Public Space Public Life Norman by OU Institute for Quality Communities

PUBLIC

SPACE

PUBLIC

LIFE

NOR

MAN

OKLA

HOMA

OU IQC

PUBLIC

SPACE

PUBLIC

LIFE NORMAN

OKLAHOMA

CONTENTS INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

PART 1: PLACES

MASS TRANSIT / MASS HOUSING . . . . . . . . .8 LIGHTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 PROGRAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 FAÇADE ANALYSIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 PUBLIC SEATING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

PART 2: PEOPLE

DEMOGRAPHICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 VEHICULAR TRAFFIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 PEDESTRIAN/BIKE TRAFFIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 TRAFFIC SPEED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 VISUAL PRESENCE RATING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

ACRES ST

INTRO-

DUCTION PO E RT

FLOOD AVE

VE RA

Public Space Public Life Norman documents a portion of the research and analysis done by The Institute for Quality Communities at the University of Oklahoma in the Spring of 2012. Our study focuses on public spaces in central Norman and the people who use them. We modeled our research on work done by Gehl Architects on the city of Perth. By combining their work with our own observations and interpretations we made the following presupposition: that new modes of performing activities such as shopping, commuting, and entertaining have emerged to compete with public spaces as venues for social and economic interaction. Thus, now more than ever, the quality of public space determines whether or not it will be utilized. Furthermore, in order to increase quality of public space, we see it necessary to quantify the conditions we seek to improve. The following report begins to create and apply a series of metrics by which to evaluate the public experience of space in Norman, Oklahoma.

MAIN ST

SEN AS

FOCUS

BLV

A R E A

I-35

LINDSEY ST

PART 1

PLACES

MASS

TRANSIT

MASS HOUSING

APARTMENT SHUTTLE BUS 1-100 RIDERS BUS 101-200 RIDERS BUS 201-500 RIDERS BUS 500+ RIDERS MASS HOUSING

CART, Cleveland Area Rapid Transit, is Norman’s public transportation system. As can be seen on the map, the most frequented routes are those associated with the University of Oklahoma. One of the busiest routes connects an off-campus parking facility to the South Oval. The popularity of this de facto park and ride system can be attributed to the expense of on-campus parking. Other routes see limited utilization as limited range and infrequent arrival times prevent CART from becoming a viable alternative to driving except where parking is elusive or costly. This theory suggests a negative feedback loop–that the reduction in supply of parking spots eventually reduces demand.

MASS PARKING

STANDARD ADEQUATE ILLUMINANCES (fc)

LIGHT -ING

EXISTING LIGHTING

St. he anc m o E. C St.

Good Pedestrian/Bike Way ( >2.2 fc) Good Pedestrian/Bike Way ( >2.2 fc) Bad Pedestrian/Bike Way ( <2.2 fc) Bad Pedestrian/Bike Way ( <2.2 fc) Good Parking Space ( >1.2 fc) Good Parking Space ( >1.2 fc) Bad Parking Space ( <1.2 fc) Bad Parking Space ( <1.2 fc)

ve. rA rte

o S. P

ray E. G

ve. dA for aw

r S. C

St. ain E. M

ve.

sA ter

e S. P

Lighting plays a critical role in security and perception of security. The benefit of civilian “eyes on the street” expires after sunset if insufficient lighting fails to expose potential security threats.

Pedestrian way 2.2 Bike way 2.2 Pedestrian (comm. area) 2.0 Outdoor Parking 1.2-1.6 Street w/o Pedestrian 1.0 Freeway thru comm. area 0.6-1.1 Freeway thru res. area 0.7-0.8

DOWNTOWN University Blvd.

We see the need for adequate pedestrian lighting to extend past the peripheries of nightactive zones. This would encourage the expansion of nighttime activity and help maintain security by illuminating the dark edges of nightlife

UNIVERSITY BLVD

Campus Corner and Downtown Norman function as the two epicenters for nightlife in Norman. They are also the only areas of the city with adequate pedestrian lighting–which is both a cause and effect of their success. Or in other words, adequate lighting does not guarantee the success of a district, but inadequate lighting undoubtably snuffs out all legitimate forms of nocturnal life.

S AY

White St.

W Boyd St. Asp Ave

BOYD ST

ASP AVE

districts.

