Re-Thinking the role of Urban In-Between Spaces

Similar documents
The urban block as a potential for sustainable urban design

4 Sustainability and Growth Management

Innovative Solutions for Cities Sustainable Development

Excellencies, Dear colleagues from other agencies and organizations, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Part I: Setting the Scene

The Charter of European Planning BARCELONA 2013

CALGARY: City of Animals Edited by Jim Ellis

Title: A comparison between rural and urban permaculture projects

A study on the regional landscape planning framework on the relationships between urban and rural areas: case study of Tokachi region, Hokkaido, Japan

WELLINGTON STREET WEST COMMUNITY DESIGN PLAN

Urban Design Manual PLANNING AROUND RAPID TRANSIT STATIONS (PARTS) Introduction. Station Study Areas

Negative Space Positive Environment

Agenda 21. Arthur Lyon Dahl. Contents

STUDY OF URBAN SMART GROWTH APPROACH BASED ON THE PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES FOR NEW PLANNING

Official Plan Review: Draft Built Form Policies

Towards Evolutionary Design Approach: Izola Project

Inspiring Technovation

TOWARD SUSTAINABLE CITIES

Sustainability has occupied a prominent but contested place on development and conservation discourse.

A Growing Community Rural Settlement Areas

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION

Green Cities: An A-to-Z Guide

Vancouver. Title of the Initiative. Initiative Duration. Submitted by. Comments by the Jury

CITIZEN PARTICIPATION FOR BETTER URBAN GREEN SPACES

LANDSCAPE INFOGRAPHIC DESIGN. Markéta Krejčí, PhD Iva Hradilová Mendel University of Brno, Czech Republic

CITY CLERK. Parkland Acquisition Strategic Directions Report (All Wards)

BETTER URBAN PLANNING

2.0 Strategic Context 4

Local Growth Planning in North Central Green Line Communities

Urban Voids: Recoding Functionless Areas in a City

Design Guidance. Introduction, Approach and Design Principles. Mauritius. November Ministry of Housing and Lands. .. a

Writtle University College Policy & Principles for Sustainable Development

section 3: Vision, Values and Goals

GUIDING PRINCIPLES IN THIS CHAPTER

Purpose of the Master Plan

1Planning. Approach. Part I Chapter 1: Planning Approach

25th November Final statement by the ministers in charge of urban development

Animating the Rideau Canal December 2013

Phase 1 : Understanding the Campus Context. Phase 2 : APPROACHES - Alternates & Preferred Plan

Scottish Natural Heritage. Better places for people and nature

1.0 Purpose of a Secondary Plan for the Masonville Transit Village

Cotswolds AONB Landscape Strategy and Guidelines. June 2016

BLOK BADEL ZAGREB. Competition for the urban-architectural concept design for the BADEL SITE redevelopment COMPETITION NUMBER: ZG-UA

Preface: Ecological Matters for Good Cities and Environmental Benefits

CHAPTER 12 IMPLEMENTATION

Purpose of the Master Plan

Cooperative Research in Water Management

Recent UN and EU Sustainable Development Policies (Post 2015): What challenges for city planning and governance

PART 1. Background to the Study. Avenue Study. The Danforth

Describing the Integrated Land Management Approach

1 Introduction. Chapter. In this chapter:

Uptown Rideau Street Secondary Plan [Amendment #166, January 12, 2016]

Traditional Dwellings: An Architectural Anthropological Study from the Walled City of Lahore

Draft Resolution XII.10

Green Open Space Housing Public Company Panakkukang Makassar Indonesia

PSRC REVIEW REPORT & CERTIFICATION RECOMMENDATION

[PLANNING RATIONALE] For Site Plan Control and Lifting of Holding Zone By-Law 101 Champagne Avenue. May 23, 2014

A Study on Landscape Design Paradigm from the Perspective of Visual Impact and Experience

Comparative Urban Planning Systems in Poland and the United States

THE NINTH SESSION OF THE WORLD URBAN FORUM. Cities 2030, Cities for All: Implementing the New Urban Agenda

QUEEN-RIVER SECONDARY PLAN

Resolution XII NOTING also that with the increasingly rapid urbanization, wetlands are being threatened in two principle ways:

City of St. Thomas New Official Plan

Presentation Highlights

LAND USE, LAND COVER AND SOIL SCIENCES Vol. IV - Land Use Planning and Managment in Urban and Peri-Urban Areas - H.Vejre

