Urban permeability: on plants and plinths by Veronika Kovacsova

Urban permeability: On plants and plinths Graduation Project Urban Design Amsterdam Academy of Architecture 2013/2014 Veronika Kovรกcsovรก

Graduation project committee Donald van Dansik, MSc. E vandansik[at]gmx[dot]com Independant consultant for masterplanning and project management, Associate Space Group, tutor Academy of Architecture Amsterdam Lisette Klok, Dr. ir. (TNO) E lisette[dot]klok[at]tno[dot]nl Research Scientist Urban Environment, TNO Sanda Lenzholzer, Dr. Dipl. Ing. MA(AA) (WUR) E sanda[dot]lenzholzer[at]wur[dot]nl Assistant Professor, Landscape Architecture group, Wageningen University, landscape architect and urban designer External advisors Erik Meinharter, Dl. E meinharter[at]plansinn[dot]at Landscape designer, partner at PlanSinn, expert on urban climate (Plansinn - Office for Planning and Communication, Vienna) Zuzana Hudekovรก, Ing. PhD. E rec[at]changenet[dot]sk Landscape architect and expert on (local) urban climate (Regional Environmental Centre, Bratislava)

This booklet has been published in January 2014

Student Veronika Kovacsova Master Urban Design Amsterdam Academy of Architecture Graduation project presentation: 12/2013 E: veroni.kovacs@gmail.com F: www.facebook.com/urbanclimate

this graduation project is tackling ecological and social processes that affect * urban climate * Urban climate covers: - influence of natural factors (sun, exchange of radiation, air, humidity of air, temperature, wind, precipitation (rain and snow), and electric interchange processes in their multiple combinations - modifications caused by the town (shape, height, volume, position, layout, arrangement of buildings and groups of buildings) - repercussions of human activities on the climate (in reference with ecology, management of land, water, air, water and air pollution 4

introduction The human civilisation is becoming ever more urban. With the growing densification in our cities, green and open (public) spaces are put under pressure. As the number of built, non-permeable surfaces (such as asphalt and concrete) increase, storm water absorption, biodiversity and a pleasant microclimate in our cities is threatened. All non-permeable materials contribute to extreme water conditions in the city (low ground water level or flooding) and to the so called 'urban heat island' effect. Alongside with this development, the number and quality of public spaces is put under pressure. How do we provide the necessary built urban environment (housing, infrastructure) of a growing city, and at the same time enhance and offer lively, inclusive public spaces with a comfortable microclimate?

INCREASING AMOUNT OF PEOPLE LIVING IN URBAN AREAS

More people using less and more compact space Growing use of (nonrenewable) resources ... 7

increasing world * population * Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division,World Population Prospects: The 2006 Revision (2007) 8

1970

2010

2050

50%

30%

50%

70%

rural

65%

35% urban

PHYSICAL GROWTH = HORIZONTAL VERTICAL 10

problems & challenges urban heat island effect heat stress drought & floods

Relative huminity

70% 60%

Temperature

37.8°C

danger

When it‘s over 35°C outside, I rather do not leave my apartment.

caution

35°C

50%

32.2°C

40%

29.4°C

30%

26.7°C

less hazardous, adaptive body temperature

heat stress heat stress / Hyperthermia - occurs when a body produces or absorbs more heat than it dissipates

nausea, vomiting, headaches, and low blood pressure and the latter can lead to fainting or dizziness 13

36.7°C (afternoon) city centre

urban heat island effect Temperature in densely built centres from 1-10 °C higher, 10% less humidity and 30% weaker wind than in surrounding countryside

36.7°C 36°C 35°C 34°C 33°C 32°C 31°C

33.5°C 31.5°C Old Town

15km

Petržalka

Measurements: 19.08.2013 | 12:00 -14:00 | Sunny

more extreme conditions effects of materialisation: disability to filtrate water leading to droughts and floods

stormwater infiltration

stormwater run-off 15

effects of materialisation air temperature 29°C

asphalt/concrete in the shadow 25°C

tar, bitumen 56°C

soil 30°C

green green wet/in shadow in sun 22°C

26°C

asphalt/concrete in the sun 46°C

all temperatures self-measured with an infrared thermometer (see device and measurements further) 16

various Temperatures in the city influencing the human climate comfort* * the acceptance of public spaces in various microclimatatic condtions, including sunshine, shade or wind 17

urban climate comfort

Climatological factors such as sun, temperature, wind and humidity largely influence our behaviour in and usage of public spaces, and they even determine why we like to stay in certain places more than others. They have an effect on how we feel, how ‘comfortable’ the circumstances of being outdoors are. Human comfort is a subjective concept. In a public urban environment it has to do with people’s acceptance of spaces and their conditions.

