Masterplan for Cap-Haitien...

from settlement to city: a masterplan for cap-ha i tien, ha i ti

a terminal Design project submitted to the school of a rchitecture of the University of notre Dame in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of

master of architectural Design and Urbanism by cindy marie-a lta michel, B.a rch

christine G.h. franck, advisor philip Bess, Graduate Director

Graduate program in a rchitecture notre Dame, indiana may 2010

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for the haitian people.

Haiti, without underground reserves of gold or diamond, can hang onto its ultimate treasure: the Haitian people, whose creative force is shown in their every manual or intellectual piece of work.

René Depestre, “Open Letter to the Haitians of 2004”

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chapter 6: masterplan proposal ...................................71

6.1 south Gate neighborhood......................................72

6.2 historical center............................................72

6.3 Bayfront neighborhood.......................................73 6.4 market peninsula............................................74

chapter 7: VertiÈres pla Za ........................................93 chapter 8: saint aG atha’s pla Za ..................................111 chapter 9: G ate pla Za ............................................123 chapter 10: market pla Za .........................................135 appen Dices........................................................147

aerial photograph 1 of port-au-prince from la Boule ..................149

aerial photograph 2 of port-au-prince from la Boule ..................150

aerial photograph 3 of port-au-prince from la Boule ..................151

aerial photograph 4 of port-au-prince from la Boule ..................152

aerial photograph 5 of port-au-prince from la Boule ..................153

aerial photograph 6 of port-au-prince from la Boule ..................154

aerial photograph 7 of port-au-prince from la Boule ..................155

aerial photograph 8 of port-au-prince from la Boule ..................156

BiBlio Graphy....................................................157 cindymichel-designs.com

list of fiGUres

chapter 1: historical anD cU lt U ral BackGroUnD

figure 1.1: aerial View of haiti north of port-au-prince............................3

figure 1.2: location map of haiti in the caribbean..............................4

figure 1.3: map of haiti..................................................6 figure 1.4: a float at a haitian carnival.......................................7 figure 1.5: calendar of festivals.............................................8

chapter 2: UrBan anD a rchitect Ural conteXt

figure 2.1:port-au-prince cathedral..........................................11

figure 2.2: Government Building, port-au-prince................................11 figure 2.3: presidential palace, port-au-prince..................................11 figure 2.4: palais de Justice port-au-prince....................................12 figure 2.5: a Gas station, port-au-prince ....................................12 figure 2.6: rue msgr. Guilloux, port-au-prince ........................,......13

figure 2.7: historic Building, port-au-prince .................................13

figure 2.8: historic Building, port-au-prince .................................13

figure 2.9: casernes Dessalines, port-au-prince .......................,,.......14

figure 2.10: Government Building, port-au-prince ......................,.......14 figure 2.11: “neg mawon” The Unknown fugitive slave.........................15 cindymichel-designs.com

figure 2.12: new hillside neighborhood, port-au-prince .........................15

figure 2.13: a typical residential street, port-au-prince ..........................16

figure 2.14: Banque l’Union haitienne, port-au-prince...........................16

figure 2.15: new residential construction, port-au-prince.........................17

figure 2.16: hotel kinam, port-au-prince .....................................17

figure 2.17: new construction vs. historic construction .........................21 figure 2.18: new construction on a hillside, port-au-prince .....................22

figure 2.19: construction materials for sale .................................22

figure 2.20: Deforested mountains near port-au-prince .........................22 chapter 3: the reGion - north Department

figure 3.1: north Department..............................................23 figure 3.2: north, Gateway to haiti.........................................24 figure 3.3: north, Gateway to haiti.........................................25 figure 3.4: north, Gateway to haiti.........................................26 figure 3.5: north, Gateway to haiti.........................................27 figure 3.6: The pier at coco Beach..........................................28

figure 3.7: coco Beach, labadie............................................29 figure 3.8: coco Beach, labadie............................................29 figure 3.9: coco Beach, labadie............................................29 figure 3.10: palais sans souci...............................................30 cindymichel-designs.com

figure 3.11: palais sans souci...............................................31

figure 3.12: palais sans souci...............................................31

figure 3.13: palais sans souci...............................................31

figure 3.14: View of la citadelle laferrière from the access road...................32 figure 3.15: a view of cap-haitien from la citadelle...........................33 figure 3.16: palais san souci and la citadelle..................................33 chapter 4: cap-haÏtien

figure 4.1: View of cap-haitien looking south................................35 figure 4.2: cap-haitien existing conditions aerial..............................36 figure 4.3: cap-haitien existing conditions plan..............................37 figure 4.4: Boulevard, cap-haitien..........................................38 figure 4.5: Boulevard, cap-haitien..........................................39 figure 4.6: a typical street, cap-haitien.....................................39 figure 4.7: a typical street, cap-haitien.....................................39 figure 4.8: monument of the Battle of Vertières...............................40 figure 4.9: plaza at the monument of the Battle of Vertières.....................40

figure 4.10: Dessalines statue, cap-haitien....................................41 figure 4.11: a neighborhood park, cap-haitien................................41 figure 4.12: existing spatial types..........................................42 figure 4.13: existing Block types...........................................43 cindymichel-designs.com

figure 4.14: comparative scale analysis.......................................44

figure 4.15: cap-haitien cathedral...........................................45

figure 4.16: sacred Building, cap-haitien.....................................46 figure 4.17: public Building, cap-haitien.....................................46 figure 4.18: public Building, cap-haitien.....................................47 figure 4.19: fountain, cap-haitien..........................................47

figure 4.20: mixed-use Building, cap-haitien..................................48 figure 4.21: civic Building, cap-haitien......................................48 figure 4.22: mixed-use Building, cap-haitien..................................48 figure 4.23: mixed-use Building, cap-haitien..................................49 figure 4.24: mixed-use Building, cap-haitien..................................49 figure 4.25: mixed-use Building, cap-haitien..................................50 figure 4.26: mixed-use Building, cap-haitien..................................50 figure 4.27: historical Block and mixed-use type...............................51 chapter 5: a set of typical UrBan DesiGn proBlems

figure 5.1: a set of typical Urban Design problems............................53

figure 5.2: entry - arrival - exit...........................................55 figure 5.3: Bridges crossing the river arno, florence............................56 figure 5.4: movement - crossing...........................................57 figure 5.5: santa maria in aracoeli and piazza campidoglio, rome..................58 cindymichel-designs.com

figure 5.6: Divergence..................................................59

figure 5.7: Urban staircase, Verona, italy.....................................60

figure 5.8: saint antoine de padoue, port-au-prince.............................60 figure 5.9: Upward movement............................................61 figure 5.10: Grand canal, Venice, italy......................................62 figure 5.11: Bath weir and parade Gardens..................................62 figure 5.12: edge - Boundary............................................63 figure 5.13: cap-haitien cathedral........................................64 figure 5.14: The Grounds at palais san souci, milot...........................64 figure 5.15: important sites..............................................65

figure 5.16: a set of typical Urban Design problems resolved - Verona, italy..........66 figure 5.17: a set of typical Urban Design problems resolved - Venice, italy..........67 figure 5.18: a set of typical Urban Design problems resolved - spanish steps..........67 figure 5.19: a set of typical Urban Design problems resolved - florence italy..........68 figure 5.20: a set of typical Urban Design problems resolved - rome, italy............69

figure 5.21: Urban Design problems in cap-haitien existing conditions..............70

chapter 6: masterplan proposal

figure 6.1: View of cap-haitien looking south...............................74 figure 6.2: cap-haitien historic center existing conditions aerial.................75 figure 6.3: View of cap-haitien from la citadelle l aferrière.....................75 cindymichel-designs.com

figure 6.4: cap-haitien existing conditions aerial.............................76

figure 6.5: cap-haitien existing conditions plan.............................77

figure 6.6: cap-haitien proposed neighborhood names........................78

figure 6.7: natural features and land study areas...........................79

figure 6.8: cap-haitien proposed masterplan.................................80

figure 6.9: cap-haitien existing and proposed spaces Diagram..................81

figure 6.10: south Gate neighborhood existing conditions plan Detail............82 figure 6.11: cap-haitien proposed changes Diagram..........................83

figure 6.12: south Gate neighborhood proposed masterplan Detail...............84

figure 6.13: south Gate neighborhood connections Diagram...................85

figure 6.14: market peninsula and Bayfront existing conditions plan Detail.........86 figure 6.15: market peninsula and Bayfront proposed changes Diagram............87 figure 6.16: market peninsula and Bayfront proposed masterplan Detail............88 figure 6.17: market peninsula and Bayfront connections Diagram.................89

figure 6.18: a masterplan for cap-haitien project title sheet....................90

figure 6.19: aerial View of proposed masterplan from cap-haitien Bay.............91

figure 6.20: a set of Urban Design problems resolved, cap-haitien...............92

chapter 7: VertiÈres pla Za

figure 7.1: Vertières plaza key plan...........................................96 figure 7.2: Vertières plaza existing conditions aerial.............................96 cindymichel-designs.com

figure 7.3: campidoglio, rome............................................96 figure 7.4: s. antoine, port-au-prince.......................................96 figure 7.5: Guard’s post at palais sans souci.................................97 figure 7.6: palais sans souci..............................................97 figure 7.7: The spanish steps, rome.......................................97 figure 7.8: port-au-prince cathedral.........................................98 figure 7.9: presidential palace, port-au-prince..................................98 figure 7.10: monument of the Battle of Vertières ..............................98 figure 7.11: monument of the Battle of Vertières..............................99 figure 7.12: existing plaza at the monument of the Battle of Vertières..............99 figure 7.13: Vertières plaza existing conditions figure Ground Diagram............100 figure 7.14: Vertières plaza proposed changes Diagram .........................101 figure 7.15: Vertières plaza proposed figure Ground Diagram.....................102 figure 7.16: Vertières plaza proposed plan....................................103 figure 7.17: Vertières plaza proposed plan Detail ..............................104 figure 7.18: Vertières plaza section ........................................105 figure 7.19: Vertières plaza aerial perspective ................................106 figure 7.20: Vertières plaza eye-level perspective...............................107 figure 7.21: a set of typical Urban Design problems resolved -Vertières plaza.......108 figure 7.22: personification of haiti..........................................109 cindymichel-designs.com

