portfolio Stephen James Kennedy
This portfolio is a reflection of work completed while attending the urban planning program at DUSP. The work selected demonstrates skills and efforts that I feel will translate well as I enter the dialogue of planning. The majority of projects are abridged to highlight aspects that support this demonstration.
To view projects in more detail, please visit my portfolio website: www.stephenjameskennedy.com
All graphics and images were created by the author, unless otherwise noted.
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4-7
8 - 11
firm foundation
stormwater mgt
bronx waterfront
banjarmasin, Indonesia
west Philadelphia, pa
bronx, ny
A competition design that reduces physical vulnerability and enables endogenous development of the urban riverfront communities with a flexible kit of parts of gabion foundations.
Green stormwater management infrastructure strategies for the former Mill Creek watershed, an initiative of the West Philadelphia Landscape Project.
A Site & Environmental Systems Plan for the east bank of the Harlem River, creating new public space and a greenway for residents of the South Bronx.
12 - 13
14 - 15
16 - 17
astiko teatro
magazine beach
parking diagrams
thessaloniki, Greece
cambridge, ma
research assistantship
A proposal for activating Thessaloniki’s underutilized waterfront, using a system of public realm lighting and projection for cultural events.
An urban design and redevelopment project rethinking a site dominated by surface parking and big box retail, from Eran BenJoseph’s introductory urban design studio.
A series of diagrammatic studies created as part of research for Eran Ben-Joseph’s recent book, ReThinking a Lot, on the history of surface parking lots.
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19
iconic signage
lot & parcel
New Orleans, la
atlanta, GA
A New Orleans initiative to pair local artists with small business owners to design iconic neon signage to revitalize a main street, through Broad Community Connections.
An exploration with community members in defining an ‘in-between’ neighborhood of downtown Atlanta.
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Win
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Self-Reliant Urban Design for Riverfront Housing
The City of 1000 Rivers: Banjarmasin is undergoing turbulent changes, the city needs a firm foundation. Banjarmasin sits at the southern tip of Borneo, where the Barito river empties into the Java Sea. It is the self-proclaimed City of 1000 Rivers. Although the actual number of rivers falls short of the thousand declared, it quickly becomes clear just how integral the river system is to the daily life of its citizens. More than 150 km of rivers, canals, and tributaries course through the city. The water is used daily for transport, cleaning, bathing, trade, recreation, production, and fishing.
production has left behind a legacy of contamination and ecological damage on the river’s edge. Banjarmasin is growing but the city cannot keep up with this urbanization. Many communities live without utilities and basic infrastructure. The city’s tidal levels are rapidly rising due to climate change. Residents battle with the waters everyday to maintain their wood-built homes and livelihoods. Firm Foundation reduces physical vulnerability and enables endogenous development of the urban riverfront communities with a flexible kit of parts of gabion foundations. The project engages communities towards stewardship of their neighborhoods and waterways with a participatory design process.
Banjarmasin is currently undergoing many large-scale physical, economic and environmental transformations. Declining industrial
Firm Foundation provides a stable ground for the urban poor in Banjarmasin, reinforcing the livelihoods and cultural identity of the riverfront communities.
urbansos: water
summer 2011
team
aecom’s student design competition
solo, indonesia
alice shay, bima putra, addina amalia
*as the winning entry, firm foundation received $25,000 seed funding & will implement the first phase of the project in summer 2012.
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Gabions provide stable ground to meet the G
needs of Banjarmasin’s urban poor. This
A H
urban design strategy increases resiliency F
with a simple structural system.
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D
K
k J C i
B
I
scaled gabion stacking
Gabion mattress base physical stability
A
Structural support for adjacent housing
b
INTERMODAL CONNECTIONS
f
LOCALIZED WASTE COLLECTION POINT
c
BOAT HARBOR
G
SEPARATED SEWAGE NETWORK
ecology
rainforest (today)
d
support for informal economies
H
SUSTAINABLE HOUSEHOLD WATER REUSE
J
regenerated aquatic ecology
andesit
e
ENHANCED PUBLIC REALM
I
embedded piping for household water
K
GRAYWATER VEGETA-TIVE FILTRATION SYSTEM
granite
top: To
mitigate these physical vulnerabilities, we came up with a simple structural system of gabions to increase resiliency. The gabions extend perpendicular to the shoreline in the spaces between groups of homes. Functionally, they reenforce the stability of housing, create new pathways, and enable the construction of platforms for waterfront activities.
partner organization solo kota kita
Resources of Kalimantan
public health
rainforest (1950)
Above left: Gabions
are a landscape device that can be easily constructed without the use of heavy machinery by community members themselves. Gabions arrive on site partially assembled in flat pack format with lacing wire and locking pins for permanent connections.