TEMPERATURE 22°C (when dressed) WIND SPEED 1.5M/S - 1.8M/S HUMIDITY 30% - 60% (Lenzholzer, 2009)

More on human comfort here: http://urbanclimate.stadachtig.nl/ humancomfort/ and http://urbanclimate.stadachtig. nl/the-social-life-of-small-urbanspaces/

Subjectiveness of the urban climate comfort

“This is the plaza of the Seagram building in New York in the morning. With a time lapse camera we were testing a hypothesis. The sun – we were pretty sure – would be the chief factor determining where people would sit or not sit. Now, just after 12, they begin to sit. Right where the sun is! I was enormously pleased with a perfectly splendid correlation. It was quiet misleading as we’ll see later, but it was a very encouraging way to start.” 0:35 – 1:06 The very first sentence of THE SOCIAL LIFE OF SMALL URBAN SPACES, a documentary from 1980 by William H. Whyte, who was an was an American urbanist, organizational analyst, journalist and people-watcher (Wikipedia).

“There was a very strong correlation between sitters and sun. That was in May. As the time went on: June, July, August. The correlation vanished. People sat anywhere – sun or shade.” Image left: THE SOCIAL LIFE OF SMALL URBAN SPACES (1980)

Bratislava /photos take during summer 2012/

location

Prague = 329km Vienna = 66km Budapest = 200km

Bratislava EU Mid-sized capital population size stagnating or slowly decreasing (low birth rate & greying) 24

population growth projections 2011 2025

462.603 459.828

-0.6%

SOURCE: http://www.infostat.sk/vdc/ pdf/publikaciaproj.pdf)

The urban fabric (built environment), like in many other post-communist cities, has to a certain extent gone through degradation. The city does not grow and develop hand-in-hand with its ecological and climatological processes. The surrounding green hills and vineyards are gradually turning into housing projects of private developers. The city does not have a central park, and only very few urban parks which are threatened to turn into asphalt squares or underground parking lots. Reduction in green permeable areas of cities is one of the main causes for the increasing urban temperature, poor storm water management and decreasing air quality. Also, the city currently does not have any legislative regulation on the protection of green areas in urban areas, as well as a economically sustainable strategy to create and maintain existing and new green infrastructure in the city. 25

low or no maintenance of elements in public space

degrading materialisation

low or no maintenance of green spaces (no watering)

Degrading public space in central Bratislava: Freedom Square / Namestie Slodoby

non-functioning / broken public fountain

Only 6% of the total surface of Old Town is open and green, while the European average is 35% (de Roo, 2011) within an direct urban living environment. This dominant non-permeable surface area is supporting the development of the urban heat island effect.

Open / green space in the city

OPEN SPACE

Agriculture Water Forests and urban parks 28

The city does not have a central park, and only very few urban parks which are thre atened to turn into asphalt squares or underground parking lots. 29

BUILT SPACE / Sealed land in %

>80% 50 - 80% 30 - 50% 10 - 30% <10% Industry Airport 30

Reduction in green permeable areas of cities is one of the main causes for the urban heat island effect, poor storm water management, decreasing air quality and biodiversity. 31

soil types

loamy-sand sandy-loam

2 32

loam

GROUND WATER LEVEL AUGUST - OCTOBER 2010 (maximums)

1, 3 -1 ,4m 1, 5m 6,5 – 7,5 m 5,8 – 8,7 m 33

from adjustment to adaptation

"Who wants to escape the heat and temperatures below 30 degrees, must go to altitudes well over 1,200 and 1,300 meters. Escape from the heat into the hills - something that in the course of humaninduced climate change you will probably have to adjust more often in future." (Rainer Schultheis, ORF-Weatherreditorial, 17.08.2012; http://orf.at/stories/2135932/2135927/)

collective risk cooperative behavior collective social movement 36

„The world has warmed by 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit (0.8 degrees Celsius) since the Industrial Revolution, with most of the rise in temperature coming since the 1970s. Such rapid warming is unprecedented over at least 20,000 years.“ http://www.priweb.org/globalchange/climatechange/globalwarming/gw_05.html

may well have seen it all, but certainly have not

We have to adapt, think and apply new strategies of degrowth, ‘business as usual‘ way of production and consumption has to end New chance to slow down and reflect, use existing assets and smartly transforming and updating them

It seems that every year the local municipality is cutting costs in maintenance of public spaces, resulting in transformation of green open surfaces into lower maintenance paved squares or demolished public elements or facilities such as fountains, pavement materials, benches. With the current economic situation and lack of finances, we tend to forget that we have at hand unused, even renewable resources: climatological (such as storm water, wind or sun energy) and social (sharing tools and skills). ion t a r ist

adm y t i C

Progress 38

Ideas

â&#x201A;Ź

Money

How can the vast green carpets, avoided overheated squares and street be utilized while preserving and improving the ecological structure and characteristics of the area?