THE LANDSCAPE ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT MODEL AND ITS APPLICATIONS

1. MAKING CHOICES. What kind of city will Toronto be in the 21st century?

URBAN REGENERATION IN THE UK BY ANDREW TALLON DOWNLOAD EBOOK : URBAN REGENERATION IN THE UK BY ANDREW TALLON PDF

CONTENTS 8.0 LAND USE 8.1 GENERAL LAND USE 8.2 RESIDENTIAL 8.3 MIXED USE 8.4 COMMERCIAL 8.5 EMPLOYMENT LANDS

CHAPTER THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

CHAPTER 2: PLANNING PRINCIPLES

SOUTH AFRICA S PREPARATIONS FOR HABITAT III COMMON AFRICAN POSITION FOR HABITAT III. Habitat III Urban Breakfast 5 October 2016

Enabling a resilient future: exploring the leadership and governance of urban design

RECOMMENDATION ON THE HISTORIC URBAN LANDSCAPE

Town of Cobourg Heritage Master Plan. Statutory Public Meeting

4.1.3 LAND USE CATEGORIES

12 TH ANNUAL CHILTERNS AONB PLANNING CONFERENCE ENGLISH HERITAGE: HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT GOOD PRACTICE ADVICE

Hampton Park Charleston, SC Designing coherent and acceptable spaces for cultural and social events that also honor the site s history.

Figure 1. Proposed Strategic Habitat Conservation Areas for Florida

9 January 2012 Satmohini Ray Senior Research Fellow

Appendix A. Planning Processes. Introduction

What s in a Name Sustainability, Smart Growth, New Urbanism

A Commons Approach to Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements

Landscape Architecture (LARC)

Expert Group Meeting. NUP Framework for A Rapid Diagnostic. Mainstreaming Climate Change into National Urban Policies. Themba R.

Toronto Complete Streets Guidelines

Gather information from online resources covering the following topics:

W a l l e d C i t i e s, O p e n S o c i e t i e s S i e n a, I t a l y J a n u a r y

Rio de Janeiro - Brazil. Urban Regeneration & Climate Change

12 Intergovernmental Coordination

WELLINGTON HOSPITAL DESIGN GUIDE TABLE OF CONTENTS

Edward R. Sajecki Commissioner of Planning and Building

The Dreispitz in Basel / Switzerland: New economy on old sites

Specification of urban planning regulation in a sustainable city

Published in March 2005 by the. Ministry for the Environment. PO Box , Wellington, New Zealand ISBN: X.

Public Art Development

I.1 The Role of European Cities and Towns

Christof Schremmer (ÖIR), Vienna, Austria Dominic Stead (OTB), Delft, Netherlands

Nordic Built Cities Challenge: Evaluations by the Nordic/international jury

Planning Policy Statement 7: Sustainable Development in Rural Areas

Transcription:

J. Zuo, L. Daniel, V. Soebarto (eds.), Fifty years later: Revisiting the role of architectural science in design and practice: 50 th International Conference of the Architectural Science Association 2016, pp. 1 10. 2016, The Architectural Science Association and The University of Adelaide. Re-Thinking the role of Urban In-Between Spaces Jasim Azhar 1 and Morten Gjerde 2 1 Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand Jasim.azhar@vuw.ac.nz 1, Morten.gjerde@vuw.ac.nz 2 2 Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand Abstract: As urban areas continue to grow in population and size some experts have called for already settled areas to be used more efficiently. One popular approach is to redevelop individual sites in order to intensify their use, which in turn leads to a more compact arrangement of form. Another approach, which has to date been largely unexplored, is to make better use of existing spaces between buildings and other land uses; effectively these are the spaces that are left over through earlier uncoordinated development. It would appear there is potential for these in-between spaces to become locations for strategic intervention. The paper develops a conceptual framework focussed on ecological sustainability, and speculates over the extent to which private leftover urban spaces can be utilized in different ways within cities. This knowledge is distilled into a strategy for sufficiency. The research explores how small changes in an urban system can become a catalyst for an overall transformation of a city and its ecology. It is driven by the hypothesis that leftover urban spaces can be utilized in ways that can help regulate micro-climate, produce energy and absorb carbon emissions. Keywords: In-between spaces, spatial classification, urban sufficiency 1. Introduction Urbanized areas cover only around 6% of Earth s surface (Meyer and Turner, 1992) and yet they have extraordinarily large ecological footprints, and collectively they create significant environmental impact. The ecological footprint of a city extends over an area many times larger than its physical size. An unprecedented 54% of the population currently lives in cities and by 2050 that proportion will rise to more than 70% (United Nations, 2014). The majority of world population growth, anticipated to be in the order of 2.5 billion people over the next 30 years, will settle in cities. Cities appropriate a large share of earth s carrying capacity in terms of resource input and waste sinks (Rees & Wackernagel, 1994). The consequences of urban development are that it fragments, isolates, degrades natural habitats and that it modifies hydrological systems (Arnold and Gibbons, 1996) while disrupting energy flows and nutrient cycles (McDonnell and Pickett, 1990). Ecosystem services are the benefits (such as food) and services (such as waste assimilation) that humans derive directly or indirectly from ecosystem functions (MEA, 2003; Costanza & Folke, 1997). Many of these services are essential to human well-being and thus important aspects of liveable cities (Chiesura 2004). Urban ecosystems also hold the keys to potential solutions for environmental issues. In particular, as agricultural and natural landscapes are lost to development around the edges of cities, there are opportunities for urban green spaces to provide and maintain ecological habitats. The environmental impacts of urbanization are intense and also lead directly to climate change (Satterthwaite, 2008). With each passing year, it becomes clearer that cities should be able to grow sustainably from within in order

