Social Streets: systems of mobility and sociability in Buenos Aires

TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Growth of Buenos Aires

2 4

Mobility Colectivo + Metrobus Subte Rail Bike

6 10 16 22 28

Streets Pedestrian streets

34 40

Sociability (3 sites of study) Calle Bolivar Avenida 9 de Julio Calle Gorriti

44 46 64 82

Walkability Conclusions

100 106

2 SOCIAL STREETS

We are as shaped by our social environment as we are by the built environment. This is notably evident in cities, where as landscape architects, we design and build landscapes for the social experience - especially in parks and plazas.

The concept of streets as a social public space usually takes a back seat to the allure of the next big waterfront park when considering projects that will bring the community together. The perception of streets as a linear public space is not as apparent to its everyday users, existing instead as a result of traffic engineering to prioritize the needs of the automobile.

People use streets every day. They serve as the urban infrastructure for movement, access and connectivity - from transporting goods to moving people, streets are a primary driver of urban form. What if we perceived streets in the same way we did parks and plazas? What if we designed streets for social human interaction over the needs of the automobile? Cities would be totally transformed and the dependence on the car may diminish. If streets were truly social, they would create spaces for social encounter and support multiple forms of public transit (a mobile form of public space).

INTRODUCTION This way of thinking drew me to streets as a study topic.

Initially focused on the design of the pedestrian streets in downtown Buenos Aires, my study question quickly developed to look at the larger role of streets within the city:

down through a set of methods that are documented in the following pages. Social Streets is a story about how a person may navigate the city of Buenos Aires and the every day potential of social encounter.

How do streets facilitate systems of mobility and sociability in Buenos Aires?

As landscape architects, we design experiences. As a student doing independent research in a Latin American metropolis, I used experience as a lens to understand design. My three and a half months abroad were centered around observation and participation as a way to understand and analyze my study topic.

This project sets out to document the ways people get around the city of Buenos Aires and how they engage in social activities during everyday outings. In order to arrive at conclusions from this question, my study was broken

4 SOCIAL STREETS

1880

1930

1966

1983

2005

2014

GROWTH OF BUENOS AIRES 1580-1776: City Founding / Viceroyalty Capital

The second and permanent founding of Buenos Aires in 1573 followed the Laws of the Indes, utilizing the grid system as a mechanism for order. Two small river branches in the North and South restricted the growth of the city so expansion began westward. Fertile pampas and a connection inland through the rivers situated the city as a major port and exporter.

1776-1880: Capital of the Republic

The construction of railway lines expanded the city in 3 directions (N, S, and W). The designation of Buenos Aires as the capital of Argentina in 1880 led to early modernization and the construction of a centralized urban system with immigration policies that increased the population.

1880-1930: Expansion from Center to Neighborhoods

An explosion in population led to the integration of new neighborhoods into the city proper. The construction of the port and the emergence of railways led to an expansion from the center to outer lying neighborhoods.

1930-1966: Second Expansion to Metro Region

A mass movement to outer areas of the province was encouraged by bus networks that made use of the newly constructed roadways in the 1930s, linking the city to the suburbs while creating a symbolic barrier between them.

1966-1983: Limits of Expansion

As the population continued to increase within the city, expansion outwards started to slow. Increased urban fragmentation was accompanied with the development of public transit systems.

1984-2005: Continued Fragmentation

The privatization of public services, railways, electricity, and communications created continued social and spatial segmentation. The number of shantytown residents doubled between 1991 and 2001 and planning efforts were impeded by the economic crisis of 2001 which resulted in new infrastructure projects after the economy’s recovery. Expansion of highways to the N and W was the stimulus for a new real-estate product of the ‘gated community’ removed from the city.

6 SOCIAL STREETS

8 SOCIAL STREETS

SYSTEMS OF MOBILITY Four forms of urban mobility in Buenos Aires are taken apart to understand how people get around the city and to gain a look into why a person would prefer one mode over another.

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COLECTIVO + METROBUS

COMFORT

IMMERSION

The most used form of public transportation in Buenos Aires is pretty comfortable to use. Buses have a variety of seats at different heights, as well as places to stand. They do not get nearly as crowded as the subte and if one bus is too full you can always wait for the next one. With a greater frequency of stops, people are always getting off or on so it is relatively easy to find a seat.

With the colectivo or metrobus, you are moving through the streets with a lot of windows so the user is aware of their surroundings, making it easier to know where to get off if you are not as familiar with the city. The colectivo utilizes a wide variety of streets and they cover most of the city, as opposed to the metrobus that typically just a straight route along a wide avenue with dedicated lanes.

You definitely need to hold on if you are standing up because the buses speed up fast and stop abruptly.

With so many stops on each line it is how the drivers try to compensate for the waste of time. If sitting in a seat facing forward or reverse, it is still relatively easy to relax and even fall asleep.

A variety of seats within the bus lets you sit higher up to get a better view out, or sink into the lower seats and disengage into your phone. Some lines even have wifi so people are usually found looking at their phones, reading, or listening to music. The seats do encourage sociability and it is easy for a group of friends to chat standing up or siting down.

63 decibels

12 SOCIAL STREETS

SPEED

EASE

Once on the colectivo or metrobus, it takes a relatively short amount of time to get to your destination. The problem is the schedule - it is erratic. You can often be left waiting at a bus stop for over 30 minutes then 3 of the same line will come at once. Feelings of frustration are often expressed by locals about the colectivos. The lack of a concrete schedule makes it hard to plan out how long a trip would take.

