The Temporal City - Devika Panicker

Urban Forest Devika Panicker

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IMPRINT From current urban vegetaion we can tel the dominance of streetways over trees. The melbourne city imprint from the current street tree plantation.

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What is time?

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Due to the complexity of the urban environment, simplifying this complex system is better for understanding the urban changes.

Introduction of AI techniques and their use in the urban planning and design process will improve the quality of city design.

Interaction and composition of multiple data entities in the city. As time goes, the data derived from sensors, infrastructures, streets, buildings, architecture… the whole city - that data is shared across the entities, communicating, ustalising and adapting accordingly to the urban data. This presentation explores only some aspects of the idea, but over time it will get built up into a complex collation of data.

One element to explore is understanding the relative time scale between urban architecture and nature. It takes time for green to grow. In this visualisation it is shown that even - given a time span of 8 years the changes in the urban vegetation is minute. Yet for building construction it can easily be constructed in a short time of a year.

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"progressively gains awareness of the world around it and of its own self" 'Intelligent Cities and The Taxonomy of Cognitive Scales' _Michael Weinstock with Mehran Gharlegh

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Complex Demographic within urban programming and population. Within the city it is good to understand a part of the complexity of the urban area.

Comparing demographic complexity of people living in the city with different backgrounds vs the background of the city programming.

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URBAN DENSITY This visualisation compares how much space is built for humans and what’s used for non-human use such as storage, cars etc. In Melbourne the large chunk of spaces are from all types of residential blocks. Other public human used spaces are just about similar size to non human use spaces.

Residential Apartments compared to offices in the city - around the same size. Is it necessary to have this many offices that are only used for 35 hours per week whereas residential is used for more than 100 hours per week. And is unused during the other hours of the week.

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Mining the City

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TREE URBAN DATA Looking at diversity of built form and tree species diversity, it is observed that from voxelizing each program within the CBD - we can see how diverse it is. But when compared to species diversity of trees, it was very coarse where most of the trees in the chosen area to observe are London plane trees (noting that in winter there aren’t any leaves on them) and second majority is spotted Gum trees which are native species.

Looking at life expectancy of the tree population are very diverse from less than a year to over 61 years. It is expected that by 2040 trees in existing parks are meant to increase majorly, yet street trees stay the majority of the distribution.

Can we take the behavioural attributes of how diverse CBD programs are layed out to give a bigger appropriate scale or boundary for nature to grow, thrive and coexist within the city.

Having integrated pockets of nature where non-human living things are part of the same biosphere as humans - which we already are on a large scale of planet but but can we try that attribute out for a scale of a metropolitan city?

A city for nature that runs along a city for humans. In the same way can we take behavioural attributes from the vegetation nature data to better design a city - is it possible to explore? To research?

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TREE COVERAGE Over the years of 2008-2016 the tree coverage scale was minute when looking from the macro scale of the whole city.

Majority of the canopy was distributed following roads. Here mentioning the dominance of how vegetation has to be following roads that are for vehicles. And canopy that are covering parks are minute compared to trees on side road.

And can see that it is tight and constrained within the grid of the roads.

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Conflation, Interpre Amplification

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retation &

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Change over Time

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INTEGRATING DATA From the tree distribution data where it follows the streets, from this, we are able to get a more organic pattern that is able to evolve slowly shifting from a more grid structure to a more organic form. This can potentially be a sustainable enclosure for diverse wilderness species of trees, birds and other organisms?

And potentially can we choose areas in between nature for the built form swapping the exposed area attributes of the built form and vegetation.

Can we also take physical attributes of building form and have it across the city of pockets of controlled nature where replacing building forms but it is for non human organisms and to let the wilderness grow in the boundary? And over time it creates its own environment and habitat.

Like the dominant species in CBD, London plane where the leaves fall during winter and more leaves in summer - implementing the behavioural attributes of that tree species - can we integrate a system where these type of vine species grow as an additional facade on the sides of built form where most exposed to sunlight - so in winter the building gets more sunlight and in summer there is more ventilation and less heat.

Can we integrate all of these variables together into a system for a well integrated city of vegetation and built form. A system where it is possible to add more researched variables like so into a design dataset to input as an addition to an existing city?

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Variations Regenerating the

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CBD

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Trying to explore a fraction of possibilities for wild cities and urban pathways by making most of green space exclosures for biodiversity within the city. Is it possible for planning to better protect and nurture human and non-human worlds? Exploring aspects of coexisting to a point where it’s safe for humans and nonhumans - come to a reality within the context of a modern metropolitan city.

