Planning for the Return of Public Space

Working Paper

Planning for the Return of Public Space Martin Haas

[INSERT FIGURE 1]

Increasing energy costs and the growing expense of personal automobiles have led

to a renaissance of inner cities. Now there is a growing demand for attractive, animated,

beautiful urban settings offering a variety of uses and lively neighbourhoods.

Once in urban settings, people who used to live in car-‐dependent areas re-‐discover

the advantages of direct contact and interaction with others. It is quite likely that the

dramatic technological developments in recent years, instead of depleting social capital,

may have actually spurred people to engage in more direct communication and personal

contact.

As living in inner cities becomes more popular, architects, planners, designers, and

all those involved with city-‐building have a tremendous opportunity to re-‐imagine cities

and have a significant impact on the cultures and environment of the world’s metropolitan

areas.

[INSERT FIGURE 2]

It is challenging to create the public realms that people are once again demanding,

since such spaces no longer occur as naturally as they once did. Almost a century ago,

public life and public spaces were created automatically. People were constantly

interacting in order to earn a living and survive.

Before the invention of the refrigerator there were no sufficient technical means to

store food. People left their private dwellings to go shop once or even twice a day, as

opposed to once or twice a week, as today. People also lived in far smaller spaces which

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forced them outside to complete household chores, work, and engage in recreation. Today,

roughly the average private dwelling space per person is 100 m², compared to 10 m² one

hundred years ago. Back then, public life was an automatic result of these living conditions

and had nothing to do with the quality of the public space.

With the invention of the car and other technical innovations that increased the

availability of privacy in the middle of the twentieth century, this hitherto “automatic”

public life began to shrink. But because many of those technologies continue to be in use

today, and because their long usage over the past century created conditions (e.g. dispersed

settlement patterns) that sustain their convenience, restoring that public life—making it

the sort of thing that happens automatically, virutally without thinking—is not so simple.

Today’s urban planners and architects must design spaces that offer activities and

attractions to motivate people to stay and use the public realm.

[INSERT FIGURE 3]

When we talk about animating public space, we have to consider several aspects

that matter in the planning process. It is essential that attractions and destinations are

offered that compel people to use public space and to stay longer than they perhaps

orginally intended. There must be a variety of activities addressing different user groups at

different times of the day. The objective should be to use the public space 24 hours per day.

Spaces need to be designed to be used during all weather conditions to ensure its use year-‐

round. These spaces need to be not only flexible but adapted to local environmental and

cultural conditions. These spaces need to be at home in the places they are located if the

public is to feel at home in them.

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[INSERT FIGURE 4]

Architects and planners need to create public spaces that are themselves active

participants in developing the cultural and aesthetic character of a place. Aside from

program mandates, “soft” factors such as beauty, emotional experience, and variety of

setting are essential in creating a high-‐quality urban space.

In our society we often talk about quantities, time-‐lines, and budgets, but the task of

the architect and planner goes beyond metrics. Is it a beautiful place? Does the place

address the senses? Does it offer an experience? Does it surprise the user? Does it offer the

individual person something special in his daily life? Are there nice vistas? Does daylight

play a role? Can nature be experienced? Does the place have a special character and

ambience making it unique from other places? Often such non-‐metric items can be small

interventions, but they are critical in creating viable spaces, spaces that encourage

interaction and exploration.

[INSERT FIGURE 5]

Sustainability is often defined by numerical statistics. But while energy consumption

per square metre per year provides an important measurement, it is also the qualitative

aspects of sustainability that determine the success of a sustainable building. No building

that is going underused is sustainable; no building that is going to waste is sustainable. So

while ensuring that our spaces conserve energy, we also need to ensure that our buildings

also conserve use.

Are there operable windows? Are there niches, places for a few quiet minutes? Are

there outdoor spaces which he can use? Does the building afford nice views? Were pleasant

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materials used? These features, along with others, affect how a building is used and

therefore, its efficiency.

Another important factor to consider when developing sustainable buildings is

flexibility. When we plan a building today, it must be flexible enough to adapt to our rapidly

changing society. Flexibility, high-‐quality public spaces, sequences of spatial solutions,

exposure to daylight, and the ability to individually control temperature are the aspects of

sustainability.

The IBN Institute for Forestry and Nature Research (pictured) was designed to be a

building whose operations would work in concert with nature. This is true not simply in

terms of its exterior design, which embraces the landscape by putting all putting all

perimeter spaces in contact with the outdoors, but in terms of its interior design and even

its building function. The indoor gardens function as successful public places, focusing daily

activities and providing informal meeting areas, but they are also an integral component of

the building’s energy concept, improving the performance of its external enveolope. The

project was realized within a standard budget demonstrating that durable and sustainable

building techniques can be applied without additional costs.

[INSERT FIGURE 6]

Having outlined a few general ideas advocated by our practice on the topic of

quality, city, and sustainability, I would like to explain our approach in more detail in the

context of one of our projects. In 2006, Behnish Architekten, created an urban

redevelopment plan for a formerly industrial area within Pittsburgh’s city center. The

Cultural Trust had asked for a plan to repurpose existing buildings and build new

structures into a vibrant residential and commercial district.

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[INSERT FIGURE 7]

Prior to developing the master plan, we conducted comprehensive micro-‐climatic

studies and explored the specific local conditions. Our team consisted of Behnisch

Architekten, Gehl Architects from Copenhagen, WTW from Pittsburgh and Transsolar.

