Creating A Living City

CREATING A

LIVING CITY

CREATING A

LIVING CITY A CASE STUDY IN ECO-DISTRICT PLANNING

Communities across the rust belt have been transformed as capital moves but people cannot. This has led to massive disinvestment in cities as they cope to support infrastructure with a reduced economic base and social capacity. This post-industrial city is an opportunity to

reimagine resilient cities and neighborhoods where making place is a community building act.

In many ways, environmental sustainability is less a technological issue than a result of community formation.

Working together to solve energy, water, food and other environmental issues becomes a way to redefine how we form community bonds.

It opens up new opportunities for designers to engage communities in both placemaking and in relationship

building. In making communities resilient, the race is really the prize.

This case study examines sustainability through physical placemaking, as well as the social and cultural infrastructure. Through work with community groups, nonprofits and the Urban Redevelopment Authority in the neighborhoods of Larimer and Homewood, the concept of an ecodistrict has evolved beyond environmental performance to be both a physical and a social strategy.

While parts of these projects will likely be implemented, this study suggests that community resiliency can be created when built environ-

ment improvements are coupled with civic engagement.

The Post-Industrial City :: Larimer

1940

population 13,350

residential :: commercial park transit

COMMUNITY PROGRAM SITE PROGRAM INFRASTRUCTURE

The Post-Industrial City :: Larimer

1975

population 6,000

residential :: commercial park transit

COMMUNITY PROGRAM SITE PROGRAM INFRASTRUCTURE

The Post-Industrial City :: Larimer

1995

population 3,000

residential :: commercial park transit

COMMUNITY PROGRAM SITE PROGRAM INFRASTRUCTURE

The Post-Industrial City :: Larimer

2011

population 2,000

residential :: commercial park transit

COMMUNITY PROGRAM SITE PROGRAM INFRASTRUCTURE

How does a post-industrial neighborhood transform itself into a living community?

The Living City :: Larimer

2011

stabilize CONSOLIDATE RESOURCES AGGREGATE OPEN SPACE DENSIFY DEVELOPMENT

population 2,000

PRESERVE EQUITY

the PIVOT

residential :: commercial park transit

COMMUNITY PROGRAM SITE PROGRAM INFRASTRUCTURE

The Living City :: Larimer

2015

stabilize CONSOLIDATE RESOURCES AGGREGATE OPEN SPACE DENSIFY DEVELOPMENT

population 2,000

PRESERVE EQUITY

grow ECONOMIC SECURITY TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT INVITE REGION WITH SPORTS ANCHOR ENHANCE CONNECTIVITY

residential :: commercial urban farm :: park energy :: water :: transit

COMMUNITY PROGRAM SITE PROGRAM INFRASTRUCTURE

The Living City :: Larimer

2030

stabilize CONSOLIDATE RESOURCES AGGREGATE OPEN SPACE DENSIFY DEVELOPMENT

population 5,000

PRESERVE EQUITY

grow ECONOMIC SECURITY TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT INVITE REGION WITH SPORTS ANCHOR ENHANCE CONNECTIVITY

diversify INCREASE RESILIENCY VARY HOUSING TYPES INCREASE COMMERCIAL

OPPORTUNITIES

IMPROVE ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY

residential :: commercial urban farm :: park energy :: water :: transit

COMMUNITY PROGRAM SITE PROGRAM INFRASTRUCTURE

The Living City :: Larimer

2035

The Post-Industrial City :: Larimer

stabilize CONSOLIDATE RESOURCES AGGREGATE OPEN SPACE

1940

DENSIFY DEVELOPMENT

population 6,500

PRESERVE EQUITY

grow

population 13,350

ECONOMIC SECURITY TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT INVITE REGION WITH SPORTS ANCHOR ENHANCE CONNECTIVITY

diversify INCREASE RESILIENCY VARY HOUSING TYPES INCREASE COMMERCIAL

OPPORTUNITIES

IMPROVE ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY

sustain MAINTAIN VIBRANCY CONTINUE INFILL DEVELOPMENT IMPLEMENT RENEWABLE ENERGY

SOURCES

INNOVATE SUSTAINABLE LIVING

residential :: commercial urban farm :: park energy :: water :: transit

COMMUNITY PROGRAM SITE PROGRAM INFRASTRUCTURE

commercial :: residential park transit

A living city plans around environmental systems and the social infrastructure that supports it.

