UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI DATE: 05-19-2003 I, Donald Edward Clark II , hereby submit this as part of the requirements for the degree of: Master of Architecture in: It is entitled: Public Design in Today’s Urban Society Approved by: Michael McInturf Aarati Kanekar Clark PUBLIC DESIGN IN TODAY'S URBAN SOCIETY A THESIS PREPARED AND SUBMITTED BY DONALD CLARK TO THE DIVISION OF RESEARCH AND ADVANCED STUDIES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI AS ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE IN THE SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE AND INTERIOR DESIGN OF THE COLLEGE OF DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE, ART, AND PLANNING COMMITTEE CHAIR MICHAEL MCINTURF 2003 PREVIOUS DEGREE B.S. ARCH, UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI, 2001 Clark ABSTRACT Today people no longer interact socially as they previously did—the television is a social outlet for many, while others interact with strangers while using the drive-through. Urban public design has not changed enough to allow for a meaningful exchange that generates a bonding interaction. However, the way people interact with each other is still governed by the same set of primal sociologic principles. These along with an analysis of a select number of historical spaces and cultures—focusing primarily on how the people built, interacted in, and were manipulated by their public spaces will establish a baseline for a comparison of today’s society. Finally, an exploration into social theory and the current socio-economic-political circumstances will help to show reasons for the change/loss of interaction in today’s society. These paths of exploration have led to a generic design solution applicable to most urban situations and a specific application in Cincinnati. Clark Clark ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS "No more sadness, no more sorrow. No more bad times, everyday coming sunshine. Everyday everybody laughing . good times, good times." (The Guess Who) I would like to express my enormous gratitude to my fiancée, and soon to be wife, Liz whom without I could not have done this. She has provided me with inspiration, help, and support when I needed it the most and for that and so much more I love her more than words can describe. I would like to extend my gratitude to my thesis committee, Professors Jeff Tilman, Aarati Kanekar, and chair Michael McInturf who have all pushed me towards avenues I would never have found on my own. I would also like to that my friends who kept me going through it all. Clark i TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ii THESIS INTRODUCTION 1 COMPONENTS OF SOCIETY AND SOCIETAL INTERACTION 7 SOCIOLOGIC/PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS 8 PUBLIC DOMAIN 11 SOCIAL INTERACTION AND THE CONSTRUCT OF SPACE 12 ENABLERS 15 CHANGES IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY 16 HISTORICAL CITY MODELS 21 ATHENS-CA 400 BC 22 PARIS-CA. 1250 AD 24 LONDON-CA. 1700 AD 26 CINCINNATI, OH-CA. CURRENT DAY 28 PRECEDENTS 31 COFFEEHOUSES AS THEY APPEARED IN ENGLAND AND FRANCE 32 BEER GARDENS 34 DEPARTMENT STORES/BAZAARS/MALLS 35 METREON, SAN FRANCISCO 37 CAREW TOWER, CINCINNATI 39 RED HOOK CENTER FOR THE ARTS, BROOKLYN 40 LAWRENCE-DOUGLAS COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER 42 ISSUES FOR CONSIDERATION 41 ASSUMPTIONS AND CONCLUSIONS FROM DATA 44 SOLUTIONS FOR PUBLIC SPACES TO PROMOTE INTERACTION 50 USER GROUPS 55 PROPOSED FACILITY FOR CINCINNATI 58 SITE AND CITY HISTORY 61 SITE ANALYSIS 64 PROGRAMMATIC SPACES 71 CONCLUSIONS 85 BIBLIOGRAPHY 91 SELECT ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 95 Clark ii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS fig. 1—Conceptual drawing (author) fig. 2—A form of interaction (Curran, 40) fig. 3—Another form of interaction (Hajer Reijndorp, 78) fig. 4—"dead" public space (Curran, 10) fig. 5—temporary housing (Cuff, 195) fig. 6—the post WW II suburb (Cuff, 242) fig. 7—Natural enabler (author) fig. 8—Defensive enabler (author) fig. 9—Economic enabler (author) fig. 10—Economic layer (author) fig. 11—Information layer (author) fig. 12—Social Interaction layer (author) fig. 13—Schema diagram (author) fig. 14—Cellular interaction (author) fig. 15—groups interacting (author) fig. 16—The Public Domain (author) fig. 17—The Public Domain (Hajer Reijndorp, 19) fig. 18—The Public Domain (Curran, 36) fig. 19—The built and natural (author) fig. 20—Economy and interaction (author) fig. 21—Transport and interaction (author) fig. 22—Transportation layer (author) fig. 23—Information layer (author) fig. 24—Natural enabler (Chapman, 239) fig. 25—Economic enabler (author) fig. 26—The post WWII suburb (Lofland, 219) fig. 27—The automobile & highway (Hajer Reijndorp, 90) fig. 28—Housing shortage (Cuff, 24) fig. 29—Mass production (Cuff, 260) fig. 30—The new American home (Cuff, 261) fig.31—The isolation of society (Cuff, 263) fig. 32—McDonaldization (Hajer Reijndorp, 50) Clark iii fig. 33—Athenian Agora (Sennett, 53) fig. 34—Athenian Stoa (Sennett, 