Urban design thesis: Social Inclusion and block typologies

SOCIAL INCLUSION + BLOCK TYPOLOGIES

Homeless Refugees Young adults

RJ LEANDER, 19125847

Elderly

Priority User groups who are in high need for affordable housing as outlined by (CMHC, 2019)

Disabled People with addiction issues

Deceptive term

People with mental health conditions

AFFORDABLE HOUSING ?

TORONTO

Middle class

Chronic homelessness

Survivors of domestic violence

Long waiting time about 5-7 years

Veterans

Less income Rising market prices

Housing structures

subsidized

modular

supportive

rent-geared-to-income

Social

INCLUSIVE DESIGN

LOW SUPPLY

DIFFERENT LEVELS OF “AFFORDABLE”

NATURE

Growing population

INTRODUCTION

Participatory processes Toronto’s10-year housing plan

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Environmental qualities

Common facilities

affordable and supportive housing units

Social well-being

Mix tenure

using BLOCK TYPOLOGIES

Social mix

Better information

Community Development

Social mix and diversity

Unique needs for specific vulnerable groups

Although the aim is to prioritise on the concept of social inclusion, the research also involves a diverse user group and designing spaces catering to a whole social mix of population, thorough block typologies and inclusive design

Social well-being

THE APPROACH 1

Adaptive housing

SOCIAL INCLUSION

Common features for inclusion

The Barbican I LONDON

Regent park I TORONTO

Swiss houses, MVRDV I SWITZERLAND

Adelaide Wharf I LONDON

2 Lessons/ factors for framing

DESIGN PRINCIPLES can soften edges of buildings and street, this gives a friendly atmosphere for usLANDSCAPE

ers. Providing lawn areas, deciduous trees, planters and tree grates can enable people to experience the landscape with the sense of smell and touch.

Can include a combination of movable and permanent with durable and well finished surfaces. Providing a variety of seating areas especially in shade and at right

SEATING

angles can make people initiate conversations.

VAREITY

Adaptive housing

Proper usage of signage at the entrances can guide people to spaces. Changing ENTRYWAYS + CIRCULATION

colours and materials of pavements can differentiate between spaces and their uses.

ACCESSIBILITY + CONNECTIVITY

Use appropriate material and width to denote hierarchy of a place.

Familiarity

Providing partly enclosed positive outdoor spaces along with large open spaces for events can create a sense of enclosure and safety. Quieter and smaller spaces can

VARIETY OF SPACES

BLOCK SIZE Proximity of uses and sacred spaces

Biophilic spaces

ACTIVE STREETS

often add to the positive outcomes.

Participatory processes

Legibility

Urban parks with close proximity with a range of uses and spaces makes a place for everyone. It creates excitement, boosts interaction and makes the place a destination for community.

LOCATION Providing a variety of usable open spaces can connect major community VAREITY

destinations through open spaces connectors such as greenways, trails etc.

Every residential unit in newly planned developments must be 1/4 mile or 5 minutes walking distance to a park or a neighbouring gathering place

ACCESSIBILITY + CONNECTIVITY

VIBRANT OPEN SPACE CONNECTORS

LOCATION

Open space connectors mentioned above can provide better access to parks,

VERTICAL MIXED TENURE

SOCIAL INCLUSION+ BLOCK TYPOLOGIES

RELATIONSHIPS

Distinctiveness

Common facilities

Accessibility

open areas and different landuse functions, therefore reducing dependencies on

Unique needs

other modes of transport.

BIOPHILIC SPACES

The creation, location and configuration of new open space connectors must complement exisiting and proposed fucntions like schools, libraries and key

RELATIONSHIPS

MULTI USE UTILITY CORIDOOR

Providing walable and cyclable neighbourhoods by limiting the size of residential blocks and creating a network multi-use non vehicular pathways in the new devlopments is key to achieving a healthy community. Mid block pedestrian pathways

PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED STREETS

Comfort

Active streets

can be interspersed for block lengths longer than 600’. It is ideal to have lengths of 400’.

Safety

Opening building entrances to streets help activating pedestrian zones and BUILDING EDGES

POCKET PARKS

sidewalk areas. New constructions must allow side setbacks for existing buildings with windows allowing light, air and usable space between buildings.

They offer relaxation zones as opposed to continuous built spaces. Trees and shrubs provide shade, enhance vsiual appeal and add a sense of enclosure. Use

POCKET PARKS

BUILDING HEGHTS

of water features and seating would enhance this space

PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED STREETS

Connective mobility

CONNECTIVE MOBILITY

spaces.

BLOCK SIZE

Vibrant open space Connectors

‘Bulb outs’ at corners can help slow down pedestrian traffic and improve crossings to adjacent spaces. Street furniture and decorative crosswalks can involve

OUTDOOR AREAS

Vertical mixed tenure

BUILDING EDGES

pedestrains to slow and experience the place. ‘Wider street with tall buildings, narrower streets with smaller buildings’ to augment sense of place.

BUILDING HEGHTS

Having tall buildings at corners of blocks, serve as anchors for the block.

