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URBAN DESIGN: SITE PLAN, FARMINGALE, NY SITE ANALYSIS: SOIL SURVEY, VENICE, FL CORRIDOR STUDY: ALLENTOWN, PA BICYCLE MASTER PLAN: WESTMINSTER, CO THE OPEN STREETS PROJECT CREATIVE SUITE GRAPHICS PLACEMAKING STUDY: BRUNSWICK, ME URBAN AGRICULTURE: GREEN ROOFTOP DESIGN
URBAN DESIGN
spring 2011 16 weeks
For a graduate-level course in physical planning, a site design was made for a small area near a commuter rail station. Analysis revealed that the area around the Long Island Railroad Station in suburban Farmingdale is disconnected from the surrounding urban fabric and lacks a sense of place. Building on existing typologies, a site plan was created that would integrate the redeveloped brownfield site with the surrounding context and provide a pleasant corridor along which pedestrian travel between the station and Main Street Farmingdale was accomodated.
A Lynchian analysis revealed the major paths, nodes, landmarks, edges and districts in Farmingdale. There appeared to be a two fragmented districts: the station area, and Main street Farmingdale. Travel between these two hubs of activity was complicated, since no clear connecting between the station and main street existed. This disconnected state became a guiding factor in the design of a site plan for the area immediately south of the Long Isand Railroad station.
Using Google Sketchup, a number of design concepts for the site were explored. Using Sketchup, a quick visualization of the experimental design concepts was generated. This allows one to grasp the volumes of the proposed buildings, as well as to get a sense of the look and feel of the proposed site plan.
[study area]
[third site plan; scale 1:40] [figure ground drawing of final site plan in its context; scale 1:40] The final site plan proposed a series of individual buildings, whose footprints resemble the footprints of the buildings in the immediate vicinity of the site. Since the shapes of site plans buildings echo the pre-existing building footprints of Farmingdale, the site plans proposed buildings [encircled in orange] seem to integrate into the urban fabric of Farmingdale seemlessly. Indeed, a figure ground drawing of the area reveals that the proposed development mimics the existing typologies.
SITE ANALYSIS
suitable for open space activities suitable for roads and construction [recommended use of developable land] The soil on the one-mile by one-mile study site is very sandy and is characterized by a high water table. The suitability of the site for recreational land uses, as well as for construction are very low. Two square sites of approximately four acres possess an agromonically suitable soil to establish recreational uses or other activities which depend on open space. At these two sites, the current land use is agricultural, which implies that measures to stabilize the soil have already been taken. A study of existing land uses reveals that the northeastern section of the study site is predominantly agricultural. Also, this is the only section of the study site where there currently are structures and roads. This implies that this part of the study site is suitable for the construction of roads and other developments, given the characteristics of the soil at that location, as well as the fact that the existing agricultural use could not have occurred without any soil stabilization. The remainder of the site consists of fragile nature and should not be considered for development. The soil also prohibits development there, since costly soil-stabilization measures would be required. Also, Hatchett Creek, which flows through the southern section of the site, is a natural habitat for the areas flora and fauna and should not be disturbed. The northern section, however, lies adjacent to an state highway 772, making it more suitable for development given its connectivity to the existing development.
[existing land use patterns near the study site, overlaid on the USDA soil survey map]
LEGEND
watershed boundary upland wetland site
[hydrological analysis]
ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA
spring 2011 2 weeks
Working for The Street Plans Collaborative (a consulting firm that specializes in transportation planning and urban design) as a Research Associate, design support was provided for a study of a major traffic corridor in downtown Allentown. Two one-way streets, Turner street and Linden street, form the main east-west thoroughfares in the downtown area. As a city with a growing cycling population, the municipality recognized the need for safe bicycle infrastructure along its auto-dominated streets. The Street Plans Collaborative, along with Sam Schwartz Engineering, was commissioned to conduct a design study of potential accomodations for cyclists along Turner and Linden streets.
CORRIDOR STUDY
A variety of bikeway types were proposed for the streets. Additionally, traffic calming techniques were applied to the corridor, in order to create a safer and more livable environment.
Streets form the largest component of the public realm. As such, they perform the dual function of both accomodating traffic as well as providing an important and accessible public gathering space. Attractive streets are not just designed to accomodate traffic, but also create a pedestrian-friendly atmosphere. Street trees, generous sidewalks and street furniture such as benches all contribute to making streets an inviting component of the public realm.
Allentown has two types of cyclists: the vehicular cyclists, who prefer not to use seperated bikeways and generally prefer to mix with vehicular traffic; and the more traditional cyclist who desire a designated, seperated bikeway. To accomodate both types, shared use markings have been proposed for the travel lanes, in addition to a seperated bikeway.
[design solution #5: cycle track featuring a bicycle box at the intersection]
WESTMINSTER, COLORADO
Partnering with BICI Planning, The Street Plans Collaborative has created a bicycle master plan for the municipality of Westminster, located outside of Denver (Colorado). For each type of street, several bikeway types were proposed and adapted to fit within the existing street. In June 2011, the City Council of Westminster passed a resolution that called for the adoption of the bicycle master plan. [Lowell Blvd: existing conditions]
[map of the route of the open streets initiative of Long Beach, California]
[the routes of various open streets initiatves, drawn to scale and classified according to the length and shape of the route]
PLACEMAKING STUDY
BRUNSWICK, MAINE
summer 2010 2 weeks
The Street Plans Collaborative, partnering with the Project for Public Spaces, conducted a placemaking study of two heavily trafficed corridors in the town of Brunswick, Maine. The study focussed on the improvement of the public realm for non-motorized traffic, and aimed to make the two corridors concerned, Main Street and Pleasant Street, a more attractive environment. In support of this study, a series of hand-drawn maps were made of both streets, that were digitally enhanced later. A map of the larger planning context, downtown Brunswick, was also made. Subsequently, a model of the two streets was made in Google Sketchup.
[digitally enhanced map of downtown Brunswick, showing city blocks, streets, railroads and the village green]
[digitally enhanced map of Main Street, Brunswick including street width and land uses]
[hand-drawn map of downtown Brunswick, showing transportation infrastructure such as streets and railroads]
[digitally enhanced map of Pleasant Street, Brunswick including street width and land uses]
URBAN AGRICULTURE
summer 2011 12 weeks
At a summer-semester studio at the Pratt Institute, the task was to design, in detail, a potential rooftop urban agriculture system, working with the opportunities and constraints of a specific site and client. A green rooftop had been designed for a client on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The rooftops of the property, situated at various elevations, presented challenges and opportunities. Ultimately the challenges presented by the different heights of the rooftops were turned into assets and insipred the green rooftop proposal. The studio has yielded valuable experience of the practical aspects of urban agriculture and green-roof design.
[subsequent proposal]
[explanatory water systems diagram for the final green roof design]