Urban design goals typically include the creation of diverse, mixed use, walkable communities, the identification of economic drivers, and improved connectivity.

open space & recreation economic driver mixed use residential mixed use commercial connectivity / TOD economic driver

ECO-DISTRICTS waste processing

storm/sewage infrastructure improvement

wetlands

LEED multi unit

geothermal

DEVELOPMENT

community gardens block-by-block rain barrels

blackwater waste

vacant lot farming LEED single unit

living building single unit waste processing

garden

solar panels

INDIVIDUAL

INFRASTRUCTURAL lightbulbs

SHORT TERM

house for a house

ENERGY

rainbarrels

INFRASTRUCTURAL

TMTEMNETN S T CSACLAEL E

COMMITTMENT SCALE

INFRASTRUCTURAL

Urban design goals typically include the creation of ecovillage diverse, mixed use, walkable communities, the identification cities of economic drivers,living and food forest improved connectivity.

S ES N Ecodistricts extend these ideas E V urban to environmental performance.

I district T Ecodistrict planning farming quantifies EC F district F heating/ assigns E system performance, cooling value single to unit ecological processes, geothermal and promotes social equity and scalar economies.

rain garden

LEED multi unit

waste GENERATION & DIST. processing ENERGY COOPS economic driverfood forest

ecovillage ecovillage

WATER

S LONG TERM ES WATER & SEWER E NE S S V DISTRICTS TI EN economic driver C geothermal E IV F T geothermal EF EC F URBAN AGRICULTURE single unit EF economic driver geothermal food forest

wetlands

R E Q U I R ELEED D ACTION

wetlands

multi unit

FOOD DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT

community gardens block-by-block rain barrels

community gardens

single unit geothermal

s

sto in im

dis hea coo dist heat coo

ECO-DISTRICTS

waste processing

Ecodistricts connect individual properties through social and physical infrastructure to ecovillage improve performance.

[

INFRASTRUCTURAL

Technological innovation living cities creates new opportunties for storm/sewage sustainableS communities. infrastructure

COMMUNITY CAPACITY

INFRASTRUCTURE SCALE

DEVELOPMENT SCALE

COMMITTMENT SCALE

food forest

ecovillage

waste processing

wetlands

LEED multi unit food forest

living cities

wetlands

LEED multi unit

geothermal

DEVELOPMENT

E

block-by-block rain barrels

community gardens

E FF

CT

E IV

N

district community gardensheating/ cooling

urban district farming

blackwater waste

vacant lot farming

LEED single unit

single unit geothermal

LEED single unit

E Urban environmental N E performance needs to be urban IV district quantified to understand limits T C farming E Fand opportunities. district

garden

living building single unit

garden

heating/ E F Community formation cooling

[

Community capacity needs to be increased for larger and more effective strategies to be house for successfully implemented. a house living

house for a house

building single unit waste processing

ENERGY

INFRASTRUCTURAL solar panels

INDIVIDUAL SHORT TERM

solar panels

INFRASTRUCTURAL rain garden

TMTEMNETN S T CSACLAEL E

lightbulbs

]

creates new opportunities for single unit geothermal sustainable communities.

rainbarrels

rainbarrels

INDIVIDUAL SCALE

improvement

blackwater waste

vacant lot farming

block-by-block rain barrels

MORE CAPACITY IN: decision making mechanisms organizational learning legal structure financial resources

storm/sewage infrastructure geothermal improvement

S ES

S

]

lightbulbs

rainTERM garden LONG

TIME REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT SHORT TERM

LEED multi unit

block-by-block rain barrels

ecovillag

WATER

S ES WATER & SEWER E NE S S V DISTRICTS I economic driver C T E N geothermal E IV F T geothermal EF EC F URBAN AGRICULTURE single unit EF food forest

wetlands

wetlands REQUIRED ACTIO N

LEED Urban sustainability planning, investment, and policy needs to focus on multi unit both enabling technologies as well as community capacity. Increasing a community’s capacity will enable them to implement more effective strategies and technologies. Both urban system performance and civic engagement represent new design opportunitiesDEVELOPMENT and are the next step in effective ecodistrict planning.

