Suffolk Downs Urban Design Workshop

BSA URBAN DESIGN WORKSHOPre-imagining SUFFOLK DOWNS

03.03.2016

I. Project Orientation

II. Design Process

III. Scenario 1: BRIDGING NEIGHBORHOODS

IV. Scenario 2: PRODUCTIVE SPINES

V. Scenario 3: STRATEGIC LAYERING

CONTENTS

PROJECT ORIENTATION

Land area in 1770

TODAY

www.seachange.sasaki.com

2050 (2’ SLR)

www.seachange.sasaki.com

2100 (6’ SLR)

www.seachange.sasaki.com

1740

14

1857

1949 TODAY

HISTORY

 Challenges 

Sea level riseCongestion on 1AAccessContaminationTransit CapacityMix of UsesThe future of energy delivery & storageEconomic feasibility2 jurisdictions Place Making 

Opportunities 

Job creation Integration of open space and improved connectivityCooperation between Boston and RevereTransit & Transport AccessA resilient responseAbundance of Land AreaOpen Space Resources“A Blank Slate” Place Making

CHARRETTE VOLUNTEERS Dana Arazi Tania BronsoilerJoshua BurgelNina Chase*David Gamble*Brian GregoryShauna Gillies-Smith*Jungsoo KimJessica LeetePaul Lukez*Patrick TedescoPhilipp MauéAlan MountjoyYao XiaoIsabel Zempel* Haipeng ZhuElisa Senna

* Team leader

Firms

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CROSBY SCHLESSINGER SMALLRIDGEGAMBLE ASSOCIATESGROUND INCNBBJPAUL LUKEZ ARCHITECTURESASAKI ASSOCIATES

DESIGN PROCESS

Giordana MecagniBob

D’Amico Chris Marchi

Magdalena Ayed

FRIDAY SITE WALK

BRAINSTORM

options

EASTBOSTON

2020 core principles

KICKOFFpanel

DEVELOPMENTdiagramsplansviews

PRESENTATION“Start of conversation”

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY

DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3

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BASIC ASSUMPTIONSPROJECTING TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT AND GROWTH

JOB GROWTH WILL CONTINUEPeople will seek new careers, closer to home

CLIMATE CHANGE IS REALSea levels will rise, storms will strengthen

REGIONAL TRANSIT WILL ADAPT & CONNECTMBTA, MassDOT, and Cities will collaborate on a regional level affecting local travel

TECHNOLOGY WILL ADVANCEVehicles will rely less on combustion enginesAirplanes will become less noisy/intrusive

1

BRIDGING NEIGHBORHOODS

Extending the Hills, Strengthening the Edges

2  

PRODUCTIVE SPINES

A Matrix of Water, Economy and Ecology

3

STRATEGIC LAYERING

Layering Ecology, Economy and History

THREE ALTERNATIVE SCENARIOS

SCENARIO 1. BRIDGING NEIGHBORHOODS

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How do we reinforce neighborhood edges and grow an existing community?How can we reestablish the historic watercourse as a uniter?How to calibrate economic development and open space?

CONCEPT/STRATEGY Focus development on the edgesLANDSCAPE Sinuous, Central Park at the seamPROGRAM Shelter, Housing, Health and Wellness overlay, Hotels

Active/Destination Recreation + StadiumCommercial and Cultural HubsTransit-oriented development nodes

PRECEDENTS South Amsterdam, Memorial Drive, Central ParkFORM Organic, Planned Edges, Bridge Connections,

Natural/Resilient waterway as primary infrastructure Building on Boston’s landscape tradition as a city of great parks and connections. Reconnecting the neighborhoods by reestablishing the natural waterways.

Concept Strategy

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THE BIG IDEABUILDING ON BOSTON’S LANDSCAPE TRADITION AS A CITY OF GREAT PARKS AND CONNECTIONS. CONNECTING THE NEIGHBORHOODS BY REESTABLISHING THE NATURAL WATERWAYS.

DESIGN PRINCIPALRESTORE THE ECOLOGY AND RECONNECT

DESIGN PRINCIPALRESTORE HISTORICAL WETLAND WITH A PARK STITCHING THE NEIGHBORHOODS

DESIGN PRINCIPALPROMOTE HEALTH AND WELLNESS AROUND WATER AND OPEN SPACE

DESIGN PRINCIPALBRIDGES AND WALKWAYS UNITING WITH PROGRAM

DESIGN PRINCIPALINCREASE PROPERTY VALUES ALONG THE OPEN SPACE AND WATER

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CONCEPTPLANFOCUS DEVELOPMENT ON THE EDGES

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USE DIAGRAMSINUOUS CENTRAL PARK, STRENGTHENED TO BECOME RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE AND ECONOMIC DRIVER

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SCENARIO 2. HYPER ECOLOGY

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THE BIG IDEABoston as a place of innovation and production. Amplify the opportunities for increasing contact with waterfront edges.

