Sage Morrison - Planning Portfolio

SAGE MORRISON |

URBAN PLANNING PORTFOLIO

University of Cincinnati

College of Design, Architecture, Art, & Planning

LegacyCrossing-Taylor,Texas

VacantLot[Re]Imagined-Over-the-Rhine

About Me |

Hello,

I am a 2nd year student at the University of Cincinnati. My major is Urban Planning & my minor is Environmental Studies.

My enjoyments in life come from traveling, playing instruments such as the piano, photography, designing, and interacting with the natural environment.

My interest in urban planning came from my travels to Europe and how differently cities are laid out and planned in different places with various backgrounds.

Phone Number

(513)417-9901

Email morri2sg@mail.uc.edu

LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/sageamorrison

Address 238 Klotter Avenue Cincinnati, Ohio 45219 Seville,Espana

SAGE MORRISON |

URBAN PLANNER

EDUCATION

University of Cincinnati

Cincinnati, Ohio

• College of Design, Architecture, Art, & Planning Class of 2026

• Bachelor of Urban Planning

• Environmental Studies Minor

• 3.82 GPA

Lebanon High School

Lebanon, Ohio

• Class of 2020

• 4.20 GPA

AWARDS

College

• National Co-op Ambassador Scholarship

• College of Design, Architecture, Art, & Planning Fall

2021 Dean’s List - Present

High School

• National Honors Society - 2 Years

• Academic Hall of Fame & Scholar Athlete

Community

• Otterbien: Opening Minds Through Art - Working with elderly on artwork projects

• ArtScape Lebanon: Art Empowerment - Unite & empower my community through the arts

INTERESTS

• Urban Design & Sustainability

(513)417-9901

morri2sg@mail.uc.edu

linkedin.com/in/sageamorrison

WORK EXPERIENCE

Michael Watkins Architect, LLC

Gaithersburg, Maryland

238 Klotter Avenue

Cincinnati, Ohio 45219

Full-time Co-op January 2023 - April 2023

• Revitalization & extension plans for existing communities

• Participating in urban design charrettes in Texas & Arkansas

• Preparation & editing of Master Plan & Planned Development

Standards Booklets

• AutoCAD, Photoshop, & Indesign

• Organizational skills

Kroger Starbucks

Lebanon, Ohio

Part-time Barista August 2020 - Current

• Training new baristas

• Customer connection

• Creating personalized hand-crafted beverages

SKILLS

Adobe Creative Cloud

• Photoshop, InDesign, & Illustrator

Microsoft Office Suites

• Word, Excel, & PowerPoint

Additional

• ArcGIS Pro & ArcGIS Online

• SketchUp Pro

• AutoCAD

Language

• Spanish

Michael Watkins Architect, LLC|

LEGACY CROSSING

One of the great experiences I got to be apart of on my Co-op with Michael Watkins Architect was being able to go on Charrettes. Legacy Crossing in Taylor, Texas was the site and Master Plan that I worked on most. Within a week, this plan was almost finalized and ready to be created in AutoCAD and colored in Photoshop by myself with help from my co-workers.

MASTER PLAN WITH PROGRAM

WMichael Watkins Architect, llc © 2023

The design is subject to change. Not for construction.

PRECEDENTS

THOROUGHFARE TYPES

WMichael Watkins Architect, llc © 2023

The design is subject to change. Not for construction.

THOROUGHFARES: PRIMARY TYPES

Taylor Heights

C.4

FIRE ACCESS

With Bush Emeny, MWA proposed two options for how fire trucks could access certain units.

Option 1: Shows the 20 ft. pavement with correct turning radius within alleyways. A pedestrian path is shown in replace of a street. A typical block is represented in the diagram.

Option 2: Shows 12 ft. of pavement within the alleys as to not allow fire to access units from there. Instead, they will access units from the street. A typical block is represented in the diagram.

By using AutoCAD and transferring the linework into Photoshop, I was able to achieve these “typical block” diagrams.

OPTION 1

OPTION 2

ASHTON PLACE

UNIT CONFIGURATIONS

60R-2P: Pad Behind, Two-bedroom Unit

60R-2G: Garage Behind, Two-bedroom Unit

"Lot" Area 2,340 SF Corner Potential Yes, 1 side, +5 ft. width

Attached Potential Yes, 29 ft. x 55 ft

40R-SP: Pad Beside, Studio Unit

"Lot" Area 1,140 SF

Corner Potential Yes, 1 side, +5 ft. width

Attached Potential Yes, duplex only While most configurations provide the likely required 10 ft. of building separation in the form of 5 ft. per side, this configuration provides all of the required separation on one side as a parking pad.

40R-SG: Garage Beside, Studio Unit

"Lot" Area 1,520 SF

Corner Potential Yes, 1 side, +5 ft. width

Attached Potential Yes, 30 ft. x 40 ft. Parking beside the studio unit is a slightly more inefficient use of infrastructure, however this configuration may prove useful where the normative depth is not achievable.

