ORANGE line it is!

final poster

Poster

Chosen Site

South Station
Atlantic Ave & Summer St Boston, MA 02110

Parking
Parking Spaces: 226
Average Weekday Availability:
Parking Rate: Variable rates beginning at $5/ 30 minutes. Overnight maximum of $30/day
Accessible Spaces: 8
Bike Spaces: 8
Managed By: LAZ Parking
Comments:Overnight parking is available. LAZ Parking is responsible for parking lot snow removal, maintenance and fee collection.

Subway Lines
Red Line
Silver Line

Commuter Rail Lines
Framingham/Worcester Line
Needdham Line
Franklin Line
Providence/Southon Line
Fairmount Line

Bus Lines
6- South Station - Haymarket Station Via North End
7- City Point - Otis & Summer Streets Via Summer Street & South S…
441 - Marblehead - Haymarket, Downtown Crossing Or Wonderland Vi…
441W- Marblehead - Haymarket, Downtown Crossing Or Wonderland …
448 - Marblehead - Downtown Crossing Via Paradise Rd.or Humphrey…
442 - Marblehead - Haymarket, Downtown Crossing Or Wonderland Vi…
442W - Marblehead - Haymarket, Downtown Crossing Or Wonderland …
449 - Marblehead - Downtown Crossing Via Paradise Rd. Or Humphre…
455 - Salem Depot - Wonderland Via Central Sq., Lynn
455W - Salem Depot - Haymarket Via Loring Ave., Central Sq., Ly…
459 - Salem Depot - Downtown Crossing Via Logan Airport & Centra…

what goes into the program-initial thoughts

Proximity and handiness. Ways to encourage people to opt for public transportation; program should contain componants that provide for people daily tasks: dry-cleaners, post office, bank branch, gorcery store, shore repair, pharmacy, creche, etc... This way, instead of spending extra time on running errands throught the day, one does it all on one's way to work, and by thus revive the node.

Thesis Statement II

What?

Gradients and Decentralism. Designing the transition from different means of transportation modes existing in a node, in order to reshape and create seamless transitions from commercial/public into residential/private. Therefore, this thesis will propose a series of prototypes that seek to maximize the positive relationships between housing in the city and public transportation nodes, by dealing with the different scales involved in such an operation, and exploring the different way such integration could be executed allowing the node to develop into an extension of the urbanization pattern of the city.



Why?

Cities nowadays expand in a growing rate mainly due to the increase in population. In order to provide for their healthy development and sustainable growth a Synergy between public transportation and housing in urban areas must be created. Such Synergy will allow for better integration of the city’s additions to the overall infrastructure of the city, “normalizing” the urban expansions and establishing a continuous transition between old and new. Instead of emphasizing the development as a “quick fix” of a burning need, the new urban additions (housing) will better assimilate into its surroundings, offering a desirable solution for its residents. Proximity to public transportation nodes will be then considered as a plus rather than a noisome limitation, and no longer be associated with the lower class of our society. Therefore, the main questions which I will answer in my thesis are: what types of transitions are appropriate in such node? how will these transition translate into a rich program that could integrate the node into a successful extension of the city?



How?

I will investigate nodes in the outskirts of the city of Boston. After understanding the constraintes that exist in such "Last Stops", I will determine what elements go into such a program that accounts for the different scales of this urban intervention I am offering. I will then Develope a programs that connects the various transitions (subway-->railroad-->bus-->bike paths-->walking paths-->residential) creating a gradient, facilitating for these transitions such that a "smooth" transition is putting some order into this dynamic enviromet.



Sources?

The city of Boston will serve as my site. I have not determined a final site location yet, but i'm leaning towards Alewife or Braintree. For my precedent, I am looking at the works of John R. Stilgoe and J.B. Jackson. My intension is to learn how the railroad systems inform the lanscape of America and influenced the developement patterns in the country. Then, I will lay out criteria for determining successful transitions from nodes to residential and from there draw out my principles for the programmatic features the make these interrelationship work/ fail.