Getting the positions of the existing street trees - as they follow the street grids - the growth of the new green urban wld enclosure influences the existing. Can see how it changes from the straight grids to a more organic form. It can also be applied in a temporal way how the city blocks are static and throughout the years the wilderness becomes this organic form.

RULE 1 extreme biodiversity within tree species, there should be species which produce fruits, inclusion of mostly native species and seasonal responding species near built form. It’s important to provide fruit producing tree species to provide resources for native wildlife.

RULE 2 provides pedestrian based access around the green enclosure. From offices and or residential areas - pathways that weave through, integrate through the designed urban green wild. Only having pedestrian based traffic where walking is the only concentration traffic to be aware of when utilizing the pathways. Enhancing all spaces for nature ensures that people will experience urban biodiversity every day.

RULE 3 these pathways from connection determine an access zoning to the green urban wild. There should be areas that there’s access for the public or humans, areas that are preserved for specific delicate nonhuman species, and some parts left solely for wilderness to grow.

RULE 4 having the building blocks or streets follow the nature around, swapping the behavioural attribute of hierarchy or roads, grid blocks.

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Urban Rules

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URBANFOREST RULES Rule A extreme biodiversity within tree species, there should be species which produce fruits, inclusion of mostly native species and seasonal responding species near built form. It’s important to provide fruit producing tree species to provide resources for native wildlife. diverse vegetation such as clumps of dense flowering plants or placing native shrubs with a mixture of heights.

By creating a diversity of vegetation structures, we contribute to overall biodiversity and provide important resources for native wildlife, like flower, foods for insects and nesting sites for birds.

Enhancing all spaces for nature ensures that people will experience urban biodiversity every day.

Rule B provides pedestrian based access around the green enclosure. From offices and or residential areas - pathways that weave through, integrate through the designed urban green wild. Only having pedestrian based traffic where walking is the only concentration traffic to be aware of when utilizing the pathways. Enhancing all spaces for nature ensures that people will experience urban biodiversity every day.

Rule C these pathways from connection determine an access zoning to the green urban wild. There should be areas that there’s access for the public or humans, areas that are preserved for specific delicate non-human species, and some parts left solely for wilderness to grow.

Make the most of green spaces and streetscapes for biodiversity Maximising green spaces can be done by enhancing ecological function.

Rules within forest distribution. Following adn influencing from Akiri Miyowaki method of urban forest plantation.

Rule D Trees need to be close together - so that the plants receive sunlight only from the top and grow upwards instead of sideways.

Rule H There should be 4 layers of height within tree species distribution: Shrub layer, sub tree layer, tree layer and canopy layer - shrubs which can grow upto 1.5m for the first layer, trees which grow upto 7.5m for the second layer, trees that grow up to 12m for the third layer and canopy trees which grow above 12m for the fourth layer. Nature to take over because we are a part of it.

Rule I plant saplings should have a height ranging between 60 to 80cm - with Inclusion of maximum native species of plants for biodiversity.

Rule J All the species of plants should be arranged in a staggered manner and Cant follow a repetitive pattern for sapling plantation.

Rule K Method of Plantation - On average, 3 to 5 saplings should be planted within an area of one square metre.

Rule L Site cant be less than 3m width - the forest branching are set accordingly Rule M Arrange the dense plantation of the native species of plants so that they grow into different layers.

Rule N similar species of plants should not be planted together.

Rule O The forest should be free from weeds for the first 2 years.

Rule P No cutting or pruning

Rule E Need 8 hour sunlight min site during the day Rule F Soil needs to be porous - Soil Preparation - A combination of perforators, water retainers, fertilizers and microorganisms should be mixed with the existing soil.

Rule G Native species of plants - divide them into evergreen, deciduous and perennial plants respectively.

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Dotted Lines

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When roads are taken over by nature - what happens to the current commute system?

Vehicular movement today as mentioned before causes noise pollution as well as animal disruption. While in streets everyone have to be aware of different type of traffics.

So why not segregate traffic into different levels Pedestrian based level above ground with urban forest Diverse interconnected Vehicular based network of different kinds underneath as tunnels - that 50m below ground.

Like the tree root system is connected and well interconnected the tunnel system can potentially have the same attribute.

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Proposition

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Today, we live in the ‘Urban Anthropocene’ - us humans are the key structuring species that could determine, alone, the fate of Earth’s life forms. We are part of nature but we humans have a strong dominance in the current geological age influencing climate and the environment.