The metrobus is Bus Rapid Transit and has dedicated platforms that are easily recognizable with benches and maps of the lines and stops that make it easy to find where to go if you don’t have access to a smartphone. The colectivo stops are usually just a pole with the number of the line on it. Sometimes easy to miss, but there are often smaller covered stations with benches as well.

6-19 km/hr

$6.50+ ARS (.42 USD)

The metrobus can go a lot faster than the colectivos and is better suited for commuters traveling to a destination along one of its linear routes. Metrobus lanes are dedicated to only buses while colectivos have to navigate the streets with other traffic and make more turns on their routes. The metrobus can be thought of as the ‘subway’ of the buses.

The metrobus is the easiest bus option to use but service is limited to 7 main lines throughout the city.

The colectivo is easy in the respect that a station and line can be found within a short walk of pretty much anywhere in the main parts of the city - the only issue is finding the right line then waiting for the next bus to come.

the metrobus is bus rapid transit that is differentiated by its dedicated lanes

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view inside a colectivo

the colectivo utilizes all types of streets

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SUBTE

COMFORT

The subte is one of the most ubiquitous forms of mobility in large cities. The ability to put tunnels underground evades traffic congestion and removes the user from other forms of mobility. In Buenos Aires, the subte is very clean but has so many users that it is gets very crowded from day to night. People pack into the subway cars even when it looks like there is no room left, limiting any personal space one may crave. You are usually left standing on a subte trip unless you catch a line on an off-peak time.

The subte routes follow fairly straight lines and the cars don’t move side-side excessively. It is easy to ride the newer lines without holding on, and if sitting down it is easy to engage in reading or sleeping.

72 decibels

IMMERSION

The subte is completely removed from its surroundings and does not lend itself to a deep immersion in the urban environment. You also don’t get a view of people engaging in other forms of mobility around you. Although most lines follow major avenues, the actual subte experience does not connect users to the street experience.

This leads to an inward focus within the subte car. You are more aware of the people around you because there is nothing to look at outside the windows. The subte stations have free wifi and cellular signal still reaches the tunnels so many people are found on their phones during subte trips. It is easy to zone out into your own world or engage with others socially if desired.

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SPEED

EASE

Once on a subte line, getting to a destination is fast and transferring to another line is easy if necessary.

Reading during the trip makes the time go by even faster and users are usually pretty comfortable with this form of mobility.

The subte stations provide enough signage to make a trip to a destination easy and comfortable. Maps at the stations and within the cars makes it easy to know when the next stop is and any transfers that may be necessary.

20-22 km/hr

$7.50 ARS (.48 USD)

The subte is a fast form of mobility within the city because of its dedicated infrastructure. The constant speed between stops and quick turnover at each station lends itself to a fast commute. The frequency of the subte cars could be improved because there is a such a high usage.

The subte is a universally easy form of mobility to use. The concentration of lines in the city center and ability to transfer to another line makes it one of the most prevalent forms of mobility downtown.

The SUBE card gets you into the station fast and boarding the cars easily follows.

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view inside a subte car

view into a subte car

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RAIL

COMFORT

IMMERSION

Mainly used as a connection between the metropolitan region and the city of Buenos Aires, the rail lines bring people from the suburbs to the city for work and back. Rail cars are usually more comfortable because they serve the purpose of longer trips. With more room and seats than a bus or subte, it is easier to find a seat and people are not left standing as much outside of the rush hours. There are a lot more riders going into the city than going out.

The rail tracks are more removed from the immediate fabric of the city because they require a specific right of way so you are more immersed in the landscape with a view of the city behind. The tracks are often sunken in the ground or travel across bridges over streets. The longer nature of the rail routes lets you experience a diverse transect through the varying densities and landscapes between the suburbs and the city center.

The dedicated rail tracks make a very smooth ride and if seated leads to a comfortable trip. Definitely not as accessible as the subte or colectivos, the rail does serve a lot of people every day and increases the city’s connectivity to outer lying suburbs.

People on the train tend to get into the zone of reading or looking at their phones due to the nature of the longer trips. The seats all face forward along the width of the car and there are not as many windows as a bus so it is harder to view your surroundings in their entirety.

65 decibels

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SPEED

Because the train has dedicated tracks that have the right of way at road crossings, it can maintain a reasonably constant speed between stops. A linear rail track moves quickly between stations but they do stop longer at each station.

Once on the rail, it is a smooth ride that gets you to your destination in a reasonable amount of time.

They do travel slower within the city boundary and speed up in the metropolitan area where there is a greater distance between stops. The service does have a more regular schedule than the buses but with less frequency.

up to 40 km/hr

EASE

The rail is easy to use, but is usually accompanied with other forms of transit. Due to the nature of the large feeder lines going to large stations throughout the city, users usually don’t end up at their destinations, making another trip necessary. If going out of the city for the day, the rail is a great option to explore the region.

The rail tracks are not only used for moving people, but they also serve the role of moving goods from ships inland for further distribution. This does not affect mobility but the tracks do overlap in places.

$4.00+ ARS (.42 USD)

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view inside a train car

waiting at a train stop

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BIKE

COMFORT

Buenos Aires has increased its biking infrastructure in the past few years. With the addition of their ecobici program in 2010, the city has seen an increase in the amount of bike trips and today people use the bike share 5,000 times per day.

Biking is comfortable in the right weather conditions and the mild climate / flat terrain of Buenos Aires lends itself to biking. People who bike understand that it is a form of mobility and exercise - whether this means showering at work or only biking a short distance to catch the subte, biking can become a comfortable part of the daily commute.

