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Towards a Sustainable Neighborhood: the Role of Open Spaces MIT - Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research 2 (2008) 162-177 Towards a Sustainable Neighborhood: The Role of Open Spaces Khalid S. Al-Hagla Dept. of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt Faculty of Architectural Engineering, Beirut Arab University, Beirut, Lebanon We are searching for some kind of harmony between two intangibles: a form which we have not yet designed and a context which we cannot properly describe. Christopher Alexander Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. Albert Einstein PAPER NO. 5 Byblos - Lebanon K. Al-Hagla / Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research 2 (2008) 162-177 ABSTRACTS Paper No. 5 Available online at: http://www.archnet.orgU U Archnet, MIT - Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research 2 (2008) 162-177 Towards a Sustainable Neighborhood: The Role of Open Spaces Khalid S. Al-Hagla Dept. of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt Faculty of Architectural Engineering, Beirut Arab University, Beirut, Lebanon Abstract The neighborhood is a basic planning entity in modern residential planning theories. However open spaces as a vital constituent of the neighborhood’s physical structure, have an important role to play. They are the arena of both, neighbors’ outdoor interactions–consequently building the neighborhood’s sense of community- and the micro ecological sphere – setting its parameters and configuring its fundamentals. The paper aims to investigate the roles and responsibilities that open spaces -in neighborhoods- have to take to achieve sustainability goals and objectives. However it follows an approach based on both the social and ecological neighborhood’s ability to tackle sustainability issues. It focuses on the typical open space structure of the neighborhood as the media of different social and ecological interactions. Regarding this concern the paper differentiates between two main categories of the neighborhood’s open space; “greenspace” and “greyspace”. Moreover, the paper develops a three dimension matrix that sets the interrelations between different types of neighborhood open space and sustainability goals and objectives that have to be achieved within the community. It uses this matrix to assess the sustainability performance of different typologies of open space; moreover it determines the priorities of sustainability parameters that have to be applied to an assigned open space. Finally, the paper applies its findings to two different typologies of open spaces in Lebanon; Beirut Pine ‘Horsh Beirut’ as a greenspace, and the historical market, and pedestrian streets in Byblos as a greyspace. The application comes to show the validity of conceptual application of the proposed matrix. © 2008 Archnet. All rights reserved. Keywords: Sustainable development, neighborhood, open space, Beirut Pine, Byblos 1 PAPER NO.5 Available online at: http://www.archnet.org Archnet, MIT - Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research 2 (2008) 162-177 Towards a Sustainable Neighborhood: The Role of Open Spaces ﺇﺴﺘﺩﺍﻤﺔ ﺍﻟﻤﺠﺎﻭﺭﺓ ﺍﻟﺴﻜﻨﻴﺔ: ﺩﻭﺭ ﺍﻟﻔﺭﺍﻏﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﻤﻔﺘﻭﺤﺔ ﺩ/ ﺨﺎﻟﺩ ﺍﻟﺴﻴﺩ ﻤﺤﻤﺩ ﺍﻟﺤﺠﻠﺔ ﻗﺴﻡ ﺍﻟﻬﻨﺩﺴﺔ ﺍﻟﻤﻌﻤﺎﺭﻴﺔ – ﻜﻠﻴﺔ ﺍﻟﻬﻨﺩﺴﺔ – ﺠﺎﻤﻌﺔ ﺍﻹﺴﻜﻨﺩﺭﻴﺔ - ﺍﻹﺴﻜﻨﺩﺭﻴﺔ – ﻤﺼﺭ ﻜﻠﻴﺔ ﺍﻟﻬﻨﺩﺴﺔ ﺍﻟﻤﻌﻤﺎﺭﻴﺔ – ﺠﺎﻤﻌﺔ ﺒﻴﺭﻭﺕ ﺍﻟﻌﺭﺒﻴﺔ - ﺒﻴﺭﻭﺕ - ﻟﺒﻨﺎﻥ ﺍﻟﻤﻠﺨﺹ א א J א Jא א אאא،אאאJאא אא Jא א א א א א א א א א؛אאFא אאאא،Eא אאאאאאK א א א א א א אא א א א אאאאאא،אאא אאאאאאאאאK אאאאאאאאא א א K א א אא א א ?אאאא‘Greenspaces’??אאאK‘Greyspaces’?א אאאאאאאאא אאאאאאאא אאאאאאא אא אאאאאKאאא א אא א ? ? אאאאאאאאאאא KאאאאאאK 1 البحث ﺍﻟﺨﺎﻤﺱ MIT - Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research 2 (2008) 162-177 Towards a Sustainable Neighborhood: The Role of Open Spaces Khalid S. Al-Hagla Dept. of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt Faculty of Architectural Engineering, Beirut Arab University, Beirut, Lebanon We are searching for some kind of harmony between two intangibles: a form which we have not yet designed and a context which we cannot properly describe. Christopher Alexander Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. Albert Einstein THE PAPER PAPER NO. 5 Byblos - Lebanon Available online at: http://www.archnet.org Archnet, MIT - Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research 2 (2008) 162-177 Towards a Sustainable Neighborhood: The Role of Open Spaces Khalid S. Al-Hagla * Department of Architecture, Alexandria University, Egypt - Faculty of Architecture, Beirut Arab University, Lebanon Abstract The neighborhood is a basic planning entity in