Urban Symbiosis - Architectural Thesis Portfolio - USF SACD

Urban Symbiosis:

Creating Frameworks for Sustainable Community Development

William Cook

Master’s Project Spring 2020 Right /1

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Content

Content Acknowledgments...................................................................................................5 Introduction Research

Defining the issue..................................................................................8

Establishing the foundation.......................................................................11

Case Study Recognizing the systems......................................................................30 Systems Taking a different perspective.....................................................................38 Development Case Studies Analysing past efforts...........................................47 Site Understanding the context...................................................................................54 Framework Creating a structured system................................................................72 Diagrams Converting concepts to spatial construction...........................................85 Guilds

Proposing an ideal system.............................................................................91

Urban Design

Visualizing a new urban construct.................................................95

Future Expansion

Ideas for additional development..........................................115

References...............................................................................................................117

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Thesis Document

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Acknowledgment

Acknowledgment I knew at the beginning of the program that it was going to be a tremendous commitment. What I could not have known was how much I have come to learn and appreciate about architecture. The process of completing this Master’s degree has radically changed my life and the way in which I view the world. It has left me inspired to continue learning and developing a better understanding of the field of design. However, I could not have accomplished it without the patience, love and support of my family and the guidance, investment and encouragement of the faculty and staff of the School of Architecture and Community Design at the University of South Florida.

Specifically I would like to thank my parents Jay and Jan Cook for their unending love and the long conversations that kept me moving forward. To my chair Taryn Sabia and my committee members Darren Azdell, Brian Cook, Adam Fritz and Zachary Correa for providing invaluable insight throughout this process.

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Thesis Document

“Our opportunity, as designers, is to learn how to handle the complexity, rather than shy away from it, and to realize that the big art of design is to make complicated things simple.�

- Tim Parsey

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Concept Diagram #4

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Thesis Document

Introduction The future of modern development is in the creation of successful dense urban fabrics. Localized systems that provide the necessary elements to maintain and provide quality of life for people in every part of the globe. It is estimated that approximately 55% of the world’s population currently lives in cities. However, according to the United Nations, that number will increase to 66% by the year 2050. With over 2/3rds of the world’s population being concentrated into urban settings, the issues of sustainability and resiliency become a large portion of the challenges that current, as well as future, designers must face. As these issues become the main focus of professionals from all disciplines, questions begin to arise in regards to what form these design solutions should take. The focus of this thesis project is to create a comprehensive series of principles and concepts that can be applied to assist in the design and development of a resilient and “sustainable” community.

The definitions and differences between sustainability and resiliency is one that is crucial to understand before the possible solutions are discussed. As the thesis progresses there will be a large amount of discussion on these two topics and how they relate to each other and the urban fabric as a whole. It is important to note that a shift is taking place in the mindset of the designers of cities. The focus is no longer limited to sustainability and having minimal impacts on the environment and health of those that coexist with it; it has expanded to include the logical next step forward from the perspective of future design. That next step is how to create a city that supplements and gives back to the surrounding ecosystem in a way that creates new processes that safeguard the environment while inspiring new typologies of urban development.

The first section of this project will have as its focus the collection and analysis of the basic methodology and principles that various organizations and authors have set forward for urban design. The methods address a wide variety of concepts and topics that are considered integral components to a successful design that vary depending on when, how and by who they were created. After establishing independent sources from various fields of study, the concepts will be analyzed, cross-referenced and finally combined into a comprehensive list of principles that establish a methodology for new urban development.

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Introduction

The next phase will begin to create urban typologies that apply those principles to produce a small cluster of buildings. These clusters will examine the sustainable potentials based on the synergies that can be created between the different uses and existing typologies. For this section of the thesis, the concept of a “Permaculture Guild” will be used as an example as well as an organizing template for communities.

Among the general uses and types of structures, applied and integrated technology will be explored with each building to create a “micro-grid” that is composed of a series of buildings that each contribute a specific function to the group. This approach has the intent of minimizing resource consumption while maximizing the production of critical processes. Each “Urban Guild” would not only address built environment needs which includes but is not limited to power, heating and cooling, water purification, water storage, water treatment, integrated agricultural practices, etc; but also the social, cultural, health, ecological and environmental components that must be addressed on the urban scale. In addition to the building technology, the thesis will briefly introduce the need to integrate new technologies that have an impact on how we live both socially and culturally. This includes but is not limited to augmented reality, virtual reality, social media, social networks, communication, etc.

This will also play a role in the way architects, urban designers and engineers design and will become a critical piece that determines the success or failure of the project.

The second phase of the thesis (Master’s Project #2) will consist of the application of these principles to an urban design for an existing site. It will address the social aspect of how to incorporate a new community within an existing urban fabric, local participation and partnering with locals to create a vision of what the community could be. The project will further develop the typologies established in the first phase and will explore the possible architectural as well as urban form generated from this process. The result will be a comprehensive master plan of the overall site with specific components developed to express the intricacies of the proposed methodology. The project would then be presented as a complete guide with a step by step example that theoretically could be developed in the real world.

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Thesis Document

What is the issue?

“At present, increased sustainability in towns and cities is nothing more than a green coating on top of essential elements such as infrastructure for traffic, energy, water supplies and food production. Nothing has changed in terms of our economic and social organization: for the most part, we are unable to move beyond micro-cosmetic operations such as green roofs, green facades and low traffic zones.�

-Lohrberg, 2011

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Research

Research What is sustainability?

The concept of sustainability is extremely broad in that it can apply to many different areas which changes the definition of the term itself. As a result, there is no universal definition that is agreed upon. Generally speaking, sustainability is the goal of avoiding the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance. It is also defined as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to do the same (UCLA, 2019). However, for the focus of this thesis a universally accepted definition can be established by modifying the term to specifically address sustainable development. The definition that will be used was first written by the Brundtland Report and states the following, “Sustainable development means not only that humankind should satisfy its current needs without compromising the ability of future generations doing the same. Along with it also comes an idea of societal progress and an increase in quality of life”. Since this thesis stems from the study of architecture and community design, the majority of the research will be focused on the built environment and how the aforementioned profession addresses this concept.

Within the built environment the word “sustainability” is more often than not used to refer to the production and consumption of energy. While this is a main factor, there are several other concepts that are not typically discussed. Within the field of architecture, time constraints of the project, financial pressures, skill sets, goals, and scope of the project have all played a role in limiting the conversation. On a broader scale, the lack of understanding of the meaning of sustainability, the prioritization of other things due to a profit driven society and the over usage of the term has created a misconception that sustainability is achievable with minimum effort.

Sustainability is not the result of focusing on one thing extremely well. It is focusing on multiple things each equal in importance and the time, effort and attention that should be given to them. The complexity of designing something sustainable, requires the understanding of multiple systems, at multiple scales and the manner in which they interact with each other. Sustainability is an infinitely complex issue that is a result of a never ending process to understand, design and implement a series of systems that all engage one another.

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Thesis Document

What is the current role of sustainability within architecture and urban design?

A common critique of the field of architecture is that it does not address the issue of sustainability in a direct and meaningful way. “At present, increased sustainability in towns and cities is nothing more than a green coating on top of essential elements such as infrastructure for traffic, energy, water supplies and food production.

Nothing has changed in terms of our economic and social organization: for the most part, we are unable to move beyond micro-cosmetic operations such as green roofs, green facades and low traffic zones” (Lohrberg, 2011). As a profession, architecture has a unique ability to define the built environment and create change not only on an aesthetic and physical level, but socially and culturally as well. With this ability also comes a responsibility to address issues such as sustainability with more than superficial or temporary fixes. However, in the past instead of taking on the daunting tasks architects and designers have seemingly distanced themselves from the design and implementation of the systems that are the foundations of the built environment. In a very revealing quote, architect Stan Allen says, “A building was once “an opportunity to improve the human condition;” now it is conceived as “an opportunity to express the human condition”. He then goes on to address the role and potential that architects have. “If architects assert that signs and information are more important than infrastructure, why would politicians or bureaucrats disagree? As much as they have been excluded from the development of the city, architects themselves have retreated from questions of function, implementation, technique, finance and material practice. And while architects are relatively powerless to provoke changes necessary to generate renewed investment in infrastructure, they can begin to redirect their own imaginative and technical efforts towards the questions of infrastructure. A toolbox of new and existing procedures can be expanded by reference to architecture’s traditional alliance with territorial organization and functionality.”

This thesis hopes to propose a basic framework that allows architects, planners and developers, as well as all other professions involved in shaping the built environment, to develop an understanding and approach to improving future developments to increase sustainability and the quality of life of all those involved.

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Existing Frameworks and Methodologies Within the past few decades the conversation regarding sustainability and sustainable design has grown tremendously. As a result, many voices have joined not only in the discussion but also in the creation of solutions on how to move forward. As demonstrated by the wide variety of work produced on this topic, sustainable design is being addressed by many different fields each with something new to add. This interdisciplinary approach is one of the most critical components that must be present in the design process if a sustainable project is to be achieved. A brief study of resulting frameworks or methodologies shows how complex the issue of sustainable design is as well as the impressive potential that exists for new solutions. A selection of the methodologies will be broken down into more detail and the driving principles will be established and discussed briefly.

The sources are the following: • • • • • • • • •

Livability 101 by AIA Communities by Design Livability Index by AARP Designing Healthy Communities by Richard J. Jackson Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design With Nature by Douglas Farr Building Healthy Places by ULI Making Your Communities Livable for All Ages by N4A Protocol by Eco-Districts Design Steps According to Permaculture New Urbanism

After an understanding of how they work and what issues they target, a comprehensive compilation of strategies will be created. This compilation will then become the foundation for the proposed framework that will be presented later on in the thesis.

The goal is to identify what concepts are addressed in existing methodologies and what is not. This allows the new framework to be constructed in a manner that fills in the gaps through a varied and interdisciplinary approach.

It is important to note that the principles on which a project is based, whether intentional or not, provide the foundation and direction that determines the success of the endeavor before it starts. With a set of principles, the designer and all those involved have a metric that not only guides them but keeps them accountable.

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Livability 101 by AIA Communities by Design The book Livability 101 presents and defines essential elements that must be addressed when participating in community design. The document, presented by a team from AIA, includes brief articles and papers by various professionals in the fields that explain the concept and the components that it must include in order for the design to be functional. The Communities by Design team identified 8 fundamental planning and design principles and included articles explaining each one in depth.

1. A Sense of Place

Author: William A. Gilchrist, AIA Understand the context, identity and characteristics that set this place apart from other places. Designs need to preserve, strengthen or enhance those characteristics that allows the community to grow into the future.

2. Mixed-Use Development

Author: James A. Moore, PhD, AIA Intentionally create a variety of uses and services within a walkable radius to establish a node for the people to interact in.

3. Density

Author: David D. Dixon, FAIA Examine the potential of higher density areas and understand the potential impacts on developments.

4. Effective Planning for Regional Transportation

Author: Seren D. Simonsen, AIA, AICP, LEED AP Work together with other jurisdictions to create a network of transportation that has the ability to improve the economic health of the region.

5. Street-Savvy Design

Author: Ellen Vanderslice, AIA Set the priorities of the development to cater to pedestrians and people instead of vehicles or infrastructure.

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Livability 101 Cover

6. Physical Health and Community Design

Author: David Allison, AIA, ACHA & Dina Battisto, PhD Create communities that encourage healthy lifestyles through the design of pedestrian friendly areas and integrated recreation opportunities.

7. Public Safety & Personal Security

Author: Barbara A. Nadel, FAIA Create and apply operations and technology to improve public safety in a variety of ways that do not inhibit the public use.

8. A Sustainable Approach to Neighborhood and Community Development

Author: Daniel Williams, FAIA Understanding how design impacts and defines the lives of the people who inhabit it through economical, social and environmental forces.

These elements are interesting in that they focus on what design must do in order for people to live with increased quality of life. The design of the built environment plays a tremendous role in the social development of communities. It can create opportunity or it can create barriers. It can welcome, care and protect or it can ignore and isolate the people who interact with it. The environment in which a person lives has a direct impact not only on physical health, but the mental, emotional and spiritual as well. With this established, the responsibility of designers and those who form the built environment is ever increasing as the population that lives in higher density urban center grows.

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The AIA also includes a list of 10 Design Principles for Livable Communities.

1. Design on a Human Scale Compact, pedestrian friendly communities allow residents to walk to shops, services, cultural resources, and jobs and can reduce traffic congestion while befitting people’s health.

2. Provide Choices People want a variety in housing, shopping, recreation, transportation, and employment. Variety creates lively neighborhoods and accommodates residents in different stages of life.

3. Encourage Mixed-Use Development Integrating different land uses and varied building types creates vibrant, pedestrian friendly, diverse communities.

4. Preserve Urban Centers Restoring, revitalizing and infilling urban centers takes advantage of existing streets, services, and buildings and avoids the need for new infrastructure.

This helps to curb sprawl and promote stability for city neighborhoods.

5. Vary Transportation Options Giving people the option of walking, biking and using public transit, in addition to driving, reduces traffic congestion, protects the environment and encourages physical activity.

6. Build Vibrant Public Spaces Citizens need welcoming, well defined public spaces to stimulate face to face interaction, collectively celebrate and mourn, encourage civic participation, admire public art and gather for events.

7. Create a Neighborhood Identity A “sense of place� gives neighborhoods a unique character, enhances the walking environment and creates pride in a community.

8. Protect Environmental Resources A well designed balance of nature and development preserves natural systems, protects waterways from pollution, reduces air pollution and protects property value.

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9. Conserve Landscapes Open space, farms and wildlife habitat are essential for environmental, recreational and cultural reasons.

10. Design Matters Design excellence is the foundation of successful and healthy communities.

Livability Index by AARP The Livability Index is a metric that scores communities on a scale of 0 to 100, delivering an overall livability score that is an average of the category scores. Users can search any location by state, zip code, county, and city. Users can even search a neighborhood by inputting an address, this gets to a finer level of evaluation, at the census block group. However, wherever a community lands on the scale, it always has room for improvement. Even the highest scoring neighborhood, Mifflin West in Madison, Wisconsin, gets a 78, 22 points shy of a perfect score.

The overall livability score is important, but the key to understanding and using the index lies in how communities score within each category.

Housing • Affordability • Cost • Cost Burden • Amount of subsidized housing • Options • Accessibility Transportation • Convenient Transportation Options • Frequency of local transit service • Walk trips • Congestion • Accessible system design • ADA accessibility for stations and vehicles • Transportation Cost • Household Transportation Cost • Safe Streets • Speed limits • Crash rates Right

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• Neighborhood • Proximity • Grocery stores • Parks • Libraries • Jobs by transit • Jobs by automobile • Mixed Use • Diversity of destinations • Compact • Activity density • Personal Safety • Crime rate • Neighborhood Quality • Vacancy rate • Environment • Water quality • Air quality • Regional air quality • Near roadway pollution • Local industrial pollution • Health • Healthy behaviors • Smoking prevalence • Obesity prevalence • Access to exercise • Access to healthcare • Quality of Healthcare • Preventable hospitalization rate • Patient satisfaction • Engagement • Internet access • Broadband cost and speed • Civic engagement • Opportunity for civic engagement • Voting rate • Social engagement • Social involvement index • Cultural, arts and entertainment

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• Opportunity • Equal opportunity • Income inequality • Economic opportunity • Jobs per worker • Educational opportunity • High school graduation rate • Multi-generational communities • Age diversity The metrics for each category are averaged together, to calculate the score, and a bonus point is awarded for each policy in place. More than just a celebration of good work, the category scores also help local stakeholders identify community characteristics that might hinder community livability, such as the high cost of housing or the lack of a complete-streets policy. The tool pairs well with locally collected data to determine the best course of action for meeting a community’s unique vision as a livable community. Volunteers have used the index to assess how well their communities are prepared to meet the needs of people who want to age in place.

