Subway Architecture

I've been working on two transit related projects, lately. (Thanks to the hope of Stimulus money). One of the biggest questions facing the cities that transit resides in, is whether to go underground or above ground. The forces of the economy seem to suggest that above ground options are more feasible. However, underground means that the experience of the city, at-ground-level, is more continuous and human scaled.

The options, so often program is allocated in plan, are often to put the tracks side by side with the other uses intended to benefit or support the station. If we think vertically, there is the possibility of more connection within a smaller footprint.

Designboom is a website that looks at many aspects of design from industrial to interior to civic. There are some wonderful images of underground stations throughout the world that can serve as inspiration for thinking bigger.

Complete Streets

Stockholm Complete Street
Originally uploaded by ITDP-Europe

Here is a collection of the information out there for complete streets:

The Complete Streets Website http://www.completestreets.org/

APA Resources, including policy inventory and best practices manual
http://www.planning.org/research/streets/

Good photos here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/38607288@N03/
(ITDP-Europe)

Information on Complete Streets and the Aging
http://www.aarp.org/makeadifference/advocacy/GovernmentWatch/StrongCommunities/articles/aarp_one_minute_guide_complete_streets_act.html
http://www.planetizen.com/node/28644

Advocates of Walking and indexing tool:
http://www.walkscore.com/

SF Bay Local:
Better Streets San Francisco
http://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/planning/Citywide/Better_Streets/proposals.htm

Oakland
Walk Oakland, Bike Oakland
http://www.walkoaklandbikeoakland.org

Barcelona's Innovation District

neighborhood
Originally uploaded by KatsAsleep

Columnist Neal Peirce (Seattle Times) wrote about Barcelona as a model of urban innovation.

Barcelona turned a depressed inner-city district into a high-powered knowledge hub by utilizing an ingenious form of real-estate development. The Spanish model is quite different from America's "free enterprise" approach to redevelopment.

"Their central idea: Talent is the gold of our time, crucial to building thriving new economic clusters. Talented people (and cutting-edge firms) want lively urban environments instead of the isolation of corporate campuses. They're anxious to brush shoulders with other gifted people from companies, universities and the artistic realm."

How does it work? Refer to the article for more information.
"Each of the district's 100-square-meter blocks — rather than individual land holdings — was made the basic unit for regeneration. Once 60 percent of landowners in any one of the 115 blocks agree to act collectively, they can — as a community — increase the value of their property by getting city permission to rebuild with greater height (more stories) than allowed in the past."

The Green City of Freiburg

Freiburg - Vauban
Originally uploaded by kaffeeeinstein

AK Greenbird's has a really informative blog entry on the City of Freiburg in Germany. It is one of the greenest (policywise) cities in the world. Optional district parking for residential uses, i.e. no parking and traffic on the streets, is one of the more progressive ideas implemented in Freiburg. (Can you see Americans parking away from their houses? Just imagine!) In addition, there are some astonishing public transit images (trams amidst a field of grass) and another blog entry on innovative stormwater reuse strategies. Freiburg showcases many examples of how to implement sustainability on a large, city-wide scale.

Parking Management - Share Parking

Situation: The district I am studying is currently self-parked. Each parcel provides its own parking, which was required by a parking ratio and perhaps exceeded with perceived need. Businesses are struggling (due to many factors) and the ease of parking is critical in many business owners' eyes to future success.

Problem: Parking is inefficiently provided throughout the project area. Surface parking lots are far more abundant than any other type of open space and seem to take over developable space. Most visitors seem to park and visit a single establishment rather than the district as a whole.

Solution?: Managed, shared parking districts. In these districts parking lots are shared, land is more efficiently used. Shared parking districts can decrease car trips, the number of parking spaces demanded, and promote walking.

Issue: How does a city write policy or encourage private land owners to share land for parking? What about issues of liability? What about issues of land acquisition? How can a city implement shared parking where private parking has dominated?

