Bonnie Zella Szakel The Dance Auburn University Master of Landscape Architecture Thesis a fluid model of street design Auburn University Master of Landscape Architecture Thesis Bonnie Zella Szakel The Dance a fluid model of street design Table of Contents Abstract ......................................................................................................................................................................... Thesis Question ............................................................................................................................................................. Chapter 1: The Stage ................................................................................................................................................... Chapter 2: The Technique ........................................................................................................................................... Chapter 3: The Premiere .............................................................................................................................................. Chapter 4: The Critique ................................................................................................................................................ References .................................................................................................................................................................... 1.1 Aim 1.2 Rationale 1.3 Theory 1.4 Method 1.5 Weracoba-St. Elmo Historic District 1.6 Precedent Studies 2.1 Mapping 2.2 Photography 2.3 Imaginative Drawing 2.4 Model Schematics 2.4.1 Model Schematics Zone 1 2.4.2 Model Schematics Zone 2 7 8 10 44 122 164 169 4 Abstract During the early twentieth century, the American city experienced changes to its infrastructure that are still visible today. These changes were a result of the city beautiful movement. Some of the changes to the city structure provided long term environmental benefits, for example linked park systems. While the result of other changes provided long term negative effects, for example combined sewers. Within the United States, there are currently seven hundred seventy two cities with combined sewers (NPDES 2014). Columbus, Georgia is one of those cities. Within historic mid-town Columbus, Georgia the combination of urban runoff and combined sewer overflow discharging untreated human waste into Weracoba Creek has resulted in the creek being listed as a 303(d) stream for not maintaining water quality standards and not fulfill its designated use of fishing (TMDL 2004). With climate change predicted to potentially cause a third of the counties in the United States to experience water shortage by 2050, can the American city afford to continue polluting its national waterways (Roy et al 2010)? The aim of this thesis was to develop a fluid model of street design that enables the coexistence of pedestrians, vehicles, and water within the intimate intersection of the public right-of-way and the home. The concepts of adapt to change, self- organization, and create opportunities which are used by both Emergence theory and Resilience theory as a way to understand, describe, and design socioecological system were used as the theoretical framework. The situation as presented within the text, Emergence in Landscape Architecture, was used as the research by design method with situational mapping, photography, and imaginative drawing serving as the primary design tools. The research by design investigation resulted in a fluid model of street design that choreographed the movement of pedestrians, vehicles, and water within the intimate intersection of public and private space. The local residential street is the place where public and private space establish their most intimate connection. By redesigning the local residential street as an adaptive, self- organizing system with the potential to adapt to a changing environment, self-organize as a result of these unknown changes, and create opportunities for local residents to realize the benefits of these changes in their own front yard, a ?new city beautiful? topology emerged. A topology where infrastructure particularly stormwater infrastructure was not a physical thing, but a complex interconnected system, a saturated meshwork that infiltrates and flows continuously through the dynamic field. A form of infrastructure that does not exist alone in isolation, but is thoroughly entangled and inseparable from the life that emerges from it. Acknowledgements This thesis is dedicated to the love of my life, Chris Caldwell. With his continued support and encouragement through all the sleepless nights, I was able to complete this research. Key Words: Street design, residential street, stormwater infrastructure, resilience, socioecological, urban runoff, combined sewer 6 7 To my momma, my daddy, and my sister, thank you for listening and cheering me up when the work got overwhelming. I would like to thank Charlene LeBleu and Rod Barnett, Ph.D. for your help, guidance, and mentorship throughout my thesis project. Thesis Question How can the movement of pedestrians, vehicles, and water be choreographed within an intimate intersection of public and private space? 8 01 The Stage The aim of this thesis is to develop a fluid model of street design that enables the coexistence of pedestrians, vehicles, and water within the intimate intersection of the public right-of-way and the home. The local residential street is the place where public space and the privacy of the home establish their most intimate connection. These are not city streets. They are shared neighborhood space. 