Sustainable Urban Design An Environmental Approach

Sustainable Urban Design
An Environmental Approach
Adam Ritchie & Randall Thomas
2nd Edition Routledge 2008

Book designed to inspire rather than prescribe

p.3 ‘Ideas of planning, space and lace are a bacdrop to many of the points made, but out built environment suffers enough at present from people who were too sure of their solutions and those who thought in ’silo’-based terms and over-planned, and this over-constrained development.’

‘density and the means of moving around the city are related. Landscape affects buildings.’

Sustainability = social, economic and environmental

p.4 ‘cities must have a rich set of interconnections or they will not be sustainable’ eg walking/ cycling means needs diversity ‘accidentals’ in street patterns and buildings. ‘we need to develop a rhythm in the city that will include places we can enjoy; this rhythm will be about moving and stopping. This will help us return to cities designed for people, rather than for cars.’

Planners miss ‘accidentals’ eg views as ‘obsessed by regular patterns from an impossible aerial view.”

p.5 Irregular streets of Malmo’s new W Harbour. Klas Tham architect described as ‘distorted by wind like a fishnet hanging out to dry,’

p.7 cities: think if systems like ecologists do when looking at energy flows in nature

p. 8 wind good for ventillation, energy


Chapter 2

p. 12 ‘when the means of movements changes, so too do patterns of human activity with direct consequences for the planning and design principles that guide the development and renewal of urban areas.’

A we ask to reduce reliance on cars and encourage walking and cycling, change urban structure from street blocks to buildings

‘People’s requirements and technology change faster than places’

p.13 towns depend on hinterland for food. Hinterland depends on towns for markets for goods
So sustainable planning requires holistic and integrated approach t urban region that recognises interdependence of town and country

p. 14 Walkable community characteristics
- shops and services focus on main street in heart of n’hood at convergence of movement routes and around key facilities such as railway station
- schools, health centre, open spaces distributed around neighbourhood
- mixed affordable housing
- housing density highest around edge of centre along transport routes and near amenities
- movement routes shared by cars, buses, cyclists and pedestrians
- lans often marginal or in short term use at ‘shatter zone’ or interface between established ail and commercial centre and residential hinterland reflecting uncertainty or speculation

p. 18

Lessons learned include
- Socially mixed inclusive communities
- service and facilities porvision
- community discussion
- public transport
- long term management and maintenance is important as initial design


Chapter 3: Transportation

http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/strategies/transport/trans_strat.jsp (doesn’t work anymore. Accessed 2008)

Says in 200 average speed of cars slower than horse drawn carriages around 10 mph or 16 kmph

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/personal/mainresults/nts2002.nationaltravelsurvey2002revi5243
40 percent of UK commute to work by car (not there anymore_
Cycling can be quicker

p. 27
Car clubs, bike racks on buses, fuel efficient cars, busways on railway tracks

High quality design of buses trams, trains as well as their stops and interchanges is widespread in many continental European countries counteracting the impression that public transport is only for thosew who cannot afford a car

p. 28 congestion charge
Www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/thirdannualreportfinal.pdf
8 pounds charge means transport delays down 30 percent, 18 percent drop in vehicle traffic 37 percent increase in people entering congestion zone by bus. In 04 to 05 raised 97 million pounds for investing in public transport

Christiana Bike (Copenhagen) can carry luggage or small children

p.30 effective actions

- reducing traffic speeds, priority pedestrains and cyclists
- attractive public realm
- better pedestrian cycle links
- balance pedestrians/cyclists/motorists reprioritised away from the car in urban centres
- improving public transport
-new developments situated close to public transport routes


Chapter 4: Landscape and Nature in the city

Drainage, planted roofs

p. 32 vegetation uses eg noise, co2 extraction, retain rainwater, temperate, windbreak

Also human behavious. Less prone to violent behavious in tree lined streets *cites Times article ’Can Trees Cut Pain@- 2001.

p.37 colour therapy green neutral colour in middle of spectrum. Easiest to see when exhausted


Chapter 5 Building Design

Europeans spent about 90 percent of time in buildings.

