Browsing by Subject "Urban design"
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Item A typology of rules : predictability, flexibility, and adaptation in form-based codes(2011-05) Barnett, Bradley Ryan; Paterson, Robert G.; Almy, DeanForm-based codes have been touted as a more flexible approach to zoning that emphasize physical form over land use to create more predictable built results, making sustainable urban form more achievable. However, scholarship to date has focused primarily on the New Urbanist aspects of form-based codes, with limited attention paid to broader issues of urban design and development as they relate to codes themselves. This paper thus proposes a new framework for studying form-based codes: a typology of rules. This proposed framework provides an instrument for evaluating form-based codes by looking at the structural characteristics of codes as they relate to predictability, flexibility, and adaptation to future change. It also separates the study of form-based codes from battles over New Urbanism, instead reframing form-based codes as an autonomous field of inquiry. Use of this typological analysis in a series of case studies indicates that there is a lack of diversity in the rule typologies currently employed in form-based codes. A discussion then highlights how the use of a typology of rules could help create codes that are adaptive and flexible enough to respond to the needs of contemporary urbanism.Item Above I-35(2018-05) Gupta, Sarthak; Wegmann, Jake; Paterson, Robert GGrowth of a city calls for choices to be made, and given its rapid pace, Austin’s growth requires smart solutions. The void created by an insufficient transit system creates the need for more people to drive to work/school. This in turn generates a greater need for wider roads and more lanes for people to drive on. On the 30th of November, 2017, the Texas Department of Transportation announced its plans to lower I-35 in Downtown Austin and add two managed lanes in each direction. The project would have allowed for faster commutes for some of the north- or southbound drivers, provided they chose to pay variable toll rates. This, in the longer run, would have generated substantial revenue for TxDOT but failed to promote east/west connectivity and to solve the traffic congestion problem Austin is dealing with today. There has been a lot of political involvement in the decision-making processes, because of which we do not know if TxDOT plans on rethinking the project. This project, as per Architect, Planner and Urban Designer, Sinclair Black’s Vision, revolves around addressing the primary issue of congestion and emphasizing on how through smarter and farsighted solutions, we can advance towards a more prosperous Austin. The key solutions include depressing and capping the highway, reclaiming valuable downtown land and returning it to the City of Austin for revenue generating real estate development. This will reconnect the city grid, minimize congestion, diminish pollution, and provide dedicated public transit corridor lowering overall commute times. This project largely focuses on estimating the taxable property and the property taxes generated through the deployment of this idea.Item Boston Urban Development(1990-04-13) Schmidt, EricAudio files are EID restricted. Individuals without an EID should send an email request to apl-aaa@lib.utexas.edu.Item Cesar Pelli Guest Lecture(1995-01-26) Pelli, CesarAudio files are EID restricted. Individuals without an EID should send an email request to apl-aaa@lib.utexas.edu.Item ChalkTalk : a participatory design framework for designing resilient sustainable transportation infrastructures(2019-06-19) Degeal, Jacob Edward; Park, Jiwon, M.F.A.American cities looking to reduce car congestion, improve air quality, and increase safety on the road are focused on shifting car commutes to sustainable “human-scaled” transportation modes like biking, and walking. As studies show though, 51% of car commuters cite safety concerns for their reluctance to bike on the road. This feeling of safety is either created or impeded by the quality of cycling infrastructure. Due to declining federal and state funding for municipal transportation improvements, more and more cities are looking towards local tax-based funding options like mobility bonds to build this type of infrastructure. These bond packages require significant public input, communication, and buy-in. However, emerging transportation technologies like ride-hailing and micromobility, in addition to fraught histories of grass-roots advocacy, have challenged the way cities communicate with their neighborhoods and residents about sustainable transportation. Contemporary practices of holding open houses, utilizing online commenting systems, and partnering with local advocacy groups help to disseminate information, but still fall short in encouraging active participation and engagement from the public, resulting in a failure to attract the 51% of commuters mentioned above. It is my hypothesis that public life studies, participatory democracy, and tactical urbanism are by nature methods of observation, ideation, and rapid prototyping and iterating