Abstract
American cities are characterized by their lack of attention to boundary design – liminal areas that divide adjacent lots, or lie alongside the public road or sidewalk. Planning authorities exacerbate poor boundary design by prioritizing the physical form and density of new developments over their relationship to neighboring properties or the public realm. As a result our cities lack cohesiveness, with transitional areas that are overlooked or ill-defined. Why is this important? Because those of us who move through urban environments have a ‘zone of awareness’ that is defined by sidewalks, entryways, landscaping, verges, boundary walls, parking areas, storefronts and many other features that we experience at ground level. Our perception of the city is shaped by these eye-level boundary conditions, not what happens 5, 10, or 20 floors above ground. The disproportionate impact of urban decay in boundary spaces also reveals how we can improve built environments without resorting to redevelopment. By focusing on the user experience, cities can become vastly more pleasant places to navigate and inhabit. The paper tests this thesis by charting a single journey through Honolulu, highlighting the deficiencies of its transitional areas and positing low-cost solutions centered on an experiential design strategy.
Presenters
Matthew HigginsProgram Coordinator, Environmental + Interior Design, Chaminade University of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Experiential Design, Transitional Spaces, Urban Decay
