Pipeline to Better Placemaking

Roberta Fennessy, AIA, AICP

VHB Director of Planning + Design

Associate Instructor, Urban and Regional Planning

Tommy James, AIA Professor, Studio407,ArchitectureProjectManager

What is Placemaking?

“Placemaking is the process of creating quality places that people want to live, work, play, and learn in.” (CNU)

"Placemaking shows that the creation of places transcends the material dimension and involves aspects such as sociability, uses, activities, access, connections, comfort, and image, to create bonds between people and a sense of place." (ArchDaily)

Placemaking is a participatory process for shaping public space that harnesses the ideas and assets of the people who use it. (PPS)

What is Makes a Place Great?

“WE MUST CONSIDER NOT JUST THE CITY AS A THING IN ITSELF, BUT THE CITY BEING PERCEIVED BY ITS INHABITANTS.”

~ KEVIN LYNCH

Why did we create PBP?

Step 1: Measuring Place Step 3: Digital Engagement 2 Custom Mobile Tools

Human Behaviors: People in Motion (where & how) People in Place (where and what) QR Occupant Survey (profile) Measuring Built Environments: Spatial Boundaries (shade & special edges) Lighting Profile (locations) Nature Prevalence (plant & animal) Absence of Order Locator (i.e. broken windows, panhandling) Acoustical Profile (decibels)

Step 1 Measuring Place:

Pipeline Team

Measuring

Collaborating within UCF’s Psychology, Architecture, and Computer Science department, we have developed a custom mobile app prototype analyzing an existing place per the request of a local municipality.

Through a series of unique tests done by a team of researchers or community members, we can study existing human behavior and built environment, leading us to areas of need.

Setting up the Project:

Step 1 Measuring Place:

Step 1 Measuring Place: Human Behavior

Test 1: People in Motion

- Richard Carmona

Human Behaviors:

"The urban environment is not experienced as a static composition and the kinaesthetic experience of moving through space over time is an important part of urban design's visual-aesthetic dimension."

What it Tracks:

Quote:

Step 1 Measuring Place: People in Motion (where & how)

For the People in Motion study, the app will present research team members with a map to note where and How in the area of interest people are: • Located • Their Path • Mode of transportation

Measuring

Motion (where & how) .

People

Measuring The Built Environment:1 Measuring Place:in

Step

study, the app will present research team members with a map to note Where and What in the area

Test 2: People in Place

Human Behaviors:

“I believe the successful city is like a fabulous party. People stay because they are having a great time.”

Step 1 Measuring Place:People in Place (where & what)

Measuring

- Amanda Burden the People in Place of

For

interest people are: • Located • General Profile • Activity • Posture

Quote: What it Tracks:

Measuring

The Built Environment:

Step 1 Measuring Place:People in Place (where & what) .

Test 3: QR Occupant Survey

Step 1 Measuring Place: QR Occupant Survey (Profile) Measuring Human Behaviors:

For the Occupant Survey, the app will present research team members with a QR code. Participants will scan the code and take the survey on their own devices. Upon scanning the QR code, the participant will be redirected to Qualtrics. The survey elements are as follows:

PerceivedSenseDemographicsofPlaceRestorativeness Scale four environmental items CompatibilityCoherenceFascinationExtent

What it Tracks:

Step 1 Measuring Place: The Built Environment

Measuring The Built Environment:

Surveyors will identify what elements from the built environment allow activity to take place or separate that activity from the overall place.

• Constructed (buildings, planters, fences)

• Shelter (canopies built & natural)

Spatial Boundaries (Shade & Special Edges)

Test 1: Spatial Boundaries

Step 1 Measuring Place:

• Material (brick, paver, concrete, natural)

“Prospect-Refuge theory…we tend to prefer environments or situations that allow us to observe our surroundings while remaining concealed from them.” Appleton (1975, 1984)

What it Tracks:

Quote:

Measuring

Place:Spatial Boundaries (Shade & Special Edges)

Measuring

The Built Environment:

Step 1

“Light is an important tool in creation of an emotional environment… …Light can affect not only the atmosphere of the place, the concentration of people, movement and orientation of users, but also the moods and feelings of the people.” (Žák

what elements from the built environment make up the lighting profile of the place.

