PLAN 606 Project 1 / Good Streets

Connor MacDonaldShannon Giesbrecht

Idris Jinadu

Project 1 / Good Streets

Analysis of 17th Avenue, 4th Street - 8th Street

PLAN 606

Project 1 / Good StreetsProject Brief

Our study street is 17th Avenue SW between 8th Street and 4th Street SW. Our area begins at the West End of Tompkins park and continues to the Second Cup on 4th Street.

200 m

8th S

t. SW

4th S

t. SW

N

6 km

Elbo

w R

iver

Residential

Bow River

Stampede Park

Downtown

14th

St.

SW

Mac

leod

Tra

il SE

Railway Tracks

17th Avenue Commercial & Residential

Beltline

Lower Mount Royal

Upper Mount Royal Mission

Cli� Bungalow

N

Study Area17th Avenue

200 m

8th S

t. SW

4th S

t. SW

N

6 km

Elbo

w R

iver

Residential

Bow River

Stampede Park

Downtown

14th

St.

SW

Mac

leod

Tra

il SE

Railway Tracks

17th Avenue Commercial & Residential

Beltline

Lower Mount Royal

Upper Mount Royal Mission

Cli� Bungalow

N

Study Area17th Avenue

Building

Green Space

Legend

80 m

N

1

2

3

4

5<

Stories

Project ContextBuilt Environment Surrounding 17th Avenue

1

2

3

4

5<

Stories

Influence of Environmental Factors on 17th Avenue

Building Stories

Prevailing Wind Direction

• Building height has a direct relationship on wind turbulence.

• Taller buildings (5 storeys or taller) create the most wind turbulence.

• Tompkins park is protected by its mature trees from the North Westerly prevailing wind.

Wind Turbulence Type - Section

Downward Draft Effect

Counter Current Effect

(Based on Calgary’s 2019 Average)

Building

Green Space

Legend

80 m

N

1909

1884

1950

1970

Present

Influence of Railway

Introduction of Streetcar

Introduction of Bus System

Influence of “The Radiant City”

Emerging Concern for Ecology

Transit - Streetcar on 17th1912

Transit - Trolley Bus on 17th1940

Transit - Trolley Bus on 17th1960

Transit - Bus System on 17thPresent Day

Devenish Apartments1911

Devenish ApartmentsPresent Day

Western Canada College1907

Western Canada High School2020

1946 - Calgary Municipal Railway

1912 - Map Detailing Calgary’s Annexation History

1949 - Aerial Calgary View

1960 - Calgary’s Military Town Plan

Present - Building Massing and Zoning

Historic Evolution of 17th AvenueKey Events Influencing the Development of the Site Developing Documentation of the SiteTransportation

ChangesHistoric Continuity

Historic Evolution of 17th AvenueHistorical Change in Land Division & Building Massing

Building Footprints (1911)

Building Footprints (Current)

• An essential component of 17th Avenue’s history is the changes to the lots - both in consolidation and subdivision of space.

• The change in on-site building massing is also relevant, as it reflects the change in the street’s open spaces over time.

(As based on location’s Fire Insurance Plans)

(As based on City of Calgary’s current CAD plans)

Lot Size (1911)

Lot Size (Current)

(As based on location’s Fire Insurance Plans)

(As based on City of Calgary’s current CAD plans)

Commercial Building

Residential Building

Green Space

Legend

80 m

High Population Density afternoon & Evening

High Population Density Morning

Two Way Tra�c

One Way Tra�c

Covid Pathways

N

*Size of arrow depends on volume of tra�c

Experience of the Street

Section A

SIDEWALK COVIDPATH ROADWAY SIDEWALK

OVERALL DIMENSION

PARK SPACE PATH ROADWAY SIDEWALK

±6.4 M ±3.2 M ±10.2 M ±9.9 M

±29.7 M

±51.5 M ±3.1 M ±10.7 M ±8.1 M

COVID

OVERALL DIMENSION±73.4 M

1 ST

OR

Y, 6

.7 M

*

* Note: Below-Grade Floors Exluded from Storey Elevation

3 ST

OR

IES,

10.

4 M

3 ST

OR

IES,

13.

8 M

*


2 ST

OR

IES,

9.1

M

JULY 1517:3037° AZIMUTH


529 17 Avenue SW • High volume of foot and car traffic throughout all times of the day.