The protected bike lanes in Buenos Aires encourage a safe and comfortable ride. The perception of biking in Argentina is changing as it starts to be utilized more. Whether using a painted lane or a protected 2-way bike lane, biking is a feel-good way to get from point A to B.

62 decibels

IMMERSION

When biking, you are almost totally immersed your surroundings. Navigating the streets with traffic, cars, buses, motorcycles, and pedestrians requires total awareness of what is going on around you.

This form of mobility does limit what activities one can do during their commute - it is not safe to be on your phone while biking so it encourages increased awareness of what is around you.

Biking moves you through space faster than walking so you don’t notice the small details of a building or every activity on the sidewalk, but one does get an idea of the character of the street, the other forms of mobility they are participating with, and the types of streets they bike down. The linear movement of biking results in a forward scope of vision as opposed to a view out the sides of a bus.

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SPEED

Biking is pretty fast on the streets and even faster if utilizing a bike lane with bike traffic signals. If you own your own bike in Buenos Aires, you probably have to navigate more streets without a bike lane, but the ecobici bike share program has stations throughout the city that are in closer proximity to bike lanes.

Once on a bike, the trip goes by pretty fast. You still have to follow traffic lights and the flow of cars but some bikers disregard this if there are no cars in sight.

Biking in the city can be faster than cars if there is a lot of traffic and the trip does go by fast on account of the active integration in your surroundings.

12 km/hr

EASE

Biking is an easy and sustainable way to get around cities that have the infrastructure in place. In Buenos Aires, if you live in the right neighborhood and work downtown, it is pretty easy to add biking to a daily commute. Today, there are 158 km of bike lanes in the city and more are being constructed to connect with other modes of transportation.

The ecobici is very easy to use - the only difficult part is getting the VOS card in the beginning. You just tap the card at a station that has a bike available and it unlocks a bike. The trip lasts for one hour before having to return the bike to another station.

The difficulty at busy stations is finding bikes that are available but another station is usually fairly close by.

free

tapping the VOS card at an ecobici station unlocks a bike

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TESTING MOBILITY

In order to get a better sense of the experience of the networks of mobility in Buenos Aires, I chose two points and took 5 different modes of transportation to get from Plaza Castelao to Plaza San Martin. This helped get a sense of why someone would choose one form of mobility over another while traveling North - South in downtown Buenos Aires.

Metrobus

There were protest marches along 9 de Julio on the day I did the metrobus route - the 2 6-lane widths of 9 de Julio were totally blocked with buses parked in protest but the 4 metrobus lanes were still running. I thought this would be as fast as the subte, but the erratic schedule of buses in Buenos Aires resulted in 13 minutes of waiting. This mode is preferable if you live along a bus line and have to travel North - South. The dedicated lanes move you quickly up 9 de Julio then the bus lines travel West or East around the city.

Subte

Both plazas have a subte stop at them on Linea C so it was a straight shot up. This is an older line so the tracks were noisy and the cars were crowded, but it got the job done, pretty cheaply too. This mode is preferable if you live near another subte line - transferring is easy in the middle of Linea C.

EcoBici

There are ecobici bike share stations at both plazas and the route from South to North was flat and easy to bike. This mode is preferable if you want to get some exercise and get from the two destinations in a short amount of time.

Walking

Walking in microcentro is a pleasant experience along the pedestrian streets. The linear nature of the narrow corridor makes it easy to get in the zone and forget about how long you have been walking. This happened to me - I was walking West even though I looked at a map before and meant to go South on the google walking route. The streets change directions near Plaza San Martin and create some confusion, even by me who has been studying this area. This mode is preferable if you do not have to be somewhere quickly and want to do some shopping / eating along the way. The walk down Suipacha was interesting and comfortable.

Taxi

The easiest and most expensive mode was hailing a taxi. The side street on 9 de Julio has a steady flow of them and the route up the major avenue was quick and not too full of traffic. Taxis in Buenos Aires are cheaper than in the U.S., but still not the way a local would get around daily. This mode is preferable if you have luggage or something big to carry and need to get somewhere fast (if there is not a lot of traffic).

Plaza San Martin

Plaza Castelao

metrobus 31 mins $6.50 ARS 69 decibels

subte 17 mins $7.50 ARS 72 decibels

ecobici 15 mins free 62 decibels

walking 31 mins free 58 decibels

taxi

13 mins $55 ARS 46 decibels

STREETS

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STREETS

local one-way 2-3 lanes

avenue two-way 6-8 lanes

arterial two-way, sometimes elevated 8-12 lanes

Streets are the vessel of conveyance of urban activity from commuting to eating to the hidden infrastructure underground - the layout of a city’s streets dictates the way people inhabit the urban environment. As viewed in this study, streets are the connection between systems of mobility and sociability. The scale, design, and context of the streets in Buenos Aires influences their use; different types of streets encourage different forms of mobility and sociability.

SUPERBLOCKS In the downtown central area of Buenos Aires, the structure of the grid has supported the creation of superblocks that concentrate public transportation and larger vehicular flow to the wider avenues, creating smaller more intimate streets within that are being redesigned for the human scale while limiting vehicular flow.

Since the invention of the automobile, city streets have been designed for the efficiency of vehicular transportation. However, streets are for people. Not cars, bikes, mopeds, buses, or trains - the street is made for the flow of people. These vehicles are just objects that aid in the movement of the human, providing different options for people to use and experience the street.