1.1 Aim 12 During the early twentieth century, the American city experienced changes to its infrastructure that are still visible today. These changes were a result of the city beautiful movement. To bring order to the chaotic industrial city, Fredrick Law Olmstead, Sr. and architect/planner, Daniel Burnham, unveiled what would become the city beautiful movement at the World?s Columbian Exhibition in Chicago, Illinois in 1892-1893 (Daniels 2009). This movement shaped the structure of the city in many ways to include neoclassical monuments, axial planning, geometrical landscape design, construction of civic centers, tree-line boulevards, and public space (Daniels 2009, Rogers 2001). Some changes to the city structure as a result of this movement provided long term environmental benefits. For example, the inclusion of linked park systems, like the Emerald Necklace in Boston, Massachusetts, which allow for the coexistence of natural systems and the built environment (Daniels 2009). The planting of numerous street trees along the newly paved sidewalks and streets to absorb runoff made prolific across the country by women?s clubs (Szczygiel 2003). These women championed the movement of improving the aesthetic, safety, and sanitation status of their communities through the modification of their local infrastructure (Szczygiel 2003). Other changes to the city structure actually provided long term negative effects to the environment. For example, the sewer systems which were designed to increase sanitation within the city by removing both stormwater and sanitary sewage were designed as a combined system (Daniel 2009). Currently in the United States, approximately seven hundred seventy two cities have a combined sewer system (NPDES 2014). These systems were designed to overflow during heavy rain storms which result in untreated human and industrial waste, toxic materials, and debris being discharged into nearby waterways (Daniel 2009, NPDES 2014). With climate change predicted to potential cause one-third of the counties in the United States to experience high to extremely high water shortages by 2050, can our cities actually afford to continue to pollute our national waterways (Roy et al 2010)? Since local residents were responsible for championing the movement in the early twentieth century that resulted in the prolific planting of street trees and the building of infrastructure to increase the aesthetics, safety, and sanitation of their communities, the local residential street is a logical place to propose the redesign of pedestrian, street, and stormwater infrastructure for the twenty first century. By addressing this infrastructure in ?my own front yard,? design can begin to remedy the environmental harm caused to waterways in the United States by the current design of its built environment. By redesigning the local residential street as an adaptive system that choreographs the movement of pedestrians, vehicles, and water within the intimate intersection of public space and the home, a ?new city beautiful? topology could emerge. One which has the potential to adapt to a changing environment, self-organize as a result of these unknown changes, and create opportunities for local residents to realize the benefits of these changes in their own front yard. 1.2 Rationale 14 1.3 As of February 12, 2013, all city governments are required to write resiliency plans to strength critical infrastructure (PPD 21 2013). Resiliency is defined as ?the ability of a system to absorb disturbance and still retain its basic function and structure (Walker and Salt 2006:1). Infrastructure is defined as the underlying foundation or basic framework (Merriam-Webster 2014). In the not too distant past, sustainable development was the key to designing and redesigning the built environment. Today it is resilience. While sustainable develop and resilience are two different things, they are quickly being considered as two sides of the same coin (Wu 2013). Thus, for a system (infrastructure) to be sustainable, it must also be resilient. For infrastructure to be resilient, it must be able to self-organize and adapt to change over space and time (Holling 2001, RA 2013, Wu 2013). It must also be able to anticipate change by creating opportunities within the system (RA 2013). The ability to anticipate and design for change can be achieved when humans are considered as part of the system (Barnett 2013, RA 2013). This means the system is not either an ecological system or a social system, but a socioecological system (natureculture) which is an integrated system of people and the natural environment (Barnett 2013, RA 2013). Resilience theory has been used to design for adaptive capabilities within the urban system (Walker and Salt 2006,Woodward 2008). While resilience theory is appropriate for understanding socioecological systems, the theory has been criticized concerning how resilient thinking conceptualizes the social (Hatt 2013). Addressing Theory social resilience has proven to be the most difficult aspect of resilient sustainable landscape design (Ahern 2013, Cumming et al 2013, Musacchio 2013, and Wu 2013). The theory of emergence has been around for a long time. However, only recently has the theory been published as a design theory for landscape architecture (Barnett 213). Emergence theory provides a lens for seeing the social as an intimate encounter of the human and non-human situation within the landscape. Through this encounter and immersion within the situation, designers can begin to understand and design for the complexities of socioecological resilience. Both Emergence theory and Resilience theory use the concepts of adapt to change, self- organization, and create opportunities. They use these concepts to understand and describe socioecological systems (naturecultures) (Barnett 2013, Gunderson and Holling 2002). This thesis took the stance that infrastructure was not a physical thing. It was the underlying structure. Like the structure of a poem through which emerge prose and verse, infrastructure can provide the framework for designing an interlinked socioecological environment. When understood as a complex interconnected system, a saturated meshwork that infiltrates and flows continuously through the dynamic field, a new form of infrastructure could emerge. One that was not viewed as existing alone in isolation, but thoroughly entangled and inseparable from the life that emerges from it. The concepts of adapt to change, self-organization, and create opportunity were used as the theoretical window frame for this type of infrastructure to emerge. 