• In the morning, high use area is concentrated to coffee shops. In the afternoon and evening there is a shift to Tompkins park and south facing patios as being the most popular places on the street.

The Experience on the Avenue

COVID-19 Impacts• COVID Pathways have been added on both sides of the street to permit restaurants to expand their patios and allow pedestrians to maintain their social distance

Documented Streetviews

East View

South View

West View

A

Commercial Building

Residential Building

Green Space

Legend

80 m

High Population Density afternoon & Evening

High Population Density Morning

Two Way Tra�c

One Way Tra�c

Covid Pathways

N

*Size of arrow depends on volume of tra�c

Experience of the Street


OVERALL DIMENSION

PARK SPACE PATH ROADWAY SIDEWALK

±6.4 M ±3.2 M ±10.2 M ±9.9 M

±29.7 M

±51.5 M ±3.1 M ±10.7 M ±8.1 M

COVID

OVERALL DIMENSION±73.4 M

1 ST

OR

Y, 6

.7 M

*


3 ST

OR

IES,

10.

4 M

3 ST

OR

IES,

13.

8 M

*


2 ST

OR

IES,

9.1

M



Section B

The Avenue’s Impact on the Passerby

• Human Experience

• Two way traffic can make conversation inaudible • Buildings are appropriate human scale

• Frequency of use implies a sense of community and safety into the night

Documented Streetviews

North View

West View

East View

B

718 17 Avenue SW

Urban Morphology of 17th Avenue

Built Environment

Surrounding Lots

Related Open Street Space

Mixed Use - Residential

Independant Commercial

Western Canada High School

Retail Pharmacy

Tomkins Park

Combination of Forms in the Space

In documenting the overall quality of the public realm around 17th Avenue, the urban form was evaluated by three physical elements:

• Built Environment

• Surrounding Lots

• Related Open Street Space

We explored the relationship between urban form and human scale.

In an urban context, human scale means the size and shape of the built environment we interract with are at a scale we can use.

Urban Morphology Vs. Human Scale

Human Interaction with 17th Avenue Building Use

Breweries + Bars

Restaurant

Coffee + Tea

Takeout

Grocery / Convenience Store

Clothing + Jewelry

Healthcare + Wellness

Public Park Space Liquor + Cannabis

Cosmetics

Specialty Goods + Services

Financial Institutions

Residential Space

Leasable Commercial Space

Academic InstitutionBuilding Permeability

Inaccessible “Dead Spots”

Breweries + Bars

Restaurant

Coffee + Tea

Takeout


Clothing + Jewelry



Cosmetics



Residential Space




17 Avenue SW / 4th Street to 6th StreetNorth Orientation

South Orientation

17 Avenue SW / 6th Street to 8th StreetNorth Orientation

South Orientation

Breweries + Bars

Restaurant

Coffee + Tea

Takeout


Clothing + Jewelry



Cosmetics



Residential Space




Current Day UsesThere is a mixed use of residential, commercial and public space that span the length of the street making the street a destination as well as an engaging experience for pedestrians. Breweries + Bars

RestaurantCoffee + TeaTakeout

Breweries + Bars

Restaurant

Coffee + Tea

Takeout


Clothing + Jewelry



Cosmetics



Residential Space




Public Park SpaceGrocery / Convenience StoreClothing + JewelryHealthcare + Wellness

Breweries + Bars

Restaurant

Coffee + Tea

Takeout


Clothing + Jewelry



Cosmetics



Residential Space




Liquor + CannabisCosmeticsSpecialty Goods + ServicesFinancial Institutions

Breweries + Bars

Restaurant

Coffee + Tea

Takeout


Clothing + Jewelry



Cosmetics



Residential Space




Residential SpaceAcademic InstitutionLeasable Commercial Space

Human Interaction with 17th Avenue Porosity of the Space

Breweries + Bars

Restaurant

Coffee + Tea

Takeout


Clothing + Jewelry



Cosmetics



Residential Space


Academic Institution

550 17th Avenue SW

Breweries + Bars

Restaurant

Coffee + Tea

Takeout


Clothing + Jewelry



Cosmetics



Residential Space




Building Permeability

• The street has a variety of mixed-use spaces.