2 J. Azhar and M. Gjerde Understanding the role of In-Between Spaces to diminish impacts on natural ecosystems and to avoid unnecessary appropriation of precious agricultural land. This paper summarizes a development strategy for supplying ecosystem services in urban areas through a planning process that targets neglected in-between left over spaces within the fabric of a city. The authors propose opportunities to develop these often neglected spaces in ways that can contribute to the social and ecological health of the city. Different forms of leftover spaces can be found in cities and each has the potential to become a stepping stone for nature to flourish. The paper is divided into three parts. Firstly, it discusses the concept of sufficiency in terms of environmental and social sustainability. This sets the context within which urban left over spaces can be examined. Secondly, the paper offers a spatial classification for in-between spaces and discusses temporary urbanism for semi-private spaces, a concept that can create support systems within urban areas. Finally, different potential uses to which in-between spaces could be put, driven primarily by the sufficiency agenda are discussed. In this discussion, a landscape ecology approach that integrates various sustainability foci is suggested as the most comprehensive and cost-effective means of achieving sufficiency. 2. Sustainability and sufficiency Cities have historically been dependent on surrounding hinterlands for their food supplies and other goods and services (Folke et al. 1997). However, over the past century, this service area has extended to become global. Through specialization of markets and transport technologies, cities are becoming less able to provide for the wants and desires of their residents. An issue that can challenge sustainability outcomes is the strong focus placed on economic growth and development. Social imperatives for economic growth are virtually unchallenged and initiatives for growth naturally lead to transformation and change. The resulting churn affects the built environment as well as the commodities people surround themselves with and as a consequence, their service lives become shorter and shorter (Schmidt & Science, 2012). Balancing the need for economic development with approaches that privilege ecological systems is understood to be key to developing sustainable, resource efficient cities. The term urban sufficiency describes an approach that could help achieve better levels of environmental sustainability within the cities. Sufficiency represents a closure of the gap between demand and sustainable production and is closely related to the notion of efficiency (Linz 2006). Thematically, one can conceive of sufficiency, along with consistency and efficiency, as one of the main pillars of sustainability (Linz 2004). In the ecological debate, sufficiency describes a behavioural attitude that, either collectively or on an individual basis, calls for less consumption of resources (Linz 2006). Until now, there has been little consideration of sufficiency in the fields of architecture and urban planning. A sufficient system keeps its consumption within certain limits and these are only increased when the environmental inputs allow for it. Manfred Linz calls sufficiency the search for the right balance: one where there is neither scarcity nor abundance/excess (Linz 2004). A sufficient system can approach such a balanced state by improving the efficiency of its internal procedures. This approach is mainly a collective one in which people need to identify themselves the options of small steps or initiatives rather than bringing in the fundamentally new form of transformations on a larger scale. Lynch (1981) claimed that the good city is one in which the continuity of complex environment is maintained while dynamic change is allowed. The environmental sustainability in cities can be based on by increasing the carrying capacity of sinks, biodiversity and its integration in eco-system whereas, social sustainability is about lifeenhancing condition within communities, and a process within communities that can achieve that condition is seen (McKenzie, 2004). Cities that enhance the quality of life for their citizen s with higher

