Sustainable Infrastructure - Portland Design Project

8/12/2019 Sustainable Infrastructure - Portland Design Project

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Civ 577Sustainable Infrastructure

Portlands Design Project

Assignment 1

Submitted by:

Shuliang(Peter) Sun

996007440

Jan 30, 2013


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These modes need to be integrated into the overall layout of Port-lands. Bikes also play a crucial

role in moving people as well. Building plans and design of roadways need to accommodate

bikes by install bike rakes and bike lanes.

Buildings will have an enormous impact because many of the city infrastructures need to

accommodate the density and uses of buildings. Buildings also need to be designed for versatile

multi use purposes because sustainable infrastructure requires mixed clusters of services to

provide its residences.

Q.2. Vision

I personally envision Port-lands redevelopment as a large scale sustainable urban design project

that provides residence, recreation, and business to the downtown core while strengthening the

identity of Toronto as a world class city focused on sustainability and raising the value to nearby

property.

In terms of neighborhood design an inspiration would be Toronto resident Jane Jacobs. In

particular I enjoy her bookLife and Death of North American Cities (1961)advocating four

principles to neighborhood design. The four principles are: 1.Neighborhoods should have

several functions: There will be people on the streets at all hours of the day. 2. Short building

blocks and intricate street structure:pedestrians can take different routes and discover new

things (good for tourism). 3. Variation in residential area:buildings varying in age,

maintenance, and function. 4. Concentration of people in one place:compact city

neighborhoods where various household and individuals live together create critical mass

necessary to maintain equally varied supply of local facilities.

In addition to a well thought out neighborhood design other important parts of a sustainable

design include integration of renewable energy sources for the smart grid. South facing roofs

and windows that maximize solar gain should be incorporated. Retrofit of buildings should bepreferred over new construction to preserve cultural identity of Port-lands and save material.

External sources of inspiration for this design project are Xi Tian Di in Shanghai, GuggenheimMuseum in Bilbao, and Evergreen Brickworks in Toronto.

Xi Tian Di is an example of successful commercial redevelopment of an old residential area but

rather than hiding the old architecture it flaunts it and makes it one of its unique cultural assets.

Xi Tian Di is situated at the heart of downtown Shanghai. The buildings were of typicalShikumen architecture style with traditional southern Chinese residential space layouts of

courtyard buildings but in western terrace-house form [4]. In 2000 Xi Tian Dis three ha of

residential area was converted into one of the most success commercial districts in Shanghai [4].The high density business and residential areas surrounding Xi Tian Di experienced significant

increase in value due to the redevelopment [4].


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Image 3. Evergreen before transformation Image 4. Evergreen after redevelopmentImages source (http://ebw.evergreen.ca/about/transformation)

Q.3. Land-Use

Table 2.Residential land use distribution

Single Family Apartment

Precinct Units detached rowhouses 4-8 stories

9-13

stories

14 and

above

Quays 5,575 1,000 1,200 2,375 1,000

Central 3,311 0 500 500 1,311 1,000

Film Studio 707 0 0 0 107 600

McCleary 0 0 0 0 0 0

Lake Shore East 0 0 0 0 0 0

Ship Channel SW 3,696 1,000 2,200 496 0 0

Ship Channel SE 1,345 400 600 345 0 0

SustainabilityCentre 0 0 0 0 0 0

Turning Basin 0 0 0 0 0 0

Port 0 0 0 0 0 0

Totals 14,634 2,400 4,500 3,716 2,418 1,600

percentage 100 16 31 25 17 11

Table 3. Population and density

Average population in Toronto: 2.8 (2006 Census) [7]

Precinct Units

Projected

population

land area

(ha)

Residential population

density (person/hectare)

Quays 5,575 15,610 40 390

Central 3,311 9,271 40 232

Film Studio 707 1,980 60 33

McCleary 0 0 40 0


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Lake Shore East 0 0 40 0

Ship Channel SW 3,696 10,349 40 259

Ship Channel SE 1,345 3,766 20 188

SustainabilityCentre 0 0 40 0

Turning Basin 0 0 40 0

Port 0 0 40 0

Totals 14,634 40,975 400[2]