Setting ground and establishing public-private partnership could offer a new strategy for the city as a step towards a more resilient and resourceful city. The city would save costs by collecting storm water (less load on the drainage system and stored water to be used for watering the parks in the hot summer months) in the maintenance and create attractive cooling urban spaces, when existing resources - human capital and natural renewable resources - are smartly utilized. ens z i t i ac slav

ti Bra

By letting the people adopt and re-create the green spaces between their buildings. They will feel more responsible and connected to their living environment.

The public-private partnership between the city and citizens or local initiatives would create a platform where both parties would decide and be responsible in creating, protecting and maintaining urban open spaces (for instance proposing new permeable spaces or planting new and protecting existing trees or repairing existing public fountains and installing new drinking water taps in urban 'hot-spots').

PUBLIC

Partnership between the public administration and the citizens based on mutual responsibility and shared maintenance

PRIVATE

concept vertical

(open plinths and spaces of face-to-face interaction)

urban permeability

horizontal

(open surface for storm water to be absorbed and to cool the urban environment) concept of urban permeability, influencing not only human comfort but also climate resilience in urban spaces. On one hand the aforementioned open, breathing, absorbing and cooling green spaces in cities, on the other hand accessible, inclusive, lively plinths and the public space formed by and in-between them acting as catalysts of social interaction. 44

research & analysis

PART 1

Besides scientific reserach literature on urban climate and geomorphological location analisys, one of the starting points of this work was setting up open online platforms establishing dialogue, exchange of knowledge, experience, ideas and feedback directly from those who have personal everyday experience with urban climate within the built environment - the citizens (in some questions diretly focused on Bratislavans). BLOG http://urbanclimate.stadachtig.nl Facebook Page http://www.facebook.com/urbanclimate

What do you appreciate in public space the most during a hot summer day in the city?

37 unique voters total of 44 votes

answers: importance of shadow, green spaces and presence of water & ‘beer’, ‘hot girls with mini-skirts’, ‘free Club Mate’, ‘seating’ or ‘pub’

More on: http://urbanclimate.sta-

dachtig.nl/rounding-off-question-1/ 47

Where can we find you during a hot summer day in the city?*

+/- 20 places 22 respondents

* (focused on citizens and visitors of Bratislava) 48

mostly missed: water in city centre in form of fountains

More on: http://urbanclimate.stadachtig. nl/mapping-urban-comfort-bratislava/

Selection of the

OPEN SOURCE MAP 49

MAIN square

freedom square OBCHODNA street

Which public places in Bratislava are avoided during the hot summer days?*

3 * (focused on citizens and visitors of Bratislava) 50

1 OBCHODNA street FREEDOM square

research & analysis

PART 2

Second stage of my research and data collection included 1) subjective experiential / qualitative measurement of outdoor materials and 2) objective quantitative urban climate data collection (with the help of an anemometer and infrared thermometer) and 3) qualitative demographic data collection

Subjective experiential / qualitative measurement of outdoor materials Location: Kamenne Namestie, Bratislava Date / Time: 27.04.2013 / 17:00 Air temperature: 25째C grass felt as the coldest element of the square marmor used partly as the facade of the building (Tesco) clay soil felt some heat absorption light color plastered facade felt very nice and refreshing, an example that light colors absorb less heat than darker colors asphalt the surface of the square felt very hot natural stone used partly in the facade of a residential building. Felt surprisingly hot. 53

quantitative data collection with the help of an anemometer (measuring air temperature and wind velocity)

quantitative data collection with the help of an infrared thermometer measuring temperature of materials

qualitative demographic data collection population by age in 2012 and 2025

2010 2025 I (Old Town) 0 - 14 12% 10% -2% 15-64 69% 61% -8% 65+ 19% 29% +10% II 0 - 14 13% 12% -1% 15-64 70% 66% -4% 65+ 17% 22% +5% III 0 - 14 12% 12% 15-64 70% 64% -6% 65+ 18% 24% +6% IV 0 - 14 13% 13% 15-64 73% 66% -7% 65+ 14% 21% +7% V (Petrzalka) 0 - 14 12% 14% +2% 15-64 81% 60,5% -20,5% 65+ 7% 25,5 +18,5 56

(Together with children and pregnant women), I belong to the population vulnerable to urban heat.