Why is it important?

I believe that my thesis offers a valuable contribution to architecture and urban planning. This is a very important problem that pertains to multiple areas: politics, urbanism, social studies, economics, etc. Understanding the relationship between public transportation and urban housing and consequently providing a solution, is vital to cities’ development.

Current Reading- by John Stilgoe

Train Time: Railroads and the Imminent Reshaping of the United States Landscape
The first of three books on the immediate future, this one emphasizes how deep-pocket capital has already reinvested in the railroad industry and already reshapes American landscape and life.









Metropolitan Corridor : Railroads and the American Scene

examines the United States railroad environment in the years between 1880 and 1930, focusing on railroad travel, the perceptions of train passengers, and the constituents of the rail corridor itself, everything from power plants and industrial zones to railroad yards, grade crossings, suburban depots and the first landscapes shaped by railroad abandonment.

Boston Redevelopment Authority Current Project

The Rose Kennedy Greenway: a series of parks and public spaces being created in downtown Boton by the BRA. It is the final part of the massive Big Dig Project that put Interstate 93 underground and removed the obsolete elevated freeway that served as the main highway through downtown for more than 40 years.

Bibliography- Draft

1. Burchell, Robert. Planned Unit Development: New Communities American Style. New Jersey: MacCrellish & Quigley, 1972.


2. New York City Planning Commission. Planned Unit Development. New York: Planning Department, 1968.
   
3. Levy, John M. Contemporary urban planning /John M. Levy. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall, c2009.
   
4. Railway development :impacts on urban dynamics /Frank Bruinsma ... [et al.], editors. [Heidelberg] : Physica-Verlag, c2008.
   
5. Fincher, Ruth. Planning and diversity in the city :redistribution, recognition and encounter /Ruth Fincher and Kurt Iveson. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire ; New York, N.Y. : Palgrave Macmillan, 2008.
   
6. Hyra, Derek S. The new urban renewal :the economic transformation of Harlem and Bronzeville /Derek S. Hyra. Chicago : The University of Chicago Press, 2008.
   

PUD- initial details

What is a PUD? (from Wikipedia!!)

Planned Unit Development is a means of land regulation which promotes large scale, unified land development by means of mid-range, realistic programs in chase of physically-curable, social and economic deficiencies in land and cityscapes. Where appropriate, this development control promotes:

• A mixture of both land uses and dwelling types with at least one of the land uses being regional in nature.
• The clustering of residential land uses providing public and common open space.
• Increased administrative discretion to a local professional planning staff while setting aside present land use regulations and rigid plat approval processes.
• The enhancement of the bargaining process between the developer and government municipalities which in turn strengthens the municipality’s site plan review and control over development for potentially increased profits due to land efficiency, multiple land uses, and increased residential densities.

Frequently, PUDs take on a variety of forms ranging from small clusters of houses combined with open spaces to new and developing towns with thousands of residents and various land uses. However, the definition of a PUD does not take into consideration these types of developments unless they fit into a category of size ranging from 100 acres (0.40 km2) to 2,500 acres (10 km2). In a PUD the property owner owns the land the dwelling sits on.

Mixtures of Land Uses

In PUDs, the zoning of districts becomes very different from what was standard under the Standard Zoning Enabling Act. Historically, the districts were very narrow in type and large in area. Within PUDs, zoning becomes much more integrated with multiple land uses and districts being placed on adjacent land parcels.

Residential properties in PUDs are by far the most numerous and occupy the largest land areas. PUDs tend to incorporate single-family residential uses within close proximity to two-family units and multiple-family dwellings to form a larger diversified neighborhood concept. Schools, churches, retirement homes, hospitals, and recreation facilities begin to find their way into residential districts. Residential districts also tend to use the best land in the community and the most favorable sites are protected from commercial and industrial uses.