Nonmotorized Level of Service Rating Factors

LOS, or Level of Service ratings are a graded system typically applied to vehicular traffic on our streets. LOS grades A-F evaluate the ease and efficiency of traffic traveling on a given street, not necessarily it's Level of Service for all modes. The Victoria Transport Policy Institute has conducted a lot of research on non-motorized transportation planning and developed a Nonmotorized Level of Service Rating. Here is my summary of criteria for grading nonmotorized LOS, grades are based on:

• Network continuity: sidewalks
  
• Network quality: are sidewalks properly designed and maintained?
  
• Road crossing: safety and speed of road crossings
• Traffic Protection: Separation (distance and physical separations) from motorized traffic
• Congestion and user conflicts: hazards, such as street furniture, crowding
• Topography: steep inclines
• Sense of security: visibility and lighting
• Wayfinding: signage, maps,
• Weather protection: shade trees and awnings
• Cleanliness: litter, graffiti, maintenance
• Attractiveness: Quality of nearby buildings and landscaping, open space, parks, plazas, recreational area

Action Words

These are some verbs that I commonly use in writing future plans that I call "action words":

• achieve
• address
• align
• analyze
• capture
• conduct
• consider
• create
• develop
• discourage
• enhance
• ensure
• establish
• expand
• explore
• find
• foster
• gather
• identity
• implement
• improve
• initiate
• install
• introduce
• investigate
• maintain
• manage
• monitor
• plan for
• prepare
• promote
• provide for
• pursue
• recognize
• rethink
• revamp
• secure
• strengthen
• support
• utilize
• verify
  

Midtown Palo Alto

Midtown Mid-block Crossing
Originally uploaded by gojanelin

"Midtown" on Middlefield Road in Palo Alto is a convenient place that is located on a busy street. It is still in the category of "auto"-serving, but there are some important differences that make it nicer for pedestrians along the core 2 blocks of neighborhood serving retail. The services offered include a grocery store, 2 drug stores, a small hardware store, an ATM (the bank turned into something else), a great local coffee shop, an ice cream shop, and dry cleaners. Middlefield is a busy street, consistently 2 lanes in each direction but it narrows through this stretch. There are also mid-block crossings that allow people to cross. The frontage include setbacks for shaded outdoor eating.

Willow Glen, San Jose

Willow Glen, San Jose
Originally uploaded by gojanelin

Lincoln Avenue was formerly a street served by a streetcar. Today, “downtown” Willow Glen, on Lincoln Avenue in San Jose thrives as a main street that is 4 lanes wide. The existing urban development pattern along Lincoln retained many elements of walkability from its streetcar days: the stores on Lincoln are close to one another, storefronts are narrow, 1-3 story buildings frame the street, shared parking lots are located behind the stores, alleys and paths through the back of stores allow multiple ways to access the main street, sidewalks are wide, and crosswalks make it easier for shoppers to get from one side to the other. There are also many opportunities to sit; landscaping is mature and appropriately scaled. Pedestrians feel safe in Willow Glen and vehicular traffic moves without too much burden on two lanes in each direction.

Under the Transbay Terminal

Under the Transbay Terminal
Originally uploaded by gojanelin

This would be a pretty dismal space, it is underneath the Transbay Terminal. But with these lights, a public art installation, it becomes a more inviting place. The whole facility will be redone (timeline may stretch, a little) with a design determined by competition. This underpass is a major gateway to the city, with many vehicles traveling from the first exit off the Bay Bridge (Fremont Street exit). This is a major casual commute drop-off, and many pedestrians pass under it every morning. It's a surprise and a delight, and it gives the impression that it may not smell like pee anymore...

Oakland Footpaths

Which path?
Originally uploaded by Hitchster

I have recently joined a group called WOBO (Walk Oakland - Bike Oakland), and just today I went on my second outing to document footpaths. The Oakland Urban Paths project is mainly to bring to light the conditions of footpaths throughout Oakland. There are footpaths all over the East Bay. These wonderful, surprises of connectivity have fans from Berkeley to Oakland.