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the temporary closure of a street reveals the potential of using them as spaces for humans, not cars

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microcentro

PEDESTRIAN STREETS Buenos Aires has reinvented its streets and transportation systems through the implementation of their Sustainable Mobility Plan to create a higher quality of life in the urban environment. Not only does Buenos Aires have the widest avenue in the world, it has also created intimate pedestrian-priority streets that increase livability in the city. This is especially important in the downtown central area of Buenos Aires where 23% of the jobs in the city are concentrated, resulting in an influx of 1.5 million people per day.

Creation of Superblocks Pushing public transportation to wider avenues in the central area allowed for the creation of these more intimate pedestrian streets that are now safer for people and bikes and designed for the human scale.

These ‘pedestrian’ streets have created public space, sparked economic development, decreased air pollution, and encouraged the use of public transportation. The amount of noise and gas emissions was reduced by 50% and a reduction in the amount of space dedicated to cars creates a healthier environment that increases opportunities for social encounter.

Restricting Vehicular Flow Cars are limited in microcentro from 11 am - 4 pm on the weekdays. This has resulted in 85% less cars in the area since 2011 and 60% fewer cars from January - July 2016 (5,502 cars / day to 2,235 cars / day). Cars are less inclined to go down these streets because the space dedicated to them was cut in half.

Leveling the Sidewalk Putting the pedestrian at the same level as the vehicle makes drivers slow down and be more aware. This is accentuated by bollards that limit vehicular flow to a small lane in the center of the street.

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microcentro in downtown Buenos Aires limits cars during weekdays and pushes public transit to larger avenues

the pedestrian-only street Calle Flordia experiences a high volume of pedestrians who flock to this shopping destination

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SITES OF STUDY

Three sites around the city were chosen to study how different scales, design, and context affect sociability and the forms of mobility a street may support.

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CALLE BOLIVAR SOCIAL PEDESTRIAN

high school | walking | play

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MORNING

LUNCH

EVENING

The exclusion of cars from the road lets morning commuters utilize the whole street on their walk to work. People arrive at church, clean their storefronts, and the school kids funnel into class.

Once the kids are in the high school, there isn’t much social activity, but the professionals do utilize the block while walking to work.

The most active part of the day is lunch where school kids flood the street with their activities.

Eating lunch, playing futbol, cards, games, and socializing in groups - the kids enjoy a break from class and expel their pent-up energy before finishing their work. Professionals visit the block to get lunch and the church steps become a popular eating area.

After the hustle of the day, the evening provides a quiet, well-lit block that is perfect for dog walking. A few people trickle through but most of the activity is done for the day. The students and professionals have gone home but the residents nearby use the block during a nice evening stroll.

CALLE BOLIVAR

Calle Bolivar was chosen as a site because of its unique character as a pedestrian street and vibrant social scene. Located downtown and within proximity to jobs and public transit, this block experiences a high volume of people during the week, which is magnified by the high school and church that occupy the western side of the block. The students use the street to its full capacity - playing futbol, gathering for lunch, and socializing outside during their break from class. Totally blocked from cars, the cobble road accommodates bikes and people and the large tree lined sidewalk against the high school allows the kids to play without the worry about cars.

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SCALE

What is the compactedness of this block?

This block has a narrow width relative to its tall buildings but still provides enough space for a wide range of activities.

What types of vertical elements are in the space?

The dominant vertical form in the space is a line of street trees that borders the wide sidewalk. This breaks down the space into two distinct zones - the lingering / play space vs. the pedestrian / bike movement.

Is the space designed for the human scale?

This block had the strongest human scale design I have experienced in Buenos Aires. The intimate compactedness creates a comfortable environment with a strong sense of place.

Is the building facade permeable and interesting?

The side of the block opposite the high school and church has permeable storefronts consisting of kiosks, cafes, and a supermarket. The church and high school aren’t as permeable but the wide sidewalk supports a range of activities that utilize their steps.

CONTEXT

Where is this block in relation to the city?

This block is located downtown in proximity to the largest concentration of jobs in the city so it experiences a large flow of pedestrians walking to and from work on their daily commute.

What types of businesses are on this block?

There are cafes, kioscos, a supermarket, parking garage, and book store on the eastern side of the block that attract people throughout the day, especially at lunch.

Is there public space nearby?

Plaza de Mayo, the city’s most famous plaza, is one block north of this block, as well as the Puerto Madero canal waterfront and ecological reserve.

bollards limit motorcycles and bikes to the center of the street, leaving the sidewalks open for activity

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a band sets up on the sidewalk during lunch, providing entertainment for their peers eating lunch

MOBILITY

What type of street is this block?

This block is a cobble stone ‘pedestrian’ street that contains a blockade that prevents cars from entering.

What forms of mobility are supported?

Bike, motorcycle, and walking are supported.

What forms of mobility dominate?

Walking dominates on this block and the large flow of pedestrians experienced during the day highlights its walkable nature. Motorcycles use this block to shortcut to other streets and bikes frequent the ecobici station right South of the block. It is not as comfortable to bike on the cobble stone but it doesn’t stop people.

Is it close to public transportation?

Yes, Bolivar is close to the main hub of the subtes at Plaza de Mayo - the A, E, and D lines connect at Catedral and the C and B lines are just 2 stops away.

Bus lines frequent the large avenues only a few blocks away.

SOCIABILITY

Is this block social?

Yes, this is the most social block I have experienced. The diversity of activities and its context downtown support a wide range of people and activities.

What types of social activities do people engage in?

