arch271sustainability-blog

[arch271sustainability-blog]

This is not my photo

There will be a mosaic that would be representative of the communities past. I will be on the face of the stair case like seen in the photo. This will play into the people portion of sustainability.

This is not my photo.

This is what I imagine for the charging station. It would be wifi assessable, In addition it would serve as a  place to charge your electronic devices. This will be the people and the economic portion of sustainability.

This is not my photo

I want to line 9th street with seating accommodations like this. That way the farmers market can take place around it. This is the people and the economic portion. IT will provide more seating to the site which would help the people and the near by businesses.

This is not my photo

This is the shape I want for the charging station. I want it to be and open fixture that only has a roof. Solely for the people.

This is not my photo

I want to have texture in the materials we use. This is for the environment and the people.

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Reflection

We spoke about the Fair Housing Act and its direct correlation to gentrification during the semester and I feel that it is relevant to my site. Gentrification has been an epidemic in the community of Petworth in recent years. Although, there are some units that cater to lower income residents, on the Georgia Avenue stretch near the site, the community as a whole has diversified its inhabitants and has become more lucrative. The sites mosaic feature would serve as homage to the city's cultural past. The redevelopment of the bus stop would bridge the gap between the rapidly changing city and it’s colorful past. Privatization of property was another topic discussed in class. Privatizing property is very controversial topic. In the case of my project, I tried to use PPP’s as a source of funding. In my case, the investors would not be able to make money off of my redevelopment so, it was no longer a viable option. Also, by using PPP funding, the space would no longer be public. That is something I wanted to avoid. Lastly, our discussion on ‘preserving what you have’ was very relevant to my site. I wanted to do really make sure I was sustainable in my design. For me, the eco friendly portion was to preserve and reuse as much as possible.

In the past, I spoke about the Expansion of Ellsworth Dr. and the redevelopment of the Silver Spring Mall. I expressed that at the time, I felt that it was a good idea.I know think that maybe they should have sold the mall to developers looking to use the space differently. I say that because the mall has been up for a while now and there are still plenty of store fronts that aren’t occupied. Similarly, Dave and Busters in the sole attraction of the mall. That alone will not keep the mall thriving. Given the direction that Silver Spring is headed I think that a mixed used development would be best for that space.

From what I’ve learnt in class, the people must be priority in order for sustainable development to take place.  Currently, the finances are the most important aspect. In cases where developers thought about the community like LA Valentina  in Sacramento, CA we have more successful development. If I were to implement something that would initiate the movement I would pass legislation that requires that development shows how it benefits the community. By doing so, there will be more initiative for developers to build not only enhance but also benefits the community.

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Approvals Approval is required on both the community and city level.  I would need to have community feedback to see whether or not they think the redevelopment is useful. I would also, need the community's approval on the design of the mosaic. To entice the community into voting in my favor, I would allow them slight creative control in the process. In addition, I would pursue this development along with a local community service nonprofit, The Petworth Market. Government approval is also necessary to shut down 9th street from traffic. I have not been successful on finding out what exact approval is necessary.

Funding I estimate that the project would cost at most $60,000. The project would be supported by a series of grants from nonprofit community based organizations known as, Community Development Corporations (CDCs). Below I have listed three CDCs that I feel will work best with my project. I would first associate myself with the Petworth community market, a local non profit. Then, I would pitch my idea to the nonprofit and see if they would be interested in making the project materialize. With the assistance of Petworth community market, I would apply for the grants through the non profit. The Petworth Community Market: https://petworthcmarket.wordpress.com/about/

Neighborhood Works Neighborhood works launched a neighborhood marketing program in 2012 that aims to revitalize communities by restoring the market demand. They believe that a thriving community has diversified community partnerships and strong brands. N.W. allocates grants and the tools necessary to fund projects that promote community engagement, community growth and encourage sustainability. http://www.neighborworks.org/Community/Revitalization/Stable-Communities/Neighborhood-Marketing-Program