% 65+ (2012)

% 65+ (2025)

<15

15.1 - 20

20.1 - 25 57

qualitative demographic data collection

population density 2012 (people per km2)

I (Old Town)

V (Petrzalka)

>3500 1500 - 3500 500 - 1500 <500 58

Sensitive areas: built and population

Old Town

dense built mass = lively street life, but insufficient green space for a healthy microclimate and uninviting environment for fauna & flora

socially deteriorating area, where anonimity rules. There's lots of green, open spaces - lots of potential for a inviting microclimate and potential for a development of a better social life on a community level. Petr탑alka 59

What can a historical centre and a mass-housing neighbourhood learn from eachother?

OLD TOWN

PETRŽALKA 60

Two totally different areas in Bratislava are studied and compared. On one hand, a dense historical centre (Old Town) with scarce porous spaces and a vibrant social citylife; on the other hand a 1970s prefab mass-housing neighbourhood (Petržalka) with an excess of unused greenery, but a limited offer of vibrant public spaces for its inhabitants. Both neighbourhoods have approximately the same density of inhabitants (around 4000/km2), however their urban fabric is totally different. Only 6% of the total surface of Old Town is open and green, while the European average is 35% (de Roo, 2011) within an direct urban living environment. This dominant non-permeable surface area is supporting the development of the urban heat island effect. Density of functions (shops, cafes, ...) on ground floors is highest in the whole Bratislava and is a foundation of a vibrant urban life. Petržalka, on contrary, has a high amount of ground vegetation (about 66%), open corridors for fresh air to enter, but a deteriorating public life due to large distances between buildings, disorientated planning and marginal social functions on ground level for people to pass by and meet.

According to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Green City Guidelinesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, a pocket park (10-1000m2) should be reachable within 200m (4minutes walking) and a neighbourhood park (1000-6000m2) within 400m (6minutes walking).

500m radius

Built/ sealed surface

94% Number of floors 19 12 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 62

OLD TOWN

PETRŽALKA

49%

Open/ porous surface

6% 1.35m2 of green space per inhabitant

OLD TOWN

PETRĹ˝ALKA

Open/ porous surface

51% 39m2 of green space per inhabitant

Outdoor spaces to meet, sit and stay & functions

outdoor public space to meet, sit and stay functions open during the day (cafes, restaurants, hotels) functions also open at night time (cafes, restaurants, hotels) public functions (schools, libraries, doctorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office, police, cultural institutions, ...) 66

OLD TOWN

PETRĹ˝ALKA

Outdoor spaces to meet, sit and stay & functions

Plinths as catalysators of social interaction in public space A study and book by the dutch office Stipo, The City at Eye Level, suggests that public functions in plinths on a 15m distance (approximately 6-8 timer per 100m) contribute to a livable, socially interactive environment. Petržalka as a neighbourhood built in the 1970s – 1980s, is based on the principle of functional segregation. Although density of public functions within the plinth varies, a shop, restaurant or a school pop up every 30 – 70m on a main street.

sites

Old Town

Petr탑alka

Old Town

Learning from Petr탑alka: reconnecting urban with nature

Green, permeable surfaces form spaces in Petr탑alka do not only collect storm water (runoff storm water can be held up to 80%), but also cool off the surrounding urban spaces. Because the Old Town lacks these kinds of open spaces, a new strategy is needed to improve the (micro)climatological comfort of the city, but also to reconnect urban life with nature. The most obvious method to introduce permeability is by opening sealed, nonporous surfaces in the city and adding new vegetation to support storm water collection, absorption, and contribute to a cooling effect during the hot summer periods. In the Old Town, the open places with a permeable potential are the unused empty plots, parking lots, tram tracks and roofs of buildings. During the last two years, the first community gardens have been set up in Bratislava, on both public and private grounds. Many of them have been initiated by active citizens who have decided to take things into their own hands and transformed empty, unused voids in the city into a new public space for the people, a permeable space allowing water absorp-

tion and a green space offering shade and a cooling microclimate. The city administration and the citizens have to realize that it is never too late to improve their urban environment, and the scale of the interventions into the existing urban fabric does not have to exceed a couple of m2. Where there is no space for larger green areas, a solution of let storm water run-off or to be stored would be a simple tree-bed instead of a parking place (Benepe, 2013). Such a green pockets can store about 10.000 litres of storm water. Also, a fountain or public drinking water tap can improve the human comfort during hot summer days in the city. Many of the fountains in the Old Town of Bratislava are out of order due to lack of finances for their

