Pathways Between Home and School Urban Design for Childhood
William Toohey III, MAUD 2020 Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Contents
• Abstract • 5 Organizing Principles • Theoretical Framework • Analysis of State & Local Context • Case Studies: Tactical, Architectural, Master Plan • Design Proposal • Conclusion
Abstract
Gosling Meadows Home
Education Home
Health
Wamesit Place
Housing
Urban Design Interventions
S
Do
School New Franklin
School
ondero
Little Harbour School
Home Winchester Place
5 Organizing Principles for a Child-Centered Ne
1. Mobility
2. Natural Systems
Establish a safe and continuous loop of walkable and bikeable paths to support the physical health needs of children and families.
Provide adequate access to natural systems that encourage psychological well-being through free exploration and connections with nature.
3. Accou
Site commercial and programming next t spaces to encourage street� approach to c and safety.
eighborhood
untability
d residential to large public an “eyes-on-thecommunity health
4. Learning
Create a resilient network of educational facilities that support the rapidly changing developmental needs of young people.
5. Living
Improve relationships between lowincome households and educational facilities as a response to existing barriers and school performance inequities.
Quotes from the Literature that Defend Categories “A child’s biology determines how physiological processes unfold and how organ systems adapt to outside influences. Biological response patterns, including responses to stress, novel situations, and primary relationships, can directly and indirectly influence other biological, cognitive (learning), and behavioral processes.” (NCBI, 2004)
“Reviews of experimental evaluations of high-quality early childhood education programs have concluded that intensive programs improve children’s short-term cognitive development and longterm academic achievement, as well as reduce grade retention of children in special education (Barnett, 1995; Farran, 2000; Karoly et al., 1998) and rates of academic failure, delinquent behavior, and adolescent pregnancy rates (Hawkins et al., 1992). Furthermore, some of these programs also improve children’s long-term social behavior, as indicated by fewer arrests and reports of delinquent behavior. Indeed, the payoffs to early education programs may well exceed those of formal schooling (Heckman, 1999).” (NCBI, 2004)
Examples of Influences on Child Health
Broad Categories of Concern for Early Childhood Development
- Obesity - Diabetes - Traffic Injuries
Biological Health
- Stress - Trauma - Fear
Psychological Health
- Bullying - Violence - Resource Environments (Family, Community, Peer, and School) - Culture
Social Health
Pediatric and Family Health
- Public Middle School - Public Elementary School - Head Start
Formal Education
- Library - Cultural Institution - Recreation Center - Playscape - Park
Informal Education
“Kindergarten readiness is undermined by early childhood exposure to poor housing and disadvantaged neighborhoods.” (Coulton et al., 2016) “Research suggests that housing is not only critical for meeting children’s basic needs; it can be a platform for improving education outcomes.” (Cunningham & MacDonald, 2012, p. 11)
Education (preK-8)
- Local Housing Authority
Publicly-Owned LIFH
- Private Development
Privately-Owned LIFH Low-income Family Housing
Theoretical Framework
Po
otential Correlations
Urban Design Strategies: Elements for Spatial Improvements Playscape Playground equipment (e.g., custom-made swing set) Recreation space (e.g., skatepark, basketball court, baseball field, tennis courts) Temporary inflatable structures (e.g., birthday parties and community events) Water playscape features Oversized musical instruments Serpentine sidewalk Maze pad area Playful street furniture Climbable objects Sidewalk games Public Space Access to nature and open green spaces (e.g., a public park) Seating (e.g., public benches or chairs) Signage/Policy “Kids At Play” signage “School Zone” signage Reduced and enforced speed limit Noise reduction strategies Street/Path Sidewalks Street extension Bike lanes Bus shelter Crosswalks and cautionary street markings Street safety measures (e.g., bollards or hardscape buffer) Lighting (e.g., street lights that illuminate public spaces at night) Building Parking structure Mixed-income housing Public library branch Elementary school Satellite middle school Recreation center Amenity Fresh food markets Community garden Live music or performances Outdoor movie screenings Outdoor ice skating rink and other winter activities Food trucks Local Programs Weekly Meditation every Monday at 6 PM and Wednesday at 