17 1.4 The situation as presented within the text, Emergence in Landscape Architecture was used as the research by design method to investigate possible design solutions to the thesis question (Barnett 2013). The situation changes from the ?leaf to the landscape,? from the nanometer to the kilometer from the second to the year, over infinite orders of magnitude of space and time (Gunderson and Holling 2002:17) The situation was used a means to design within the dynamic, self-organizing urban system through the designer?s ?involvement with the situation that includes a participation in the situation sufficient to develop the terms to the situation, and to enable the design to be regulated by the situation? which results in the ?establish[ment] of a set of initial conditions? through which ?new situations? could emerge with the potential to create new opportunities (Barnett 2013:204,205). The three primary research by design tools used within the thesis were mapping, photography, and imaginative drawing. Mapping was used as an investigation tool to analyze how the model area was situated within both its larger context and its developmental boundary. This analysis was conducted to understand how choreographing the movement of pedestrians, vehicles, and water within the model area was effected by both internal and external forces. Photography was used as an investigation tool to analyze both the situation surrounding and Method within the model area from the perspective of the pedestrian. This analysis was conducted to understand how choreographing the movement of pedestrians, vehicles, and water within the model area was effected by and could possible effect this intimate scale of encounter. Imaginative drawing was used to understand and imagine the possibilities for choreographing the movement of pedestrians, vehicle, and water. These drawings were used as a way of imagining a set of initial condition which could have the potential to create new situations with new opportunities for encounters with the landscape. 19 1.5 The area selected to develop the fluid model of street design is a small pieces of the Weracoba- St. Elmo Historic District in mid-town Columbus, Georgia. The development of the area began in 1830 with the construction of the St. Elmo antebellum mansion (Historic Columbus 2014). Construction of homes within the district were relatively complete by the 1930s (Historic Columbus 2014). In 1990, the State of Georgia Environmental Protection Agency identified Columbus, Georgia as having one or more combined sewers overflowing into the Chattahoochee River (Columbus Water Works 2014). It was determined theses combined sewers are located in the downtown area of the city and the older mid- town area of the city (Columbus Water Works 2014). In 2004, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Environmental Protection Division classified Weracoba Creek as a 303(d) stream (TMDL 2004). The 303(d) designation is assigned to impaired and threatened waters that are not attaining or maintaining water quality standards and are not able to fulfill their designated use (EPA 2014). Weracoba Creek which flows through the Historic Weracoba (Lakebottom) Park adjacent to the district is not achieving its designated use of fishing due to fecal coliform from urban runoff and combined sewer overflow (TMDL 2004). Weracoba-St. Elmo Historic District St. Elmo-Weracoba Historic District Model Area While this area was not selected due to its designation as a historic district, this designation does require that the model adhere to the character of the place. Curb and sidewalk infrastructure were part of the city beautiful movement during the early part of the 20th century. Stormsewers accompanied the new city addition. 1885 Columbus, Georgia: No curb or sidewalks (Kyle 1986) 1904 Columbus, Georgia: Curb and sidewalk, Note: storm sewer inlet on corner (Kyle 1986) 21 From 1887 to 1917, Wildwood Park was an outdoor amusement center (Kyle 1986). The Belt Line, a seven-mile-long railroad took citizens to the park to fish, swim, boat, picnic, dance to live music, and visit a small zoo (Kyle 1986). In order to eliminate dirty smoke, the train ran on coke (Kyle 1986). Streets during this period were made of an earthen material and were permeable. The streets were not paved until later in the century. 1906 Waverly Terrace subdivision Columbus, Georgia: curb, sidewalk, and street trees with permeable streets (Kyle 1986) 1960 Columbus, Georgia: Paved Streets and not street trees (Kyle 1986) 1907 Columbus, Georgia: the Belt Line train used to go to Wildwood Park, note sign advertising ?Show at Wildwood Tonight? on the far right side of image. (Kyle 1986) 1887-1917 Wildwood Park, Columbus, Georgia (Kyle 1986)22 23 1890 St. Elmo Lake at Wildwood Park, Columbus, Georgia: students from Saint Elmo boarding school (Kyle 1986) Students from Saint Elmo, boarding school for girls, practiced their rowing on St. Elmo Lake at Wildwood Park. 1887-1917 Wildwood Park, Columbus, Georgia (Kyle 1986) John Nolen?s 1926 City Plan of Columbus, Georgia, called for filling in St. Elmo Lake at Wildwood Park in order to utilize the space for development of Columbus High School and the school?s athletic field. His plan was built. Today the area is occupied with a track and field, baseball fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, and a children?s playground. However, due to these facilities being located within the floodplain of Weracoba Creek, the area experiences routine flooding. John Nolen?s Master Plan for Columbus, Georgia (Nolen 1926) The ground remains saturated within the park after heavy rain storms. Note: the puddles on the baseball field24 25 The Weracoba-St. Elmo Historic District in Columbus, Georgia has the city?s largest collection of 1920s/1930s homes. The district contains four hundred and forty homes in the architectural styles of Craftsman Bungalow, Tudor Revival, Classical Revival and Mission Revival (www. historiccolumbus.com). Large street trees along paved sidewalks are also present within the area as a result of the city beautiful movement. 