54) fig. 35—Parisian street shop (Sennett, 194) fig. 36—Parisian shop (Sennett, 195) fig. 37—Growth of London (Sennett, 318) fig. 38—Cincinnati, Ohio (Ford, 79) fig. 39—The Metreon (Architectural Record) fig. 40—The Metreon (Architectural Record) fig. 41—Carew Tower (author) fig. 42—Netherland Hotel (author) fig. 43—Carew Tower (author) fig. 44—Red Hook (Architectural Record) fig. 45—Red Hook (Architectural Record) fig. 46—Health Center (Architectural Record) fig. 47—Health Center (Architectural Record) fig. 48—Health Center (Architectural Record) fig. 49—Overlap of groups and systems necessary to produce interaction (author) fig. 50—Program space interaction and attraction (author) fig. 51—Site (www.terraserver.com) fig. 52—Site (author) fig. 53—Site (author) fig. 54—Site (author) fig. 55—Fountain Square (author) fig. 56—Cincinnati market (Cincinnati Enquirer) fig. 57—Skywalk system (Motour) fig. 58—Sixth Street market (Cincinnati Enquirer) fig. 59—Lazarus (author) fig. 60—Carew Tower (author) fig. 61—Terrace Hilton (Cincinnati Enquirer) fig. 62—Regional Map/Analysis (Cincinnati Bell Yellow Pages and author) fig. 63—Area Analysis (Cincinnati Bell Yellow Pages and author) fig. 64—Visual Integration (author) fig. 65—Transportation Integration (author) fig. 66—Extension Integration (author) Clark iv fig. 67—Diagrams showing movement from group interaction to public space generation (author) fig. 68—Sectional Diagram (author) fig. 69—Diagrammatic model showing integration of transportation routes and program spaces (author) Clark v "What are we talking about? Not just a shopping center where people come to buy one sheet, one shirt, or one shoe, but a place where lingering, staying, dawdling, socializing are a way of life. A refuge from the big city, or sometimes worse, your own parlor. A place so incredibly right that mobs will rush to it crying "Sanctuary!" and be allowed in forever. A place, in sum, where people can come to be people. The idea is as old as Athens at high noon, Rome soon after supper, Paris at dawn, Alexandria at dusk." (Oldenburg, 209) Clark 1 THESIS INTRODUCTION fig. 1—Conceptual drawing showing societal layers, group domains, transportation systems, and interaction. Clark 2 "A man whose birthday was in 1829 . had been born into a world in which President Andrew Jackson traveled no faster than Julius Caesar, a world in which no thought or information could be transmitted any faster than in Alexander the Great's time. In 1860, with the railroad and the telegraph that was beside it, a man could move at sixty miles per hour and transmit an idea or statistic from coast to coast almost instantly" (Ambrose 357). Stephen Ambrose here notes the changes the generation that built the Transcontinental Railroad experienced, but the changes in the last sixty years have similarly resulted in a rapid transformation. Except now changes have allowed the individual to act largely on without the aid of others. A person now can get in her car (or even airplane), move across any part of the country at will and in any direction, and then call anyone in the world to tell them about it from the phone she keeps in her pocket. Changes in the last fifty years has not only revolutionized the world, it has empowered the individual and allowed them to become an autonomous being not often forced to rely on anyone for help. These changes have had a great impact on the level of interaction in society and social situations. The term "interaction" goes beyond the simple exchange of a few words with the exchange of information, even if the parties are not willing participants in the exchange. Tom Douglas simply defines interaction as occurring when two people are aware of each other, going on to say, "Even ignoring others is a form of interaction in the sense that it is a conscious behaviour motivated by a recognition of the presence of another" (Douglas 64). Watching others and listening to them, while it is not necessarily direct communication, is a valuable means of interaction. Interaction is fundamental to society functioning well and people peacefully and understandingly existing with one another. It helps define social order and is the foundation of the communication that allows varied pieces of society to coexist. Interaction acts as a basis for understanding, helping to make people more aware of not only others around them, but also about themselves. Interaction can also act as a mediator to effect social change. The way people interact with each other today is still governed by the same set of primal sociologic principles that governed them 5000 years ago, and this allows for an fig. 2—A form of interaction analysis of historic situations compared to today. Maslov's hierarchy of needs, ranging from basic survival to self-actualization, is an invaluable tool to understand the motives of others. In any given situation different people are involved with activities to satisfy different needs. A valuable way in which people interact with others is through the use Clark 3 of schemas, devices used by the brain to help interpret the world.