In the context of a metropolitan city - this power is not allowing nonhuman livings that should be co-existing with us to coexist among us.

Can we design a potential urban forest for two groups - broadly For humans Non human coexisting species.

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I live in this Melbourne Metropolitan context and this is what I’ve observed.

Even though cities are trying to support diverse, resilient, and healthy ecosystems within the urban area, it’s still secluded and not every person living or working in the city can experience that from their homes or workplaces. Streets, roads vehicular activities, traffic movement noise which sounds like constant white noise that seems to never quiet down while we are awake.

Noise pollution - observation data from context White noise Traffic Cars Trams Honking siren Machinery Machinery movement beeping Construction noise Even though this might not be relevant to the potential project design It got me thinking During This time where everyone is stuck at home - imagine this being your entourage - your context - what you see when you look out the window - what you hear when you open the window or step outside.

Right now trees on city streets are very distanced and secluded once again - with boundary where pedestrian don’t even acknowledge it being there - we don’t know what it feels like - usually it is non existing while we are down on ground along with those street trees - because of the hierarchy of large city towers and built forms - the tree scale in comparison is not noticable. It’s just there.

What if this potential design of urban forest changes that experience.

Typically we go to a park or garden to experience this willingly - we go to forest areas to experience this while making a decision to experience this purposely.

Right now - if we walk outside by ourselves through the urban streets - we put on headphones and listen to music and it is getting to a point where some put on nature sounds on headphones to listen to artificially.

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Sapling rules can include plants eaten and and used by aboriginals before colonial time. Giving a voxel component filled with types of different native species. One component can have native species type a, another one native species type b, then c, some can be a pure moss module that can be joined with a mixed pathway and bench component, another one can be fruit produced species cluster. All these groups can have different variations of components of the same type. And when a generative aggregation is explored it could have an interesting cluster of a forest landscape. We can introduce more rule based connection logics of which sapling component goes where.

From reading it is evident that indigenous Australians were once cultivators and they created prominent terracing landscapes for yam daisy agriculture. And can integrate areas of terracing for yam daisy agriculture in the design.

Some pathways can touch the landscape and some have minimal disruption to the landscape - so nature can grow in between. Pathways can be single file - narrow so the surrounding ecosystem is not disrupted too much - influenced from traditional indigenous trail walking behaviour.

So integration of bringing back and applying past creeks and waterways, a sapling rule system for aggregation of landscape and walking pathways can be interesting to develop for a designed urban forest landscape in the context of Naarm - the land where melbournes located.

Introducing programs as saplings in the rule system

Terracing form influence - pro Yam Daisy

Instead of aggregating architecture - aggregate designed nature to an urban forest landscape.

For landscape aggregation - a generative method can be used for determining what goes where - by applying specific rules to component connection logics.

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COMPONENTS > AGGREGATE BY GIVING RULES > DETERMINE CONNECTION RULES

Some pathways can touch landscape and some having mimimal disruption to the landscape - so the nature can grow inbetween.

Pathways can be single file - narrow so the surrounding ecosystem is not disrupted too much - influencing from traditional indigenous trail walking behaviour.

m for agriculture - Australian aboriginal hotriculture ominent terraces - planting yam daisy.

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Research on your topic - that places in a history, legacy, provence Natural environment is kind of like an educational landscape for us - has different species that we can smell and touch - a different sensory environment to our own physical landscape to us / everyday sensory experience that we have in the natural environment is very different to an urban environment - but what happens when the natural environment comes into the city? we begin to have different smells, different opportunities, - pick fruit? Or Climb trees?

This project - potentially can deliver a changed experience from an urban environment with noise and cars to quiet and peaceful natural landscape.

Natural environment is kind of like an educational landscape for us - has different species that we can smell and touch - a different sensory environment to our own physical landscape to us / everyday sensory experience that we have in the natural environment is very different to an urban environment - but what happens when the natural environment comes into the city? we begin to have different smells, different opportunities, - pick fruit? Or Climb trees?

This project - potentially can deliver a changed experience from an urban environment with noise and cars to quiet and peaceful natural landscape.

Developing this idea is important for mitigating urban pollution, support biodiversity It will become home for a lot of animals, birds, insects - other fellow co-existing species. Giving a pleasant feeling in an urban environment - escaping from noise pollution. Urban forest - ideally will exist if we let nature take over anywhere - so why not assist the nature to take over because we are a part of it.