respectively that can be used to adapt design thinking to the transportation sector. By using the ChalkTalk framework, designers, residents, and planning professionals alike can collaborate on an innovative way to capture evolving transportation patterns, and create a rich set of qualitative data that lays the groundwork for a better participatory design practice.Item Creating spaces of shared citizenship and social control : redefining invisible borders through urban design interventions in Las Independencias, San Javier, Medellín(2018-05-07) Todtz, Evan Thomas; Sletto, BjørnMedellín, a city once plagued by violence, has recently become a global model for more equitable urban planning and urban design practice. Initiated during the mayoral administration of Sergio Fajardo (2004-2007), a progressive planning tool known as the Integrated Urban Project (PUI) guides physical design interventions in the urban peripheries where historic state absence had led to extreme levels of violence and socio-economic inequities. Collectively denoted as social urbanism, these new institutional and mobility projects seek to disrupt the existing geographies of violence, referred to by local residents as invisible borders (fronteras invisibles), while newly created public spaces aim to promote a culture of shared citizenship (cultura ciudadanía) between neighborhood residents. Given the state’s intent to shape and exert control over the socio-spatial relationships of residents within contexts of urban informality, this thesis seeks to contextualize the planning and design of new public spaces within the everyday lived experiences of neighborhood residents by presenting a case study along the public escalator system in the neighborhood sector of Las Independencias, San Javier. Based on a “quasi” design ethnography research methodology, including researcher observations and local resident interviews, the thesis provides a detailed description of physical and social characteristics of new urban common spaces. The public escalator system was designed to disrupt existing geographies of violence by creating new spatial connections and an institutional presence in Las Independencias. However, this mobility infrastructure also erodes the social vibrancy of the stairway, a dynamic social space within contexts of urban informality. By supporting only unidirectional movement (up or down) and removing the stairway’s potential for residents to gather, the escalators generate a pass-through space by design. Furthermore, the design favors social gathering in highly controlled public platforms between escalator segments, limiting the potential uses of these spaces to what the state deems acceptable and desirable. Ultimately, the design and surveillance of the public escalator system paradoxically works to provide residents with enhanced mobility, accessibility and socio-economic opportunities while simultaneously strengthening the state’s institutional presence in the sector, limiting the potential to reflect embedded local cultural values and practices.Item David Grahame Shane Guest Lecture(1993-10-01) Shane, David GrahameAudio files are EID restricted. Individuals without an EID should send an email request to apl-aaa@lib.utexas.edu.Item Doug Kelbaugh Guest Lecture(1993-10-27) Kelbaugh, Douglas S.Audio files are EID restricted. Individuals without an EID should send an email request to apl-aaa@lib.utexas.edu.Item The economic effect of urban design quality and physical features on the land price in the commercial area in Austin, Texas(2010-05) Shin, Jaeyong; Lee, Ming-ChunMany people have realized that urban design is one of the most important features to determine the real estate price. However, there are rare studies to explain the effect of urban design on the real estate price due to its intangible characteristic. This study is intended to demonstrate the relationship between land prices in the commercial area and urban design quality and physical features of lands using the hedonic price model. First, physical features that affected the real estate price are analyzed through literature reviews. Next, by literature reviews, the study to measure urban design quality quantitatively is also introduced. Then, urban design quality of 14 subject streets in Austin, Texas is evaluated using the measurement instrument after selecting 14 subject streets among all of Austin streets. Finally, the explanation model to demonstrate the relationship between the land price, and urban design quality and physical features is built by the hedonic price model. The model displays that urban design quality has a great influence on the land price in commercial areas in Austin, Texas. In addition, the influence of urban design quality is revealed largely in comparison to other physical features. The significance of this study is to analyze and demonstrate what we intuitively believe by statistical and quantitative methods.Item Energy and environmental contexts of cities, transportation systems, and emerging vehicle technologies : how plug-in electric vehicles and urban design influence energy consumption and emissions(2013-12) Nichols, Brice G.; Kockelman, KaraThis