CAMPUS CORNER 10

PRO-

GRAM

RESIDENTIAL

COMMERCIAL CIVIC

The Island Effect

CIVIC COMMERCIAL

We acknowledge the success of Campus Corner and a portion of Main Street as individual hubs of activity, but what about the interstitial space? A swath of residences divides the two most programmatically active zones of our study. The resulting schism between the two most lively parts of the city eliminates the possibility of symbiosis between complementary zones and functions.

MAIN ST

RESIDENTIAL

MIXED USE

BOYD ST

SEN

ARTS

BLV

RESIDENTIAL

UNIVERSITY

STUDENT RESIDENTIAL

EATERIES AND BARS RETAIL ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

LINDSEY ST

13 RESIDENTIAL

FAÇADE ANALYSIS

S AY

R TE PO

VE RA

Transparency Allowing passersby to look into the building significantly increases the interest of a facade. Transparency also functions as secondary form of signage.

Signage

Recessions in façades for display space and cafe seating make an area more interactive. Alleyways act as channels to parking and other businesses.

ASP ST

Recessions

UNIVERSITY ST

Good signage requires signs directed to both pedestrians and cars. This means having multiple signs at different scales. Signage perpendicular to a building’s façade allows pedestrians walking down the sidewalk to identify a building

BOYD ST

Engaging Façade Semi-Engaging Façade Dull Façade 14

PUBLIC SEATING

VE RA RTE PO

S AY

These benches on campus lack shading or vegetation. Also, the seating arrangement lacks a relationship to a placemaking object, and is exposed to pedestrian circulation on all sides.

JAM ER

GA E AV

behind.

This zone has a good amount of privacy and comfort. The retaining wall here serves as secondary seating since it does not signify a seat but it can easily serve as one. This area has became a popular spot for gathering and relaxing.

UNIVERSITY ST

These benches across from the entrance of the OU library provide better orientation, and bushes shield the bench from circulation

BOYD ST

1 unit = 1 seat 2 units = 1 bench 4 units = cafe seating

PART 2

PEOPLE

TOTAL POPULATION OF BLOCK REGION

DEMOGRAPHICS

1-300

110,925

NORMAN POPULATION

15,125

RESIDENTS IN STUDY AREA

In 2010 the University saw the largest number of enrolled freshmen in the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history. The population of Norman took a small dip in 2010, but finished around 6,000 higher than it was ten years prior. That increase also helped bring in 7,000 more jobs to the area. The most dense part of our study area is in the South Greek portion of campus.

1-300

301-600

601-900 901-1200 1201-150

30 1-600

601-900 901-1200 1201-1500 1501+

MAIN ST

109,323 110,349

111,543 112,551 110,925

15,126 13,050

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2000

2010

Source: 2011 Norman, OK Community Report Card

59,537

27,149

OU STUDENT POPULATION

PEOPLE IN LABOR FORCE BOYD ST CL SEN AS BLV D

27,149 26,696 26,219

26,201

2007

2008

2009

52,788

26,490

2010

2011

Source: OU Enrollment Services

2000

59,537

2010

Selected Economic Characteristics

LINDSEY ST

3 lane traffic 4 lane traffic

17929

3645

VEHICULAR

1302

7950

TRAFFIC ray E. G

13875

3645

W. Gray St. 6146

19418

W. Main St.

2077 14111

3221 7750

4513

Classen Blvd.

2634

4143 1312

1873 3716

4828

1136

18527

13638

14778

S. Jenkins Ave.

W. Boyd St. 17978 1615 3084

14968

8047 1602

Cla . lvd

sse

S. Flood Ave. 5293

15684

St. 1597

5884 9339

ain

ve. er A ort S. P

E. M

S. Flood Ave.

Urban living depends on the fluid transportation of people and goods between cities and across the globe. This traffic allows for space to be differentiated and interdependentâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;both necessary conditions for urbanism. At the city scale commuter traffic differentiates work from home and event traffic mediates between play and home. At a global scale import/export traffic along with immigrant/emigrant traffic differentiate regions and nations from one another. If it were not for these forms of transportation, every zone of consumption would be its own zone of production, thus every community would be agrarian and rural. In this way urbanity depends on vehicular traffic. However, prioritizing this vehicular traffic at the local scale often ends up encouraging inefficient and non-social models of living.

12435

9783

19822

16552

St.

Average daily traffic count

5732

16285

14100

W. Lindsey St.

16875

PEDESTRIAN

AND BIKE

TRAFFIC

1 R TE PO VE RA

Though urbanism depends on motorized traffic on a global and regional scale, personal vehicular traffic at the local scale tends to inhibit density, and annul the economic and labor efficiencies which urban communities otherwise benefit from. In cities too small to support extensive mass transit systems, such as Norman, walking and cycling can provide the most efficient means of transportation.