• existence of light within the built environment

Test 2: Lighting Profile

What it Tracks:

Built

Description:

Surveyors2016)willidentify

• how it is being used within the space

Lighting Profile (Locating)

• the consistency of it.

Step 1 Measuring Place:

Measuring The Environment:

Step 1

Measuring Place:

Measuring The Built Environment:

Lighting Profile (Locating)

Test 3: Nature Prevalence

Quote: What it Tracks:

Step 1 Measuring Place:

Nature Prevalence (Vegetation & Animals)

Surveyors will identify where and what elements from the built environment embrace the natural tools of place.

• Natural • Designed • Open field

Design is supposed to complete nature. Great architecture makes nature more beautiful- it gives it power. - Claudio Silvestrin

Measuring The Built Environment:

Place:Nature Prevalence (Vegetation & Animals)

Measuring

The Built Environment:

Measuring

Step 1

What it Tracks:

Step 1 Measuring Place:

Built

• Behavior • Maintenance

Surveyors will identify where and what elements from the built environment show signs of disorder during the survey time slots.

Measuring The Environment:

Behaviors such as panhandling, public drinking, loitering, broken storefronts, amongst others; are not only related to crime and violence but also provide an environment where we are in a constant state of awareness and ignite the fear of “being bothered by disorderly people” - Ranasinghe

Description:

Absence of Order (Locating)

Test 4: Absence of Order

Order (Locating)

Step 1

Measuring Place:of

Measuring The Built Environment:

Absence

What sounds provoke feelings of comfort and presence, increasing our sense of safety?

• Sources

Measuring The Built Environment:

• Loudness

Quote:

Step 1 Measuring Place:

What it Tracks:

This part of the research, the loudness of decibels will be analyzed, and the role that noise and acoustics play in our security.

Acoustical Profile (decibels)

Test 5: Acoustical Profile

Constant exposure to loud noises or noise pollution can be considered environmental stressors and might induce feelings of anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, and heart disease. - Huang, et al.

Measuring

Measuring The Environment:

Step 1

Built

Place:Acoustical Profile (decibels)

1. delete buttons for app and web

ii. Record observed and gathered data:

2. Add points, lines, and data to google maps on site.

1. Charts

i. Develop new tests to measuring public life and built environment

4. Adjust current test: some examples:

Continue working on: mobile application for android or apple

2. Section Cutter (app & storing of drawings)

What is NEXT for Step 1!

1. Identifying Program (maybe created on web & app)

3. Identifying Access (mapping regional trans and parking)

5. Sounds test: allow tester to pick next location

6. Display areas on web

3. Match mobile test names to web

1. Security through human scale Factors

4. How to end test early

2. Create charts and graphs using data collected

1. Layer maps of test results on and off

using same backend tech as last years senior project.

3. Able to display older and new test results together.

iii. Analyze Data:

2. Different way to pull results

Place:Acoustical Profile (decibels)

Measuring

Measuring The

Built Environment:

Step 1

This step centers on the design process by collaborating with local architects and schools. It focuses on a quality output that is easily accessible to the public using Augmented and Virtual Realities...

Pipeline Team

Step 2 Designing Place for AR / VR Engagement:

Collaborating with Akular Inc., UCF’s Psychology, Architecture, and Computer Science department, we have developed a custom mobile app for Digital Engagement.

Step 3 Digital Engagement of Place:

The goal for this portion of the project is to create an interactive experience exposing residents to potential local projects.

Pipeline Team

Gathering local’s opinions creates direction and buy-in to the futures of their places.

These designs will be viewed by phone, tablet, or headset. In addition, surveyed opinions will be collected on the two or more design options.

Upon finishing, participants can get a dynamic view of where their ideas are in relation to others.

Digital Engagement of Place