The dominant use of this block is from the students from the high school who play games, talk in large groups, eat lunch, play music, and paint graffiti. Professionals also meet for lunch and socialize in groups.

Does the design support lingering and gathering?

The wide sidewalk adjacent to the high school supports the vibrancy of this streetscape, as well as the 3 sets of steps along the high school and the large shallow steps in front of the church. People utilize the sidewalk for large group activities and the other half of the street is used mainly for movement.

Does this block feel safe?

Yes, it is comfortable and well-lit during the night. The high volume of people enhances the feeling of comfort.

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the rush of high schoolers during lunch creates a vibrant street that is used to its fullest capacity

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Bolivar Street eastern sidewalk facing S

Bolivar Street road facing S

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Bolivar Street western sidewalk facing S

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a vacant wall is too enticing to resist painting it over with graffiti

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TRACKING Bolivar Site

B

M

MB

(institute of technology)

(government office)

F

F

(san telmo market)

[these stories are fictional but the people and their routes are in fact very real]

Maurice and Benjamin

Franco

[Sept 26, 2016 @ 9:30 am]

Oct 5, 2016 @ 2:30 pm

A father and son enjoy their morning commute to work and school by walking. Living in San Telmo puts their family in close proximity to the places they go to on a daily basis. The morning walk strengthens their precious father-son relationship and gives them both a positive start to their day.

The father, Maurice, works for the government a steady job now that the party in power aligns with his own values. Always corrupt, but they need guys like Maurice to keep their accounts steady. Ben is a college freshman at the Institute of Technology. Always an avid video gamer, Ben is studying computer coding in hopes to one day design the next big virtual reality simulation. The two walk together until Maurice’s street then split off. Ben picks up the pace with his headphones in and makes his way to class a few minutes early.

A millennial traveling South America for the year, Franco loves the vibrancy of large Latin American cities like Buenos Aires. An avid biker, Franco is the poster child for a sustainable lifestyle. Organic, ethically-sourced, and local goods are things he can get behind for the health of his body and of the planet. The long history of pollution in this city is unsettling but Franco is glad to see things start to turn around. He biked to the San Telmo Market to pick up some local artisanal food for the week. His favorite bakers and butchers give him everything one would need to make a mean asado - the new friends he met will thank him.

Franco loves the freedom of his bike, letting him move through the city effortlessly. No concern for bike lanes or cars - Franco just glides past traffic to get where he needs to be.

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AVENIDA 9 DE JULIO COMMUTING AXIS

jobs | cars | movement

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MORNING The morning commute floods the avenue with a mass of people draining from the outer neighborhoods and funneling downtown to work.

Maintenance workers clean the linear park, blow leaves, and water the plants. Motorcyclists park their vehicles in the linear park before heading to work.

LUNCH Lunch draws professionals from their offices to the street where they sit outside to eat or drive home to take a rest. People talk in front of the storefronts and meet in groups or head to a cafe. Tourists wait with luggage for taxis and passer-bys enjoy window shopping.

EVENING The daily commute is over and people are back home in different neighborhoods eating dinner. The avenue feels dismal with less action and walking the block feels less comfortable without natural daylight.

Homeless people set up camp for the night and a few dog walkers utilize the linear park.

AVENIDA 9 DE JULIO

Avenida 9 de Julio was chosen as a site because of its drastic change in scale and use. Claimed as the widest avenue in the world, 9 de Julio is a popular destination to visit in Buenos Aires but it serves the much larger role of being the main North - South axis of mobility in the city. 20 lanes of traffic and 4 lanes dedicated to bus make this a predominantly vehicular oriented avenue that is highly connected to subway and bus lines. The addition of Bus Rapid Transit in 2013 took away 4 lanes of traffic from cars and dedicated them to buses, benefiting 255,000 people per day and cutting their commute time in half.

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SCALE

CONTEXT

What types of vertical elements are in the space?

The linear nature of 9 de Julio is accentuated by the trees planted in rows along the sidewalks, in the linear parks, and around the bus lanes.

What types of businesses are on this block?

There are more cafes, shops, and kioscos on the eastern side of the block as opposed to mostly office and government buildings on the west.

Is the space designed for the human scale?

Not fully - you still feel very much in the open, even when in the smaller spaces because of the immense dedication to cars everywhere else. People prefer to walk along the buildings on the sidewalks over walking through the linear park surrounded by traffic on both sides.

Is there public space nearby?

Plaza Lavalle and Plaza Libertad are within a few blocks of this site and it is easy to get to other public spaces in the city. 9 de Julio is also one long strip of public space with the linear parks in the middle, but they offer a totally different experience than a whole block of public space completely removed from vehicles.

What is the compactedness of this block?

This block is as wide as a regular city block so it is very stretched out. The buildings are tall but dwarf in relation to the width and don’t provide a sense of enclosure.

Is the building facade permeable and interesting?

The buildings are mostly office and do have glass but are more uniform in character and not as interesting as the more historic buildings. Storefronts on the eastern side of the block add increased interest as opposed to the office buildings on the west.

Where is this block in relation to the city?

9 de Julio runs parallel to downtown and provides a main axis of movement North - South. This block is located in the Monserrat neighborhood.

the metrobus lanes prioritize public transit

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eating lunch in the linear park surrounded by traffic

MOBILITY

What type of street is this block?

This block is the widest avenue in the world.

What forms of mobility are supported?

Car, metrobus, colectivo, motorcycles, biking, and walking are all supported on this block.

What forms of mobility dominate?