Understanding the role of In-Between Spaces 3 levels of prosperity; they are likewise liable to get themselves more progressed in terms of sustainability. Florin (1989) suggested that the citizen participation in community organizations has been a major method for improving the quality of the physical environment, enhancing services, preventing crime, and improving social conditions. 2.1 Challenges in cities Contemporary cities are facing environmental challenges related to global warming and climate change as well as shortages of energy and water. Urban areas are sustained by socioeconomic infrastructures that operate on global scales; the ecologically productive area needed to support a city can be 100 to 300 times larger than its physical footprint (Rees & Wackernagel 1994). As the density of buildings within cities increases, ecosystems supported by open spaces become further threatened. Urban ecosystems are also often of poorer quality, where levels of biodiversity are lower than in natural settings. In addition, urbanized areas modify microclimates and air quality by altering the nature of the land surface and by generating and storing heat (Oke, 1987). This is seen most clearly in the urban heat island (UHI) effect, where air and surface temperatures in urban areas tend to be higher than in the surrounding rural areas. Combined with other sources of heating, such as isolation and the effects of people and equipment, it leads to a need for additional energy to condition the places we occupy. Finally, urban areas free a vast quantity of naturally occurring trace materials (e.g., cadmium, zinc, mercury, nickel, arsenic) and exotic new anthropogenic substances (e.g., polychlorinated biphenyls) (Pacyna and Pacyna 2001). Self-sufficiency is a concept that can help achieve a more sustainable society by reducing the amount of resources that we consume or by producing enough to fulfill one s need. Ecologically convincing as it is, it is also a normative approach at the individual or collective level, asking for nothing less than a revolution of our contemporary consumption-oriented society. Urban areas can be seen as both the causes of and the solutions to the current environmental crisis. As populations of large cities grow, this, in turn, creates demand for further development. Future cities will also have to deal with limited urban spaces and resources, undertake the preservation or conservation of sense of place, and consistently enhance the current urban environment. To curb the need for further expansion, urban planners have been exploring ways of making better use of existing areas. One response to this challenge is intensification, which is implemented through the redevelopment of existing sites in more intensive ways. However, there are other opportunities to make use of areas that are currently not being used effectively and one of these can be seen in the spaces left over by patterns of uncoordinated development of individual sites. It is often overlooked that urban green spaces can help store carbon emissions at the same time they provide opportunities for nature to inhabit cities. On a map of a city, there appears to be no place for spaces or voids without any function (Landgraf, 2015). The most regrettable loss for growing cities is the loss of voids (Armstrong 2006). The concept of sufficiency can be utilized in cities to direct more efficient use of in-between spaces to mitigate the negative climate effect. To supplement other efforts aimed at combating the current ecological crisis, the transformation of underused, abused or deserted spaces within the city could coordinate green infrastructure. These spaces could be used to help reduce carbon waste and produce energy through renewable resources as well as to feed people through small-scale urban farming. Although such production would never replace the supply side of rural land in terms of its volume, it presents opportunities to supplement remote production of energy and food. Sufficiency first and foremost a social or normative parameter (Linz, 2006) and thus invites exploration in the urban context.

4 J. Azhar and M. Gjerde Understanding the role of In-Between Spaces 3. In-between spaces Urban in-between spaces can be seen as an ephemeral object, a site - yet not only space - but also a possible future (Rahmann & Jonas, n.d.). Hajer and Reijndorp first used the term in-between spaces in 2001 and claimed that these urban spaces could be used to bring together disparate activities and character in a manner that creates valuable exchanges and connections (Carmona, 2010). The term can refer to spaces of absence, voids, and the gaps between the forms of objects (Piccinno and Lega n.d.). They are the edges and leftover spaces, which are ever-present in urban and architectural design and which tend to unintentionally collide or create unfortunate divisions. These spaces intervene between adjacent objects that are ultimately problematic for the physical and social fabric. Instead of looking only at the built elements of the urban environment more weight should be given to the space in-between on the micro level. The use of in-between spaces is often seen as an architectural solution that deals with prevailing conditions in extreme climates. (Osorio, 2012). The term in-between has been largely depicted in cultural and social studies as a state of liminality, often being often associated with contemporary geographical, economic and political questions. The concept of in-between also implicates the inter prefix, one that suggests juxtaposition, overlapping, and concurrence, particularly between things (Luz 2001). Spatially, the in-between implies a middle location between two events or distinct spaces, for instance: between inside and outside, between here and there, between this and that (sides). While in-between spaces are often conceived of simply as a connection between two extreme ends, the logic of duality or binary system can also be blurred to recognize the physical presence of this connector. Hudson & Shaw note that a planning guidance and policy for appropriate implementation is critical for urban voids, which are overlooked and yet depicted as negative from the realms of planning, architecture, design and urban theory (Hudson & Shaw, 2011). Because of this, they often fade away with time or slip out of the main urban actors notice, left with no significant purpose. They consist of large or small scale places, public or private and built or unbuilt, which are in some kind of in-between phase - a pause - in functionality (Smet 2008). This paper investigates the potential of semi-privately owned left over spaces dispersed around urban areas. Previous studies have focused on public spaces and neglected the potential of semi-private and private spaces to be used constructively. The spatial conditions are those at the edges and corners of roadways, around and between buildings and those where the original purpose for space has or will soon become obsolete. The different scales of an urban left over space range between the building, plot, and block, even up to the neighbourhood scale. In order to understand and evaluate these in-between spaces, they invite classification. The spaces are mostly found in between two buildings, in front, at the sides or at the rear of buildings but rooftops can also be seen as leftover spaces. Figure 1 suggests a few of the underutilized spaces that exist in an urban fabric and can be seen as neglected ones. These spaces are more tolerant spaces which represent sites for spontaneous activities to unfold, activities and experiments evocative of a future beyond restrictive capitalist (Hudson and Shaw, 2011).