ULI's UrbanPlan - Lessons in Development

All land uses
Originally uploaded by districtdirt

There are a lot of trade-offs to balance if you are developing land. UrbanPlan program, which is incorporated into selected high schools through economics or government courses, sets up a scenario that tests the trade-offs. In it, teams of 5, a marketing director, a site planner, a financial analyst, a city liaison, and a neighborhood liaison have to respond to an RFP. It was developed at UC Berkeley through the Fischer Center at the Haas School of Business. Now, it has gone national through ULI. I was there at the beginning, I drew the site plan, I contributed to some of the graphics in the workbook, and I implemented the program for ED1 at UC Berkeley. The process has matured and many students have now experienced the juggling act of public-private partnerships. I'm still going strong as a facilitator, and from time to time, on the Yorktown City Council as a juror.

The Back of Pacific Garden Mall, Santa Cruz

The Back of Pacific Garden Mall, Santa Cruz
Originally uploaded by gojanelin

What do you do with the backsides of large buildings? Some designers leave them blank, which is deadly to the street behind. Here the treatment of the backside of buildings that face onto Pacific Garden Mall provides some variation and pays attention to the it's backstreet. It breaks down the massiveness of the parking structure, to the left. There is a setback to a passageway (through the grey-blue building) that gives a little more space to the public realm. These moves are done in the character of the existing building to the right, which looks like it was older, and has been updated (possibly to improve its earthquake resistance?)

Parking Day 2008

Parking Day 2008
Originally uploaded by gojanelin

Today is PARKING DAY! It is a day where we pay for "parking" and put a park there instead of a car. Social/green space takes over the automobile realm... OK, so this was our entry last year, it seems that our meter ran out on us this year. But, it is worth revisiting our park idea: we reused our office materials to construct our park. We used boxes for park benches and made a tree out of our discarded business cards.

Here is an interesting coverage of 2009 on Streetsblog and Streetfilms both a part of the Livable Streets Initiative.

Casual Carpool

Thank you, driver
Originally uploaded by treebjen

This is Bay Bridge phenomenon that I have tried to capture for a long time.

"Casual car pools" or "ad hoc car pools" are informal car pools that form when drivers and passengers meet – without specific prior arrangement – at designated locations.

There are lots of great stories that come from this spontaneous method of commuting. It's a great convenience as well as a social experiment. I have taken it the Oakland Avenue, Park and Hampel, and College and Claremont locations. There are only a few drivers I've encountered more than once. There are many funny stories, and few scary ones (let's keep it that way!)

There are many opinions about the experience. And, it seems there are some who have written books and many who have written articles on the subject. I like this video about casual carpool. The stuff that happens in these cars is stuff worthy of putting on-screen.

Public Art in Santa Cruz

Public Art in Santa Cruz
Originally uploaded by gojanelin

This mural is located on Pearl Alley in Santa Cruz. The alley is narrow at this point, but the mural helps make it look bigger. And, park like (see benches)! It features some of the local landscape. This alley allows pedestrians connect from parking areas behind shops on Pacific Avenue, the main shopping street. This alley is nice enough and intimate enough for restaurants to want to open up to it.

How Bears Study the Environment

My alma mater, the College of Environmental Design at UC Berkeley (Go Bears!), is going to celebrate its 50th anniversary this year. While there are plenty of parties, lectures, and exhibitions, the enduring product of this place is the research that helps shape the way we understand the built environment. These following research centers utilize the interdisciplinary possibilities among the three departments (architecture, landscape architecture, and city planning.)

• The Center for Environmental Design Research (CEDR) fosters research in environmental planning and design, ranging from the local environments of people within buildings to region-wide ecosystems, from small details of building construction to large-scale urban planning, from the history of the built environment to the design process itself. CEDR manages and edits Places, the main journal in the U.S. principally focused on urban design.
  