Table 4.Non Residential Floor Area distribution

Total NRGF

A m^2

Commercial office buildings Mixed Use

Precinct independent mall

4-12

stoies

13 stories

and above detached cluster

Quays 55,700 10,000 15,000 5,000 0 10,000 15,700

Central 74,500 10,000 15,000 10,000 9,500 15,000 15,000

Film Studio 148,400 5,000 10,000 98,400 0 15,000 20,000

McCleary 119,200 8,000 10,000 10,000 51,200 10,000 30,000

Lake Shore

East 328,400 5,000 15,000 50,000 198,400 15,000 45,000

Ship Channel

SW 36,900 5,000 10,000 6,900 0 5,000 10,000

Ship Channel

SE 121,000 10,000 15,000 56,000 0 15,000 25,000

Sustainabilit

y Centre 79,300 10,000 15,000 19,300 0 15,000 20,000

TurningBasin 100,400 10,000 15,000 40,400 0 15,000 20,000

Port 119,000 10,000 15,000 54,000 0 15,000 25,000

Totals 1,182,800 83,000 135,000350,00

0 259,100 130,000225,70

0

percentage 100 7 11 30 22 11 19

Q.4. Preliminary Infrastructure Plan

Image 5. Preliminary plan view of Port- lands transportation


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Port-lands transportation will attempt to utilize public transit and bicycles to the maximum extent

possible. However, during the winter months biking is impractical and sometimes cars are

needed therefore roads will connect from Portland to Lake Shore Boulevard East via Cherry

street, Don Roadway, and Leslie street.

There will also be a light rail transit that will loop around Portland which will be connected to

Union Station downtown. Because Union Station is the central transportation node fordowntown therefore being connected to it means being connected to the downtown core. This

will greatly transform Portland because there will be a significant increase of visitors to Portland

and residence going to downtown from Portland. The train leaving Union Station will travel

along the train tracks west bound until Cherry Street where the train will leave the train tracks

and be transformed into Light Rail with its dedicated lane. The photo below demonstrates the

route taken.


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inaccessibility for public transit such as LRT. The municipal water pipes and water drainage

could also experience difficulty with this layout as well.

The conventional neighborhood design promotes tranquility and peacefulness with automobiles

dominating the transportation use. It is easy to construct and plan because of its homogeneity

where houses can be built facing the road. The draw-back of conventional design is that people

are forced to use automobiles for daily living. This discharges sustainable ways of transportation

such as walking or cycling. The homogeneity of the houses and neighborhood layout also makes

it hard to have layers of buildings of different heights for maximum solar gain.

The approach I took for the design of Portland was to combine New Urbanist and Fused Grid

layout. I adopted New Urbanist approach because I believe it fitted nicely with Jane Jacobs four

principles of cities. Portland will be a new district which would require a diverse group of

people from various socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds for mix use neighborhoods. The

diversity of building structures will also help with solar gain and mixed used areas. The FusedGrid approach was also attractive because it provides safety, privacy, and green space to

residences. The Fused Grid also gives a semblance of order through the use of grid. This creates

an envelope upon which the LRT can travel around Portland picking up and dropping off

passengers.

Image7.Photo of precinct (Quays)


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Q.6. Energy and Greenhouse Gas Strategy

Table 4.Total electricity consumption (Kwh)

Residential 11,800 kwh/capita/year [11] (2007)

Units

Projected

population electricity consumption (Kwh)

Totals 14,634 40,975 483,507,360

Commercial Avg: 1780 MJ/m^2/year [12] (2007)

Totals 14,634 26,048,520 7,235,700

Residential + commercial

Totals 1,068,336,249

Table 5.Total GHG emission (tCO2e)

Residential 11,800 kwh/capita/year [11] (2007) 8.4 tCO2e/cap [13] (2004)Units Projected population GHG (tCO2e)

Totals 14,634 40,975 344,192

Commercial Avg:1780 MJ/m^2/year [12] (2007) 0.244x10^(-3) tCO2e/MJ [14]

NRGFA m^2 Total E (MJ) GHG (tCO2e)

Totals 14,634 26,048,520 6,356

Residential + commercial GHG (tCO2e)

Totals 350,548

The mitigation strategies to achieve carbon neutral design in Portland area would need to be

daring and imaginative. Buildings and transportation contribute the most to GHG emissions

therefore these two areas can be addressed through using renewable energy and minimizing car

usage.

Portland should have renewable energy sources supply the energy it needs for clean electricity

and transport. This means that all the buildings would be powered by renewable energy sources.