Understanding the role of In-Between Spaces 5 Figure 1: different unused and unmanaged spaces in cities (Source: author) Figure 2: different spaces found within cities. (Source: author) 3.1 Spatial Classification Roger Trancik was one of the first to write about lost or under-managed spaces when he suggested that these are anti-spaces within cities, making no positive contribution to the surrounding spaces and which are consequently in need of a redesign (Trancik, 1986; G Doron 2006). Following this, other researchers began to explore the topic using interpretations and terms such as loose, liminal, vacant, transitional, indeterminate, neglected and derelict. In most cases, while adding some slight semantic differences, these definitions have only contributed to increase confusion about the subject and have only focused on one type of space rather than their broader connections (De Girolamo 2013). They are largely defined according to their aesthetic merits and other qualitative aspects. Researchers also base their evaluations on cause and effect criteria, overlooking the potential and opportunities for regeneration they offer. Such spaces are unique, an anomaly which is located in a certain place and time which should be properly managed if not colonized (G Doron 2006). In urban planning and design, there has been little analysis of this aspect; temporariness and impermanence are rarely viewed as attributes of growth and regeneration (De Girolamo 2013). As this paper is focused on the city only those left over spaces in urban settings are discussed. By way of field observations, these spaces have been identified as being in-between buildings or structures, at their edges and within. They extend across the boundaries of open/close, interior/exterior, private/ public and have no official program or usage or they take the form of underutilized and informal parking areas (G Doron 2006). In-between becomes a spatial category by highlighting the value and variety of between-ness from a spatial and transient perspective. The in-between spaces within urban areas can then be divided into two qualitative categories; continuous spaces are those in transition where dimensions of time, space, and other circumstances are relevant. Discontinuous space is temporal, having diverse physical circumstances and which do not relate well to the setting. These spatial types are seen as cracks, openings or gaps. In the existing fabric of our cities, there are many unplanned left-over spaces that are not considered purposeful and which arise

6 J. Azhar and M. Gjerde Understanding the role of In-Between Spaces during development (Spaces left Over After Planning or SLOAP). The classification system used in this research for in-between spaces is represented in figure 3. Urban Leftover Spaces In-Between Space Macro Level Continuous (transitional) Discontinuous (Temporal) (community) Interzone Dual use spaces Undefined Space Micro Level (plot, block) Building frontage Building rear Space confined by building edge (contained by 2 or 3 sides) Conspicuous space (locked off) Underneath a building Rooftop Figure 3: classification for in-between spaces. (Source: author) There are distinctive terminologies that are associated with in-between spaces differentiated through their use, scale and size. According to Sola-Morales (1996), urban in-between spaces are qualified through their own senses of absence and emptiness and, therefore, they can remain as formal elements that symbolize the urban. In addition, they do not depend on a larger integration with the efficient and productive grid of the city. Through the use of advancing technologies, these sites can be developed as an active part of cities where the citizens can have a sense of identity, maintain social interaction and enhance the nature. Lefebvre encourages the inhabitants of urban society to fight for the restoration of the places of their cities to spaces for multiplicity, meetings, games and festivity. His work of The Production of Space celebrates the urban grid: the streets, the squares and the parks of the traditional city (Shukla, 2013). Overmeyer (2002) discusses some creative transformations and re-appropriation tactics as a generator for future development. 4. Potential Although many in-between spaces represent a threat to safety and security if they are not being used purposefully, they also represent a positive potential if they can be appropriately activated. The semi-private spaces within cities become important where the space is accessible and controlled by residents and associate people. The ownership and stewardship become relevant consideration and design solutions could, therefore, be diverse in range as they reference the size, shape, light, air, accessibility or vegetation of the site. While the general public generally has the very little functional purpose for these spaces, one role they can play is a mediator between new and old elements in the urban fabric. It is understood that in order to generate appropriate design proposals it is important to reference the context of in-between spaces. It is imperative to analyse and capture the complex spatial condition of places and uncovering the spatial relationship set up between these places and their environment. The layer of urban in-between spaces can form a flexible approach in areas of development where the spaces can act as a connecting element, retaining and building local patterns of open in-between space. However, private ownership and authorship rights for utilizing these spaces arise and lead to