12:15 PM, taught by a variety of local practitioners (PPL) Language Discussion Groups in a variety of languages to practice your speaking and listening skills (PPL) Book Discussion Groups for adults as well as for kids and teens (PPL) Story Times for all ages (PPL) In Stitches Needlework groups every Wednesday and Thursday (PPL) Films throughout the year (PPL) Portsmouth Music and Arts Center (non-profit organization providing music and visual arts opportunities for all) Community Engagement Inclusive community meetings and participatory design processes Funding Safe Routes to School Program KABOOM! Playground Grant Relevant Legislation MAP-21 (Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act) 2012 The FAST Act (Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act) 2015 Equity Access to adequate pediatric and family health services (bio/psycho/social) Access to adequate early childhood education Access to adequate housing Access to reliable transit (e.g., car, bus, or bike) Access to adequate job(s) Access to adequate daycare services Close proximity to grocery store Close proximity to public swimming pool (e.g., local YMCA)
Federal Funding for Safe Routes to School: Evolution Through Three Transportation Bills 2005-2012
A New Program: Stand-Alone SRTS Funding SAFETEA-LU (Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act—A Legacy for Users)
New program provided more than $1 billion to all states over 7 years
Funding to states for SRTS infrastructure & non-infrastructure grants to local schools and communities
Each state Department of Transportation had state-level SRTS coordinator
2012-2015
Combined Funding for SRTS, Walking, and Biking MAP-21 (Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act) Infrastructure Projects: Projects improving streets and routes, such as sidewalks, bike lanes, trails, lane narrowing, crosswalks, and other intersection improvements
Eliminated stand-alone federal funding stream for SRTS
Non-Infrastructure Projects: Education, encouragement, and enforcement programs to support safe walking and bicycling, through efforts such as teaching kids safe walking skills, improving driver behaviors, and activities to get more kids and families walking
30%
less funding Combined federal SRTS program and other bicycling and walking programs into Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP)
Overall 30% reduction in federal funding for SRTS, walking, and bicycling
2015-2020
Continuation of Combined Funding for SRTS, Walking, and Biking FAST Act (Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act)
Key features of current TAP funding: • Funding can be used for walking, biking, and SRTS • No dedicated funding specifically for SRTS
The funding is still known as the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP), although official name changed to “Surface Transportation Program Setaside”
• Funding is less than total for SRTS, walking, and biking when they were separate programs
The FAST Act retained most of MAP-21’s TAP features, with a few changes, such as making nonprofits eligible for the funding & modestly increasing the total amount of TAP funding per year
• State or funding recipient must provide a match of up to 20% of federal funds
• All TAP dollars are awarded through a competitive process by the state or regional bodies (metropolitan planning organizations), with local governments, school districts, and nonprofits eligible to apply • Funding can be used for Safe Routes to School infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects, including state and local Safe Routes to School coordinators • States are permitted to transfer up to 50% of these funds to highway uses
This infographic was funded by a grant from Voices for Healthy Kids, an initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and American Heart Association. © 2017 Safe Routes to School National Partnership | saferoutespartnership.org | facebook.com/saferoutespartnership
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention “Each year, the US
spends 7x as much money on medical costs alone to treat people killed or injured while walking and biking than it does on preventing those deaths and injuries through putting in sidewalks, crosswalks, bike lanes, and other infrastructure that keeps people safe.” “Currently, 18.4% of children aged 6-11 years and 20.5% of adolescents age 12-19 years have obesity.” “The proportion of students in grades K-8 who walk or bike to school fell from 47.7% in 1969 to only 12.7% in 2009.” “In 2008 the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommended that young people aged 6-17 years participate in at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily.”