Living Cities Living Cities works with community leaders to pioneer change. They advocate that communities “test, adopt and apply new types of urban practice” (Living Cities) to promote economic growth in the community. https://www.livingcities.org/work/grantmaking

Community Action Partnership The National Association of Community Action Agencies (NACAA) was founded in 1971, established under the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 to fight America's War on Poverty. Community action agencies aim to promote self sufficient communities. http://www.communityactionpartnership.com/

Maintenance

I hope to launch this project in affiliation with the Petworth community market. As such, the community service/nonprofit group would take on maintenance obligations for three quarters of the year. This would consist of  monthly site cleanings and weekly trash collections. During the summer months, the vendors of the farmers market would take on the site maintenance.

Marketing

Leading up to the launch, a website/blog to give the community updates on the project will be created. It would showcase photographs and videos of the progress of the redevelopment. In addition, the project's progress would be documented on other social networks like Facebook and Instagram. After completion, the social platforms would be used to advertise for any community activities that would be held on the site.

Printed advertisement would be placed in all the community establishments that would allow it. Furthermore, a community party will be held to commemorate the sites redevelopment. I would partner with the local dining establishments to see if they would sponsor/ donate hor d'oeuvres for the event. It would be a family friendly occasion that would feature community performers and games for children.

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Part 3

I observed my site from across the street at the Yes Organic grocery store on March 30, 2017 from 4:30-5:00 pm. The weather was comfortable; it was 54 degrees and overcast. There were a steady number of pedestrians on the grounds. The crowd fluctuated, at its peak the site hosted 25 people. Everyone except for a group of 5 teenagers used the space only for the bus stop. The teenagers however, congregated on a wall on the Georgia Ave end for recreation.

  On the front end of the site there is a bus stop. It seems that the Metro bus that operates at this stop runs every half hour. The sites main attraction is the bus stop. From what I saw, the majority of the users were adolescents leaving school. My findings maybe unique to the time in which I observed the lot.

There were a lot of noises to be noted. An occasional siren, the sounds of traffic and constant rumble of chatter but, that is nothing out of the ordinary for a downtown location. I noticed a man, whom I assumed to be homeless, having a heated exchange with a group of teenagers passing by, while I was there. I assume that the exchange was a unique occurrence and future bypassers and potential users of the site would not be harassed while on the grounds.

I arrived at 4:30pm and met a group of teenagers sitting on a wall near the bus stop. They remained there for the duration of my study. Outside of the teenagers, others frequented the area to wait for the bus. Individuals waiting for the bus gathered underneath the bus shelter or sat on the benches directly behind the shelter. The site has 3 benches, all lined up behind the bus shelter. However, only the one directly behind the shelter was utilized. People instead chose to stand.

There was no interaction between strangers. Cliques of people who arrived together interacted with those in their groups. Those who were alone spent the whole time on their personal devices.

It is evident that the space was designed to be a community gathering spot; unfortunately, only the bus stop is utilized. The space has such a great location. It has a library and plenty of eating options all within a block.

The current space is vague and confusing. I think that in order for it to reach its potential, there need to be clear definition of space. The bus stop and the gathering area need to be two separate spaces; that way users can understand how to interact in it.

Included in my plan is  8th street, the street directly behind the gathering spot. I propose the street be closed to traffic and used in expanding the space. From what I've observed while watching the spot and from past visits, I noticed that 8th St. has little, to no traffic. Expanding it would allow for more seating options to be placed on site. This would be beneficial because all of the nearby eateries have no outside seating. If these seating were available, patrons would have the option to purchase food from the restaurants and enjoy their meals outside on the site.

