Celebrating Lowlands_Cascadia Chronicles

Cascadia Chronicles_Celebrating Lowlands

URBAN DESIGN STUDIO

Academic Project

August - December, 2021, First Semester

Team: Aishwarya P, Elizabeth G, Sukriti G, Whitney C

Location: North Western Industrial District, Portland

Urban Design + Landscape Architecture

Role: Urban Design and Mapping, Strategic Interventions, Research and Mobility solutions

Once a fertile Riparian Marshland managed by indigenious tribes for agriculture, the Northwest Area of Portland is one of the few industrial zones left inside the city’s urban growth boundary. Referred to as an Industrial Sanctuary, it is located next to the major railyard and ports off of the Willamette River.

While Industry accounts to a major portion of the city’s economy, with the changing technology, the district has undergone major dedensification. However, Portland is currently facing a housing crisis and the future of industry is beginning to shift. Our project aims to create a new typology for the industrial sanctuary as a response to these two major issues.

In an effort to design for climate change and rising sea levels, our project reintroduces woven wetlands throughout the region, which connect the network of public spaces that respond to the challenges of affordability and livability. Through this organization, we aim to create a new sustainable urbanism that supports Portland’s need for housing and shifting industry while reviving the local ecology.

1840s

Guild’s Lake becomes a part of Portland’s urban fabric

Lewis and Clark Exposition hosts the World Fair at Guild’s Lake.

1920s

Infill of Guild’s Lake begins with dredged material from the Willamette and hills

1950s

Industrial Sanctuary takes over the newly filled land with the switching railyards

1950s Industrial Sanctuary takes over the newly filled land with the switching railyards

1980s

Industrial jobs grew by 37% in the region between 1980 and 2000

2000-Present

The Sanctuar y is one of the only few industrial areas within the cit y’s urban growth boundar y

The Sanctuary is one of the only few industrial areas within the city’s urban growth boundary.

te 19TH CENTURY

Agricultural Processing

MID 19TH CENTURY

Wood and Lumber based Industries

Manufacturing and Wholesale Industries as the Main Contributors to the Ecomony

world war i

Rise of the Steel Industr y, Metals, Machiner y and Transpor tation Equipment

world war ii

Shipbuilding, Reviving the Lumber Industr y

late 20tH CENTURY

Electronics and Soft ware Industr y taking over

21st century

Rise of Retail and IT Industr y as the main generators of employment

ered by the forest hills on one side and one of high income, low densit y single y homes, the Industrial Sanctuar y faces harsh edges to the cit y which have limited ppor tunities of its expansion over time

ever, the district lies in close proximit y to al and economic hubs like the Pearl ct, Slab Town and Downtown and the an Island from across the Willamet te.

Building on the challenges of ethically reviving the district, we have derived our core values for the vision plan based on the principles of commemorating and renewing the past of the Sanctuar y to make it future proof, while still bringing back the vivid culture of ar t and innovation in the district to generate more economic opportunities for the local business and catering to the micro economy of the neighborhood

Hence, the main concept behind our design is to consolidate the scattered businesses and industries throughout the site and bring the zone of local businesses along the central spine Layering this zone with light and creative industries while providing hybrid t ypologies for live/work units helps cater to the challenges of social housing throughout the cit y and discuss the concepts of affordabilit y and safet y through our inter ventions while softening its edge with the city dictated by the layer of ecology

Local Businesses and Cultural Hotspots Light Industr y and Retail Industr y Warehouses and Creative Industries

Schematic Figure Ground

Proposed Density

Adaptively Reused Blocks

Corridor Extensions

Tactical Zoning

Public Spaces

Service Zones/ Private Spaces

Semi Public Spaces

Mobility Networks

Peripheral Road

Shared Street

Pedestrian Network

Bus Stops

Timed Street

Stormwater Park

Forest Park

The main aim behind reconsolidating the scattered local businesses and creative industries is to bring them together to form a central spine of activity along a shared street which also makes a platform for building the local economy of the area and brings together a multitude of users throughout the day meandering through the woven public space.

CENTRAL SPINE AND ZONE OF LOCAL BUSINESSES