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How can one extend the water’s edge?How do we amplify production and green economies?What technologies may be available to address water?

CONCEPT/STRATEGY Focus development along the corridorsLANDSCAPE Artificial and EngineeredPROGRAM Productive Landscapes

EcotourismEnergy, wind farm, research, food production

PRECEDENTS Amsterdam – Borneo SporenburgFORM Spine and grid, Dikes, Cut + Fill,  Boston as a place of innovation and production. Increase the amount of waterfront edges.

Concept Strategy

42

DESIGN PRINCIPALFOSTER THE GRITTINESS, CHARACTER OF PRODUCTION, SHIPPING AND HISTORY

PLACE MAKING – AMSTERDAM BORNEO SPORENBURGLIVE NEAR THE WATER’S EDGE

DESIGN PRINCIPALCAPITALIZE ON THE HISTORICAL RELATIONSHIP OF COMMERCE AND WATER

DESIGN PRINCIPALOPTIMIZE THE LANDSCAPE - INFRASTRUCTURE INTERFACE

CONCEPTPLANEFFICIENT PRODUCTION RESILIENT CAPACITY

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USE DIAGRAMSINUOUS CENTRAL PARK, STRENGTHENED TO BECOME RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE AND ECONOMIC DRIVER

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COLLAGE

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AERIAL VIEWPRODUCTIVE ENGINE DRIVING BOSTON’S SMART ECONOMY

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SCENARIO 3 STRATEGIC LAYERING LAYERING ECOLOGY, ECONOMY, AND HISTORY 

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What is there that we can restore?How does the area grow incrementally?How do we make the most of all the existing assets?

1740

53

1857

1949 TODAY

HISTORY

PLACE MAKING - PIAZZA NAVONA

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CONCEPT/STRATEGY Focus development in nodes and provide for flexibilityLANDSCAPE Urban linear parks - collagePROGRAM Residential, vertical farming, learning spaces

Work – Live Health and wellbeing; spas, etc.Technical Research Park

PHASING The anti-master plan, incremental and eposodicPRECEDENTS Hamburg - Trabrennbahn Farmsen, Piazza Navona, FORM “Patterns” + hybrid form, nodes Tying into the way that Boston evolved – layers of history, infill, and periods of great change and unpredictable development cycles.

Concept Strategy

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THE BIG IDEATHE BIG IDEATYING INTO THE WAY THAT BOSTON EVOLVED – LAYERS OF HISTORY, INFILL, AND PERIODS OF GREAT CHANGE AND UNPREDICTABLE DEVELOPMENT CYCLES.

57

CONCEPTPLAN

USE DIAGRAMSINUOUS CENTRAL PARK, STRENGTHENED TO BECOME RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE AND ECONOMIC DRIVER

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DESIGN PRINCIPALMEMORIZE THE HISTORY OF THE RACETRACK AND TRANSFORM THE SITE INTO A COMMUNITY HUB FOR WORK & LIFE

DESIGN PRINCIPALTRANSFORM THE RACETRACK INTO AN ACTIVE RECREATIONAL SPORTS PARK

DESIGN PRINCIPALPROMOTE URBAN FARMING & TRANSFORMING THE STABLES

DESIGN PRINCIPALTRANSFORM THE TANKFARM INTO A HIGHTECH RESEARCH CREATIVE INDUSTRY

DESIGN PRINCIPALLAYER IN THE QUALITIES OF RESTAURANTS, WATERFRONT DINING AND OPEN SPACE

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TRANSFORMATIONS

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SKETCHES- GRANDSTANDTRANSFORMATIOM

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COLLAGE

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SKETCHES- TANK FARM TRANSFORMATION

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CONCEPTPLAN

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COMMON THREADS FOR ALTERNATIVE VISIONSCONNECT THE SITE TO THE EAST GREENWAY

Revere Beach

Belle Isle Marsh

Constitution Beach

Wood Island Bay Marsh

JHL Noyes Playground

Don Orione Urban Wild

American Legion Playground

East Boston Greenway

THREE ALTERNATIVE SCENARIOS1

BRIDGING NEIGHBORHOODS

Extending the Hills, Strengthening the Edges

2  

PRODUCTIVE SPINES

A Matrix of Water, Economy and Ecology

3

STRATEGIC LAYERING

Layering Ecology, Economy and History

72

CONCEPTPLAN

1. BRIDGING NEIGHBORHOODS

CONCEPTPLAN

732. PRODUCTIVE SPINES

74

CONCEPTPLAN

3. STRATEGIC LAYERING

75

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