• The Institute of Urban and Regional Development (IURD) helps scholars and students understand the dynamics of communities, cities, and regions while informing public policy at local, state, and national levels.

Toolkits and Street Design Manuals

Big cities are thinking about street design and producing very helpful design manuals that serve to educate and encourage new development that make better places. Amber Hawkes and Georgia Sheridan look at some of the emerging street design manuals and give an in-depth review on how they're working. Street design manuals are also being used as tools that shape smaller, more suburban cities. Though, the bigger cities, with bigger budgets, generally have more graphically appealing and educational documents.

Walnut Creek Shuttle Route 4

Walnut Creek Shuttle Route 4
Originally uploaded by gojanelin

Here it is! Free public transportation. Will you still drive? Yes! Why? How successful is the route? How is it supported? Why don't you use it?

Route 4 connects the Walnut Creek BART Station to the extensive downtown and all the major parking structures. And, it looks like a trolley not a bus, which should make it even more inviting.

Daylit Creek in Temescal

Temescal Creek
Originally uploaded by gojanelin

Temescal Creek is a daylit creek that links together Hardy "Frog Park" and Little Frog Park and runs by the DMV and the Temescal Farmer's Market that occurs in the DMV parking lot on Sunday Mornings.

Mid Block Alley on California Ave

Mid Block Alley on California Ave
Originally uploaded by gojanelin

Parking is located behind the stores on California Avenue, which helps to define and concentrate the activity on the street. This would have been a long block to walk around if not for the alleys that allow people through at frequent intervals.

Changes in Oakland

There are many plans and changes coming to Oakland in the next few years. Here are three:

1. The Broadway Valdez District Specific Plan will be a framework plan that will look at a retail enhancement strategy for the upper Broadway area. The next Public workshop will be November 5, 2009 where Project Alternatives will be presented.

2. The Kaiser Medical Center Rebuilding, which is now under construction. A history of the M/B Center that being demolished at the moment is contained in a PANIL (Piedmont Avenue Neighborhood Improvement League) newsletter. This megablock is an interesting experiment in urban planning that was always too big to be a successful place.

3. Renovations to the Pleasant Valley Safeway and Longs (a.k.a. "Big Longs"). Living in the O has a post about the community meetings. This is a big box, car-oriented shopping center. Pre-application plans show a little more intensification at the site, with the replacement of Big Longs.

Stormwater Management at Target

Stormwater Management at Target
Originally uploaded by gojanelin

There are swales at the Albany Target that indicate deeper thought about stormwater managment (than typical big boxes). The site itself is next to two creeks and not far from the SF Bay. A great Guide to San Francisco Bay Area Creeks was put together by the Oakland Museum of California. The swales make the parking lot look a little nicer, though it's still vast. John King thought this Target was a worthy landmark in the Bay Area.

The Key to Temescal

The Key to Temescal
Originally uploaded by gojanelin

Yes, it's a crosswalk! OK, there are a bunch of other things going on in Temescal that make its revitalization possible. But, how would you get there without crossing the street? This signalized crosswalk isn't that far from the main intersection of 51st and Telegraph. It tames the huge arterial. It connects the parking lot with the row of older shops at the other end (where the cool stuff is). From this corner you have a great view of the buildings. Go ahead, strut across the crosswalk, stroll along the wide sidewalks, use the outdoor benches, and observe the urban scene.

Bus Rapid Transit on Telegraph

Bus Rapid Transit on Telegraph
Originally uploaded by gojanelin

Line 1R is the Rapid Bus line that runs north south in the East Bay. There is a display in this bus stop showing the time until the next express service bus. AC Transit explains Bus Rapid Transit. There is also the possibility of dedicated, priority bus lanes.

