Re-urbia Revitalising neighbourhoods

A ResilientCity Entry

020709-03-0020

City ScaleN

eighbourhoodBlock

Living

Hi, I’m Tim and I’ve lived in Detroit all my life.

Over the years I’ve watched Detroit decline from a production powerhouse to a place where nobody wants to be anymore.

Re-Urbia is going to help turn things round by reviving our neighborhoods.

The diagrams

conceptually illustrate urban

restructuring at the city scale over a twenty

year period with some areas of failing industry

and predominantly residential areas reallocated for

food and energy production. The remaining suburbs will

undergo intensification to become as self sufficient as

possible.

The location of the selected neighborhood

is highlighted in red.

OverviewOur study is located in a suburban low density residential neighbourhood in Oak

Park, Detroit. We have chosen Detroit as it exemplifies the typical American city suffering from

declining fortunes of the car industry and empty abandoned streets caused by the sub prime mortgage

crisis. With large areas of Detroit abandoned and left to decay its time to re-evaluate the fundamental

structure of the city alongside recommendations for a new denser suburban grain to create a true resilient city.

As a starting point we have asked ourselves the simplest of questions; can we turn these abandoned parts

of the city to the advantage of all and instil a shift to localised urbanism and sustainable living post peak oil?

In answer we believe we can – by giving back swathes of land within the city to urban agriculture, bio fuel

crops and renewable energy resources such as solar farms. The subsequent reduced city area available for

residential use enables the opportunity for the intensification and restructuring of the remaining suburban areas

into local centres capable of supporting themselves from a social, environmental and economic standpoint. All

this must be in keeping with the American Dream of freedom of choice. Opportunity for every person to choose

how they want to live, whether to redevelop their plot of land on their own, or perhaps with a neighbor, or maybe

a developer, or to keep the big house and all the land. Broad choice of accommodation is at the heart of our

proposal to foster diverse social sustainability. It would be naïve to suggest successful regeneration by

forcing everyone into high density apartments.

We appreciate this brief submission is part of the starting point on a issue which

needs much more research, trial and error, before a workable solution is

found. Therefore this paper can only hint at a suggested direction in

relatively simplistic terms with some broad assumptions made.

The City is undertaking large scale regeneration. Many failing neighborhoods have been redesignated as eco corridors providing localized urban

agriculture and renewable energy.

2009

2029

020709-03-0020

City ScaleN

eighbourhoodBlock

Living

NeighbourhoodRecasting an urban fabric that challenges the

need for daily car usage is key to the success of

the sustainable city. Making the individuals daily world

smaller in distance by providing those things, such as work

and daily needs within a short walk we will create places that

people want to live.

The neighbourhood design ethos promotes the concept of

a traditional village, with a centre that will meet most daily

needs, set in a urban hierarchy that enables neighborhoods to

cumulatively combine their population in order to sustain higher

order centers capable of meeting most weekly needs without having

to transport long distances. An important part of this approach is the

understanding of economic sustainability and the appreciation of the local

population required to sustain business and public transport systems

(see upper right).

The majority of the neighbourhood is comprised

of residential single storey houses with little

community facilities, public open space and

public transport.

The current density of approx. 5.1

dwellings per acre is insufficient to

support local facilities.

Year 0 Year 10

The neighbourhood village promotes a walkable grid with

a local shop, primary school and local park within

a quarter of a mile/ 5 minute walk.

A target density of 12.2 dwellings per

acre, via a range of housing mix, is

required to sustain a viable local

centre within a 5 minute

walking distance.

Year 20+ Four neighbourhoods combine to create a population capable

of sustaining a post office, doctor and sheltered

accommodation within half a mile/10 minute

walk. A significant sub centre comprised

of 16 neighbourhoods with larger food

stores, secondary school, library etc

within 1 mile/20 minutes walk.

Argricultural

swathe and

energy

production

provide

Local centre

Neighborhood - 1/4 mile (5mins) walking circle

Open space

School

Local centre

Sub centre

Urban agriculture

Solar farm/large scale agriculture

Radial bus route

Rapid transit route

There aren’t enough facilities like shops and parks in our neighborhoods as there are too few people to support them.

Number of households supporting community facilities Source: Eco Towns Research, 2007, UK.

020709-03-0020

City ScaleN

eighbourhoodBlock

Living

The blockThe aerial photo (left) illustrates the

block selected for study.

The building typologies are designed

to enable ease of regeneration by

either the landowner, developer or

regeneration agency. For example, one

existing plot may be subdivided into

two terraced properties, or two existing

plots may be subdivided into three

detached propoerties and so forth.