Above right: Local materials can be used to construct the gabions. Stone is a particularly enticing material option. Kalimantan’s rainforest lumber resources are nearly depleated. An alternative to wood is more sustainable.
to see the full proposal, please visit: www.stephejameskennedy.com/work/firm-foundation
transit-oriented green infrastructure for stormwater management
mill creek watershed
Several neighborhoods of west philadelphia are built on the buried floodplain of the former mill creek watershed. The city is gearing up to become the exemplar of municipal stormwater management and is eager for new applications of green infrastructure. The water, Landscape, & Urban Design studio at MIT analyzed the hydrological, social, and physical conditions of these neighborhoods. Through these studies, we were able to develop new proposals for infrastructure that has benefits beyond stormwater management.
In addition to the natural hydrological system and built environment, several public transit lines cross through the project area. Transit stops define nodes that neighborhood residents use on a daily basis. Bus stops often coincide with the location of inlets at low points on many blocks.
Market21 Bus Frankford Elevated Rail Line to subway
Penn’s Landing To 69th Street Transportation Center
31 Bus
64 Bus
City Hall To 76th-City
49th-Parkside To Pier 70
water, landscape, & Urban Design
fall 2011
project partner
West Philadelphia Landscape Project
west Philadelphia, pa
ann-ariel vecchio
5
site hydrology
Heightmap & Topography (top): The Neighborhood’s low-lying areas
The Municipal Drainage System (bottom): The Philadelphia Water
clearly illustrate the presence of mill creek’s buried flood plain. The low
Department uses sewersheds to define primary flows to the municipal
points above were most likely part of the mill creek bed, about 3/4 of a mile
drainage system. However, to understand the true drainage patterns in a
from the creek’s mouth at the schuylkill river.
watershed, one needs to look beyond these engineered boundaries.
to see more details from this project, please visit: http://tinyurl.com/westphilly-stormwater
stormwater management
impervious & pervious coverage
Impervious
Pervious
35.7 acres
20.4 acres 54.4 acres
54.4 acres
52 acres
21%
12% 32%
10%
23%
The high amount of impervious, or paved, surfaces in this area creates a large volume of water that flows directly into city sewers and, eventually, into the Schuylkill River. However, this also indicates that the implementation of stormwater management BMPs has huge potential to reduce sewer overflow events.
Furthermore, the fact that high volumes of commuter traffic flow along Market, Chestnut, and Walnut Streets every day makes BMPS along these routes highly visible.
Given that multiple transit lines and transportation corridors cross the project area, the opportunity emerges to combine best
transportation infrastructure
+
public transit
+
management practices for stormwater management with public and private transportation. BMPs can be incorporated into transportation infrastructure, can enhance public transit facilities, and can take advantage of large parking lot surfaces.
surface parking lots
+
stormwater Bmps
=
water, landscape, & Urban Design
fall 2011
project partner
West Philadelphia Landscape Project
west Philadelphia, pa
ann-ariel vecchio
effective Green stormwater Infrastructure
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stormwater infrastructure designs
run-off from the elevated rail line: Each section of track contributes around 130
Stormwater stored in cisterns can then be
cubic feet of run-off during a 1� storm that is
diverted to adjacent planters, which filter out
sent directly into the combined sewer system
harmful particles picked up from the tracks.
from downspouts in the track pylons.
By disconnecting the track downspout at the base of each pylon, stormwater run-off can be diverted into adjacent cisterns with a capacity of 950 gallons - a volume that holds 90 percent of run-off from each section of track during a 1� storm.
Public Transit Green Way:
intercept run-off from streets and sidewalks
Four bus lines cross the project area. Because
before it flows into sewers. Green stormwater
most bus stops in the project area do not
infrastructure along these highly trafficked
have shelters and coincide with low points
routes would also be visible to many residents
and sewer inlets on many block corners,
and can treat run-off from relatively wide
new shelters could be designed to divert or
streets.
to see more details from this project, please visit: http://tinyurl.com/westphilly-stormwater
Bronx, Meet Your Waterfront Plan
The Bronx, Meet Your Waterfront Plan presents strategies that reconnect the river to its adjacent communities.