• Breweries and bars have the highest level of porosity.

• Residential buildings have the lowest level of porosity.

• Dead zones are areas where there is no porosity on the street. Examples of this include the Shoppers Drug Mart and the Servus Credit Union.

Building PermeabilityInaccessible “Dead Spots”

Breweries + Bars

Restaurant

Coffee + Tea

Takeout


Clothing + Jewelry



Cosmetics



Residential Space


Academic Institution

Breweries + Bars

Restaurant

Coffee + Tea

Takeout


Clothing + Jewelry



Cosmetics



Residential Space




Current Day Uses

Breweries + BarsRestaurantCoffee + TeaTakeout

Breweries + Bars

Restaurant

Coffee + Tea

Takeout


Clothing + Jewelry



Cosmetics



Residential Space




Public Park SpaceGrocery / Convenience StoreClothing + JewelryHealthcare + Wellness

Breweries + Bars

Restaurant

Coffee + Tea

Takeout


Clothing + Jewelry



Cosmetics



Residential Space




Liquor + CannabisCosmeticsSpecialty Goods + ServicesFinancial Institutions

Breweries + Bars

Restaurant

Coffee + Tea

Takeout


Clothing + Jewelry



Cosmetics



Residential Space




Residential SpaceAcademic InstitutionLeasable Commercial Space

815 17th Avenue SW

17:30

12:30

8:30

12:30

8:3015:30

17:30

12:30

8:30

12:30

8:3015:30

B / Blanco Cantina C / Trolley 5 Brewpub D / Philosafy Coffee E / UNA Pizza + Wine F / National on 17th G / The Ship & Anchor

B

C D E F G

B

C D E F G

Sun Path, Resulting Shadow (June - August)

Sun Path, Resulting Shadow (Average November - February)

Summer Use for Existing Location

Winter Use for Existing Location

A / Tomkins Park

A

A

Human Interaction with 17th Avenue Sun Orientation Vs. Popular Human UseSummer Months

Winter Months

Available Exterior Patio Seating

Available Interior Seating

Popular spots during the summer include the areas in the sun with outdoor seating.

In the winter, shadows are longer and much of the park and the North side of the street are cast in shadows.

Human Interaction with 17th Avenue “Parks can and do add great attraction to neighborhoods that people find attractive... The more successfully a city mingles everyday diversity of uses and users in its every-day streets, the more successfully... its people thereby enliven and support well-located parks that can thus give back grace...”

-Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities


OVERALL DIMENSION

COVIDPATH

SIDEWALK COVIDPATH ROADWAY SIDEWALK SIDEWALK ROADWAY

±7.8 M ±3.4 M

±27.2 M

±3.4 M±7.0 M ±5.6 M

OVERALL DIMENSION±4.9 M ±3.4 M ±10.8 M ±5.5 M

GREENSPACE±4.8 M ±6.7 M

GREENSPACESIDE-WALK±2.6 M±1.9 M ±8.7 M ±5.5 M

±54.8 M

1 ST

OR

Y, 9

.2 M

2 ST

OR

IES,

12.

3 M

2 ST

OR

IES,

10

M

2 ST

OR

IES,

9.1

M



• Allows the space to transform for different uses. On any given day Tompkins park is home to

• Buskers, readers, dog walkers, etc.

Human Use of Tomkins Park

Variety Comfort

Material Connection

Furthering Jane Jacobs’ point, parks reflect the health and vitality of the neighborhoods that surround them. In evaluating its contribution to making the adjoining streets “good” in a placemaking sense, we looked to 4 key qualities that the park possess: Variety, comfort, material, and connection.

• Shade

• Rain and wind protection

• Public restroom

• Benches

• Mix of green space and pavement • Surrounded but residential and commercial spaces accessible by any mode of transportation

ConclusionWhat Makes This Street Great?

Where Is It Lacking?

• Presence of Greenspace

• Presence of Sunlight, Mature Trees in Streetscape

• Mix of Use

• Buildings to Human Scale

• Adaptive Walking Space

• Excessive Traffic

• Lost Space (Parking + Lack of Permeability)

• Reduced Accessibility by Public Transit

PLAN 606 Project 1 / Good Streets

Documents

Transcript of PLAN 606 Project 1 / Good Streets