chapter 8: saint aG atha’s pla Za

figure 8.1: st. agatha’s plaza key plan........................................112

figure 8.2: st. agatha’s plaza existing conditions aerial...........................112 figure 8.3: cap-haitien cathedral ...........................................112 figure 8.4: aerial View of Via del fosso, lucca, italy.............................112 figure 8.5: Via del fosso, lucca, italy........................................113 figure 8.6: Via del fosso, lucca, italy.......................................113 figure 8.7: a market, sabbionetta, italy.....................................113

figure 8.8: st. agatha’s plaza existing conditions figure Ground Diagram...........114 figure 8.9: st. agatha’s plaza proposed changes Diagram.........................115 figure 8.10: st. agatha’s plaza proposed figure Ground Diagram...................116 figure 8.11:st. agatha’s plaza proposed plan...................................117 figure 8.12: st. agatha’s plaza proposed plan Detail.............................118 figure 8.13: st. agatha’s plaza section.......................................119 figure 8.14: st. agatha’s plaza aerial perspective ...............................120 figure 8.15: st. agatha’s plaza eye-level perspective..............................121 figure 8.16: a set of typical Urban Design problems resolved -st. agatha’s plaza.......122 cindymichel-designs.com

chapter 9: G ate pla Za

figure 9.1: Gate plaza key plan............................................124

figure 9.2: Gate plaza existing conditions aerial...............................124 figure 9.3: city Gates, ferrara, italy.........................................125 figure 9.4: plaza mayor, madrid, spain.......................................125 figure 9.5: The Gates at palais sans souci.....................................125 figure 9.6: eastern Bank of the adige river, Verona, italy.........................125 figure 9.7: Gate plaza existing conditions figure Ground Diagram.................126 figure 9.8: Gate plaza proposed changes Diagram..............................127 figure 9.9: Gate plaza proposed figure Ground Diagram.........................128 figure 9.10: Gate plaza proposed plan.......................................129 figure 9.11: Gate plaza plan Detail.........................................130 figure 9.12: Gate plaza section............................................131 figure 9.13: Gate plaza aerial perspective ...................................132 figure 9.14: Gate plaza eye-level perspective..................................133 figure 9.15: a set of typical Urban Design problems resolved -Gate plaza...........134 chapter 10: market pla Za

figure 10.1: market plaza key plan..........................................136 figure 10.2: market plaza existing conditions aerial.............................136 figure 10.3: a commercial Building, port-au-prince.............................137 cindymichel-designs.com

figure 10.4: ribeira square, porto, portugal....................................137

figure 10.5: a market, sabbionetta, italy......................................137

figure 10.6: a market, Bologna, italy.........................................137

figure 10.7: market plaza existing conditions figure Ground Diagram ...............138

figure 10.8: market plaza proposed changes Diagram............................139

figure 10.9: market plaza proposed figure Ground Diagram .....................140

figure 10.10: market plaza proposed plan....................................141

figure 10.11: market plaza proposed plan Detail ..............................142

figure 10.12: market plaza section..........................................143

figure 10.13: market plaza aerial perspective ..................................144

figure 10.14: market plaza eye-level perspective.................................145

figure 10.15: a set of typical Urban Design problems resolved -market plaza.........146

Acknowledgments

This thesis is the result of a semester’s design inquiry into cap-haitien and haiti, but in many ways it is the culmination of a much longer period of contemplation during which i have had the profound privilege of studying architecture. This i have been able to do because of the guidance and support of many to whom i owe much gratitude.

i would like to express my thanks to the University of notre Dame school of architecture faculty and staff in south Bend and in rome, with a special thank you to the staff of the school of architecture library. i would like to acknowledge all of those from whose teaching and example i’ve benefited especially Thomas Gordon smith, michael lykoudis, philip Bess, David mayernik, steven hurtt, richard economakis, al Defrees and michael Djorjevitch. special thanks are due to my thesis advisor christine G.h. franck, whose guidance, support and encouragement from the outset have greatly helped this thesis come to fruition. i would also like to thank several others who have helped and functioned as critics at different points in this thesis, namely Julio cesar perez hernandez, scott merrill and andrew Von maur.

i would like to thank the fagan memorial fund, without the financial support of which i would not have been able to travel to haiti to prepare for this thesis. while in haiti i was warmly received in port-au-prince and cap-haitien: i would like to express my gratitude to maritzha, Jacky and Berthe, who graciously opened up their homes to me during my time in haiti. Thank you to alix and Joe, who were my guides in cap-haitien. and thank you to kpp, who showed me the best views of port-au-prince.

in preparation for and during this thesis i have had the support of many associated with the haitian community at notre Dame. my gratitude is owed especially to karen richman, Gilbert st. Jean, marie Denise miford and Gerald telfort for their pointed insights and thoughts on haiti. Thank you to sarah craig and sarah miller at the University of notre Dame haiti program and to fr. tom streit, whose work in haiti has been a continual source of hope and inspiration.

a special thank you to all my classmates, especially my fellow urban design concentration graduate students, for your support and the rousing conversations and laughter at all hours of the

day and night. it is a great thing that we will always be connected through our many adventures these past two years.

i would like to thank my family, yanique, christie, marie-Thérèse, Julio, rachel and Gyom, who have always supported me in my educational and professional pursuits, and in life. and to my friend kyonta, thank you for your friendship and support through school, life and all our travels.

thesis stAtement

in developing countries, growing settlements are dense built up areas without an expressed larger vision or order. These are newly urbanized areas without urban design, which is necessary to elevate settlements to cities. This can be done by articulating A Set of Typical Urban Design Problems that occur everywhere and when resolved render a coherent urban realm most capable of projecting and sustaining the ideals of a community.

A set of typicAl urbAn design problems entry - arrival - exit movement - crossing divergence upward movement edge - boundary important sites cultural - historical - functional

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hisorical & cultural background

The Republic of Haiti occupies the western third of the island of Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles in the Caribbean. It shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic and its neighbor to the east is Cuba. Ayiti is the ancient Amerindian Taíno name for Haiti, meaning “mountainous land.” It speaks to a key characteristic of the island’s geography: the majority of the peninsula-island’s land is formed by a series of mountain ranges and plains. Another key characteristic is its shape: Haiti has two peninsulas, one to the north and one to the south, each extending westward, giving the island an unusually long coastline compared to its land area.

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Figure 1.1: Aerial View of Haiti North of Port-au-Prince, (Figure by Author)

In 1492 Christopher Columbus was greeted by the Taíno Amerindians when he encountered Ayiti on his first voyage searching for a route to the Orient. He renamed Ayiti La Isla Espaniola, later anglicized to Hispaniola. With the belief that there was gold on the island, the Spanish set about colonizing the island with their first settlement, La Navidad, near the northwestern coast of present day Haiti.

By Columbus’s second voyage to the Americas in 1493, La Navidad had been destroyed and the Spanish settlers had been killed. Columbus and the Spanish established a new settlement on the southern coast of Hispaniola named Santo Domingo and instituted a system of forced servitude that eventually wiped out the Taíno population. Santo Domingo was the first permanent European settlement in the Americas and is the present day capital of the Dominican Republic.

The Spanish held claim to Hispaniola well into the 17th century as French buccaneers settled on the island of Tortuga and on “mainland” Hispaniola. As new Spanish colonies were founded in Central and South America, Spain ceded the western third of Hispaniola in 1697 to

Figure 1.2: Location Map of Haiti in the Caribbean, (Figure by Author)

the French under the Treaty of Ryswick. Under French rule Haiti was known as Saint Domingue. French colonists enslaved Africans on sugarcane, coffee, cotton, cocoa and indigo plantations, making St. Domingue the most profitable slave colony in the world and France’s most prized colony. At that time Cap-Français, (present day Cap-Haitien), was the capitol of St. Domingue and was regarded as “the Paris of the New World.”

St. Domingue plantation owners were known for their cruelty and as early as the 1750’s there was resistance from the slave population. The Haitian Revolution began in the 1790’s with a slave revolt planned by a Vaudou priest named Boukman in the forest of Bois Caïman, located in the Morne Rouge region of Haiti, to the southwest of Cap-Haitien. The key players in the history of the Haitian Revolution were the white St. Domingue plantation owners, the black slaves of African descent, the mulattoes or affranchis/gens des couleur, and the French under Napoleon, all of whom had different visions for St. Domingue.

Toussaint L’Ouverture, a former slave, rose to become the foremost leader of the revolt. By 1799 he was governor general of St. Domingue, which was still under French rule. By 1802

Napoleon had risen to power in France and planned the reestablishment of slavery in St. Domingue as part of his larger plan to establish a New World Empire. General Leclerc, sent to St. Domingue by Napoleon, eventually captured L’Ouverture, who went on to die in a prison cell in France in 1803.

Now comprehending Napoleon’s intention to reestablish slavery on the colony, L’Ouverture’s generals and the mulattoes fought back the French forces, whose susceptibility to yellow fever aided in their defeat. General Rochambeau replaced General Leclerc as head of the French forces in St. Domingue, but by the end of 1803 French forces were in retreat and Napoleon had abandoned his plan for a New World Empire. The leaders of St. Domingue’s forces were Henri Christophe, Jean-Jacques Dessalines and Alexandre Pétion, who, along with Toussaint L’Ouverture, are today regarded as the founding fathers of Haiti. The history of Haiti continues long past these events, but this brief recounting of the early portion of the nation’s history is important to properly place Haiti in the historical narrative of the foundation of western culture in the Americas.

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CaRiBBEaN SEa

Jérémie

NiPPES GRaNDE-aNSE SUD

Port-de-paix

NORD-OUESt

NORD

atLaNtiC OCEaN

Miragoâne les cayes

1.1 Festivals

Île de la gonâve

gonaïves port-au-prince Jacmel

cap-haitien Fort-liberté hinche

CENtRE OUESt SUD-ESt

NORD-ESt

CaRiBBEaN SEa

Figure 1.3: Map of Haiti (Figure by Author based on Map of the Departments of Haiti in French, © Rémi Kaupp, CC-BY-SA, Wikimedia Commons)

Festivals and holidays play an important role in Haitian culture. Religious and civic holidays are important events in which large portions of the community participate. Th ey often involve music, dancing and costumes, especially in the case of Carnival. Festivals happen in the city as well as in the countryside. Festivals in the city have a relationship to the physical layout of the city because the city is literally the stage where these festivities are set. Streets and public open spaces play a key role as the backdrop for these festivities.