It also serves as a precursor to walk audits, as well as a conversation starter in community meetings.

Case Studies

Included here are case studies taken from the Livability Index website. These examples help understand how the Index functions as well as how it is currently being used to help communities better understand and increase their quality of life.

AARP Community Rating

AARP Community Rating Process

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Macon-Bibb, Georgia, Tattnall Square Park Livability Index Score: 49 Once a grazing spot for livestock, Tattnall Square Park is now a favorite gathering place for people of all ages. As with many such green spaces, it took years of local effort for this 16-acre plot surrounded by the College Hill community and Mercer University in Macon to look and function as it does today.

After Macon-Bibb County expressed interest in becoming an Age-Friendly community, AARP volunteer Myrtle Habersham worked with AARP staff to convene discussions with government leaders. Both Mayor Robert Reichert and Samuel F. Hart, past chairman of the Bibb County Board of Commissioners, supported a focus on Tattnall Square Park because they thought the improvements would build momentum to make other community improvements. And indeed they have: The effort has enriched the quality of life for residents in Macon-Bibb County as well as College Hill, the neighborhood surrounding Tattnall Square Park. Macon-Bibb is in the midst of a major downtown transformation with its Second Street Corridor Project, which will provide transportation accessibility by connecting East Macon, Downtown Macon, Navicent Health, and Mercer University, which is adjacent to Tattnall Square Park.

Macon-Bibb County gets an overall score of 49 from the Livability Index. The county scores best in housing, where the indicators show bright spots in housing affordability. Monthly housing costs, at $751, are lower than the U.S. median of $999, and there are more subsidized units compared to the U.S. median.

The data revealed that the greatest challenge is in the opportunity category. Just above 50 percent of students are high school graduates, compared with 80 percent nationally. And the neighborhood and health categories each score 39, in part due to a high crime rate and lack of access to places to exercise.

In August, 2012 Macon-Bibb County held an AARP Active Living Workshop, a one-day event that involved both classroom-style sessions and a community walking audit led by Dan Burden, then of the Walkable and Livable Communities Institute, and the AARP Georgia state office. (Walk audits help residents and citizen activists identify where and how to improve the walkability of their communities. An AARP state office can organize and lead an audit, or a group of residents, or even an individual, can use AARP’s tools to conduct a walk audit on their own.) Community members recommended several new features in the Tattnall Square Park area to address some of the issues highlighted by the Livability Index. A new sidewalk and corner bump out improved pedestrian safety. A new garden, a foot bridge, and additional signage created a more inviting environment for people to exercise and spend time with friends and family, and older residents in particular are using the space. While there isn’t local data yet, leaders hope that more activity in the park can also deter crime by putting more eyes on the street.

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“Our score was a 49, and initially we had concerns about it,” says Myrtle Habersham.

Further analysis, meetings, and dialogue resulted in an action plan for Macon-Bibb County. AARP has reviewed the plan and has recommended that WHO approve it. (It can be found at aarp.org/livable in the Member list.) Meanwhile, city leaders continue to use the Livability Index to identify issues that need to be addressed in their community.

Fort Worth, Texas, Riverside Neighborhood Livability Index Score: 49 Fort Worth, Texas, leaders identified the Riverside neighborhood as a designated urban village revitalization project, creating a master plan for the area. Riverside is also a focus of its AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities work. The city’s goal is to link the available $6 million in funding for urban villages to the creation of vertical, mixed use, walkable development in Riverside. The community’s desires include increasing personal safety and lowering crime rates; creating better connections to the Trinity River and downtown Fort Worth; calming traffic; and developing streets that are safe for pedestrians and cyclists.

Monnie Gilliam, an AARP volunteer since 1986, got excited about the Age-Friendly work in 2014 after Carmel Snyder, an AARP Texas staff member, invited her to an Active Living Workshop. “It seemed that there was an intent and purpose to put something into action and not just talk about it,” Gilliam says. “Anytime you ... really do something, I’m interested!”

Fort Worth received an overall livability score of 49. It scores highest in two categories: neighborhood and opportunity, both of which garnered a 55. Access to job opportunities, a variety of people and services in close proximity, and the number-of-jobs-per-worker (0.79) all exceed the median and are leading indicators in these categories. The lowest score, at 42, is in environment. The city has relatively high air pollution levels, with 20.7 unhealthy air-quality days compared to the U.S. median of eight days. While the Livability Index provides an overview of the city’s livability features and pinpoints areas that need attention — which sometimes surprise community members — the tool can also confirm what residents already know about their immediate needs. A group of Fort Worth volunteers focused on transportation, which has a score of 50. The data shows that people are walking and have good access to public transportation in certain areas, but there are some challenges.

Traffic congestion and fatal crash data show rates above the U.S. median. These point to the need for street improvements that improve safety and increase transportation options. Using walk audits, community members gathered data about unsafe street

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conditions for pedestrians, such as a 15-block stretch of road in the Riverside neighborhood without lights or crosswalks where drivers tend to speed.

“I use the Livability Index during the walk audits I coordinate in my community,” says AARP volunteer Eva Bonilla. “I send the link as part of the tool kit and tell residents how to use it. . . . I encourage them to use it as a way to engage their communities and spark conversation.”

West Sacramento, California Livability Index Score: 57 West Sacramento, California, is just beginning its journey toward age friendliness, but it has already made strides. The city’s mayor, Christopher Cabaldon, is leading the effort. This year the city required agencies like transportation and parks and recreation to integrate issues of aging into their policies and programs. In a June forum Mayor Cabaldon and several agency department heads discussed their use of the Livability Index and have decided to use their analysis of neighborhood data to address the gaps between what their residents need and what the city has to offer.

City officials will now use their findings to shape future agency planning, creating strategies and solutions to realize their vision for improving the lives of community residents of all ages. “We want to be a place that is competitive,” Mayor Calbodon says, “for folks who have lots to contribute to our community, our economy, our activities, and clubs: [People] in their 70s and 80s, and folks in their 30s and 40s who are looking ahead . . . [and asking] where do I want to plant my roots, potentially for the rest of my life?”

These three communities are, of course, among the hundreds of places that are using guiding principles, programs, and metrics to forge new policies — and more livable communities. The U.S. population is rapidly aging, and AARP’s research shows that a majority of people age 65 and older want to remain in their homes and communities as they age. AARP wants to help planners and policy makers prepare to meet the range of needs that people want so they can stay active and engaged in community life.

Aldea Douglas a is project manager on the Livable Communities Team with AARP’s Community, State & National Affairs. She helps ensure that adults have tools and resources that can help them remain in their homes and communities regardless of age. Shannon Guzman is a policy research senior analyst on the Livable Communities team with the AARP Public Policy Institute. She helped to develop the Livability Index.

Disclaimer: The previous case studies of Macon-Bibb Georgia, Fort Worth Texas and West Sacramento were taken directly from the AARP Index website and are not my own work.

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Making Your Communities Livable for All Ages The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (known as n4a) report, Making Your Community Livable for All Ages: What’s Working! provides communities with the tools to undertake the vital work of creating great places for all ages. The association’s members plan for and provide a wide range of services and support to help older adults age successfully and independently. The report highlights 10 key strategies that have been pivotal to the success of the group’s Livable Communities initiatives nationwide.

Strategies 1. Collaborate across traditional and nontraditional sectors.

Involve local government decision makers, planners, business and faith leaders, and academic professionals — to achieve “economies of scope” by generating single solutions that benefit multiple issues and populations.

2. Celebrate racial and ethnic diversity.

Include the community’s diverse voices in the dialogue to tap rich cultural assets and to gain insight into the unique needs of each group.

3. Build individual relationships.

Foster connections with people in each sector, such as a business person or a faith-based leader, who will assume the role of a Livable Communities champion by leveraging their networks to spread the word.

4. Honor your unique local community.

Adopt a narrative that resonates by leveraging historic, cultural, or other unique attributes of your community that tend to unite people.

5. Revere older adults.

Shift cultural perceptions of older adulthood by helping individuals embrace their own aging while also promoting a change in attitude on a community-wide basis by developing intergenerational programs and public awareness campaigns, among other efforts.

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6. Embrace longevity as an opportunity.

Leverage the social capital asset that older adults represent as a critical part of the solution to meeting the needs of your aging community. Solicit their input during the planning process.

7. Tackle the social factors that determine community wellness.

Address social determinants of health, including social inclusion, economic well-being, adequate transportation options, a navigable built environment, appropriate housing choices, and access to services.

8. Seize opportunities to infuse age in everything.

Embed an “age in everything” lens into all aspects of community decision making; educate key stakeholders about the needs and talents of older adults and integrate this knowledge into the process.

9. Send the right messages.

An “aging” frame may not resonate with all stakeholders, so customize messages accordingly. For example, local governments might respond more positively to aging programs when there is recognition that there must be buy-in from community stakeholders to ensure their long-term success.

10. Leverage local dollars for livability.

Make your efforts sustainable by identifying key staff and securing financial support from the community to keep their work going. Look to community foundations, private philanthropy, and in-kind donations.

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Design Steps According To Permaculture This list of principles and methodologies is the foundation of the proposed framework that is to come. In addition to looking at frameworks created within the field of architecture, the perspective of the field of environmental studies and ecology provides a unique opportunity to evaluate the concept of sustainability. The goal of permaculture is to create a sustainable agricultural system by understanding the natural processes that exist in nature. This provides a control to compare other methodologies to in order to see what areas are included and what still needs to be addressed. Up until this point, permaculture practice has only been applied to small scale controlled situations. However, while moving forward with this thesis, keeping these principles in mind gives direction to the project.

Permaculture: A system of agricultural and social design principles centered on utilizing the patterns and features observed in natural ecosystems.

Permaculture follows three main ethics: • Care for the Earth • Care for the People • Fair Sharing of Resources Permaculture has 12 principles that should be followed when applying this process: 1. Observe and Interact “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”

By taking the time to engage with nature, we can design solutions that suit our particular situation.

2. Catch and Store Energy “Make hay while the sun shines.”

By creating systems that collect resources when they are abundant, we can use them in times of need.

3. Obtain a Yield “You can’t work on an empty stomach.”

Ensure you are getting truly useful rewards as part of the working you are doing.

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4. Apply self-Regulation and Accept Feedback “The sins of the fathers are visited on the children of the seventh generation.”

We need to discourage inappropriate activity to ensure that the systems can continue to function well. Negative feedback is often slow to emerge.

5. Use and Value Renewable Resources and Services “Let nature take its course.”

Make the best of nature’s abundance to reduce our consumptive behavior and dependence on non-renewable resources.

6. Produce No Waste “Waste not want not.”

By valuing and making the most of all resources that are available to us, nothing goes to waste.

7. Design From Patterns to Details “Can’t see the forest for the trees.”

By stepping back, we can observe patterns in nature and society. These can form the backbone of our designs, with details filled in as we go.

8. Integrate Rather Than Separate “Many hands make light work.”

By putting the right things in the right place, relationships develop between those things and they work together to support each other.

9. Use Small and Slow Solutions “Slow and steady wins the race.”

Small and slow systems are easier to maintain than big ones, making better use of local resources and producing more sustainable outcomes.

10. Use and Value Diversity “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”

Diversity reduces vulnerability to a variety of threats and takes advantage of the unique nature of the environment in which it resides.

11. Use Edges and Value the Marginal “Don’t think you are on the right track just because it’s a well beaten path.”

The interface between things is where the most interesting events take place.

These are often the most valuable, diverse and productive elements in the system.

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12. Creatively Use and Respond to Change “Vision is not seeing things as they are, but seeing them as they will be.�

We can have a positive impact on inevitable change by carefully observing and then intervening at the right time.

Residential Permaculture Garden Plan [Google Images]

System Diagram of a Permaculture Garden [Google Images]

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New Urbanism This methodology promotes habits and techniques that create environmentally friendly neighborhoods and seeks to redefine the way development is done. It began taking shape in the 1980s and has grown in influence over the past few decades. As a movement it strives to address some of the issues related with the post World War II urban sprawl. The principles reference styles of urban development that were common prior to the war and it establishes ten basic principles that guide development.

The 10 Principles of New Urbanism 1. Walkability Most needs are within a 10-minute walk of home and work. Street design is friendly to pedestrians, because buildings are close to the street and have porches, windows, and doors. Streets have lots of trees and on-street parking, with parking lots and garages placed behind buildings and houses, often connected to alleys. Streets are narrow, which slows traffic dramatically.

2. Connectivity An interconnected street grid disperses traffic and encourages walking.

3. Mixed-Use & Diversity Neighborhoods, blocks, and buildings offer a mix of shops, offices, apartments, and homes. The neighborhoods welcome people of all ages, income levels, cultures, and races.

4. Mixed Housing Zoning allows the close proximity of a wide range of housing types, sizes, and prices.

5. Quality Architecture & Urban Design Buildings emphasize beauty, aesthetics, and comfort and establish a sense of place; public spaces function as civic art, establishing an attractive, quality public realm.

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6. Traditional Neighborhood Structure Neighborhoods have definite centers and edges, with public spaces near the center. Each neighborhood contains a range of uses and densities within a 10-minute walk.

7. Increased Density Buildings, residences, shops, and services are close together to make walking more convenient, services and resources more efficient, and living areas more enjoyable.

8. Smart Transportation A network of high-quality public transit connects cities, towns, and neighborhoods, while pedestrian-friendly design encourages more use of bicycles, rollerblades, scooters, and walking as daily transportation.

9. Sustainability The community uses respect for natural systems and eco-friendly technologies like energy efficiency to minimize effects on the environment. The community connects strongly with surrounding farmland, encouraging land preservation and local food consumption.

10. Quality of Life These design principles produce a life that is well worth living by providing places that enrich, uplift, and inspire the human spirit.

Roswell Gateway Roswell Georgia, USA [Project by TPZ]

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New Urbanism Case Study

The I’On development is located is the town of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina approximately 10 minutes from the historic city of Charleston. It was designed by the firm KPZ in partnership with Dover-Kohl and Partners and follows the design principles set within New Urbanism. The community is 243 acres and was started in the year 1995. It offers an alternative design to the traditional suburbia and contains 4 neighborhoods that each have their own mixed-use commercial center and circulation. It is developed in the Low Lands adjacent to Hobcaw Creek and utilizes water management to create waterfront properties and dedicated green space. This development will be analyzed and used to start a conversation regarding sustainability within the built environment.

Costa Verbana Community Master Plan [Project by TPZ]

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Case Study

I’On Community Master Plan [Project by TPZ]

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Pleasant

North America

Food Distribution Publix Whole Foods Other Food Supplier

Mt. Pleasant

Case Study

New Urbanism is often referred to as a sustainable development framework. In regards to the principles, they do establish sustainability as a primary focus. However, other than a general statement of the intention of working within the environment, respecting existing ecology and protecting surrounding land use, the framework does not provide a guide on how to accomplish this objective. Using this as a case study, the project was examined to determine what concepts were addressed and which ones were missing. This allowed the opportunity to understand what areas the proposed framework could address.

