74 research outputs found
Developing an Integrated and Contextualized Planning and Design Framework for Livable Patterns of Urbanization in Chennai
No full textThis article analyses the urban conditions of Chennai, India, and takes a critical look at its planning framework by considering four main aspects: the ecological structures, urban morphology, mobility, and livability. To do so, the article examines policy documents, urban form, public perceptions, and daily mobility patterns. Specific attention is focused on three layers of the urban fabric: water and ecology, transport infrastructure, and housing. First, the city’s river restoration is critically assessed, with a focus on integrating the social dimension into the process. Second, the metro network is analyzed, specifically understanding its usage with respect to different user groups. Third, the densification pattern in different parts of the city is analyzed. Considering the layers of water, transport infrastructure, and housing together, the article sets out an alternative integrated approach to strategic design and planning in the city towards the goal of creating a more livable public realm. The proposed integrated framework, termed “supergrids” is a city-scale strategy that enables a large reconfiguration of the existing networks in the city, integration of ecological systems into the public space network, and a restructuring of movement patterns by upscaling the vehicular network, and aligning pedestrian connections with green networks, public transit, and important functions.Urban DesignSpatial Planning and Strateg
Integrated Urban River Corridors: Spatial design for social-ecological resilience in Bucharest and beyond
No full textThe issue of urban resilience concerns a multitude of urban systems and spaces. This thesis focuses on Urban River Corridors (URCs)—that is, urban spaces where the overlap between the urban systems (carrying the ’social-‘) and the river system (carrying the ‘-ecological’) is at the highest intensity—as strategic spaces with a potentially high contribution to urban resilience. The general hypothesis is that with an integrated spatial understanding, planning and design of rivers and the urban fabric surrounding them, cities could become more resilient not just to flood-related disturbances, but to general chronic stresses as well. Hence, the thesis addresses four spatial problems arising from the loss of synergy between the natural dynamics of rivers and the spatial configuration and composition of urban areas that they cross: (1) river-taming operations combined with riverside traffic corridors have weakened the relationship between fluvial geomorphology and urban morphology, transforming rivers into physical barriers; (2) flood-protection measures aiming for resistance to water dynamics have led to a latent flood risk; (3) the capacity of urban rivers to deliver ecosystem services has been diminished; and (4) rationalisations of the river system have reduced the scalar, (and implicitly) social and ecological complexity of urban rivers.Drawing on theories of social-ecological resilience and urban form resilience, on conceptual and analytical tools from spatial morphology and landscape ecology, and on practical experience in urban river design projects, the thesis constructs a theory of social-ecologically integrated Urban River Corridors, in which it proposes a spatial-morphological definition, an assessment framework, and a set of design principles and design instruments. Framed as a transdisciplinary design study, the thesis integrates knowledge from various disciplines dealing with the problematique of urban rivers and employs a design-driven methodology that includes design explorations and design testing in the research process.The case of Bucharest crossed by URC Dâmbovița and URC Colentina is used to contextualise the spatial-morphological definition, and to demonstrate, develop and test the proposed assessment framework, design principles, and design instruments with a distinct set of methods in each of the three parts of the thesis. In addition to a transdisciplinary literature review of URCs, and a historical review of Bucharest’s URCs, Part 1 presents a qualitative data analysis of 22 expert interviews, used to determine the current state of URC Dâmbovița and URC Colentina. Based on four key properties of URCs identified in literature, Part 2 develops an indicator system and a method for the assessment of social-ecological integration. Informed by key problems and potentials identified by the local experts, the assessment framework is then applied on the two URCs of Bucharest. In the last part, design applications, including urban river projects carried out by the author on other rivers and a design workshop in Bucharest, are used to demonstrate and test the design principles through design instruments.A+BE | Architecture and the Built Environment No 31 (2018)Environmental Technology and Desig
Paradise lost?: Restoring urban river Radobolja
No full textThis project is about the urban river Radobolja a tributary of Neretva located in the city of Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Radobolja river is a river with a rich history value for the city. There was a rich flora and fauna, but during the last century through urban sprawl and war, Radobolja was neglected and is now heavy polluted. The river lost its identity and is cut in several sections with all a different character. Ecologists, fisherman and civilians are all worried about the river. The fish are gone and the river turned into a no-go area. The city of Mostar used to be in touch with nature, but seems to have lost this connection. Rivers and their landscape provide space for a wide range of natural, economic and social benefits. The Radobolja is a typical urban river, with all the problems and possibilities. It will be used as a case study for an urban river restoration plan to uplift the connection with nature and make the river a go to place instead of a place to avoid. Because of its scale (only 5km log and entirely laying in the city), this restoration can have a big impact on the surrounding neighbourhoods and the rest of the city of Mostar. The design use the lived experience of the river as a guidance to discover the already contained beauty of the river. This restoration plan with involves cleaning the river and adds aesthetic value to the river. This is done by implementing a path along the river which connects the three design locations. These design locations are connected with the three nature principle. One closely connected to the wilderness, one to the rich orchard history of MostarArchitecture, Urbanism and Building Science