Decreasing building heights as we move towards natural features such as rivers can enrich the sense of openess

Applying the 5 design principles can successfully create social inclusive built forms, open spaces and movement network. Careful consideration of every design factors at all stages DESIGN FACTORS AND CONSIDERATIONS

of design process would ensure an all-round design that can highly relate to the wide group of people,architecture and urban forms. The main 5 design principles can help address social inclusion at all levels: from blocks, typologies, streets and open spaces

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Inspired from the various block typologies of the book, ‘Multi unit housing in urban cities’ by (Chey, 2018), this sketch illustrates my vision for a block with its movement space (in red). Podium towers are located at corners to house a larger population which lies closer to the main rai station on the NW. This reduces commuting distance. The block is made highly permeable with a central courtyard and many alleyways and tunnels leading inside to it from all around its perimeter.

Building heights would be reduced along the biophilia and pedestrain coridoor to allow more exchange between built form and elements of nature. Terraced built forms would allow occupants to experience the open green spaces on the upper levels. A better quality of life and wellbeing is ensured as all these design factors aim to invite and include a wide range of people to equally experience and interact

Step1: Identifying existing road network and biophilia elements on site

Enhancing open space connectors and connective mobility: The aim is to provide open spaces within the reach of 20m from all residences at ground level. Trails and connectors would be well designed to improve interactions between occupants

Connective mobility aims to not only connect people with sustainble modes of transport on ground level but also on upper levels of built forms to reduce commute distances

A mix of pedestrian movement strategy on ground with an infused upper level movement across built form, a network of connective mobility can be achieved with varying choices for people

Step 2: Constructing a bicycle and pedestrian coridoor along the main biophilia path across the site

Understanding various block typologies from the book (Chey, 2018)

INITIAL DESIGN 4

Step 3: Identifying existing amenities and infrastructure on site such as open spaces, rail station and stadium.

BASIC DESIGN SKETCH

Step 4: Constructing a 30X30 m grid to allocate open ground spaces accessible for all residents

Step 5: Connecting the site to the wider movement network (parks, rail, roads, neightbourhood, commericial areas)

Applying the design theories onto the site requires careful attention as they could be highly generic. More studies of local context and suitability while carrying out design processes is necessary to successfully include a wide category of people.

Design factors from local case studies such as Regent park and around Toronto can be prioritised to better design blocks for the local population

Instead of shaping urban blocks using transport routes and movement networks, here the emphasis is using nature to define the place and urban forms around it. This way all spaces co-exist with nature at all times, resulting in better social cohesion and interaction in these spaces

Biophilic DESIGN 5

Biophilic DESIGN 5

KEY CONCEPTS FOR BIOPHLIC SPACES

1: EXISTING PLOT AND BLOCK STRUCTURE BOUND BY TRANSPORT ROUTES

2: BIOPHILIA PATH PUSHES TRANSPORT ROUTES TO THE EDGES

3: BUILT ENVIRONMENT IS NOW BOUND BY BIOPHILIC SPACES

PLACE- MAKING is prioritized rather than spaces shaped by roads and other transport network

LANDSCAPE URBANISM is a key concept here that binds Nature and the urban built environment across different levels

Green Bicycle and pedestrian corridor eliminates the need of roads and always makes people always connect with nature

NATURE LIVING, as this biophilic corridor diffuses through the block with proximity to all building types. This is mainly due to the large amount of grey spaces in Toronto with less green cover and bio diversity. The aim here is to bridge the green spaces of the site to its wider context, with an emphasis on the local flora and fauna (monarchs) through design

https://youtu.be/mGmjhU3tswg (Click the above link to find out more)

https://youtu.be/sNkdy336hqM (Click the above link to find out more)

Vibrant openspace CONNECTORS/ 6 MOBILITY

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In order to better understand the aspect of densities in varying contexts, a case study was made studying dense urban built environments across the globe around a density of 800 people/ha. These case studies have been used to understand how these projects use block typologies to address urban intensities. The balance lies in iteration 4, section A (below), where the urban forms include all types of building typologies ranging from low rises, medium rises, condomiums along with the right amunt of open spaces, green areas, landscapes, parking spaces and vegetation

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Mi Casa: Being a Mediterranean-themed condominium. It comprise a mix of buildings ranging from 5 to 20 stories of residential towers with a multi story car park, a swimming pool and ancillary facilities’ (Density Atlas, 2021) Lower East side block, NY: Being part of China town, this block accomodated much of immigrants around the 20th century with 91% of residents of Asian heritage at present with an average household size of 3.18 residents compared to an average of 2.0 in Manhattan.

Rue de Charonne: From a former artisan district for carpeting and furniture businesses, this block has been transformed into offices, lofts and apartments with storefronts, while some remaining as furniture workshops. A courtyard is shared between 8-10 units each floor while buildings are usually 4-6 floors in height.