Carnival is arguably the largest and most participated in Haitian festival, but rara bands are a particularly apt example of how Haitian cultural celebrations interact with and take place within

Île de la tortue cindymichel-designs.com

the city. Rara bands perform and engage in a type of musical dancing street procession which takes place during the Lenten season. They usually start playing and processing in the evening, with no set procession route, weaving through the city in a spontaneous manner under the direction of the band leader, who determines the route. Each band has a repertoire of songs ranging from lighthearted topics to politically charged protests. As rara bands go in procession through the city they are heard before they are seen and crowds gather to watch on the side of the road or to join in dancing and processing with the band. In Cap-Haitien, people watch the rara band’s procession while leaning from their doorways or from their small front stoops. The contrast created by these rara bands moving in a highly unpredictable path through the city’s strict grid is best seen from the second story balconies so prevalent in Cap-Haitien. Their musical, dancing processions often last till dawn. The spontaneous, musical, processional and participatory nature of rara bands is characteristic of Haitian celebrations and festivals and the form of the city is an important component of how they are carried out.

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Figure 1.4: A Float at a Haitian Carnival (Figure by Author)

festivals and holidays

01 january independence day

02 january ancestors’ day varies mardi gras / carnival varies shrove tuesday varies good friday

07 april anniversary of the death of l’overture

14 april pan-american day

01 may agriculture and labor day

18 may flag and university day varies corpus christi

16 july saut d’eau pilgrimage

25 july st. james’ day / ogou day

26 july festival of st. anne / erzulie

17 october anniversary of the death of dessalines

24 october united nations day

01 november all saints’ day

02 november all souls’ day

18 november battle of vertiÈres day

25 december christmas day

Figure 1.5: Calendar of Festivals (Figure by Author) cindymichel-designs.com

urban and architectural context

Cap-Haitien falls into the urban and architectural context of the Caribbean, which when properly understood historically, culturally and architecturally, includes regions of the United States in the Gulf of Mexico. Havana, Cuba and New Orleans, Louisiana are useful cities to compare and contrast with Cap-Haitien, as well as to find precedent in.

Port-au-Prince, the capital city, is the most influential urban and architectural city for Cap-Haitien to reference. A devastating earthquake on January 12, 2010 destroyed a considerable portion of Port-au-Prince, and many nearby cities, including Jacmel and Léogâne. Presently there is still no comprehensive documentation of the losses to the architectural heritage of the country because of the greater and more pressing humanitarian crisis following the earthquake. The January earthquake was a defining event in the nation’s history, the consequences of which have yet to be fully realized. In Section 2.1, special consideration will be given as to how we may respond to the devastation in the capital’s region and how the issues brought to light by the earthquake can be understood in the context of this thesis, but presently, Port-au-Prince will be considered in its preearthquake condition.

Port-au-Prince is a mega-metropolis in Haitian terms. It is a sprawling dense port city on Port-au-Prince Bay. Its numerous and varied neighborhoods are often determined by the complex topography of the area. Some of the most populated and well-known neighborhoods are the Historic Center, with its Boulevard Jean-Jacques Dessalines (also known as the Grand Rue), Carrefour and Pétionville. Other neighborhoods include Delmas, Morne a Tuff, La Boule, Bourdon, Pacot, Bel-Air, Fermate and Canapé Vert. Some of these neighborhoods would properly be classified as bouroughs of the city. Those even further out could be considered suburbs of Port-au-Prince.

Port-au-Prince’s neighborhoods have seen tremendous growth in the past 50 years. Recently built structures range from traditional churches to modernist low-rise office buildings, but much of what has been built are mixed-use and residential buildings. Recently built residential buildings

range from large mansions in neighborhoods in the hills above Port-au-Prince, to temporary shelters found in Bidonvilles. The term ‘bidonville’ was originally applied to shanty towns on the urban outskirts of cities in France in the 1960’s and 70’s. These bidonvilles were largely populated by immigrants and were a result of poverty. In Haiti it is the urban poor or new migrants from the countryside who live in bidonvilles.

From Port-au-Prince one may gain insights that inform the existing conditions in CapHaitien. Chief among these is that Port-au-Prince is too big. Haiti is politically and physically centralized in Port-au-Prince and it is widely acknowledged that the city’s infrastructure cannot support such a large concentration of people. In addition the recent growth of Port-au-Prince has occurred without comprehensive regulation resulting in dense precariously built hillsides, many of which are bidonvilles without proper infrastructure.

A positive aspect of Port-au-Prince is that it displays a wide variety of building types and styles of Haiti’s notable architecture. Port-au-Prince is not usually as well regarded for its architecture as Jacmel or Cap-Haitien. However, the range of its architecture set within a colonial grid with neoclassical influences, forms a rich urban assemblage in the Historic Center. Much can be learned there about the movement of ideas in architecture, and urban design, specifically how they are transported and adapted to new climates and cultures. The variety of architecture in Port-au-Prince is especially evident in historical photos, namely those of Eduoard Peloux. His photos depict the range and prominence of public buildings in the city.Equally engaging are the array of background buildings and their arrangement in the city. The arcaded commercial streets of the Historic Center, particularly along Grand Rue, are an example of how background buildings play a role in the making of a city.

The following figures include images of Port-au-Prince prior to the January 2010 earthquake. Additional images of Port-au-Price can be found in the Appendices.

Figure 2.1:Port-au-Prince Cathedral (Figure By Author)

Figure 2.2: Government Building, Port-au-Prince (Figure By Author)

Figure 2.3: Presidential Palace, Port-au-Prince (Figure By Author)

Figure 2.4: Palais de Justice, Port-au-Prince (Figure By Author)

Figure 2.5: A Gas Station, Port-au-Prince (Figure By Author)

Figure 2.6: Rue Msgr. Guilloux,Port-au-Prince

Figure 2.7: Historic Building, Port-au-Prince (Figure By Author)

Figure 2.8: Historic Building, Port-au-Prince (Figure By Author)

Figure 2.10: Government Building, Port-au-Prince (Figure By Author)

Figure 2.9: Casernes Dessalines,Port-au-Prince (Figure By Author)

Figure 2.11: “Neg Mawon” The Unknown Fugitive Slave (Figure By Author)

Figure 2.12: New Hillside Neighborhood, Port-au-Prince (Figure By Author)

Figure 2.13: A Typical Residential Street, Port-au-Prince (Figure By Author)

Figure 2.14: Banque de L’Union Haitienne, Port-au-Prince (Figure By Author)

Figure 2.16:Hotel Kinam, Port-au-Prince (Figure By Author)

Figure 2.15: New Residential Construction, Port-au-Prince (Figure By Author)

2.1 January 2010 earthquake

In January of 2010 I was fortunate enough to visit Haiti to conduct research for this thesis prior to the earthquake. This trip was possible because of the generosity of the Fagan Memorial Fund through the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture. While there I was able to spend time in Cap-Haitien and Port-au-Prince. What I felt and observed, in Port-au-Prince in particular, was a sense of cautious optimism – people were busy carrying out their daily lives. Views of Port-au-Prince from the hills showed that the city had grown even larger since I was last there in 2003. Although the roads were being maintained, the city had outgrown its infrastructure and new, poorly constructed bidonvilles rose up the hills.

The destruction from the January 2010 earthquake was exacerbated by the poor quality of construction on the island. Many of those in the building and construction trades in Haiti are not educated in the fundamentals of building construction, as evidenced by the techniques used in everyday building practices. Poor construction techniques often involve the inappropriate use of materials because of a lack of understanding of the basic properties of those materials. For example, thin concrete balusters each formed around a reinforced steel bar can be found in any town in Haiti in an attempt to copy precisely the appearance of wood architecture. The balconies built with these concrete balusters are wholly unstable. Additionally, concrete block buildings, which account for the majority of new construction in Haiti, are often fitted with utilities, electrical and plumbing, in ways that undermine the structural stability of the building itself. Large chunks of a masonry wall may be hollowed out for electrical wiring without any real consideration for the structural integrity of the wall.

Poor construction in Haiti is also caused by the economic situation of the country. Most of the people who are building do not have the money to build well. They are forced to buy the poor quality building materials that are sold in the building materials market. The concrete used is often of poor quality and it is not uncommon to see building materials like concrete blocks and steel reinforcing bars left exposed to the elements for long periods of time prior to their sale for construction. There is currently no method of controlling the methods or quality of the on-going construction in Haiti.

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For all intents and purposes there is no wood available for construction because of deforestation. Masonry is a fine alternative for building, but wood would be best for constructing roof trusses to roof buildings. This lack of wood accounts for a major problem in new and existing construction in Haiti. Most new construction has a flat roof or no roof at all. A building’s second story is often partially built with the intention of someday building it out when there is enough money. The second story is left exposed to the elements without a roof for long periods of time, sometimes the whole life of the building. This is a widespread practice that is a maintenance problem. Any building without a roof to protect it from the elements is in a de facto state of accelerated deterioration.

In addition to problems in the building trades, there is no comprehensive city planning or regional planning that limits or directs growth within the city or region. Unchecked growth has been pervasive in hilly areas where potential earthquake damage would be and has been more acute than on flat land. New growth on these hills is dense and unregulated, and in the case of emergencies there is no right-of-way to clear debris from to gain access to those in need of help. Comprehensive city and regional planning can and should direct growth to smaller towns so that the majority of the population is not concentrated in one area that may be hit by a natural disaster. The issues associated with natural disasters are far-reaching and complex. This serves as a very brief overview of some of the most pressing issues as they relate to architecture and urbanism. A masterplan can, at best, help in natural disasters by promoting building in appropriate parts of the city with better and proper use of materials and construction. This, together with the greater environmental issues alleviated by the infrastructure proposed in any given masterplan, may help to prevent the severity of damage and loss of life from a major natural disaster. To realize positive change in the construction methods in Haiti, more than a masterplan is needed: an improved economic situation and building regulations are also necessary. Leadership and education are essential to the building and construction trades.

