Key Findings for Public Space

Transcription

1 Key Findings for Public Space Gehl Making Cities for People Civic Center PSPL

2 1 Civic Center is a powerful symbol of San Francisco Gehl Making Cities for People Civic Center PSPL

3 Striking architecture makes Civic Center a successful San Francisco Icon Civic Center, like the Ferry Building, Twin Peaks, Lombard Street, Golden Gate Bridge, and other destinations, are central associations with the image of San Francisco Gehl Making Cities for People Civic Center PSPL

4 Among the iconic Civic Centers and major squares of the world Trafalgar Square, London Zócalo, Mexico City Civic Center is among the great squares and civic spaces of the world, including: the Campo de Sienna in Italy, Trafalger Square in London, Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia, Place de la République and Place des Voges in Paris, Copenhagen s City Hall Plaza, Bryant Park in New York, and the Zócalo in Mexico City Our Civic Center s iconic buildings deserve an iconic public realm Rådhuspladsen, Copenhagen City Hall Bryant Park, NYC Place de la République, Paris Gehl Making Cities for People Civic Center PSPL

5 With a public life profile centered around the seasons of life Civic Center hosts all rhythms of civic, public, and private life: weddings, war memorial, world-class arts, daily civic and neighborhood business, moments of civic togetherness and civic unrest People move to San Francisco to celebrate the dignity and diversity of human life It is the place where the passions of our city are manifested in public space Gehl Making Cities for People Civic Center PSPL

6 2 There s no Center in Civic Center Gehl Making Cities for People Civic Center PSPL

7 NEIGHBORHOOD SERVING RETAIL Key Findings Civic Center has many elements of a complete neighborhood FOOD & BEVERAGE Bakery Coffee Bar GROCERY Farmers Market Convenience or Liquor Store Grocery Store Food Store with Produce Public Library ARTS & CULTURE FACILITIES Book Store Ephemeral events and programming add life intermittently, but are the everyday activities of a neighborhood district supported by permanent amenities? Hair Care Health Club Restaurant or Café Bank Pharmacy Other Retail Shared Workplaces Laundry or Dry Cleaner Clothing Store Hardware Store Government Office that serves Public On-Site Sidewalk /Outdoor Dining Family Entertainment Venue Police or Fire Station Cultural Arts Facility Community or Artist Workshops Social Services Center Medical Clinic Live Music Venue Child Care Playground <12 yrs Religious Facility Post Office CIVIC & COMMUNITY FACILITIES Movie Theater Community or Recreation Center Adult or Senior Care Educational Facility Museum Sports Field / Active Rec Gehl Making Cities for People Civic Center PSPL

8 Key Findings But they are clustered on the periphery WORTH ELM E GATE AV LEAVEN GOLDEN JONES TURK D REDWOO IER MCALL D REDWOO H K AR HYDE M FRANK LARKIN POLK LIN FULTON S AVE VAN NES ASH GOUGH Civic Center has most of the amenities of a complete neighborhood - but they are clustered on the periphery ET 7T FULTON GROVE N SO EN V E ON SI IS M H 8T A N IN M HAYES A OM AT N IVY Neighborhood Amenities E SI ES J Grocery H 9T Many of the opening hours of these amenities cater strictly to office workers, not neighborhood patrons or visitors Arts & Culture Facilities Civic & Community Facilities D AR OW H Neighborhood Serving Retail Food & Beverage Book Store Social Services Center Hair Care Coffee Grocery Store Live Music Venue Adult or Senior Care Health Club Bar Movie Theater Child Care Bank Bakery Cultural Arts Facility Educational Facility Laundry or Dry Cleaner Restaurant or Café Museum Religious Facility Clothing Store Government Office that serves Public On-Site Pharmacy Post Office Hardware Store Police or Fire Station Other Retail TH 10 Convenience or Liquor Store Medical Clinic Gehl Making Cities for People Civic Center PSPL 2017 Sports 36