Grouping shopping districts by service area is a first step in returning to the neighborhood concept. Land is reserved for regional, community, and local shopping clusters with some specific restrictions based on market experience and on what types of business intend to locate at each development. Local shopping districts with sufficient provisions for off-street parking, height restrictions, and traffic control are not frequently found surrounded by residential areas.

Industrial standards now help to reduce the journey for employees to work. Nowadays, there tends to be environmental and performance regulations that cut back on the amount of nuisance to surrounding areas adjacent to industrial districts. With sufficient setbacks, off-street parking, and height regulations, industrial locations adjacent to residential zones are usually looked to as an overall community goal. PUDs do not normally have large numbers of industrial districts, but if so, they tend to be geared more towards light industry.

A PRUD known as Planned Residential Unit Development is a variant form of PUD where common areas are owned by the individual homeowners and not a home owners association or other entity. A PRUD is considered the same as a PUD for planning commission purposes and allows for flexibility in zoning and civic planning.

Design Principles

Houses and Placement of Houses
Houses in PUDs often include access to a large shared open space surrounding the house as well as a smaller private yard. These large protected open spaces are created by the layout of the buildings and are intended for use by all residents of the developments. Different housing types (single-family, two-family, multiple-family) are often mixed rather than separated as is done in conventional development.

Streets
Street patterns are one of the most important elements in establishing the neighborhood character of a residential community. Most non-PUD development focuses on obtaining maximum frontage for lot sizes and maximum flow of traffic on all streets. However, in order to dispel the monotony of the typical grid plan street pattern, PUDs often employ a hierarchy of street types based on usage. Local streets serve only residences and have a low traffic volume, while collector streets connect local streets to arterials, which are the major routes of travel throughout a PUD.

Sidewalks and Pedestrian Ways
Sidewalks and pedestrian ways of PUDs supplement and complement street systems in establishing the character of the neighborhood. Sidewalks are located on at least one side of every street to enable the walkability of the developments. Circulation systems are provided to link residential groupings, open space areas, schools, and local shopping areas.

Combining Design Features
It is in the ability to design each of these components simultaneously that makes PUDs unique and effective. Each of the elements work together to enhance the whole. This a major advantage over traditional zoning practices that force lots to be planned in accordance with broad rules that may allow for some incompatibility.

WHERE do I go from here??

* Identify mixed use nodes
* find precidents: --> New cities
--> Old cities
* need to develope an attitude for my interventions.
* look into "stree car suburbs"
* ZONING
* Les Halles as a case study (?!)
* "Rainbow" concept --or-- gradient : transportaion--> commercial--> residential
* P.U.D.
* B.R.A.

The Importance of the Last Stop

yesterday I posted a link provided by Esther discussing the last stops of the Subway system of NYC. This followed our (super helpful) discussion about why last stops store huge potential for "something" to happen.

I am now looking at Alewife Station in Somerville/Cambridge as a case study.
I know I need to find more precedents and therefore it's probably best to contact the BRA and see what kind of work they have been doing in the city in order to further develop and improve those nodes.

I'll update when I know more... but so far, it looks like my thesis is taking a slightly different course than I thought, now, aiming to create a program around "forgotten" nodes in order to better tie the social infrastructure into the physical (transportation) one.

Last Stop, NYT Article

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/24/nyregion/24laststop.html?_r=3&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

First draft

What?

This thesis will propose a series of prototypes that seek to maximize the positive relationships between housing in the city and public transportation nodes. Thus, these prototypes will offer several ways to integrate the two into a series of solutions which benefit all; provide the residents with privacy, shelter and collective spaces for social life and simultaneously account for the expansion and redevelopment of the public transportation infrastructure needs of a growing community.

Why?

