1
research The primary objective of the research is to define performance criteria that when implemented into the physical environment, have a positive effect on physical health, most importantly, body composition.
goals -
research the current obesity epidemic in the United States define the critical balance between energy expenditure and caloric consumption investigate the links between body composition - obesity and the physical structure of the built environment compare and contrast the structure of cities in the United States with other countries investigate the impact of automobile dependent transportation practices on people explore the inclusion of agriculture and local food production in urban environments understand the critical design elements of streets, blocks, and larger community networks ACSM FIT INDEX
methods - operat ions
- literature review: The Death and Life of Great American Cities - Jane Jacobs Urban Sprawl and Public Health - Frumkin, Frank, Jackson Walkable City - Jeff Speck Design of Cities - Edmund Bacon Shaping Neighborhoods - Hugh Barton Toward the Healthy CIty - Jason Corburn Great Streets - Jacobs
periodical / journal reviews research studies
personal experiments : an extreme example of manipulation of energy balance in the body - Natural Bodybuilding Competition: I achieved a 2.9 caliper tested body fat percentage over the course of 20 weeks of contest preparation including training and intense diet
CDC
Starting weight : 195 lbs ( 9.8 percent bodyfat ) Lean Mass : 172 lbs
city-data.com
Contest weight : 170 lbs ( 2.9 percent bodyfat ) Lean Mass: 166 lbs
walkscore.com
May 20th, 2013 : 190 lbs
September 10th, 2013 : 170 lbs
( 25 lbs lost in 20 weeks ) Body composition was altered by strict adherence to programmed quantities of caloric consumption and activity levels
synthesis - body composition is a direct function of energy balance in the body,. Energy balance is determined by the balance of energy consumption and energy expenditure. Essentially: What we consume and how we move. - obesity is a serious problem in the United States. Our lifestyle habits and car centric society form the basis for this trend. Less physical activity, both utilitarian and leisure based coupled with poor dietary options and choices forms a deadly combination. - the structure of the built environment and body composition / obesity are strongly related, as proved by a variety of studies - urban environments should be designed to facilitate and encourage an increase in daily activity, both utilitarian and liesure - agricultural Urbanism and the provision of locally produced food within the city is a critical goal for design at a variety of scales -design for a variety of ages ( 8 - 80 ), and base design for movement systems in the city on the scale of the person
-utilize public space structure as a primary element in ordering the city : give people a reason to move - make pedestrian modes of transport the safest, cheapest and fastest way to move about the city - utilize the Marchetti Constant ( 1 hr. / day time travel budget ) as a basis for sizing urban districts and ordering the city. If people are going to spend an average of one hour per day travelling, allow them the opportunity to spend that time - 35 persons + jobs per ha. is the baseline of activity intensity required for people to choose pedestrian transport over the automobile. - residential densities should achieve 20 du/a minimum - the presence of a mix of primary uses within certain distances is a fundamental basis for increasing pedestrian activity and decreasing automobile usage - providing, marketing, and growing healthy, nutritious whole food in the city is a critical operation
OBESITY TRENDS : USA
2
case studies 3
goals - understand how the “healthy” cities are structured and how they operate - investigate existing places that are designed primarily for people - compare and contrast design standards in different countries - showcase current design work that is addressing walkability, local food production, and pedestrian systems
2
- document the critical design criteria at different scales of intervention within the city
1
methods - operat ions 3 Primary scales / types for investigation
3 CITY - DISTRICT - NEIGHBORHOOD 2 BLOCKS 1 STREETS
Minneapolis, MN, USA Copenhagen, Denmark
Addison Circle, Dallas Texas
Loring Park Neighborhood
Loring Park Greenway London Cycle Superhighways
Norrebrograde - Copenhagen Park + Jog Manchester, England Corso Como - Milan Corso Sempione - Milan Las Ramblas - Barcelona
synthesis
3 CITY - DISTRICT - NEIGHBORHOOD 2 BLOCKS 1 STREETS
- Copenhagen’s cycling infrastructure is the most well developed and innovative in the worlds - Minneapolis has an exceptional public recreational space network and density - Loring Park in Minneapolis is a wonderful example of a pedestrian based urban living environment - Addison Circle in Texas provides a great land use mix within a neighborhood setting. Everything people need, in many cases including work is within walking distance, - Land use mix is a necessity to entice people to walk and increase activity levels - Dense mass transportation networks and T.O.D. are critical elements in successful cities - Park + Jog suggests that re-thinking our morning commute could engineer more activity into our daily lifestyles - Norrebrograde in Copenhagen is a prime example of a once crowded bus + vehicular + cycle + pedestrian street transformed into a pedestrian restricted street. The result is overwhelmingly positive. - Safety is a primary concern at the street scale as the transportation modes begin to mix. ( SEE CASE STUDIES )