We spent months surveying existing conditions to help us generate the master plan.

These climatic analyses enabled us generate building massing that capitalized on natural

ventilation, thereby limiting the need for mechanical ventilation and air conditioning. The

left-‐hand diagram shows the building massing when the sun is directly overhead. Sun and

shadow studies helped us determine what time of day and in which season buildings are

exposed to the sun.

These analyses helped us to understand the site before designing the urban space.

There are numerous examples of public spaces that may have been well designed in and of

themselves but have suffered from inattention to the micro-‐climactic aspects of their

particular site. One example is the Arche de la Défense in Paris, a well-‐designed urban

space in the abstract, but one obviously designed without knowledge of the winds crossing

through the site. The result is a place which is very difficult to use throughout much of the

year because of the strong prevailing winds. Town planning must take such micro-‐climatic

conditions into account.

[INSERT FIGURE 8]

The site is located right next to the Allegheny River. We immediately saw a great

opportunity to re-‐knit the citizens of Pittsburgh with the river. Right now, the city is

separated from the water by a highway. The river, once used as a vital industrial transit

route, has not been used in decades. We proposed connecting the site to the river with a

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grand staircase and a large bridge crossing the highway. Once the city is reconnected to the

river, there are several options for recreational activities, attractions, and transportation

alternatives. For example, a water taxi service could be offered to transport sports fans to

the Pittsburgh Steelers Stadium across the river. Aside from incorporating several sports

and recreation areas, we also proposed a floating stage that could be used for performances

throughout the summer.

[INSERT FIGURE 9]

When we talk about an active, usable outdoor space, we talk about integrating many

different attractions on a small space. We avoid creating mono-‐structures with long,

uninterrupted façades. Human generally only perceive the first ten meters of a façade and

the higher parts of the façades are irrelevant for most users. Therefore we sought to vary

the façades with several entrances and differentiated materials, streetscaping, and street

furniture. Aside from a new boulevard leading from the city center to the water, the entire

riverfront is a pedestrian zone.

[INSERT FIGURE 10]

We had to reuse old industrial buildings within our plan for the city block. The

Union Building, a wonderful old brick building, will be redeveloped as a theater and serve

as the center of the proposed development. The urban space between the buildings is

designed to attract a variety of uses. The spaces are designed with a keen sense of human

comfort. The buildings will provide minimal shade in spring and autumn, season when

many people enjoy being outside in the sun. Water features will cool the area, creating a

micro-‐climate, during hot summer months.

[INSERT FIGURE 11]

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We intended to create a three-‐dimensional garden town. All south-‐facing facades

have sun collectors and photovoltaic cells. We proposed green roofs which reduce the heat

island effect. The apartments and offices have thermally active floors powered by a

geothermal heat pump.

[INSERT FIGURE 12]

The Pittsburgh example shows that one of the important tasks of the future is

integrating and reusing existing buildings in urban redevelopment plans. In general, the

superstructures, the shells of existing buildings, are in good condition, so it is only

necessary to renew the facades and the interiors. These tasks can often trigger a process of

technical innovation.

The benefits of reuse can be seen in a project in Hamburg where we had the

opportunity to deal with such a situation in great detail. Hamburg’s Chamber of Commerce,

an institution with a long tradition, owns a classical building with three large halls. One of

these halls, the former stock exchange, has not been used since 2003. The competition brief

called for a concept providing for the re-‐use of this hall and the accommodation of several

new functions within the Chamber of Commerce. We proposed a very light, very

transparent, very immaterial architectural sculpture which, by contrasting with the

existing classicist hall made of stone, made a fascinating appearance.

[INSERT FIGURE 13]

Since natural daylight does not adequately illuminate the hall, a key element of the

redesign of the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce was artificial lighting. Together with

Nimbus Design, we had the opportunity to develop new SMD-‐LED technology-‐based

luminaires which are 90% more efficient than usual luminaires.

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To create vibrant, sustainable cities and neighborhoods, we will have to develop

high-‐quality buildings in urban environments with state-‐of-‐the-‐art environmental

technology, while considering the human scale and creating viable spaces for future

generations to play in and to adapt to their future uses.

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13. Planning for the Return of Public Space Martin Haas

Figures

Figure 1. A lively urban neigborhood.

Figure 2. The challenge to create high quality urban spaces. Source: Gehl Architects

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Figure 3. Animating the public realm by creating attractions, activities, protection from weather, density, spaces for diverse user groups, and urban living rooms.

Figure 4. When it comes to the well-‐being of the user, the quality of the space is key.

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Figure 5. IBN Institute for Forestry and Nature Research

Figure 6. A vision for Pittsburgh

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Figure 7. Tools for conducting mirco-‐climatic studies of the site

Figure 8. Features of the waterfront park

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Figure 9. Each circle above represents the size and importance of a building entrance. Many entrances used by different users, ensure a critical mass of people throughout the day

Figure 10. Schematic plan of the public spaces shows a variety of destinations and attractions.

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Figure 11. Rendering showing the various surfaces that will have vegetation.

Figure 12. Interior of the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce

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Figure 13. Interior of Hamburg’s Chamber of Commerce showing SMD-‐LED technology

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Education

Planning for the Return of Public Space