Public Realm Concept Introduction

City Wide Planning and Design team – Central Memorial Park

AFRAH RAYES City of Calgary

Urban Design & Heritage 403-268-2877

afrah.rayes@calgary.ca

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12 AV SE- Greenway

Public Realm: Municipal Development Plan (MDP) defined public realm as the space around, between and within buildings that are publicly accessible, including streets, squares, parks and open spaces. These areas and settings support or facilitate public life and social interaction.

Public Realm Concept Introduction

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13 AV Heritage Greenway - Sunalta

City definition A City may be expressed as a story. A Pattern of relations between human groups, production and distribution spaces (Kevin Lynch)

Public Realm Concept Introduction

A public space will only work if there is already pedestrian activity in the area. A public space cannot attract people where there is no one there to begin with and people do not feel safe stopping in a public space if there is no one walking on the surrounding streets. Public spaces must therefore be located in areas with existing pedestrian activity. Jane Jacobs, 1961

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Summary of the slides

Character Connectivity Walkability Traffic/parking Safety Green space Street Furniture Way Finding

Niagara Falls - Ontario

Public Realm Concept Introduction

13 AV Heritage Greenway Calgary Board of Education

Sunalta - Calgary

13 AV Heritage Greenway - Beltline

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Character “Neighbourhood character is about

its sense of place and community meaning”

Sense of Place the feeling associated with a location, based on a unique identity and other

memorable qualities.

Neighbourhood character is essentially the combination of the

public and private realms.

Beltline area - Calgary

Public Realm Concept Introduction

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Character

“Local character is the distinctive identity of a

particular place that results from the interaction of many

factors - built form, landscape, history, people and their

activities”. Beltline area - Calgary

Public Realm Concept Introduction

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Connectivity Connectivity (or permeability) refers to the

directness of links and the density of connections in a transport network. A highly permeable network has many short links, numerous intersections, and minimal dead-ends. As connectivity increases, travel distances decrease and route options increase, allowing more direct travel between destinations, creating a more accessible and resilient transportation system

Public Realm Concept Introduction

Beltline – 13 AV Heritage Greenway

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Connectivity Connectivity affects the degree to which transportation networks such as streets, walking and cycling paths, connect people to their destinations (including intermediate destinations such as public transport services). Good connectivity provides easy access to key destinations for pedestrians. Excellent connectivity actively seeks to discourage car use by making local trips easier and more pleasant by foot than by car.

Public Realm Concept Introduction

Charles wood Dr NW

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Walkability

Walkability is a measure of how friendly an area is to walking. Walkability has many health, environmental, and economic benefits. Factors influencing walkability include the presence or absence and quality of footpaths, sidewalks or other pedestrian right-of-ways, traffic and road conditions, land use patterns, building accessibility, and safety, among others In terms of the public realm, no element of the urban environment is more important than streets

Public Realm Concept Introduction

33 AV SW – Marda Loop

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Walkability

In many cases, an area is described as walkable simply on the basis of the presence of sidewalks. The many elements that may increase walkability include measures of accessibility, aesthetics, connectivity, and safety. Factors Influencing Walking Activity: • Distance • Weather • Topography • Cost—time and money to travel • Traffic volume and speed • Other factors (e.g., dogs, crime) • Infrastructure - Pedestrian facilities (presence, condition) - Access—proximity to destinations - Access—connectivity - Transportation alternatives - Street lighting

City of Calgary – Barkley Mall

Public Realm Concept Introduction

13 AV SW - Sunalta

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City of Toronto

Walkability http://www.walkable.org/faqs.html

City of Quebec City of San Deigo

City of Calgary

City of San Deigo

Examples of good walkable areas

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The emerging techniques that aim to integrate vehicles into the public realm present a vastly expanded palette of design solutions to engineers and designers.

Surface materials, lighting, curb lines, street furniture and gateways can be deployed in ways never detailed in standard engineering guidelines.

Traffic

Public Realm Concept Introduction

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Traffic

Examples of integrated public realm with traffic

movement

City of Calgary – West Connaught San Deigo - La Jolla

New York City New York City

San Deigo City

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The main concerns are as follows: - Lack of safe and convenient places for crossing -Narrow pavements and fast-moving vehicles increasing noise, pollution and danger -Obstacles caused not only by street facilities but also by parking vehicles -Damaged surface of pavements caused by the traffic and bad maintenance - Bad street lighting -Badly designed pavements that are inconvenient, narrow or are poorly designed, which leads to the nervousness of the participants; vehicles parking on the road in such a way that road cannot be crossed

Safety

-Insufficient cleaning, graffiti removing and stop vandalism -Terrestrial plans preventing direct access among residential, work and leisure areas - Weather (too hot, cold or wet) -Lack of time or facilities for garment changing, safekeeping and cleaning after the end of the journey -Criminality causing a close down of the pavements between public social facilities and residential areas etc. and the networks of public roads on plot of lands of other people -Bad signs and maintenance outside public roads.

Public Realm Concept Introduction

Country Hills Drive 72 AV SE 33rd AV SW – Marda Loop Manchester Road SW

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Safety

San Deigo – La Jolla

Quebec City

Chicago City Chicago – Oak Park

Public Realm Concept Introduction

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City of Calgary

Green Space

Public Realm Concept Introduction

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Environmental Protection Agency - USA

Green Space The urban heat island profile shown here demonstrates that heat islands are typically most intense over dense urban areas. The profile also shows how parks and other vegetated sections within a downtown area may help to reduce heat islands. Trees and vegetation contribute to the beauty, distinctiveness, and material value of communities by incorporating the natural environment into the built environment.

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33rd AV SW – Marda Loop

Street Furniture Many neighborhoods have successfully incorporated street furniture into their business districts. Street furniture can include: benches, water fountains, kiosks, clocks, etc. Before you decide on a location, remember to keep street furniture away from crosswalks, curb cuts, fire hydrants and loading and bus zones.

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Calgary Board of Education– 13th AV SW

Street Furniture

Street furniture is all too often ignored by the people who use it and benefit from it every day. But the truth is that it performs a variety of functions which are all incredibly useful and provide a number of benefits to people who live and work in the area. Here are some of the main benefits of street furniture which are provided by high-quality street furniture which make it so important: Provides Comfort, Performs a Function, Adds Style, Increase Pride in the Area, Reduce Vandalism.

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City of Calgary – Way Finding Sign

New Orleans – River Walk

Way Finding Wayfinding systems serve vital roles for cities and can be an important element in developing a place brand. They inform, guide, and motivate visitors and residents. They are also important in shaping the identity of a place through their style, design, colors, lettering, content and placement. Good signage can contribute significantly toward the satisfaction of visitors and community pride among residents.

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“the greatest urban spaces are street corners” William H. Whyte

Public Realm Concept Introduction

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