CDC. (2019, July 1). Safe Routes to School (SRTS) | Health Impact in 5 Years | Health System Transformation | AD for Policy. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/ policy/hst/hi5/saferoutes/index.html SRTS. (2019). History of Safe Routes to School | Safe Routes Partnership. https://www. saferoutespartnership.org/safe-routes-school/101/history
Analysis of State and Local Context
“1 in 4 children enrolled in Medicaid were not healthy based on CRG clinical risk groups. Healthy User includes children who sought care for minor illnesses (e.g., sore throat, upper respiratory infection)” (DHHS, 2010, p. 13)
1,118 children enrolled in Medicaid
DHHS. (2010). Children’s Health Insurance Programs in New Hampshire: Access, Prevention, Care Management, Utilization, and Payments, State Fiscal Year 2009. A report prepared for the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services by Onpoint Health Data. https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/ombp/documents/chip09.pdf
144 children enrolled in CHIP
DHHS. (2010). Children’s Health Insurance Programs in New Hampshire: Access, Prevention, Care Management, Utilization, and Payments, State Fiscal Year 2009. A report prepared for the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services by Onpoint Health Data. https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/ombp/documents/chip09.pdf
1990: 26,252 1999: 25, 798 2000: 20,822 2017: 21,796
18.7% = 3,894 children
GPPHN. (2007, p. 4). Greater Portsmouth Community Health Profile. The Greater Portsmouth Public Health Network. http://files.cityofportsmouth.com/health/080107PortsmouthProfile1.pdf
GPPHN. (2007, p. 6 & 9). Greater Portsmouth Community Health Profile. The Greater Portsmouth Public Health Network. http://files.cityofportsmouth.com/health/080107PortsmouthProfile1.pdf
256 S × 0.30 = 77 Students
415 S × 0.13 = 54 Students
301 S × 0.22 = 66 Students Total = 197 Students Sources: https://www.niche.com/k12/new-franklin-school-portsmouth-nh/ https://www.niche.com/k12/little-harbour-school-portsmouth-nh/ https://www.niche.com/k12/mary-c-dondero-elementary-school-portsmouth-nh/
Dondero S
256 Students
30% Free or Reduced Lunch New Franklin School
School
Little Harbour School
415 Students
13% Free or Reduced Lunch
301 Students
22% Free or Reduced Lunch
Gosling Meadows
100+ Children and Adolesc 150 Units Total n/a 1-Beds n/a 2-Beds n/a 3-Beds
Total = 395 Children and Adolescents Assumptions for Estimates: 1 bedroom is for an adult; additional bedrooms are for 1 child or adolescent; children don’t share bedrooms Sources: https://porthousing.org/housing-item/gosling-meadows/ https://porthousing.org/housing-item/wamesit-place/ http://www.winchester-place.com/
185 Children and Adolescents 124 Units Total 50 2-Beds 51 3-Beds 11 4-Beds
cents
Winchester Place Wamesit Place
110 Children and Adolescents 100 Units Total 20 1-Beds 50 2-Beds 30 3-Beds
Local Safe Routes to School Funding
“The City of Portsmouth is 1 of 11 communities awarded a grant under the most recent NH DOT’s Safe Routes to School Grant Round of the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program. The City has been awarded a total of $105,239 out of the $1.9 million awarded state-wide. Most of the grant funds ($88,534) will be used for design and construction of an on-road bicycle route on Lafayette Road / Middle Street including marked bike lanes, pavement markings, and signage as appropriate. The remaining $16,705 will support non-infrastructure Safe Routes to School programs and activities, including Walk or Bike to School Day events; evaluation and tracking of walk / bike to school habits and preferences for Portsmouth K-to-8 schools; and program coordination and volunteer training.”
SRTS. (2013, December 2). Safe Routes to School Grant. City of Portsmouth Planning Department. https://www. cityofportsmouth.com/planportsmouth/safe-routes-school-grant
Portsmouth’s Corridor areas: “In 2010 much of the Route 1 corridor was rezoned from General Business to Gateway. The Gateway Planned Development provision and the prohibition against parking between the building and the street and within the front yard were introduced at this time to encourage active mixed-use districts with human-scale design and amenities for bikers and walkers.� (Master Plan, 2017, p. 121 & 124)
Case Studies: Tactical Urbanism
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Houston, Texas
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Houston, Texas
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Unknown
McAllen, Texas
Detroit, Michigan
Unknown
Case Studies: Housing & Early Childhood Educa
Sugar Hill
Maple Stre
“Preschool in a Museum” + Housing (Harlem)
Preschool + Mixed-inco
ation
eet School
ome Housing (Brooklyn)
Lake City Preschool + Daycare Center + Housing (Seattle)
Case Studies: Master Plans Car-Free Suburbia (MVRDV)
Richmond, Californi
Mannheim, Germany
ia
Pogo Park
Kid-friendly Urban Design
Toronto
Many of the poorest family housing developments---which are home to hundreds of the city’s children---are located over a mile away from their district’s public elementary school.