maintenance. So is since 2007 the largest fountain called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Unityâ&#x20AC;? on the Freedom Square, which is considered in the hot summer days as one of the most unpleasant public spaces to be in the in the city. This square went through a number of transformations in the last two centuries, covering up 64% of its surface with heat-radiating and nonpermeable asphalt and concrete. With small scale interventions like collecting storm water into smartly enlargened existing green surfaces, forming volunteering groups for park management, maintenance and repairing the fountain with the help of local volunteering plumbers and engineers, the park will become not only more lively, but also a cooler public space

roofs fountains

H 49 69

Obchodna street H

streetscape as an urban heat canyon summer sun

winter sun

existing situation

proposed situation

49 69

New bike path

Phase 1: Sun sails

Linen sails for shade (overhead tram wires) 73

Phase 1: Sun sails

Phase 2: Grapevine / Visualisation

Phase 2: grapevine

Grapevines offering shade and drainage (wireless tram with inductive power transfer) 75

Grapevine height/length till 35m WATER DRAINAGE AND COLLECTION: = 4500m3 of volume = about 1500L of water capacity

1m (W)

3m (D) 1.5m (L)

ecosystem services of a vine or tree

habitat pollination regulation of climate

shade/shelter clean water

soil fertility, stability and health

flood protection roots of trees are capturing storm water and helping to stabilize ground water level

Freedom square Many of the fountains in the Old Town of Bratislava are out of order due to lack of finances for their maintenance.

The fountain on Freedom Square out of order since 2007 78

Freedom square 2020+ 79

Development of the Freedom square

1600

Archbishopâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s palace built

Open area / Permeable surface

Built area / Impermeable surface

Vineyard

1873

100%

80%

1940-1960â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

1970â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Modernism

Parking place

57%

32%

1980-2014

Square with large fountain, since 2007 out of order

36%

2015+

Enlargement of green open surface

45%

Profile 1 / Overview

angle terrain 2-5째 8-9m ground water

Profile 1

Profile 1 / Detail 1

water collection throught unused urban assets: roofs

Profile 1 / Detail 2

water collection throught the concrete multi-use and -functional drainage

Profile 1 / Detail 3

Refreshment effect of the combination wind & fountain

Freedom square elevation terrain angle

2-5째

Profile 2 / Overview

Profile 2

Profile 2 / Detail 1

Use of the concrete water drainage pool during â&#x20AC;&#x161;dryâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; day as a skating and sitting public area

Profile 2 / Detail 2

Use of the concrete water drainage pool during ‚wet‘ day as a water storage or ice-skating rink (with temperatures below 0°C)

Profile 2 / Detail 3

Movable chairs in de-elevated grass area give users the freedom and flexibility to position itself comfortably for sun, shade, shelter, meetings and events.

Profile 2 / Detail 4

Water collected by drainage is stored in the central fountain of the square and is recycled.

Profile 2 / Detail 5

Movable chairs in front of the cafe give users the freedom and flexibility to position itself comfortably for sun, shade, meetings and events.

Seasonal multi-functional use of the loop around the fountain on freedom square Use of the concrete water drainage pool during â&#x20AC;&#x161;wetâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; day as a water storage

December

January

February

November

March

October

April May

September August

July

June

Seasonal multi-functional use of the loop around the fountain on freedom square Use of the concrete water drainage pool during â&#x20AC;&#x161;dryâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; day as a skating and sitting public area 96

December

January

February

November

March

October

April May

September August

July

June

Loose chairs instead of fixed existing benched gives users the freedom to position itself best suited for sun / shade and events. 97

Seasonal multi-functional use of the loop around the fountain on freedom square

Use of the concrete water drainage pool during ‚wet‘ day as an ice-skating rink (with temperatures below 0°C)