After years of industrial use, pollution and heavy infrastructure along the Harlem River have rendered the 8-mile stretch of waterfront mostly inaccessible to the bronx community. The City has already begun to bring attention to the Harlem River through
The full project brings targeted improvements to four locations along the Harlem River. Together they form the Harlem River Greenway.
the recently completed Mill Pond Park and upcoming renovation of the High Bridge. This project seeks to capitalize on these major investments by creating a Harlem River Greenway that connects the wide range of experiences of the Harlem River waterfront, from manicured to natural landscapes and from industrial to residential neighborhoods. The Greenway winds its way along the Harlem River through the Highbridge and Mott Haven neighborhoods.
HB
MD
P5
LA
High Bridge
macombs dam
Pier five
Lincoln avenue
site & environmental systems planning
spring 2011
professor
Department of urban studies and planning, mit
Bronx, Ny
eran ben-joseph
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EN AD
P ROM RI V ER
L EM HAR
HIGH BRIDGE WATER TOWER
MARTHA GRAHAM DANCE CENTER
hb E
HIGHBRIDGE VOICES PERFORMING ARTS SCHOOL
L AC
AFRICAN DESIGN CONCEPTS, INC (KENTE CLOTH FESTIVAL)
DE P
OT P
High Bridge Park
HIGH BRIDGE STEPS
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PS 91 / PS 11
UNION REFORM CHURCH OF HIGHBRIDGE
NEW MIDDLE SCHOOL
HIG
HBR
IDG
E YA
RDS
CO
RR
ID O
R
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Significant Buildings Greenway Parks other Parks 9 water Proposed Developments inland routes Harlem river Greenway Streetscape improvement Areas Subway Stop
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Mullayly Park ANDREW FREEDMAN HOME
HIGH B RI D
GE YA RD S
C O R R ID O R
BRONX MUSEUM OF THE ARTS
ALL HALLOWS SCHOOL
Yankee Stadium
md
Macombs Dam Park
Joyce Kilmer Park
M AC OM
K- I T P L A C B S D A M PA R
E
4 D B
BRONX COUNTY COURT
PROPOSED HOTEL
Mill Pond Park
Our masterplan for the Harlem River Greenway presents a vision for how the four overarch-
Franz Sigel Park
ing themes – eco-puncture, temporary activation, waterfront access, and infrastructure
M I L L P O N D PA R K
Gateway Mall
P5 W E T L A N D PA R K
PIER 5
BRONX TERMINAL MARKET PREGONES THEATER POST OFFICE
2 4 5
FARMER’S MARKET LINCOLN GALLERY
T DIS T R IC T
GAUCHO’S GYM
HOSTOS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
SP E CI A L H A R L E M RI V E R WAT E R F R ON
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adaptation – might be integrated into specific contexts along the waterfront.
Through targeted investments in particular locations, the Bronx will see an expansion of and compliment to the existing open spaces and activity centers along the Harlem River. A non-traditional waterfront greenway with new off-street pedestrian paths and improved streetscapes will connect the waterfront to inland destinations and to the surrounding neighborhoods. This series of connected but diverse waterfront spaces responds to and celebrates the infrastructure, culture, and history of the area, and provides a unique waterfront experience for neighborhood residents and visitors alike. 2 5
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la
PROPOSED MIXED USE
L IN
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NEW AFFORDABLE
E AT EW
RF
RO
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HOUSING
THE HUB
Bronx, Meet Your Waterfront Plan
High bridge Site Details
high bridge
nyc department of parks & recreation
Transect studies of infrastructure and access around three key bridge interchanges on the Bronx Harlem River waterfront.
type
arch
vehicles per day
0 0
lanes of traffic
harlem river
Proposed Depot Place Pedestrian Ramp
Waterfront
rail corridor
fringe forest
highway
The High Bridge, New York City’s oldest surviving bridge, is set to reopen to pedestrians in 2013. This is an opportunity to make stronger connections to the water’s edge. Already there are plans developing to reconstruct the crumbling High Bridge Staircase and to develop a waterfront promenade. Our proposals use these developments as a catalyst to create a Harlem River Greenway between Roberto Clemente State Park and Macombs Dam Bridge and to strengthen upland connections to the Highbridge residential Neighborhood.
EXTERIOR STREET
urban fabric
high bridge site team
11
Laura Manville, Dominick Tribone
Above: A set of historic stone steps connects the High Bridge at the top of the ridge to the riverfront at the base of this huge hill. Clearing out the underbrush and thinning out the trees will highlight the staircase and the elevation change.