1.44mi
1.25mi
1.11mi
As a response, what if the city focused on imagining a more child-centered neighborhood that consolidated and centralized some of its most important resources?
Proposed Neighborhood
This neighborhood could restructure important relationships between education, health, and housing for children and families.
What works well for children and families? + Close proximity of Wamesit Place (PHA) to Greenleaf Recreation Center + Tree coverage and various natural systems + Ratio of paved to unpaved surfaces + Bicycle racks near recreation center + Local courts, athletic fields, and skatepark What doesn’t work well for children and families? - Lack of sidewalks - Lack of crosswalks - Lack of public seating (where are the benches?) - Dead-end streets (why doesn’t Holiday Drive connect to Lafayette Road?) - Lack of spaces to safely explore (why not utilize existing greenspaces?) - Lack of public space for gathering and hosting events - Lack of safe spaces to ride a bicycle - Pre-K through 8th grade only accessible by motor vehicle
Potential Risk Factors - Motor vehicles (movement, exhaust, failure to maintenance) - Noise pollution from close proximity to U.S. Route 1 Bypass - Sedentarism among children and adults Potential Protective Factors + Public space buffered by trees and other safety measures (e.g., bollards) + New signage and pavement markings + New sidewalks along Holiday Drive and Greenleaf Avenue + Noise reduction strategies + New proximity to health and education facilities
0 50
200
500’
Education
Health
Housing
S. U. ute Ro ss
a yp
1B
K-5 Elementary School
it
es
am
W e
ac
Pl
Greenleaf Recreation Center
Core Primary Care Portsmouth Lafayette
ClearChoiceMD Urgent Care
Road
Mixed-income housing
Portsmouth High School
Swimming Pool
Mixed-use cluster i
1/4 m
Wi
nch
est
er P
lac
e
Public library branch
Mixed-income housing integrated with big-box commercial as podium
0 50
200
500’
1. Mobility
Establish a safe and continuous loop of walkable and bikeable paths to support the physical health needs of children and families.
Angled Angled terrain terrain for playful encounters
Grass mound
Winding monkey bars
Interactive landscape features that function as fun & engaging Playscapes
Gas station
Raised intersection for speed reduction
Ground-level commercial Raised intersections, signage, and painted markings that support Safe Crossing
Mixed-income housing
Parking garage
2. Access to Nature
High School
Woods
Wetlands
Provide adequate access to natural systems that encourage psychological well-being through free exploration and connections with nature.
3. Accountability (Visibility)
Site commercial and residential programming next to large public spaces to encourage an “eyes-on-thestreet� approach to community health and safety.
Open greenspaces
Access to high quality Public Parks
Solid rubber ground covering (hurts less to fall on) Private gate (accessed by residents)
Fenced-off open spaces for toddlers and young children that encourage Safe Exploration
4. Learning
K-5 School Public Library Branch
Rec Center
Create a resilient network of education facilities that support the rapidly changing developmental needs of young people.
Greenleaf Recreation Center
Daycare courtyard Greenleaf Skatepark
Winding path through park
Access to facilities that support high quality Informal Education
5. Living
Improve relationships between low-income households and education facilities as a response to existing barriers and school performance inequities.
American Red Cross Wamesit Place Housing (PHA)
K-5 Elementary School
Sensory Path
Leasable Office Space
Cross Roads House Transitional Housing Services
Wamesit Place Housing (PHA)
K-5 Elementary School
American Red Cross
Cross Roads House (Transitional Housing Services) Leasable Office Space
Mixed-Income Housing
Sensory Path
New Greenleaf Recreation Center
Greenleaf Skatepark
Wamesit Place Housing (PHA)
K-5 Dondero Elementary Elementary School School
Atlantic Ocean
Sagamore Creek
Restaurant
Commercial Commercial
ia
St
St
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Office Office Office Office Daycare
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Home Home Home Home
Home Home Home Home Home
American Red Cross Portsmouth KinderCare
Seacoast Community School
Leasable Office Space
Mixed-Income Housing
Wetlands
Home Home
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Home Home
fA ea nl Gr ee
La
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K-5 School K-5 School
1. Mobility
2. Natural Systems
5. Living
4. Learning
3. Accountability