRACES 2. LARGE U.A. SITE

GROCERY STORE 3. BRING24 4. YILMAZ FEINKOST 5. REWE 6. BIO-SUPERMARKT 7. ASIA MARKT 8. ANDURONDA C+C

WHOLESALE MARKET 9. PANAHI 10. ATHENA IMPORTS 11. GROSSMARKT

strengths and weaknesses strength: distance The graphic on the top right shows distance from food sources throughout the site. These include grocery stores, the Grossmarkt, and two urban agriculture sites. Currently, most of the site is within 100m of a food source.

weakness: permanent and impermenant Many of the site’s food sources aren’t permenant. The graphic on the bottom left shows which of the sources will be removed or replaced soon.

0-100M FROM SOURCE FRESH FOOD SOURCE

PERMANENT

76%

IMPERMANENT

24%

PERMANENT SOURCE IMPERMANENT SOURCE

strengths and weaknesses strength: what will grow and when TOMATOES POTATOES

JANUARY DECEMBER

FEBRUARY

NOVEMBER

MARCH

OCTOBER

APRIL

PEAS AND LETTUCE CABBAGE SQUASH AND WATERMELON ORANGES, APPLES, AND GRAPES

MAY

SEPTEMBER

We found that a wide variety of fruits and vegetables are able to grow within Cologne. The prime months of growth for each of these is also illustrated.

JUNE

AUGUST JULY

opportunities and threats opportunities 1. With government coorportation, urban agriculture could potentially provide jobs.

2. Successful urban agriculture sites tend to have less vandalism.

3. Urban agriculture could contribute to to higher levels of bio-diversity.

4. Urban agriculture allows citizens to practice self-provisioning.

5. Due to a decreased level of dependance on imported food, produce prices are much more steady throughout the year.

6. Urban agriculture helps to provide healthy food to lower income households.

threats 1. Urban agriculture takes land away from other land uses.

2. Urban agriculture could pose a threat to public heath.

3. Urban agriculture tends to not be very profitable.

bio-diversity bio-diversity Biodiversity is essential to the success of the future design of the site. The reintegration of native wildlife and vegetation into the inner city brings another dimension to the predominately metropolitan area, while serving as a type of â&#x20AC;&#x153;escapeâ&#x20AC;? from the uniformity of the concrete inner city. The diminished amount of green space and the increasing density of metropolitan areas calls for an investment in the creation of green corridors flowing within the inner urban area.

bio-diversity in cologne

FOREST

AQUATIC

MEADOW

DISTURBED

The graphic to the right shows four distinct types of habitats around our site, forests, meadows, aquatic areas, and disturbed areas. Each of these found types of areas have a diverse range of plants and animals that they cater to. These are explained in more detail on the previous page.

bio-diversity

forest

meadow

aquatic

disturbed

DENSELY VEGETATED WOODLAND AREAS Roe deer, foxes, hares, song thrust birds, and chaffinch birds, thrive in these conditions. Some plant species found here are Corydalis cava, Lathyrus sylvestris, and Ononis spinosa.

OPEN GRASSLAND Weasels, Meadow Pipit Birds, numerous butterfly species, Red Admiral, Hummingbird Hawk-moth, and Old World Swallowtail butterflies, Ornithogalum ublellatum, Corynephorus canescens, and Centaurium erythraea.

NEAR WATER Cormorant bird, swallow bird, salmon, and carp, Lycopus europaeous, Scutellaria galericulata, and Nyphoides peltata.

AREAS OF HUMAN INTERFERENCE Red squirrel, white wagtail birds, and mistle thrush birds, Fallopia convulvuus, Digitaria iscamum, and Chelidonum majus.

strengths and weaknesses strenghts Existing site vegetation present, were grassroots planting gardens alongside the rail lines creates a valuable strength. The siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s location creates a strength to connect the surrounding greenway. In addition, being located near the Rhine allows for the continuation of the programed waterfront along the Rhine. The migration of species over the city of Cologne, allows for creation of habitat for migrating species. The abandoned railroad lines also provide a corridor for various species of native vegetation, which should attract more wildlife as well.

weaknesses On our site the road ways and the long-standing boundary of the Rhine River create a definite obstacle in the ultimate goal of connecting the green corridor. In addition, the urban industrial development has destroyed the natural vegetation and successive species have invaded the area. The ecologic habitat living in the site is fragmented and fragile.

opportunities and threats opportunities The site has many opportunities for improving and restoring the quality of biodiversity.

The location has the potential to continue and connect the existing greenway throughout the city to the Rhine River and create a patchwork of habitats for species.

Returning native vegetative species to the area can lead to the development of a microhabitat, which can slowly lead to the reintegration of various species of wildlife yielding a sufficient ecosystem.

threats Since the land has been influenced by humans, the natural woodland ecosystem has been altered and invasive species have colonized and choked out the native species. In doing so, species in these habitats have to seek new, more favorable sites. In addition, the loss of predators has caused an increase in pigeons in the Groβmarket area. Human interference is used to control the population by bringing in predators to hunt the pigeons.

ECONOMIC STRENGHT

ECONOMIC WEAKNESS We must always keep in mind the cost of the project and how you can convince the public that the cost of a redesign is needed. In my assessment of our site in particular I thought it was important to touch on key elements that will not only make the redesign more cost efficient but that will also help us to make it specialized to those who live in the surrounding area. Our siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strengths and weaknesses, shown on the left, are explained in further detail on the following page.

industrial recycling and economics

`

strengths and weaknesses economic strengths 1. Industrial remains such as the abandoned railroad tracks and buildings like the GroĂ&#x;markt Hall give us a chance to bring a historical quality and possible theme to our new design plans.

2. The siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proximity to the Rhine as well as being surrounded by a multitude of business entities and residential structures make it prime location for development.

3. Our site is surrounded by several multi-modal transpottion corridors.

economic weaknesses 4. The current peak hours of the site area are overnight until early morning so it is abandoned throughout most of the day.

5. It is quite odorous and dirty due to the nature of its current use.

The site lacks a formal and efficient structure which makes it a very hectic transportation center when it is in use.

opportunities AREA FOR WASTE AND DISPOSAL RETAILING CENTER RESIDENTIAL PUBLIC FACILITIES COMMERCIAL GREEN SPACE MIXED-USE 50/50 MIXED-USE BUSINESS MIXED-USE RESIDENTIAL The surrounding area is comprised of a good blend of industrial, commercial, and residential areas. The graphic to the left shows this high level of variation. In addition, redesign of the area has the potential to provide a solid connection for the residents between the already developed greenbelt out to the Rhine.

Recent construction and developments around the area provide a great opportunity to change this area in order to make it more fitting to the surrounding population.

threats LARGE ROADWAY

The large roadway to the east, illustrated in the graphic to the right will make it difficult to provide a true connection all the way to the Rhine.

Several sets of train tracks on a raised ridge to the north will make it tough to connect the residents on the other side to the redesigned space.

site program WATER

SOIL RAINFALL STORMWATER CLIMATE

ANIMAL AND PLANT SPECIES

BIO-DIVERSITY

our design solution URBAN AGRICULTURE

GROWING POTENTIAL FOOD SOURCES

DEMOGRAPHICS LAND USES HISTORY

INDUSTRIAL RECYCLING

thank you

sources http://detroit.blogs.time.com/2010/09/09/so-whats-wrong-with-urban-farming-anyway/ http://www.ruaf.org/node/512 http://www.urbanfarming.org/ http://dirt.asla.org/2012/05/09/urban-agriculture-isnt-new/ http://www.hw-karten.de/koeln/ http://www.steb-koeln.de/risikomanagement.html?L=1