December

January

February

November

March

October

April May

September August

July

June

Petržalka

Learning from Old Town: urbanity through social action

A study and book by the Dutch office Stipo, The City at Eye Level (Karssenberg 2013), suggests that public functions in plinths on a 15m distance (approximately 6-8 timer per 100m) contribute to a liveable, socially interactive environment. Petržalka as a neighbourhood built in the 1970s – 1980s, is based on the principle of functional segregation. Although density of public functions within the plinth varies, a shop, restaurant or a school pop up every 30 – 70m on a main street. One can also experience a very undemocratic street-scape, where cars dominate on every sidewalk, and sometimes hinder any connection of the pedestrian with the ground floor. As mentioned above, the area is characterized by an excess of green public spaces, which the planners originally intended to be used for recreation. However, today this excessive grass land is mostly used only for taking ones pet out for a wee . Hence, in this case, quantity of green open spaces does not correspond with an equally high quality. On the other hand, the green is the most valued characteristic by the inhabitants of Petržalka, and pro99

tect it for instance against a top-down development of a highway1. The question remains: how can the vast green carpets be utilized by the inhabitants? And could nature possibly act as a catalyst of social change? Urbanity of the Old Town in Bratislava is achieved through density of the build environment and the number of public functions which bring people not only socially but also physically together. But when buildings in a mass-housing neighbourhood like Petržalka are sometimes tens of meters apart from another, it creates spaces difficult for social interaction - to see and hear one another from such distances. What could be done to form these spaces between buildings into a motor of social interaction while preserving the beloved ecological structure and pleasant climatological characteristics of the area? One of the most important ingredients of urbanity, besides density, is active participation of the inhabitants in a community. During the socialist times in Slovakia, the notion of the „empowered“ citizen was not common, as it resembled more 1 http://petrzalka.otvorene.sk (Website only in Slovak, last accessed on July 24, 2013)

100

someone’s private interest than the interest of a community. However, more and more people today are not only showing their increasing need to go out and meet in public spaces, but also demonstrating right and responsibility for public spaces.2 What does this have to do with climate resilience? By letting the people adopt and re-create the green spaces between their buildings, they will feel more responsible and connected to their living environment. Why not to plant an urban (food) forest into the vast green lands (slowing down but not blocking the air circulation coming into the city), tree nurseries or playgrounds and sport facilities (with permeable pavement and bioswales to capture storm water)? When programmed well, the vast grass areas can act as incubators of social action: form a network of green infrastructure and attract people to access by foot or bicycle. The built en2 Approximately since 2011, Bratislava has experienced a growing number of engaging civic communities based on volunteering such as ‘ Zelena Hliadka’ (a well-networked, active group of citizens cleanig up specific locations in Bratislava on a daily basis; http://www.zelenahliadka.blog.sme.sk) or ‘Bratislavske dobrovolnicke centrum’ (a community around the newly reopened Old Markethall, offering ‘donation’ of people’s helping hands and skills; http:// www.dobrovolnictvoba.sk).

undemocratic street-scape cars dominate on sidewalks, and sometimes hinder connection of pedestrians with the ground floor

101

surface vegetation in Petrzalka, Bratislava

102

excess of green surface / little shade / no maintenance

103

appropriation of public green in Petrzalka (photographed in 2012)

104

The need to meet in public spaces is slowly increasing, with the right and responsibility for public spaces.

privatisation of the ground floor (plinth) in Petrzalka (photographed in 2012)

vironment would reconnect with the ecological and climatological processes of the city. Besides environmental development, green urban areas offer health and social benefits and are considered as community builders, strengthening the social ties between the citizens. Together with the development of a new green infrastructure, the current car-sidewalk-parking would gain back its role as pedestrian zone, along more open and accessible plinths. Permeability of facades is made possible through letting local entrepreneurs settle, allowing partial integration of the public (square, street, sidewalk) with the private (shop). This kind of development creates interaction, broadens our understanding and experiencing of our urban environment. In Petržalka, the currently weak layer of semi-public spaces can be strengthened through supporting small neighbourhood shops. Some of these already exist, but because of strict regulations of a monofunctional zoning plan, private initiatives and local, small scale entrepreneurship are imposed with regulative barriers.

1 € / year

empty grassfields

1€/m

dead plinths

Peržalka Pioneers 105

MANIF play PETRŽ

106

FEsTO MANIFESTO play PETRŽALKA!

1. PARTICIPATORY DESIGN Inhabitants have a say and can influence and co-create the new meaning of the empty spaces.

2. OPENNESS, PUBLICNESS, ACCESS Applicants may propose anything that will be 'open': (e.g. an office, but should remain open to the public and encourage 'inside-outside' interaction) - if they decide to 'seal' a piece of land, it should be a) temporary or b) offer a compensation, solution that the building will add 'good' and give something back to the environment (collect and reuse storm water, collect and reuse waste, ...) 3. DIVERSTY The projects / new-use proposals should aim at needs and wants of all inhabitants of Petrzalka and be as varied and diverse as possible target group. Projects that include a variety of users and functions are prioritized. 4. PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP 1-year contract with the city and the citizens. Both parties have responsibilities and a list of minimal 'deliverables' to ensure stability and fairness of the project during the process. 5. SEASONALITY AND ALL YEAR-ROUNDNESS Find and assign all season use (so not only summer, but also winter when it's cold and snow outside).