ADRESSING DENSITY 7 TARGET DENSITY Testing densities with varying intensity and environmental quality factors within a testbed of 64 ha with reference to the landuse budget framework (800x800m grid)

SECTION A

Experimentations on how to achieve different urban development forms at 360 units per ha. Section A has a right balance of intensification and environmental quality

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SOCIAL INCLUSION THROUGH DESIGN Living units follows the concept of mixed tenure with variations in housing types within floors and across levels. This ensures a certain level of social inclusion

SHARED GARDENS Shared by multiple spaces that is highly suitable for urban vertical food farming/ roof gardens/ vegetation. They offer a semi private enclosed environment

SUPERBLOCK CONCEPT: Applying the superblock strategy across the block space, vertical functions and public realms help design spaces with varying levels of privacy depending upon usage. All design decisions focus on how to better spaces catering to easy pedestrian access. This allows people to interact and socialise better as spaces provide more enclosure and quick access to required functions. These superblocks also have better cycling and public transport links through biophilia paths and open space connectors. This contributes to sustainability making urban design more eco-friendly and humane

MIX USE SPACES Accomodating multiple functions across levels makes spaces and public realms highly active. This ensures high usage of spaces and adds to convinience as they lie closer for people to access

VERTICAL MIXED TENURE 8

MASTER PLAN 9

CLUSTER A This cluster consists mostly of residential (proximity to railway station), work and shop functions with large outdoor seating and amenities. This block lies closer to the central park space that attracts large number of residents and children. The open space that lies in between the blocks has a waterbody, a pavillion space that is highly adaptable and seating.

A good quality of enclosure adds a level of privacy allowing certain fucntions

1:200 plan

CLUSTER B This cluster consists mostly of Shops, commercial, office functions with some co-living spaces. The enclosure space in between allows outdoor dining making the public realm highly active and interactive. The narrowness of the central area adds more to intimacy and results better social cohesion. Some building masses recess and project to allow certain outdoor functions like shared gardens/ landscape/ gazebos

1:200 plan

CLUSTER C This cluster also called as ‘garden town’ consists of many residential, entertainment, coliving/ working spaces with a wide spread park space that runs on almost all of its building edges in the center forming a huge social node. The creation of a long park space instead of a defined large park area is to allow more informal social interaction and active edges through out the block edges. This block consists of mixed use functions owing to its proximity to the stadium and the high volume of people accessing the neighbouring spaces

1:500 plan

BLOCK TYPOLOGIES 10

CLUSTER A CLUSTER B

CLUSTER C

CLUSTER A (From the central park)

CLUSTER A (from the enclosure)

CLUSTER C (Inside a commerical space)

CONCLUSION This design tackles a specific approach to social inclusion through its five principles that helps connect people, communities, nature and built spaces.

This exercise has taught me to be more responsive to design solutions catering not only to the site but also to the local context and its people. In my view urban design is vital in understanding how spaces around a designed building or space works and future designers need to address issues specific to their time and place as we see major changes all around the globe in recent times.

Designing for a wide range of target audience is requried as every location becomes more globalised day by day. Inclusive design is key to satisfy a large number of diverse population. Achieving sustainability in all aspects of design is highly required as more and more constructions produce carbon. Sustainable building solutions and carbon mitigation strategies must be considered a key component at every part of the design process.

RELECTION The best part about doing this exercise is getting a deeper understanding of design theories like Landscape urbanism, tactical urbanism concepts, morphology, movement, socio- economic factors and so on as we apply these onto our design solutions. These concepts come to life when they are applied in real life when I visit any block/street or place. Sketching throughout the module has made me better communicate details and ideas. The structure of the module with lectures, analysis, application and presentation made me work and understand concepts better and on a regular basis.

Digital sketching is one skill that I developed the most after this design exercise which gives me freedom to express my thoughts through drawing instead of just digitally annotating using texts in a software.

Planning, playing and placing blocks, plots and building layouts were really interesting to deal with. This made me explore and research multiple published literature all of which has augmented my design thinking and output. This module has also taught me various urban design jargons and key concepts that would help design successfu places and public realms. Addressing the selected specialist topic of social inclusion and block typologies and cultural context was constanly the goal. Designing for 800 people/ hectare made me explore various case studies of vertical living and intensificaition strategies for good environmental quality. Expressing my work through different mediums of display has made me learn a suite of softwares that pushed me a step futher in my style of architectural representation and illustration.

REFERENCES Chey, K., 2018. Multi- unit housing in urban cities. 1 ed. Newyork: Taylor& Francis.

CMHC, 2019. Developing Socially Inclusive Affordable Housing, Toronto: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

Elizabeth Burton, L. M., 2006. Inclusive Urban Design: Streets For Life. 1 ed. London: Routledge.

Lambie, J., 2018. buildingbarrie. [Online] Available at: https://www.buildingbarrie.ca/intensification [Accessed Tuesday December 2020].

Makingspace, n.d. Barbican Living, s.l.: Making space.

Prachi, 2021. Landscape Urbanism , Oxford: Oxford Brookes University.

Wong, R., 2021. SOUTH EAST ASIA MORPHOLOGY, Oxford: Oxford Brookes University.

Works, T., 2019. Data Investigation: How Green is Toronto?. [Online] Available at: https://thinkdataworks.medium.com/data-investigation-how-green-is-toronto-4527d1384f0 [Accessed Monday March 2021].

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