Mention: Integrated urban river corridors: spatial design for social-ecological resilience in Bucharest and beyond
No full textMention: Integrated urban river corridors: spatial design for social-ecological resilience in Bucharest and beyond
No full textLiving Edges: Embracing adaptability as opportunity for creating living edges in the Province of Zuid-Holland
No full textTo help combat climate change, promote sustainable development and match the goals set in the Paris Agreement, the Province of Zuid-Holland wants to transition to a circular economy. To make this transition successful, the Province ought to adopt an integrative approach, addressing other elements such as socio-spatial inequality, pressure for urban expansion and economic challenges that have to be integrated in the transition strategy. The following report describes these elements and the challenges they bring and proposes a vision and a development strategy based on the sector where these elements connect: the agri-food sector. Zuid-Holland’s agri-food sector is an important link in the global economy, and many of its infrastructures are oriented towards export through the Port of Rotterdam. However, there is an unequal distribution of profit and power related to the agro-food sector, which results in socio-spatial inequality. Through quantitative and qualitative analysis of both the physical and social environment, we conclude that the spatial pressures and existing challenges are most present in the edges of the province’s biggest cities. Hence, the Living Edges project envisions how the linear global agro-food sector can be transformed into a circular regional agri-food sector in a social just way . By designing a strategy in which this transition is detailed in space, the project aims to decrease socio-spatial inequality through bypassing the linear food system with interventions in the edges between the urban and rural areas. It does so by increasing diversity, social cohesion and equitable access to healthy, affordable food. As a result of efficient local circular production, the delta province will have more space for regenerative, nature-based and robust water defense systems. The vision and strategy designed by the Living Edges project provides tools for emancipating the province from the linear global economy towards a local, equitable and circular economy. Through networked governance with a multi-scalar focus, the Province of Zuid-Holland can be an example to other similar regions in Northwestern Europe and promote the idea of a just region.Dynamic Adaptation Policy Pathways are advised for the strategy in order to incorporate deep uncertainty in the long-term, large scale project. By using stakeholder engagement strategies, including stakeholders in different ways corresponding to the variety of scales and phases.AR2U086 R&D Studio – Spatial Strategies for the Global MetropolisAR2U088 R&D Methodology for UrbanismArchitecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences | Urbanis
Landscape as common ground
No full textThis research design project aims to reconnect the landscape with its local users. The landscape has many components, but in this research design project is focussed on the relation between human practices and the landscape, since this relation has been broken in (recent) history of the city. Landscape as common ground operates on different levels of intervention in order to reconnect the landscape with its local users. By connecting through continuity, the productive landscape, engagement and by reactivating ruins and abandoned spaces this site specific landscape design intervention reacts on different scales to the post-traumatic context of Mostar.Architecture, Urbanism and Building Science
Applied Urban Resilience Framework: : Operationalizing Resilience in Urbanized Landscapes through Spatial Design
No full textUrban resilience is a prominent topic in landscape architecture and urban design that comprises systemic design approaches. While contemporary design discourses acknowledge this concept, the operationalization of urban resilience remains challenging. The different components of urban resilience need to be blended in robust and feasible spatial forms. This calls for holistic design frameworks targeted at operationalizing urban resilience. In response to this challenge, this chapter proposes the Applied Urban Resilience Framework. This is a conceptual framework for addressing the complexity of the urban environment subjected to shocks and stresses, through systemic approaches led by spatial design
Social-Ecological Assessment of Urban River Corridor Dâmbovița, Bucharest, Romania
No full textThis dataset includes the results of the Social-Ecological Assessment of URC Dâmbovița, Bucharest, Romania, carried out as part of the PhD thesis "Integrated Urban River Corridors: Spatial Design for Social-Ecological Resilience in Bucharest and Beyond"
Urban Pandemic Vulnerability and COVID-19: A New Framework to Assess the Impacts of Global Pandemics in the Metropolitan Region of Amsterdam
No full textThis paper presents the concept of urban pandemic vulnerability as a crucial framework for understanding how COVID-19 affects cities and how they react to pandemics. We adapted existing social and environmental urban vulnerability frameworks to assess pandemic impacts and responses, identifying the appropriate components and spatial, environmental and socio-demographic variables of interest. Pandemic vulnerability depends on exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity features, which occur in different combinations in different parts of a city. The model was applied to the Metropolitan Region of Amsterdam (MRA) to create a map of pandemic vulnerability. This map differentiates between affected areas according to the types of vulnerability they experience, and it accurately identified the most vulnerable areas in line with real-world data. The findings contribute to clarifying the challenges brought by COVID-19, identifying vulnerability thresholds and guiding planning towards pandemic resilienceSpatial Planning and StrategyUrban Desig
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