The first question I ask is why? What is the desired outcome? Is the intention to reduce vehicular congestions in the city, reduce pollution, improve public amenity, or all of the above? Rebalancing the city is a phrase that has recently been used.

In Melbourne the CBD grid was first laid out in the 1830s. Melbourne has been fortunate to have such a clear and robust structure, which has endured. We could say Robert Hoddle was extremely far-sighted (even if my understanding is that the width of Melbourne’s principle streets was actually defined by the width required to accommodate large bullock carts that could continue straight through the city and not hold up other horse drawn traffic from making right turns).

In any event, Melbourne has a structure that was established 185 years ago, and while it serves the city well and has managed to accommodate changes in mobility and population (both resident and worker) over the years, does the current configuration reflect the needs of contemporary Melbourne?

We have become better at understanding the finer grain elements of how the city functions, and the importance these finer elements have on the successful operation of the city. It is not just about vehicle movement (or bullock carts), the road, or the public realm. It is about accommodating the needs and demands of a range of users. It is about public transport modes, pedestrians, cyclist, utilities, businesses, residents and, importantly, the need to further evolve the public realm in mitigating and managing the impacts of climate change within the city, a concept perhaps better understood as enhancing the city’s resilience.

All these elements have a spatial requirement. The challenge is understanding these demands – some of which can be at conflict with each other – and allocating space within the fixed parameters of the public realm or street.

Melbourne has been proactive with this issue and we have seen an evolution in terms of the way the streets are designed and used. If we look back, some of the bold moves in addressing the balance have been the introduction of Melbourne’s tram system, the creation of the Bourke Street Mall, and the exclusion of cars from Swanston Street.

Swanston Street is the most recent example, but it has taken the best part of 20 years – and various iterations – to become the successful street it is today. Across the city, we are continually seeing the recalibration of the CBD’s streets with the development of the tram super stops, expansion of footpaths, and increase in trees, but is it time again for a bolder move?

While there has been recent discussion around restoring William’s Creek along Elizabeth Street, I think the next move should be to address East-West access across the CBD. Do we expand the Bourke Street Mall up to Parliament, but remove the asphalt and replace it with an urban forest to address urban heat islands and improve stormwater management? Do we further restrict vehicles and prioritise cycling along Collins Street?

The wholesale exclusion of cars from the CBD would not result in a successful outcome; what is needed is a clear strategy. If cars are removed what do the streets become? There is a range of issues that need to be addressed in relation to how the city currently functions. We would need, for example, to agree on how to service our retail, restaurants, commercial and residential in getting goods in, and waste out.

Further, how do we address emergency services? How do we ensure our public transport system can support a dramatic increase in patronage? How do we mitigate increased vehicular traffic on the wider road network? Importantly, how do we ensure our productivity and competitiveness is not impacted?

There are solutions to all these challenges, but it takes a clear vision and strong leadership to deliver change. Many cities have introduced initiatives such as car-free days, congestion charging, or restrictions of the entry of cars with odd- or even-number plate numbers, or incentives for zero-emission cars. But these initiatives have only been successful when implemented as part of a bigger strategy.

In Mexico City, for example, the restrictions on odd- or even-number plates resulted in people either buying another car or an additional set of number plates. In London, meanwhile, the CBD’s congestion charge has been expanded, and a large part of the program’s success is that the revenue raised from the charge is reinvested in the public transport system and cycling network.

I clearly recall the day when Swanton’s Street was covered in grass. While no one expected it to stay as grass, it did demonstrate that we could envisage the street as something more than just a road for cars.

Adam Williams (adam.williams@aecom.com) is director, Global Sports leader, Asia Pacific, 91Ӱ��. Based in Melbourne, Adam is currently leading 91Ӱ��’s work on the Rio 2016 Olympic Master Plan and venues, and previously lead 91Ӱ��’s work on the London 2012 Olympic legacy masterplan.

He recently joined industry experts in a discussing the potential removal of cars from Melbourne’s CBD, which accompanied a in Melbourne’s The Age newspaper.