26 This area of the Weracoba-St. Elmo Historic District is proud of their location adjacent to the most visited park in Columbus, Georgia. Over 1,000 people visit Weracoba Park daily. (www.historiccolumbus. com) 29 In order to understand how other models have addressed the situation of choreographing the movement of pedestrians, vehicles, and water, three precedent studies were analyzed. The structure of the models were analyzed based on the spatial arrangement of pedestrian paths, streets, and water. The most beneficial precedent study to the model development process was the SW Montgomery Green Street in Portland, Oregon. This model choreographed the movement of pedestrians, vehicles, and water within the public right-of-way. However, this model was located within a commercial downtown district and its application to intimacy of the local residential street was determined inappropriate. 1.6 Precedent Studies 30 The Portland Model Southwest Montgomery Green Street Plan, Portland, Oregon Nevue Ngan Associates; Sisul Engineering The Portland Model used a series of stormwater catchment beds which serve as a linear stormwater spine running parallel on both sides of the street. The pedestrian paths parallel the beds and the street. Some of the beds are connected to one another with pedestrian bridges crossing perpendicularly over the beds. The movement of pedestrians, vehicles, and water were all choreographed within the public right-of- way. SW Montgomery Green Street Location Map (Nevue Ngan Associates 2009) Stormwater Spine Plan Streets and Railroad line Plan Pedestrian Paths Plan Tree Plan Concept Plan of SW Montgomery Green Street (Nevue Ngan Associates 2009) Smith Memorial Student Union Urban Center Plaza Retrofit 32 33 Concept Section of Urban Center Plaza Retrofit (Nevue Ngan Associates 2009) Concept drawing for a revitalized pedestrian and stormwater streetscape at the University Service Block (Nevue Ngan Associated 2009) Urban Center Plaza (Nevue Ngan Associates 2014) Urban Center Plaza Retrofit (Nevue Ngan Associates 2012) Smith Memorial Student Union (Nevue Ngan Associates 2014) http://theintertwine.org/sites/theintertwine.org/files/adventure_imgs/SW12thandMontgomeryGreenStreet.jpg The Birmingham model used a pastoral design strategy of manipulating topography to create a treatment system to capture and circulate stormwater throughout the design. The topography of this model enables the stormwater to be routed through a three series treatment train of wetland, lake, and stream before being pumped back up gradient to the wetland to repeat the cycle. The streets frame the pedestrian paths which are both organic and geometric in structure and the stormwater treatment train as is curves through the area. The movement of pedestrians and water are choreographed within the park boundary. Aerial Image of Railroad Park in Birmingham, Alabama (Google Earth 2014) Plan of Railroad Park (Tom Leader Studio website 2014) Hydrology Plan Contour Plan Pedestrian Path Plan Tree Plan The Birmingham Model Railroad Park, Birmingham, Alabama Tom Leader Studio; Machnally Ross Land Design 1 37 Phase 2 Aerial Image of Railroad Park (Tom Leader Studio website 2014) 1 Section of Railroad Park 38 The Atlanta model used the engineering model of a retention basin with a twist. This model removed the fences typically found surrounding large retention basins and transformed the basin into a focal point by celebrating how the stormwater entered the basin through four large sculptural elements. The pedestrian paths approach the basin along linear lines that curve around the basin with one section serving as an elevated bridge across one corner. The street runs perpendicular to the area as well as the developing Atlanta Beltline. The movement of pedestrians and water are choreographed within the park boundary. Google Earth 2014 Plan of Phase I of the Historic Fourth Ward Park (HDR, Inc. 2012) Hydrology Plan Pedestrian Path Plan Tree Plan The Atlanta Model Historic Fourth Ward Park, Atlanta, Georgia HDR, Inc. 1 1 Section of Historic Fourth Ward Park 41 Historic Fourth Ward Park Conservancy (2014) HDR, Inc. 2012 These images were used as design inspiration for the movement of water within the fluid model of street design. Barlow 2001 Moynihan 1979 Petruccioli 1997Historic Fourth Ward Park Conservancy (2014) Historic Fourth Ward Park Conservancy (2014) 43 02 The technique Muscogee County, Georgia Watersheds These watersheds contribute water from across the county to the Chattahoochee River. The city of Columbus, Georgia is the largest developed area within the county. Weracoba Creek Watershed Mid-town Columbus, Georgia is located within this watershed. This is one of the oldest developed residential areas in the city. Several historic districts are located within this watershed. One of which is Weracoba-St. Elmo Historic District which was used as the site of the model development area. Weracoba-St. Elmo Historic District The Weracoba-St. Elmo Historic District is located within the Weracoba watershed. This historic district was built prior to the 1930s (www.historiccolumbus.com). The Situation The Model Area was selected from this mapping analysis. The area within the red box is the location where the watershed is at its narrowest. This area was selected for further situational analysis. The model development area is embedded in a much larger system. While it is only a small fraction of a much larger system, it does serve as a constant source of pollution which continuously loads the Chattahoochee River with a fresh source of fecal coliform. What this means is anything talking place within this area impacts the Chattahoochee