Over-the-Rhine: A Healthy Findlay|

FOOD DESERT?

Given the topic of Ecology, we look deeper into Over-the-Rhine and its surrounding neighborhoods abundance of healthy and fresh food. Mapped out are all the restaurants (healthy vs. un-healthy), grocery stores and farmer’s markets to begin analyzing what truly is happening in OTR and how accessible those amenities are to the streetcar. OTR is the place to go for a night out, but it isn’t necessarily all healthy. Many places are bar and grill type places or fast food and when the restaurants are healthier, they’re only accommodating to the wealthier folk. There are many grocery stores in OTR, but only one that is large being the Kroger-on-the-Rhine so more could always be added. As for Farmer’s Markets, OTR is known for its Findlay Market open throughout the week offering local businesses and loads of fresh foods. This is the only Farmer’s market in the area though. Overall, more healthy options need to be added to OTR and especially surrounding neighborhoods with all income ranges in mind.

GOOD URBANISM

GOOD VS. BAD URBANISM

Good Urbanism is represented by a place being created for the pedestrian. Things like gathering spots, greenery, public transportation, local businesses, a lack of places for vehicles and much more can be associated with this.

Bad Urbanism is represented by a place being vehicle oriented, vacant lots, a lack of greenery, a feeling of unsafety, unkept roadways & sidewalks, damaged buildings and more. As planners, we must find ways to create a safe environment thats walkable and allows access to the many things we need on a daily basis.

BAD URBANISM

MASTER PLAN

A HEALTHY FINDLAY

Findlay’s Friendly Biking

Living Fresh Green and the City

Legend

Proposed Trees

Proposed Green Space

Proposed Water feature

Proposed Green Roofs

Proposed Bioswale & Trailway

Proposed Bike lane

Proposed Bike Stations

Proposed Street Closure

Proposed Healthy Food

Proposed Green

Proposed Recreational Spaces

PURPOSE

The purpose of “A Healthy Findlay” is to bring forth awareness of Over-the-Rhine’s community and how much needs to change if its going to continue to thrive.

Focusing on a “Biker’s Paradise” that connects the community to Findlay Market and the proposed destination spots created, the “Living Fresh” portion activates more healthy activities like restaurants

Clifton: Hamilton Avenue BRT Corridor|

IMAGEABILITY

Bus rapid transit has been created to make strides toward lowering air emissions and automobile usage. We are looking to capitalize on this to create a more sustainable future for the Hamilton Ave corridor and the neighborhoods that reside along it with environmental stewardship in mind for ecological, economic, and social outcomes.

Our framework goes as follows: Disaster Vulnerability (heat islands, wildlife areas, and landslide probability), Stormwater Management (impervious surfaces and topographic analysis of slopes), and Health Impacts (air quality and tree canopy).

Moving forward and looking at the long-term vision of the BRT Corridor shows us just how great of an opportunity this is to improve the overall well- being of the environment and people along the corridor while focusing on implementing sustainable practices.

CLIFTON AS A GREEN COMMUNITY

South Cumminsville & Millvale |

GroupEffort:Sage,Kyra&Nasir

IMAGEABILITY

My group created our final imageability map for South Cumminsville and Millvale by1st making one of our own maps and then combining elements we all agreed upon in the end product. As you can see below, we started out with all major roads but ultimately decided it was best to represent the neighborhoods as connected by the major road Beekman Street. We changed I-74 from being yellow to brown to represent pollution from the highway. Lastly, we decided to use watercolor in our map to show just how blended the districts are.

TheCommons

EXISTING CONDITIONS

Vacant Lots

Mill Creek Community Based

These neighborhoods are places that have been forgotten, yet through strong community and perseverance have gotten this far on their own. They haven’t been given the resources and opportunities others have but, they never stop pushing. Change is beginning, but it won’t happen overnight. The Commons is a new building that appeared in 2021 that offers 80 low-income housing to veterans and disabled people. It is the nicest building in South Cumminsville and shines light on what is to come in the future. Vacant lots are around every corner you go which need to be turned into helpful uses for the community. The Mill Creek stretches between the two neighborhoods, as well as others surrounding it and has been polluted for quite some time. Although these neighborhoods don’t have much, they’re extremely community oriented and hope for a brighter future that allows more funding.

STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES

OPPORTUNITIES

SWOT ANALYSIS

When you think of an enjoyable neighborhood filled with all your basic needs and amenities, surrounded by a community, what do you picture? South Cumminsville and Millvale combined has great potential. Currently, its known as the “forgotten neighborhood,” but this can and will change with time. Change for the better has already begun with places such as “The Commons” built in 2021. This leads us to believe there is room for growth. A SWOT Analysis was created that covers the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, & Threats in these neighborhoods.