Eventually, when sufficient time has passed, a memorial should be built as a place of remembrance, commemoration and mourning for those who have died in the earthquake, especially the unidentified dead, many of whom will never have a proper dignified burial. A memorial is cindymichel-designs.com

needed to work through the shared effects of this tragic event for the nation as a whole and the international community. For now, it would give those who have died and those who have risen to the occasion in its aftermath the greatest honor if the city itself were rebuilt in memoriam.

The implications of this are twofold. One, designs for the rebuilding of Port-au-Prince would necessarily entail the beauty, durability and craftsmanship intrinsic to an object whose purpose is to honor. Second, those involved in the rebuilding efforts – from the general public, to politicians, businessman, and the international community – would have to place at the forefront a steadfast commitment to a larger shared idea that is greater than their individual pursuits. This would undoubtedly be difficult, but it would be a triumph over the greatest tragedy yet to befall Haiti.

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Figure 2.17: New Construction vs. Historic Construction (Figure by Author)

(Photo by K. Michel)

Figure 2.19: Construction Materials for Sale (Figure By Author)

Figure 2.20: Deforested Mountains near Port-au-Prince (Figure By Author)

Figure 2.18: New Construction on a Hillside, Port-au-Prince (Figure By Author)

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the region - north department

Deyo mon ge mon. (Beyond the mountains are more mountains.)1

The North region is dominated by the fertile agricultural land of the Plaine du Nord, the winding Riviére du Nord and the Massif du Nord, Haiti’s longest mountain range which geographically separates the north from the rest of the nation. The capital of the North region is Cap-Haitien. The region is home to a multitude of cultural and historical sites, the nation’s second airport capable of supporting international flights, and is a gateway to the rest of the nation.

1A Haitian proverb.

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Figure 3.1: North Department (Figure by Author)

a

b

c e d

f g h a coco beach, labadie b cormier beach c fort picolet h la citadelle laferrière

g palais sans souci d cap-haitien

Figure 3.2: North, Gateway to Haiti (Figure by Author based on Satellite Photograph by Google)

e vertières monument f milot cindymichel-designs.com

a coco beach, labadie b cormier beach c fort picolet

Figure 3.3: North, Gateway to Haiti (Figure by Author, Aerial by Google)

d cap-haitien e vertières monument f

g f milot

g palais sans souci

h la citadelle laferrière

Figure 3.5: North, Gateway to Haiti (Figure by Author, Aerial by Google)

3.1 Labadie and coco Beach

Labadie is located just to the northwest of Cap-Haitien. The name “Labadie” is often used to refer to Royal Caribbean Cruises’ private resort at CoCo Beach, although it is the proper name of the larger surrounding area. CoCo Beach is the port of call for Royal Caribbean Cruises’ ships and the recently upgraded port is one of the largest in the Caribbean. This port brings thousands of tourists to Haiti weekly through Royal Caribbean Cruises and as such should be considered a major port of entry into the country. Unfortunately tourists are discouraged from leaving the beach resort, which is surrounded by high mountains and is fenced in, but hopefully future tourists visiting CoCo Beach will have the opportunity to continue their travels in the region and the rest of the island.

Figure 3.6: The Pier at CoCo Beach (Figure by Author)

Figure 3.7: CoCo Beach, Labadie (Figure by Author)

Figure 3.8: CoCo Beach, Labadie (Figure by Author)

Figure 3.9: CoCo Beach Labadie, (Figure by Author)

3.2 palais Sans Souci and La citadelle Laferrière

Palais Sans Souci is the 19th century baroque palace located in the town of Milot at the base of Bonnet a l’Eveque mountain. At the peak of Bonnet a l’Eveque mountain is the fortress simply know as Citadelle. These cultural and historical monuments are UNESCO World Heritage sites in Haiti’s Parc National Historique.

Palais Sans Souci and Citadelle were built by Henri Christophe in the decade following Haiti’s independence from France in 1804. The palace was built as the royal residence of Henri Christophe and is part of a larger complex of which only a portion remains: the palace complex was partially destroyed in an earthquake in 1842. Even in ruins it is the most sophisticated example of architecture in Haiti and, if intact, it would rival its American and European counterparts.

Figure 3.10: Palais Sans Souci (Figure by Author)

Figure 3.12: Palais Sans Souci (Figure by Author)Figure 3.13: Palais Sans Souci (Figure by Author)

Figure 3.11: Palais Sans Souci (Figure by Author)

La Citadelle Laferrière was built to defend Haiti from the possible return of the French after the Haitian War of Independence. It is one of the largest fortresses in the Western Hemisphere, but was never used in battle as the French never returned to seek control of Haiti. Cap-Haitien, the Baie du Cap-Haitien (Cap-Haitien Bay,) and consequently any invading fleet could be seen from the uppermost levels of Citadelle. The Citadelle is up the steep incline of Bonnet a l’Eveque mountain Palais Sans Souci which itself is at the head of the town of Milot. These two complexes are architecturally related and were meant to be understood as belonging to the same authority, Henri Christophe. Within parts of Citadelle, essentially a pragmatic building for military use, one finds the same baroque architectural language as at Sans Souci. (These baroque flourishes were located in the Palais du Gouverneur1 where Henri Christophe received guests within Citadelle.) Milot, Sans Souci and Citadelle form an architectural and urban arrangement distinct from the Laws of the Indies urban grids found in the historical centers of nearby cities. They provide an additional reference for future architectural and urban projects in Haiti and the region.

1Institut de Sauvegarde du Patrimoine National

Figure 3.14: View of La Citadelle Laferrière from the Access Road (Figure by © Rémi Kaupp, CC-BY-SA, Wikimedia Commons) cindymichel-designs.com

Figure 3.15: A view of Cap-Haitien from La Citadelle (Figure by Author)

Palais

du Gouverneur at La Citadelle Laferrière Palais Sans Souci

Several lessons can be learned from the layout of Milot, Sans Souci, and Citadelle for future projects in the region and in Haiti. First, the architectural components are in conversation with each other through a similar architectural language. Second, appropriated forms that were mostly French and European in origin were used in the triumphant establishment of a new, free, black-led, Haitian republic. The same phenomenon was already taking place culturally: aspects of west African and French culture were coming together to form a uniquely Haitian culture. This phenomenon was also happening politically as the Haitian slave revolt and Haitian Revolution were inspired by the French Revolution and the ideas of the Enlightenment in Europe. It is a mark of power for a people to co-opt the forms and ideas of those who were once their oppressors and transform the meaning of those forms and ideas to support their own causes.

cap-haItIen

Cap-Haitien was founded in 1670, and was once known as Cap-Français, the capital of St. Domingue. It is now the second largest city in Haiti and the capital of the North Department. Cap-Haitien is a port city laid out between the Baie du Cap-Haitien (Cap-Haitien Bay) and a range of mountains to the west. It has a historic center with a pattern of grided streets and open plazas. South of the historic center are newly established neighborhoods built within the past fifty years. Cap-Haitien has a number of historical and cultural sites and monuments significant to the history of both the country and the history of the Americas. The city is a major tourist destination and provides access to other tourist attractions in the region.

Figure 4.1: View of Cap-Haitien Looking South. © Rémi Kaupp, CC-BY-SA, Wikimedia Commons cindymichel-designs.com

n

Figure 4.2: Cap-Haitien Existing Conditions Aerial (Figure by Digitalglobe 2010)

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cap-haïtien bay

Figure 4.3: Cap-Haitien Existing Conditions Plan

(Figure by Author based on Digitalglobe satellite photograph 2010 and the US Defense Mapping Agency’s 1:12,500 scale 1994 Cap-Haitien map)

cap-haïtien airport

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bassin rodo

4.1 Urban typologies

Cap-Haitien’s urban typologies are defined by the kinds of spatial and block types found in the existing fabric. Existing spatial conditions differ depending on whether they are found in the Historic Center of the city or in the newly established growth. Spatial conditions found in the historic center are geometrically regular and defined by buildings both public and private. Spatial conditions in the newly established growth of the city are not necessarily regular geometries as found in the historic center. They may be ill-defined by buildings and generally do not have public buildings fronting onto them. Cap-Haitien’s spatial conditions include Regular Geometric Spaces, Irregular Geometric Spaces, the Market Edges, Built Edges, Widened Street, and Bassin-front Plazas. (See Figure 4.12). Block types found in the Historic Center and newly established neighborhoods include Regular Geometric Blocks and Irregular Blocks. Elongated Blocks, Superblocks, Bassin-front Blocks, and Inland blocks are only found in newly established neighborhoods. (See Figure 4.13).

Figure 4.4: Boulevard, Cap-Haitien (Figure By Author) cindymichel-designs.com

Figure 4.6: A Typical Street, Cap-Haitien (Figure By Author)

Figure 4.7: A Typical Street, Cap-Haitien (Figure By Author)

Figure 4.5: Boulevard, Cap-Haitien (Figure By Author)

Figure 4.8: Monument of the Battle of Vertières (Figure by Author)

Figure 4.9: Plaza at the Monument of the Battle of Vertières (Figure by Author)

Figure 4.11: A Neighborhood Park, Cap-Haitien (Figure By Author)

Figure 4.10: Dessalines Statue, Cap-Haitien (Figure By Author)

existing spatial types

bassinfront plaza historic center

widened street

•

• Hardscape plaza against the edge of Bassin Rodo • Formally landscaped with parterres • May accommodate recreational activities built edge market edge irregular geometric space

new growth 0

• A widened street over the length of several blocks regular geometric space

• Four streets surrounding the market are widened for the length of the market building

100200300400500m

• Trapezoidal open spaces created by a divergence in the street grid

Rectangular hardscaped plaza • May be formally land- scaped

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existing block types

• No defined edge up to natural elements • Temporary construction

• Extremely dense • Lack of public right- of-way • Temporary construction

• Accommodates drainage • Limits cross streets

100200300400500m

• Blocks are not fully formed • Blocks do not define the street network • Need land restoration • Temporary construction 0

• The block is formed by one small building

Existing Block Types

(Figure by Author and Satellite Photographs by Digitalglobe 2010)

Figure 4.14: Comparative Scale Analysis (Figure by Author and Comparative Nolli Plans by Eric J. Jenkins,To Scale : One Hundred Urban Plans)

Piazza della Signoria, Florence

Piazza San Marco, Venice

Comparative Nolli Plans Cap-Haitien Existing Conditions Detail Plan

4.2 architectural typologies

Architectural typologies represent the kinds of buildings that are found in Cap-Haitien including sacred and civic buildings, monuments, commercial and mixed-use buildings, and residential buildings. Mixed-use buildings, commercial buildings and residential buildings are very similar in typology. They share certain characteristics: all are load bearing masonry buildings ranging from one to three-storeys; the building facades meet the right-of-way forming the wall of streets and squares; and they have second or third floor balconies. Commercial activity generally occurs on the ground floor with the main residence above. The rear of the lot of a mixed-use building is kept open to be used for daily household chores like cooking and laundry, or it is used for service activities related to the ground floor commercial. The market building is an exception in the commercial typology because it shares characteristics of a civic building. Market buildings are large open structures taking up one or more whole blocks in the city. They should be seen as civic buildings because of the important role they play in Haitian cultural life.