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Akirira Miyowaki method Inorder to slow the decline of biodiversity Air is cooler and fresher 10 times faster - 30 times denser Miyawaki method - mini urban forest method - it is well researched and expected to work properly - i am not a botanist or ecologist - he researched in this field successfully - my job is to amplify this gem of a concept to melbourne cbd - influencing form this method of forest growth -

“Motorway air pollution can have a significant effect on the health of residents living nearby,” says Samaha, from Level Architekture and the RMIT Urban Futures Enabling Capability Platform.

“75% of Melbourne’s air pollution is caused by vehicle emissions which carry harmful chemicals that can have devastating health impacts including cardiac arrest, low birthweight, asthma and reduced lung function in children.”

“According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, more than 3000 Australians die early from urban air pollution each year – more than the national road toll.”

“Our project proposes to retrofit and transform Melbourne’s motorways by creating ecological buffers to address noise and air pollution, while improving liveability and protecting residents from urban heat island effects, notoriously affiliated with asphalted roads and concrete barriers.”

Vehicular movement causing animal disruption. City turned into a segregated area from most native species.

Segregating traffic to diff levels Pedestrian based one Vehicular based Public transport Goods

Getting the positions of the existing street trees - as they follow the street grids - the growth of the new green urban forest influences the existing.

Rule 1 extreme biodiversity within tree species, there should be species which produce fruits, inclusion of mostly native species and seasonal responding species near built form.

It’s important to provide fruit producing tree species to provide resources for native wildlife.

Rule 2 provides pedestrian based access around the green enclosure. From offices and or residential areas - pathways that weave through, integrate through the designed urban green wild. Only having pedestrian based traffic where walking is the only concentration traffic to be aware of when utilizing the pathways. Enhancing all spaces for nature ensures that people will experience urban biodiversity every day. Rule 3 these pathways from connection determine an access zoning to the green urban wild. There should be areas that there’s access for the public or humans, areas that are preserved for specific delicate non-human species, and some parts left solely for wilderness to grow. Rule 5 having the building blocks or streets follow the nature around, swapping the behavioural attribute of hierarchy or roads, grid blocks. (didn’t get to visualise). and the eco-ethical imagination needed to drive sustainable and resilient urban pathways.

Many now have serious doubts about the prospects for humanity to live within cities that are socially just and responsive to planetary limits. Is it possible for planning to better serve, protect and nurture our human and nonhuman worlds? This book argues it is. issues around climate change, colonization, urban (in)security and the rights to the city for both humans and nature. the urgent need to better understand how contemporary cities have changed, and the relational role of planning within it.

Make the most of green spaces and streetscapes for biodiversity Maximising green spaces can be done by enhancing ecological function.

For example, enhancing streetscapes with diverse vegetation such as clumps of dense flowering plants or placing native shrubs with a mixture of heights and structures in garden beds around sporting ovals.

CAN Trees being close together - native species of plants are planted close to each other so that the plants receive sunlight only from the top and grow upwards instead of sideways.

Need 8 hour sunlight min site during the day Soil needs to be porous - Soil Preparation - A combination of perforators, water retainers, fertilizers and microorganisms should be mixed with the existing soil.

Native species of plants - divide them into evergreen, deciduous and perennial plants respectively.

4 layers of height species Shrub layer, sub tree layer, tree layer and canopy layer - shrubs which can grow upto 1.5m for the first layer, trees which grow upto 7.5m for the second layer, trees that grow up to 12m for the third layer and canopy trees which grow above 12m for the fourth layer. plant saplings which have a height ranging between 60 to 80cm - with Inclusion of maximum native species of plants for biodiversity.

All the species of plants should be arranged in a staggered manner Method of Plantation - On an average, 3 to 5 saplings should be planted within an area of one square metre.

After the saplings plantation a thick layer of mulch should be evenly laid on the soil for soil insulation and preventing water evaporation.

The plants should be tied to support sticks with a jute string to prevent them from stooping or bending in the initial months of plantation.

Water and Monitor the Plantation - The forest should be watered at least one a day.

CANT Site cant be less than 3m width Arrange the dense plantation of the native species of plants so that they grow into different layers. similar species of plants should not be planted together.

Cant follow a repetitive pattern while planting the saplings.

The forest should be free from weeds for the first 2 years.

No use of any chemicals No cutting or pruning

By creating a diversity of vegetation structures, we contribute to overall biodiversity and provide important resources for native wildlife, like flower, foods for insects and nesting sites for birds.

Enhancing all spaces for nature ensures that people will experience urban biodiversity every day.