I would start by closing the street 8th St. to traffic. By doing so I would have more room to work with. I would then remove the three benches that are behind the bus stop and in their place I would put three long steps, joining the elevated grassed area to the sidewalk. The stairs would have a mosaic design on its face to make it more aesthetically pleasing.  At the top of the stairs and in the center of the grassed area, a gazebo like structure, surrounded by flowers would be added. The stairs and the gazebo addition would serve as the extra seating options. I would recycle the three benches and place them around the perimeter of the grassed area.  *insert street name* would have compact table and chairs added in a line down the street. Due to the fact that, during the summer this area houses farmers markets, the tables would need to be slim enough for the street to still function for its summer time duties.

Moving all additional seating away from the bus stop and onto the raised grounds creates a clear definition of space. Therefore, the bus stop would no longer be the focal point of the area. Having seating in the closed off street would entice more people to the site, especially on days when the weather is good.

I plan to be sustainable by recycling the old benches. Adding more seating may potentially drive more business to the local restaurants. Consequently, a boost in the economy of the area adds to the sustainability of the rebuild.

I believe that making these changes would allow for more community gathering. In the day, it will serve as a gathering spot for local children; whereas, in the evening, it would be more communal and have a diversified range of occupants.

We talked about what makes the best community gathering spaces and established that seating, especially seating that you can move around, is crucial. My space has a seating issue. Movable seating was not a practical option for my location. So instead, I opted to divide the area into sections where its intentions are clearly defined. By doing so, I allowed for multiple seating options that were spread out and gave people different options.

We also, mentioned that projects don’t have to be too pricey. I kept that in mind when planning out what I wanted to do to the space. Unfortunately, the space didn’t have much on it to begin with. So, I felt that there was little that could be done to not have a renovation expense. However, I figured one way to save money would be to recycle the old benches. Also,  I thought it would be more cost efficient to put stairs to join the elevated area to the sidewalk because it comes with the added bonus of extra seating.

This is not my photo. Photo credit :http://mymodernmet.com/16th-avenue-tiled-steps-san-francisco/

This is along what along the lines of what I had in mind for the the mosaic on the stairs. I want it to be colorful and inviting.

Photo credit: http://sanitasstudio.com/project/autumn/

This is what I had in mind for the gazebo. A contemporary open unit that would sit at the top of the stairs.

Photocredit: http://www.landezine.com/index.php/2011/02/choorstraat-papenhulst-by-buro-lubbers/4-burro-lubbers-landscape-architecture-chorstraat/

I want something compact and user friendly, like the picture above, for 8th Street. I would have 3 of the table units running down the center of the street.

Photocredit: http://www.urbangardensweb.stfi.re/2012/06/29/green-roofed-paris-shelter-offers-wifi-and-city-guides/?sf=xzyjrdr#ab

For a fun and modern touch, the gazebo would feature a green roof that has wifi connection and charging capabilities, like this station in Paris.  

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Petworth

Post 2 continued

We mentioned in class that a space doesn’t feel inviting with out a place to sit. My space offers spaces to sit. All of the benches are spread out, but, still they are not utilized. I think this is due to the fact that the area doesn’t offer movable seating. In my design process I intend to find a way to make use of moveable seating.

Closing streets down from traffic to widen its gathering area was another thing covered in class. I intend to utilize that in my design process as well, for I think it would increase the usage of the area.

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Post 2

I chose a park and the street adjacent, located in Petworth. The site spans for a block; Georgia Avenue to the west, Upshur to the north and Taylor Avenue to the south. The site has a bus stop located on Georgia Avenue which drives most of the visitation. During the warmer seasons, the street on the site hosts weekend farmers market and art exhibits. For the rest of the year the street has minimal to no use. Georgia Ave has plenty of mix used infrastructure and trendy restaurants. In addition, the general surrounding is under going a lot of transformation.

I spend a lot of time in this general area and have always thought of potential uses for the space. It is underutilized and can do with a facelift to make it more welcoming to the general public. I am drawn to this location because it is the midpoint of all the actions on the Georgia Avenue stretch of Petworth. Due to the vibrancy of the area it is unfortunate for this site to not live up to the potential of its surroundings.