The primary critique of the development was that it does not take an integrated systems approach. While it responds to its context well, the systems that allow a community to take place are not necessarily approached in a sustainable way. The development, in essence, functions in isolation in regards to the systems that provide the basic framework. The example that will be used to discuss the importance of the overall systems approach that must be present in the development.

A common misconception is that in order to be sustainable, a community or building needs to be able to operate in isolation. In other words, it is often approached as an internal objective that can only take place if everything that is needed is included within a single area. If this logic is followed through to its end, it becomes evident that it is impossible to accomplish. Everything that is needed for a community to be sustainable cannot be found within a specific footprint on the scale of which developments are done. In some manner, the development has to engage the external systems in order to allow its survival. As will be discussed in greater depth further into the project, everything exists within a complex network of systems such as the ecology of a specific site for example. The only manner that a development achieves sustainability is to understand that it can only exist due to other systems that provide the framework or foundation for it to do so and it must maintain the balance of and contribute to those systems.

While there are an infinite number of systems that can be explored to better demonstrate this concept, the focus will be placed on the system of food distribution as it relates to the community. The IO’n community does not have its own supermarket,which would still be dependent on distribution, or grow its own food. The nearest chain supermarket stores are located outside of the development to the south on the opposite side of US Highway 17. The larger of these included Publix and Whole Foods which are chains that operate on a regional scale and a national scale respectively. Both of these are primarily accessible via car since they require the crossing of the highway which introduces another foundational system that is often used as the basis for large scale development which is the automobile. It is important to note that this development is simply being used as a conversation starter to critique the views and concepts of sustainability and how it is addressed in architecture and not the development itself.

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Case Study Project Map Kangas

Kivis Tornagrain Community

Springfield Meadows Developmen One Brighton Proje

Southlands Community Grow Community Project

SOMO Village UC Davis West Village

Ottawa One Planet Living Project Geos Neighborhood

Upper Rock Community

Westhaven Community I’On Community Serenbe Community

Rose Town Community Porta Norte Development

Costa Verbana Community

Campo Grande Community

Santa Paula Community Vale do Jurerao Community

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Case Study

One Planet Living Project

sto One Planet Living Project

nt ect

Bolshaya Izhora Community

Chapelton Community BedZED Community

Xi Shui Dong Community Business Oasis Development

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WGV Community Jindee Community

Legend Case Studies New Urbanism Net-Zero Design

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Eco-Districts

Eco-Districts is a tool that is used to encourage and facilitate sustainable development on a community and regional scale. It provides rigorous certifications that give a framework for communities to follow in order to become more sustainable. It primarily focuses on existing communities and provides them with a flexible framework of strategies and goals that allow a community to develop their own version of sustainability due to that every place has a unique definition of sustainability and what it looks like. The framework is structured around 3 core elements which are Imperatives, Priorities and Implementation Phases.

What is unique about Protocol is that it not only establishes principles to follow and concepts to address but that it moves on to the implementation phase of those things. This allows for people at all levels and professions to engage in a movement that avoids being trapped in theoretical conversations and actively moves forward.

It takes the approach that community is a critical piece of achieving sustainability and that it is not something that should be limited to or only discussed by those in professions related to the built environment. It intentionally sets guidelines that keep people at the center of the pursuit of sustainability and it sets itself apart from many other frameworks and methodologies that have been discussed in this project.

Eco-District Protocol Framework

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Eco-District Project Map

Case Study

North Vancouver, Canada Seattle, Washington Portland, Oregon

Minneapolis, Minnesota Toronto, Canada Rochester, New York Cleveland, Ohio Denver, Colorado

Pacific Beach, California

Boston, Massachusetts

Etna, Pennsylvania Millvale, Pennsylvania

Atlanta, Georgia

Miami, Florida

Legend Cities with Eco-Districts

Projects Pursuing Certification

Beautiful PB - Pacific Beach, California Metro-Health Community District - Cleveland, Ohio Capitol Hill EcoDistrict - Seattle, Washington Central Area Cultural District - Seattle, Washington Talbot-Norfolk Triangle Eco-Innovation District - Boston, Massachusetts Millvale - Millvale, Pennsylvania High Falls Eco-District - Rochester New York ATL Eco-District - Atlanta, Georgia Lloyd Eco-District - Portland, Oregon RiNo Arts District - Denver, Colorado Little Haiti Eco-District - Miami, Florida Sun Valley Ec-District - Denver, Colorado East Harbour - Toronto, Canada Towerside Innovation District - Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota North Shore Innovation District - North Vancouver, Canada Etna - Etna, Pennsylvania Right

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Understanding Systems & How to Apply Them What are systems?

Systems are defined as a set of things working together as parts of a mechanism or an interconnecting network. An alternate definition which is more applicable to the scope of the thesis is a set of principles or procedures according to which something is done; an organized scheme or method. With thesis definitions established, attention can be directed towards establishing a process to analyze systems that exist as well as implementing new ones.

Intricately designed systems on multiple scales are what allows developments to take place. Basic systems such as infrastructure provide the foundation that the development we see is built upon. Within the built environment the focus is generally on these engineered systems, however, there are many other systems that play extremely important roles. For example, the social systems in which a project is located dictates the nature of the project. The economic system influences whether or not a development can take place much less the kind of development and its function. Understanding the existing systems and being able to design new ones that exist within and compliment them is critical to achieving a sustainable development.

Why are systems being discussed?

A common issue that manifests itself in architecture is the limited attention given to the systems that are not contained within the given site. Many projects focus their attention only on what lies within the site lines. They can be developed in isolation with the exception of critical infrastructure connections that are usually handled by engineers rather than architecture. The focus for many projects is the aesthetic and function of only the building that is being designed and in some cases it does not take into consideration the many systems that are surrounding it. In order to achieve sustainability, all of the systems that take place in and around the site must be taken into consideration and carefully integrated into the development from the earliest stages of design.

Why is this relevant to architecture and urban design?

The process of creating a building or community is the result of many complex systems interacting within a specific space. The primary role of the architect is the coordination of different fields, approaches and disciplines to create a functional

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Research

space. The understanding of systems is critical to producing a sustainable project.

Not just the ones within the built environment, but all of the others that interact with them. Everything exists within systems on multiple scales and varying complexities.

If future development is going to be sustainable then it has to design with and within the systems of its context.

Infrastructural Urbanism Infrastructural Urbanism is a proposed renewal and refocusing of the approach through which architects interact with the built environment. Architect Stan Allen explores and presents this concept in much of his work as well as books and other media. It speaks of returning to a more “involved” state where architecture becomes involved in more than just aesthetic decisions. It involves a system approach in which designers utilize the foundation of “infrastructure” to ground their work in reality.

In other words, that architecture should focus less on “expressing” a concept and design in such a way that materializes and practices it.

The system of infrastructure is what allows the systems of building to take place.

The potential for architects is to understand and utilize the systems that are behind the systems that we focus on and alter the design to change the way architecture engages the built environment. It expresses the importance of infrastructure design and that architects should not be working without it when we design. Infrastructure is what allows urban setting to exist. If architects and designers want to reshape and improve urban design, they have to work with infrastructure and apply the framework it provides. Re-imagined and intentionally designed infrastructure is the future of sustainable development. The following quote from the book Points + Lines

by Stan Allen is useful to understanding his perspective.

“If architects assert that signs and information are more important than infrastructure, why would politicians or bureaucrats disagree? As much as they have been excluded from the development of the city, architects themselves have retreated from questions of function, implementation, technique, finance and material practice. And while architects are relatively powerless to provoke changes necessary to generate renewed investment in infrastructure, they can begin to redirect their own imaginative and technical efforts towards the questions of infrastructure. A toolbox of new and existing procedures can be expanded by reference to architecture’s traditional alliance with territorial organization and functionality.”

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“The design strategy consisted of setting down the traces of an architectural infrastructure that would allow flexible development while maintaining a unified identity: a directed field within which the future life of the site could unfold; an architectural means to impose minimal although precise limits on future construction.” - Stan Allen The following framework is a brief summary of the concepts presented in Stan Allen’s work and express the techniques that architects can use within their design process to create a new kind of urban development.

Two Prototypical Strategies: 1. A division of land that recognizes the presence of nature and maintains open green space.

2. A continuous architectural infrastructure that will allow flexible development while maintaining a unified identity.

“These new notations do not so much map an exact correspondence between architecture and activity as articulate a degree of play between form and event, a loose fit of organization and program.” - Stan Allen 1. Surfaces The given surface area of the site is organized into “patches” and “corridors”. The superposition of these two systems create a mosaic of natural and artificial services.

• Patches: are defined as nonlinear surface areas, either areas that are designated to return to their indigenous nature, or built-up areas that accommodate the new programs.

• Corridors: are infrastructural pathways containing movement, services and function.

2. Movement To facilitate connection, the primary circulation is an uninterrupted East-West route.

Pedestrian movement is at an upper level within the depths of the layered fabric of systems providing continuously connected space.

3. Program Four broad program categories are proposed for the project: • Work (workshops, and ateliers for artists and artisans) • Display (showroom and other exhibition facilities) • Service (vehicle services, hotel and office space) • Recreation (Sport facilities, open green spaces for leisure and events)

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4. Patch Typologies Instead of specific design proposals for future occupation of the site, a series of loose organizational typologies are proposed. Depending on density and organization, patches might function as habitat, barrier, filter, source, or sink for future activity.

Scale and density of architectural occupation in turn suggests possible programs.

5. Infrastructure Taking an optimistic view of the future of the site, this project anticipates the participation of multiple architects, agencies and individuals in the construction of the site. It seeks to establish a realistic framework within which these collective contributions can be organized and coordinated. By creating a framework that is architecturally specific yet programmatically indeterminate, the future life of the site is free to unfold beyond the fixed limits of a master plan.

Additional Concept Development for Infrastructural Urbanism Surface Infrastructure works not so much to propose specific buildings on given sites, but to construct the site itself. It prepares the ground for future building, and creates the conditions for future events. Its primary modes of operation are: • The division, allocation and construction of surfaces • The provision of services to support future programs • The establishment of networks for movement, communication and exchange “Infrastructure is a language and geography is its medium.”

Components: • Matrix • Mosaic • Extent (The site is not limited to the property lines of the project.

Understand the “reach” and impact that the site currently has and how changes would affect that specific system as well as the overall system of which it is a part.)

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Service Infrastructure recognizes the collective nature of the city, and allows for the participation of multiple authors. Infrastructures give direction to future work in a city not by the establishment of rules or codes (top-down) but by fixing points of service, access and structure (bottom-up). Infrastructure creates a directional field, where different architects and designers may contribute, but it sets technical and instrumental limits to their work. Infrastructure itself works strategically, but it encourages tactical improvisation.

Components: • Pathways • Program • Flow / Movement / Exchange (Although static in and of themselves, infrastructures organize and manage complex systems of flow, movement, and exchange. Not only do they provide a network of pathways, they also work through systems of locks, gates and valves - a series of checks that control and regulate flow.)

• Service Grids Organization Infrastructures accommodate local contingency while maintaining overall continuity.

Infrastructure’s default condition is regularity - in the desert highways run straight.

Infrastructures are above all pragmatic. Because it operates instrumentally, infrastructural design is indifferent to formal debates. Invested neither in (ideal) regularity or in (disjunctive) irregularity, the designer is free to employ whatever works in particular conditions.

Components: • Edges & Boundaries • Affiliation • Corridors & Connectivity • Network (Formal description of infrastructural systems: infrastructures tend to be hierarchical and tree like, however, these are the effects of scale - a capillary effect when the elements get very numerous and very small - and the effects of synergy, when systems overlap and interchange, bot of which tend to produce field conditions that work against an exclusively vectorial organization of infrastructural systems.)

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Structure Infrastructural systems work like artificial ecologies. They manage the flows of energy and resources on the site, and direct the density and distribution of habitat.

They create the conditions necessary to respond to incremental adjustments in resource availability, and modify the status of inhabitation in response to changing environmental conditions.

Components: • Infrastructural “Roof” • Occupied Structure • Space / Framework • Typologies

Repetition Infrastructure allows detailed design of typical elements or repetitive structure, facilitating an architectural approach to urbanism. Instead of moving always down in scale from the general to specific, infrastructural design begins with the precise delineation of specific systems within specific limits. Unlike other models, (planning codes or typological norms for example), that tend to schematize and regulate architectural form, and work by prohibition, the limits to architectural design in infrastructural complexes are technical and instrumental. In infrastructural urbanism, form matters, but more for what it can do than for what it looks like.

Components: • Detail Design Elements • Patch Typologies • Patch #2 Typologies • Fields - Variation / Repetition

Anticipation Infrastructures are flexible and anticipatory. They work with time and are open to change. By specifying what must be fixed and what is subject to change, they can be precise and indeterminate at the same time. They work through management and cultivation, changing slowly to adjust to shifting conditions. They do not progress towards a predetermined state, (as with master planning strategies), but are always evolving within a loose envelope of constraints.

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• • • • • • •

Program Scores Common systems in architecture and urban design.

Everything exists with and within systems on many scales.

Understanding the system mindset.

Designing with systems.

Designing systems on multiple scales.

Systems affected by urban design: • Social • Cultural • Ecological • Economical • Built Environment

Circular Economy Circular economy aims to redefine the current linear take-make-waste model of economy that we use today. It entails gradually decoupling economic activity from the consumption of finite resources, and designing waste out of the system.

Underpinned by a transition to renewable energy sources, the circular model builds economic, natural, and social capital (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2020). The concept is based on three main principles which are: • Design out waste and pollution • Keep products and materials in use • Regenerate natural systems

The following is a summary of a Carbon Talks titled Towards A Circular City given

by Dr. Jacqueline Cramer Dr. Jacqueline Cramer is a circular economy ambassador for the Amsterdam Economic Board. She was also the Netherlands Minister for Environment, Housing and Spatial planning.

What is a circular economy about?

It has its goal to reduce the amount of wasted resources and the impacts on the environment. We have to close the loops of both products and materials while safeguarding the restorative capacity of ecosystems.

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There are barriers to radical change: • Institutional (vested interests) • Organizational (no coordination) • Legal (Legislation hampers innovation) • Economic (focus on current business models) • Behavioral (reluctance to change attitudes) • Technical (incremental innovations prevail) Municipal approach towards a circular city in the Netherlands (step by step plan): • Map promising resource streams.

• Metals • Servers • Mattresses • Plastics • Non-wearable textiles • Electronic & Electric Waste • Construction & Demolition Waste • Biomass (biodegradable household waste), sewage sludge, agro-food, public greenery) • Analyze options for closing the loop at the appropriate scale to create a business case for investors: • Municipal (Construction & Demolition, Product Reuse) • Regional (Electronic/Electric Waste, Biodegradable Resources, Textile Recycling, Plastic) • National (Mattresses, from the design to the recycled use (cradle to cradle)) • Formulate short and long term strategies.

• Optimize the collection of resource streams.

• This is where the public is involved. Communicate the need and why otherwise the public will not join the movement.

• Stimulate circular, local initiatives.

• Set up a circular procurement policy. (Must establish criteria.)

• Degree of circularity of the material/product.

• Improvement of product/service on People, Planet and Profit.

• Judgement based on objectivity, transparency and nondiscrimination.

• Adopt, facilitate startups that address these needs when possible.

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Conditions for success of a circular city initiative: • Initiators with guts and support.

• Cooperation in product chain and on multiple scales (municipal, regional, national, etc.)

• New financial arrangements.

• Additional tailor-made incentives, including circular procurement policies.