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Biophilic urbanism was introduced as a new approach to urban planning and architecture that aimed to systematically integrate nature into the urban fabric, unlocking the potential to turn desolate urban environments into places that are restorative and conducive to life.

Biophilic urbanism is concerned with natural systems and human activities that are supported by biophilic interventions and projects. The primary purpose of biophilic urbanism is to increase the relationship between urban people and urban nature and to foster the everyday wilderness as an intrinsic component of urban existence.

Exploring through biophilic design inorder to create an urban forest landscape. S ​ eeking to connect the need to affiliate with nature in the modern built environment.

Architectural response: biophilic bringing humans closer to nature. letting nature take its place - pre occupying what humans have already disturbed

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CONTAMINATION what is the contamination level across the city - we talk about fruits, generating productive landscape - in melbourne a lot of areas can’t do that because it’s highly contaminated so is there an approach about time and staging - about how you can rehabilitate the land to be able to support this biophilic approach

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CULTURE Melbourne’s built environment are the whispers and songs of the Wurundjeri people.

As one of the clans of the Kulin Nation, the Wurundjeri people of the Woiwurrung language group walked the grounds upon which melbourne city stands for more than 40,000 years Back then we would walk though grassy woodland dominated by River Red Gum and Yellow Box trees. In late summer we might smell the smoke from ancient fire burning practices, sanctioned by Elders, as it hangs in the air - using fire to promote new growth - right conditions for particular tuberous plants to grow - yam daisy - Myrnong - used both as root vegetable and herb. The Wurundjeri people honour River Red Gum trees as an essential source of shelter, bark for canoes and tools. Plants are not just used as food - but served other purposes - tools, utensils, herbs, medicines.

Stepping back to 1830 once again, the seasons change and as late summer moves into early winter the Wurundjeri people prepare to move to higher ground for shelter.

They live according to the 6 seasons. Living is not constant - movement of where living is depends on seasons - going higher up ground in winter and coming back down to creeks in spring climate. In spring we can see flowers like orchids, wattle and murnong.

These can be part of the saplings for urban forest.

After 1835 - in just 20 years the rapid development of what was to become Melbourne destroyed the ancient natural landscape and aboriginal population went through inability to gather traditional food due to dispossession of their land.

Animals seen are - magpie, laughing kookaburra. Kangaroo, echidnas and a large range of other species.

The Townend creek - here we would have been standing on the bank of the creek watching platypus or short-finned eels that have migrated upstream. - today the eels travel along drain pipes under roads, pavement and buildings using the same migration pattern. Imagine bringing back the creek, stream.

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River Red Gum

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Yellow Box Tree

Dendrobiums - Australian Native Orchids

Wattle

Bluebeard orchid

Dendrobium ‘Bardo Rose’

Murnong/ Yam Daisy

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After 1835 - in just 20 years the rapid development of what was to become Melbourne destroyed the ancient natural landscape.

Melbourne in 1838 from the Yarra Yarra / Clarence Woodhouse, prepared for the City Council by Monsieur Drouhet; Melbourne in 1888 from Fitzroy Gardens / A.C. [print] Image shows Townend Creek flowing down Elizabeth Street. Author/Creator: Clarence Woodhouse 1852?-1931, Source: State Library of Victoria

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STYLE TRANSFER Creating false landscapes through ai.

Was interesting to see the outcomes Tried this method because I was curious to see what it produces with this tool.

By putting in melbourne city image and forest image what spits out.

The iterations look like its growing into this forest - that was interesting Some outcomes look like the architecture has been overtaken by nature - as it’s covered with the green.

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MIDSEM OUTCOME

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STYLE TRANFER OUTCOME

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WATER FLOW ROUTES + FORMER CREEKS IN MELBOURNE

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1970 laminated and current-bedded sandstone, minor interbeded mudstone and shale

1967 siltstone, claystone, sandstone, minor conglomerate.

1997 Marine: siltstone, thin-bedded sandstone

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N A A R M

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10, 20, 20 year plan

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URBAN FOREST potentially can deliver a changed experience from an urban environment with noise and cars to a quiet and peaceful natural landscape.

Developing this idea is important for mitigating urban pollution, support biodiversity It will become home for a lot of animals, birds, insects - other fellow co-existing species. Giving a pleasant feeling in an urban environment - escaping from noise pollution. Urban forest - ideally will exist if we let nature take over anywhere - so why not assist

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The Temporal City Ian Nazareth | David Schwarzman RMIT Architecture Semester 2 2021 https://www.temporal.city/