thesis is divided into two parts. The first evaluates the role of the built environment in life-cycle energy consumption, by comparing different neighborhood and city styles. Through a holistic modeling and accounting framework, this work identifies the largest energy-consuming sectors, among residential and commercial buildings, personal vehicles and transit trips, and supporting infrastructure (roads, sidewalks, parking lots, water pipes, street lighting). Life-cycle energy calculations include operational energy use (e.g., gasoline for vehicles, electricity and natural gas for buildings) and embodied energy used to produce materials and construct buildings and infrastructure. Case study neighborhoods in Austin, Texas, and larger-scale regional models suggest that building energy demands comprise around 50% of life-cycle energy demands, while transportation demands (from driving and infrastructure alike) contribute around 40%, across all cases. However, results also suggest that population density and average residential unit size play a major role in defining per-capita energy consumption. Operational demands made up about 90% of life-cycle energy demands, suggesting that v most urban energy savings can be obtained from reduced personal vehicle trips and more efficient vehicles and buildings. Case study comparisons suggest that neighborhoods and regions with greater density and higher share of multi-family housing units tend to reduce operational (and thus life-cycle) energy demands with less travel demand and decreased home and work energy use, per capita. The second part of this modeled plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) emissions impacts in Texas, by considering four possible vehicle adoption scenarios (where PEVs make up 1, 5, 10, and 25% of total passenger vehicles). The analysis anticipates PEV electricity demand and emissions rates, based on current Texas power grid data. Results indicate that PEV emissions depend significantly on which specific power plants are used to power the vehicles, but that PEVs' average per-mile emissions rates for NO[subscript x], PM, and CO₂ are all likely to be lower than today's average passenger car, when today's average mix is used. Power produced from 100% coal plants could produce 14 times as much NO[subscript x], 3,200 times as much SO₂, nearly 10 times as much CO₂ and CO₂eq, 2.5 times as much PM₁₀, and VOCs, and nearly 80 times the NO₂ compared to a grid with 100% natural gas plants.Item An evaluation of online participatory planning spaces : a case study of the Oak Hill Parkway Virtual Open House(2014-05) Ettelman, Benjamin Lamond; Mueller, Elizabeth J.State planning and transportation agencies continually face the escalating problem of increasing needs coupled with limited financial resources to meet those needs. In this difficult fiscal environment, the importance of meaningfully involving the public in the decisions that shape the future of our cities and regions becomes even more amplified. Proactively working with the public to gain buy-in from the early stages of the planning process is one of the most effective strategies to reduce project costs. The classic process in which state planning and transportation agencies have engaged the public is no longer an effective or efficient model as public meeting attendance has consistently decreased. As technology continues to shape the way that the public communicates with each other and their government, the onus falls on state planning and transportation agencies not only to continue to provide the traditional methods of engagement, but to look for new and innovative ways to gain increased public participation in the planning process. The traditional methods of public engagement will always be an important part of the planning process, but discovering the effectiveness of emerging technologies in order to develop new best practices for public engagement is the charge of the future. This report will evaluate whether a) online participatory planning spaces expand participation in the planning process and b) examine how evaluative metrics gathered by using online tools can inform decision makers of the utility of virtual planning spaces. This report will then present an evaluative criteria in order to establish a baseline by which to assess the performance of public involvement processes. This report will then present a case study of the Oak Hill Parkway Virtual Open House Pilot Project, a pilot study conducted in Austin, Texas to test the effectiveness of online participatory planning spaces in the field. This report will also share the results of interviews with Oak Hill Parkway Project representatives regarding the usefulness of virtual planning spaces. The report will conclude with a discussion of lessons learned and future research needs.Item Expanding the middle : creating a more inclusive definition for missing middle housing(2023-04-21) Sullivan, Olivia M.; Wegmann, JakeCities nationwide are grappling with pressing challenges related to affordable housing, climate change, and discriminatory zoning practices. One potential solution at the intersection of these issues is Missing Middle Housing, a