Circular Economy Circular Economy has as its goal to reduce the amount of wasted resource and the impacts on the environment by moving beyond the current takemake-waste system that is a product of the industrial model. It aims to redefine growth by closing the loops of both products and materials while safeguarding the restorative capacity of ecosystems. It entails gradually disconnecting economic activity from the consumption of finite resources and designing waste out of the system.

Municipal Approach of Implementation Map promising resource streams

Three Principles Keep products and materials in use

Analyze options for closing the loop at the appropriate scale to create a business case for investors.

Formulate short and long term strategies

Regenerate natural systems

Optimize the collection of resource streams

Design out waste and pollution

Stimulate circular, local initiatives Set up a circular procurement policy

Barriers To Radical Change

Establish Criteria

Institutional (vested interests) Legal (legislation hampers innovation) Economic (focus on current business models) Behavioral (reluctance to change attitudes)

Cardboard to Caviar Diagram [Google Images]

Technical (incremental innovations prevail)

Municipal Approach of Implementation Map promising resource streams

Optimize the collection of resource streams Stimulate circular, local initiatives Set up a circular procurement policy Establish Criteria

Municipal

Regional

National

This is where the public is most heavily involved. Communicate the need and why otherwise the public will not join the movement.

Conditions for success of a circular initiative

• Degree of circularity of the material/product.

• Improvement of product/service on People, Planet and Profit.

• Judgement based on objectivity, transparency and non-discrimination.

• Adopt, facilitate startups that address these needs when possible.

• Initiators with guts and support.

• Cooperation in product chain and on multiple scales (municipal, regional, national, etc.)

• New financial arrangements.

• Additional tailor-made incentives, including circular procurement policies.

• • • • • • • •

Metals Servers Mattresses Plastics Non-wearable textiles Electronic & Electric Waste Construction & Demolition Waste Biomass (biodegradable household waste), sewage sludge, agro-food, public greenery)

Summary Diagram by William Cook

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This is where involved. Co why otherwis movement.

Conditions for success of a circula

• Degree of circularity of the material/product.

• Improvement of product/service on People, Planet and Profit.

• Judgement based on objectivity, transparency and non-discrimination.

• Adopt, facilitate startups that address these needs when possible.

Organizational (no coordination)

Analyze options for closing the loop at the appropriate scale to create a business case for investors.

Formulate short and long term strategies

Mun

• Initiators with guts and su • Cooperation in product c (municipal, regional, nati • New financial arrangemen • Additional tailor-made in procurement policies.

Case Studies

Development Case Studies In order to better understand the parameters of a sustainable development a series of built projects will be studied. Each one has positives and negatives that can be taken into consideration to inform the proposed framework.

BedZED Development Known as the United Kingdom’s first large-scale Eco-Village, the BedZED community was designed by Zed Factory in collaboration with BioRegional for their clients The Peabody Trust. Concepts for this development began in 1997 while the companies looked for an opportunity to build a Zero-Carbon Eco-Village. It was designed to achieve big reductions in climate changing greenhouse emissions and water use.

This included new strategies regarding power generation, water treatment as well as heating, cooling and transportation. Seven years after its completion, studies revealed that BedZED’s basic green building format and material designs vastly helped in working towards this goal, while several green technologies seem to have been less effective. In its totality, BedZED includes 82 residential homes, 18 live/ work units, commercial workspaces, and several on-site facilities.

BedZED Plan [Google Images]

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Power Power was intended to be generated by a Biomass CHP power plant and solar panels. However, due to complications with the system a gas boiler is now used. The output level works well due to the zero heating specification and the only thermal demand is for hot water. There is no need for heating and cooling due to the cooler climate with highs in the 70s and large glass areas included in the design that provide heat using only sunlight. When excess power is produced it is distributed back to the grid.

Building Sections Retrieved [Google Images]

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Case Studies

Building Sections Retrieved from [Google Images]

Water The development captures rainwater and stores it for re-use within the development.

The development used water efficient appliances and recycled water when possible.

A “Living Machine” system of recycling waste water was installed but failed to achieve required water quality standards.

Status Update The development originally had its own combined heat and power plant (CHP) and, after a promising start, the efficiency of this advanced technology started gradually declining, resulting in a shift from 80% of BedZED’s energy produced from renewable sources in 2003 to 11 percent in 2006. A similar problem occurred with the development’s “Living Machine”, an innovative water treatment system that filters wastewater for use in toilets and irrigation. In combination with rainwater collection, it was estimated that the system could save each resident 15 liters of water every day but, since 2005, the Living Machine has been out of service due to lack of maintenance. It has since proven more sustainable and economical to simply tie into the main power and water supply.

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Serenbe Community The Serenbe community was founded by Steve Nygren and Marie Lupo Nygren as a result of their personal philosophy that “if you want to change the world, start in your own backyard”. At Serenbe the stated values are nature, passion, creativity and community. It is a community where people live, work, learn and play. The first house was built in 2004 and now is home to over 650 residents.

Each of Serenbe’s four hamlets have commercial centers focused on the elements of a well lived life. The elements are: • Arts for Inspiration • Agriculture for Nourishment • Health for Wellbeing • Education for Awareness The development follows curves that blend in and accentuate the existing landscape which minimizes land disturbances and facilitates the preservation of large undeveloped green space.

Resource Management They facilitate geothermal, solar and net zero homes. The conserve water by landscaping and naturally treating the wastewater for ornamental irrigation.

It also includes a 25 acre organic farm, seasonal Saturday farmers markets, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and edible landscaping including blueberry bushes along paths and sidewalks. It has a very strong focus on farm to table and healthy living habits that interact with nature in every way possible. The specific land planning protects the wetlands and preserves over 70% of the land.

Serenbe Mixed-Use from [Google Images]

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Case Studies

Serenbe Master Plan Retrieved from [Google Images]

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Geos Neighborhood When completed, Geos will be the largest net zero energy, urban mixed-use development in the United States. It will cover 25.2 acres and feature 282 new dwelling units and 12,000 square-feet of retail space. Geos will generate 100 percent of its energy from geothermal wells and photo-voltaic solar panels, both renewable energy sources. Optimal density and building arrangement provides energy savings by maximizing passive solar heat and natural day lighting, which lowers energy consumption by one-third. It will feature 8.5 acres (34 percent of site) of parks and open space, including fruit tree co-ops, community gardens, play areas, percolation parks, town squares, event spaces, and mixed-use meadows.

Geos is composed of 4 neighborhood sub-areas.

Entry Mixed Use The Entry Mixed-Use Neighborhood will welcome visitors and homeowners alike to the Main Street District. Distinguished architecture seeks to create a sense of arrival to Geos where sunny and affordable townhomes and condominiums will intermingle with locally owned ground level shops and live/work home offices.

Beachfront Mixed Use The Beachfront Mixed-Use Neighborhood will sit above and overlook a meadow endearingly nicknamed “The Beach.� This area will feature the Central Square and will be considered the heart of social life at Geos. Surrounded by community-oriented facilities, businesses and playgrounds , the Beachfront will make a great place to sit, relax and chat with neighbors. The Beachfront Promenade also will provide a venue for strolling and gazing down on the beautiful cottonwoods along Ralston Creek.

Garden Communities The Garden Community Neighborhood will boast sunny, south-facing homes with private gardens, patios and porches. The homes will have access to small paths intertwined with gardens and parks on their way to the public open space along Ralston Creek. Here, neighbors will enjoy late summer evenings in shared common greens. The parking areas are designed as pedestrian friendly zones with textured or colored paving, trees, small garages and residential carriage units.

Checkerboard Blocks The Checkerboard Blocks Neighborhood is an innovative area based on home types found in historic Colorado neighborhoods. These residences will be positioned for ideal solar access, and have inviting outdoor courtyards and patios. Here you will find live/work town-homes that face well-traveled streets for maximum public exposure and convenience. Single family homes in Checkerboard Blocks will feature front porches facing the park to further enhance a traditional neighborhood feel.

Disclaimer: All descriptions of sub-areas are from the Geos documentation and not my own.

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Case Studies

Master Plan Retrieved from Geos document.

Call-out Graphics Retrieved from Geos document.

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Site Studies and Context Analysis The site that was selected is located in the municipality of Carolina on the northern coast of Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico has been an area of interest for sustainable design solutions due to the recent natural disasters such as Hurricane Maria and more recently the earthquakes in 2019. In many cases, Puerto Rico is a representation of what the mainland United States will become. More severe storms, sea level rise, higher cost of living such as electricity, fuel, consumer goods that are imported and limited production of local agriculture are only a few of the issues that will become more prevalent. Within this area, there is an industrial zone that is adjacent to the international airport as well as the main tourist destination of Old San Juan. It is also located near a coastal lagoon that connects to one of the largest protected estuaries on the north of the island. The site is approximately 400 acres of mostly undeveloped land to the south of the airport. It is edged by water on he east and Site Aerial (2018) north side by a lagoon and canal dug by the Army Corps of Engineers respectively.

Aerial Image of the Site Retrieved from Google Earth

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Site Analysis 815000

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Data Collected from Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)

As part of the site study, information was collected regarding the type, quality and history of the soil. The geotechnical data for the site was critical in understanding the current ecology, history of the site, current water levels, brown sites, etc. Challenges began to arise when the site presented no history or information. It was classified as “Md” which is the designation for “made land” but no additional information could be found. The best assumption based on collected data suggested that this area was used as a collection area for the spoil that was created when the Army Corps of Engineers created the canal that runs along the north of the site. This begins to address the designation as well as the lack of natural growth and vegetation in certain areas of the site as well as the seemingly structured surface patterns.

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Unted States Department of Agriculture

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Protected Natural Areas of Puerto Rico

Forest Service

IITF GIS and Remote Sensing Lab

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rotection of natural areas is essential to conserving biodiversity and

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maintaining ecosystem services. Benefits and services provided by natural areas are complex, interwoven, life-sustaining, and necessary for a healthy environment and a sustainable future (Daily et al. 1997). They include

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clean water ccccccc and air, sustainable wildlife populations and habitats, stable slopes, productive soils, genetic reservoirs, recreational opportunities, and spiritual refugia.

These are benefits that cannot be replaced by existing technology (Cohen and Tilman

Cuba

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49

Atlantic

Ocean

14

18°10'0"N

109

( &

( & Morovis ( &

Orocovis ( &

18°0'0"N

18°10'0"N

18°10'0"N

9

( &

Guánica

43

42

Humacao & (

17°50'0"N

0

80%

53%

4%

Main island

10%

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

62% 20%

4%

Vieques*

Mona and Monito

Culebra*

Cays

115

93

91

¤

10 Caja de Muertos 0

2

4

8

12

16

20

Miles

67°50'0"W

Caribbean

Adjuntas People's Forest Aguas Buenas Caverns and Cave Systems Natural Reserve Aguirre State Forest Belvedere Natural Reserve Belvedere Natural Reserve Marine Extent Boquerón State Forest Boquerón State Forest Marine Extent Boquerón Wildlife Refuge Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge Caja de Muertos Island Natural Reserve Cambalache State Forest Camuy River Caves Park Caño La Boquilla Natural Reserve Caño La Boquilla Natural Reserve Marine Extent

67°30'0"W

Region Nongovernmental

50

44

4

8

16

24

32

40

Kilometers

Sea

SCALE: 1:240,000

Protected Areas

17°40'0"N

13% 100%

Pro tected land (percent)

1%

20

Unprotected areas

Maunabo ( &

Arroyo

0

Unprotected land

15%

3% 1%

Vieques

Federal

Commonwealth

* Region includes surrounding cays.

Hydrography Lakes/reservoirs

High : 159.245

Rivers/streams

Low : -4607.2

Nongovernmental Lands managed by nongovernmental entities (e.g., Casa Pueblo Foundation,

Lands managed by Puerto Rican government agencies (i.e., Department of Natural

Ciudadanos del Karso, Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico, Luis Muñoz Marín

and Environmental Resources, Land Administration, National Parks Company of

Foundation, among other nonprofit and private organizations).

Puerto Rico, and University of Puerto Rico) and municipalities.

Federal

67°10'0"W

Lands with no known current legal protection for conservation.

Service, U.S. Forest Service, and U.S. National Park Service).

Bathymetry: This data set was created with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration nautical chart points compiled by Antonio González of the University of Turabo, Ana G. Méndez System. The Digital Elevation Model (DEM) was created at the International Institute of Tropical Forestry (IITF) Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing Lab. The points were interpolated to a 30-meter raster file using the Spline interpolation in ArcGIS 9.2, Spatial Analyst extension. A hill shade was calculated from the DEM using ArcGIS 9.2.

Coastline: The coastline data set is mainly based on 2007 digital aerial photographs, with small areas based on 2004 or range issues in the 2007 photos. The data set was developed by a collaborative effort between the Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico and the IITF GIS and Remote Sensing Lab. Hydrography: The hydrography data set was derived and generalized from The National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) published in 2005, Reston, Virginia. The NHD was originated by the USGS in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, and other federal, state, and local partners.

This data set is presented as vector digital data generally developed at 1:24,000/1:12,000 scale.

Protected areas: Updated from Gould et al. 2007. Marine reserves were added from data provided by the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources of Puerto Rico. Some boundaries were updated with more recent data provided by the agency or organization responsible for said areas, whereas other areas that were missing in the original file were added. The coastline of the original data was updated to match a newer coastline based primarily on 2007 digital orthorectified aerial photographs, developed by the IITF GIS and Remote Sensing Lab. These are the most recent available data as of October 2010.

66°50'0"W

Hectares

References:

Percentage of island

Number of protected areas

Commonwealth

41 376

57

5

52

Federal

20 655

28

2

7

10 709

15

1

36

Nongovernmental

Guánica State Forest Guánica State Forest Marine Extent Guayama Reef Natural Reserve Guaynabo River Natural Protected Area Guillermeti property Hacienda Buena Vista Natural Protected Area Hacienda La Esperanza Natural Reserve Hacienda La Esperanza Natural Reserve Marine Extent Inés María Mendoza (Punta Yeguas) Nature Reserve Jobos Bay Estuary National Research Reserve Jorge Sotomayor del Toro Natural Protected Area José Santiago property Joyuda Lagoon Natural Reserve La Ciénaga Las Cucharillas Natural Reserve

Cohen, J.E.; Tilman, D. 1996. Biosphere 2 and biodiversity: the lessons so far. Science. 274: 1150-1151.

15% (10 709 ha) Nongovernmental

Junta de Planificación. 2006. Plan de uso de terrenos de Puerto Rico: borrador preliminar para vistas públicas. San Juan, PR. 88 p.

Lugo, A.E. 1994. Terrenos públicos, fragmentación y la biodiversidad de Puerto Rico. Acta Científica. 8(1-2): 31-35.

Lugo, A.E.; Ramos-Álvarez, A.; Mercado, A.; La Luz Feliciano, D.; Cintrón, G.; Márquez D'Acunti, L.; Chaparro, R.; Fernández Porto, J.; Peisch, S.J.; Rivera Santana, J. 2004. Cartilla de la zona marítimo-terrestre.

Acta Científica. 18(1-3): 1940-1148 Molina, M. 1994. Introducción al concepto de los terrenos y bienes públicos, y su marco legal. Acta Científica. 8(1-2): 3-29.

Suggested citation: Gould, William A.; Quiñones, Maya; Solórzano, Mariano; Alcobas, Waldemar; Alarcón, Caryl.