Cities nowadays expand in a growing rate mainly due to the increase in population. In order to provide for their healthy development and sustainable growth a Synergy between public transportation and housing in urban areas must be created.
Such Synergy will allow for better integration of the city’s additions to the overall infrastructure of the city, “normalizing” the urban expansions and establishing a continuous transition between old and new. Instead of emphasizing the development as a “quick fix” of a burning need, the new urban additions (housing) will better assimilate into its surroundings, offering a desirable solution for its residents.
Proximity to public transportation nodes will be then considered as a plus rather than a noisome limitation, and no longer be associated with the lower class of our society. Therefore, the main question which I will answer in my thesis is: what types of housing is appropriate in proximity to the different transportation types?

How?

I will investigate the impact of two methods: inserting public transportation within developed urban areas, vs. new neighborhoods that grow around transportation nodes.
By doing so I will later determine what range of housing is most suitable for each scenario and therefore will design a series of prototypes that succeed to create a positive integration of the two, supported by programmatic features.

Sources?

First, I will select several cities around the world as case studies. I will consider both “older” cities (e.g. Paris, Berlin, Chicago) which infrastructure have been laid-out long time ago, and more recent precedents, cities in constant growth (e.g. in China, India, etc) where rapid urban development dictates the nature of public transportation and urban expansion. Then, I will lay out criteria for judging the “success” of public transportation and housing, and then further deepen my understanding of the programmatic features the make these interrelationship work/ fail.

Why is it important?

I believe that my thesis offers a valuable contribution to architecture and urban planning. This is a very important problem that pertains to multiple areas: politics, urbanism, social studies, economics, etc. Understanding the relationship between public transportation and urban housing and consequently providing a solution, is vital to cities’ development.

Blueprint- Initial Steps

1. Finalize database of successful case studies for positive and negative interrelationships between housing and public transportation.
a. Determine whether to concentrate on examples in the US/ specific country abroad/multiple places around the world.
b. Narrow down list of cases.
c. Expand research for each case chosen.

2. Determine criteria for judging success of public transportation and housing nodes.
a. Layout
b. Proximity
c. Scale and relative scale
d. Access
e. Location in context of city/ neighborhood.
f. Safety- “eyes on the street”
g. Occupancy

3. Review, revise and refine list of chosen study cases.
a. Cases where housing developed around a pre-existing transportation nodes
vs.
b. Cases where housing came first. → can such a model work
c. Other examples (?)

4. Start thinking of site for thesis- utopian/ tangible.
a. criteria (???)

5. Thesis approache:
a. Choosing specific cases where interrelationship between housing and public transportation doesn’t work and redesign housing to suit.
vs.
b. Developing a series of prototypes that seek to maximize the positive relationships between
the two (i.e.- starting from scratch)

Les Halles, Paris

Palais Royal - Musée du Louvre

more interrelationships

Further cities to look at as models of positive and negative case studies:
Negative:
Chicago
New York City- Spanish Harlem Area
Tel Aviv- Yad Eliyahu Area

Possitive
???????

Paris Metro Plan

-Red squares highlight some of the city's main circulation hubs

Case studies of positive and negative interrelationships between housing and public transportation

Paris
City's infrastructure is designed to weave between public transportation and housing such that one uniform system is created; Metro lines run under the main streets and boulevards, multiple stops are frequesnt and layed-out on a grid throught the city. Above ground, main circulation hubs where major lines intersect (La Bastille, Chatelet/Les Halles, Gard du Nord, Gard de Lyon, etc) are designed to stand out among its surroundings, but do not diminish from the neighborhoods' effectivit; The residences in closest proximity to these stations are not considered to be less desirable due to noise issuses and other related problems, but are instead popular and on high demand. Such a phenomenon is only possible due to successful city planning, and a clear vision of the city's needs.

Initial Thoughts

In most parts of the world, transportation nodes are considered to be undesirable spots for housing. By 'undesirable' I mean to say that most people that do live in such proximity to these nodes are usually low-income families. However, since the need for public transportation is constantly increasing, a solution should be found. One that offers housing, and ease of access by public transportation and yet allow for everyone to enjoy the best of both worlds. For the tenants: privacy, shelter, intimacy, social life; and for the public transpotation- fast and easy access, multiple means of transportation.