Landscape Architecture 457: Urban Design Studio, “Designing for People and Place”, Autumn 2009

Weinland Park Community Design Studio - “Designing for People and Place” - Larch 750 Autumn 2010

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Landscape Architecture 750 Advanced Graduate Studio “Weinland Park Community Design Studio: Designing for People and Place”

“Our habitation must enable us to know and work with our neighbors. It must be salient enough to

endure. It must impel us by its beauty to fill our hearts with gladness. All three are essential. Without

the others, anyone is worthless.”

-- Hester, R. T. (2006). Design for Ecological Democracy: 419

General Course Information

Urban Design-Service Learning Studio “Urban Design” refers to the physical arrangement of human communities at scales larger than that of individual sites. Urban design helps to determine the nature of public spaces, streets, parks, neighborhoods, towns, suburban and rural landscapes, and larger patterns of regional development. Among other things, the design of a community influences how walkable it is, how well it interfaces with the natural environment, meets the needs of a variety of users, and enhances local culture, tradition, economic development, and sense of place. Part of the increasing complexity of this studio will be created by taking the knowledge of site design, ecology, program, and client needs that you’ve learned in previous studios and placing them in this new urban context—and dealing with the relationships of these concerns and values within the city environment. In this studio, we will be consistently and simultaneously seeking to find and resolve the inter-relationships between scales, multiple stakeholders, and issues. What is Service-Learning? To meet our course objectives, we will engage in a parallel process called service-learning with our community partners in Weinland Park. Service learning joins academic departments with community groups to “positively respond to community challenges” and to develop “opportunities for collaboration.” Service learning helps students to “gain a deeper understanding of course objectives in the context of civic life.” Service-learning courses help students understand the ways in which their design decisions shape and are shaped by societal values. Service-learning courses promote engagement and reflection, activities central to beneficial and sustainable university/community relationships. A key component of service learning is structured reflection. Therefore, a key part of this course will be your reflections on your work and experiences. Site/Client/Design Proposals In this challenge based, service-learning urban design studio, students will investigate the role of the community/neighborhood and it’s role in shaping the urban experience. This course will take as its special focus the Weinlad Park neighborhood in Columbus. Weinland Park occupies roughly 215 acres just southeast of OSU’s main campus. It includes almost 5,000 residents in just over 2,000 households. Roughly half of the residents are African-American.

Weinland Park Community Design Studio - “Designing for People and Place” - Larch 750 Autumn 2010

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We will first investigate the larger urban context(s) of Weinland Park through precedent studies, data collection, mapping studies, and analysis; we will then, based on our investigations, focus on a design plan for the revitalization of the proposed study area and strategic locations. Our investigations will be guided by readings in urban studies community participation, geography, sociology, ecology, design, and economics. Seminar guest lecturers will include landscape architects, architects, urban designers, community organizers, public artists, and public officials. Our goal will be to thoroughly research and understand the neighborhood and its context, and then, based on this understanding, envision alternative design scenarios for the site interface. While large-scale urban design and planning issues will be examined, this studio will emphasize physical aspects of urban design, and will culminate in proposals for specific site plans and design details that relate back to overall master planning ideas including but not limited to four themes: (1) open space and recreation, (2) transportation and mobility, (3) access to fresh food, and (4) green infrastructure Key questions

How can the work of landscape architects serve urban residents?

How can landscape architects build a rich understanding of urban places given the complex social, environmental, economic, legal, and physical systems that shape and are shaped by city life?

What is the role of the designer, artist, researcher, and citizen in shaping urban space?

How do decisions that shape urban environments get made?

What is urban design or what might it be?

How can cities mitigate and adapt to climate, social and economic changes?

What is the role of culture and infrastructure in influencing the development of places?

Pedagogic Objectives The Community Studio is designed to provide Landscape Architecture students structured oversight and guidance to acquire skills in; research; collaborative problem solving and plan-making.

Students will be familiar with historical and contemporary methods and theories of community planning/urban design, as accumulated from readings, written exercises and seminar discussions.

Students will be familiar with and able to research urban precedents/case studies (past and recent design projects for the public realm). Other research techniques learned will include: visual quality evaluation and incorporation into design response.

Students will be able to cite and utilize a variety of techniques and methods for mapping, modeling and analyzing sites; and will be consistently asked to justify design decisions based on analysis.

Students will use/test a variety of urban design, community participation techniques and strategies in the service of urban revitalization and enhancement, addressing such issues as integrated land uses, public life, infrastructure and transportation, open space design, ethnicity/multiculturalism, ecological sustainability, etc.