DEVELOPMENT

waste GENERATION & DIST. processing ENERGY COOPS economic driverfood forest

ecovilla

LONG TERM

FOOD community gardens community gardens

economic driver

geothermal

single unit geothermal

BIKE PATH NATURAL SHADING URBAN FARM

COHOUSING UNITS

LARIMER SPORTS HIGH SCHOOL SOLAR PANELS

COMMUNITY GARDENS

WATER LTRATION LANDSCAPE

ENERGY CAR PAVILION RECYLCING STATION REUSED MATERIALS COMMUNITY COMPOSTING

INDIVIDUAL HOUSE

RENOVATED HOUSING

...how can energy independence make a community more 40 resilient?

RESIDENTIAL

acres pv

COMMERCIAL

63

acres pv

2011 131 kBTU/sf total energy use 44% of total energy is electric 57.64 kBTU/sf electrical energy use

2011 55.9 kBTU/sf total energy use 65% of total energy is electric 36.3 kBTU/sf electrical energy use 2035 (50% better efficiency) 18.2 kBTU/sf electrical energy

2035 2011

2035 (50% better efficiency) 30.2 kBTU/sf electrical energy use

2035

2011

As design alternatives were developed, the team calculated the total energy use required for each area or building type to anticipate the energy technologies needed to reach net zero energy. A layered system of technologies were developed and “spark� projects were identified.

low income households spend 1/3 of their budgets on energy

GOAL

net zero energy and equitable energy creation and use.

SPARK PROJECT Leverage public infrastructure improvements

SPARK PROJECT

new houses

a

ng a ve

westinghouse hs

Aggregate residential systems

n la

bldg renovation

nm urtl and st

extended geothermal

S Incentivize individual action with energy districts

district geothermal

S

S

new houses

S

S S S

fran

ksto wn a

ve

ENERGYstrategies | LEVERAGE PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS Leverage large scale public investment with energy infrastructure such as geothermal under fields and solar infrastructure shading devices over parking or structures. | AGGREGATE RESIDENTIAL SYSTEMS Blocks of residential development (new or renovated) create opportunities for development based geothermal or renewable systems.

PARK & AGRICULTURAL STRUCTURES BUILDING

AREA OF SOLAR PANELS REQUIRED FOR RESIDENTIAL ENERGY BALANCE

LOW RISE RESIDENTIAL

HOUSING BLOCK

| ENCOURAGE GREEN COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENTS Commercial and institutional developments integrate building and site based energy technologies and renewable and use building rating systems for construction and renovation. Aggregate multiple sites for larger and more efficient systems. | INCENTIVIZE INDIVIDUAL ACTION WITH ENERGY DISTRICTS Energy districts are created with infrastructure improvements and programs that incentivize individual action.

ECO INDUSTRIAL & COMMERCIAL ZONE NEIGHBORHOOD

AREA OF SOLAR PANELS REQUIRED FOR COMMERCIAL ENERGY BALANCE

COGENERATION UNIT ELECTRIC BUS DEPOT

REGIONAL

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av us e. h 10,9e in ouse 50 one hold ga yea ls/ r yr

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TO RA TAL 26 INFAANN mil LL UA L cf

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av usee. ho 15,3 in o useh 30 ne y old ga ls/ ear yr

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Tragically during this project, four people died in a flash flood downstream from these neighborhoods. A performancebased systems approach could have prevented this with designs that are both performative and beautiful.

po

As design alternatives were developed, the stormwater profile and capacity were estimated to help the community understand solutions that would provide real engineering benefit and create neighborhood amenities.

20

00

res

do

...how can a community improve the region’s water cycle?

TO RA TAL 26 INFAANN mil LL UA L cf

rebuilding the city’s sewers may cost as much as 50 billion dollars

GOAL

net zero water and improved ecological water flows.

SPARK PROJECT Reestablish natural systems

SPARK PROJECT

wetland

Target net zero water for new developments urtl and

st

phase 1

Connect systems with public infrastructure

noff surfa ce ru

localized collection at stadium potentially for neighborhood

ark

localized collection

n la

new houses

storage

Incentivize individual action

ng a ve

westinghouse hs

rain drop p

phase 2

nm

wetland

localized collection

new houses

reengineering at new + conveyance

Aggregate sites for greater impact Incentivize individual action

majo

r con

veya nce fran

ksto w

n av e

WATER strategies | REESTABLISH NATURAL SYSTEMS Target major investment in locations where the reestablishment of wetlands and recharge zones can lessen stormwater impact on public infrastructure. | CONNECT SYSTEMS WITH PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE Linear raindrop parks can be community amenities and working landscapes that infiltrate, clean and convey water. They can be connected to larger investments in natural systems infrastructure. | USE WATER FOR STRONG PLACEMAKING Commercial and institutional developments integrate building and site based energy technologies and renewable and use building rating systems for construction and renovation. Aggregate multiple sites for larger and more efficient systems.