river. This river is the water supply for a lot of stuff south of Columbus, Georgia. Model Area Weracoba Watershed Weracoba-St. Elmo Historic District Model Area Columbus, Georgia Model Area 2.1 Mapping 46 47 To understand the situation of the model area in its larger context, a situational mapping analysis was conducted. The intent of this analysis was to understand how choreographing the movement of pedestrians, vehicles, and water within the model area was effected by the area surrounding it and to understand the situation within the model area. This analysis focused on public parks, roads, bus routes, railroad lines, sidewalks, sewer lines, contours, slope analysis, soil types,100 year floodplain, floodway, and Weracoba Creek. Model Area Public Parks Streets Busroutes and railroad lines Sidewalks Sewer lines and manhole covers 1 meter contours and Weracoba watershed boundary Slope analysis Soil types 100 year floodplain, floodway, and Weracoba Creek 1 2 3 4 1 Dothan-Urban land complex: landform: floodplain Ksat (0.57-1.98 in./hr) 6-12? depth to water table Hydrologic Soil Group (D) 0-60? (sandy loam) 2 Bibb Sandy Loam: landform: interfluves Ksat (0.20-0.57 in./hr) 36-60? depth to water table Hydrologic Soil Group (B) 0-8? (loamy sand) 8-60? (sandy clay loam) 3 Eunola-Urban land complex: landform: stream terraces Ksat (0.57-1.98 in./hr) 18-30? depth to water table Hydrologic Soil Group (C) 0-18? (sandy loam) 18-52? (sandy clay loam) 52-60? (sandy loam) 60-64? (loamy sand) 4 Urban Land: Floodway 100 year floodplain Weracoba Creek 1 x<2% 2 2%10% 1 2 3 4 Wildwood Park Dinglewood Park Little Wildwood Park Linwood Tillis Park Weracoba Park Metra Transfer Center 48 Weracoba watershed boundary This analysis revealed that the model area is located on 5-10% slopes. The structure is traditional grid. Tree lined sidewalks are present as a result of the city beautiful movement. The direction of surface water flow is downslope to Weracoba Creek. Weracoba Creek flows south then turns southwest as it makes it way to the Chattahoochee River. Almost the entire Weracoba Park area within the model area is within the 100 year floodplain. This analysis also revealed that no bus routes or railroad lines pass through the model area. Model Area topography, streets, sidewalks, surface water flow, watershed boundary topography, streets, sidewalks, surface water flow, watershed boundary, sewer lines, and flood plain 50 Sewerlines and Surface Flow Location of Stormsewer inlets and General Surface Flow Direction Upon closer examination of the model area, it was determined that the sewer lines within the area are structured by the topography. When the stormsewer inlets and the general surface flow direction were mapped against each other, it was determined that all the surface runoff and all the stormsewers within the area drain directly to Weracoba Creek. This determination was confirmed during a site visit to the model area. Out of this analysis the concept of using an ephemeral stream-like system emerged as a step in choreographing the movement of pedestrians, vehicles, and water. 52 Sewerline Surface Flow Weracoba Creek Stormsewer Inlets General Flow Direction South of the model area, an analysis was conducted to understand the movement of pedestrians, vehicles, and water at the point where the local street, 18th Avenue, intersects with the connector street, 13th Street. This analysis also looked at the relationship of residential, commercial, and retail to the intersection. Relationship of residential, commercial, and retail to the intersection of 18th Avenue and 13th Street Movement of water through the intersection Movement of vehicles through the intersection Movement of pedestrians through the intersection 18th Avenue 13th Street 54 55 This analysis revealed a visual disconnection between both the movement of water through the intersection and how the pedestrian is to cross the street from Weracoba Park to Dinglewood Park. The concept of using visual connectivity as a step in choreographing the coexistence of pedestrians, vehicles, and water within intersections emerged out of this analysis. 56 The first investigation from the perspective of the pedestrian was conducted on September 27, 2013 on a Friday afternoon in late summer, early fall to immerse the designer with the possible encounters along Weracoba Creek at this scale of design. The three mile walk began at the headwaters where the creek first emerges out of a concrete culvert under a parking lot behind CVS pharmacy located at the corner of Warm Springs Road and Hilton Avenue and ended at the intersection of 13th Street and 13th Avenue in mid-town Columbus, Georgia. 2.2 Photography Weracoba Creek emerges from under a parking lot behind CVS pharmacy 58 Situated within aged concrete blocks, testament to the historical situation Climbing down stair-step channel walls, the only access Sediment built up against a sewer line, water forced into a spiral funnel, eroded channel on the other side Intersection of Cherokee Avenue and Edgewood Road, walking next to the creek, no sidewalks Perceived danger, personal bridges, and sender block walls Sediment builds up allowing vegetation to emerge from the channel bottom Channel walls change to reinforced concrete slabs No sediment buildup, no plants Vegetated slope erodes into channel Impermeable walls transform into permeable walls Pilot test site of stormwater treatment facility Permeability of channel edge allows the soil to breathe, sediment to build, plants to emerge A renewal of life to the creek Renewal made possible by invention Weracoba Creek passes Weracoba Park People begin to emerge along the banks Mother?s playing with their children Columbus High School Its front door opening onto the creek A bridge passing over it Away from the creek, along the banks People walk, people exercise, people picnic But don?t get too close to the water, it?s dirty Boy Scout Troop 6 My journey?s end, intersection of 13th Street and 13th Avenue Last place before the creek