This enables the landowner freedom

of choice with regard to their own

plot. The owner may either choose to

maintain the status quo or redevelop,

live in one property and sell the other.

ExistingBlock illustrating the typical Detroit suburban

residential building typology. All figures given

are per acre.

5.7

7.7

ExtensionVertical extension

creates an apartment

above existing house.

Requires 1 plot minimum.

12.1

DetachedSub-division of two plots to

create three detached properties.

Requires 2 plots minimum. Option for

live/work.

The Block

Densification TypologiesA limited selection of building typologies have been investigated as examples

of suburban intensification. Combinations of the typologies shown here are

capable of meeting the identified population density required for a hierarchy of

viable centers.

LocationA typical suburban Detroit

block has been selected

for study.

Significant

further work

is required to

expand the range

of typologies in

order to create truly

diverse and viable

regeneration from a social

and economic perspective.

Blocks Stats Key

Dwellings per acre

It’s all about choice. Redevelop or stay the same. Government incentives encourage you to redevelop your plot alone or in partnership with your neighbors.

020709-03-0020

City ScaleN

eighbourhoodBlock

Living

Loca centre

Neighbourhood 400m walking circle

Open space

School

Local centre

Semi - DetachedSub-division of three plots to create four semi-

detached properties. Requires 3 plots

minimum. Option for live/work.

8.1

23.1

TerracedSub-division of

three plots to create

four semi-detached

properties. Requires 3 plots

minimum. Option for live/work.

12.1

Apartments/Mixed Use

Combination of four plots to create

mixed-use apartment block. Flexible

typology permits a range of uses from

residential to business and retail. The

density and population stats shown are

based on the non residential uses at ground floor

with apartment above.

The Block

Typology Units Unit% MixNon

Residential ft2

Existing 92 10% N/A

Extension 99 5% N/A

Detached 188 15% *

Semi-Detached

238 18% *

Terraced 634 32% *

Apartments/Mixed Use

752 20%398,262m2

approx.

Total 2003 100% Min 398,264

Target MixThe identified

neighbourhood target

density of 12.1dpa

equating to

approximately

2,000 homes

can be achieved

via numerous

combinations of

the densification

typologies shown here.

For demonstration, the

below table outlines one potential

combination.

* Opportunity for live/work

Blocks Stats Key

Dwellings per acre

The majority of the new houses are bigger and have more shared community facilities like allotments. It’s all about using land more efficiently.

020709-03-0020

City ScaleN

eighbourhoodBlock

Living

We’ve lived here for years and I’ve put a lot or work into the house so I don’t really want to move. I like the way this area has moved on though. You didn’t used be able to walk to the shops which are great because I don’t like drive too much anymore.

The houses are pretty big, bigger in fact than others round here as they’re over two floors. That was a major factor in us deciding to move here, along with the garden, garage and community

facilities in the courtyard. There’s a barbeque area, allotments and a safe place for the kids to play and mix it with others their own

age. It’s a great way of getting to know your neighbors!

We had a house on a huge plot which was far too much land for us to maintain. The new government policy and incentives to subdivide our property was perfect for us as our house was pretty old and in disrepair. We built two houses and we rent one out and live in the other which is great for our finances.

I love knowing that I’m helping the environment by living as

sustainably as possible. I grow a lot of my vegetables, I don’t

have to drive everywhere and we produce a lot of our own energy.

It’s our first time buying. We really wanted to get a place in the city center but couldn’t afford the prices. This is the next best thing though as there are shops, bars and cafes with everything we need. The transport is really good into the city so we don’t need to worry about saving for a car right away, if at all.

Living20 Years time

Example of future intensified bock illustrating potential mix of

building typologies.

Existing

020709-03-0020

Agricultural and green walls are of using space that otherwise wouldn’t be used.

There is more than a 1 to 1 ratio of green area versus

building floor space.

We can grow a lot of our own vegetable in the communal allotments within the block. We set up a rota for day to day tasks.

020709-03-0020

City ScaleN

eighbourhoodBlock

Living

The new block is built around the idea of shared communal gardens where everyone can get to know each other in a safe environment.

There’s a barbeque area, space for kids to play, vegetable allotments and a sustainable urban drainage

system which we can use to water the landscape and vegetables. Those who have electric or hybrid cars can even

charge up from the solar array shading the parking spaces.

020709-03-0020

Sustainable Urban Drainage System

020709-03-0020

Mixed Use

020709-03-0020