Below: A
dramatic elevation change separates the High Bridge entrance from the waterfront. Inviting and clearly marked paths will make this transition easier to navigate.
left: The
proposed gateway at 170th Street will extend the visibility of the High Bridge Plaza to visitors coming from the Grand Concourse or subway stations.
to see the complete bronx, meet your waterfront plan: http://tinyurl.com/bronx-waterfront-plan
astiko teatro
Thessaloniki’s 21st century urban waterfront theatre
Thessaloniki’s waterfront is it’s most recognizable feature. The space is already active, particularly in summer, but lacks a romantic quality that would elevate it as a ‘great space.’ Currently, it is used as an axis of movement from one end of the city to the other. There are few moments where there is an incentive to pause and stay. There has been considerable public realm development on the coastal portions of East Thessaloniki, but the city has yet to truly capitalize on the central waterfront as a critical asset. Wedged between two key nodes, the White Tower and the ancient port, and centrally anchored by the city’s most important public space, Aristotelous Square, the embankment presents an opportunity to reference Thessaloniki’s historic predominance as the region’s hub for transportation, industry, and creativity.
that attempts to address these two scales through the creation of an integrated system of event space and new media at the waterfront.
At the local scale, the waterfront is primed for place-making and the perfect setting for the city to expand, creating new venues on the water. At the global scale, it is a blank canvas on which to create a stronger image of the city. Astiko Theatro is an urban proposition
Facade as projection surface
ALKIONIDES MERES
JAN
Astiko Theatro envisions Thessaloniki’s central waterfront as an urban theatre with all its principle components. Each component is manifested as a system of urban products for staging, lighting, and auditorium. This system creates new places and supports an already burgeoning creative events culture.
Awnings as projection pixels
MEGÁLI EVDOMÁDA DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL
FEB
MAR
Water as projection surface
INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR
GOOD FRIDAY: PROCESSION OF THE EPISTAFIOS
APR
PIXELDANCE VIDEO ART FESTIVAL
MAY
digital city design workshop
spring 2011
professors
senseable city lab, MIT
thessaloniki, greece
carlo ratti, dennis frenchman, assaf bitterman
SUMMER REGATTA
JUN
parking lot
13
aristotelous square
white tower
port
astiko theatro (proposed intervention)
thermaikos gulf Astiko Theatro is a proposed public realm intervention that links existing open spaces along the central waterfront.
Thessaloniki is the creative and intellectual hub of the Macedonian region. A robust annual event calendar highlights the city’s contributions in graphic design, contemporary art, multi-media production, international film, and music. Astiko Theatro can be incorporated into the city’s program for large-scale redevelopment planned in anticipation of the city’s 100th anniversary of the incorporation into Greece. The program has budgeted an estimated €28.2 million in 2011 alone for the revitalization of the city’s physiognomy. MEGALI PIRKAGIA
JUL
AUG
INAUGURAL SYMPHONY CONCERT
SEP
The flexibility of Astiko Theatro allows a customizable program for the city’s full range of events and institutions. The system enables unique experiences throughout the year: from atmospheric conditioning for daily lighting in winter, to hosting outdoor exhibition space in conjunction with the convention center for the International Trade Fair, to stargazing nights hosted by the Science Center & Technology Museum.
DIMITRIA CITY FESTIVAL
OCT
BIENNALE OF CONTEMPORARY ART INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
A year of events in Thessaloniki. The city can utilize Astiko Theatro in a format customized to the unique programming of each event.
NOV
DEC
to see the full proposal, please visit: http://tinyurl.com/astiko-teatro
magazine beach mixed-use redevelopment
The 6.25 acre site is located at the southwest corner of Cambridgeport, a neighborhood that is bounded by the Charles River to the south and the west, MIT to the east, and Riverside to the North. The site faces directly onto Memorial Drive, a highly trafficked state highway. The site is also opposite Magazine Beach, a public waterfront park with both passive and active recreation, a public swimming pool, and a boathouse. The site is at the intersection of a fine-grained residential neighborhood oriented on a northeast-southwest grid and a strip of larger footprint commercial and institutional buildings and expansive surface parking lots that run along the Charles River. This plan will build on the existing residential fabric of Cambridgeport, extending both streets and housing typologies to Memorial Drive. Streets will converge in a new park. Microcenter and Trader Joe’s will be consolidated into a new, signature mixed-use building.