Petworth has changed tremendously over the last five years due to the influx of home renovations and new development in the area. As such, there has been a noticeable shift in the area’s demographic. Petworth has since diversified its population by race and age. The community is largely occupied by single (50%) white collar workers (73%) that vary in educational backgrounds. Since the recent revitalization efforts, Petworth is known for the grocery stores ‘Yes Organics’ and ‘Safeway’ as well as the countless eateries located on Georgia Ave.  

Petworth, is the home of President Lincoln’s cottage. It was opened to the public in 2008 after under going an eight year revitalization program. My site of interest is not near Lincoln's cottage so, changes to my site wouldn’t impede on the historic value of the city. The architecture around Petworth doesn’t reflect any particular era in history for the majority of the city has undergone a facelift.  

I was unable to find any outstanding issues in the city. Petworth has a decent amount of mixed income and low income units. There has been an influx of commercial spaces that have in turn helped the city. The only aspect that has not been completely addressed yet is crime.

There has been tons of development in Petworth especially on the Georgia Ave stretch. Below I have provided a link of upcoming development. http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/petworth_and_park_view_development_rundown/11669I was unable to find any development plans for my area of interest however, I plan on surveying residents on what they desire for the space. I will also speak to business owners surrounding the site to see what improvements they would like to see.

I would like to completely shut down the street connecting Taylor and Upshur from traffic. I would then extend the seating area towards the street to allow for more gathering areas for locals.

Works Cited 

"The 850 Units Coming to Petworth and Park View." UrbanTurf. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2017.

n.d.: n. pag. Print.

"About." President Lincoln's Cottage. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2017.

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Expanding Development in Downtown Silver Spring

Ellsworth Drive in downtown Silver Spring is the source of the cities attractions. There you will find endless eateries, shopping and a movie theater. Like the pedestrian street in Curitiba Brazil, Ellsworth Dr., is a street cut off from traffic which offers retailers the opportunity to focus on the community and practice inclusiveness.

Silver Spring recently expanded its renovation efforts to the former ‘City Place’ mall. The new development, Ellsworth Place, occupies 350,000 square feet of land and stands six feet tall. ‘City Place’ opened in 1992 ,unfortunately, as Aaron Krut, author of Revamped Silver Spring Mall Now Looking at Spring 2016 ‘Grand Reopening’ mentioned, “its popularity gradually declined as the rest of downtown Silver Spring grew around it”. In hopes to raise foot traffic and generate more income, renovations took place, and ‘Ellsworth Place’ was born. Developers proceeded with $75 million headlined by Dave and Busters. The new mall will house a more diverse retail catalog, including long term residents TJ MAXX and Burlington. Officials argued that the mall needed an entertainment factor that could compete with the nearby movie theater. As such, the entire 5th floor will be home to a 44,00 square foot Dave and Busters.

I appreciate that the development would expand beyond the immediate downtown. Hopefully, the expansion would bring the same sense of inclusiveness that Ellsworth Drive offers.

Works Cited:

Kurat, Aaron. "Revamped Silver Spring Mall Now Looking at Spring 2016 ‘Grand Reopening’." Bethesda Beat. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2017.

Kurat, Aaron . "Newly Minted Ellsworth Place Embraces Revitalized Downtown Silver Spring." Bethesda Beat. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2017.

Photo Credit: http://www.bethesdamagazine.com/Bethesda-Beat/2015/Revamped-Silver-Spring-Mall-Now-Looking-at-Spring-2016-Grand-Reopening/

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This is not my photo. Photo Credit to https://www.flickr.com/photos/byoshi/

Above is a photo of the ‘The Pike’ in Long Beach, CA. I love this area because it was built with the community in mind. It is a family friendly gathering area at day and a happening hang out at night.

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This is not my photo. Photo credit to ‘https://www.tumblr.com/new/photo’

The above photo is a shot of Downtown Silver Spring, Ellsworth Dr., to be specific. This area is one of my favorites in the area because it was built with community in mind. It offers a sense of inclusiveness, while allowing each business to stand as its own unique entity.