Cars dominate on this block with 20 lanes dedicated to them, with the metrobus following with 4 lanes.

Even though BRT took away lanes from cars, it was miniscule in comparison to the amount of lanes still left.

The pedestrian does not feel prioritized on this avenue.

Is it close to public transportation?

Yes, the metrobus North and South lines in the middle of the block provide BRT and it is within 2 blocks of the Tribunales Subte line D. You can easily move around the city from this point but may have to transfer to go E-W.

SOCIABILITY

Is this block social?

This block definitely prioritizes mobility over sociability, but it does accommodate some smaller group gatherings that are bound to happen because of its context.

What types of social activities do people engage in?

A group of motorcyclists take full advantage of the linear park on the eastern side and talk in groups throughout the day after parking their bikes. A few areas of cafe seating on the eastern sidewalk create social spaces, but other than that only fleeting sociability occurs.

Does the design support lingering and gathering?

The few benches and fountains in the linear parks encourage lingering but are not taken full advantage of.

Does this block feel safe?

During the day with the rush of commuters the avenue feels safe, but hectic. At night it is not as comfortable to walk through the linear parks and people usually walk fast from East - West. Homeless people claim the linear parks at night with their belongings and sleeping gear.

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crossing an intersection as wide as a city block requires a fast pace to get across in time

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9 de Julio eastern sidewalk facing S

9 de Julio eastern park facing S

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9 de Julio western park facing S

9 de Julio western sidewalk facing S

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TRACKING 9 de Julio Site

F

(courthouse)

(parked car)

F

M M

(ecobici station)

M

(office tower)

[these stories are fictional but the people and their routes are in fact very real]

Federico

Marcos

[Oct 10, 2016 @ 11:30 am]

[Oct 13, 2016 @ 1 pm]

A judge at the highest courthouse in Buenos Aires, Federico is a practical yet very busy man.

Often running to other offices throughout the city, he appreciates the convenience of owning a car.

Living in Palermo and working in Monserrat on 9 de Julio makes it relatively easy to take main avenues from home - work and back. During his lunch break, Federico drives home for lunch with his wife, who is usually in bed by the time he gets home at night. They enjoy this time together to talk about the crazy stories he experiences every day and her adventures starting a book club and keeping up with the local knitting group.

A young professional and avid hiker who enjoys using his daily commute to get in some exercise.

Purely motivated by the desire to maintain his fitness in the city, Marcos is waiting until he can go on his next adventure in Patagonia. Living in such a big city is not his first choice, but it is necessary right now to save up some money until he can travel the world again. Taking full advantage of the ecobici program, Marcos picks up a bike at a station close to his house and drops it off just a few blocks away from his office. The convenience of not having to worry about owning a bike suits Marco’s lifestyle because he is often moving to different cities around the world. Working in an office tower is daunting but getting some fresh air on the bike in the morning makes it a bit more bearable. Marco enjoys having options of mobility - switching between bike, bus, and subte - all while walking.

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CALLE GORRITI VIBRANT NIGHT

residential | biking | night life

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MORNING

LUNCH

EVENING

As droves of commuters bike through the block, restaurant owners get deliveries of produce to prep for the day. Not many people are walking on the sidewalks but the few shop owners are cleaning their realm of ownership.

Once the sun is out and people start getting hungry, the restaurants set out their sidewalk seating and open for the chance of catching the occasional passer-by. Not a ton of activity, but the walk is nice and the diversity of shops and restaurants is interesting. Bikers take a pit stop to pump their tires full outside the bike shop.

Night time is the most active part of the day as the block lights up with activity around the restaurants that experience their busiest time of day. People have commuted back to the neighborhood from work and experience an evening stroll or night out.

The late night culture here supports the businesses on this block that are in proximity to another hub of activity 2 blocks away at Plaza Serrano.

CALLE GORRITI

Gorriti Street was chosen as a site because of its location in the increasingly residential neighborhood of Palermo and the integration of its bike lane.

Within close proximity to plazas, cafes, restaurants, and shopping, the district of Palermo SoHo has a hipsteresque feel that is translated into the design of its streets. Removed from the hustle and concentration of business in downtown, Palermo offers a relaxed setting that is comfortable to walk around at any time of the day with always something new to see or do. Cute boutiques and shops cater to a younger crowd that takes full advantage of the active bar and nightlife scene.

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SCALE

CONTEXT

What types of vertical elements are in the space?

Street trees on both sidewalks create a punctured overhead canopy that supports a comfortable walking experience. A row of parked cars along the Southern sidewalk provides protection from the traffic.

What types of businesses are on this block?

Restaurants increase the vibrancy of this block as well as a bike shop, bakery, hotel, and car wash that increase the flow of pedestrians.

What is the compactedness of this block?

The building heights on this block are smaller and compliment the width of the street well.

Is the space designed for the human scale?

Yes, the compactedness creates a comfortable pedestrian experience and the sidewalks are wide enough to support trees, seating, and lingering.

Is the building facade permeable and interesting?

Yes, even though not every storefront is occupied, the restaurants and shops invite potential customers in and create an interesting walk.

Where is this block in relation to the city?

Gorriti is in Palermo SoHo, a more residential neighborhood that is quieter than downtown and a place to explore after working all day.

Is there public space nearby?

Yes, Plaza Serrano is a block and a half away and Gorriti is within short walking distance to the larger Plaza Viejo. Plaza Serrano is surrounded by a wide range of bars, cafes, shopping, and restaurants, and Gorriti is an offshoot of this concentration that thrives off of the flow of pedestrians.

storefront personalization increases block interest

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a protected bike lane makes biking safer and prioritizes biking as a form of mobility

MOBILITY

What type of street is this block?