9 POLK Key Findings Large Institutions at the core of Civic Center Civic Center is dominated by institutional uses ASH REDWOOD HERB THEATRE SCHOOL ELM TURK GOLDEN GATE AVE REDWOOD SUPERIOR COURT SUPREME COURT OF CA MCALLIER CITY HALL GARAGE LARKIN ASIAN ART MUSEUM FULTON SF PUBLIC LIBRARY HYDE UC HAINGS ORPHEUM THEATER LEAVENWORTH MARKET ANTHONY S CHURCH VACANT BANK ACT THEATER EVENSON JONES 7TH HUCKLEBERRY BIKES FULTON VAN NESS AVE GOUGH FRANKLIN OPERA HOUSE GROVE MISSION PERFORMING ARTS GARAGE IVY SF JAZZ SF SYMPHONY NOURSE THEATER PLAYGROUND BILL GRAHAM AUDITORIUM HAYES 10TH NEMA TWITTER BLDG JESSIE DOLBY HOTEL WHITCOMB 9TH 8TH Land Use MINNA NATOMA HOWARD Parks / Open Space Cultural / Institutional / Education Retail / Entertainment Mixed Use Mixed Residential Residential Medical Production / Distribution / Repair Management / Information / Professional Services Visitor Vacant Gehl Making Cities for People Civic Center PSPL

10 Key Findings TURK ONY S ANTH INGS UC HA D E COURT REDWOO SUPREM R COURT SUPERIO BI KE S NK BA VACANT HU OF CA IER MCALL UM T MUSE ASIAN AR SF PUB EA TE TH AC T M ORPHEU R THEATE HYDE GROVE RARY LIC LIB LARKIN POLK S AVE VAN NES N SO EN V E ON SI IS M HI W L HO TE H BILL GR B M DITORIU AHAM AU GE TS GARA MING AR PERFOR TC OM LIN HOUSE FRANK GOUGH H L CITY HAL OPERA M E THEATR ASH FULTON ET K AR 8T The pedestrian experience in Civic Center is defined by long, inactive façades with few openings and very little transparency Vibrant and active façades are only experienced at the periphery HERB 7T FULTON R GARAGE D REDWOO RY E GATE AV LEAVEN GOLDEN CHURCH BE R ELM JONES WORTH SCHOOL CK LE Monofunction buildings create a dull core Facade Quality A N IN M ONY PH SF SYM A OM AT LB Y HAYES N DO IVY D AR OW H R H BL DG THEATE 9T TE R NOURSE TW IT OUND PLAYGR SF JAZZ E N H T 10 EM A I SS JE Vibrant Gehl Making Cities for People Civic Center PSPL 2017 Small units with many doors High transparency No vacant or passive units Lots of character Good articulation, materials and details Active Relatively small units Some transparency Few passive units Some articulation and detail Dull Large units with few doors Low transparency Some Passive Units Few or no details Inactive Large units with few doors Very little or no transparency Uniform facades with no details or nothing to look at Parking or vacant lot 38

11 Key Findings Ground floors within the Civic Center District Facade Quality Ranking: Vibrant Small units with many doors High transparency No vacant or passive units Lots of character Good articulation, materials and details Active Relatively small units Some transparency Few passive units Some articulation and detail Dull Large units with few doors Low transparency Some Passive Units Few or no details Inactive Large units with few doors Very little or no transparency Uniform facades with no details or nothing to look at Parking or vacant lot Gehl Making Cities for People Civic Center PSPL

12 3 The civic axis is broken Gehl Making Cities for People Civic Center PSPL

13 Key Findings Strong visual axis Dull public realm 773 m) 1143 (4p (8am) (12pm) City Hall 2,616 Hyde St Ave Civic Center PSPL 2017 t Larkin S t Polk S ss Van Ne Weekday peak hour pedestrian and traffic counts Gehl Making Cities for People m) 1,152 (1p m) 1,554 (5p St re e t n/a m) 1430 (8a M ar ke t The strong visual axis from Market Street to City Hall is disconnected by high-traffic streets and a dull public realm More people than cars cross Polk Street at Peak 41