Dec
March
June
building typologies
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mixed use tower
courtyard apt building
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3
rowhouses
small apt building
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5
triple decker
6
duplex
50 Units
30-40 Units
Single-Family Units
8-12 Units
2-6 Units
2 Units
• Separated commercial and residential entrances • Individual townhouse entrance and parking • Underground parking for residents and customers • Scalloped roof gardens
• Typology typical of Cambridge riverfront near Harvard Square • U-shape allows most units face river, courtyard, or park • Double loaded corridors • One story of undergound parking with additional on-street spaces
• Uniform block feel • 3-story street-facing units with back yards • Individual entry • Semi-submerged parking or rear lot
• Mid-rise building • Single-entry with double-loaded corridor • Rear parking lot with additional on-street spaces
• Classic Cambridgeport typology • Single-entry with double-loaded stairwell • Rear or side parking lots with additional onstreet spaces
• Common Cambridgeport style • Individual entry • Driveway and on-street parking
urban design introductory studio
fall 2010
group members
Department of urban studies and planning, mit
cambridge, ma
dom tribone, Rosie Sherman
15
This plan will build on the existing residential fabric of Cambridgeport, extending both streets and housing typologies to Memorial Drive. Streets will converge in a new park. Microcenter and Trader Joe’s will be consolidated into a new, signature mixed-use building.
Like Louisberg Square in Beacon Hill, Shell Square creates an intimate public yard for surrounding apartments and a green oasis for passive recreation. Large, setback apartment buildings with raised courtyards create an airy expanse along Memorial Drive. Bike lanes, planters, and parallel parking provide a buffer zone between pedestrians and fast moving traffic on Memorial Drive.
parking lot studies small town main street
Typical Urban Conditions
pulaski, va
Illustrated diagrams to compare area dedicated to surface parking in typical american city centers and strips.
surface lots
new england town center
chelmsford, ma
buildings streets
midtown/ downtown
tulsa, ok
suburban strip
orlando, fl
research assistanship with eran ben-joseph
fall 2010 - spring 2011
publication
Department of urban studies and planning, mit
cambridge, ma
rethinking a lot
MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL STRIP MALL OFFICE PARK
17
BIG BOX RETAIL CITY BLOCK
STADIUM
6 40 ft
multi-family residential
strip mall
office park
Big box retail
City block
sports stadium
Several typologies of surface parking exploring the relationship between usage, orientation, dimension, and typical conditions.
the iconic signage project Iconic Signage Project (ISP) received $25,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to support the revitalization of New Orleans’ Broad Street “Main Street” corridor by creating a cohesive visual identity. The Arts Council of New Orleans and Broad Community Connections matched the NEA grant to commission visual artists and designers to create neon signage for local businesses along the corridor. Currently a hodge-podge of facades, the Iconic Signage Project will create a glowing cohesive visual identity for BroadStreet [State Highway 90], which is a vital East-West route through the center of the city. The long-term impact for them will be demonstrated through the continued improvement of Broad Street
relighting a new orleans main street
as a vibrant commercial corridor through further street and facade improvements. As progress is made, iconic signage will ensure a direct tie to the vibrancy of culture and history that has been a part of New Orleans neighborhood fabric. To support the ISP, I researched signage typologies, showing existing signage along Broad Street, as well as innovative signage from around New Orleans and examples from around the world. I created guideline to good signage, translating the dense zoning ordinance into diagrams and visuals so that participating artists and businesses can better understand complex signage guidelines.
Signage typology diagrams from The Good Guide to Great Signs, which also included visualizations of typologies, lighting methods, and general tips for signage design.
public service fellowship
January 2011
supervisor
broad community connections
New Orleans, la
jeff schwartz, executive director
lot & parcel
a memory map of poncey-highland
19
“Poncey-Highland is an unusually unknown place given its central location. Moreover, even most of those who are aware of it would find it difficult to describe its boundaries.
With that in mind, we decided to investigate the various definitions of Poncey-Highland that exist amongst those who call it home. To do this, we asked Poncey-Highlanders to make maps, from their respective memories, of the neighborhood. We culled our representative from two neighborhood institutions, one new, one old: Manuel’s Tavern and King of Pops popsicle stand.
Their responses are depicted in tinted transparent paper on our map. The actual neighborhood boundaries are indicated as black hairlines: Ponce de Leon to the North, Moreland to the East, Freedom Parkway Eastbound to the South, and the proposed Beltline to the West.”
materials archival ink & translucent paper on acid-free bristol board
on exhibit at burnaway’s inaugural fundraiser at the goat farm & wonderroot gallery
curated by Susannah Darrow & Christa Tinsley Spaht
Artists map atlanta
july 2010
in collaboration with
lot & parcel
Atlanta, ga
travis ekmark