ŽALKA! 6. COLLABORATION Priority goes to projects that work together, where collaborations are created. (For instance to reduce costs and resources)

7. RESPONSIBILITY Applicants have to take responsibility, be present to build a community.

8. ZERO-CENT URBANISM There is NO BUDGET. However, there is a lot of freedom for urban pioneers (artists, cooks, …) to experiment outdoors or young architects to build and start their own studio.

107

Desire paths 2013

108

Soil types

loam sandy-loam 109

Plot division

fruit trees for shade and jams

hammocks and slacklines new business: growing vegetables for the supermarket library offices for start-ups neighbourhood vegetable gardens outdoor gym

movies and pop-up bistro

flower garden for elderly local market place for barbeque playground local shops

urban meadow

110

Petr탑alka 2020+

activating the public space and grass fields urban fruit forest

outdoor cinema

outdoor market multifunctional playfield area collective food production gardens urban meadows

111

Trees 220 new trees Amount of trees in urban fruit forest 280

220 61

Walnut Cherry Fig

112

320

Apple Peach

PetrĹžalkaâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s urban forest January December

Seasonalisation Walnut e

February March

November October

April

September

May

August

July

June

Cherry

Apple b

life expectancy (years)

Fig

Figs

Peach

100 90

size (meters)

80 70

60 50

40 30

20 10 0

Walnut

Cherry Fig Apple Peach 113

Water network

ditches around the commercial and community gardens serving as a water source and boarder (detail on p. 125 & 128)

114

upgraded desire paths

Emancipation of cyclists and pedestrians Central car traffic axis becomes a slow traffic space (detail on p. 126)

115

updated car traffic infrastructure

circular motorized traffic creates a car-free zone between the blocks

116

parking

63 pp 96 pp from undefined to assigned

from undefined to assigned 282 pp

cars will be assigned official parking places, which wil diminish parking on sidewalks and grassfields

117

permeable parking

flexible permeable spaces new assigned parking places will be made into flexible, permeable spaces, allowing infiltration and growth into grassland once less parking places are needed in the future (lower car ownership, more car sharing, ...)

118

phase 1

permeable parking

phase 2

phase 3

119

Profile 1 / Overall

120

121

Profile 1 / Detail 1

122

Livable plinth and first floor (start-ups, shared offices, ...)

Profile 1 / Detail 2

Water gutter and a groundwater well with solar powered pump

123

Profile 1 / Detail 3

124

Multi-functional playfields

Profile 1 / Detail 4

Raised beds (for elderly and disabled) to join the collective food production

125

Profile 1 / Detail 5

126

Central car traffic axis becomes a slow traffic space (cyclists, pedestrians)

Profile 1 / Detail 6

Outdoor market (where the locally grown vegetables and fruits are being sold) and a cafe

127

Profile 1 / Elements

4m 1m

ground water well with solar powered pump

0.8m

128

ditches around the commercial and community gardens serving as a water source and boarder

Surface will be partly kept free to assure permeability of water. 10cm 6m

semi-permeable surface terrace / market area

129

Profile 2 / Overall

130

131

Profile 2 / Detail 1

132

Livable plinth and first floor (start-ups, shared offices, ...)

Profile 2 / Detail 2

Outdoor market and cafe (where the locally grown vegetables and fruits are being sold) and playing / bbq area

133

Life along the plinth 220m

52m

shared private space - main entrance to section, staircase existing centre supermartet, fitness centre, offices of small entreprices 134

52m

new functions GROUND FLOOR: mostly public functions open till late in the evening, bigger spaces available - shared bicycle storage and bicycle kitchen - kindergarten (connected to the playground or sport field outdoor) - bar, cinema, ...

fragmented flat divided into 4 sections on the ground level to create a more human scale

49m

47m

GALLERY: - start up offices (cheap rent) - working ateliers for students - design and crafts - library (for the neighbourhood, not only the building) - cafe - specialized small shops (toys, knitting, books, flowers) - possible due to cheap rents

135

start-up offices and ateliers

136

shared bicycle storage and bike kitchen

library 137

Petr탑alka residential building east/ ground floor

138

Petr탑alka residential building east/ ground floor Detail

139

Petr탑alka residential building east /1st floor

140

Petr탑alka residential building east /1st floor detail

141

Visualisation Petr탑alka 2020+ Urban food production in collective gardens

water gutters for 1. better infiltration of storm water 2. as a natural water source 3. as a natural boarder between public pedestrian paths and semi-public collective gardens 142

