LOST IN TRANSLATION RE-ESTABLISHING THE SYMBIOSIS BETWEEN WATER AND COMMUNITY
Thesis Advisors
Prof. CHRISTOPHER CALOTT
Prof. STEFAN PELLEGRINI
Prof. GABRIEL DIAZ MONTEMAYOR
Diksha Singh
Master of Urban Design 2022
University of California, BERKELEY
“Urban WATER repair“ in the slums of Mexico City
The shared cultural knowledge and identity through water that has been lost in this rapid development could be the key to creating our self-reliant communities of the future.
Re-establishing relation to water; water culture and creating open spaces and new infrastructure practice can help in decentralizing the longer systems and help in creating more resilient communities. Harnessing the water and make it part of the life of the community, instead of the body of water being perceived as the backyard and the garbage dump, it becomes the focal point that brings together the whole community and enriches the social-natural bond. Design an approach towards development that creates the possibility of developing interventions that vertically integrate different kinds of solutions, considering infrastructure, culture, urbanism, the environment, and even the economy.
URBAN DESIGN | GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE | PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT | WATER URBANISM
BACKGROUND RESEARCH QUESTION
UNDERSTANDING THE SITE FABRIC
UNDERSTANDING THE SITE FABRIC
Neglected streams and creaks
Cablebus: an initiative to connect the hills to downtown
UNDERSTANDING THE SITE FABRIC
COLONIAS LAND USE
Self appointed community leaders and groups
UNDERSTANDING THE SITE FABRIC
Commerce and active uses concentrated on the main road
Cable Bus line running above the main road
STREET TYPOLOGY
TOPOGRAPHY
FLASH FLOODS
FLOODING
WATER SCARCITY
40% WATER LOSS IN LEAKS AND TRANSPORTATION
PROBLEM
HEALTH ISSUES LANDSLIDES
BLUE GREEN NETWORK BUILT NETWORK SOCIAL CULTURE
MOBILITY LANDSCAPE
Public transportation
Connectivity
widened Sidewalk
Cycle tracks
Pedestrian Connect
Floodable Courts Rain Gardens
Vegetated Purification
Channel
Celebrating the historical ties to water
Urban Water Repair
CREATING a WATER CULTURE
CULTURAL SPACES SERVICES MANAGING RUN-OFF
Storage +cleaning
Treating waste water
Reusing water run-off
Reduce flooding
RECREATIONAL SPACES
public parks
community centers
Health Care center
Day Care Center
Self sustaining communities
Public Toilets
Waste collection
Water reservoirs as water commons
Sharing the story of water
Job opportunities
Collection
Storage
Filtration
Distribution
INDIGENOUS WATER MANAGEMENT
INFRASTRUCTURE TOOLKIT
0. EXISTING FABRIC
0. EXISTING
FABRIC
1. CAPTURE
FILTER
2.
3. STORE
Leveraging the topography in delivering the water for everyday use to water commons
DISTRIBUTE
4.
Re-establishing relation to water: Water culture and creating open spaces and new infrastructure practice can help in decentralizing the longer systems and help in creating more resilient communities.
5. WATER COMMONS
GOALS
• Reduced flooding
• Capture Strom water
• Treat waste water
• Promote water Retention
• Increase water supply
• Introducing recreational spaces
• Health benefits
• Increase tree count
• Promote accessibility and pedestrian mobility
• Create Job opportunities
UTILIZING THE RESIDUAL SPACES
inserting Community uses, public toilets and waste collection places for waste treatment and creak cleansing are introduced as nodes along the system.
SMALL INTERVENTIONS
WATER COMMONS
community center health care center health care center sports center day care center primary school primary school community farming waste collection cable bus station cable bus station cable bus station
Block Size : 30- 40 acres
Population : 900 – 1000 DU
Water requirement per household : 100Liters / day
Monthly water requirement : 22,00,000 L
Monthly rainfall in the area : 100mm/sqm
THE PROPOSED SYSTEM
INACTIVE STREET EDGES
HIGH SLOPE STREETS
EXISTING STREET SECTION
NARROW SIDEWALK
UNUSED RESIDUAL SPACES
DUMPING YARDS
Harness the water and make it part of the life of the community.
Instead of the body of water being perceived as the backyard and the garbage dump, it became the focal point that brings together the whole community and enriches the social-natural bond.
WATER COMMON PROPOSED STREET SECTION
GRAVEL PIPE BED
FILTERED WATER HOLDING POOL
WATER COMMON
EXTENDED COMMERCIAL FRONT
STEPPED WIDENED SIDEWALK SPILL OUT ZONE
RAIN GARDEN
CHECK DAMS
WIDENED SIDEWALK BIO-SWALES
WATER COMMON PROPOSED STREET SECTION
PERFORATED UNDER DRAIN PIPE
INACTIVE STREET EDGES
NO SIDEWALK
POLLUTED WATER STREAM
WATER COMMON EXISTING PUBLIC REALM
NARROW SIDEWALK
HIGH SLOPE STREETS
DISTRIBUTION PIPELINES
EMBANKMENT PEDESTRIAN PATH
BIO-SWALES
CLEANING RIPARIAN VEGETATION
WATER COMMON PROPOSED PUBLIC REALM
CHECK DAMS
CAPTURING RAINWATER
CAPTURING RUN-OFF
PERFORATED UNDER DRAIN PIPE
WIDENED SIDEWALK
INFILTRATION
PUBLIC MOBILITY INFRASTRUCTURE
WATER COMMON IMPACTED PRIVATE REALM
ACTIVE STREET FRONTAGE
ADDED DENSITY
INCREASE TREE COVER
WATER COMMON
PROPOSED OPEN SPACES
NORMAL RAIN CONDITIONS
Green Infrastructure coexisting with communal spaces.
Transforming through seasons
WATER COMMON PROPOSED OPEN SPACES
DRY SEASON
The water holding pond transforms into a vegetated bank, with open spaces for kids to play.
EXTREME RAIN SEASON
Larger Retention system, to hold extra water during floods.
The community space at high altitude can convert to disaster recovery center.
TO CREATE A LOCALIZED SYSTEM OF COOPERATIVES
PLANNING + DESIGN FUND + IMPLEMENTATION OPERATION MAINTENANCE
EDUCATIONAL BODY MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT + + COMMUNITY BODY
Funding the planning +
design initiatives
Designing for water sensitive urban design
Street and flood area analysis
PROPOSED AGENCY PATTERN
Coordination
Creating community
Consensus
Cleaning
Funding to maintain over time
Resident incentives
Creating a network BLUE and GREEN with water commons that regenerate the urban fabric by creating spaces that encourage people to communicate, interact and walk.
TERRITORIAL SCALE
PREDICTED
COLLECTIVE NETWORK
