Designing for an Active Community Focus

<p>This research dissertation set out to determine what form the design and integration of a suburban community centre as a catalyst for moving towards a sustainable built environment might take. The literature of theoretical arguments and built precedents were investigated to identify potential design parameters. A viable site for the project was also investigated. As a result, the Sustainability Drop-in Centre was created in the heart of Karori. Its design was based on international case studies that emphasized green urbanism and TOD design initiatives, whilst also looking at Calthorpe's arguments for TOD design and Lynch's concept of place legibility as a set of inhabitable paths, edges, districts, nodes and landmarks. The integration of these crucial design parameters required a design intervention at multiple scales, from a new traffic design for the suburb to a detailed ramp design aimed at achieving energy efficient building design, thus limiting the need for lifts and escalators. As a result the final chapter illustrates the new design proposal in the form of representational renders of the pedestrian experience. These renditions, informed by the construction drawings referred to throughout the study, determine that the integration of a community centre as a catalyst for moving towards a sustainable built environment would create many improved quality of life opportunities, including, but not limited to, chances for social interaction, spaces and occasions for local bartering, and an opportunity for education in regard to sustainable practices. The design intervention has generated a stronger walkable suburb that gives importance to public sustainable forms of transportation and the needs of pedestrians, resulting in a suburb that will function well into a post-oil future.</p>

Designing for an Active Community Focus

<p>This research dissertation set out to determine what form the design and integration of a suburban community centre as a catalyst for moving towards a sustainable built environment might take. The literature of theoretical arguments and built precedents were investigated to identify potential design parameters. A viable site for the project was also investigated. As a result, the Sustainability Drop-in Centre was created in the heart of Karori. Its design was based on international case studies that emphasized green urbanism and TOD design initiatives, whilst also looking at Calthorpe's arguments for TOD design and Lynch's concept of place legibility as a set of inhabitable paths, edges, districts, nodes and landmarks. The integration of these crucial design parameters required a design intervention at multiple scales, from a new traffic design for the suburb to a detailed ramp design aimed at achieving energy efficient building design, thus limiting the need for lifts and escalators. As a result the final chapter illustrates the new design proposal in the form of representational renders of the pedestrian experience. These renditions, informed by the construction drawings referred to throughout the study, determine that the integration of a community centre as a catalyst for moving towards a sustainable built environment would create many improved quality of life opportunities, including, but not limited to, chances for social interaction, spaces and occasions for local bartering, and an opportunity for education in regard to sustainable practices. The design intervention has generated a stronger walkable suburb that gives importance to public sustainable forms of transportation and the needs of pedestrians, resulting in a suburb that will function well into a post-oil future.</p>

Exploring the Impacts of Living in a “Green” City on Individual BMI: A Study of Lingang New Town in Shanghai, China

Urban planning and design in the 21st century is increasingly focusing on sustainability, illustrated by the proliferation of greener cities. While operational definitions and the actual planning of these cities can vary considerably (e.g., eco cities and low carbon cities), conceptually, at least, these terms overlap, particularly with regard to how they attempt to achieve both greener infrastructural design and healthier human lifestyles. This paper presents the findings of survey-based research carried out within Lingang New Town in Shanghai in 2019. In the cities of the Global North, the interplay between green infrastructural provision and public health has been of interest, especially in the context of social inequalities; however, there is little research from rapidly urbanizing countries where green urbanism is being increasingly promoted. Using this newly constructed example, we identified a clear positive correlation between moving to a green city and the adoption of healthier lifestyles. The structural equation modelling results suggest that behaviors around the use of green space as well as perceptions of different green space have notable impacts on residents’ physical health, measured by body mass index (BMI). The findings further illustrate systemic inequalities among private housing, rental housing and public housing typologies with regard to the distribution of health benefits.

Current trends in Green Urbanism and peculiarities of multifunctional complexes, hotels and offices greening

The analysis of domestic and world publications on the evolution of ornamental garden plants use from the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and ancient Romans to the “dark times” of the middle Ages and the subsequent Renaissance was carried out. It was made in order to understand the current trends of Green Urbanism and in particular regarding the diversity of floral and ornamental arrangements used in the design of modern interiors of public spaces. The aim of the article is to grasp current trends of Green Urbanism regarding the diversity of floral and ornamental arrangements used in the design of modern interiors of public premises. Cross-cultural comparative methods have been used, partially using the hermeneutics of old-printed texts in accordance with the modern system of scientific knowledge. The historical antecedents of ornamental gardening, horticulture, forestry and vegetable growing, new trends in the ornamental plants cultivation, modern aspects of Green Urbanism are discussed. The need for the introduction of indoor plants in the residential and office premises interiors is argued in order to create a favorable atmosphere for work and leisure. The extreme importance of selecting an assortment and developing environmentally friendly ways to increase the resistance of indoor plants against pathogens and pests in conditions of insufficient lighting, humidity, abnormal fluctuations in air temperature, etc. has been revealed. In conclusion, the world experience in the use of ornamental garden plants testifies to the eternal desire of man for unity with nature, which is especially growing in conditions of progressive urbanization. The current global trends of Green Urbanism are of particular importance in Ukraine in terms of the Ukrainian public aspirations to integrate the state into the European community.

Community Engagement for Environmental Lighting and Acoustics in the Manila’s University Belt

Environmental lighting and acoustics is highly compromised in developing countries such as the Philippines. In urban centers such as the City of Manila, the night time population which compromises mostly the younger generation experience difficulty in mobility. Furthermore the exposure to too much noise may render the population indifferent to their surroundings.España Boulevard is a main thoroughfare connecting the city of Manila’s University Belt to the eastern metropolis. The study focuses on examining the current situation of pedestrian infrastructure in the City of Manila where community and pedestrian wellbeing should be a primordial concern in one of the densest cities in the world. Universal design is a basic consideration to support the pressing need for safety and mobility of residents and transients travelling to and from the City of Manila.This initiative is in consonance with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Number 3 on Good Health and Wellbeing as a part of the third UN’s SDGs of 2015-2030. This serves as a foundation for programs and projects that concern the general public, specifically pedestrians and communities.A foot-survey was conducted using downloadable apps on lighting and sound intensity to assess whether they are in compliance with prescribed international standards. Photomontage on urban design proposals are presented as possible imagery of green urbanism solutions in attaining ideal metrics for both environmental lighting and acoustics.