Bakesale Betty's in Temescal

Bakesale Betty's in Temescal
Originally uploaded by gojanelin

Think strawberry shortcake, fried chicken sandwiches, and lemon ice! This place is very popular at the corner of 51st and Telegraph. Seating is informal, at ironing boards on the sidewalk. You can't miss Bakesale Betty, she wears a blue wig.

Berkeley Bowl West Interior

Berkeley Bowl West Interior
Originally uploaded by gojanelin

Berkeley Bowl West is the new palace of food for the East Bay. Kava Massih Architects did a great job with the design. The daylit interior of this store is really nice. It's almost intimidating, it's so big. There is underground parking. This part of West Berkeley is starting to grow up into an urban magnet. Oh how timely, John King likes it too!

A Bike Sharrow

A Bike Sharrow
Originally uploaded by gojanelin

This is a sharrow. It indicates a lane that is to be shared with bikes and regular traffic. This two lane street narrows at the crosswalk, with sidewalks extending with bulb-outs.

Bay Area Movie Houses

This morning's article on SF Gate on Bay Area Movie houses got me thinking about the other ones they didn't include. They listed:

• Rio Theater, Monte Rio
• Cameo Cinema, St. Helen
• Los Gatos Theater, Los Gatos
• Del Mar Theatre, Santa Cruz
• Sebastiani Theatre, Sonoma

This list is easily expanded, since they didn't include any of the great East Bay movie houses. The charming thing about these places are that they are usually single screen, or perhaps they are split level (like the old Parkway Theater). And, they sometimes have some very charming old blade signs (like the Orinda Theater).

Often nestled in smaller neighborhoods, these movie houses really become one of the key activating features of the street. They are a night time attraction that also invigorates the restaurants, ice cream shops, cafes, and bars around it.

Landmark Theaters is a great example of how the single theaters can be made more profitable, by partnering under one owner and offering the variety that a megaplex would across the city.

Off the top of my head, I can think of:

• California Theater, Berkeley
• Piedmont Theater, Oakland
• Parkway Theater, Oakland (not around anymore, such a loss!)
• The Cerrito Theater, El Cerrito
• The Elmwood Theater, Berkeley
• The Orinda Theater, Orinda

But enough about smaller movie houses, the real rarity is the small stage live performance venue like the Ashby Stage in Berkeley. Entertainment is never more personal than at those gems of the city!

Lakeshore Avenue

Lakeshore Avenue is part of a vibrant part of Oakland. It is located near I-580 and Grand Avenue, where the Grand Lake Theater is. Together they form the Grand Lake District.

On Saturday mornings, a popular farmer's market is held in between Lakeshore and Grand Avenue at Splashpad Park.

It is a neighborhood serving main street. The mix of shops include both national chains and local businesses. There is a Trader Joe's, Walgreens, Longs, Pete's Coffee, Starbucks, Noahs Bagels, and Gap on the street. Local businesses, such as Arizmendi's Bakery, Sway, and Urban Indigo also thrive. There is a great mix of different types of retail, from restaurants, to salons, to kung-fu, to stationary stores, to a Gymboree.

All of the shops are adjacent to each other and meet the street edge in a uniform way.

There are two lanes of traffic in each direction, undivided by a median. Traffic on Lakeshore Avenue is heavy but slow. The interior through-lane is used at full speed (25 mph). The other lane is often slower with obstacles like loading trucks and vehicles backing up from diagonal parking. The effect of these obstacles slows traffic overall and makes the street more pedestrian friendly.

Diagonal parking on both sides of the street and a two story parking structure serve the district. There is an alley that connects shoppers on the street to the parking structure behind.
A mid-block crosswalk allow shoppers to connect to both sides of the street.
The pedestrian environment is generous with a wide sidewalk (9'+), with mature street trees, bike racks, news stands, outdoor seating, and a well delineated edge (two steps) to the street. Diagonal parking and the slower outer lane further protect pedestrians from moving traffic.