p/ 42
’buildings should be designed from the inside out and the outside in simultaneously - designers need to imagine what the conditions will be for the occupants and passers-by. Moving through the building should be an interesting, delightful and rewarding experience’ cites De Montfort Queens Buidling

Key considerations (p.43 to44)
Reduce demand
- for energy by max solar gain, seal building, use less water, Try to avoid air conditioning, integrate structure and services, choose materials carefully

p.45 ‘successful spaces are those with good daylight.’

p.48 model shows three typical urban forms with same density of around 100 dwellings per hectare
1. Courtyard housing can create strong sense of place and community. Some self shading
2. Slabs. May feel soulless if not handled well. Use sun well
3. tow block. Distinctive character, solar potential depends on context

Designers increasingly focussing on roofs to serve as solar collectors, rainwater harvesters, green space for biodiversity

‘it is important that buildings should be capable of being altered within their lifetimes to allow for new technologies and social changes.’

p.52 Jean Nouvel’s Catrier Foundation set a glass building back behind a glass screen, thus protected from noise and pollution of Blvd Raspail

p.53 ‘tower blocks only work both socially and environmentally if the space between them is successful; an dif they are well managed.’

p.55
Guidelines
-Do things that cost nothing first: get orientation, form and massing correct
- consider factoirs inc street pattens, energy consumption, energy production
- insulation
-Daylight
-‘Buildings and cities are for people’
-low energy ventilation
- can be altered over time


Chapter 6
Energy and Information

p.70 ‘Generally one is trying to arrive at a reasonable economic balance of providing environmentally friendly energy to meet low-energy demand.’ energy reduction methods start to become more expensive due to diminishing returns so at a cross over point one switches to supplying energy in envion friendly ways

Chapter 7
Materials

p. 74 Cities cover 2 percent of world’s surface but use 75 [ercenbt of material resources (cites lawtn j 2007 royal commission on environmental pollution, 26th report the urban environment London tso p2

Selection criteria for materials
Suitability, economic cost, impact on local dna global environment, health hazards

p.76 Concrete used for structural properties when combined with steel, but also thermal mass and acoustic insulation. Since 1990 industry has improved energy efficiency by 25 percent. New technologies eg self cleaning

Chapter 8
Water

Surrey is drier than Syria (national audit office 2005 report environment agency; efficiency in water resource management

p.85 reduce demand, re-use rainwater if possible, bath water recycling (eg for WC)

Chapter 9
Waste and resource

Case Studies

Ch 11 pp96-105
Coopers Road Estate: Regeneration
Was a failing 1960s estate. Southwark Housing demolished and redeveloped with Peabody Trust. Local consultation also with neighbouring estates by ECD architects. Tenants influenced choice of heating system and layout of homes. Two bedroom homes given separate bathrooms and Wcs.
Design principles
1. Designed around four courtyards of around 40 homes each in mix one, two and three bed (even four)
2. Integrate architecture and landscape for legible and easily maintained public and private spaces
3. Develop community ownership. Rear gardens facxe onto larger communal garden

Gardening clubs to help skills

Sustainability strategy focussed on energy and co2, wtare conservation, materials sourcing, waster manegment transport, social well being

Ch12 pp105-115
Parkmount: Streetscape and Solar Design belfast
Street frontage
P 110 ‘landscape areas and open sapce whose ownership is common or ambiguous are often poorly maintained or vandalised, which in trun has implications for crime prevention and personal security.’
In Belfast gated communities common but didn’t want here. But residents want good visibility and surveillance. So clear but secure entrances. Repeated blocks of dofferent heights bend to take advantage of sun. roof helps unify scheme.

Ch13 pp 116 to 132
Coin Street Housing: The Architecture of Engagement
See http://www.coinstreet.org/


Ch 14
Sustainable Design in an Urban Context: Three case studies

The Contact Theatre Manchester
Conventry University Library
Thames Valley Unioversity

Ch15 BedZED: Beddington Zero-Fossil Energy Development
Sutton

Ch 16 BO01 And Flagghusen: ecological city districts in Malmo, Sweden

Ch 17 Stonebridge: Negotiating between traditional and modernist models of city housing

Ch 18 Made in Stockwell and Deptford Wharves

Ch 19 millenium Water: Vancouver;s Olympic Village