Connecting Water Front to Transit
Transit-oriented waterfront developments can help meet the needs of expanding metropolises, providing amenity-rich communities connected to larger urban areas through public transportation.
TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENTS (TODs) are becoming increasingly attractive to the real estate/development market as energy costs rise and global warming threatens the natural environment. Integrating multiuse projects with strong public transit networks decreases demands on auto-centric mobility, while improving air quality and the quality of life. TODs typically are found along existing or newly constructed public transit lines located outside urban cores. Sited on the periphery of cities, they often function as semiautonomous communities, while at other times they are entwined within an already established metropolis.
Until recently, though, contemporarily developed TODs-not cities or towns- have rarely been located along waterfronts. Transit oriented waterfront developments present special challenges for construction approval processes, given the unique, often sensitive, site ecologies. These challenges, however, are offset by the higher values that are generated, where landscape is leveraged as an attractive and ever-more valuable amenity. Transit-oriented waterfront developments can help meet the needs of expanding metropolises, providing amenity-rich communities that are connected to larger urban regions through public transportation. Within this framework, a site's sensitive ecology is sustained and land along its waterfront is used.
Barcelona, Spain, for example, extends its inner harbor developments along the coastline to TOD developments northeast of the city proper. Songdo City, an island in the Yellow Sea west of Seoul South Korea, built entirely on the landfill, illustrates how new, "manufactured" waterfronts can drive development and design decisions, especially when these waterfronts are fully integrated with infrastructure and transit networks. (Songdo City was a winner of the 2008 ULI/Financial Times Sustainable Cities Awards.) False Creek, located in Vancouver, British Columbia, shows how industry dominated waterfronts can be transformed and revitalized, building on the strengths of an industrial waterfront's unique characteristics. Revere Beach in Massachusetts is an example of how a historic waterfront site, scarred by damaging development trends, can be repaired and revitalized by intertwining new and adjacent developments.
Barcelona, Spain
The redevelopment of contiguous sites along the length of Barcelona's waterfront has yielded beaches, pedestrian promenades, restaurants, shops, entertainment venues and three TODs along its length: the inner harbor, the Olympic Village, and the recently developed Forum Diagonal Mar District.
The inner harbor, once separated from the city by warehouses, factories, and railroad tracks, is now a hub of commercial, recreational, and cultural activities, such as the Barcelona Maritime Museum, the Aquarium of Barcelona, and the lMAX Port Veil Theater. Adjacent neighborhoods have benefited, as housing and commercial developments continue to thrive.
The 1992 Olympics was an important catalyst for the development of Barcelona's waterfront. In preparation for the Olympics, railroad tracks were relocated and warehouses were tom down, opening up the city to the sea. The urban design by Martorell Bohigias Mackay (MBM) Arquitectes of Barcelona provides a strongly defined "wet" square or port with more than 670 moorings. In addition, more than 2,500 housing units, as well as hospitality, recreational, and commercial venues, line the waterfront and its landscaped Litoral Park. Two iconic towers - the Hotel Arts, designed by Bruce Graham and Frank O. Gehry and owned by Ritz Carlton Hotels; and Mapfre Office Tower, a 4o•floor office tower designed by Inigo Ortiz & Enrique Leon Arquitectos and owned by the Mapfre insurance company - rise above the new waterfront development.
The Olympics Village is served by two bus lines, a subway, two trams, and Barcelona's network of bicycle rental centers, all of which help ease the demands on infrastructure that typically accompany new developments. A pedestrian promenade travels from Port Veil and the inner harbor past the Olympics Village down the almost three-mile (4.8•km) stretch of new beaches and waterfront developments.