This block is a local one-way street with a bike lane.

What forms of mobility are supported?

Car, bikes, walking.

What forms of mobility dominate?

As with most one-way streets in Buenos Aires, cars dominate - but the addition of a protected bike lane puts biking at almost the same level. A constant stream of bikers can be found commuting comfortably adjacent to the cars.

Is it close to public transportation?

Yes, but it is not the major selling point of the area. Being such a walkable district, Palermo Soho has bus lines, but it is removed from the subte and metrobus. The concentration of residences here supports walkability that the businesses have taken full advantage of.

SOCIABILITY

Is this block social?

Yes, especially at night. During the day there are occasional encounters but residents definitely enjoy the area for its comfortable night atmosphere.

What types of social activities do people engage in?

Sidewalk eating on this block is its main social activity but the hotel, bike shop, and car wash support smaller gatherings and unplanned social encounters.

Does the design support lingering and gathering?

Yes, but it is mostly dependent on the restaurants putting out their movable seating. The tree pits support seating throughout the day but are not utilized as much.

Does this block feel safe?

Yes, the night culture makes the block feel comfortable and inviting at night - even without a lot of lighting away from the restaurants. The daytime walk is enjoyable and exciting.

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the use of custom lighting and sidewalk seating attracts customers and exploits the late night culture of Buenos Aires

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Gorriti Street northern sidewalk facing SE

Gorriti Street bike lane facing SE

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Gorriti Street southern sidewalk facing SE

cleaning the sidewalks is a daily activity for shop owners

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Gorriti Street day use

Gorriti Street night use

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TRACKING Gorriti Site T S

(apartment)

S

(cafe)

T

(grocery)

[these stories are fictional but the people and their routes are in fact very real]

Susan

Tracey

[Sept 22, 2016 @ 12 pm]

[Oct 7, 2016 @ 1:30 pm]

A comfortable retiree that enjoys the quiet and vibrancy of Palermo Soho, Susan enjoys a nice afternoon stroll through her neighborhood. A sensible woman, living on Gorriti Street puts her in immediate proximity to cafes, restaurants, and cute boutique shops. After some window shopping and people watching, Susan lands at an intersection and waits for her grand kids. When they arrive, they embrace, kiss, and proceed to go to a cafe for a casual afternoon brunch. There is quite some tension between Susan and her daughter so she cherishes this time spent alone with her two grandchildren. They are spoiled at every encounter and Susan loves to take them out to catch up on each other’s lives.

An active baby boomer that bikes to daily activities to stay in shape, Tracey lives a little further out in Palermo but takes full advantage of the new bike lanes. She lives life on the edge without wearing a helmet, but when did she ever listen to her mother anyway? On this afternoon, Tracey biked to her favorite grocery store to get supplies for her weekly date night with her husband. Normally they go out to eat, but this week felt like the right time to surprise her love with something special. The bike path near her house is perfect for getting around and feels a lot more comfortable than biking on the road. The drivers here are pretty aggressive and Tracy isn’t crazy about weaving through them, but she does it when she has to, as with other difficulties in her life. A true go-getter, Tracy loves a bike ride and get a breath of fresh air before preparing a home cooked meal.

WALKABILITY

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Walk Score: 100

Walk Score: 99

Bolivar Site: A Walker’s Paradise

9 de Julio Site: A Walker’s Paradise

Four main elements of walkability: USEFUL If a walking route has businesses you need to go to on a daily basis, you are more inclined to want to walk instead of drive.

SAFE If you don’t feel safe, you are less likely to walk. A well-lit street that is full of activity and people will feel better to walk down than a dark, uninhabited block.

COMFORTABLE Well-shaped street spaces with vertical edges create a comfortable walking experience. Elements such as street trees make it more comfortable to walk down a block in the summer.

INTERESTING Signs of human habitation invite walkability- permeable building facades, a diversity of shops and flow of people. Blank walls and vacant spaces do not enhance walkability - missing teeth in a block deter people from wanting to choose it as part of their route.

WALKABILITY

Walkability is the degree to which an environment welcomes and indeed entices pedestrian activity and, by extension, cycling.

-Jeff Speck

Walk Score: 100

Gorriti Site: A Walker’s Paradise groceries

shopping

coffee

entertainment

restaurants

hardware

public space

pharmacy

schools

bank

bars

books

Walkability is not only dependent on the design of a sidewalk or how safe a neighborhood is, but what activities and services are within close proximity of a location. Websites like Walk Score have tried to quantify this, focusing on what activities are close at hand. The density of the urban environment supports walkable communities where the concentration of people and businesses is mutually beneficial. As opposed to the suburbs where everyone has to own a car and drive to the nearest strip mall to get groceries, in cities you can just walk a few blocks or take public transit.

Walkability is not something one would normally think about but it does dictate a lot of our daily decisions that are often subconscious. A vibrant street with daily amenities will be more attractive to walk down than a dull block of strictly residential housing mixing uses supports a greater amount people and in turn increased sociability.

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Avenida Cordoba a vibrant block corner has plenty of windows that add interest, invite people in, and improve safety at night

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CONCLUSIONS All forms of urban mobility in Buenos Aires either utilize streets directly or draw upon the urban structure they create.

