Planning - City Comforts

Arch 231 CITY COMFORTS
CITY COMFORTS
HOW TO BUILD AN
URBAN VILLAGE
BY DAVID SUCHER
and Alex Evangelista
CITY COMFORTS
HOW TO BUILD AN
URBAN VILLAGE
“City Comforts” presents..
…a metaphor:
the urban village
…and an oxymoron
…a shift of focus:
from grand strategic
visions to small details
THE CHANCE
ENCOUNTER
“The possibility of the
accidental meeting is
what makes the city a
fertile place.”
THE CHANCE
ENCOUNTER
PROVIDE SEATS
•  a seat is an explicit
invitation to stay
THE CHANCE
ENCOUNTER
LET PEOPLE PURCHASE
FOOD OR DRINK
•  food attracts people
THE CHANCE
ENCOUNTER
LET PEOPLE PURCHASE
FOOD OR DRINK
•  food attracts people
THE CHANCE
ENCOUNTER
OFFER A
CONVERSATION PIECE
•  the purpose is to send

attention to an external object
THE CHANCE
“The virtual office will
ENCOUNTER
succeed if there is a
ENCOURAGE THE
CHANCE ENCOUNTER virtual watercooler.”
THE CHANCE “Watching other people,

ENCOUNTER and being watched, and
BUILD NEIGHBORHOODS chatting, is the core of the
FOR THE SOCIAL STROLL social stroll.”
THE CHANCE
ENCOUNTER
BUILD CLOSE TO THE
SIDEWALK
•  conversation can be
encouraged simply by physical
proximity
•  the power of suggestion can

also work on the passerby
who sees customers
enjoying…..
THE CHANCE
ENCOUNTER
PUT PUBLIC SPACE IN
THE SUN
THE CHANCE
ENCOUNTER
PUT PUBLIC SPACE IN
THE SUN
THE CHANCE
ENCOUNTER “People enjoy the
amusement and challenge.”
PUT YOUR CARDS (OR
CHESS PIECES) ON THE
TABLE
THE CHANCE
ENCOUNTER “People enjoy the
amusement and challenge.”
PUT YOUR CARDS (OR
CHESS PIECES) ON THE
TABLE
THE CHANCE
ENCOUNTER
PROVIDE A PLACE FOR
MUSIC
•  music provides the pleasure
of sound
•  this is an unobtrusive way to
bring people together
THE CHANCE
ENCOUNTER
BUILD BUS SHELTERS
WITH PUBLIC SERVICES
•  anything to keep it going…..
THE CHANCE
ENCOUNTER
BUILD BUS SHELTERS
THE CHANCE
ENCOUNTER
BUILD BUS SHELTERS
THE CHANCE
ENCOUNTER
USE SOUND TO PERMIT
CONVERSATION
•  white noise can provide
privacy
THE CHANCE LET READERS SIP

•  libraries or bookstores and coffee
ENCOUNTER are a great combination
BUILD-IN BUS-STOP
SEATING
•  loss for the landlord is a gain
for the neighborhood
KNOWING
WHERE YOU ARE
“A village is small
enough to be
comprehensible.”
KNOWING
WHERE YOU ARE
CREATE GATEWAYS
FOR NEIGHBORHOODS
•  the gateway can create
identity and enhance the
neighborhood spirit
KNOWING
WHERE YOU ARE
GIVE PEOPLE THE TIME
OF DAY
•  a simple urban comfort
KNOWING
WHERE YOU ARE
TELL TIME BY THE SUN
•  get help from the environment
KNOWING
WHERE YOU ARE
PUT MAPS ON
SIDEWALKS
•  helping us know where we
are makes the city more
comfortable
KNOWING
WHERE YOU ARE
BUILD BULLETIN
BOARDS
•  cheap neighborhood mass
media; cost efficient and fun
CHILDREN
IN THE CITY
“Children are like the
canaries in the coal
mine: an indicator
species of urban
health.”
CHILDREN
IN THE CITY •  combine adult seating with
PLACE PLAYGROUNDS IN playgrounds in business districts and
SHOPPING DISTRICTS place them at easily accessible
locations
CHILDREN
IN THE CITY
PLACE PLAYGROUNDS IN
SHOPPING DISTRICTS
CHILDREN
IN THE CITY
RESTAURANTS
•  parents and children need