Topography: The elevation data were derived from the USGS National Elevation Dataset (NED) DEM. This data set is a

2011. Protected natural areas of Puerto Rico. 1:240,000. IITF-RMAP-02. Río Piedras, PR: U.S. Department of

raster product assembled by the USGS. The NED is designed to provide national elevation data in a seamless form with

Agriculture, Forest Service, International Institute of Tropical Forestry.

Federal

57% (41 376 ha)

Acknowledgments: This research was supported by the USGS Biological Resources Division National Gap Program cooperative agreement 01HQPG0031 (01-IA-111201-002). Special thanks to Brick Fevold and the Conservation Trust of

Urban centers: This data set was developed by the IITF GIS and Remote Sensing Lab using visual interpretation of

Wildlife Service, Luis Jorge Herrera and Ciudadanos del Karso, Coralys Ortiz and the Coastal Zone Management Program

existing maps. Each point in the data set represents the approximate urban center for each municipality.

of the DNER, and reviewers for information and critical reviews of this map. This research was conducted in

Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, William Hernández and the Fish and

66°20'0"W

66°10'0"W

82 Pterocarpus Forest of Dorado 83 Pterocarpus Forest Nature Reserve 84 Pterocarpus Swamp Forest and Mandry and Santa Teresa Lakes Natural Reserve 85 Punta Ballenas Natural Reserve 86 Punta Cucharas Natural Reserve 87 Punta Cucharas Natural Reserve Marine Extent 88 Punta Guaniquilla Natural Reserve 89 Punta Guaniquilla Natural Reserve Marine Extent 90 Punta Petrona Natural Reserve 91 Punta Petrona Natural Reserve Marine Extent 92 Punta Tuna Natural Mangrove Reserve 93 Punta Yeguas Natural Reserve Marine Extent 94 Ratones Cay Natural Reserve

66°0'0"W

65°50'0"W

Protected areas by ownership

Number of protected areas distribution by management Nongovernmental

95 Recently aquired land in Manatí and Guayama by IITF 96 Recently aquired land in Piñones by DNER 97 Recently aquired land in the Northern Karst region by DNER 98 Recently aquired land in the Northeast Ecological Corridor by DNER 99 Río Abajo State Forest 100 San Cristóbal Canyon Natural Protected Area 101 San Juan Ecological Corridor 102 San Patricio Urban Forest 103 Seven Seas Natural Reserve 104 Shapiro property 105 Sun Bay National Park 65°40'0"W

106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116

Susúa State Forest Toro Negro State Forest Tortuguero Lagoon Natural Reserve Tourmaline Reef Natural Reserve Tres Palmas Natural Marine Reserve Tres Picachos State Forest University of Puerto Rico Botanical Garden Vega State Forest Vieques Bioluminescent Bay Natural Reserve Vieques Bioluminescent Bay Natural Reserve Marine Extent Vieques National Wildlife Refuge

65°30'0"W

65°20'0"W

Regulated land

0

55% (52)

10

7% (7) The United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service has developed this information for the guidance of its employees, its contractors, and its cooperating Federal and State agencies. It is not responsible for the interpretation or use of this information by anyone except its own employees. The use of trade, firm, corporation, or association names in this publication is for the information and convenience of the reader and does not constitute an endorsement by the Department of any product or service. This product is reproduced from geospatial information prepared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. Geographic Information System (GIS) data and product

modify, or replace GIS products without notification.

The Forest Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture is dedicated to the principle of multiple use management of the Nation’s forest resources for sustained yields of wood, water, forage, wildlife, and recreation. Through forestry research, cooperation with the States and private forest owners, and management of the National Forests and

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

60

Kilometers

14%

Protected Land Ownership in Puerto Rico Protected lands for conservation owned by Puerto Rican government

Protected lands for conservation owned by Puerto Rican government

Protected lands for conservation owned by U.S. government federal

Protected lands for conservation owned by nonprofit and private organizations

Unprotected areas Lands with no known current legal protection for conservation

Maritime terrestrial zone

12%

institutions, municipalities, and utility companies

agencies

Nongovernmental organizations

Ownership

Hectares Percentage

Number of protected areas

33 704

46

40

8554

12

23

Federal agencies, forests, parks, reserves

20 443

28

7

Nongovernmental organizations

10 039

14

33

72 740

100

Commonwealth forest, reserves and parks Commonwealth institutions, counties, utilities

Total

10

20

Miles 30

60

Kilometers

Riverbanks

The agriculture valleys are areas regulated for the conservation of agriculture activities. Each valley is protected under a specific mandate: Lajas valley, Law number 277 of the year 1999; Coloso valley, Law number 142 of the year 2000; Guanajibo valley, Law number 184 of the year 2002; Cibuco valley, Law number 398 of the year 2004; Yabucoa valley, Law number 49 of the year 2009.

Commonwealth institutions, counties, and utilities

Federal agencies, forests, parks, and reserves

0 0

Rivers/streams

Agriculture valleys

28%

agencies (i.e., DNER, National Parks Company of Puerto Rico)

Lakes/reservoirs

Some of Puerto Rico's laws and regulations that impact the conservation of natural resources

46%

Commonwealth forests, parks, and reserves

accuracy may vary. They may be developed from sources of differing accuracy, accurate only at certain scales, based on modeling or interpretation, or incomplete while being created or revised. Using GIS products for purposes other than those or for which they were created may yield inaccurate or misleading results. This information was released on the indicated date. The data in this research map reflect data available at the moment of publication. The Forest Service reserves the right to correct, update,

Hydrography

20

Miles 30

0

Rivers/streams

Commonwealth

Federal

¤

¤

Hydrography Lakes/reservoirs

38% (36)

Commonwealth

National Grasslands, it strives— as directed by Congress— to provide increasingly greater service to a growing Nation.

a consistent datum, elevation unit, and projection. NED has a resolution of one arc-second (approximately 30 meters) for the contiguous United States, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico and a resolution of two arc-seconds for Alaska. The hillshade was calculated by using ArcGIS 9.2, Spatial Analyst extension.

66°30'0"W

69 Maricao River Natural Protected Area 70 Maricao State Forest 71 Mata de Plátano Field Station Natural Reserve 72 Medio Mundo y Daguao Natural Protected Area 73 Mona Island and Monito Natural Reserve 74 Mona Island and Monito Natural Reserve Marine Extent 75 Monte Choca State Forest 76 Monte Guilarte State Forest 77 Nuevo Milenio Urban Forest 78 Old San Juan Aqueduct 79 Pandura Range Natural Protected Area 80 Paraíso de las Lunas Natural Protected Area 81 Piñones State Forest

92

821 022

28% (20 655 ha)

56 La Cordillera Reef Natural Reserve 57 La Olimpia Forest 58 La Parguera Natural Reserve 59 La Parguera Natural Reserve Marine Extent 60 Lago Guajataca Wildlife Refuge 61 Lago La Plata Wildlife Refuge 62 Lago Luchetti Wildlife Refuge 63 Las Cabezas de San Juan Natural Reserve 64 Las Cabezas de San Juan Natural Reserve Marine Extent 65 Las Mesas Peak 66 Las Piedras del Collado Natural Reserve 67 Los Frailes property 68 Luis Peña Channel Natural Reserve

8

72 740

Unprotected

Daily, G.C.; Alexander, S.; Ehrlich, P.R.; Goulder, L.; Lubchenco, J.; Matson, P.A.; Mooney, H. A.; Postel, S.; Schneider, S.H.; Tilman, D.; Woodwell, G.M. 1997. Ecosystem services: benefits supplied to human societies by natural ecosystems. Ecological Society of America, Issues in Ecology. 2: 2-16.

Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources [DRNA]. 2009. Hoja de nuestro ambiente: Los Manglares. P-037. San Juan, PR. 2 p.

Fernández-Porto, J. 1994. El Impacto sobre las comunidades de la administración de los terrenos y otros bienes públicos. Acta Científica. 8(1-2): 37-43.

Gould, W.A.; Alarcón, C.; Fevold, B.; Jiménez, M.E.; Martinuzzi, S.; Potts, G.; Solórzano, M.; Ventosa, E. 2007. Puerto Rico Gap Analysis Project–final report. Moscow, ID: U.S. Geological Survey, and Río Piedras, PR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, International Institute of Tropical Forestry. 159 p. and 8 appendices.

collaboration with the University of Puerto Rico.

42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55

66°40'0"W

Percentage of protected lands

Protected land distribution by management

Data sources:

digital aerial photographs, IKONOS and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) topographic maps owing to geometric errors

Cueva del Indio Natural Reserve Cueva del Indio Natural Reserve Marine Extent Culebra National Wildlife Refuge Desecheo Island Coastal Waters Natural Marine Reserve Desecheo National Wildlife Refuge Doña Inés Mendoza Urban Forest El Buey National Wildlife Refuge El Convento Caves Natural Protected Area El Tallonal Natural Reserve El Yunque National Forest Encantado River Natural Protected Area Espíritu Santo River Natural Reserve Espíritu Santo River Natural Reserve Marine Extent Guajataca State Forest

67°0'0"W

Management classes

Protected

Unprotected areas Lands managed by U.S. federal government agencies (i.e., U.S. Fish and Wildlife

28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41

Bathymetry (meters below sea surface)

Urban centers Marine protected areas

Protected Land Management in Puerto Rico Commonwealth

Caño Martín Peña Natural Reserve Caño Tiburones Natural Reserve Carite State Forest Cartagena Lagoon National Wildlife Refuge Ceiba State Forest Cerrillos State Forest Cibuco Swamp Natural Reserve Cibuco Swamp Natural Reserve Marine Extent Conservation Easement El Rabanal Conservation Easement El Tambor Conservation Easement Foreman Conservation Easement Montes Oscuros Conservation Easement Palmas del Mar Tropical Forest

67°20'0"W

Administrative ( &

15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27

17°40'0"N

92%

40% 94%

40

116

114

Lambert Comformal Conic Projection North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)

100

60

105 34

92 ( &

n M o 67°55'0"W

Percentage of protected land by island region

80

Isabel II ( &

34 116

27

( Yabucoa &

79

Guayama & (

3

decisionmaking processes, and the lack of knowledge and appreciation of the services provided by natural areas have historically impaired the ability of these processes to properly protect our land (Lugo 1994).

84

52

95

51

90

72

83

17

( Patillas &

59

7

Naguabo ( &

Las Piedras & (

17

26

Santa Isabel & (

30 & ( Dewey

72

104

Juncos ( &

( & San Lorenzo

Ponce

42

56

68

a

Mona Island

18°5'0"N

Protected land

Pa ss

73

18°5'0"N

unapproved. Local and federal laws and regulations often protect specific landcover types, species habitats, and terrain not appropriate for development, e.g., flood plains, steep slopes, landslide-prone areas, and critical cccc

Caguas ( &

Cayey ( &

Salinas & (

87

85

Palominos

Culebra

& ( Gurabo

80

66

86

42

42

103

( Ceiba &

Aguas Buenas

Cidra ( &

Juana Díaz

Guayanilla

58

6

23

Coamo ( &

( &

La Cordillera Reef

63

&Luquillo (

19

Aibonito & (

Villalba & (

20

Icacos Cay

39

Río Grande

Fajardo & (

2

Barranquitas

100

Peñuelas ( &

( &

18

74

( &

107

47 35

Yauco ( & ( &

67°50'0"W

At lant ic Ocean

( &

Trujillo Alto ( &

37

Comerío ( &

107

25

76

106

Lajas

8 67°55'0"W

Monito Island

57

76 76

Mona and Monito

Mechanisms other than official designation as a protected area have been established to promote natural resource conservation, including local and federal laws, zoning regulation, planning, and permit processes for development. The Puerto Rico Land Use

Loíza & (

Canóvanas ( &

Carolina & (

33

45

24

111

1

Sábana Grande & (

101

98

( &

62

( &

64

81 96 67 77

112 78

Guaynabo

Naranjito & (

70

( & San Germán

88

Plan, an island-wide regulatory obligation of the Puerto Rico Planning Board (Junta de Planificación 2006), has been in development for years although it is still unfinished and

8%

Ciales ( &

15

Cataño

( &

61

Corozal

75

Maricao

Cabo Rojo & (

4

( &

102 Bayamón

( &

38

Adjuntas & (

Hormigueros & (

54

94 5 89

federal government (36 vs. 7). Protected areas are concentrated on the high peaks of the Central and Luquillo Mountains, the wetlands of the coastal plains, and the lesser islands and cays of the Puerto Rican Archipelago. These areas are relatively well-protected.

55

Vega Alta

( & Toa Alta

46

Jayuya & (

69 65

16 are marine extensions of terrestrial reserves. Eight of the 95 protected land areas are co-owned by various entities. The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico owns and manages the greatest area of protected lands (58 percent and 57 percent, respectively), followed by

habitat. However, these mechanisms and the processes to enforce them do not always work

( &

San Juan

Las Marias ( &

13

the federal government (28 percent in both categories) and NGOs (14 and 15 percent, respectively). However, NGOs manage more individual protected land areas than the

( & &Toa Baja (

113

38

Lares & (

( & Mayagüez

Puerto Rico currently h as 116 protected natural areas with 21 marine reserves, of which

(Fernández-Porto 1994, Lugo 1994, Lugo et al.

2004, Molina 1994). Development pressure, the politicizing of environmental agencies and

82

Vega Baja ( &

95 Florida & (

Utuado ( &

state forests of Boquerón (6), Ceiba (19), and Piñones (81). We were unable to determine their current status. Additionally, there are areas not included in this map that

Under protected areas include nonwetlands of the coastal plain, the karst limestone hills in northwestern Puerto Rico, and the coastal hills and lower slopes. The coastal hills form

99

108 Manatí & (

11 11

97

12

San Sebastián

48

Barceloneta ( &

11 97

Dorado ( &

18°20'0"N

( &

Añasco & (

have been designated by the commonwealth government as special zoning areas, which have some conservation objectives but little enforcement (e.g., a parcel adjacent to the Tres Palmas Marine Reserve (110).

an important hydrological and ecological link between the upper mountains, the coastal wetlands, and the near-shore marine areas.

36

21

18°10'0"N

18°20'0"N

Rincón ( &

110

Puerto Rico land use plan draft (Junta de Planificación 2006) and additional local and federal laws that potentially provide protection of natural resources. It is important to note that there are areas not portrayed which were historically designated as part of the

Summary. Currently 8 percent of Puerto Rico's land is designated for conservation. This

97

60

32

land owned by NGOs, and unprotected lands. The second supplemental map, "Regulated land," shows areas with some degree of government regulation, including the 2006

includes public and private properties classified as state forests, national federal forests, wildlife refuges, natural reserves, natural protected areas, conservation easements, recently acquired lands for conservation, and other lands managed for conservation.

53 71

41 Moca & (

Aguada & (

Desecheo

40 16

Arecibo ( &

Aguadilla & (

31

agencies, and NGOs. The areas are identified by a numerical label that matches the area’s name on the list below. This map also shows Puerto Rico’s marine reserves and marine extensions of terrestrial natural reserves, which are all managed or co-managed

it, so a supplemental map, "Protected areas by ownership," identifies the protected areas as either parks, reserves, or state forests owned by the DNER or the Puerto Rico National Parks Company, areas owned by other Commonwealth agencies, federally owned land,

28

Hatillo & (

18°0'0"N

dynamic as it is a product of ever-evolving social values. The information shown is a compilation of available geospatial data from various local and federal government agencies and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). The primary map, "Protected areas

by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER). Some or parts of the protected areas are owned by a different agency than the one that manages

Camuy ( &

Quebradilla ( &

by management," shows Puerto Rico’s protected natural lands designated for conservation and managed by Puerto Rico Commonwealth agencies, U.S. federal

Dominican Republic

Isabela

Puerto Rico, as well as areas with government regulation that have the potential to enhance natural resource conservation. The designation of protected areas can be very

17°50'0"N

( &

18°30'0"N

Ca r i bb ea n S e a 18°30'0"N

depend on ecosystem services provided by natural areas.