goes underground, but not before something new emerges Sinuosity appears, erosion is present, suggesting the banks desire for a more comfortable position Let the new slope emerge, let the roots of the newly planted trees shape it Instead of the hard fingers of the backhoe The final investigation from the perspective of the pedestrian was conducted on February 5, 2014 on a Wednesday in the middle of winter to immerse the designer with the possible encounters around and within the model area. The walk began at one the western boundaries of Weracoba-St. Elmo Historic District at the intersection of 17th Street and 15th Avenue and ended within Weracoba Park along Weracoba Creek. An one inch rainstorm, the movement of runoff outlined with leaves 70 Large trees, their roots engulf the curb while water pools just out of their reach Sidewalks lined with trees, the delicate arch of their branches providing a feeling of intimacy along the street The point where the water leaves the street draining directly to Weracoba Creek Following the path on the way to the creek, the water following the same path as me Puddles of water pooling just within reach to water the Rotary Club of Columbus 200 planted treesI am not the first one to go down to see all the water that rushed off the neighborhood streets Out pours the water from its underground hole, raging like torrent during the middle of the storm Marooning those that used to call the creek their home To understand and image the possibilities for choreographing the movement of pedestrians, vehicle, and water, several drawing were developed. The drawings started with addressing the polluted water where it entered Weracoba Creek within Dinglewood Park. 2.3 Imaginative Drawing 80 These sectional drawings were used to understand how stormwater entered the creek from a stormsewer pipe. These drawings investigated how water quality could be addressed through an engineered solution using tanks, pumps, ultra violet lights. Upon evaluation this type of design seemed superficial. The design only addressed the minor symptoms and not the overall aliment. The design lacked any choreographing of pedestrian and vehicular movement. It did not address the intersection of public and private space. However, through the drawing process the idea of using variable topography emerged. By manipulating the topography of the ground plain, the water could be directed to pool and flow. The use of variable topography became a step in choreographing the movement of water. 84 The concept of using vegetation to stabilize slopes and absorb water also emerged. This concept became a step in choreographing the movement of water 86 Building on the idea of manipulating topography, the idea of design artificially constructed banks emerged. Through the process of imaginative drawing, a memory of the highly channelized creek walls resurfaced. 88 These irregular-shaped gabion reinforced banks would effect sedimentation. Vegetation could begin to grow and assist with addressing the quality of water within the creek. The use of gabions to trap sediment became a step in choreographing the movement of water. 91 To address the intersection of public and private space, the research moved away from the creek and into the Weracoba-St. Elmo Historic District. This area ultimately became the model development site. 92 To understand how to choreograph the movement of water within the neighborhood several drawings were developed. The drawing to the right researched how water could move around the home if there were no streets. These drawings researched how water could move off the rooftops of the homes into the streets. 96 These drawings researched how water could move along streets with soft irregular edges. 98 These drawings research how water could move along streets with harder irregular edges. While all of these drawings were useful in understanding how water can move, they did not address the situation of pedestrian and vehicle movement. While the investigation did take place within the intersection of public and private space, it only addressed the ability of water to coexist within this intersection. 100 2.4 Model Schematics Zone 1: Streets Zone 2: Floodplain Several schematic model drawings were developed within Zone 1: Street and Zone 2: Floodplain. Out of theses drawings, one from Zone 1 was selected for further development. 2.4.1 Model Schematics: Zone 1 102 The first schematic model development design was very restrictive. It did not address the whole right- of-way. While pedestrians, vehicles, and water were all present within the design, the connection between them was weak. The intersection of public and private property was not taken into consideration. Several more schematic drawings were developed with water as the primary choreographing move. However, the movement of pedestrians, vehicles, and water were all taken into consideration within both the public right-of-way and private property. A new perspective emerged out of this phase of analysis. In one continuous fluid movement, pedestrians, vehicles, and water transverse the boundary between public and private space passing into and out of one another as one dynamic system. The pedestrians, vehicles, and water exist within a field. This new perspective led to several steps in choreographing the movement of pedestrians, vehicles, and water. The hydrostage step was developed as a means to break the grid and distort the boundary between public and private space. The pedestrian path step reestablished the grid shifting the central focus to pedestrian movement instead of vehicular. The street step altered the driver?s visual focus, shifting their point of view. All Lines Hydrostage Street Pedestrian Path Ridge Ridge While the first plan investigation into developing the model along the ridge did address choreographing the movement of pedestrians and vehicles both within public and private space, the movement of the water within the public right-of-way and private property required more detailed investigation. Down slope Intersection Private Property Private Property Driveway Street Pedestrian Path Hydrostage Large Tree Upon more detailed investigation into how the water would move off of private and public property the step of using gabions filled with variable sized pebbles and stones to choreograph the movement of water emerged. These gabions could be spaced at 30-40 foot intervals to collect sediment and slow the flow of water entering the hydrostages from both public and private property. 