BLUE NECKLACE

BELOW GRADE STORAGE

BELOW GRADE CONVEYANCE

WATER STREETS

GREENWAY LINEAR BIOSWALE WITH SIDEWALKS

ABOVE GRADE STORAGE AND INFILTRATION

| TARGET NET ZERO WATER FOR NEW DEVELOPMENTS New commercial or multifamily residential sites can use localized collection and building systems that capture stormwater for on site reuse. | MATCH SOURCES & USES Inventory and align sources and uses based on water quality, quantity and availability.

Shorten physical distances between source and use gravity to avoid energy penalty to move water. Aggregate sites for greater effectiveness. | INCENTIVIZE INDIVIDUAL ACTION Watershed districts create supportive networks for financial, legislative, and informational support to encourage individual action.

BUILDING RESERVOIRS STRUCTURED STORAGE

...how can food & waste be seen as part of the same cycle?

Nutrient cycles were calculated to understand what capacity the neighborhood has to deliver food to the community and how waste loops might be closed and lessen the burden on municipal systems.

Knowing the site capacity enabled the team to develop business models for economic development and community empowerment throughout the different stages of neighborhood transformation.

1.05 FAR

15

percent per LCC requirement community garden

14ac total development

urban farm

215acres

18ac

YIELDS

1400 tons/year 2/lbs/sf

only 44 percent of county residents have access to affordable whole food

GOAL

close the loops of food and waste with a high productive landscape.

Harvest from residual & under-utilized spaces

ng a

ve

westinghouse hs

nm

urtl

and

st

food forest

Optimize for localized administration units

ark

Harvest from residual & under-utilized spaces

rain drop p

waste processing

n la

new houses

waste processing

new houses

edib

le/n ative

plan ting

private gardens

Incentivize individual action multi-unit gardens

fran

ksto w

n av e

NUTRIENTS strategies | HARVEST FROM RESIDUAL & UNDER-UTILIZED SPACES Look for under-utilized or under maintained spaces for opportunities to insert food growing plants and communities. | OPTIMIZE FOR LOCALIZED ADMINISTRATION UNITS The type and scale of urban agriculture is determined by the scale of the administrative x unit. It may range in scale from an urban farm M (aggregated properties with single administration), public green space (larger scale with public administration), vacant lots (smaller scale with individual administration) to edge condition or residual space (smaller scale with little or unidentified administration).

- URBAN FOREST EDIBLE PARK LOOP

M

N GARDEN TYPE 1

+ GARDEN TYPE 2 M C P

x EDIBLE STREETSCAPE & BIKE LOOP

| ENCOURAGE GREEN COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENTS Commercial and institutional developments integrate building and site based energy technologies and renewable and use building rating systems for construction and renovation. Aggregate multiple sites for larger and more efficient systems.

M BARN

| MATCH SOURCES & USES Inventory and align sources and uses based on immediate neighborhood and local demand for fresh produce. Determine a partner for the produced goods whether it is a neighborhood market, local restaurant or grocer who can consistently support the supply.

NUTRIENT RECYCLING HUMAN SEWAGE ORGANIC MATERIALS

+ BUILDING RENEWABLES - FOREST x FRUIT & NUT TREES

| INCENTIVIZE INDIVIDUAL ACTION Large scale urban agriculture provides a base infrastructure to support individual efforts in proximity to the resources and knowledge of large scale efforts. Encourage administration of large scale agriculture to provide community education support services.

GARDEN / FARM TYPES N NUTRIENT C CALORIC URBAN AGRICULTURAL COMPLEX

P PROTEINS M MEAT

CREATING A

LIVING CITY

CREATING A

LIVING CITY Post-industrial cities are an opportunity to reimagine resilient cities and neighborhoods where making place is a community-building act.