Puerto Rico

Haiti Jamaica

conditions, restoration potential, and future scenarios should be considered to assure continued benefits, a good quality of life, and economic stability for the communities that

We portray the protected natural areas designated for natural resource conservation in

Atlantic Ocean The Bahamas

29

1996, Daily et al. 1997). To best use our natural heritage, natural lands management and protection designation should be based on sound scientific information provided by research and experience. Social and historical factors, sustainable uses, existing

USDA Forest Service International Institute of Tropical Forestry, Jardín Botánico Sur, 1201 Calle Ceiba, Río Piedras, PR 00926-1119, Puerto Rico.

A center for tropical landscape analysis

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, International Institute of Tropical Forestry

P

DRNA KE EP I N G C O M M ON S PE C I ES C O M M O N

PRGAP ANALYSIS PROJECT

William A. Gould, Maya Quiñones, Mariano Solórzano, Waldemar Alcobas, and Caryl Alarcón

The maritime terrestrial zone is that part of the coast designated as public domain. Its use is regulated by various laws and regulations, including: "Ley de Muelles y Puertos de Puerto Rico," "Ley de Aguas," "Reglamento para el Aprovechamiento, Vigilancia, Conservación y Administración de las Aguas Territoriales, los Terrenos Sumergidos bajo estas y la Zona Marítimo-Terrestre," "Reglamento de Zonificación de la Zona Costanera y de Acceso a Playas y Costas de Puerto Rico" (Lugo et al. 2004).

Puerto Rico Land Use Plan 2006 draft Specially protected rustic terrain

Other classifications

The Planning Board of Puerto Rico is required by law to create a land use plan for Puerto Rico. The last finished draft was done in 2006 but was not approved. The Planning Board is currently working on a new version. In the 2006 draft, the category of Specially Protected Land referred to land that because of its location; topography; aesthetic, archaeological, ecological, and agricultural values; and unique natural resources, among other attributes, should never be used as urban land (Junta de Planificación 2006).

Law number 49 of January 2003 "Ley para Establecer la Política Pública sobre la Prevención de Inundaciones y Conservación de Ríos y Quebradas" establishes the protection and designation of public use for at least 5 meters of land to each side of a river. This law was established to protect the integrity of Puerto Rico's rivers.

Municipalities can designate more than 5 meters for protection within their jurisdiction.

Wetlands and mangroves Freshwater Pterocarpus swamp

Salt and mudflats

Mangrove forest and shrubland

Herbaceous wetlands

Mangrove forests and the wetlands of Puerto Rico are protected by various local and federal laws and regulations to protect the integrity of the coast and other water bodies, including Law number 23 of the 20 th of June of 1972 “Ley Orgánica del Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales,” Law number 133 of 1 of June of 1975 “Ley de Bosques,” Law 241 of 15 of August of 1999 “Nueva Ley de Vida Silvestre,” Law 150 of 4 of August of 1988 “Ley del Programa de Patrimonio Natural,” law 314 of 24 December of 1988 “Política Pública sobre Humedales y designación de Caño Tiburones como Reserva Natural,” Regulation number 17 “Reglamento de Zonificación de la zona costanera y acceso a las playas y costas de Puerto Rico,” and the Federal Clean Water Act (DRNA, 2009).

Publication date: 2011

Protected Natural Areas of Puerto Rico Graphic Retrieved from Google Images

When looking at the extended context of the site there are many components that help create a better understanding of the overall system in which it is found. Of them the ecology and eco-systems that interact with the site are of particular importance.

The first observation is that for an island that considered a natural paradise there are very few areas that are protected. This highlights how many areas do not take into consideration the importance that the environment plays in sustainable design. The selected site is adjacent to one of the largest protected areas on the north coast. It is connected directly by a water way and is impacts not only the lagoon to the east but the entire coastal marsh and estuary as well. Since this project is in such close proximity to a critical component of the eco-system, ecology and how it is integrated into the project will be a primary focus of the framework.

One of the main concerns for this area is the growing issues related to sea level rise and flooding. In the graphics from a PRASA study completed in 2014, the project site is directly impacted by sea level rise by the year 2100. The area affected is shown in dark gray while the unaffected areas are shown in white. With these changes in sea level, the manner in which the site, and area surrounding it operate will have to adapt. This project has the potential to provide basic framework and examples of how to address these future issues within the design phase of the project which will lead to the increased sustainability and therefore resiliency of the site.

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Site Analysis

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The next step of the site study was to analyze and diagram the context on a smaller scale. This allowed for the identification of components as well as the basis for creating a hierarchy for which issues needed to be addressed within this project.

Basic Sketches of Internal Elements

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Site Analysis

Basic Sketches of External Elements

Right

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Context Sketch Showing Locations of Key Elements

First Draft Sketch of Possible Master Plan Layout Before the Framework Was Developed

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Context Sketch With Buildings and Defining Features

Right

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MUNICIPALITY OF CAROLINA

ROADS IN CAROLINA

On a larger scale, the site is located within the municipality of Carolina. This is considered to be one of the wealthiest municipalities due to its industrial zone and the international airport that drives the economy. It is one of the largest industrial and warehousing zones in the area. This is made possible by the main federal highway that connects the east and west sides of he island which makes it conducive to distribution. The site has an ideal location due to all of these factors as well as its proximity to existing middle class neighborhoods and coastal areas. The neighborhood where the site is located is Sabana Abajo. It is a middle to higher class neighborhood however it suffers from one of the highest crime rates in the area.

The location provides the unique opportunity to the project to be an anchor and connector for the many systems in the area. As shown in the graphics above, the density increases dramatically in the northern section of Carolina and as it continues growing will need to provide additional housing, jobs and educational opportunities to the area. As one of the only undeveloped properties in the area, this site is ideal for a new, sustainable development that can engage, support and contribute to the surrounding areas as well as provide much needed investment in the sustainable future of the neighborhood. It would serve as a protective intervention for bot the existing built environment from storms and sea level rise as well as protect the environment and local ecology from pollution, runoff and degradation of natural habitat that comes from the surrounding development. The proposed project will function as a connection that provides a framework for future developments.

62/ Left

Site Analysis

1:2000 SCALE ROADS & WATER

Roads and Water Geo-spatial data using GIS 1:2000 SCALE

BUILDINGS & WATER

Building Footprints and Water Geo-spatial data using GIS

63/ Left

Economic Driver Graphic Showing Significant Elements and Zones

In order for a development of any scale to be successful there must be a business case that provides part of the framework for it to exist. A good business strategy takes into consideration the economic systems and elements that compose the context for where it is created. While there are basic principles that apply to any situation, understanding and designing within the specific context gives the development a chance to succeed and is critical to achieving sustainability.

The graphic above depicts a few of the economic drivers that are located near the site. Each one preforms a specific function and contribute to the overall in system in some manner. If the project is going to be a anchor and intersection for all the systems in the area and provide a platform for them to become integrated and balanced it must exist within the existing context. Creating a balanced multi-faceted development takes time and effort in order to create a system that solves problems in all of the different aspects instead of creating new ones.

64/ Left

Site Analysis

Looking at the canal from the east

Images from a Site Visit in 2019

Looking at the overall site from the east

Images from a Site Visit in 2019

Right

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East View

Images from a Site Visit in 2019

North-East View

Images from a Site Visit in 2019

66/ Left

Site Analysis

North-West View

Images from a Site Visit in 2019

South-West View

Images from a Site Visit in 2019

Right

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The Memory Map In order to understand the site and what it is now, we have to understand what the site once was. This graphic depicts the pattern of development as well as the impact that it has had on the natural environment. The information is drawn from historic aerials from the 1930s to see what the area looked like before development took place. Areas are highlighted with color and then textured to show what portions of the land were once wetlands. The hard black line is the existing edge of development and it sits in contrast to the previous nature of the site and how much development has impacted the systems.

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Site Analysis

Right

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Graphic Left Side

Developed in collaboration With Zachary Correa. Final Graphic by Zachary Correa

70/ Left

Graphic Right Side Developed in collaboration With Zachary Correa. Final Graphic by Zachary Correa

Right

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Creating A New Framework With the research and case study phase complete, the next step was to create the framework that would guide sustainable development. Using a combination of many frameworks and data that was collected, the foundation was laid by establishing 4 essentials that would be addressed.

The essentials were: • Community • Ecology • Sustainability • Resilience

COMMUNITY

ECOLOGY

SUSTAINABILITY

RESILIENCE

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Framework

The development of each of these areas would be guided by 6 principles that influence the balanced and complete process of developing.

• Observe and Interact • Use and Value Renewable Resources and Services • Obtain A Yield • Apply Self Regulation and Facilitate Feedback • Integrate Rather Than Separate • Creatively Use and Respond to Change Community This is the foundation of sustainability. Without an investment to develop the understanding, interest and participation of the community it is impossible to achieve. What makes a community sustainable, or resilient as the case may be, is the people who make up that community. What is often considered in design to accomplish sustainability is individual buildings or energy production and storage infrastructures does not address the most critical component in the process. The most technologically advanced built environment cannot achieve sustainability on its own. If the community does not share the same values or in most cases does not posses the knowledge of how to live in order to be more sustainable then the effort is wasted. Technology is a great tool that can be leveraged to accomplish many amazing things. However, if one does not posses the knowledge of how to use the tool then it becomes irrelevant to the process that is taking place. The community should be a large portion of the design focus not with the goal of controlling them, but coming along side them to help them understand what sustainability is and help equip them, within their own specific context, to achieve that goal. The role of design becomes even more critical because if this first component is not understood or addressed in the early stages of design it becomes extremely difficult to move forward.

Ecology Everything exists within a system. If a development seeks to be sustainable it has to design with and within the local systems. Ecology as well as the concept of designing with nature and not against it has been relatively uncommon until the past few decades. Especially within the United States and other capitalist nations in which the construction industry is run predominantly for financial gain. This focus as well as the lack of regulation by governing authorities has created a market that causes long term damage to local eco-systems as well as the unchecked consumption of finite natural resources. Over time, this approach has proven to be unsustainable in the long term and the consequences of such decisions are now becoming more apparent. Now more than ever, the need to not only acknowledge natural processes Right

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but to design to protect and sustain the environment as we continue to develop is of utmost importance. As we look to understand how to move forward, studying and understanding ecology is a critical step in finding a new way to support growth in a responsible and efficient way. This understanding of eco-systems not only provides guides for making better decisions, but also new ways to understand system relationships and how development can learn from naturally occurring phenomenon.

Sustainability This is the goal of avoiding the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance. It is also defined meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to do the same (UCLA, 2019). However, many times the design process of community development does not address what it means to be sustainable or identify what that looks like in their specific context.

One of the complications that arises is that sustainable design is not a “one size fits all” approach. Each project, each location, each part of the site is unique in the way that it functions and the systems that are part of that process. This brings up the question of what all should be addressed and what components make up a sustainable development.

More often than not, the word “sustainability” is used in regards to the production and consumption of energy. While this is a main factor, there are several others that are typically not discussed in depth. This is due to a multitude of reasons including but not limited to time constraints of the project, financial pressures, skill set, goals, objectives and vision, etc. An important thing to address is that sustainability is not the result of focusing on one thing extremely well. It is focusing on multiple things each equal in the amount of importance, time, effort and attention that is given to them. The complexity of designing something sustainable, stems from the necessity of understanding multiple systems, at multiple scales and the manner in which they interact with each other.

Resiliency This term was first defined in ecology as an eco-systems ability to maintain a status quo (structure and function) regardless of a disturbance to the system (Cashman, 2011). It is now more commonly being used in regards to human society to define a systems ability to recover after a disturbance (Community Vulnerability Study, 2019).

These disturbances can arise from anything that creates stress to the system. It tends to be related to environmental events such as storms, flooding, earthquakes and other natural disasters. It is important to note that resilience cannot be discussed, pursued or achieved by itself. It must be included in conversations regarding sustainability and all of its components. Resilience applies to all systems at multiple scales within a

74/ Left

Framework

community. It can address social aspects, technology, infrastructure, economics, etc.

Therefore it cannot be isolated from other topics and processes that are associated with it. Resilience is often thought of as the ability to return to pre-disaster equilibrium, but the new benchmarks for recovery are shifting. Resilience thinking is about incorporating the realities of change; specifically, the way that periods of gradual change (pre-disaster) interact with abrupt changes, and the capacity of people, communities... to adapt or even transform (Community Vulnerability Study, 2019).

Framework Essentials Graphic

Right

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Each Essential Element has 6 sub categories that go more in depth regarding what needs to be addressed during the design and creation of a sustainable development.

Each one involves intentional time and effort to be placed early on in the design process in order to the development to be the best that it can be. It must be a priority for the designer, developer, owner, investors and most importantly the community which it will support.

Community 01. Human Capital The most significant asset that a development or a community has is the collective skills, knowledge and experience that the population possesses.

0.2 Opportunity People want to live in a place where they have the possibility to grow and improve both themselves and their quality of life.

0.3 Involvement The most significant asset that a development or a community has is the collective skills, knowledge and experience that the population possesses.

04. Health and Welfare From the initial stages of design to the everyday operation of the development, a strong focus must be placed on the health and welfare of the people.

0.5 Equity Each person should feel that they have equity in their own community and that their opinions and values are integral components.

06. Diversity It is critical for a healthy community to promote and protect diversity, which defines both the social and cultural atmosphere.

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Framework

The graphic represents multiple facets of the subcategories and the role they play within the development. The percentage represents the amount of time within the design process that each topic will require. The color and numeration represents the most important concepts within the process in order to establish a hierarchy between them.

Community Framework Graphic

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Ecology 01. Natural Systems Every development exists within a natural system at a series of increasingly complex scales. To achieve sustainable results it must build within that system.

0.2 Integration In order to achieve balance, which is the goal of sustainability, the development must integrate and design to be integrated into existing ecology.

0.3 Components Just as a community is made up of a multitude of diverse components, eco-systems and local ecologies can be understood at a smaller scale.

04. By-Product Many, if not all, components in a system have a by-product that is created as a result of complex processes and can be integrated into the design.

0.5 Resource Once identified, the by-product can be applied as a main resource for a subsequent step or phase in the process. This begins to establish closed system.

06. Synergy Development should seek to create additional synergies with the environment that allow it to become a valued component to the system.

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Framework

Ecology Framework Graphic

Right

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Sustainability 01. Management Especially in larger developments, the management of programs, resources, employment and finance among other things, is critical.

0.2 Resource The type, amount and location of resources should be taken into consideration at every phase of development and growth.

0.3 Economic As with any development, there has to be a functional business case for each decision. Economics plays a major role in sustainable design.

04. Social Sustainability is just as much a social endeavor as it is technological, environmental and economical. It requires constant attention and investment.

0.5 Environment The environment is one of the most critical and influential components of the system that must be understood in order to achieve sustainable results.

06. Education A goal of the development should be to come along side communities to help them understand what it means to achieve sustainability.