110 111 While the gabions choreograph the movement of sediment within the hydrostages, the existing driveways could choreograph the volume of water held within each staging area. The existing driveways were redesigned as check-dams to control the volume of water. Each driveway was redesigned with groves on top to allow excess water to flow over the top and into another hydrostage on the other side. This step completed the development of the interconnected hydrostage along the ridge. The area between the gabions could be a choreographed series of depressions and elevations providing a space for the water to infiltrate. 112 113 The first plan investigation into developing the model for the intersection began to choreograph how pedestrians, vehicles, and water could move into and out of the space. Exactly how this was going to take place required a more detailed investigation. A couple more schematic drawings with varying levels of detail were developed to determine how the pedestrian, vehicle, and water could move into and out of the intersection These schematic drawings led to movement of water going under the intersection and the movement of the pedestrian taking priority through the intersection. Intersection 115 Investigation into the down slope area was conducted to confirm that the design developed along the ridge would also work down slope. It was confirmed that the ridge design was valid for this area as long as the depressions and elevations between the gabions and the height of the gabions and driveways complemented each other as the hydrostage moved downslope. A couple of drawings were developed to determine if the design would allow for variable turning radius of vehicles along the street. The design was able to accommodate the turning radius of both a typical school bus (53 degrees) and a typical trash truck (56 degrees) along the street and within the intersection. Down Slope 1 2 1 2 33 117 2.4.2 Model Schematics: Zone 2 Several model schematic drawings were developed for Zone 2. The schematic drawing that was selected to develop further was the one based solely on manipulating topography to choreograph the movement of water. 119 This drawing was selected because of the previous imaginative drawings which investigated the use of only topography to choreography the movement of water and the situational mapping which generated the concept of developing an ephemeral stream-like system, The topography was manipulated within Zone 2 as a means of collecting, storing, and slowing distributing excess water leaving Zone 1. Transforming the already floodplain into a puddle park. 03 The Premiere The aim of the thesis was to develop a fluid model of street design that enables the coexistence of pedestrians, vehicles, and water within the intimate intersection of the public right-of-way and the home. A Fluid Model of Street Design 125 The movement of water was choreographed within the public right-of-way by breaking the grid of streets and blocks. These breaks in the grid called the hydrostage was designed to distort the boundary between public and private space. Choreographed Water Movement Hydrostage Hydrostage Enlargement 127 The hydrostage was located within the public right- of-way. It was designed to receive stormwater runoff from both public and private property. Once the water enters the hydrostage, it moves by gravity downslope through a series of narrow and broad staging areas, over driveways, and under intersections on its way to the puddle park. 1 2 3 Hydrostage Enlargement School Bus Trash Truck Trash Truck Truck Car Car Car Car 129 The narrow and broad areas in the interconnect hydrostage system were broken up into smaller staging areas. These areas were separated from one another by gabions. These gabions were filled with a gradation of different sized pebbles and stones. Small pebbles were located in the lower portion of the gabions with the stones increasing in size from bottom to top. The smaller pebbles within the bottom of the gabions were designed to trap sediment overtime and slow the water as it flows through them. The larger stones located within the top of the gabions will also trap sediment. However, the main function of these stones was to slow and dissipate the energy of the water as it moved downslope to the puddle park. Over time sediment will fill in the small spaces between the pebbles with only small tunnels allowing water to seep through them turning the gabions into leaky check-dams. 1 2 The hydrostage in the fluid model of street design were designed to flow. They were also designed to work with sedimentation. They actually require the process of sedimentation to create the leaky check-dams. The design was dependent on the self-organizing process of water movement and sedimentation to reestablish an ephemeral stream-like system throughout the neighborhood. The self-organizing hydrostage were designed to adapt to changes in volumes of precipitation. The locating of the hydrostage in front of individual homes created the opportunity for the residents of the area to observe the processes of the hydrostage and the formation of the ephemeral stream-like system overtime. 3 132 Puddle Park While the puddle park was not the main focus of the thesis, it did serve as a very important step in choreographing the movement of water within the fluid model of street design. 