THREATS

SKETCHUP MODEL

RESIDENTIAL ASPECT

The specific area is focused around the improvements being made in the community. For too long, South Cumminsville and Millvale have been left behind and forgotten to where it became run down with little to no investment. Recently in 2021, this has changed. The Commons at South Cumminsville is a great start to the changes needed in these two neighborhoods, exactly why it was chosen to be modeled. It aided the community with 80 low-income housing opportunities for disabled people and service veterans. Much of South Cumminsville and Millvale is residential and is a place where generations of families live. There has not been a lot of help given to the community like other neighborhoods have. Creating more places like The Commons in the future years will bring forth life and make it come out of being the once forgotten neighborhood. This is only the beginning.

AFTER RENDERING

CROSS SECTIONS

ELEVATION

CURRENT PROPOSALS

WAYNEFIELD PARK

ELEVATED TRAIL ACCESS RAILWAY

CONNECTION

The neighborhoods along the Mill Creek overtime have forgotten just how important it is. The Mill Creek ables us to CONNECT each neighborhood. It is extremely important to find a way in doing this. In doing so, people from all around may visit the existing neighborhoods and bring attention to the more forgotten ones. Creating a walkable and bikeable trail elevated above the Mill Creek will allow this to happen, as well as bring many other benefits along with it. The Proposal shows where the elevated trail will go in South Cumminsville and Millvale with a bolded black arrow path. Two specific spots focused on were Waynefield Park and the un-used railway in the neighborhood. Not much is at the park and adding an entrance to the trail would be beneficial. Having a breakaway spot that goes onto the railway would be an interesting use of activity for all ages and would give insight to the neighborhoods past.

ADDITIONS TO TRAIL

MILL CREEK TRAIL

Extra Works |

UC IMAGEABILITY

Another Imageability map, but this time it’s hand-drawn. I chose to show this map because it was one of the first maps I made my freshman year. Creating maps digitally is a lot easier but sometimes you can’t be as creative and flexible with it. Doing things, at least at the beginning, with a pen or pencil and paper brings a greater understanding to what you’re doing. It makes you think more.

MOHAWK AREA PLAN ANALYSIS

Since the start of the 21st century, the city of Cincinnati has been trying to revitalize its Over-the-Rhine urban core in the historic sense. After finalizing its comprehensive plan in 2002, the area of Mohawk was defined and goals for its area came into place. In 2018, a local historic district within Mohawk was brought about. Geographically speaking, the Mohawk area is narrow, almost like a hallway, that lies north of Overthe-Rhine and West End, south of CUF (the communities of Clifton Heights, University Heights, and Fairview), as well as Mount Auburn. Demographically speaking, the Mohawk area is quite small in size and is split halfway between multiple census tracts, making them overlap and thus gathering accurate data is laborious. Economically speaking, development in the Mohawk district has been led through incentives by Tax Increment Financing (TIF) and Opportunity Zones. These help to give financial support to infrastructure improvements and projects. Planning for improvements and projects focused on neighborhood benefits. Roadways, parking, lighting, sidewalks, and vacant buildings. Being established in 1792, a majority of its built environment dates back to the mid-late 1800's during industrialization. This resulted in the architectural styles of Greek Revival, Italianate, Second Empire, and Rundbogenstil that are still present today. The Mohawk area is described to be a Historic Brewery District with residential and commercial mixed-use land, as well as having industrial aspects. More and more plans for this area have been drawn up and comprised into the Mohawk Area Plan, so it is safe to say that the city is not starting from square one. The main priorities for this area plan are committed on revitalizing this historic neighborhood in ways as

of serving as a guide for decisions relating to the physical development of Mohawk's community. The visions for the Mohawk Area Plan are: 1. To develop Mohawk into a safe, assessable, and greatly connected neighborhood community (Connectivity), 2. Create a prosperous business district that provides revitalizing the neighborhoods historic elements (Economic Development), 3. Create a safe and attractable built environment for the experience of those who come to and live in the area (General Improvements), 4. Provide diverse housing for all levels of income (Housing), 5. Create an area open to ideas and collaborative thoughts to solve problems that arise (Big Ideas and Challenges).

When summarizing the Mohawk Area Plan, consideration of the amount of community involvement must be considered for how well the planning process played out in the end. To make improvements to a city or neighborhood, there must be community ideas brought into place. The people who live in the area call it their home and must have their own desires put above planners who are trying to implement change. Working together to create a beautifully planned outcome takes time and motivation, but with the right tactics and people, life will be brought to an area. The planning process consisted of community involvement meetings, as well as public outreach, spanning between 2016 all the way until 2019 when the approval of the plan came from the Cincinnati City Council. The Community, the City of Cincinnati, NonProfits, and Non-Governmental Organizations all joined together to make this a reality. Here’s how they did it.