1.3m ground level

more planted trees and plants will keep the water closer to the grass and vegetables and will prevent it from drying

143

Local products are brought and sold in the local supermatket, establishing and strenghtening the local micro economy

144

local food proximity Citizens picking up fruit from food forest to make their own jams, pies, sirup or schnaps

200m

Fruits from the food forest directy to the kitchens of locals! Local farmers harvest and take their produce home

The local vegetables get directly into the homes of the people The local supermarket buys produce from the local market

Newly opened cafĂŠ in the plinth buys many of the local produces for their cakes and home-made fruitshakes 145

Visualisation Petr탑alka 2020+ Urban meadows

146

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Flower meadows in cities to improve understanding of urbanisation on insect pollinators. All of the crops in the community gardens will need pollinating, so urban pollinators are important.â&#x20AC;?

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conclusion

Towards a resourceful and responsible city

148

A paradigm shift does not mean less care from the city administration's side, but a partnership based on mutual responsibility and shared maintenance. It seems that every year the local municipality is cutting costs in maintenance of public spaces, resulting in transformation of green open surfaces into lower maintenance paved squares1 or demolished public elements or facilities such as fountains, pavement materials, benches. With the current economic situation and lack of finances, we tend to forget that we have at hand unused, even renewable resources: climatological (such as storm water, wind or sun energy) and social (sharing tools and skills). Setting ground and establishing public-private partnership could offer a new strategy for the city as a step towards a more resilient and resourceful city. The city would save costs by collecting storm water (less load on the drainage system and stored water to be used for watering the parks in the hot summer months) in the maintenance and create attractive cooling urban spaces, when existing resources - human capital and natural renewable resources - are smartly utilized. The pub-

Karol (dog) seems happier with all the sniffing and digging in our new meadow. And I bump into more friends. Last time on our walk I even applied for volunteering at the beekeeping station!

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lic-private partnership between the city and citizens or local initiatives would create a platform where both parties would decide and be responsible in creating, protecting and maintaining urban open spaces (for instance proposing new permeable spaces or planting new and protecting existing trees or repairing existing public fountains and installing new drinking water taps in urban 'hot-spots'). In both cases, Old Town and Petržalka, the notion of rediscovering and creating a relationship with the city is strong. The Old Town has the potential to become more resourceful with its climatological processes such as storm water and to create a cooler and more attractive urban environment to its citizens. It can also become more cost-effective by putting less load on the drainage system and mobilizing and letting people maintain and re-establish a relationship with their parks. Petržalka is a home to one third of Bratislava’s population, offering an anonymous city-scape to anonymous city-dwellers. Through re-creating, rediscovering and reconnecting with the social and natural 150

components of the city, the living conditions of us city-dwellers will improve. All ideas of citizens, not interfering with the permeable character and ecological processes of the area, are welcome and allowed. A tree nursery becoming an urban forest, food growing or a sport area for children and adults. In the beginning of this paper, both of case study locations were presented with their strengths and weaknesses. With simple and smart environmental and social injections, both can benefit enormously and move towards a more resilient city. This, however, is not in the hands of „someone“ or a centrally responsible institution, but in the hands of all of us who want to live in a healthy and attractive urban environment.

References: Benepe, Adrian; Parks as Green Infrastructure, Green Infrastructure as Parks: How Need, Design and Technology Are Coming Together to Make Better Cities, April 17, 2013 <http://www.thenatureofcities. com/2013/04/17/parks-as-green-infrastructuregreen-infrastructure-as-parks-how-need-design-and-technology-are-coming-together-tomake-better-cities> (last accessed on July 24, 2013) de Carlo, Giancarlo; Architecture's public: the revolt and the frustration of the school of architecture (1969), ARCH+ 211/212 Think Global Build Social, summer 2013, p. 86 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 96 de Roo, Michelle; Roozen, Niek; The Green City Guidelines Techniques for a healthy liveable city, September 2011 <www.degroenestad.nl/Media/download/7074/Green+City+Guidelines.pdf> (last accessed on July 24, 2013) Karssenberg, Hans ed., The City at Eye Level, Eburon, 2012 <http://www.thecityateyelevel. com> (last accessed on July 24, 2013)

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Urban permeability: On plants and plinths A graduation urban design project by

Veronika Kovรกcsovรก Amsterdam Academy of Architecture January 2014

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