Wise Words

“The car is like our mother in-law. We have to have a good relationship with her, but you shouldn’t let her dictate your whole life… If the only woman in your life is your mother in-law, you have a problem.”

-Jaime Lerner

Architect and Mayor of Curitbia, Brazil

Critical Position

Dependency on automobiles in the United States has become a crisis that has affected both residents of communities and their environment. Over the past 20 years a decrease in walking for transportation and recreational purposes has led to an increased risk of fatal health conditions such as obesity, heart disease, and stroke. This inactive lifestyle has instilled in Americans a reliance on the automobile thus increasing traffic, congestion, and fatality rates (Alfonzo, 2005). Research has shown a correlation between the choice to walk and certain elements within the built environment (Alfonzo, 2005). Studies of early urban settlements and through the development of cities within cities, or districts, can lead to the understanding of place attachment of residents to their surroundings. A sense of place in urban areas has shown to support an individual's identity through their environment, which can lead to facilitating the decision to walk. It is through this correlation between the individual and their setting that a lifestyle shift away from the automobile toward a more sustainable future can be made. It is through these concepts that this thesis is formed. This thesis sets out to decrease the dependency of automobiles in an effort to help resolve environmental, social, and cultural issues within an area in need.

Alfonzo, Mariela A. (2005) To Walk or Not to Walk? The Hierarchy of Walking Needs. Environment and Behavior. 37(6), 808-836. Sage Piublications.

Case Studies

For my Case Studies, I decided to go from the macro to micro- starting out by focusing on a Master Plan of a city, proceeding to an idea or concept within a city, and following with a building type.

Case Study 1: Masdar City

Masdar City is the first carbon-zero city being constructed in the United Arab Emirates. It eliminates the automobile altogether and instead relies on Personal Rapid Transport (PRT's). Being the first pedestrian-friendly zero-carbon city, it sets a new standard for sustainable design and becomes a model for urban design globally.

Case Study 2: Curitiba, Brazil- Public Transit System

The successful redevelopment of the public transportation system in Curitiba has led it to become a model for new and developed cities alike. The system is currently used by 85% of its residents, though it has the second highest number of vehicles per inhabitant in Brazil. The success in due to architect and Mayor Jaime Lerner, who developed an incredibly sustainable efficient mass transit system.

Case Study 3: Houston Northern Intermodal Facility

This intermodal transit hub, located in northern Houston, is designed to integrate the variety of mass transportation options within the city. Serving as a central node, the facility's main goal is to reduce automobile dependency by attracting residents and commuters while stimulating growth and activity.

2. Site

1. Problem

Conceptual Model/Collage

Our first assignment was to create a conceptual model based on our thesis topic. The only requirement was that it had to answer our architectural, sustainable, structural, and urban ideas/concepts- and how they relate to eachother. We were to also create a title for it, and thus the name The Next Urban Utopia came about...

This title stemmed from the question asked by my instructor, "what is your favorite utopia?" At the time, I did not have an answer. Instead, I decide to look at the ideas of others, Broadacre City by Frank Lloyd, Radiant City by Le Corbu, and the amazing collaged utopias created by Archigram. I suppose the answer to my favorite utopia lies within my ideas and concepts for my micro-city, it lies within this conceptual model.

(Infra)structure Concepts begin at the center and includes images of mass transit systems and paths. It is this, that I envision to become the new infrastructre of the micro-city. Stemming from here are the roads, formerly for automobiles, now the primary paths for pedestrian travel, interaction, and experience.

Establishing my topic...

My project, seeks to create a model of a micro-city or district that will eliminate the use of roads or highways. This micro-city, being implemented into a larger city, will instead require its residents to either walk or use sustainable forms of transportation. Though there will be no cars allowed within the micro-city, I do want to establish 2 types of mass transportation systems: 1. on the macro-scale- connecting larger city to larger city, and 2. on the micro-scale- connecting each micro-city/district within a given city. Since the use of the traditional street grid will become obsolete, a new realm of architectural form will develop with emphasis given to the pedestrian and how buildings are experienced. It is through this project and entire thesis year, that I wish to create an alternative living situation for people of different societies, that they may live in a more integrated, less harmful way.