term coined by Daniel Parolek in 2010. This housing typology is known for its ability to encourage compact, walkable urban development that was more prevalent in US cities decades ago. With Parolek’s reimagination of housing types with two to nineteen units, cities across the country have begun updating their zoning codes to be more accommodating of Missing Middle Housing. However, Parolek’s narrow definition excludes several housing types that could offer higher densities and contribute to walkable urban neighborhoods at a time where cities need more housing. This report aims to expand the definition of Missing Middle Housing by examining three case studies of housing types that fit within this expanded definition. These case studies highlight a range of urban housing, already existing within cities, which promote the same density and walkability Missing Middle Housing does, without the strict adherence to the existing form of single-family neighborhoods promoted by Parolek. These case studies are then utilized in three future development scenarios in Austin, Texas, to display the potential of incorporating a broader range of housing types in urban planning and development efforts. By considering an expanded definition of Missing Middle Housing, cities can address multiple challenges simultaneously and promote more inclusive and sustainable urban developmentItem From green belt to blue sieve : rethinking London's metropolitan green belt(2017-12-07) Lau, Tatum Siu Lien; Atkinson, Simon, Ph. D.; Shearer, Allan W; Lieberknecht, KatherineThis study examines the effectiveness of the Metropolitan Green Belt (MGB), to understand whether or not, its benefits can be expanded to address the region’s current and future challenges. The region is considered ‘water stressed’, and demand already exceeds supply during dry years. The MGB is thought to exacerbate the problem of access to affordable housing, as it locks up the city’s surrounding land supply. At the same time, it is thought to deliver ecosystem services, such water and air purification. Current planning policy requires both the preservation of Green Belt land, and the provision of sites for development, based on assessed market needs. The region’s unprecedented population growth, has resulted in conflicts in policy, leading to uncoordinated planning applications, for thousands of homes being approved all over the MGB. The study uses three primary methods to explore how the MGB can accommodate development, whilst protecting and enhancing ecosystem services. The Natural Assets method uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to perform a green infrastructure analysis. GIS is also used to carry out spatial and hydrological analyses. A pilot study will simulate the Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) conceptual design process, to understand the implications and benefits of this approach on green field developments in South East England.Item The ideal city project(2011-05) Bracken, Elizabeth Devlin; Isackes, Richard M.; Habeck, Michelle; Mickey, Susan; Schmidt, RobertThe ideal city project was a performance that presented the design for an ideal city with stories about how that imaginary city failed. The design was represented as a 4’0” x 4’0” wood and Styrofoam sculpture. Upon seeing this design, seven writers created scenes and monologues outlining the destruction of the city. The flaws they discovered were not designed into the city intentionally. In fact, the writers pointed to several different sources for the downfall ranging from issues with its layout to socio-political breakdowns. At the end of the performance the audience was left with the ruins of something that was once so full of hope. This piece was intended to serve as a reminder that cities are not predetermined utopias, but continually changing and evolving environments created by those who live in them. Even the best examples eventually fail or evolve into something different. However, this does not mean we stop trying to create better places to live. George Bernard Shaw said “A reasonable man adapts himself to his environment. An unreasonable man persists in attempting to adapt his environment to suit himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” Theater performances provide an excellent way to explore ideas and create dialogue about what these better places look like and how they function.Item Identity infrastructure : redefining London’s Grand Union Canal as a conduit for preservation, mobility, and community(2018-05-04) Lake-Smith, Anna Joan; Paterson, Robert G.; Atkinson, Simon, Ph. D.This study examines the past, present, and future of London’s Grand Union Canal (the canal) as a critical piece of urban infrastructure. The canal is an inimitable force within the city, acting as both a conduit and a place. The advent of the modern canal in England fueled the Industrial Revolution, but by the 1970s, the Grand Union Canal was nearly forgotten. This study seeks to parse out the qualities of the canal that have allowed it to endure through time, and shifting agendas, and puts forth a design proposal that enhances and protects its character. As London faces the