Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Master's Theses Graduate School 2003 Restructuring the spaces under elevated expressways: a case study of the spaces below the Interstate-10 overpass at Perkins Road in Baton Rouge, Louisiana Ramon Irizarry Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses Part of the Landscape Architecture Commons Recommended Citation Irizarry, Ramon, "Restructuring the spaces under elevated expressways: a case study of the spaces below the Interstate-10 overpass at Perkins Road in Baton Rouge, Louisiana" (2003). LSU Master's Theses. 1273. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses/1273 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Master's Theses by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. RESTRUCTURING THE SPACES UNDER ELEVATED EXPRESSWAYS: A CASE STUDY OF THE SPACES BELOW THE INTERSTATE-10 OVERPASS AT PERKINS ROAD IN BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Landscape Architecture in The School of Landscape Architecture by Ramón Irizarry B.S., University of Puerto Rico, 1998 August, 2003 AKCNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis would not have been possible without the collaboration and guidance of my major advisor, Max L. Conrad. I would like to thank my graduate committee, Bruce G. Sharky and Dennis “Buck” Abbey for their support and constructive criticism. I would also like to give special thanks to the directors and staff of the Office of Community Design and Development of Louisiana State University, specially to Marsha Cuddeack the for her guidance during the developmental stages of this thesis. This acknowledgement is not complete without thanking my friends, Jennifer M. Gambino and Jose A. Villamil for all their patience and motivation. Finally, thanks to my family back in Puerto Rico, specially my parents for believing in me and for their unconditional support. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page AKNOWLEDGEMENTS...…..….…………………….……………………………… ii LIST OF TABLES…………………………………………………………………….. v LIST OF FIGURES………………………………………………………………….... vi ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………………... viii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION………...………………………………………………... 1 Framework……………………………………………………………… 1 Problem Statement……………………………………………………… 2 Scope………………………………………………………………….… 2 Objectives………………………………………………………………. 3 Method………………………………………………………………….. 4 2 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK.....……………………………………….. 5 Introduction………………………….………………………………….. 5 Overview of Highway Development….………………………………... 5 Types of Highway Structures………………………………………….. 18 Approaches to Urban Design…………...…………………………….... 24 3 EXAMPLES OF PROJECTS DEVELOPED UNDER ELEVATED HIGHWAYS….…………………… 31 Introduction …………………………………………………………... 31 Expressway Park, Baton Rouge, Louisiana………………………..….. 31 Burnside Bridge Project, Portland, Oregon………………………….... 35 Queensboro Bridge, New York, New York………………………….... 38 Overtown Pedestrian Mall, Miami, Florida………………………….... 41 4 SITE INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS…………………………………... 45 Introduction…………………………………………………………… 45 Neighborhood Character………………………………………………. 45 Figure-Ground…………………………………………………………. 71 Circulation……………………………………………………………... 73 Summary………………………………………………………………. 81 5 PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT………………………………………….... 88 Introduction……………………………………………………………. 88 Neighborhood Character…………………………………….………… 88 Figure-Ground…………………………………………………………. 90 Circulation……………………………………………………………... 90 iii 6 DESIGN PROPOSAL…………………………………………………….. 92 Introduction……………………………………………………………. 92 Concept………………………………………………………………... 92 Conceptual Layout…………………………………………………….. 96 Master Plan…………….……………………………………………… 96 BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………………………………... 105 APPENDIX A DEMOGRAPHIC CHARCTERISTICS OF THE STUDY AREA..………..……………………………………..… 109 B ZONING DISTRICTS……….……………………………………………. 111 Zone A, Residential District...……………………………………….... 111 Zone C, Commercial District………………………………………….. 112 Zone M, Industrial District……………………………………………. 114 Zone B, Buffer Zones……………………………………….………… 115 C DETAIL DESIGN……………………………………………………….... 117 Commercial Sidewalks Detail…..……………………………………... 117 Residential Sidewalks Detail.…………………………………….…… 121 Pedestrian Deck and Main Parking Lot…………………….……..…... 123 Main Plaza and Fountain…………………………………………….... 126 New Commercial Buildings…….…………………………………...… 131 VITA…………………………………………………………………………………... 133 iv LIST OF TABLES Page Table 6.1 Program Elements and Design Solutions…………………………..….. 93 Table A-1 Demographic Characteristics of the Study Area………………………. 109 Table C-1 Street Tree List………….………………………………………..……. 