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Framework

Sustainability Framework Graphic

Right

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Resilience 01. Communication In order to be able to respond to stresses and pressure that will occur, the community needs to prioritize clear and efficient communication.

0.2 Connectivity What allows systems to recover more quickly is the connectivity that permits systems to give, take and provide support for other affected systems.

0.3 Ecology A large portion of what makes a place resilient is how it relates to the natural systems in which it is located since most stresses are environmental.

04. Integration The ability for multiple components at varying scales to interact with each other is a critical piece of the process that creates resilient communities.

0.5 Diversity When one portion of the system is heavily impacted, the diversity of the system often dictates the response and or survival of the system as a whole.

06. Management Resiliency is not passive but instead an active approach that understands the importance of data, analysis, implementation and management.

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Framework

Resiliency Framework Graphic

Right

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84/ Left

Resource

Social

Health & Wellfare

Human Capital

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Resiliency

Connectivity

Sustainability

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Resource Management

Communication

Environmental

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Natural Systems

Ecology

Economical

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Integrated Concepts Basic Diagram

Spatial Constructions

Creating Spatial Constructions With the basic framework complete, the next step was to translate the concepts and principles into a spatial construction. These constructions would then provide the foundation for the proposed urban design and will allow for new forms and typologies to be created. Multiple concepts will be expressed through diagrams that eventually will be overlayed, connected and edited to create a detailed expression of the framework that will create a hierarchy for the new development.

“These new notations do not so much map an exact correspondence between architecture and activity as articulate a degree of play between form and event, a loose fit of organization and program.”

- Stan Allen This is one of the most important steps in the project. A framework is a great tool that has the ability to transform the way the think, introduce new concepts and guide the process in a overview kind of way. However, even the best framework that cannot be applied and translated into multiple contexts can never be functional. This process of transforming theoretical concepts into spatial components is what connects the framework and the proposed design in a way that allows both to manifest themselves within the project. As a designer, they also serve as form givers that allows the design to follow a new set of rules instead of replicating the information provided by the immediate context of the site or traditional methods within the field.

“In the final analysis, a drawing simply is no longer a drawing, no matter how self-sufficient its execution may be. It is a symbol, and the more profoundly the imaginary lines of projection meet higher dimensions, the better.” - Paul Klee

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PROXIMITY & RELATIONSHIPS

TRANSITION OF ELEMENTS

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Spatial Constructions

MOMENTS OF INTERSECTION

BARRIERS OF CONNECTIVITY

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FORCES OF ATTRACTION

PHENOMENON OF ADVERSITY

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Spatial Constructions

INTERSECT OF FORMALITY

COMPLEMENTARY SYSTEMS

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COMPLIMENTARY DESIGN

BECOMING NATURAL

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Guilds

Establishing the Components of A Guild As was discussed in the section regarding frameworks, a goal of design should be to create closed systems that eliminate waste and create synergies between the components. This allows each individual object to be interconnected and become more than they could be on their own. When objects become part of a system, they have the potential to create something that extends beyond the individual nature they possess and this in turn creates new opportunities for new systems to exist.

One of the systems that exemplifies this concept of creating a closed system is permaculture. Using this as a guide, the creation of a new closed system for the built environment was possible to explore in more depth than what has been mentioned in the frameworks.

What is a guild?

A “Guild” within the field of ecology is defined as a group of species that have similar requirements and play a similar role within a community. It is a system of individual components that operate in a manner that makes them compatible with others that when organized correctly, can build, support and protect each other from changes both natural and artificial. When used in agricultural settings such as gardens it can provide not only a higher quantity of produce but a higher quality as well. It is an intentional process that taking more input to create and maintain an efficient design, it provides benefits in the long term that make the investment worth it.

The permaculture “guild” is a system composed of 7 components that each preform a specific function.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Over-Story Tree The Climber The Under-Story Tree Bushes and Scrub Ground Cover Nitrogen Fixer Fungi

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Permaculture Guild 0.1 The Over-Story Tree This system acts as a anchor and is the catalyst for growth. It is the primary component that establishes the zone, scale and relationships of the guild. It is the largest component in the system and acts as the primary buffer for the other components.

0.2 The Climber This component requires a symbiotic relationship with the over-story tree in order for it to survive and produce. It provides a framework for other smaller scale systems to begin to take place by creating a micro-environment that did not previously exist.

0.3 The Under-Story Tree It is usually a group of 2 or 3 trees of smaller scale that will fit under the overstory tree providing additional habitat. These trees typically cannot function without another component serving as a buffer. The under-story trees provide protection to the smaller components that come after.

0.4 Bushes and Shrubs These function to fill the void between the under-story trees and the ground cover.

They provide a medium scale that provides the coverage for the next component.

0.5 Ground Cover It protects the smaller plants and allows the soil to regenerate and maintain a higher level of nutrients. It stabilized temperature changes as well as provides more moist and humid environment for other organisms to thrive.

0.6 Nitrogen Fixer It grows first and fast, providing shade for smaller plants so they can grow. After the over-story tree grows, it can be trimmed and reduced during the rainy season to create a growth spurt for the other components. The trimmings become compost and boosts the plants nearby including the over-story tree. It primary job is to regulate the nitrogen levels in the soil in order for all the other plants in the system to prosper.

0.7 Fungi This is the most critical component to the system. It fills in the space between the ground cover and provides small scale platforms for other plants as well as produces valuable nutrients. It assists in the decomposition of elements to make soil more fertile. It also functions as a nutrient delivery network between the other components in the guild.

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Guilds

Built Environment Guild 0.1 Anchor Development The anchor development is a large scale intervention that includes critical infrastructure systems that serve as the foundation for adjacent areas. It provides critical services for the buildings surrounding it and provides the base for a micro-grid community which operates on its own infrastructure network.

0.2 Habitable Complexes These structures create a synergy with the anchor development that facilitates the integration of other systems. These typologies can include housing, libraries, and commercial centers that require more extensive infrastructural needs.

0.3 Mixed-Use Development It consists of multiple buildings that create new opportunities in form as well as function and provides a new scale for additional uses and typologies. These are typically medium in scale and can provide commercial space or housing.

0.4 Third Places Provides the infill of uses and functions between the larger scale components. These are responsible for creating a sense of place and usually consists of things like restaurants, bookstores or cafes. The are called third places because the are the third most common place a person goes after home and place of work. These are the memorable parts of the urban fabric and how they integrate within th other components is a critical issue for designers to address early on in the process.

0.5 Street Room This facilitates the relationships and establishes the connections between components of all scales. It is the most experiential of the components and includes things such as sidewalks, street facades and entourage.

0.6 Public Space This component becomes the network that brings the civic and communal life together.

It anchors smaller developments and establishes patterns from the past development as well as for the future.

0.7 Pedestrian This is the most critical component of the system. It is the layer that ties everything together and provides life to all of the other components in the system. Within this component the things that must be addressed are walkability, accessibility and safety.

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PERMACULTURE GUILD 7 COMPONENTS

1

OVER-STORY TREE

THIS SYSTEM ACTS AS AN ANCHOR AND IS THE CATALYST FOR GROWTH.

7

2

THE CLIMBER

FUNGI

FILLS IN THE SPACE BETWEEN THE GROUND COVER WHILE PRODUCING NUTRIENTS FOR THE SURROUNDING COMPONENTS. ASSISTS IN THE DECOMPOSITION OF ELEMENTS TO MAKE SOIL MORE FERTILE. FUNCTIONS AS A NUTRIENT DELIVERY NETWORK BETWEEN COMPONENTS.

THIS COMPONENT REQUIRES A SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP WITH THE OVER-STORY TREE IN ORDER FOR IT TO SURVIVE AND PRODUCE. IT PROVIDES A FRAMEWORK FOR OTHER SYSTEMS.

6

3

NITROGEN FIXER

GROWS FIRST AND FAST, AND PROVIDES SHADE FOR THE SMALLER PLANTS SO THEY CAN GROW. AFTER THE OVER-STORY TREE GROWS, YOU CAN TRIM AND REDUCE THE LEGUMES DURING THE RAINY SEASON TO CREATE A GROWTH SPURT FOR THE OTHER COMPONENTS. THE TRIMMINGS BECOME COMPOST AND BOOSTS THE OTHER PLANTS. SPECIFICALLY THE OVER-STORY TREES.

UNDER-STORY TREE

2 TO 3 TREES WILL FIT UNDER THE OVER-STORY TREE PROVIDING ADDITIONAL HABITAT. TYPICALLY CANNOT FUNCTION WITHOUT ANOTHER COMPONENT SERVING AS A BUFFER.

5

4

GROUND COVER

PROTECTS THE SMALLER PLANTS AND ALLOWS THE SOIL TO REGENERATE AND MAINTAIN HIGHER LEVELS OF NUTRIENTS.

BUSHES & SHRUBS

FUNCTIONING TO FILL THE VOID BETWEEN THE UNDER-STORY TREES AND THE GROUND COVER. PROVIDES PROTECTION TO THE NEXT COMPONENT.

BUILT ENVIRONMENT GUILD 7 COMPONENTS

WATER TREATMENT - MARINA - EDUCATION

1

ANCHOR DEVELOPMENT

THE LARGE SCALE DEVELOPMENT INCLUDES CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS THAT SERVE AS THE BASIS FOR THE ADJACENT AREAS.

7 2 HOUSING - LIBRARY - HOTEL

HABITABLE COMPLEXES

CREATES A SYNERGY WITH THE ANCHOR DEVELOPMENT THAT FACILITATES THE INTEGRATION OF OTHER SYSTEMS.

PEDESTRIAN

IS THE CRITICAL LAYER THAT TIES EVERYTHING TOGETHER. IT PROVIDES LIFE TO ALL OF THE OTHER COMPONENTS IN THE SYSTEM.

WALKABILITY - ACCESSIBILITY - SAFETY

6

PUBLIC SPACE

BECOMES THE NETWORK THAT BRINGS THE CIVIC AND COMMUNAL LIFE TOGETHER. IT ANCHORS SMALLER DEVELOPMENTS AND ESTABLISHES PATTERN FROM THE PAST DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AS FOR THE FUTURE.

GREEN AREAS - PLAYGROUNDS - RECREATION - EVENT SPACE

3 RETAIL - OFFICE - SHOWROOM

MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT

MULTIPLE BUILDINGS THAT RELATE TO THE ANCHOR AND PROVIDE A PLATFORM FOR ADDITIONAL TYPOLOGIES.

5

STREET ROOM

FACILITATES THE RELATIONSHIPS AND ESTABLISHES THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE COMPONENTS.

SIDEWALK - STREET FACADE - ENTOURAGE

4

THIRD PLACES

PROVIDES THE INFILL OF USES AND FUNCTIONS BETWEEN THE LARGER SCALE COMPONENTS THAT DEVELOP A SENSE OF PLACE.

RESTAURANT - CAFE - BOOKSTORE

Urban Proposal

Exploring A New Approach To Urban Design With all the framework, guides and research in place the next step is to apply them in an urban intervention for the site. The overall proposal has three districts spread across the site and developed with a specific function and system in mind. These three districts serve as catalyst to the improvement of the surrounding communities as well as the future development of the site in a sustainable manner.

Each district is designed to be a self-sustaining micro-grid community that has its own identity and characteristics down to the specific infrastructure that it is built around.

While the three districts appear to be functioning in isolation they are all connected through a series of systems that make each one of them a redundancy that allows them to achieve resiliency as a whole. The goal of the proposal was not to create a master plan that developed all of the available land but instead provide a foundation for the development to grow from naturally. The moment the master plan becomes about leaving no empty space, i loses the ability to use and adapt to change. If the development hopes to meet the needs of the future it has to provide a framework to guide the response but also the freedom that allows it to be implemented. It is impossible for an urban designer to know and address all of the issues that will occur in the lifetime of the project.

These proposed fabrics focus on providing the principles and strategies for growth that can be applied in any situation. They give examples of how concepts can become foundations for design decisions and organizational strategies as the built environment continues to evolve. Each one responds to an issue that is present on he site and the areas adjacent to it. From water management, recreation space and accessibility, to education, employment and community; each district looks to improve the quality of life for the people that it is designed for.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.â&#x20AC;? - Winston Churchill

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Basic Wetland Concept Master Plan Diagram [Digital Scan]

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Basic Master Plan No Wetland Concept

Internal Organization Concept Drodel

External Organization and Connections Concept Drodel

GRADE DENSITY

THIS IS THE AREA WITH THE HIGHEST PROPOSED DENSITY. IT HAS AN EDUCATION CENTER AND MARINA AS ITS ANCHOR THAT WILL SUPPORT THE NEEDS OF ADJACENT DEVELOPMENT. IT ALSO INCLUDES AN EXISTING TRANSIT HUB THAT CONNECTS THE SITE TO THE COMMUNITIES IN THE AREA.

NODE #2

BUILDING HEIGHT

NODE #2

THIS IS THE PRIMARY NODE THAT SERVES AS A CATALYST FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SITE. IT ANCHORS THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES BY MEETING INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS AS WELL AS PUBLIC SPACE AND RECREATION. IT HAS A WATER-TREATMENT AND INFRASTRCUTURAL HUB AS ITS ANCHOR DEVELOPMENT. THIS NODE WILL BE ABLE TO FUNCTION INDEPENDENTLY UNTIL NEW NODES DEVELOP.

GREEN SPACE

40’-00”

80’-00”

NODE #1

THIS NODE SERVES AS A CONNECTION POINT BETWEEN EXISTING NEIGHBORHOODS TO THE NORTH. IT INCLUDES A HOTEL/RESORT THAT FUNCTIONS AS THE ANCHOR FOR THE SURROUNDING DEVELOPMENT THAT IS INTEGRATED INTO THE COMMUNITY ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD SCALE. IT WOULD ALSO SERVE AS THE BASE FOR ECO-TOURISM.

120’-00”

NODE #3

160’-00”

Conceptual Longitudinal Section

District #3 NODE #1

NODE #2

THIS IS THE PRIMARY NODE THAT SERVES AS A CATALYST FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SITE. IT ANCHORS THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES BY MEETING INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS AS WELL AS PUBLIC SPACE AND RECREATION. IT HAS A WATER-TREATMENT AND INFRASTRCUTURAL HUB AS ITS ANCHOR DEVELOPMENT. THIS NODE WILL BE ABLE TO FUNCTION INDEPENDENTLY UNTIL NEW NODES DEVELOP.

THIS IS THE AREA WITH THE HIGHEST PROPOSED DENSITY. IT HAS AN EDUCATION CENTER AND MARINA AS ITS ANCHOR THAT WILL SUPPORT THE NEEDS OF ADJACENT DEVELOPMENT. IT ALSO INCLUDES AN EXISTING TRANSIT HUB THAT CONNECTS THE SITE TO THE COMMUNITIES IN THE AREA.

NODE #1

THIS IS THE PRIMARY NODE THAT SERVES AS A CATALYST FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SITE. IT ANCHORS THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES BY MEETING INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS AS WELL AS PUBLIC SPACE AND RECREATION. IT HAS A WATER-TREATMENT AND INFRASTRCUTURAL HUB AS ITS ANCHOR DEVELOPMENT. THIS NODE WILL BE ABLE TO FUNCTION INDEPENDENTLY UNTIL NEW NODES DEVELOP.

160’-00”

District #1 NODE #2

ALYST FOR THE SURROUNDING WELL AS PUBLIC EATMENT AND THIS NODE WILL ES DEVELOP.