14 4 Fragmented stewardship and governance Gehl Making Cities for People Civic Center PSPL

15 Key Findings Disconnected public realm is mirrored in jurisdictional boundaries Many jurisdictional boundaries overlap in Civic Center s iconic public spaces Split by two police districts, two business improvement districts, and other management and programming entities, the only entity that encompasses all of The Commons is the Downtown Streets Team ors bassad m A A I OCE Judicial Council D nter CB e C ic v i C D loin CB Tender General Services Admin Asian Art Museum orks ublic W P f o t p De arks n and P io t a e r c Re City Hall SHN SF Library orthern SFPD N nderloin SFPD Te Bill Graham Map of stewardship boundaries Gehl Making Cities for People Civic Center PSPL 2017 wn Downto Streets Team *All public streets under maintenance supervision of Public Works 43 unless noted otherwise

16 5 Look but don t touch: the space is unfriendly to the human scale Gehl Making Cities for People Civic Center PSPL

17 12 Urban Quality Criteria in Civic Center Missing the basics The 12 Urban Quality Criteria are a way to discuss a hierarchy of needs in a space Without basic protection from cars, noise, rain, and wind, people will avoid spending time in a space Without elements that make walking, standing, sitting, seeing, and conversing comfortable, a place won t invite people to spend time there Finally, a great place distinguishes itself by including elements that invite people to be active and make use of the positive aspects of microclimate and human scale This assessment is a snapshot in time based on existing conditions While improvements are on the way, some fundamental challenges exist Protection Comfort Enjoyment Protection against traffic & crashes feeling safe Opportunities to walk/cycle Opportunities to see Protection against crime & violence feeling secure Opportunities to stop & stay Opportunities to talk & listen Protection against unpleasant sensory experiences Opportunities to sit movable tables + chairs not present during study Opportunities for play & exercise Playgrounds not open during study Scale Dimensioned at human scale Opportunities to enjoy the positive aspects of climate Aesthetic qualities + positive sensory experience Poor Fair Good Gehl Making Cities for People Civic Center PSPL

18 Civic Center We analyzed the Civic Center district as a whole according to the 12 Urban Quality Criteria Qualities of seeing and looking are strong in Civic Center, as is aesthetic beauty But it is falling short on fundamental qualities that make a space inviting for people Protection Comfort Enjoyment Gehl Making Cities for People Civic Center PSPL

19 Protection Without basic protection from cars, noise, rain, and wind, people will avoid spending time in a space Protection from these things is mandatory for a place to be used Great view, but not safe to stand in the street Some places are very protected Protection against traffic & crashes feeling safe Protection against crime & violence feeling secure Protection against unpleasant sensory experiences Fair Poor Poor I ve heard of a bulb-out but never a bulb-in Gehl Making Cities for People Civic Center PSPL

20 Comfort Without elements that make walking, standing, sitting, seeing, and conversing comfortable, a place does not invite people to spend time there Opportunities to walk/cycle Opportunities to stop & stay Opportunities to sit Good Poor Poor Opportunities to see Opportunities to talk & listen Opportunities for play & exercise Good Poor Fair Playgrounds were under construction during this study Assessment based on interim design Gehl Making Cities for People Civic Center PSPL

21 Enjoyment A great place distinguishes itself from a good place by including elements that invite people to be active and make use of the positive aspects of microclimate and human scale Brr I m happy to be in the sun! I just got marriedbut where do I go now? Dimensioned at human scale Opportunities to enjoy the positive aspects of climate Aesthetic qualities + positive sensory experience Poor Poor Good The Asian Art Museum is beautiful, but people are walled off from Fulton Street Beautiful architecture and art is one of the reasons people come to Civic Center Gehl Making Cities for People Civic Center PSPL