Figure 4.15: Cap-Haitien Cathedral (Figure By Author)

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Figure 4.16: Sacred Building, Cap-Haitien (Figure By Kishah Michel)

Figure 4.17: Public Building, Cap-Haitien (Figure By Author)

Figure 4.18: Public Building, Cap-Haitien (Figure By Author)

Figure 4.19: Fountain, Cap-Haitien (Figure By Author)

Figure 4.21: Civic Building, Cap-Haitien (Figure By Author)

Figure 4.20: Mixed-use Building, Cap-Haitien (Figure By Author)

Figure 4.22: Mixed-use Building, Cap-Haitien (Figure By Author)

Figure 4.23: Mixed-use Building, Cap-Haitien (Figure By Author)

Figure 4.24: Mixed-use Building, Cap-Haitien (Figure By Author)

Figure 4.25: Mixed-use Building, Cap-Haitien (Figure By Author)

Figure 4.26: Mixed-use Building, Cap-Haitien (Figure By Author)

historical block and mixeduse type typical mixeduse buildings

20m approx. 40m 1 unit 1 unit 12m 10m 8m 7m 4m ideal block typical historical block residentialcommercial

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a set of tYpIcaL urban desIgn probLems

The newest built-up areas of Cap-Haitien are best understood in terms of A Set of Typical Urban Design Problems. These occur at key points in the city as it exists today, however, strategies to solve these common urban problems are available to us in the historic center of Cap-Haitien and other great urban centers around the world.

a set of t YpIcaL urban desIgn probLems

entry - arrival - exit movement - crossing divergence upward movement edge - boundary important sites Cultural - Historical - Functional

Figure 5.1: A Set of Typical Urban Design Problems (Figure by Author) cindymichel-designs.com

When approaching a particular problem in an existing settlement, one should always ask, what type of urban design problem is this? One might then answer, “This is an Entry and Arrival problem – how does one know when one has entered the limits of the city?” The best strategy for resolving such a problem can then be developed in a manner relating to the Set of

Typical Urban Design Problems. There are proper general responses to the problems in the Set and the particular responses correspond to the specifics of the context in which the problems occur. For example, the site constraints, history and functional requirements are all particulars of a specific place. While there is no exhaustive list of particulars, the variety of urban conditions found within settlements and cities can always be understood as examples of the Set of Typical Urban Design Problems, in both how these problems manifest themselves and in how they are resolved. Often the resolution of these typical problems involves architecturally marking, defining and connecting points of Entry, of Arrival and Exit, of Movement and Crossing, of Divergence, of Upward Movement, of Edge and Boundary, and of Important Sites. Resolving these conditions unifies disparate pieces of the urban realm, creating order out of disorder. This kind of approach provides a basic structure for identifying and resolving these typical urban design problems found in established settlements. The following sections discuss the Set of Typical of Urban Design Problems in more detail. It should be noted that the figures in the following sections also serve as precedent for the proposed design interventions in Cap-Haitien illustrated in Chapters 7-10.

5.1 entry - arrival - exit An Entry and an Exit condition can primarily be defined as a threshold, making inside distinct from outside: one can be inside the city or the neighborhood or one can be outside.

While Entry and Exit are about transitioning, there is an element of stasis in Arrival. Arrival is often defined by an open space, a void which one can occupy in the urban form of a square or a plaza. Entry and Exit are often defined with a gate, or threshold – a solid with doorways for passing through. In addition, it follows that one arrives after entering so that Entry and Arrival are connected in a sequential manner.

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entry - arrival - exit

A view through Porta Borsari from inside the historic center of the Verona, Italy

Aerial view of entry of the Porta Borsari along the Corso Porta Borsari, Verona (Aerial Photograph by Bing)

A view of Porta del Popolo from inside Piazza del Popolo, Rome

Aerial view of entry through Porta del Popolo and arrival at Piazza del Popolo, Rome (Aerial Photograph by Bing)

Figure 5.2: Entry - Arrival - Exit (Figure by Author)

Gates at Palais Sans Souci, Milot, Haiti Porta Reno, Ferrara, Italy

5.2 movement - crossing

Streets and squares provide the means by which people traverse the city and together with blocks give the basic framework in which the architecture of the city is made. Visual connections at the urban and architectural scale make different routes intelligible in grided cities as well as in those with more organic block structures. This is most evident in Rome, the paradigmatic city for understanding Movement and Crossing in the city. Important Sites in the city, such as towers, sacred or civic buildings and monuments, make visual connections by creating focal points of orientation within the city fabric. In Rome these focal points of orientation are not just visual devices: they are religious and historical sites that through their connection reinforce the culture and story of the city and its people. At times Movement through the city entails a Crossing, typically a bridge, which serves the functional purpose of traversing some boundary, while also representing the culture of the city as, for example, Ponte S. Angelo does in Rome.

by Author)

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Figure 5.3: Bridges Crossing the River Arno, Florence (Figure

Figure 5.4: Movement - Crossing (Figure by author)

The tower of Palazzo Pubblico provides a visual point of reference in Siena, Italy

The fountain at Laura Place creates a visual axis to the Holburne Museum down Great Pulteney Street, Bath, England

Ponte Vecchio, Florence

Aerial view of Ponte Sant’ Angelo, Rome (Aerial Photograph by Bing)

5.3 divergence

Divergence presents a choice of routes through the city fabric originating from a singular point. Points of Divergence often arise from colliding street grids and produce triangular or trapezoidal blocks. They can be desirable locations for Important Cultural and Historical Sites because a deliberate choice between paths must be made. One example is on the Capitoline Hill in Rome, where one must make a choice to either climb up the steep steps of Santa Maria in Aeracoeli, a place of sacred power, or ascend the slope up to Piazza Campidoglio, a place of civic power.

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Figure 5.5: Santa Maria in Aracoeli and Piazza Campidoglio, Rome (Figure by Author)

The street grid in Cap-Haitien diverges multiple times (Satellite Photograph by Digitalglobe 2010)

A street in Florence, Italy diverges

A view of three diverging roads from Piazza del Popolo, Rome, Italy

Aerial view of diverging roads from Piazza del Popolo (Aerial Photograph by Bing)

A view of Paris, France from the Arc de Triomphe

Figure 5.6:

Aerial view of the Arc de Triomphe at Place Charles de Gaulle (Satellite Photograph by Google)

Divergence

(Figure by author)

5.4 upward movement

Upward Movement is the means by which one traverses the topographic and level changes in the city, either natural or man-made. It can also refer to the upward gaze of the eyes prompted by a soaring architectural or urban element. In a condition of Upward Movement a linear rising axis is created, often capped by a rising architectural element such as a tower or an obelisk. This rising axis can be physically accessible along the axis, as it is at the Campidoglio or only visually accessible as it is at Palais Sans Souci and the Spanish Steps. In cases where a rising axis is only visually accessible, the ascending stairs or ramps follow a winding route, taking one on and off the central axis as one proceeds up to the next level. Points of Upward Movement are often formally arranged and lead to sacred or civic buildings, but in topographically complex cities, points of Upward Movement are informally constructed and are simply a necessity for moving through the city.

Figure 5.8: Saint Antoine de Padoue, Port-au-Prince (Figure by Author)

Figure 5.7: Urban Staircase, Verona, Italy (Figure by Author) cindymichel-designs.com

Santa Maria in Aracoeli and Piazza Campidoglio, Rome, Italy

Aerial view of Santa Maria in Aracoeli and Piazza Campidoglio, Rome, Italy (Aerial Photograph by Bing)

The Spanish Steps, Rome, Italy

Aerial view of the Spanish Steps, Rome, Italy (Aerial Photograph by Bing)

Figure 5.9: Upward Movement (Figure by Author)

Palais Sans Souci, Milot, Haiti

The bell tower of Santa Maria Matricolare rises above the city, Verona Italy

5.5 edge - boundary

An Edge or Boundary defines the limits of the city or areas within the city. Edges are often against a natural feature such as a river or mountain range, while a boundary is defined by a man-made feature like a system of canals or the city walls. An Edge condition is a given natural site condition, like the ravine separating Old Town and New Town Edinburgh, UK, and may or may not accommodate a Crossing. Boundaries, being man-made, are products of choice and designed in such a way that they can be crossed. Edges and boundaries can be defined as hard or soft in regards to the degree and immediacy of naturally occurring features. A beach edge such as Santa Barbara’s West Beach is a soft edge while the sea cliffs at Emerald Bay form a hard edge to the Pacific Ocean. The city of Lucca, Italy has a hard boundary created by the city walls and ramparts, while the landscaped grounds of the Palace of Versailles make a soft boundary against the City of Versailles, France.