At the terminus of this stretch is a 5o-acre (20.24•ha) site developed for Forum Barcelona 2004 and anchored by Herzog & de Meuron's triangular Forum building. Like the Olympics, Forum Barcelona 2004 has generated new growth along the waterfront such as Diagonal Mar, a mixed-use housing, entertainment, and shopping district. Diagonal Mar, which intersects with the boulevard Via Diagonal, provides 1,722,225 square feet (160,000 sq m) of residential space, 613,542.3 square feet (57.000 sq m) of office space, and 624,306.2 square feet(58,000 sq m) of hotel space, as well as 240 shops, a market, and a movie theater. A sewer plant is integrated into the landscape of a 35-acre (14.16-ha) park adjoining Diagonal Mar that includes three lakes, footpaths, sports facilities, and a children's play area.
New bike routes, created as part of Forum Barcelona 2004, extend to Diagonal Mar and link residents and visitors of the waterfront development to Barcelona's larger bicycle network. Public transportation to the area is provided by ten bus lines and three subway stops, which link the site to major points throughout Barcelona. Diagonal Mar demonstrates how a continuous stretch of waterfront can be punctuated with transit-oriented nodes strung together by parks and amenities.
Songdo City, South Korea
When it is completed in 2014, Songdo City will be one of the world's first master-planned cities designed on sustainable design principles as an international business district Initiated by the Korean government. The $35 billion project is located on a newly created, artificial 1,500-acre (607.04-ha) island strategically located in the Yellow Sea, 24.8 miles (40 km) west of Seoul. It is expected to relieve development pressure from Seoul while serving as an economic catalyst for Korea's economy. As an international business hub, it is directly tethered to Incheon Airport by a 7.4-mile (11.9-km) bridge, shortening the typical 60-plus•minute trip to 15 minutes. Because of the island's compact design, the waterfront plays an important part in the design of the new transit-oriented community.
Every building in Songdo is expected to be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified and the U.S. Green Building Council has accepted the city as a pilot in its LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) rating criteria.
To attain its goal of being a community-oriented sustainable city, Songdo will incorporate an expansive network of open public spaces with business and cultural amenities connected to multimodal public transit. Plans for Songdo include a 100-acre (40.5-ha) park (Central Park); a golf village; an international school; an international hospital; an ecotarium; a museum: office tower; residential towers; and retail, restaurant, and entertainment venues.
As an international business district, Songdo's infrastructure must be able to accommodate up to 300,000 people per day, of which approximately 240,000 will be commuters from the mainland. The high volume of commuters required an extensive and fully integrated multimodal public transportation network.
A seawater canal links the city to the waterfront, as it provides ubiquitous waterfront access throughout the city. The main artery of the canal runs east and west across the island through Central Park, and smaller branches extend north and south into residential and business districts. Water taxis travel along Songdo's canal network with stops at the Cultural Center, City Hall, and city museums; water taxis also run along the north and south branches of the canal providing access to business and residential districts. The seawater in the canals never freezes, allowing the water taxis to run year-round. The network of canals and its interaction with Songdo's other public transportation systems help reinforce the relationship between the city and its waterfront.
The water-based transit network is linked o the subway line (and its three stops) and the mainland beyond. The subway stops are located so that they can service all buildings within a half-mile walk. In addition, there are numerous pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly paths, as well as bike storage and rental facilities throughout the city. Electric cars can also be leased for short terms.
Approximately 40 percent of the island's total area is designated as open space. The main waterfront promenade curves from the island's southwest comer to its most northeast point, providing views of the city and landscape along its path. The promenade is bisected by the Cultural Center, whose supporting public spaces are set perpendicular to the promenade and cut into the city's fabric, linking the waterfront to a park that is centrally located on the island and in the heart of the downtown area. At the eastern end of the island, an estuary lines the island's waterfront. A bike path follows the waterfront park as part of its loop through the island's green spaces. As a master-planned international business district that is simultaneously sustainable, community oriented, and transit oriented, Songdo City aims to become an international paragon of sustainable urban design.
Vancouver, British Columbia
Within the past 30 years, False Creek, an inlet running through Vancouver, has been transformed from an industry-dominated urban waterfront into a sustainable, transit-oriented waterfront community. Vancouver officials stopped industrial production along False Creek in 1970 as part of an overall redevelopment strategy. By 1975, the Greater Vancouver Regional District developed a Livable Regions Strategy that mandated high-density housing, public open space, and convenient access to public transportation. Located along the creek are South False Creek, a residential development, and Granville Island, a community gathering place.