22 Little to delight the 5 senses Successful public spaces appeal to all the senses - not only the delight of beautiful architecture, but also touch, smell, and taste At the time of this survey, there were few positive invitations to delight the senses in Civic Center s 730,000 square feet of public open space The Civic Center Commons Initiative is making things better Movable tables and chairs, a permanent kiosk, and two new world-class playgrounds are a step in the right direction, but there is still much to do Drinking Fountains 3Restrooms Public Wayfinding Play Areas 3 Art Chairs/benches movable tables + chairs not present during study Gehl Making Cities for People Civic Center PSPL

23 Scale comparisons Public Space 25 ft (76m) Social Space 12 ft (36m) Humans feel more safe when we can recognize other people and their emotions The following scale comparisons demonstrate public space designs that function both as a civic gathering place as well as a place that honors the human scale Personal Space 4 ft (12m) Intimate Space 15 ft (45 m) Social Distance Recognizing emotions, potential for interaction Personal Distance Intimate Distance Public Distance Recognizing individuals and activities Gehl Making Cities for People Civic Center PSPL

24 Pall Mall Van Ness Ave Polk St Larkin St Hyde St Key Findings Civic Center Superior Court Supreme Court of CA Mcallister St Asian Art Museum Herbst Theatre City Hall Fulton St Opera House Grove St Sf Public Library Civic Center Plaza is bigger than some of the world s most successful large public spaces Market St SF Symphony Bill Graham Auditorium Trafalgar Square Charing Cross Rd d Northumberland Ave Bryant Park Whitehall ft Gehl Making Cities for People Civic Center PSPL

25 Van Ness Ave Polk St Larkin St Hyde St Key Findings Civic Center Superior Court Supreme Court of CA Mcallister St Asian Art Museum Herbst Theatre City Hall Fulton St Opera House Grove St Sf Public Library Large features bordered by humanscale elements and a sense of enclosure make these slightly smaller spaces successful Market St SF Symphony Bill Graham Auditorium Trafalgar Square Bryant Park Trafalgar Square 100ft ft Gehl Making Cities for People Civic Center PSPL

26 Civic Center Plaza Vast open spaces that lack hierarchy and enclosure Bryant Park A primary open space framed by a strong axis and human-scale rooms Green Water Decomposed Granite Monument Kiosk Seating / Furnishings Secondary Seating Gehl Making Cities for People Civic Center PSPL

27 Bryant Park Big trees provide comfortable enclosure This space struggled with issues like drug use that currently challenge Civic Center Through design, programming, and a robust financing model, Bryant Park is now a beloved place The edges are prime real estate It succeeds in hosting a wide variety of activities, from movie nights to a cafe to a lending library to games, by subdividing the exterior of the park into humanscale rooms, framing a central lawn Branded furnishings Furnishings make this lawn inviting Monuments and trees make great company This is a great place for a lunch break Gehl Making Cities for People Civic Center PSPL

28 6 The limited ability of the Beaux-Arts plan to support public life has been eroded over time Gehl Making Cities for People Civic Center PSPL

29 Key Findings The Beaux-Arts plan is focused around grand architecture, large public spaces, and clustering institutional uses This squeezes out the life of the city by limiting active building edges, everyday retail and commerce, and informal cultural uses 1942* 1960 plan* 1938 aerial* *source: Civic Center Historic District Cultural Landscape Inventory, 2014 Today Over time, even human-scale elements of this design such as planting, seating, water features and monuments have been removed, creating a public realm that only invites people to pass through, except during large, infrequent events Gehl Making Cities for People Civic Center PSPL 2017 Open space + building footprints in Civic 57 Center highlights large public spaces

30 Public Space Key Findings Civic Center is a powerful symbol of San Francisco There s no center in Civic Center The civic axis is broken Fragmented stewardship and governance Look but don t touch: the space is unfriendly to the human scale The limited ability of the Beaux- Arts plan to support public life has been eroded over time Gehl Making Cities for People Civic Center PSPL