Renewable energy would also supply power for the LRT transit system as well as for the electric

buses. During peak hours when additional power is needed to supply need the electricity should

be purchased from clean sources such as hydro, nuclear, or renewables.

Although it is tempting to switch to all-electric vehicle that has no GHG emissions but due to

Torontos lack of infrastructure to accommodate it is unlikely that Portlands can have itsresidence using all-electric vehicles. The mix-used neighborhoods in Portland which integrate

commercial, residential, and recreational facility should satisfy residents needs within their

proximity. This should reduce the need to drive a gasoline vehicle by residences which will help

lower GHG emissions overall. Lastly, achieving zero emission is very difficult merely by

technology therefore if necessary Portland can consider participating in Cap-and-Trade to offset

its carbon footprint.


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References:

1. Stinson, J (1990). The Heritage of Port Industrial District. Toronto Harbour

Commissioners Vol. 1.

2. Portlands Acceleration Initiative Summary of Findings. Waterfront Toronto.http://www.portlandsconsultation.ca/sites/all/themes/portlands/files/appendix_1___port_l

ands_summary_of_findings_usi_final_sept_12_2012_1.pdf

3. Hospers, G (2006). Jane Jacobs: Her life and work. European Planning Studies Vol.

14, No. 6. School of Business, Public Administration and Technology, University of

Twente.

4. L. Zhu and R. Roethert (2010). Different approaches in conservation of historic cities

in China, Institution of Civil engineering. Municipal Engineer 163, Issue ME3pg 189-

196.

5. Plaza, B (2006). The Return on Investment of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.

International Journal of Urban and Regional Research 30 (2), pg. 452-467

6. Ever Green Brick Works. Retrieved From: http://ebw.evergreen.ca/about/site/history

7. Household size, by census metropolitan area(2006 Census), Statistics Canada,Government of Canada Taken from:http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-

som/l01/cst01/famil122c-eng.htm

8. Talen, E (2010). Affordability in New Urbanist Development: Principle, Practice, andStrategy. JOURNAL OF URBAN AFFAIRS, Vol. 32/No. 4.

9. Carpenter, T. (2003).Planners fuse new and old grids.Times - Colonist.

http://search.proquest.com/docview/345907429?accountid=14771

10.Powell, Naomi (2005).No Fusion of opinion around fused grid design system. Guelph

Mercury.

11. Torontos Sustainable Energy Plan(2007), Report: Energy Efficiency and Beyond,City of Toronto.Pg. 15 http://www.ontario-

sea.org/Storage/29/2100_Toronto%E2%80%99s_Sustainable_Energy_Plan.pdf

12. The Energy Plan for Toronto(2007), External Stakeholder Focus Groups.

http://www.toronto.ca/energy/pdf/ep4t-stakeholder-presentation-043007.pdf
http://www.portlandsconsultation.ca/sites/all/themes/portlands/files/appendix_1___port_lands_summary_of_findings_usi_final_sept_12_2012_1.pdfhttp://www.portlandsconsultation.ca/sites/all/themes/portlands/files/appendix_1___port_lands_summary_of_findings_usi_final_sept_12_2012_1.pdfhttp://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/famil122c-eng.htmhttp://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/famil122c-eng.htmhttp://search.proquest.com/docview/345907429?accountid=14771http://search.proquest.com/docview/345907429?accountid=14771http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/famil122c-eng.htmhttp://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/famil122c-eng.htmhttp://www.portlandsconsultation.ca/sites/all/themes/portlands/files/appendix_1___port_lands_summary_of_findings_usi_final_sept_12_2012_1.pdfhttp://www.portlandsconsultation.ca/sites/all/themes/portlands/files/appendix_1___port_lands_summary_of_findings_usi_final_sept_12_2012_1.pdf


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13.Christopher Kennedy, Stphanie Demoullin, Eugene Mohareb (2012), Cities reducing

their greenhouse gas emissions. Energy Policy. Volume 49, Pages 774-777, ISSN

0301-4215

14.Greenhouse Gases and Air Pollutants in the City ofToronto(2007),Toward a

Harmonized Strategy for Reducing Emissions. ICF Internationalwww.toronto.ca/taf/pdf/ghginventory_jun07.pdf

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Sustainable Infrastructure - Portland Design Project