Defining Functional Urban Green Space

Kyle Tonkins Spring 2018 Honors Thesis Paper Abstract:

Public green space within a major urban context has become a precious commodity, typically seen solely at ground level in specific reserved regions or blocks. Spurred by the reduction of available space, designers are faced with the challenge of how to incorporate these types of spaces amongst the typical urban context. Through observation, one can measure the success or failure of preexisting public green spaces within urban cities. These examples have created a general guideline of how designers may begin to approach the inclusion of green space within urban design as the necessity increases. The need for incorporated green space appeared as a programmatic driver during my Design 7 City Block project. These varying preexisting examples provided a platform for designing a successful public green space amongst a city block. 2 One must consider the spatial context of urban green space. Meaning, the discernible patterns in the distribution of residences and workplaces in metropolitan areas and in the commuting flow that connect them to each other. The requirements placed on public green space differ by environment, however, the need for a more considerate green space is prevalent in high density conglomerated cities that are forced to expand upwards.

The examples of functional green space occur within varying types of urban contexts, depicted in the image 1. The style and organization of these city structures are a large consideration towards the functionality of specific types of public green spaces.

Image 1

1 Shlomo Angel and Alejandro M. Blei. “The Spatial Structure of American Cities: The Great Majority of Workplaces Are No Longer in CBDs, Employ- ment Sub-centers, or Live-work Communities.” Cities 51 (November 31, 2015): 21-35. 3 The Block Park -- Bryant Park:

“When people think about cities, they tend to think of certain things. They think of buildings and streets and skyscrapers, noisy cabs. But when I think about cities, I think about people. Cities are fundamentally about people. And where people go and where people meet are at the core of what makes a city work. So even more important than buildings in a city are the public spaces in between them. And today, some of the most transformative changes in cities are happening in these public spaces.”2

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2 Amanda Burden. (2014, March). Amanda Burden: How Public Spaces Make Cities Work [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/amanda_burden_how_public_spaces_make_cities_work 4 3 Angelito Jusay. New York City. Bryant Park. Accessed April 8, 2018. http://bryantpark.org/the-park. Bryant Park serves as a ground-level styled green space, tying successfully into the existing urban fabric. It’s presence heavily attracts people, businesses, and culture within its setting. The Park, as seen today, developed following many variations of usages. The current large central lawn, formal pathways, stone balustrades, trees, and an oval plaza developed as the city made initial strides to provide a public space for those in the crowded streets.4 Later, the city improved public safety, redesigned amenities, and addressed a new perspective of the park’s ability to transition into a venue space. In a National Public Radio interview with Amanda Burden, chief city planner under the Bloomberg administration, she describes how enhanced public green spaces become the defining factors of cities, in this instance specifically Bryant Park. “The park quickly became one of the most desirable addresses for companies in the entire city of New York.”5 The public green space drastically increased public interest in visiting the park, whether it be tourists or local New Yorkers. In result, the increased interest brought attention to the buildings surrounding the park. In an urban context where land sqf becomes precious, it almost seems absurd to devote an entire block or more to a park. In the instance of Bryant Park, green space is represented by a historically preserved plot of land serving a sole purpose of public usage. Designers today are facing the challenge of no longer having blocks to spare and are forced to create public green spaces amongst verticality in various forms. But it is the park’s ability of public attraction and enhancement that provide opportunities for future designs.

4 ”Bryant Park.” Bryant Park - Blog Post. Accessed April 02, 2018. http://bryantpark.org/blog/history. 5 ”Bryant Park” 5 Linear Green Space -- The High Line:

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6 Karissa Rosenfield. “Take a Walk on the High Line with Iwan Baan” 23 Sep 2014. ArchDaily. Accessed 8 Apr 2018. ISSN 0719-8884 6 New York City’s Highline project serves as a public park, reclamation project, and transition space for the public. The analysis of this project is important to the concept of green space amongst verticality because it is an adaptation to the existing context, creating a linearly integrated park system amongst the blocks and the retired Hudson Yards. The challenge of designing this public green space centers on the concept of implementation amongst an existing context, while modifying an existing inactive rail system. The Highline functions today as a park, allowing for repose, transition of public masses, and access to reformed neighborhoods. “The rail yards section extends and evolves the design of the High Line south of West 30th Street, responding to the unique urban context of the new neighborhood developing at the Hudson Yards. With more than 12 million square feet of new office, residential, retail, and cultural uses planned for the site, Hudson Yards will create a new kind of urban experience unlike anything seen in the Meatpacking District and West Chelsea. Construction of the High Line is closely coordinated with the development of the Hudson Yards, with the park fully built out on the majority of the eastern section of the historic railway, and an interim walkway built over the western section.”7 The Highline has created the opportunity for green space to connect art galleries, markets, food industries, and housing. This connectivity and direct integration with the public is a task that green spaces placed high within vertical structures cannot tackle to the same degree. As previously discussed, the integration of green spaces in a vertical structure truly calls for the definition of what it means for a space to be public.

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7 Erika Harvey. “First Designs for the High Line at the Rail Yards | The High Line Blog.” Friends of The High Line. March 13, 2012. Accessed April 02, 2018. http://www.thehighline.org/blog/2012/03/13/first-designs-for-the-high-line-at-the-rail- yards. 7 8 “About the High Line | Friends of the High Line.” The High Line. Accessed April 09, 2018. http://www.thehighline.org/ about. Secluded Green Space -- Manhattan Loft Gardens of the UK by SOM:

Urbanization has resulted in higher property values within condensed spaces. The inclusion of green spaces within vertical structures results in a decrease in available property for rent. Though it is a simple consideration, the financial implications of constructing these spaces become impossible to justify financially along with the reduction of gain for investors. Through the observation of an existing public green space such as Bryant Park, it can be seen that the park functions as an attractor. Creating a gathering location for the public. This increases overall foot-traffic and interaction with the businesses that border the green space. However, when a green space is designed for within a vertical structure it loses the ability to be defined as public. The opportunity for public accessibility and sense of entry that a green space should provide disappears with its placement high within structures. SOM designed the Manhattan Lofts as a residential, hotel, and dining complex in the heart of the transportation district of the UK. The concept of this structure is centered on the inclusion of three green spaces to promote green living. These become privatized balconies or gardens, limiting the usage to solely those who live within the structure. This may offer a momentary beauty within a structure, but offers little in its connection to the overall urban context as well as the interaction with public people, both significant considerations towards future development.

8 9 Linear Green Space -- The High Line:

Tasked with designing a New York City block during my senior fall semester, the consideration of programmatic organization in relation to public green space was fundamentally important. Unique to the site was the neighboring block directly south, Chelsea park, offering a public space for the surrounding community. With a designable ground surface area of roughly 200,000 square feet, the focus became registering the existing park with the newly added green space, as well as creating a desirable block façade enhancing Chelsea Park.

10 The design pulled key concepts of functional public green space from the existing examples in urban city contexts. To begin with, the project centered on having a secondary education center in the lower portion of the structure, facing Chelsea Park. The façade of this portion mimics the interaction of the buildings surrounding Bryant park. The curtain walls of glass reflect the trees in the park and draw in the natural environment. Secondly, placed within the city block sits a publicly accessible courtyard at ground level. This increased storefront interaction with the public occupants. Bridge-ways connect the structures, moving residents and students above the courtyard while still allowing public access down below.

11 Citations:

Angel, Shlomo, and Alejandro M. Blei. “The Spatial Structure of American Cities: The Great Majority of Workplaces Are No Longer in CBDs, Employment Sub-centers, or Live-work Communities.” Cities 51 (November 31, 2015): 21-35.

“Bryant Park.” Bryant Park - Blog Post. Accessed April 02, 2018. http://bryantpark.org/blog/history.

Burden, Amanda. (2014, March). Amanda Burden: How Public Spaces Make Cities Work [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/amanda_burden_how_public_spaces_make_cities_work.

Harvey, Erika. “First Designs for the High Line at the Rail Yards | The High Line Blog.” Friends of The High Line. March 13, 2012. Accessed April 02, 2018. http://www.thehighline.org/blog/2012/03/13/first- designs-for-the-high-line-at-the-rail-yards.

“How Can Public Spaces Change A City’s Character?” Interview by Guy Raz. Npr WUFT. Janu- ary 8, 2016. Accessed April 1, 2018. https://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?story- Id=462285380.