4 5 135 The model was designed without any overflow pipes to collect water during rain storms when the volume of water exceeds the volume of the hydrostage. The puddle park was designed to collect, store, and slowly distribute any excess water leaving the hydrostage in Zone 1. The puddle park served as the final staging area for the water before it entered Weracoba Creek. 4 5 Pedestrian Path While the hydrostage broke the grid, the pedestrian path reestablished it. The reestablishment of the grid was done to adhere to the traditional character of the neighborhood. Choreographed Pedestrian Movement Pedestrian Path Enlargement 139 Along one continuous unbroken path, the pedestrian can move through the neighborhood within the fluid model of street design. 6 7 Pedestrian Path Enlargement School Bus Trash Truck Trash Truck Truck Car Car Car Car 141 The pedestrian path has the illusion of moving down the middle of the street when actually it parallels the street. Instead of a sidewalk which is traditionally located on both sides of the street, the path moves through the middle of the right-of- way. By designing the path in the central position, the priority within the fluid model was pedestrian movement as opposed to vehicular movement. To solidify the priority of the pedestrian, the material used to construct the pedestrian path fills up the intersection to visually demonstrate this is a space for pedestrians. There were no predetermined paths for pedestrians or vehicular movement through the intersection. This indeterminacy created the opportunity for pedestrian and vehicular movement through the intersection to be self-organizing. 6 7 Street The streets narrow and widen as they weave between the pedestrian path and the hydrostage. Designing the street to shift from one side of the pedestrian path to the other not only requires vehicles to slow down but shifts the visual focus of the driver?s point of view. Choreographed Vehicular Movement 8 Street Enlargement 145 Instead of the pedestrian paths crossing the street, the street crosses the pedestrian path in the fluid model of street design. This change in perception creates the opportunity for a safer residential street. 9 Street Enlargement School Bus Trash Truck Trash Truck Truck Car Car Car Car 147 Even though the streets were narrowed, space for on-street-parking was still available. This was achieved by designing the adjacent pedestrian path to accommodate vehicular traffic when need. To distinguish the pedestrian path from the street, a courser material and a different paving pattern was used for the primary vehicle driving surface. Both the pedestrian path and the street were designed with unit pavers. The use of unit pavers provides grooves for the water to flow off the hard surfaces into the hydrostage. Gabions provide a permeable boundary between the hard surfaces and the hydrostage. They were designed to collect sediment from runoff on the hard surfaces and to dissipate energy as the water falls into the hydrostage. 8 9 A change in the driving surface was used to visually demonstrate to the driver that an intersection approaches. As the vehicle approaches the intersection, the material of the driving surface turns to a very course material and the paving pattern of the driving surface changes. 10 10 Stopping Area Enlargement 151 Large Trees There are a lot of existing large trees within the neighborhood. The fluid model of street design was designed to accommodate both existing and new trees. Choreographed Movement Large Trees Large Tree Enlargement 153 Large new oak trees were planted within the broad hydrostages to give the illusion that the trees were growing within the middle of the street. These trees were used to slow the speed of vehicles moving into and out of the model area. Large Tree Enlargement 11 12 School Bus Trash Truck Trash Truck Truck Car Car Car Car 155 The large trees not only influenced the movement of vehicles, they also influenced the movement of water by absorbing the water that pools within the hydrostage. 11 12 13 13 Small Trees Additional smaller flowering trees were located along the public-private boundary line within the fluid model of street design. Choreographed Movement Small Trees 14 Small Tree Enlargement 159 They were designed to be planted on the top slope portion of the hydrostage. Small Tree Enlargement 15 School Bus Trash Truck Trash Truck Truck Car Car Car Car 161 These trees were used as a way to provide a visual change in perception as people and vehicles continuously move between public space and the privacy of the home. The roots of these smaller trees were also designed to stabilize the slope of the hydrostage. 14 15 04 The Critique The question this thesis asked is how can the movement of pedestrians, vehicles, and water be choreographed within an intimate intersection of public and private space? The movement of pedestrians, vehicles, and water can be choreographed within the intimate intersection of public and private space when the landscape is viewed as a field. When the landscape is understood as a complex interconnected system, a saturated meshwork that infiltrates and flows continuously through the dynamic field, a new type of fluid model of street design can emerge. A model designed to not exist alone in isolation, but thoroughly entangled and inseparable from the life that emerges from it. A fluid model designed to enable the coexistence of pedestrians, vehicles, and water within the intimate intersection of public space and the privacy of the home. This realization was the biggest achievement of this thesis research. It will enable future designs to be richer, thicker, and more complex. Water was the primary choreographing design move within this thesis. If a different primary move like wildlife habitat had been used, the resulting model would have been completely different. If the research for this thesis were to continue, different primary choreographing movements would be selected. All of these movements would be layered and evaluated based on the dynamics of the field. Theses are not city streets. 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