modern residential planning theories. However open spaces as a vital constituent of the neighborhood’s physical structure, have an important role to play. They are the arena of both, neighbors’ outdoor interactions–consequently building the neighborhood’s sense of community- and the micro ecological sphere – set- ting its parameters and configuring its fundamentals. The paper aims to investigate the roles and responsibilities that open spaces -in neighborhoods- have to take to achieve sustainability goals and objectives. However it follows an approach based on both the social and ecological neighborhood’s ability to tackle sustainability issues. It focuses on the typical open space structure of the neighborhood as the media of differ- ent social and ecological interactions. Regarding this concern the paper differentiates between two main categories of the neighborhood’s open space; “greenspace” and “greyspace”. Moreover, the paper develops a three dimension matrix that sets the interrelations between different types of neighborhood open space and sustainability goals and objectives that have to be achieved within the community. It uses this matrix to assess the sustainability performance of different typologies of open space; moreover it determines the priorities of sustainability parameters that have to be applied to an assigned open space. Finally, the paper applies its findings to two different typologies of open spaces in Lebanon; Beirut Pine ‘Horsh Beirut’ as a greenspace, and the historical market, and pedestrian streets in Byblos as a greyspace. The application comes to show the validity of conceptual application of the proposed matrix. Keywords: Sustainable development, neighborhood, open space, Beirut Pine, Byblos 1. Introduction The rapid growth of towns and cities in the nine- Nowadays, open spaces take up more than one teenth century led to calls for parks to be provided for third of total neighborhood areas. They are playing a the health of factory workers and consequently it be- dual role in the structure of neighborhoods. The first is nefited society as well. This could be seen as an early ‘social’: that come out of understanding the neighbor- precedent to highlight the role of open spaces in sup- hood as a ‘community’. Meanwhile, the second is porting what we now call sustainable development. ‘ecological’: that see the ‘ecological perspective’ is This achieved a wide range of benefits to the economy much more appropriate to be applied to a neighbor- (healthier, happier, and therefore more productive hood regarding its unique site qualities. Each of these workers), social life (people relaxing and meeting in two approaches covers a different perspective of sus- the parks) and the environment (as open spaces were tainability application to neighborhood scale. Howev- created amongst the streets, mines and factories). er, the paper develops an integrated approach that ap- (Shirley, 2005). preciates the fact that social and environmental goals are often mutually reinforcing, thus providing a broad constituency of support for policy. Moreover, they come to the heart of the role that open spaces play. * Corresponding author. E-mail address: [email protected] K. Al-Hagla / Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research 2 (2008) 162-177 2 2. Sustainable Neighborhood. tainability dimensions applied to the neighborhoods (Figure 2) There are different approaches that tackle the ap- plication of sustainability to neighborhoods. Among - Social Provision - Global Ecology these approaches, stands both social and ecological as Access to facilities Climate Stability two different but integrated perspectives. Regarding Energy in transport Built space the social perspective, the overlapping area of both the Open space Energy in buildings terms ‘neighborhood’ and ‘community’ could be used Infrastructure Biodiversity to understand the definition that the Egan Review - Economic Sustainability - Natural Resources (2004) report ‘Skills for Sustainable Communities’, Job opportunities Air quality develops. It highlights sustainable communities as Economic buoyancy Water those which “meet the diverse needs of existing and - Social Sustainability Land and soils Minerals future residents, their children and other users, contri- Health Community safety bute to a high quality of life and provide opportunity Equity and choice and choice. They achieve this in ways that make effec- tive use of natural resources, enhance the environ- ment, promote social cohesion and inclusion and strengthen economic prosperity”. (Review, 2004:1) It Community Ecological concludes that there are seven components
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