Streets serve as the conveyor of people, vehicles, and infrastructure, but they also have the potential to become a place of stasis and social encounter. The scale, design, and context of a street all contribute to the forms of mobility it supports and the degree of sociability that is achieved.

My direct participation in the forms of mobility in Buenos Aires led to an understanding of the city’s transportation systems while detailed site observations led to an understanding of how the design of a street affects mobility and sociability.

One thing that this study lacked was long term site observations of sociability. I visited my three sites many times on different days at different times but staying for longer periods would have helped me gain a better image of what the social life of the street truly is. With more time, I also would have loved to track people further. This was one of my favorite activities, and if I was more fluent in Spanish, interviews to see what modes of transit they prefer would have resulted in a deeper understanding of the life of a true local commuter.

It was encouraging to see the ways Buenos Aires has started to implement more sustainable forms of mobility. From the development of Bus Rapid Transit to the free bike share program to the pedestrianization of streets downtown, infrastructure is being put in place to increase the efficiency and comfort of the daily commute. However, this is not to say that the city is making strides. As is the case with large metropolises, improving mobility is a complex issue that takes a lot of planning, phasing, and time.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS Mobility in the city is dependent on options

Cities should be designed for people

Along with the facilitation of private transportation (cars), cities must also provide modes of public transportation.

The density of inhabitants makes this inevitable- it just isn’t possible for everyone in a city to own a car. Furthermore, a multi-modal street can accommodate a lot more people than a strictly car-oriented street. The daily commute may utilize one form of public transit while a weekend outing may require a personal vehicle. Nobody can dictate what forms of mobility a person may use but providing a variety of options can make the decision easier and tailored to the needs of the trip.

Cities are entirely fabricated by humans. We build and inhabit them but are often overcome with the need to design for objects other than ourselves. Streets have prioritized cars for too long, and as the most abundant public space in cities, they should be designed not only for the movement of vehicles but for the scale of the human.

Sociability is dependent on context After observing sites throughout the city, it was clear to see that the places where people linger and engage in group activities are not dictated by one design element on the street but a wide variety of factors including its context, location, and the experience of the block. The best designed street will only be sociable if it is in proximity to where people live, work, visit, and enjoy being.

If we build our landscape around places to go, we lose places to be.

-Rick Cole Spaces that are designed for the human scale are comfortable to be in and bring people together - one of the advantages of public spaces in cities. It creates a vibrant urban environment that people want to live in.

People will use the infrastructure you build

Walkability is tied to a higher quality of life

As was the case with the increase of bicycling infrastructure in Buenos Aires, people utilized the systems put in place by the city. The addition of 158 km of bike lanes and the bike share program made biking a legitimate form of mobility and the number of trips taken by bike in the city have risen to over 2.5%. The perception of biking in Buenos Aires is starting to change now that more people are using bikes to get around. It was clear to see that if you build infrastructure to help people move in a more sustainable manner, they will use it. And it catches on - a lot of bike shops have sprung up around the new bike lanes. This trend is also seen in the construction of Bus Rapid Transit, which has reduced commute times for people living along its linear routes. A simple and fast redesign of major avenues can prioritize public transit and increase its capacity. And people use it because it creates a more efficient commute.

From site observations to living in dense and walkable neighborhoods, it was clear to see that walkability leads to a higher quality of life within the urban environment. Cities can be stressful and confusing but the nature of a mixed use community makes it interesting and exciting. It goes without argument that people are happier when they have the option to walk places. Without the frustration of traffic or public transit one can relax, soak in the urban environment, and get a little exercise too. A walkable neighborhood is a healthier neighborhood. Mixing uses creates a mutually beneficial relationship between residents and businesses where the residents support the local businesses because they are right outside their doorstep. It maintains a higher pedestrian flow on the street and enhances the chance of social encounter. As a social species, this is also something we crave as part of our daily happiness.

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MY MOBILITY IN BUENOS AIRES

410 km

158 km

79 km

63 km

71 km

[as of 11.29.2016 and only during weekdays when I was working on my main study]

REFERENCES Buenos Aires Government. “Buenos Aires: Plan for Sustainable Mobility.” Where We Are: Buenos Aires City, Argentina. ISSUU, 22 Sept. 2013.

Web. 20 Nov. 2016.

Buenos Aires Government. “Enter 60% Fewer Cars to Microcentro since January.” Buenos Aires Ciudad. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2016.

Buenos Aires Government. “Metrobus 9 De Julio.” Buenos Aires Ciudad. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2016.

“Get Your Walk Score.” Walk Score. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2016.

Lostri, Hector. “To Put Pedestrians First in the Heart of Buenos Aires. Pedestrian Priority in the Central Area.” Undersecretary of Urban PlanningMinistry of Urban Development-Buenos Aires.

Mehta, Vikas. The Street: A Quintessential Social Public Space. London: Routledge, 2013. Print.

Speck, Jeff. Walkable City: How Downtown Can save America, One Step at a Time. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2012. Print.

Urban Transport Project Metropolitan Areas. “Mobility Survey 2009-2010: Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires.” Ministry of Interior and Transport (2015): 01-103. Web. 10 Oct. 2016.

Walkable communities are healthier communities [University of Melbourne. “Walk it out: Urban design plays key role in creating healthy cities.”

ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 7 March 2013. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130307124427.htm>.]

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Special thanks to my professors for their guidance throughout the whole off-camps process, especially Tony Miller who was a welcome addition to the Argentina group. Another thanks to my friends and family who continually inspire and encourage me to follow my passion and do my best.

The photographs in this book are copyright of Nick Shannon