In accordance with the guidelines set forth by the Livable Regions Strategy, South False Creek has a residential density of 45 units per acre (110 units per ha). Buildings are interspersed with doughnut-shaped enclaves that provide a transition from the city's public realm to the residential private realm. Each residential unit is allotted only one parking space, road widths are regulated to prevent heavy traffic and increase pedestrianism, and sidewalk curbs are rounded to encourage the use of bicycles. A bus line-developed with subsidies from the original residents of South False Creek-runs directly to the development from downtown Vancouver, and trolleys provide convenient access to the SkyTrain, an elevated rail system that has multiple stops along the False Creek waterfront The adjoining Charleson Park connects South False Creek to the waterfront, and continues to provide a gathering place in the middle of downtown Vancouver.
Granville Island, located along False Creek's south shore, was conceived as a combination of public parks and recreational facilities that would complement the residential units of South False Creek. Before 1970, the combination of automobile traffic and factory pollution had made Granville Island an undesirable and largely avoided place. (The factories on Granville Island manufactured parts and industrial machinery/equipment that served the forest, mining, construction, and shipping sectors.) The revitalization effort, however, has made Granville Island more publicly accessible. It now is home to public markets, artists' studios, theater companies, an art institute, a hotel, shops, and restaurants, many of which occupy Granville's original factories.
Because it is located beneath the Granville Bridge and is difficult to reach, the island has implemented a multimodal approach to public transportation. Two buses, which run approximately every 20 minutes, take visitors near the foot of the bridge; other bus routes have stops within easy walking distance of the island. Water transport is also available, with the Aquabus and the False Creek ferries, both of which make trips regularly around False Creek and have stops on Granville Island. The Cyquabus, a bike-friendly version of the Aquabus, has bike racks on board and multiple bike racks are conveniently located throughout the island. A bicycle and pedestrian pathway runs past Granville Island along the south shore of False Creek and maintain the connection between the island and South False Creek.
South False Creek and Granville Island offer examples of how high-density housing, public space, recreational amenities, and public transportation can be combined to turn industry-dominated waterfronts into sustainable urban communities.
Revere, Massachusetts
Revere Beach, located in Revere, Massachusetts, an inner-ring suburb that is seven miles (11.3km) north of Boston, is the site of a new $500 million multiuse development. Once known as the "Coney Island" of Boston, Revere Beach is a coastal landmark that has provided both employment and entertainment to Boston area residents since it opened as America's first public beach in 1896. It began to deteriorate as a tourist destination in the 1950s, however, and, as fewer and fewer people visited the amusements along Revere Beach Boulevard, the area fell into decline.
Located in the interstitial region between the city or Boston and its inner suburbs, Revere Beach is positioned to appeal to both urban and suburban populations. The town is located five to ten minutes from Logan Airport and downtown Boston on the Blue Line, part of Boston's subway network. As both a waterfront development and an edge city connected to a metropolis by public transportation, Revere Beach is considered well suited for a transit-oriented waterfront development.
The new development-known as Waterfront Square- when completed will include a boutique hotel, residential towers, office buildings, restaurants, retail stores, and entertainment and cultural venues. An elevated outdoor plaza will be built above the renovated Wonderland Subway Station, and a pedestrian bridge will extend over Beach Boulevard to link Waterfront Square directly to the Revere Beach Reservation.
Transit-oriented waterfront developments present new growth opportunities for cities looking to increase their development-without expanding their ecological footprint. To be successful, these waterfront developments need to balance economic and ecological parameters. Revitalization of decaying districts and restoration of landscape can generate value for both the site and the city. Connectivity through multimodal transit systems can ensure access and economic vitality, while helping enhance quality-of-life options for residents.
PAUL LUKEZ is the founder of Paul Lukez Architecture, located in Somerville, Massachusetts and author of Suburban Transformation (Princeton Architectural Press 2007).