The post No cars in the city center, or something more? appeared first on Blog.

Bridges are of as much interest to the general public as they are to designers and engineers, particularly if they are iconic and notable. Their timeless appearance and monumental size unsurprisingly strike interest and fascination among us all. In the early 1900s the need for transportation infrastructure gave rise to a variety of innovative bridge types; over time construction methods evolved, giving way to a catalog of new bridges. Today bridges come in all forms, some tall, some short, some designed for vehicles alone while others are intended for pedestrians, bicycles and even horses.

The most common bridge that fills our landscape and often goes unnoticed is the conventional concrete vehicular bridge. These are built purely for function and designed to move large volumes of motorists from point A to point B, withstanding high amounts of vibration and structural load. The potential for bridges to become iconic gateways, beacons, and connecting devices between and within towns and cities is often overlooked. Alternatively these monumental structures can be seen not only as bridges but as places – places for connecting people, places for viewing, places for gathering and celebrating. This view provides opportunities to bring new value to existing communities, not only through a piece of infrastructure but through a holistic design approach involving disciplines including architecture, urban design, transportation, engineering, landscape architecture and hydrology.

Tongzhou Canal Bridges: conceptual linkages diagram.

In 2010 91Ӱ��’s Los Angeles Urban Design team completed a waterfront master plan and sustainability guidelines for the city of Tongzhou, China. As a result of the two-year design and planning effort, local city leaders announced an international design competition for two bridges and a waterfront park. After being asked to participate in the competition, our multidisciplinary design approach and methodology was selected. We choose to build on our key concepts established during the master planning stage and leverage these ideas to develop the new landscape and bridge elements.

Tongzhou Canal Bridge and waterfront.

The site is located at the confluence of four rivers; the design calls for two bridges along an arterial loop road connected with a waterfront promenade and park. The key design drivers were pedestrian connectivity and access from the central business district and adjacent neighborhoods to the waterfront for recreational activities. The two bridges include programmed space where the structure meets the landscape; this becomes a transitional space where landscape becomes bridge and buildings become landscape, blurring the lines between the public realm and architectural elements.

Aerial Rendering: Alternative 2 of Sixth Street Viaduct competition over the Los Angeles river.

More recently we were shortlisted to one of three design teams for the Sixth Street Viaduct competition in Los Angeles, a highly visible competition that featured some of Los Angeles’s most respected architects. Constructed in 1932, the Sixth Street Viaduct (also known as the Sixth Street Bridge) is an important engineering landmark in the City of Los Angeles.  It is the longest of 14 historic Los Angeles River crossing structures. Located in a densely urbanized area just east of downtown Los Angeles, the bridge is a critical transportation link between �����Ի���. A 1986 Caltrans bridge survey found it to be eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places; however the bridge must be replaced due to a form on “concrete cancer” that is rapidly eroding the structure.

View from 5^th Street Bridge over the Los Angeles River: Alternative 1 is a cable stayed bridge with pedestrian ramps to a restored river bank and bike paths.

The new bridge is to span the Los Angeles River as well as multiple rail lines, functioning as a “gateway” to Downtown LA from the east. This multimodal bridge allows for vehicular traffic, bicyclists, and pedestrians with future connections to a restored LA River and future bike paths. The team included 91Ӱ�� architects, landscape architects, urban designers, computational designers, transportation and structural engineers, all working together to come up with the optimal solution. The design team explored multiple alternatives varying from cable stayed pylons to a modified arched scheme that reflects elements of the old bridge. In addition to the bridge structure, a network of open spaces and plazas were incorporated to improve local pedestrian connectivity and community gathering spaces. We used our parametric design capabilities to help both our team and the interview panel visualize the design.

Sixth Street Viaduct: Hanging pedestrian and bike path over the LA river connecting Boyle Heights to the east arts district.

This design effort is ongoing and the team is continuing to explore a variety of structural elements and aesthetics.

Stephen Nieto (stephen.nieto@aecom.com) is an urban designer in 91Ӱ��’s Design + Planning practice.