to be put together, but
without interfering with
each other
CHILDREN
IN THE CITY
RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS
CHILDREN
IN THE CITY
BUILD TO CHILD SCALE
•  doing so is a courtesy
CHILDREN
IN THE CITY
BUILD TO CHILD SCALE
•  doing so is a courtesy
CHILDREN
IN THE CITY
LET CHILDREN PLAY IN
THE STREETS
•  and make sure it’s safe
CHILDREN
IN THE CITY
LET CHILDREN PLAY IN
THE STREETS
•  and make sure it’s safe
FEELING SAFE
“The basic technique of

urban security is
natural surveillance.”
“The second
territoriality: people
must view the public
space as their own.”
FEELING SAFE
OPEN THE STOREFRONT
TO THE STREET
•  this allows a delicate, slow,
and uncommitted entrance
FEELING SAFE ENGAGE WALKERS WITH

INTERESTING STOREFRONTS
FULLY OPEN WINDOWS •  interesting sidewalks are busy; busy
•  still provides invitation and sidewalks are safe…..
surveillance
FEELING SAFE
ALLOW STREET VENDORS
•  another node of activity
FEELING SAFE
COULD YOU “KEEP AN
EYE ON THINGS?”
•  eyes on the street promotes
safety
FEELING SAFE
MAKE THE MAIN
ENTRANCE VISIBLE
•  it’s always best to be
able to see the front door
FEELING SAFE
SCATTER POLICE
•  the more visible the police,
the better
FEELING SAFE
PUT COPS ON BIKES
LITTLE
NECESSITIES
“A myriad of small
elements adds comfort
to the city.”
LITTLE
NECESSITIES
“HAVE A DRINK ON US.”
•  in some places, the
community well is still part of
daily life
LITTLE
NECESSITIES
SHELTER THE TELEPHONE
•  phones are safety
equipment- they should be
protected
LITTLE
NECESSITIES
PUBLIC TOILETS ARE
A COMFORT
LITTLE
NECESSITIES
PUBLIC TOILETS ARE
A COMFORT
LITTLE
NECESSITIES
PUBLIC TOILETS ARE
A COMFORT
LITTLE
NECESSITIES
PUBLIC TOILETS ARE
A COMFORT
LITTLE
NECESSITIES
HOUSE THE GARBAGE
CAN
•  garbage cans should be
honored for they do not have
a very pleasant life
LITTLE
NECESSITIES
KEEP YOUR HEAD DRY
•  or free from the sun
LITTLE
NECESSITIES
KEEP YOUR HEAD DRY
LITTLE
NECESSITIES
CELEBRATE THE STATION
•  let the very mundane be
pleasing
SMOOTHING
EDGES
“Our most valued

places are often sites
which lack our most
valued possession:
cars.”
SMOOTHING
EDGES
“The purpose of urban
buffers is to smooth the
edge between the place
of cars and the place of
people”
SOFTEN WALLS
•  most concrete walls are
blank and forbidding. But they
can be softened, made more
interesting, while still being
functional
SMOOTHING
EDGES
“The purpose of urban
buffers is to smooth the
edge between the place
of cars and the place of
people”
SOFTEN WITH GREEN
SMOOTHING
EDGES
TRELLIS BLANK WALLS
•  inevitable blank walls can be
given personality
SMOOTHING
EDGES •  doing so makes the parking lot
more humane and provides an
RECLAIM AND PEOPLE additional attraction to customers
THE PARKING LOT
SMOOTHING
EDGES
MAINTAIN THE PARKING
LOT LANDSCAPE
•  As nasty as those auto-
oriented suburban strips may
be, they will be with us for a
while!
SMOOTHING
EDGES
SHIELD WITH ELEVATION
Parking
can be
placed
below
ground
…..or
above
ground
SMOOTHING
EDGES
Parking
can be
placed
below
ground
…..or
above
ground
SMOOTHING
EDGES
Parking can be placed

underground…..
…..or above ground
…..or anywhere but
the front
SMOOTHING
EDGES
Parking can be placed PARKING