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Figure 5.11: Bath Weir and Parade Gardens (Figure by Author)

Figure 5.10: Grand Canal, Venice, Italy (Figure by Author)

Boulevard, Cap-Ha i tien Vasari Corridor, Florence, Italy

Aerial view of a hard edge at Emeral Bay, California (Aerial Photograph by Bing) cindymichel-designs.com

Aerial view of a soft edge at West Beach and Stearns Wharf, Santa Barbara California (Aerial Photograph by Bing)

Aerial view the city walls, a hard boundary at Lucca, Italy (Aerial Photograph by Bing)

The landscaped grounds of the Palace of Versailles make a soft boundary against the City of Versailles, France (Satellite Photograph by Google)

Figure 5.12: Edge - Boundary (Figure by Author)

5.6 important sites , cultural - historical - functional

Important Sites in the city can be cultural, historical, or functional, but often they are a mixture of all these. Important Cultural and Historical Sites are often in prominent locations, the most famous example being the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. Because of their prominence and importance these sites come together to form the distinct identity of a city as understood by the city’s inhabitants and as viewed by others from the outside. Important Functional Sites are located where most convenient for the function they serve and may or may not be in prominent locations. For example, a port is necessarily at the edge of a city on a bay, but also happens to be in a prominent location.

Figure 5.14: The Grounds at Palais San Souci, Milot (Figure by Author)

Figure 5.13: Cap-Haitien Cathedral (Figure by Kishah Michel)

important sites: cultural - historical - functional

“Neg Mawon,” The Unknown Fugitive Slave, by Albert Mangones 1968, Port-au-Prince, Haiti

View of the Pincian Hill from Piazza del Popolo, Rome, Italy

Delegation du Nord, Cap-Haitien

Real Chancilleria and Plaza de Santa Ana, Granada, Spain

Figure 5.15: Important Sites (Figure by Author)

Church in Milot, Haiti

La Citadelle, Milot, Haiti

5.7 conclusion

In the most successful cities the Set of Typical Urban Design problems are resolved. A monument may function as a threshold providing an Entry as well as a Crossing in the form of a bridge leading to an Important Cultural Site with a visual point of Upward Movement. This is a description of an urban condition in Verona where the Ponte Pietra crosses the Adige river ,leading to Santa Maria Matricolare with its soaring bell tower. The ordered urban relationships established by the resolution of such problems is as important as the design of each of the elements themselves. Disparate urban interventions can come together to create a city where its individual parts and the coherent whole they make are strikingly intelligible in the city’s skyline.

5.16:

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Figure

A Set of Typical Urban Design Problems Resolved - Verona, Italy (Figure by Author, Aerial Photograph by Google)

Figure 5.18: A Set of Typical Urban Design Problems Resolved - Spanish Steps (Figure by Author, Aerial Photograph by Google)

Figure 5.17: A Set of Typical Urban Design Problems Resolved - Piazzetta San Marco,Venice, Italy (Figure by Author)

Figure 5.19: A Set of Typical Urban Design Problems Resolved

Florence, Italy (Figure by Author)

Figure 5.20: A Set of Typical Urban Design Problems ResolvedRome, Italy (Figure by Therese Mellor)

masterplan proposal

This masterplan is a response to A Set of Typical Urban Design Problems and the kinds of urban interventions proposed as resolutions align with the problem areas highlighted in Figure 5.21. The masterplan is described in terms of four principal neighborhoods: the Historic Center, South Gate, Bayfront and the Market Peninsula.1 These neighborhoods include broad areas that need further study for improving major infrastructure including the continuation of the existing seawall and upgrading and maintaining the existing canal system. In addition, a strategy that addresses the natural environment is needed as the rehabilitation of natural resources must be viewed as a necessary part of the development of the city as a whole. Figure 6.7 highlights areas of Cap-Haitien that need further study for land reclamation and restoration, and for strategies for reforestation of the mountains to the west. These suggested study areas have been determined based on preliminary analysis of the existing conditions satellite photograph. Cap-Haitien is a young city, with a growing population, large parts of which are in formation at the urban scale. Blocks that are in-formation – and consequently a nascent street grid – are characteristic of the existing conditions in the city. The masterplan proposes changes to the existing street and block patterns in order to continue the traditional pattern of streets, blocks and plazas found in the Historic Center. Superblocks are broken down to make blocks that can support the typical building types found in Cap-Haitien and to give public street frontage to as many parcels of land as possible in order to provide access to public infrastructure. New streets and two new bridges are proposed to connect the fragments of the existing street grid and new 1 In this thesis the Historic Center, South Gate, Bayfront and the Market Peninsula are the given names of the principal neighborhoods in Cap-Haitien. These given neighborhood names are used specifically for the purposes of describing the masterplan proposals. In some cases these neighborhoods have existing names that are widely known. South Gate is actually the area known as “the other side of the gate,” and Bayfront is actually known as “the other side of the bridge,” when translated from Creole. Neighborhood street names outside the Historic Center are not readily available on hardcopy maps or digital maps and so have also been given for the purposes of this thesis. cindymichel-designs.com

and existing plazas and public open spaces. The remainder of this chapter includes an overview of the neighborhoods in the masterplan and introduces the four plazas presented in a more in-depth manner in the following chapters.

6.1 south Gate neighborhood

A new Entry to the city is made at Vertières, an Important Cultural and Historical Site, with new city gates giving the neighborhood its name, South Gate. The South Gate is at the head of Vertières Plaza, one of the four new notable plazas in the neighborhood. The remaining three notable open spaces are typical neighborhood plazas, including Saint Agatha’s Plaza. South A Street is the primary north-south street through the neighborhood along with NR-1 and the proposed drive along Bassin Rodo and the Mapou River. Bassin Rodo Bridge connects South Gate to the Bayfront neighborhood. Neighborhood plazas are proposed in areas connected to existing and proposed primary streets so that new public open spaces are connected via the street network. New plazas are a proper place for Important Cultural Sites in the city. For example, Vertières Plaza includes an urban staircase that allows Upward Movement to the proposed Museum of Haitian History and Culture; St. Agatha’s Plaza is the proposed location of St. Agatha’s Church. Together with the improved street network these Important Sites make Movement through the city intelligible.

6.2 historic center

Further north on NR-1 is Barriére Bouteille, the old city gates, which now serve as an Entry into the Historic Center. The newly defined Gate Plaza is a point of Arrival and a point of Divergence into Rue A and Rue L which extend the length of the Historic Center. Gate Plaza is the largest intervention in the street network of the Historic Center because the existing street network and the pattern of blocks and open spaces of that area are largely intact and do not require significant design proposals. A second intervention in the Historic Center is at CapHaitien Port. The port is expanded to accommodate a greater number of boats and to provide access for larger ships with a longer wharf. The Historic Center requires at least three major inquiries beyond the scope of this thesis: Cap-Haitien’s antiquated infrastructure system, the updating of which merits its own project; creating guidelines for the maintenance of historic buildings and construction cindymichel-designs.com

of new buildings; and addressing the conditions of the roads in the Historic Center. The condition of the roads have varied in the past, sometimes worse and sometimes better, but in January 2010 they were deplorable in the center of the city, though they would be adequate if properly maintained.

6.3 Bayfront neighborhood

Bayfront is a strikingly similar condition to the South Gate neighborhood. One can imagine that Bayfront, as it exists, is a mirror of South Gate about a line centered down Bassin Rodo. While NR-1, holding the edge of the mountains, is the primary thoroughfare in South Gate, NR-3, immediately adjacent to the bay, is the primary thoroughfare in Bayfront with the built fabric of the neighborhood to the west. The existing fabric is the least dense found in the city with the least developed pattern of blocks and streets. Many of the blocks, especially to the south near the Cap-Haitien Airport, are still in formation and despite their relative low density can be defined as superblocks. Consequently a great deal of attention has been paid to defining a pattern of streets and blocks that provides a framework for the neighborhood.

The Bayfront proposal includes a number of typical neighborhood plazas that can host Important Sites, but the defining character of this area is the corniche running along CapHaitien Bay. A corniche is a road that winds along the coast. Cap-Haitien is geographically a city by the bay, but that has not been a part of the urban reality of the city for some time, except in some portions of the Historic Center. There is no view of the bay available while heading north from the airport on NR-3. There is instead a thin sliver of buildings blocking the view. These buildings go right up to the water and there is no public right-of-way along the bay’s edge. It is essential that a view and public access out to the bay is opened up to the city.

A new gate is proposed at the eastern end of Bayfront by the Cap-Haitien Airport forming an Entry into to the city along NR-3. North of the airport is a new marina to accommodate smaller boats that currently dock at the port. The marina is at the eastern end of the corniche which runs along the curve of Cap-Haitien Bay leading to the Market Peninsula.

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6.4 market peninsula

The Market Peninsula includes a series of spaces on the spit of land between CapHaitien Bay and Bassin Rodo. This area has particularly strong visual connections to and from the historical center of the city and the bay. NR-3 ends at a point of Divergence leading to National Bridge and Market Plaza. Market Plaza is fronted by a new Market Hall, an Important Cultural and Functional Site. Directly north of the Market Hall is a new Bus Station which fronts a largo providing additional open space in this extremely active part of the city. Further down at the tip of the Market Peninsula is a new Library and headquarters for the North Department. This prominent location is ideal for these Important Cultural Sites and together with the corniche along the bay announces Cap-Haitien not as a mere settlement, but as a city.