Understanding the role of In-Between Spaces 7 conflict. Addressing this, the concept of eco-easements can be applied where the owner of the private land agrees with another party to allow the land to be used in a particular manner. Eco-easements can be struck to allow the full potential of land or roof to be realized by an interested party parties while ownership is not affected. Through urban regeneration, municipalities can make effective use of in-between spaces by enabling grow-in strategies. Carbon mitigation helping to reduce a known cause of climate change involves reducing the flow of heat-trapping greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere, either by reducing sources of these gasses or by enhancing the sinks that accumulate and store these gasses (Holly Shaftel, 2016). The use of these leftover spaces can be used to enhance the carbon sinks within the cities. The process of absorbing carbon through plants/trees as a photosynthesis process or by soil can be much slower than the rural region but the initiatives of urban farming can be taken. As this is an opportunity to achieve a climate-friendly agriculture by both sequestering carbon and reducing emissions. The main strategies are to enrich soil through biochar, to promote climate-friendly livestock production systems, to minimize the use of inorganic fertilizers and to restore land degraded through deforestation for agricultural purposes (Schaffnit-Chatterjee & Kahn, 2011). Urban agriculture represents a potential of increasing food production as well as to mitigate the negative carbon emission produced by the building construction and use or by use of motorcars. It also provides benefits to the community with an access to fresh and affordable food is an important component in helping to address low rates of fruit and vegetable consumption. Supermarkets and other fresh food stores in a neighbourhood can influence access, together with locality convenience, variety and the cost of fresh produce (Kent and Thompson, 2014). Energy Gardens can be seen as a potential since they concentrate on generating new biomass through plantations. Renewable energy sources (with the exception of large hydro) are widely dispersed compared with fossil fuels, which are concentrated at individual locations and require distribution. Hence, renewable energy must be used either in a distributed manner or concentrated to meet the higher energy demands of cities and industries (IPCC 2007). The building sector is typically the largest consumer of electricity and often accounts for a significant portion of national greenhouse gas emissions. An intelligent micro-grid can incorporate buildings into the system as both electricity suppliers and energy consumers. This would enable a smooth interconnection of supply with demand and the integration of the diverse range of energy services (heating, cooling, lighting, electronics, motor drives etc.) that have traditionally been operated separately (IEA 2009). Local scale energy production is more cost effective than large scale projects. Integrating solar photovoltaic (PV) panels onto roofs, specific open areas with the high potential to sun gain and facades of the buildings at the design-and-build stage is a growing development in many cities. PV systems can be used virtually anywhere and buildings offer large areas with which to capture solar radiation to produce electricity that can be either used in the building or fed into the electricity grid. Significant shares of around 10-30% of the total electricity demand of a city could be met by PV systems on buildings providing electricity at the point of use (IEA 2009). Solar PV cells vary in efficiency, performance, price and their annual output depend on the local mean annual solar radiation levels. Wind energy has also the potential in cities and horizontal wind turbines can be used on the roof tops. Small wind energy systems (<100 kw) are usually designed to provide power to remote locations and micro-turbines (<2 kw), but they are also increasingly being used as independent and low-carbon alternatives to utility-generated electricity. Microwind turbines can power a single dwelling, whereas small systems are more suited for an apartment block, a business or a whole community (IEA 2009).