underground…..
…..or above ground
…..or anywhere but
the front
PARKING
SMOOTHING
EDGES
PLANT STREET TREES
FOR PREMIUM VALUE
•  even streets with modest
homes can provide grandeur
and presence when lined with
trees
SMOOTHING
EDGES
SAVE EVEN ONE TREE
•  urban redevelopment need

not knock down all trees
SMOOTHING
EDGES
MAKE FENCES LOW
ENOUGH TO SEE OVER
•  if only to act as boundary
Arch 231 Cheonggyecheon CITY COMFORTS
SMOOTHING
EDGES
NOISE CONTROL
•  if noise is inevitable then
block it or mask it
MASK
WITH A
WATERFALL
SMOOTHING
EDGES
NOISE CONTROL
•  if noise is inevitable then
block it or mask it
BLOCK WITH GLASS
FITTING IN
“Conversation between
buildings, as among
humans, is a poignant
sign of neighborliness.”
FITTING IN
LOOK NEXT DOOR FOR
CONTEXT
•  …and follow the rules
FITTING IN MIMIC THE OLDER

USE A SIMILAR ROOFLINE BUILDING’S DETAILS
•  specialized spaces need not •  …some need not even be
look out of place… recognized…
FITTING IN
LOOK SMALLER FROM
THE SIDEWALK
FITTING IN
ALLOW THE CORNER
GROCERY
•  let it be reached by foot (or
bicycle)
FITTING IN
ALLOW THE CORNER
GROCERY
•  let it be reached by foot (or
bicycle)
FITTING IN
CAMOUFLAGE THE
PARKING GARAGE
•  give it some character
FITTING IN
CAMOUFLAGE THE
PARKING GARAGE
•  give it some character
WASTE NOT,
WANT NOT:
OLD SHOES ARE
MORE
COMFORTABLE
Discover Spaces
“The natural operation of
capitalist economies draws
out and brings to use all
sorts of under-used
resources.”
WASTE NOT WANT NOT

CONSIDER THE ALLEY
(AS A RETAIL STREET)
•  “useless” space made useful
WASTE NOT WANT NOT

ALLOW ALLEY HOUSES
(FOR ECONOMY &
SAFETY)
•  small dwellings add eyes
WASTE NOT WANT NOT

TURN LEFTOVERS
INTO PARKS
WASTE NOT WANT NOT

PLACE SHOPS IN BRIDGES
•  not always possible, but a
whimsical example of
discovered spaces
WASTE NOT WANT NOT

BRIDGE FREEWAYS TO
RE-LINK
NEIGHBORHOODS
•  air space is valuable space…
and it reconnects districts
WASTE NOT WANT NOT

BRIDGE FREEWAYS TO
RE-LINK
NEIGHBORHOODS
•  air space is valuable space…
and it reconnects districts
WASTE NOT WANT NOT

RECLAIM THE
“INTERNATIONAL
STYLE” PLAZA
•  Filling up these barren places
can recreate a streetscape for
the walker and economic
activity for the building owner
WASTE NOT WANT NOT

BRING DEAD CORNERS
TO LIFE
•  Corners of parking lots are
generally unusable for parking.
Use them to give life to the
street and interest to the
building
WASTE NOT WANT NOT

USE SIDEYARDS FOR
SEATING
•  intimacy is part of its charm
WASTE NOT WANT NOT

MAKE RECYCLING
SECOND NATURE
•  If people do it at home then

why not in public?
GETTING AROUND
“…we still all drive too

fast for the posted
speed limits.
We do it because the
roads are designed to
encourage us to do
so.”
GETTING AROUND
TRAFFIC CALMING “The person as driver
BULB THE CORNERS overwhelms the very same
FOR MORE PEDESTRIAN person as walker.”
SPACE
GETTING AROUND
TRAFFIC CALMING “The person as driver
BULB THE CORNERS overwhelms the very same
FOR MORE PEDESTRIAN person as walker.”
SPACE
GETTING AROUND
DECREASE THE
TURNING RADIUS
“The sharper the turn,
the slower one must
drive.”
GETTING AROUND
MAKE BLOCKS SHORT
“A journey seems
quicker, livelier and
more eventful when
punctuated by crossing
streets.”
GETTING AROUND
BUILD STREETS ON A
GRID…..
BUT DON’T LET DRIVERS
EVERYWHERE ON THE
GRID
•  vary the grid with devices for
traffic calming and visual
diversity
GETTING AROUND
BUILD STREETS ON A
GRID…..
BUT DON’T LET DRIVERS
EVERYWHERE ON THE
GRID
•  vary the grid with devices for
traffic calming and visual
diversity
GETTING AROUND
USE SHORTCUTS TO
CREATE A GRID…..
•  Not all sidewalks need