Students will understand and manipulate relationships between different scales of design and will improve their abilities to work in groups.

Weinland Park Community Design Studio - “Designing for People and Place” - Larch 750 Autumn 2010

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Anticipated Outcomes Project areas will require in depth analysis of historical development, land use, economic opportunities, housing types, environmental issues, and demographic analysis. In addition, the integration of the study area with the larger systems and opportunities in adjacent cities as well as adjacent neighborhoods of Columbus and with the developments at the local community scale will be an essential part of the projects.

The outcomes of the Community Design studio is to be an in depth analysis of issues and planning for the study area. In addition to initial reporting of fact-finding early in the quarter, there are formal presentations and feed-back mid-quarter and final presentations. ______________________________________________ (Note: Tentative schedule for tasks and products is subject to change depending on circumstances) PROCESS DOCUMENTATION SUBMISSION (Note: Handouts for each Phase of the project will be distributed with detailed requirements and deliverables during each assignment introduction) Phase I: Visual Survey, Analysis and Asset Mapping: presentation due Monday October 11th and booklet/chapter report due on Wednesday October-13th at the beginning of class. Students will work in teams to assess and define a project area within one of the assigned quadrants of the study area. Teams are to delegate responsibilities in their groups for the following elements of information collection: Analysis beyond Inventory: • Physical character (circulation, districts, nodes, amenities, etc.) • Visual character • Historical character and identity • Fabric analysis of housing and other built form • Asset and challenges mapping • Landscape and natural systems • Clues of Transformation potential Teams will make a 15 minute presentation Friday October-5th in power point of high lights of the assessment. Teams will provide a hard copy and digital report of individual team member components with a team overview and conclusion which assesses your findings. In this report (11”x17” InDesign) and presentation teams are to delineate project area boundaries and articulate rationale for this choice and the elements in the area that warrant further investigation by the team. Phase II: Analysis and Mapping: Secondary Source Information and Trends Analysis, presentation due Wednesday October-20th and booklet/chapter report due on Friday October-22th at the beginning of class. Students will work in teams, assigning individual responsibilities within their team, to collect, analyze and secondary source information in the area of their selected area. Include the historic context to provide insights and solutions for improving the quality of life and the economic potential of the study area. Elements of analysis include shifts and trend in: • Demographics, household, ethnicity, income • Employment, business, commercial

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• Land use, trends in density and mixed use • Zoning and city regulations which impact the development potentials in the selected sites • Health, quality of life indicators, environmental indicators, air quality, solid waste Phase III: Community Design Charrette, Saturday October 30th 10:00am to 3:00pm. The design workshop (charrette) provides an opportunity for participation by members of the local community,

and it is intended to be an extensive exercise in participative planning. The purpose is primarily to gather

information from groups of people whose ideas and opinions would be valuable to the process of establishing

design guidelines. The objectives of the design charrete will include (1) obtaining local and regional perspectives

of sustainable development, (2) providing a vehicles for public participation in the planning and design process,

(3) identifying design elements that contribute to enhancing the quality of life, and (4) educating and informing

local interests about the program. The design workshop is an excellent tool for gathering information during

the design process. Tasks and logistics will be assigned throughout the first part of the quarter.

Phase IV: Urban Precedents and Concept Plan and Identity Formation presentation due Monday November 1st booklet/chapter report due on Friday Novemberr-5th at the beginning of class. Urban Precedents: There is a rich history of successful urban places around the world that offer ideas and concepts useful for urban design and community process. Teams of students will research and present their findings as related to Weinlad Park in Columbus. Team will conduct a literature review of best practice examples, nationally or internationally, of planning and design development in contexts that are similar to the team’s project area. Research case studies of urban revitalization, infill development, adaptive reuse development and analyze with a view to potential relevance for selected site. Findings are to be presented in power point and a written report. Concept Plan: Data integration, design, program and policy recommendations in the context of constrains and opportunities of site. Phase V: Programming, Planning and Design Strategies for Implementation, presentation Friday November -19th booklet/chapter report due Wednesday November the 24th. You will define the program and site for the final project of the Studio. You be graded on both the process and the final design. You will submit a proposal that defines your site & program at the beginning of this project. Presentation should include implementation plan and strategies, Phase VI: Final Report/Design and Presentation: Master Plan, Sections and Details due Friday December -3rd (tentative) final booklet/report and drawings due Friday December 12th (tentative) Production of Deliverables will include: a final report and presentation which are to include key findings, analysis, plans, recommendations, and support graphic material. Final submission will include 36” x 48” board, model(s), hard copy of report, digital copy of report and power point presentation, with graphics and text to communicate key findings and recommendations.