8 J. Azhar and M. Gjerde Understanding the role of In-Between Spaces In-between spaces can also be used to collect and store rainwater, which can be further used to cool down buildings in hot areas, where water is generally scarce, or for urban vegetation purposes. Urban areas tend to exhibit higher temperatures than their rural surroundings, which can in certain conditions lead to thermal discomfort and impacts on human cardiovascular and respiratory systems. During the day, as air temperatures increase in poorly ventilated buildings more energy is consumed to cool these spaces. In cities, the micro-urban hot spots are formed at parking lots, non-reflective roofs, and asphalt roads. Hence, assessment of UHI effect and development of strategies by which in-between spaces can be used to mitigate local temperatures can be helpful. Urban heat sinks, known as negative heat islands, have been developed in the cities that are colder than the surrounding countryside. These heat sinks can be utilized mainly during the morning and in temperate, tropical, semi-arid and arid climates (Pena 2009). There are two main UHI reduction strategies that can be applied to in-between spaces. First is to increase surface reflectivity to reduce radiation absorptions. This can be done by simply placing the light colored panels or paint on existing material surfaces. This technique can be applied roofs to reduce energy demand for cooling as well on the pavements which are based on the whitened asphalt roads. The second is to increase vegetation cover to control temperature rise. Trees form a nice canopy, shading the area and have a cooling effect on views. Trees are also a mediator between nature and humans while increasing the biodiversity within the cities. By installing more trees into in-between spaces the environment can be cooled down while allowing biodiversity to flourish. Another potential for in-between spaces is for them to be used tactically. Tactical urbanism is a recently developed concept, often used to refer to low-cost, minimum effort, temporary interventions that improve the liveability and aesthetics of local neighbourhoods. Small scale and short-term interventions can inspire long-term change as this approach is deliberate, phased approach to instigating change; the offering of local ideas for local planning challenges; short-term commitment and realistic expectations; low-risks, with possibly a high reward (Pfeifer, 2013). The tactical approach offers low cost, adaptable processes whereby the urban landscape becomes an urban lab for people to test out their diverse ideas. This approach can be fused together with landscape ecology initiatives which can work on different scales and focus on the relationship between urban landscape patterns and socioeconomic procedures. Benedict and McMahon (2003) point out that two principles are essential to conceptualizing the notion of green infrastructure as fundamental to moving towards more sustainable cities; namely connectivity (physical and visual) and context. Those cities committing to such an approach by supporting sustainable projects are likely to benefit in the long run through the value of ecosystem services for urban residents and the broader public. The urban landscape cannot be viewed as something static, but it is vital to achieving a coherent design solution. Thinking in terms of eco-framework different strategies may concentrate on the potential of landscape infrastructure to consider modifications and transformations, for example, climate change, food insecurity, and limited resources. 5. Conclusion This paper has discussed the potential for urban in-between spaces to be used positively and in ways that can help meet our future needs. The ability to recognize in-between spaces in the urban context is an integral part of an urban redevelopment process, where structured and layered approaches become useful to understanding what these places will be and these spaces have to offer. Under the pressure of urban growth and densification, urban voids can function as mediators between existing and new. Voids can provide the tissue of the familiar and unfinished under conditions of renewal and replacement. These spaces can function as generators and canvases for creative expression that enables recognition of a

Understanding the role of In-Between Spaces 9 human scale. In order to take benefit from these in-between spaces both short and long-term strategies should be well planned and documented. The role of sufficiency in designing these spaces can help the city to mitigate negative climate effects but will also provide some revenue to the locals or artists for displaying their work or make graffiti on walls. There are a lot of other possibilities but we need to know about the life cycle of this temporary intervention to become a permanent one in the end and become more significant for city planning. As noted by Linz (2004), to foster and alleviate the change for sufficiency we need to promote three steps; big public-administrative measures, economic measures to ensure or improve ecological compatibility, and small-scale steps by the individual. The authors propose that in-between spaces provide an opportunity to rethink existing notions of open space distribution and characterization. In recognizing their full potential, the small and divided character of these spaces within the urban fabric can be preferably viewed as an opportunity than a constraint. Professionals can also consider temporary use projects as a part of the spatial planning and design process. Self-sufficient solutions can provide a lot of opportunities for the population in terms of growing their own food, making an environment more sustainable and generating some capital. There is considerable potential for their effective use, as they can be seen throughout the city as open ground surfaces, rooftops, beneath buildings, adjacent to streets and within underutilized car parking areas. 6. References Armstrong, Helen. 2006. Time, Dereliction and Beauty : An Argument for Landscapes of Contempt. Rethinking Landscape Time. Landscape: 116 27 Arnold, C.L. and Gibbons, C.J. 1996. "Impervious surface coverage: Emergence of a key environmental indicator", Journal of the American Planning Association 62, 243 258. Benedict, M. and McMahon, E. 2003, How cities use parks for green infrastructure. City Parks Forum Briefing Papers, American Planning Association. Carmona M. 2010. "Contemporary Public space Critique and Classification, Part one: crtitique", Journal of Urban Design, 151 Chiesura, A. 2004. "The role of urban parks for the sustainable city. Landscape and Urban Planning". 68:129 138. Costanza, R. & Folke, C. 1997. "Nature s Services: Societal Dependence on Natural Ecosystems" 49 70 De Girolamo, Flavia. 2013. Living Landscapes -Landscapes for Living Paesaggi Abitati Time and Regeneration: Temporary Reuse in Lost Spaces. Planum. The Journal of Urbanism. Florin, P. 1989. "Nurturing the grassroots: Neighborhood volunteer organizations and American cities", Citizens Committee. New York. Folke, C., A. Jansson, J. Larsson, and R. Costanza. 1997. "Ecosystem appropriation by cities". Ambio 26:167 172. Doron, G. 2006. The derelict land and the elephant.. Library 1(1): 10 23. Hajer MA, Reijndorp A. 2001."In search of new public domain: analysis and strategy", NAi publishers Holly Shaftel. 2016. "Responding to Climate Change". Retrieved July 09, 2016, from. http://climate.nasa.gov/solutions/adaptation-mitigation/ Hudson, J.; Shaw, P. 2012. "Contested uses within the left-over spaces of the city", Conference Paper, Research Group for Landscape architecture and urbanism, Copenhagen University IEA. 2009. "Cities, Towns & Renewable Energy: Yes In My Front Yard", 65 90. IPCC, 2007." Climate Change 2007, Mitigation of Climate Change". Working Group III contribution to the 4th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Geneva. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