Figure 6.1: View of Cap-Haitien Looking South (Figure by © Rémi Kaupp, CC-BY-SA, Wikimedia Commons) cindymichel-designs.com

Figure

6.3: View of Cap-Haitien From La Citadelle Laferrière (Figure by Author)

Figure 6.2: Cap-Haitien Historical Center Existing Conditions Aerial (Figure by Digitalglobe 2010)

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Figure 6.4: Cap-Haitien Existing Conditions Aerial (Figure by Digitalglobe 2010)

Detail Plan Study Areas

cap-haitien bay

Figure 6.5: Cap-Haitien Existing Conditions Plan (Figure by Author based on Digitalglobe 2010 Satellite Photograph and the US Defense Mapping Agency’s 1:12,500 scale 1994 Cap-Haitien Map)

Detail Design Plan Areas cindymichel-designs.com

bassin rodo

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Figure 6.6: Cap-Haitien Proposed Neighborhood Names (Figure by Author)

Historic Center Market Peninsula

South Gate

Bayfront

Detail Plan Study Areas

Figure 6.7: Natural Features and Land Study Areas (Figure by Author)

Land Reclamation Study Area

Water Edge Study Area

Reforestation and

Land Restoration Study Area

Detail Plan Study Areas cindymichel-designs.com

Figure 6.8: Cap-Haitien Proposed Masterplan (Figure by Author)

Figure 6.18: A Masterplan for Cap-Haitien Project Title Sheet (Figure by Author) cindymichel-designs.com

Figure 6.19: Aerial View of Proposed Masterplan from Cap-Haitien Bay (Figure by Author)

Figure 6.20: A Set of Urban Design Problems Resolved, Cap-Haitien (Figure by Author)

vertiÈres plaza - place vertiÈres

Vertières is located south of the Historic Center of Cap-Haitien on a rising slope immediately west of National Route 1 (NR-1). Currently, it is a tiled open area with steps leading up to a retaining wall on top of which is a rock outcrop featuring the Monument of the Battle of Vertières surrounded by trees and vegetation. The monument commemorates the Battle of Vertières fought there on November 18, 1803. It was the decisive battle of the Haitian Revolution where Haitians ultimately defeated French troops under General Rochambeau.

The historical and cultural significance of this site and the Battle of Vertières for Haitians, black peoples all over the world, and anyone interested in the history of the Americas cannot be overstated. The reasons for this are twofold: Vertières is the site of the decisive battle of the only successful slave revolt resulting in the first black republic in the world and the defeat of the Napoleon’s forces in Haiti effectively thwarted his holdings in America and France’s economy.

While St. Domingue was France’s richest slave colony at the time, the colonial power owned a large portion of what is today the central part of the United States, from the Gulf of Mexico into Canada. The area includes in part or whole fourteen states in the United States and two Canadian provinces. France sold this land to the United States, at the time a newly established nation, in the Louisiana Purchase in April of 1803 due in part to the financial setbacks from the loss of St. Domingue. These events highlight how very much the history of the Americas is intertwined with that of Haiti and how Haiti, so often thought of as a dependent nation, has on occasion been directly responsible for determining the outcome of historical events that shaped the Americas and especially the United States.

The historical and cultural context of Vertières necessarily informs this design intervention. Vertières, as an important Historical and cultural site, is an appropriate site for a new gate defining an entry into Cap-Haitien and the newly named South Gate neighborhood. The Monument of the Battle of Vertières is maintained in its existing location and becomes the focal

point of a new monumental urban stair which leads to a new Museum of Haitian History and Culture. This axis set up by the stair, the monument and the museum is continued across NR-1 to a new plaza anchored with a new government building for the Ministry of Development. The Monument of the Battle of Vertières and the Museum of Haitian History and Culture are upward rising urban elements that complete the end of the visual axis of the proposed urban stair. They promote Upward Movement by providing a focal point and a destination up the slope of Vertières. A cross axis is made north of the monument with a linear garden which maintains the location of the existing colonnade against NR-1. In addition, the rear of the museum is kept in a natural state of vegetation maintaining a natural setting that speaks to the historical state of the site during the Battle of Vertières. The urban stair at Vertières merits further description and explanation because its physical form is directly influenced by the significance of the history of the site and a particular pointof-view on what one may learn from that history. It is an apt example of how addressing A Set of Urban Design Problems with the particulars of the site, history and topography can result in a powerful urban intervention that brings order and meaning to the disorder of existing settlements. The initial level of the stair wraps around a fountain and leads to a landing in front of the Monument of the Battle of Vertières, a sculptural grouping of the nation’s forefathers. From this landing is a view down the visual cross axis through the garden to the north at the end of which is a representation of Anacaona, a Taíno Chief at the time of Columbus’ initial expeditions in Ayiti. The stair continues up, rising past the Monument of the Battle of Vertières to a second greater landing at the entrance to the Museum of Haitian History and Culture. The face of the museum is semicircular reflecting the form of the stairs and host a group of sculptural figures that represent the inspiration to Haiti’s forefathers in the Monument of the Battle of Vertières: on the right they are Justice, Prudence, Temperance and Fortitude, and on the left they are Freedom, Equality, Dignity and Wisdom.

From the second landing one can enter the Museum’s Main Hall, which acts as a sort of anteroom to the Museum. Within the Main Hall is a statue of Haiti personified. It is from the Main Hall and courtyard behind it that access is provided to the rest of the museum to the cindymichel-designs.com

north. Anacaona, situated in the garden, was first visually accessible on the urban stair, and is now physically accessible from the interior of the museum.

This design intervention can be understood as a whole journey and a kind of contemplation of the future of Cap-Haitien and Haiti. One enters through the new gates of the city to the winding stair of Vertières. The fountain follows the shape of Cap-Haitien Bay and the stairs rise like the mountains to the west. On the mountainside at Vertières are Haiti’s forefathers surrounded, at an even higher level, by their best and highest aspirations, who stand guard at the gateway to the nation. Within the Main Hall resides the personification of Haiti, whose people, towns and cities are represented in the courtyard beyond. From there the artifacts of Haitian history and culture are presented, and it is only after their presentation can the garden and Anacaona be properly reached. Anacaona is regarded by many as a kind of primordial founder of Haiti and in the context of this intervention as a representative of the natural and physical abundance the island was born with prior to the difficult history of the past five hundred years. The renewal of the natural and physical abundance of the island, is perhaps the greatest challenge Haitians face in the hope of sustaining their people, culture and nation and as such is a fitting aim.

This design intervention is a physical manifestation of a particular point-of-view of what one may to learn from Haiti’s history to inform and guide Cap-Haitien and the country in the future. It is no coincidence that the primary view of this “journey,” outlined above, is from the Ministry of Development, located there as a representative of the authority, whichever it may be, that will undoubtedly make decisions about the future of Haiti with far reaching consequences for Cap-Haitien and the nation.

Figure 7.1: Vertières Plaza Key Plan (Figure by Author)

Figure 7.2: Vertières Plaza Existing Conditions Aerial ( Figure by Google)

Figure 7.3: Campidoglio, Rome (Figure by Author) Figure 7.4: S. Antoine, Port-au-Prince (Figure by Author) cindymichel-designs.com

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Figure 7.5: Guard’s Post at Palais Sans Souci (Figure by Author)

Figure 7.6: Palais Sans Souci (Figure by Author)

Figure 7.7: The Spanish Steps, Rome (Figure by Author)

Figure 7.9: Presidential Palace, Port-au-Prince (Figure by Author)

Figure 7.10: Monument of the Battle of Vertières (Figure by Author)

Figure 7.11: Monument of the Battle of Vertières (Figure by Author)

Figure 7.12: Existing plaza at the Monument of the Battle of Vertières (Figure by Author) cindymichel-designs.com

museum of haitien history and culture main hall museum of haitien history and culture battle of vertières monument

vertières plazasouth gate / nr -1

battle of vertières monument south gate cindymichel-designs.com

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Figure 7.19: Vertières Plaza Aerial Perspective (Figure by Author)

Figure 7.20: Vertières Plaza Eye-level Perspective (Figure by Author)

vertières plaza

spanish steps, rome, italy

Figure 7.21: A Set of Typical Urban Design Problems Resolved -Vertières Plaza (Figure by Author, Aerial Photograph by Bing)

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Figure 7.22: Personification of Haiti (Figure by Author)

saint agatha’s plaza - place sainte-agathe

North of Vertières is the South Gate neighborhood, located between NR-1 and the Mapou River. It is a built up area of varying density including residential, mixed-use and commercial buildings. Based on Eduoard Peloux’s historical photos of Cap-Haitien, this area was still in its natural state into the 1950’s and 1960’s. Most likely the majority of this neighborhood’s fabric was built up in the past thirty years. The primary north-south street through this neighborhood, South A Street, is lined with mixed-use buildings and functions as the “spine” of the neighborhood given its location and length.

The proposed intervention locates a plaza at the northwest intersection of South A Street and an existing canal running east from the mountains to the Mapou River. The canal is kept and rebuilt defining the south edge of the plaza. A fountain is located in the plaza at the end axis of two streets that run through the neighborhood establishing a visual connection from the neighborhood to the new plaza.

The neighborhood plaza is at the heart of the community, following the example of La Place Cathédral in the Historic Center. On the western end of the plaza is the proposed neighborhood church Saint Agatha, a new important cultural site, named for Saint Agatha of Sicily the patron saint against disasters and earthquakes. The church is also dedicated to those who lost their lives in the 2010 earthquake near Port-au-Prince. St. Agatha’s bell tower is a visual point of Upward Movement and it can be seen from throughout the neighborhood and in other parts of the city. One place from which St. Agatha’s bell tower and the plaza could be viewed from above is at the top of the Vertières Monument.

Figure 8.3: Cap-Haitien Cathedral (Figure by Author)

Figure 8.2: St. Agatha’s Plaza Existing Conditions Aerial (Figure by Google)

Figure 8.4: Aerial View of Via del Fosso, Lucca, Italy (Figure by Bing)

Figure 8.7: A Market, Sabbionetta, Italy (Figure by Author)

Figure 8.5: Via del Fosso, Lucca, Italy (Figure by Author)

Figure 8.6: Via del Fosso, Lucca, Italy (Figure by Author)

south a street

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south a street

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Figure 8.9: St. Agatha’s Plaza Proposed Changes Diagram (Figure by Author)

Existing Conditions Proposed Changes

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Figure 8.10: St. Agatha’s Plaza Proposed Figure Ground Diagram (Figure by Author)

Existing Buildings

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Figure 8.11:St. Agatha’s Plaza Proposed Plan (Figure by Author)

Proposed Public Buildings

Proposed Private Buildings

Figure 8.12: St. Agatha’s Plaza Proposed Plan Detail (Figure by Author)

Figure 8.13: St. Agatha’s Plaza Section (Figure by Author) mixeduse buildings

Figure 8.14: St. Agatha’s Plaza Aerial Perspective (Figure by Author) C. Michel 2010

Figure 8.15: St. Agatha’s Plaza Eye-level Perspective (Figure by Author)

the marKt, bruges, belgium

Figure 8.16: A Set of Typical Urban Design Problems Resolved -St. Agatha’s Plaza (Figure by Author, Aerial Photograph by Bing)

st agatha’s PlaZa

C. Michel 2010

gate plaza - place BarriÉr

Barriére Bouteille is the existing gate at the entrance to the Historic Center of Cap-Haitien on National Route 1 (NR-1). Like most city gates, Barriére Bouteille was located outside of the built fabric when it was first built and the city has slowly come to meet it and grown past it to the South. The gates are located at one of the thinnest pieces of flat land in the city, creating a shape like a bottleneck, with the Bassin Rodo to the east and the mountains immediately to the west. The gates open on to a space directly to the north which is currently dominated by traffic. From this open space there is a street connection to an existing bassin-front plaza to the east. Mixed-use buildings line Rue A and Rue L, which come together at this point and become NR-1 outside of the gates. To the west Rue L has a gas station and is widened to accommodate buses that come throughout the day. Although Rue A runs to the gate, Rue L is currently the primary street and provides the route to eventually cross Bassin Rodo to the north.