THIS IS THE AREA WITH THE HIGHEST PROPOSED DENSITY. IT HAS AN EDUCATION CENTER AND MARINA AS ITS ANCHOR THAT WILL SUPPORT THE NEEDS OF ADJACENT DEVELOPMENT. IT ALSO INCLUDES AN EXISTING TRANSIT HUB THAT CONNECTS THE SITE TO THE COMMUNITIES IN THE AREA.

160’-00” 120’-00”

THIS NODE SERVES AS A CONNECTION POINT BETWEEN EXISTING NEIGHBORHOODS TO THE NORTH. IT INCLUDES A HOTEL/RESORT THAT FUNCTIONS AS THE ANCHOR FOR THE SURROUNDING DEVELOPMENT THAT IS INTEGRATED INTO THE COMMUNITY ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD SCALE. IT WOULD ALSO SERVE AS THE BASE FOR ECO-TOURISM.

80’-00” 40’-00”

DENSITY

District #2

BUILDING HEIGHT GREEN SPACE

NODE #3

GRADE

120’-00” 80’-00” 40’-00” GRADE DENSITY BUILDING HEIGHT GREEN SPACE

THIS IS THE A EDUCATION THE NEEDS EXISTING TR IN THE AREA

Final Proposed Master Plan

District #3

District #1

District #2

Acequia District Anchor: Water Treatment (Infrastructure) Primary Function: Critical Infrastructure and Community Anchor Secondary Function: Sustainability Education and Catalyst Project This district is the anchor and catalyst for the site of the proposed development.

According to the previously established framework, it addresses all the categories in an efficient manner that makes it ideal to be the first phase of development. First and foremost, the design, use and function of district #1 addresses the needs of the existing community and environment as well as providing the foundation for future development.

The anchor development for this district is a large scale water treatment facility that uses green infrastructure as well as natural methods to collect. Clean and conserve water in the area. It provides an opportunity to supply much needed water infrastructure to the residents and communities of the area while setting a precedent for a more sustainable and resilient type of development. A large portion of the water treatment process will be housed underground and serve as building blocks for elevated parks and smaller scale development. It will serve as an education piece for the community and interested parties on how infrastructure can be designed in an environmentally conscious way while still remaining highly functional and sustainable.

It also provides an opportunity to create a micro-grid hub for the district that allows it to develop in a more resilient way. With the infrastructure networks taking on a new form than what is typically done in large scale development, it also has the ability to become a form generator for the systems that comprise and interact with it. In the same way that this district uses water treatment as an anchor and amenity, other districts can do the same with select services that work well with their location and design. Each district can produce or accept an output or input from neighboring districts to create a network of resiliency and sustainability with infrastructure as the connective tissue.

The goal is to create a man-made intervention that will, with time, work with and within natural processes to let the structure itself become more natural. It seeks to establish that water management and infrastructure in general, can become a strong amenity and asset for the community around it if it is designed to do so. In addition to the park and constructed wetland, the anchor will also serve as a recreation center that will be an updated version of the Roberto Clemente Ciudad Deportiva.

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Urban Proposal

Principles and Concepts That Created The Foundation According to the vision for each district, 3 diagrams were chosen that represented the most important concepts that needed to be present in the development. Each diagram was then overlayed onto one another to create a new composite graphic that expressed all of the critical movements and elements from each one individually.

This resulted in a complex system which had many layers of information interwoven to create the foundation for a new urban fabric of the district. The goal was to create an urban form that expressed the systems on which it was built.

BECOMING NATURAL

DESIGNING WITH NATURE

DESIGN SYSTEMS TO INTEGRATE INTO TO EXISTING NATURAL SYSTEMS SO THAT WITH TIME THE MANMADE INTERVENTION BECOMES A NATURAL COMPONENT OF THE SITE.

INTERSECT OF FORMALITY

INFORMALITY AS A POSITIVE FORCE

IDENTIFY AREAS WHERE THE EXISTING SYSTEMS OF FORMALITY CAN INTERACT WITH BOTH NATURAL AND MAN-MADE INFORMALITY TO CREATE NEW FRAMEWORKS AND SUPPORT FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT.

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Within the composite diagram, each individual diagram had specific details, shapes and elements that were highlighted with different colors. This was done to better represent the number of systems that are present as well as the proximity and relationships that they begin to form when they are viewed as a whole.

TRANSITIONS OF ELEMENTS

GRADUAL TRANSITIONS OF TYPOLOGIES

ALLOW STATIC ELEMENTS TO TRANSITION INTO MORE NATURAL COMPONENTS THAT REACT TO NATURAL LANDSCAPE AND CONTEXT.

COMPOSITE DIAGRAM

DIAGRAM #7 + #3 + #4

EACH DIAGRAM REPRESENTS AN INDIVIDUAL CONCEPT OR SYSTEM WITHIN THE SITE THAT ONCE LAYERED TOGETHER CREATED A NEW NETWORK WHICH INFORMED THE STRUCTURE AND ORGANIZATION OF THE PROPOSED DISTRICT.

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PARKING STRUCTURE

RECREATION PARK

Final Proposed Plan for District #1

PROPOSED WETLAND

RECREATION

0’

Right

600’

1200’

TRANSIT STATION

MIXED USE HUB

SECONDARY TRANSIT

EXISTING ROAD

PARK SYSTEM

INFRASTRUCTURE HUB

MAIN TRANSIT LINE

Urban Proposal

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GROWTH District Anchor: University and Educational Institutions (Marina) Primary Function: Education, Employment and Destination Secondary Function: Connect Existing Context to New District Within this district the main anchor is an educational institution. This provides the new development with an economic driver that will attract a series of additional uses and typologies to develop on site. It also serves as an integrated education system that explains how and why the development was designed as well as contributing to the future growth. With the proximity of the University of Puerto Rico Carolina campus as well as the Technology Institute of Puerto Rico this district seeks to tap the potential growth and innovation as well as the people that make it possible.

This would provide the other districts with residents as well as a large amount of commuters moving through the area.

The site has direct access to water to the north and west. This gives a unique opportunity to implement an institutional partnership that includes an environmental science or marine biology department that would assist in the development and resource management of the site as well as adjacent areas. The site is in proximity to a large tidal lagoon as well as one of the largest protected coastal areas in northern Puerto Rico. This creates a synergy between the education and the ecotourism which will be explored further in district #3. In addition to the environmental program, this area is also ideal for creating a new agricultural program that does research on urban farming and future agricultural practices. There would be land dedicated to this purpose and the food grown would serve the community and the businesses that are on the site.

With the institutional anchor, the district will become a place of diverse job opportunity, commercial and mixed-use development as well as integrated housing solutions for both local residents and students. With this diversity, the district can serve as a connection between the commercial and industrial zone around the site.

It can become a support network for existing business and commercial use while benefiting from the economic drivers that are within the area of northern Carolina.

The industrial areas in close proximity to the site are already beginning to transition into more commercial and this connection from the east will prove valuable in the future economy.

This district is the only on which includes an existing transit hub on the south east portion of the site. It is a bus station that services the primary routes from Carolina into San Juan, the international airport and a limited section of the coast to the north.

It is a valuable resource that allows the new development to connect with the old.

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Urban Proposal

COMPLIMENTARY SYSTEMS CREATE COMPLETE COMMUNITIES

UNDERSTAND THE SYNERGIES THAT ARE CREATED BETWEEN DIFFERENT USES, FUNCTIONS AND TYPOLOGIES WITHIN THE PROPOSED URBAN DEVELOPMENT.

BARRIERS OF CONNECTIVITY DESIGN AT ALL SCALES

IDENTIFY THE ISSUES OF BARRIERS THAT COULD BE CREATED BY THE LAYOUT OF THE URBAN FABRIC. IF NOT DESIGNED INTENTIONALLY, THE COMPONENTS THAT ARE MEANT TO ALLOW CONNECTIVITY BECOME BARRIERS THEMSELVES.

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These diagrams introduce concepts that are not used in the other districts. This allows the form to be unique to the area in which it is applied and helps create a sense of identity and place.

PROXIMITY & RELATIONSHIPS

WALKABILITY AS FORM GIVER

BUILD OFF OF KNOWN SYNERGIES TO CREATE THE LAYOUT OF THE DISTRICT OR AREA. UNDERSTAND WHICH NATURALLY EXISTS AND WHERE YOU CAN CREATE NEW

OPPORTUNITIES.

COMPOSITE DIAGRAM DIAGRAM #1 + #5 + #10

EACH DIAGRAM REPRESENTS AN INDIVIDUAL CONCEPT OR SYSTEM WITHIN THE SITE THAT ONCE LAYERED TOGETHER CREATED A NEW NETWORK WHICH INFORMED THE STRUCTURE AND ORGANIZATION OF THE PROPOSED DISTRICT.

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Urban Proposal

INSTITUTIONAL ANCHOR MARINA & WATERFRONT PARK

MAIN TRANSIT LINE

COMMERCIAL AREA COMMUNITY CENTER

PARK SYSTEM

SECONDARY TRANSIT SECONDARY TRANSIT EXISTING BUS STATION

EXISTING ROAD

MIXED USE HUB

PARK SYSTEM

0’

600’

1200’

Final Proposed Plan for District #2 Right

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Waterfront District Anchor: Hotel (Tourism) Primary Function: Economic Driver and Employment Center Secondary Function: Environmental Education and Eco-Tourism The underlying concept of this district is to create a connection point for the northwest section of the site. This would be the secondary phase of development for the overall site and would provide a connection opportunity to district #1 and eventually district #2. It is also the section of the site that has the most visibility from across the water and from the main bridge which cross the lagoon. This makes it an ideal destination point that will attract visitors not only to this district but the others as well. The general design of the district is based primarily on two concepts: the phenomenon of adversity and forces of attraction.

The hotel functions as the anchor development for this district. It is not only an economic driver in regard to tourism, but it functions as a local job center and destination point for residents. The hotel is broken down into smaller scale structures and distributed into the residential and mixed-use areas to provide micro anchors as well as create a more cohesive and integrated community. The goal is not to have a function that ignores or is separated from the community, but instead use the catalyst project to promote better development practices in the area.

This area would allow transit services to connect to the existing residential neighborhoods across the canal to the north by providing an extension of an existing road over the canal. This new connection would then allow pedestrian activity to take place not only on the proposed project site but throughout the existing neighborhoods as well. This road if connected to the site, would become a valuable access point for vehicles and pedestrians moving to and from the site. It connects to the major highway which leads to the airport and eliminates a large distance of travel from the airport to the site since the only existing roads go east and turn south along the site.

This district would also have as its focus the integration and education regarding wetlands and natural ecology systems that are adjacent and on the site. This is also integrated into the style of tourism that tales place within the proposed project. In concept, the development as well as the ecology is a main attraction for people who are interested in sustainable design and micro-grid communities. With this function, it attracts economic, cultural and social investments to the overall project site as well as provide a secondary system for the primary district. This, in combination with the partnership created with the education in district #2 makes the Waterfront district a destination for locals and tourists alike.

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Urban Proposal

PHENOMENON OF ADVERSITY ALTERING TRADITIONAL GRIDS

USE IRREGULARITY TO ANCHOR SURROUNDING SYSTEMS AND TO CREATE UNIQUE SPACES FOR A SENSE OF PLACE TO DEVELOP.

PHENOMENON OF ADVERSITY USING SINGULARITY TO CREATE PLACE

SHIFT THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE SYSTEMS TO CREATE A HIERARCHY OF COMPONENTS BY IDENTIFYING WHERE DIFFERENT SYSTEMS INTERSECT AND THE AREAS OF IMPACT.

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FORCES OF ATTRACTION

DEVELOPMENT SPURS DEVELOPMENT

ALLOW NODES OF HIGH DENSITY OR IMPORTANCE TO SHAPE AND DEFINE THE ADJACENT AREAS AND SYSTEMS TO CREATE A COHESIVE OVERLAY.

COMPOSITE DIAGRAM

DIAGRAM #8 + #9 (REGULAR), #9 (ROTATED)

EACH DIAGRAM REPRESENTS AN INDIVIDUAL CONCEPT OR SYSTEM WITHIN THE SITE THAT ONCE LAYERED TOGETHER CREATED A NEW NETWORK WHICH INFORMED THE STRUCTURE AND ORGANIZATION OF THE PROPOSED DISTRICT.

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Urban Proposal

HOTEL

CHANNEL TO COAST

PARK SYSTEM

SECONDARY TRANSIT

LAGUNA SAN JOSE

PRIMARY TRANSIT

TRANSIT STATION

COMMUNITY HUB

WETLAND PARK ATTRACTION

0’

500’

1000’

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Architects have to become designers of eco-systems. Not just designers of beautiful facades or beautiful sculptures, but systems of economy and ecology, where we channel the flow not only of people, but also the flow of resources through our cities and buildings.â&#x20AC;?

-Bjarke Ingels

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Future Expansion A perfect system cannot be designed. The moment something is set in stone is the moment it fails to be perfect. In the future an event will take place that shifts the paradigm through which the system was designed. If the system proves to be too rigid, it is at this moment that it fails. The best we can do as designers and overseers of the built environment is design with the changes and challenges in mind and create a system that can adapt and use change to push its limits even farther.

The three districts that have been proposed are not the final vision for the development of the site. Each district serves as a catalyst that responds to current issues and encourages and facilitates future growth of the area. That growth however, has to take place at its own time and pace. The site should be developed to solve the problems as they occur. This guarantees the best observation and understanding of the issue before a solution is made. The solution cannot be one dimensional. Responding to only one problem results in the creation of many more. Sustainability and the balance it promotes cannot be accomplished until all of the elements are identified, weighed and then distributed. The framework provides a basic understanding of how this can come to take place. As time passes, the framework will change and adapt in the same way that the context in which it is applied will. Hopefully, it will prove to be useful for those who are looking to develop new urban centers that meet the coming challenges sustainably and resiliently.

The goal of this project is not to provide a step by step method that is replicated.

Instead, it seeks to provide a framework that is efficient and flexible so that future generations of designers and problem solvers can build on it to address new problems in ways that I cannot imagine.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is a great need for the introduction of new values in our society, where bigger is not necessarily better, where slower can be faster, and where less can be more.â&#x20AC;?

- Gaylord Nelson

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References AARP. (2019). AARP Livability Index: Great neighborhoods for all ages. Retrieved from https://livabilityindex.aarp.org/livability-defined Allen, S. (1999). Points lines: diagrams and projects for the city. New York: Princeton Architectural Press.

American Institute of Architects (AIA). (2005). Livability 101: what makes a community livable? Retrieved from https://www.aia-mn.org/wp-content/uploads/ Livability101.pdf BioRegional. (2017). The BedZED story: the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first large-scale mixed-use ecovillage. Retrieved from https://storage.googleapis.com/www.bioregional.com/ downloads/The-BedZED-Story_Bioregional_2017.pdf DPZ. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.dpz.com/Projects/9501 EcoDistricts. (n.d.). Protocol: The New standard for community development.

Retrieved from https://ecodistricts.org/protocol/ Farr, D. (2008). Sustainable urbanism: urban design with nature. Wiley.

Geos Neighborhood. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://discovergeos.com/ Jackson, R. J., Sinclair, S. (2012). Designing healthy communities.

National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (N4A). (2014). Making your community livable for all ages: whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s working!

Serenbe. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://serenbe.com/ Urban Land Institute (ULA). (2015). Building healthy places toolkit: strategies for enhancing health in the built environment.

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William Cook

Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Project Spring 2020