CURRENT PRACTICES & MOVING FORWARD

                Sustainability and modern day design practices don’t necessarily go hand in hand as well as most would proclaim.  Although everyone desires the most sustainable building available, most people don’t realize just how hard it is creating a sustainable product effectively. 

Sustainability has almost become a buzzword that triggers the interest of all but most are not willing to work for.   Every owner wants the recognition of LEED credentials, but don’t understand what it takes to receive that certificate.  But I wonder if it is entirely less complex to make parallels between the two lecture topics this week; “sustainability” and “current practices” than it is considered currently within the design world.  Is being sustainable truly as difficult as it seems to be nowadays?  Or are we as designers not utilizing the less obvious ways to provide sustainable projects?

Two examples given as current practices of urban design are Transit Oriented Design TOD and Walkable Cities.  Although these examples are arguably opposites, I believe their main concepts are one in the same, and can be compared to Natural and Cultural types of sustainability.  An example of Transit Oriented Design would be Portland, Oregon’s TriMet rail system, seen below.  As I have had far too much experience commuting on this rail line, I have to say that it is one of the most thought out systems I’ve seen, providing service in not only downtown areas, but more “traditional” neighborhoods as well.  The main theory behind TOD is to minimize personal vehicular usage, and to reduce air pollution and regional congestion.  Portland TriMet does just that,  providing a light rail system servicing various areas of the city, covering a total of 52+ miles (2013, June).  As the city becomes more densified, the practicality of personal automobile use decreases and the rise in public transportation increases.  Especially because commuting within the city center of the system is free of charge and helps attract users to the area.

http://transitmap.net/post/58158059517/aerial-portland

Although the example given for Cultural sustainability had an emphasis on humanitarian design and the use of local materials, the Portland rail system is a direct translation of the culture of Portland and shows exactly how the entire social class of the city commutes in the same way; while reducing negative environmental impacts and promoting local economic development.  Providing public transportation throughout numerous parts of the city helps to minimize the overall square footage of the entire city and reduces it down to more of a Walkable City environment.  When designed correctly, I believe the use of TOD systems can actually create Walkable Cities, almost eliminating the need of personal vehicles and promoting a healthier, more financially feasible lifestyle.

On the other hand, Natural sustainability practices  are very similar to vernacular architecture design and I feel is the main theory of Walkable Cities.  The main concept of vernacular architecture is to address the basic needs of the user, which is the same idea behind Walkable Cities which provides all basic services required to live a well rounded life, within a few mile radius.  Ancient Roman cities for example used to provide all nourishment, services, and entertainment within a set city boundary to make sure all citizens had access to all basic human needs before vehicles were even invented. 

http://atlphyre.blogspot.com/2013_01_01_archive.html

The map above shows the City of Timgad, one of the few Roman cities that was created entirely from scratch allowing the Romans to create a city exactly like they saw fit (2011, October 8).  As you can see, the market, educational facilities, entertainment, etc. are all located within the city center, allowing the citizens to travel to one set location for all services, and reducing the need to travel.  Whether intentional or not, this urban design approach is a direct representation of Natural sustainability through the focus on local materiality, topographic response and not only the health of the land, but also the users that inhabit the space.

http://www.lib.luc.edu/specialcollections/items/show/809

Utilizing a primarily flat site allows for easier travel from one site to the next, while taking advantage of the minimal elevation changes for entertainment purposes like the amphitheater seen to the left.  This example of vernacular architecture is an urban design concept that I think was underappreciated and lost in the evolution of design over the years.

In order to be sustainable as designers we need to look beyond just materiality, but consider how the user interacts with the space as well.  I believe nowadays it has become too common to only focus on the physically built elements of designs to determine whether a design is sustainable or not, and it no longer matters if the inhabitants are pollutants themselves.  Although Timgad was a city before the invention of the automobile, it still would have been just as wasteful to design cities that were beyond the radius of a reasonable walkable distance because those spaces would have been underutilized and a waste of labor, materials and the natural environment.  Pollution isn't the only factor that makes things unsustainable.

So is it possible for cities to be as sustainable as they once were before the Industrial Revolution?  Yes but it won't be easy.  Like Portland, a city rapidly growing and spread out over 100 square miles, is still a city that promotes non-vehicular transportation as a way of life, centralizes uses for shorter travel times and provides transportation for those who must travel beyond a reasonable walking distance.  It is probably impractical to suggest that all cities start implementing vernacular architecture techniques like Timgad, but like the lecture says: it's about learning from our past in order to create a better future. 

Ceron, I. (2011, October 8).  Equity in the City (1): Three Lessons from the Ancient Roman Metropolis.  Retrieved December 1, 2016, from https://isabelceron.wordpress.com/2011/10/08/equity-in-the-city-1-three-lessons-from-the-ancient-roman-metropolis/

McFarlane, N. (2013, June). Public Transit in Portland. Retrieved November 30, 2016, from https://trimet.org/pdfs/publications/Public-Transit-in-Portland.pdf