This proposed intervention widens and regularizes the open space north of the gates creating Gate Plaza. It provides an arrival space into the Historic Center to complement the existing entry into the city. Rue L is maintained and Rue A is widened to a similar width to Rue L in order to provide a real option of Divergence as the grid suggests. Opposite the gates is a school for higher education with a bus station behind.

Several aspects of the proposed intervention promote Movement to other areas of the city by making visual connections. Along the western edge of the plaza a public stair provides pedestrian access to the mountainside neighborhoods and defines a point of

Upward

Movement.

A fountain north of the city gates forms a visual connection to the plaza facing Bassin Rodo. The existing bassin-front drive is kept with new blocks added to the west better defining the edge of the bassin. The bassin-front plaza is retained and now houses two buildings which serve the proposed water taxi stop.

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The resolution of the Set of Typical Urban Design Problems found at Barriére Bouteille act in conjunction, reinforcing each other: the formation of Gate Plaza defines an arrival space, widening Rue A reinforces a Divergence in the street grid, a new public stair defines a point of Upward Movement, visual connections between new planned plaza make Movement through the city intelligible, and a new series of blocks and streets define the edge condition of Bassin Rodo.

Figure 9.1: Gate Plaza Key Plan (Figure by Author

Figure 9.2: Gate Plaza Existing Conditions Aerial (Figure by Google)

Figure 9.3: City Gates, Ferrara, Italy (Figure by Author)

Figure 9.4: Plaza Mayor, Madrid, Spain (Figure by Author)

Figure 9.5: The Gates at Palais Sans Souci (Figure by Author)

Figure 9.6: Eastern Bank of the Adige River, Verona, Italy (Figure by Google)

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Figure 9.8: Gate Plaza Proposed Changes Diagram (Figure by Author)

Existing Conditions Proposed Changes

Figure 9.11: Gate Plaza Plan Detail (Figure by Author)

rue a rue l

Figure 9.13: Gate Plaza Aerial Perspective (Figure by Author)

Figure 9.14: Gate Plaza Eye-level Perspective (Figure by Author)

Figure 9.15: A Set of Typical Urban Design Problems Resolved -Gate Plaza (Figure by Author, Aerial Photograph by Bing)

Gate PlaZa

PiaZZa Della siGnoria, Florence, italY

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Market plaza - place du marche

The Market Plaza intervention is located on a spit north of National Route 3 (NR-3), with the Cap-Haitien Bay to the West and the beginnings of Bassin Rodo to the east. Currently there is a gas station at the head of NR-3 as it bends west towards the existing bridge. Behind the gas station is a parking area for buses that arrive daily and a market. There is one primary road that runs north into a dead end on the spit where previously there was a second bridge going west into the historic center. The rest of the site is occupied by mixed-use, commercial and industrial buildings. Based on the historical photos of Eduoard Peloux, as late as the 1960’s there was limited development on the spit, most likely industrial in nature. The primary bridge across the bassin was also located at its north end instead of off of NR-3, as it is today.

The market is especially important in Haitian culture and is a type of civic building integral to the city. It is not unusual for Haitians to go to the market daily to buy food for meals. In many towns and cities the market simply happens outside in a cleared area and merchants set up their own booths, but there are also a number of built markets that define the type, most famously Le Marché Vallières in Port-au-Prince.

This proposed intervention entails reconfiguring the intersection of NR-3 as it approaches the bridge to the west. The location of the existing Bus station and Market are rearranged so that from NR-3 an arrival space is created with new mixed-use buildings and the existing monument. Down the primary road along the spit, Market Street, there is a new Market building on Market Plaza, a new Important cultural and Functional Site facing Cap-Haitien Bay. To the rear of the Market is an open space, an Important Functional Site, providing a service area for the Market, the Bus Station and the proposed Fish Market. The Fish Market defines the bassin edge and is a stop along the proposed water taxi route.

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North of the market is the Bus Station where there is a widening of Market Street into another Important Functional Site, Station Plaza, a long linear plaza. The monument within Station Square can be seen from NR-3 making a visual connection to this primary street to announce the plaza. The existing bridge after the western bend of NR-3 has been replaced providing a new crossing at the bassin. New bassin-side streets and blocks define the edge of the bassin while new blocks and a seawall define the cities

Figure 10.1: Market Plaza Key Plan (Figure by Author)

Figure 10.5: A Market, Sabbionetta, Italy (Figure by Author)

Figure 10.6: A Market, Bologna, Italy (Figure by Author)

(Figure by Author)

Figure 10.4: Ribeira Square, Porto, Portugal (Figure by Google)

Figure 10.9: Market Plaza Proposed Figure Ground Diagram (Figure by Author)

Figure 10.11: Market Plaza Proposed Plan Detail (Figure by Author)

caphaitien bay

market

caphaitien bay mixeduse building cindymichel-designs.com

bus station

fish market

Figure 10.13: Maket Plaza Aerial Perspective (Figure by Author)

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Figure 10.14: Market Plaza Eye-level Perspective (Figure by Author)

market plaZa

C. Michel 2010

grand canal, Venice, italy

Figure 10.15: A Set of Typical Urban Design Problems Resolved -Market Plaza (Figure by Author)

appendices

Aerial Photograph 1 of Port-au-Prince from La Boule, 10 January 2010

Aerial Photograph 2 of Port-au-Prince from La Boule, 10 January 2010

Aerial Photograph 3 of Port-au-Prince from La Boule, 10 January 2010

Aerial Photograph 4 of Port-au-Prince from La Boule, 10 January 2010

Aerial Photograph 5 of Port-au-Prince from La Boule, 10 January 2010

Aerial Photograph 6 of Port-au-Prince from La Boule, 10 January 2010

Aerial Photograph 7 of Port-au-Prince from La Boule, 10 January 2010

Aerial Photograph 8 of Port-au-Prince from La Boule, 10 January 2010

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Aerial Photograph 1 of Port-au-Prince from La Boule, 10 January 2010 (Figure by Author)

C. Michel 2010

Aerial Photograph 2 of Port-au-Prince from La Boule, 10 January 2010 (Figure by Author)

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Aerial Photograph 3 of Port-au-Prince from La Boule, 10 January 2010 (Figure by Author)

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Aerial Photograph 4 of Port-au-Prince from La Boule, 10 January 2010 (Figure by Author)

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Aerial Photograph 5 of Port-au-Prince from La Boule, 10 January 2010 (Figure by Author)

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Aerial Photograph 6 of Port-au-Prince from La Boule, 10 January 2010 (Figure by Author)

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Aerial Photograph 7 of Port-au-Prince from La Boule, 10 January 2010 (Figure by Author)

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Aerial Photograph 8 of Port-au-Prince from La Boule, 10 January 2010 (Figure by Author)

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Crain, Edward E. Historic Architecture in the Caribbean Islands. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 1994.

Dash, J. Michael. Culture and Customs of Haiti. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 2001.

Jenkins, Eric J. To Scale : One Hundred Urban Plans. Abingdon, Oxon, England ; New York: Routledge, 2008.

Kadish, Doris Y., and University of Georgia. Slavery in the Caribbean Francophone World : Distant Voices, Forgotten Acts, Forged Identities. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2000.

Keaveney, Raymond, et al. Views of Rome. London; New York, NY: Scala Books in association with the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service; Harper & Row, distributor, 1988.

Leyburn, James Graham. The Haitian People. Rev. ed. ed. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1966.

Magnuson, Torgil. Rome in the Age of Bernini. Stockholm, Sweden; Atlantic Highlands], N.J., U.S.A: Almqvist & Wiksell International; Humanities Press, 1982-1986.

---. The Urban Transformation of Medieval Rome, 312-1420. Stockholm: Swedish Institute in Rome, 2004.

Mayernik, David. Timeless Cities : An Architect’s Reflections on Renaissance Italy. Icon ed. Boulder, Colo: Westview Press, 2003.NgCheong-Lum, Roseline, and Leslie Jermyn. Haiti. 2nd ed. New York: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, 2005.

McAlister, Elizabeth A. Rara! : Vodou, Power, and Performance in Haiti and its Diaspora. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2002.

Munro, Martin, and Elizabeth Walcott-Hackshaw. Reinterpreting the Haitian Revolution and its Cultural Aftershocks. Kingston, Jamaica: University of the West Indies Press, 2006.

Papayanis, Nicholas. Planning Paris before Haussmann. Baltimore (Md.): The Johns Hopkins University press, 2004.

Pollak, Martha D. Turin, 1564-1680 : Urban Design, Military Culture, and the Creation of the Absolutist Capital. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1991.

Roesler Franz, Ettore, et al. Paesaggi Della Memoria : Gli Acquerelli Romani Di Ettore Roesler Franz Dal 1876 Al 1895. Firenze: Mandragora, 2007.

Wittkower, Rudolf. Studies in the Italian Baroque. London: Thames and Hudson, 1975.

Cindy Michel resides and practices architecture and urban design in the United States. She was born in Port-au-Prince and was raised in Haiti and the United States.

email: cindymichel.designs@gmail.com visit: cindymichel-designs.com

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