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Concept map of boring urbanism and its facades
The urban map of cities where different intertwine facades, streets, blocks and their spaces does not always present a coherent meaning from a social perspective, that is, there are fewer and more spaces"Animated", where the confluence of people is more intense attending to a series of singular characteristics that, although at first it seems a coincidence, is actually an achievement of the planner or urban planner who has known how to intuit and transfer a concept map of collective spaces with a series of reasoned guidelines at the foot of Street, where the inhabitants recognize areas of interest or joy. But… What happens in those streets that do not enjoy "games" or incentives? … When a neighborhood is "boring", does it affect us? … Is it possible to create an urban design that affects health?
Although the concept of "Boring urbanism" initially it may seem more an extract of our madness, there are a series of indications that demonstrate the existence of that idea within the urban mapping of cities and that presents a close relationship in the design of facades and their roads.
Colin ellard is a psychologist from the University of Waterloo in Canada who highlights a research case that she carried out. We move to New York:
It is considered a traditional neighborhood, with small shops and restaurants, and the use is residential. The psychologist chose to take small groups of people between two specific streets but a few steps away to assess their emotions (They all had a questionnaire to fill out and a system to measure heart rate).
Street A. Along one side of the pavement, it is entirely occupied by a ground and first floor of a supermarket with a long white facade without contrasts.
- Group evaluation: His emotional state is like being on the wrong side of "happiness" and his arousal state was … "close to bottoming out." Description of the street in words: bland, monotonous and without passion.
Street B. It had small restaurants and shops with lots of open doors and windows. People eating and drinking at restaurant tables.
- Group evaluation: Their emotional state was described as one of happiness. Description of the street in words: Mix, cheer, busy, socialize, eat or drink.
As a conclusion of the study: The pedestrian from street A does not present "emotion", rather people are calm, hunched over, bored or passive, faced with a road that does not present reliefs, openings, entrances or different colors, there is no interest. In the liveliest place (Calle B), they are talkative, active or curious. So we have two questions … What if a street is boring or uninteresting? Y How to achieve the opposite effect, how to make the pedestrian feel interest or at ease when passing through a street?
What happens if a street is of no interest
On a psychological level, we are biologically willing to favor complexity, interest or curiosity. The opposite translates into boredom, A-street. Some of the signs are well known: a sense of slow passage of time; a kind of restlessness that in many cases manifests itself with an unpleasant internal state of mind and adversity. (See also interesting design of modern houses and healthy buildings)
The Surveys of people with addictions, including substances and gambling, suggest that their boredom levels are generally higher, and that episodes of boredom are one of the most common indicators of relapse or risk behaviors.
It might seem extreme to say that a brief encounter with a boring building or street It would be dangerous to health, but… What about the cumulative effects of being immersed, day after day, in the same oppressive environment with boring buildings?
Facade design map
The Danish urban planner Jan Gehl observed that the people walk faster in front of blank facades; compared to an open facade, with different colors or reliefs. People are less likely to pause or even turn their heads in these kinds of places. They just try to emerge on the other side, presumably … "Find something more interesting".
In an article by Gehl and some colleagues, Close encounters with buildings (Close encounters with the buildings) states that facades on the ground floor they provide an important link between buildings and people. Which must be treated as a whole, since the facades of the ground floor must have a special and cozy design. A good city street should be designed in such a way that the pedestrian's average walker, moving at a speed of about 5 km / h, sees a new and interesting place every five seconds.
Based on measurements, Gehl has been able to identify a handful of design attributes within the urban map who can either attract or deter pedestrians by creating what he calls …"The urban scene at eye level". Represents a series of guidelines that should be considered whendesign a facade to spread certain sensations to the pedestrian. Where we can extract that:
Average effectiveness in pedestrian vision
Scale and rhythm of the facade
On average, pedestrians experience the urban scene at 5 km / h (1.3 to 1.5 meters / second). Small units that form shops offer a wide range of experiences, and a large number of doors provide points of exchange between the outside and the inside. It is a street rich in sensory experience.
Transparency in facades
The opportunity to be inside looking out - and outside looking in - significantly broadens the range of experiences in the buildings themselves and in the urban space. If we walk through the city, close to the facades, the opportunity to share what is happening in the buildings, greatly enrich the passerby experience. And people inside buildings can follow what is happening in the surrounding urban space. Life inside and outside buildings can thus interact to the benefit of both.
The senses on the facades
We can call on all of our senses when we are near buildings, and we do not have enough time to look, hear, smell or touch things. A host of sensory impressions await us. In contrast, a series of orange posters is a poor substitute.
Urban texture on facade
Good materials and fine details are an attraction for people who walk around the city. The opportunity appears to touch and examine the smallest detail. Facades at ground level should offer texture, good materials, and carefully crafted details.
Mix of uses in facades
The design of narrow units and many doors on the facade offers a desire for functional variation. The result is many units, many exchange points between the exterior and the interior, and a host of different events and experiences for the pedestrian. The big stores with their "Ten great shop windows" they are less interesting.
Vertical facade and rhythm
Facades with vertical elements make the walk much more interesting and eye-catching. We went from "One column to another", which makes the walk appear shorter. Facades with a mainly horizontal joint intensify the sensation of distance and therefore it is considered as a tedious or tedious stretch.
Vials and their design
Although we have been talking about the importance of facade design and its characteristics more unique, the road itself is another point of interest that presents both a significant game before the pedestrian and their health within the map of a city.
A study published in Nature suggests that people who live in neighborhoods with a higher density of trees on their streets have significantly better health and fewer heart problems. So urbanizing the road with coherence is another unfinished business on health. (Of interest the ecological urbanism and sustainable development in cities)
Urban learning tool
Addressing the theme of street planning and its benefits literally represents a book. But the Internet offers us the possibility of learning online.
From Nacto (National Association of City Transportation Officials) they offer us a website that really presents a high interest because it is formed as a urban tool learning about the urban profile. Where they teach the"before and after" of an urban action in graphic format and on different maps, guidelines, forms, advantages and disadvantages of apply road planning techniques. Highly recommended!
Many cities around the world have already carefully designed the building codes that mark and set the pace for a healthy and social city, although there is still much to re-order. By the way… Do you live in a boring neighborhood?
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