10 J. Azhar and M. Gjerde Understanding the role of In-Between Spaces Kent, J. and THOMPSON, S. 2014, "The three domains of urban planning for health and well-being". In Journal of Planning Literature, Vol. 29(3), p.239-256. Landgraf, Monika. 2015. Urban Voids : Recoding Functionless Areas in a City. (129): 1 5. Linz, Manfred. 2004. "Neither shortage nor excess about sufficiency and sufficient change", Wuppertal Institute for Climate Environment and Energy. Linz, Manfred. 2006. "What will happen to the economy about sufficiency, economic growth and unemployment", Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy. Luz, Ana. 2001. Places In-Between : The Transit (Ional) Locations of Nomadic Narratives. p.p 143 65. Lynch, Kevin. 1981. Good City Form. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. McDonnell, M.J. and Pickett, S.T.A. 1990. "Ecosystem structure and function along urban-rural gradients: An unexploited opportunity for ecology". Ecology 71, 1232 1237 MEA. 2003. "Ecosystems and their services. Ecosystems and Human Well-Being: A Framework for Assessment", 49 70. http://doi.org/10.1007/s13398-014-0173-7.2 Meyer, W.B. and Turner II, B.L. 1992. "Human population growth and global land-use/cover change". ARev.of Ecol. and Syst. 23, 39 61 Oke, T. R. 1987. "Boundary Layer Climates", chapter 8, pages 262 303. Routledge, 2nd edition. Osoria Emil, 2012. In-between Spaces in Antofagasta relationship of Architecture to its context", 10-13. print Overmeyer, K. 2002 "Schrumpfung Als Experiment." [translation: Shrinking as experiment] Garten + Landschaft Pacyna JM,Pacyna EG. 2001. "An assessment of global and regional emissions of trace metals to the atmosphere from anthropogenic sources world- wide". Environmental Review 9: 269 298. Pena, M.A. 2009. "Examination of the land surface temperature response for Santiago, Chile". Photogrammetric Engineering & Remote Sensing. 75(10). Pfeifer, L. 2013. "The Planner s Guide to Tactical Urbanism", 65. Piccinno, Giovanna, and Elisa Lega. n.d. Spatial Design for New Typologies of Places: In-between Urban Spaces". Rees, W. & Wackernagel, M. 1994. "Ecological footprints and appropriated carrying capacity: Measuring the natural capital requirements of the human economy". Satterthwaite, D. 2008. "Climate Change and Urbanization: Effects and Impliactions for Urban Governance". United Nations Expert Group Meeting on Population Distribution, Urbanization, Internatl Migration and Development. New York Schaffnit-Chatterjee, C., & Kahn, B. 2011." Mitigating climate change through agriculture. An untapped potential", 31. Schmidt, S., & Science, M. S. E. 2012. Sustainable Consumption and the Power of the Consumer Freiburg forum on Environmental Governance. Shukla, D. 2013. "Reconsidering sesidual spaces: a boon or Bane for the City? CEPT University. Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/4172353/17_4.2013_final_presentation_recosidering_residual_spaces?auto=download Smet, Aurelie De. 2008. Learning Form Tactical Approaches to Urban Voids.. 2008: n. pag. Print. Sola -Morales, Ignasi.1996. "Present and Futures: Architecture in the Cities". Barcelona : UIA Congress Organizing Committee of Barcelona 96 ACTAR. Southworth Trancik., R. 1986. "Finding lost space; Theories of urban design", 1st ed.; John Wiley & Sons. United Nations. 2014. "World Urbanization Prospects: The 2014 Revision". New York: UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division