inescapable challenges of the 21st century, attention has turned to the canal as a potential tool. Once again, diverging parties are vying to use the canal to address the problems they deem most important. This study focuses on the political interest in returning freight transport to the canals, arguing that while feasible in some locations, the Grand Union Canal has much greater capacity to shape an equitable, verdant, and prosperous future for London.Item Implications of urban design strategies for urban heat islands : an investigation of the UHI effect in downtown Austin, Texas(2017-09-15) Karimipour, Niloufar; Paterson, Robert G.Given growing concerns about Urban Heat Islands (UHI), this master’s thesis aims to document the principal factors contributing to the formation of UHIs and assess how urban design parameters can be modified to prevent or mitigate UHIs. Drawing on literature from three different areas of research (UHI causes and impacts, UHI measurement and simulation tools and techniques, and urban design strategies’ influence on urban climate), the author conducted a case study of Downtown Austin, Texas, which has been rapidly growing and densifying during the past decade. To characterize the impact of the future development proposed for the downtown area in the Downtown Austin Plan (DAP), the UHI measurement tool Urban Weather Generator (UWG) was used to simulate the UHI over Downtown in 2020 and 2039 (at the end of the implementation of Downtown Austin Plan). Finally, this study proposes an urban design solution to mitigate Austin’s intensifying UHI.Item Making place(2013-12) Yun, Jihye; Atkinson, Simon, Ph. D.; Almy, DeanAs cities across the world have grown and continue to grow in many ways and for many reasons, it is anticipated that the growth of population will come from all over the world. In turn, it will influence on our urban environment economically, socially, culturally, and ecologically. Like other cities, London is making a plan -creating 326,000 new homes and 776,000 jobs - to tackle issues of the city. A series of new emerging developments across London will contribute to the changing face of the city. A lot of interventions spreading through the city are focused on the economic forces and to take advantages of real estate of London by projecting offices, apartment which is mostly market-housing, and hotels. They swept away existing contexts and replaced with higher density buildings obtaining large profits, building high rise, filling gaps between buildings with gated car parks on the ground floors, and building over open spaces. Ground floors remain blind, and tall office blocks make the overshadowed open square inhospitable and wind turbulence. Most initiatives do not seem to contribute to urban life, but may possibly become the slums of tomorrow. Now, it is time to think about how to make sense of an environment which is safe, pleasant and healthy with a sense of identity, and how to contribute to neighborhoods, visitors and new comers. In dense inner city area, since place is an invitation where neighborhood meets city, urban design must meet needs of commuters, visitors, travelers, and residents equally by combining place, amenity, and movement. Therefore, this study is to investigate ‘How city’s agenda combine with, and support local neighborhood needs’, and to redefine the quality of city life through qualities of comfort, accessibility, amenity, education, experience, and nature.Item Mapping Mueller : a post occupancy evaluation of transportation choices in a new urbanist community in Austin, Texas(2014-05) Tepper, Rachel Cathryn; Wilson, Barbara B. (Barbara Brown)The 711-acre Mueller development is located just three miles northeast of downtown on the former site of the Robert Mueller Municipal Airport. Planned as one of Austin’s major transit-oriented New Urbanist developments, Mueller contains a pattern of pedestrian and bike friendly streets to encourage a range of transportation options for residents and visitors. Mueller is 30% complete and provides housing and jobs to over 3000 residents and 3000 employees. This professional report seeks to understand how current residents, employees, and visitors use the bike lanes, sidewalks, and roads in the Mueller community. To evaluate the transportation infrastructure, the author designed and coded a custom Google Maps survey that asked residents to draw common routes, points of interest, and points of concern related to their transportation choices. Field observations were conducted to verify and triangulate the information reported in the online survey. This study investigates whether the transportation principles for the development are or are not achieved by comparing the expressed principles of the development with the actual behavior reported and exhibited by frequent users.Item Michael Dennis Modern Campus Plan Lecture(1990-02-28) Dennis, MichaelAudio files are EID restricted. Individuals without an EID should send an email request to apl-aaa@lib.utexas.edu.Item Natalye Appel Guest Lecture(0000-00-00) Appel, NatalyeAudio files are EID restricted. Individuals without an EID should send an email request to apl-aaa@lib.utexas.edu.