MAIN ST

Our pedestrian and bike counts were taken on weekdays by video recording at a single location from 7:00 am until 10:00 pm.

FLOOD AVE

BOYD ST

SEN AS BLV D

Daily Traffic 100 500 1,000 3,000 6,000

Bike Pedestrian

LINDSEY ST

PEDESTRIANS PER HOUR

PEDESTRIAN

AND BIKE

TRAFFIC HOURLY

UNIVERSITY BLVD + BOYD ST

BICYCLISTS PER HOUR

PROFILES

400

EAST MAIN

300 200

100

TOTAL

NORTH ON PETERS

TOTAL

H O U R

SOUTH ON PETERS 0 EAST ON MAIN 0

P E O P L E

WEST ON MAIN

WEST MAIN

NORTH ON UNIVERSITY

200 100 0

SOUTH ON UNIVERSITY

TOTAL

100

NORTH ON PETERS

0 SOUTH ON PETERS

EAST ON BOYD

100 0

9:0

8:0

7:0

6:0

5:0

4:0

3:0

0p 2:0

1:0

:00

:00 11

:00

0a 9:0

0a 7:0

9:0

8:0

7:0

6:0

5:0

4:0

3:0

0p 2:0

1:0

:00

0a 9:0

0a 8:0

0a 7:0

WEST ON BOYD

WEST ON MAIN

EAST ON MAIN

8:0

PE O PLE

P ER

HOU R

100 0

100

P E R

P E O P L E

P E R

H O UR

100

28 0p

9:0

8:0

7:0

6:0

5:0

100

4:0

100

200

3:0

300

400

2:0

400

500

1:0

300

:00

1000

400

1100

:00

500

1200

000

:00

1300

100

1400

000

9:0

1500

100

H O U R

1600

P E R

SOUTH OVAL

8:0

TOTAL 100

P E O P L E

600

H O U R 900

7:0

9:0

8:0

7:0

6:0

5:0

4:0

3:0

2:0

1:0

:00

9:0

0 m

P E O P L E 700

P E R 800

8:0

7:0

4 200

SOUTH ON EAST PATH

NORTH ON EAST PATH

200

NORTH ON WEST PATH

600

SOUTH ON WEST PATH

R TE PO VE RA

3 lane traffic

TRAFFIC

4 lane traffic

SPEEDS 30 MP H

. Nearly all streets within our study area have been restricted to a 25 mile per hour speed limit. However, three and four lane roads along with slightly higher speed limits through major pedestrian zones both work to limit the walkability of central Norman.

30 MPH

BOYD ST

30 MPH SEN

CL E AV

FLOOD AVE

LINDSEY ST

VE RA

PRESENCE

316

50â&#x20AC;&#x2122; 874

561

469

207

334 780

1093

349

183

118

256

10 second experience 440

LOCAL BUSINESS

150 235

210

106 65 697

274

1,113

4 second experience

1,306

595

746

BOYD ST

LOCAL BUSINESS

SEN

This data set serves as an index for measuring the activity on any given street, and thus could prove a valuable resource in determining the most economically viable locations for future development.

530

We formulated our visual presence rating, or VPR, by combing pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicular traffic data to calculate the average number of seconds that people collectively spend on a fifty foot stretch of street in one hour. Essentially VPR measures how much time the public spends traversing a given area. The rating is weighted by street types. Streets with more lanes receive a slightly lower VPR score because of higher traffic speeds, fewer traffic stops and further viewing distances from storefronts.

S AY GR

787

LOCAL BUSINESS

798

RATING

457

562

325

300

890

2,859

1 second experience

FLOOD AVE

516

E AV

175

[50ft/mean traffic speed(fps)] x average hourly traffic volume

VPR

722

R TE PO

VISUAL

800

958

LINDSEY ST

Public Space Public Life Norman produced by the following University of Oklahoma Students enrolled in the Institute for Quality Communities course in the Spring of 2012: Dustin Blalock David Clayton Sam Day Hok-Yin Chan Kevin Ku Ty McCarthy Morgan Pinch Jasmine Rikin Vera Voropaeva Madeleine Wiens Adelle York Shelly Zhu Blair Humphreys instructed the course and directed research for Public Space Public Life Norman.

Public Space Public Life Norman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Institute for Quality Communities 830 Van Vleet Oval, Gould Hall, Suite 165 Norman, Oklahoma 73019