streets
GETTING AROUND
SLOW TRAFFIC WITH
CIRCLES
•  a deliberate obstruction in a
stream of traffic forces cars to
slow down….
•  …and provides good
neighborhood decoration
GETTING AROUND TAKE A JOG TO CALM

TRAFFIC
CURVE ROADS TO
NARROW SIGHT LINES
GETTING AROUND
RAISE THE CROSSWALK
GETTING AROUND
WIDEN BUSY SIDEWALKS
GETTING AROUND
PROVIDE CURB RAMPS
•  not only convenient for the
disabled but also for people
with walkers and strollers
GETTING AROUND
ALLOW SHORTCUTS IN
PARKING LOTS
•  like water flowing downhill,

walkers find the shortest path
•  the urge to cut across should

be acknowledged and
welcomed
GETTING AROUND
ALLOW SHORTCUTS IN ALLOW SHORTCUTS IN
PARKING LOTS BUSY INTERSECTIONS
•  like water flowing downhill,

walkers find the shortest path
•  the urge to cut across should

be acknowledged and
welcomed
GETTING AROUND
ENCOURAGE BIKING
•  a healthy compromise
GETTING AROUND
ENCOURAGE BIKING
GETTING AROUND
ENCOURAGE BIKING
PERSONALIZE THE
CITY WITH ART
“Public art and
decoration is a city
comfort because it
functions as a
conversation piece to
remind us that we are
not alone.”
PERSONALIZE THE
CITY WITH ART
ART CAN PROTECT US
PERSONALIZE THE
CITY WITH ART
ART CAN INSPIRE
PERSONALIZE THE
CITY WITH ART
ART CAN CLARIFY
PERSONALIZE THE
CITY WITH ART
ART CAN CLARIFY
PERSONALIZE THE
CITY WITH ART
ART CAN CELEBRATE
EVERYDAY EXPERIENCES
PERSONALIZE THE
CITY WITH ART
DECORATE BLANK
WALLS WITH MURALS
PERSONALIZE THE
CITY WITH ART
LET CHILDREN
CONFUSE ART AND
TOYS
PERSONALIZE THE
CITY WITH ART
LET ART BE
INTERACTIVE
PERSONALIZE THE
CITY WITH ART
PERSONALIZE THE
CITY WITH ART
MMDA ART
CONCLUSION
TO SLEEP IN PUBLIC……
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Planning - City Comforts

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Planning - City Comforts

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Arch 231 CITY COMFORTS

“City Comforts” presents..

• the purpose is to send

THE CHANCE “Watching other people,

• the power of suggestion can

THE CHANCE LET READERS SIP

• parents and children need

“The basic technique of

FEELING SAFE ENGAGE WALKERS WITH

“Our most valued

Parking can be placed

Parking can be placed PARKING

• urban redevelopment need

FITTING IN MIMIC THE OLDER

WASTE NOT WANT NOT

WASTE NOT WANT NOT

WASTE NOT WANT NOT

WASTE NOT WANT NOT

WASTE NOT WANT NOT

WASTE NOT WANT NOT

WASTE NOT WANT NOT

WASTE NOT WANT NOT

WASTE NOT WANT NOT

WASTE NOT WANT NOT

• If people do it at home then

“…we still all drive too

• Not all sidewalks need

GETTING AROUND TAKE A JOG TO CALM

• like water flowing downhill,

• the urge to cut across should

• like water flowing downhill,

• the urge to cut across should

/static/enhanced/ terminal05 /2012/8/8/15/enhanced-buzz-

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•  the purpose is to send

•  the power of suggestion can

•  parents and children need

•  urban redevelopment need

•  If people do it at home then

•  Not all sidewalks need

•  like water flowing downhill,

•  the urge to cut across should

•  like water flowing downhill,

•  the urge to cut across should