3
prototyping
goals Utilize the research and case study phases to begin to explore the real life design implications and opportunities for describing a healthy city structure Define the critical scales at which the city must be planned and designed Explore the important issues and design problems at each scale Turn the research into tangible material for analysis
generate ideas ! 3 Primary scales / types for investigation
3 CITY - DISTRICT - NEIGHBORHOOD 2 BLOCKS 1 STREETS
idea base / explorat ion
methods - operat ions
existing / prototype base
prototype 2 ( Drawn By Hand ) (Increase creative contact with the process)
prototype 1
prototype 3
synthesis
CITY DISTRICT NEIGHBORHOOD LIVING QUARTER BLOCK STREET
In order to accurately describe the framework for healthy city planning, design criteria must be considered at a variety of scales. The City, District, Neighborhood, and Living Quarter scales are ways of thinking about land use planning, transportation network planning, and the clustering of necessary urban elements in the city. These need to be based on pedestrian movement sheds - the 30 minute walk, 10 minute walk, and 2.5 - 5 minute walk The primary design decisions happen at the Block and Street scale. Blocks : Public - Semi Private - Private space divisions and provision.... perimeter block construction.... mixed housing types..... personal - home place gardens.... play space..... Streets : safety... enclosure... trees..... goals in the middle distance..... shelter... traffic calming..... walking, cycling, playing, eating, sitting, eating, talking, selling... PUBLIC SPACE FOR PEOPLE
goals
a p p l i c a t i on - p e r fo r m an c e c r i t e r i a This project is about defining and underlying structure, an engineered framework through which physcial health is inherently built into the physical environment. It is in this way that the work becomes invisible - and people begin making the right lifestyle choices subconsciously on a daily basis, making positive long term impacts on their health.
Since the problem of obesity is a common source epidemic and is not isolated in one location, the true site for the project is the entire United States. The design ideas and prototypes serve as the bones onto which the diverse ecological, cultural, and historical landscapes of the United States can write their story.
methods - operat ions
Planning + Design at each scale for a selection of US Cities, focusing on prototyping the neighborhood, living quarter, block and street Selection Criteria : - Must be a major US city with a related metropolitan region - Poor performance in physical health related data analysis ( NCSM Fit Index ) - Vacant communities / potential for infill development at the fringe of the downtown CBD - Climactic, Ecological, Cultural diversity : each city will be from a unique region in the US (Level 1)
CITIES:
1 2
Oklahoma City, OK
(Level 2 ?) (Level 1)
Detroit, MI (Level 1)
Level 1 : A : City Structure B : Land Use / Critical Elements C : Block + Street Prototypes ( Phasing ) Level 2 : complete detailed design in a selected city
water -Natural systems
4
synthesis
size
elements - principles 20 DU / ACRE MIN DENSITY 35 Persons + Jobs / HA min
city
-
N/A
30 minute walk 1.5 mi radius
district
100,000 people + jobs
neighborhood
10 minute walk .5 mi radius 10,000 people + jobs
living quarter
block
street
20’ - 200’
-
urban farm public transportation infrastructure ( intra-district) district center / employment center secondary schools large park / celebratory event space retail / shopping core transit oriented development large grocery store
-
neighborhood center local employment center neighborhood park / active recreation fields school ( primary ) light rail - tram - bus allotments orchard grocery / fresh market
-
local center nursery / preschool bus stop gathering place community garden local shop / corner store local park / playground
Agricultural Natural Residential Public Commercial Wo r k p l a c e Industrial Mixed
-
home place private / semi private space division perimeter block construction mixed housing types shared interior streets (multimodal) cycle parking toddlers play area personal / homeplace gardens
Primary Secondary Te r t i a r y Pedestrian Restricted Natural Systems
-
pedestrian movement / interaction multi - modal transit accommodation safety walk appeal shade trees street enclosure 1 : 1 / 1 : 4 shelter traffic calming design for people
2.5 - 5 minute walk .1 - .25 mi radius
200’ - 600’
“special uses” regional transit + local connections airport stadium university CBD Hospital
5 vision goals
+ beyond
cities metabolic rate design environments communities
a systematic method for rehabilitating US cities
respect for the gift of life localized sustenance
active lifestyle economical
healthy people efficient a vision for future cities
walk dance run jump play bike people free
methods - operat ions
( level 2 city design ) + evaluation protyping.... handbook.... collage city....
a new planning and design methodology....
( a hypothetical comparison of projected activity levels / caloric consumption )