118 v LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 2.1 Types of Elevated Highways………………………………………….. 20 Figure 2.2 Figure-Ground Drawing……………………………………………….. 26 Figure 2.3 Types of Urban Patterns………………………………………………. 27 Figure 2.4 Types of “Linkage”………………………………………………….… 29 Figure 4.1 Site Location Map……………………………………………………... 48 Figure 4.2 Current Site Layout……………………………………………………. 47 Figure 4.3 1928 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map…………………………………..… 51 Figure 4.4 Mid 1960’s Map of Perkins Road Historic Business District….…….... 53 Figure 4.5 Census Tract Map………………...…………………………………… 54 Figure 4.6 General Land Use Map.…………………………………………….…. 56 Figure 4.7 Zoning Districts.………………………………………………………. 58 Figure 4.8 Community Capacity.…………………………………………………. 61 Figure 4.9 Typical Architectural Style…………………………...……….………. 62 Figure 4.10 Interstate-10 Overpass Structure……………………………………… 62 Figure 4.11 Cross Section of Interstate-10 Overpass…………………………….… 63 Figure 4.12 View of Spaces Below Interstate-10 Overpass…..……………………. 64 Figure 4.13 View of Interstate-10 Overpass……………………………………..… 65 Figure 4.14 View of the Site from Perkins Road…………………………………... 65 Figure 4.15 View Inventory………………………………………………………... 66 Figure 4.16 Topography of the Study Area………………………………………… 68 Figure 4.17 Current Drainage Conditions of the Site…...…..……………………… 69 vi Figure 4.18 Vegetation Map………………………………………...……………… 72 Figure 4.19 Figure-Ground Drawing Study of the Site....………………………….. 74 Figure 4.20 Pedestrian Circulation………………………...……………………….. 75 Figure 4.21 Vehicular Circulation………………………………….………………. 78 Figure 4.22 Current Parking Layout………………………………………………... 80 Figure 4.23 Public Transportation………………………………………………….. 82 Figure 6.1 Conceptual Theme…………………………………………………….. 97 Figure 6.2 Conceptual Layout…………………..……………………………….... 98 Figure 6.3 Master Plan…………………………………………………………… 100 Figure C.1 Commercial Sidewalk Detail……………………………….………… 119 Figure C.2 Sketch of Commercial Sidewalk…………………………………….... 120 Figure C.3 Residential Sidewalk Detail…………………………………………... 122 Figure C.4 Parking and Pedestrian Deck Detail………………………………….. 124 Figure C.5 Sketch of Pedestrian Deck……………………………………………. 125 Figure C.6 Plaza and Fountain Detail…………………………………………….. 127 Figure C.7 Sketch of the Plaza……………………………………………………. 128 Figure C.8 Sketch of the Fountain………………………………………………... 129 Figure C.9 Cross Section of the Plaza…………………………………………….. 130 Figure C.10 New Commercial Building Detail………………………………….… 132 vii ABSTRACT General information about the development the United States Interstate System, different theories of urban design, and samples of projects developed under elevated highways structures were used to illustrate the issues associated to the development of elevated highway within urban areas. After building the framework for the study of the spaces below elevated highways a comprehensive study of the contextual, spatial, and functional characteristics of the spaces below the Interstate-10 at Perkins Road was conducted over a period of 9 months. As a result of this study a master plan was developed to addresses the issues affecting the spaces below the Interstate-10 overpass at Perkins Road and surrounding communities. The areas surrounding the Interstate-10 overpass are part large area known by locals as the Perkins Road Historic Business District. This area of northern Perkins Road is an active commercial corridor surrounded by large subdivisions. During the development of the Interstate-10 overpass on the 1960’s this area suffered drastic changes causing the removal of businesses and relocation of entire families. Despite these adverse effects Perkins Road commercial corridor has maintained its unique character but the under develop state of the spaces below the Intertate-10 overpass have restricted further development of the area. viii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Framework With Congressional approval of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, multi million-dollar highway construction projects took place all over the United States. The objectives of the congress were to finish the already started highway system, to alleviate the traffic congestion in urban areas, and to support the national defense program. The process of planning and implementation of an integrated highway system around the nation took place in a short period of time resulting in unexpected negative consequences in entire urban areas (Scott, 1969). Some of the negative effects of the swift implementation of highways in urban areas included divisions of well-established communities, relocations of entire families, excessive noise, and unwanted views that changed drastically the urban landscape. With the construction of highways in urban