The post More than a bridge appeared first on Blog.

Bridges are of as much interest to the general public as they are to designers and engineers, particularly if they are iconic and notable. Their timeless appearance and monumental size unsurprisingly strike interest and fascination among us all. In the early 1900s the need for transportation infrastructure gave rise to a variety of innovative bridge types; over time construction methods evolved, giving way to a catalog of new bridges. Today bridges come in all forms, some tall, some short, some designed for vehicles alone while others are intended for pedestrians, bicycles and even horses.

The most common bridge that fills our landscape and often goes unnoticed is the conventional concrete vehicular bridge. These are built purely for function and designed to move large volumes of motorists from point A to point B, withstanding high amounts of vibration and structural load. The potential for bridges to become iconic gateways, beacons, and connecting devices between and within towns and cities is often overlooked. Alternatively these monumental structures can be seen not only as bridges but as places – places for connecting people, places for viewing, places for gathering and celebrating. This view provides opportunities to bring new value to existing communities, not only through a piece of infrastructure but through a holistic design approach involving disciplines including architecture, urban design, transportation, engineering, landscape architecture and hydrology.

Tongzhou Canal Bridges: conceptual linkages diagram.

In 2010 91Ӱ��’s Los Angeles Urban Design team completed a waterfront master plan and sustainability guidelines for the city of Tongzhou, China. As a result of the two-year design and planning effort, local city leaders announced an international design competition for two bridges and a waterfront park. After being asked to participate in the competition, our multidisciplinary design approach and methodology was selected. We choose to build on our key concepts established during the master planning stage and leverage these ideas to develop the new landscape and bridge elements.

Tongzhou Canal Bridge and waterfront.

The site is located at the confluence of four rivers; the design calls for two bridges along an arterial loop road connected with a waterfront promenade and park. The key design drivers were pedestrian connectivity and access from the central business district and adjacent neighborhoods to the waterfront for recreational activities. The two bridges include programmed space where the structure meets the landscape; this becomes a transitional space where landscape becomes bridge and buildings become landscape, blurring the lines between the public realm and architectural elements.

Aerial Rendering: Alternative 2 of Sixth Street Viaduct competition over the Los Angeles river.

More recently we were shortlisted to one of three design teams for the Sixth Street Viaduct competition in Los Angeles, a highly visible competition that featured some of Los Angeles’s most respected architects. Constructed in 1932, the Sixth Street Viaduct (also known as the Sixth Street Bridge) is an important engineering landmark in the City of Los Angeles.  It is the longest of 14 historic Los Angeles River crossing structures. Located in a densely urbanized area just east of downtown Los Angeles, the bridge is a critical transportation link between �����Ի���. A 1986 Caltrans bridge survey found it to be eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places; however the bridge must be replaced due to a form on “concrete cancer” that is rapidly eroding the structure.

View from 5^th Street Bridge over the Los Angeles River: Alternative 1 is a cable stayed bridge with pedestrian ramps to a restored river bank and bike paths.

The new bridge is to span the Los Angeles River as well as multiple rail lines, functioning as a “gateway” to Downtown LA from the east. This multimodal bridge allows for vehicular traffic, bicyclists, and pedestrians with future connections to a restored LA River and future bike paths. The team included 91Ӱ�� architects, landscape architects, urban designers, computational designers, transportation and structural engineers, all working together to come up with the optimal solution. The design team explored multiple alternatives varying from cable stayed pylons to a modified arched scheme that reflects elements of the old bridge. In addition to the bridge structure, a network of open spaces and plazas were incorporated to improve local pedestrian connectivity and community gathering spaces. We used our parametric design capabilities to help both our team and the interview panel visualize the design.

Sixth Street Viaduct: Hanging pedestrian and bike path over the LA river connecting Boyle Heights to the east arts district.

This design effort is ongoing and the team is continuing to explore a variety of structural elements and aesthetics.

Stephen Nieto (stephen.nieto@aecom.com) is an urban designer in 91Ӱ��’s Design + Planning practice.

The post More than a bridge appeared first on Blog.