Saving StanleyReclaiming walkability. Regaining identity. Restoring community.

Stacy Sakoulas GriffinKansas State University

Fall 2009 - Spring 2010

ABSTRACT

The rise of suburbia in America can be seen as both a cause and an effect of America's dependence on automobiles. Although the suburban lifestyle offers many advantages, these perks come at much too high a price. The following research and the resultant design project explore what aspects of humanity have been lost in the transition to a suburban culture, and what can be done through design to reclaim them.

Part One : The Problem summarizes a few of the issues associated with suburban sprawl and briefly describes previous attempts to solve these problems from the design perspective. This section also includes a summary of research methods used and the hypothesis drawn from the research, which is that designing more mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly buildings is the key to preventing some of the damage created by suburban sprawl and America's dependence on automobiles.

Part Two : The Proposal gives background on the site selected for this project, and identifies the intended direction and goals for the project at the conclusion of the research and programming phase (Fall 2009).Part Three : The Project includes all of the work from the Spring 2010 semester including additional research, the design process, and the resultant project.

The past year has been a fascinating exploration of human activity and interaction, the definition of community, and the value of place. This book documents a quest to protect the identity of one small Kansas town and draw the members of a community together.

Table of Contents

PART ONE : The Problem

PART TWO : The Proposal

PART THREE : The Project

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

BIBLIOGRAPHY

(page 1)

(page 26)

(page 36)

PART ONE : The Problem

1

FALL 2009

BACKGROUND : the spectrum of human life + activity (page 2)

ISSUES : research + analysis (page 8)

APPROACH : potential solutions (page 21)

The Problem

2

BACKGROUND : the spectrum of human life + activity

3

According to my observations, human activity (at least in American society) can be roughly divided into eight different categories (see Figure 1).

Obviously there can be some cross-over between the different segments of the “spectrum.” For my purposes, this simple breakdown can hopefully serve as a summary of the human social experience.

figure 1

The Spectrum of Human Life + Activity

I have defined the different categories of the spectrum of human life and action as follows. The definitions in italics are from www.dictionary.com, followed by my own interpretation or logic for creating the individual category.

Live :: to reside, to dwell

This category encompasses the home environ-ment: house, apartment, trailer, assisted living facility, etc. It is our headquarters, our base of operations, the center of family life and the jumping-off place for the other activities on the spectrum. It could also include places like hotels that serve as temporary “homes.”

Enjoy :: to experience with joy, take pleasure inInteract :: to act on each other

This category includes recreational activities: ac-tivities not technically necessary for survival but which nevertheless contribute to our quality of life, such as sports, media + the arts, and other recreational facilities. It would also include activi-ties in which we gather for the sole purpose of interacting and connecting with others, such as in places of worship, community centers, etc.

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Eat :: to consume food, take a meal

Obviously this segment of human activity would include restaurants, cafes, etc., or any other facility that serves food or drink, such as bars or clubs. Although the home environment often includes dining in its scope of activity, eating is undeniably a social event in many cases, and this category is meant to focus on the eating that takes place in public as a means of social inter-action.

Obtain :: to come into possession of; get, acquire, or procure, as through an effort or by a requestAccomplish :: to bring to its goal or conclusion; carry out; perform; finish

“Obtain” I use here both in the sense of purchas-ing and in the sense of receiving a service. I also liked the word “accomplish” because I feel that it broadly yet accurately defines the goal of many of our excursions in the automobile . . . we have errands we need to perform, goods we need to acquire, services we need provided, and tasks we need to “accomplish.”

Spaces where we would participate in these activities could include the grocery store, post office, pharmacy, bank, and various retail envi-ronments.

5

6

Learn :: to acquire knowledge of or skill in by study, instruction, or experience

This segment of the spectrum includes activi-ties that help us broaden our knowledge or refine skills, taking place in public education facilities, universities, lecture halls, trade schools, museums, libraries, and even preschools and daycares.

Work :: to be employed, esp. as a means of earn-ing one's livelihood

I define this loosely as the activities that gener-ate income. Office buildings and places of busi-ness would be examples of the types of facilities where these activities occur.

Protect :: to cover or shield from injury or danger

I use the word protect here to describe activi-ties that we participate in or facilities that we have established to protect ourselves physically and in other ways.

This could include hospitals and other healthcare and fitness facilities, police and fire stations, spas and other “escapes,” and even facilities and offices for mental care. Government and military facilities could also fall under this category.

7

TRAVEL :: to go from one place to another

Pretty straightforward - however for the pur-poses of my research and design, I'm usually referring to travel by personal automobiles. What I've been studying is this 8th category of the spectrum, which (as is portrayed in the dia-gram) is both its own category of human activ-ity and yet is intrinsically linked to all of the other categories.

(I by no means intend this breakdown to be comprehensive, and the categories are certainly not mutually exclusive - that is why their borders overlap in the diagram.)

8

ISSUES : research + conclusions

8

My research for my project has focused on three closely-related subjects: urban sprawl, the issues associated with suburbia, and Americans' de-pendency on the automobile. My conclusion from what I have learned is that the common denomi-nator of these three sets of issues is a profound disconnect between the different aspects of human activity.

Far too many Americans (millions of suburban residents) are living lives that have become too decentralized. Although as I previously mentioned there can be some cross-over between the respective categories, for the most part, these activities all take place in separate locations.

Research : Focus

In the city, this is not always the case: cities are dense, many things are close together and within walking distance. If something is a bit too far away to walk to, there is often the option to take public transportation. In the suburbs of America, however, the disconnect is so great as to cause many people to spend just as much time driving to the different locations where their activities take place as they spend actually participating in them.

We spend more time in this “TRAVEL” category of life than we spend actually living. How can we re-claim our time for ourselves? How can we bring all of the “colors” of the spectrum back together to create pure white life?

9

Research : Methodology : Literature Search + Observation

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LITERATURE SEARCH : Rationale

I chose this method because the topics that I am interested in are becoming fairly universal in the literary world. Much has been written about ur-ban sprawl, the issues associated with suburbia, decentralization, the American dependence on the automobile, and the fact that we must begin living and designing more sustainably. There is a wealth of information available in books, articles, and website, of which I wanted to avail myself.

LITERATURE SEARCH : Impact

The literature I reviewed will impact my project in several ways. First of all, the issues discussed above (urban sprawl, decentralization, etc.) are ones that hold deep personal interest for me. I am very passionate about making changes to the way we live and design . . . these resources prove that there is a reason to make these changes.

They provide the “why” behind my design - WHY is my topic important? More specifically, the studies on how people live (and especially drive) will inform my design choices next semester about what facilities or activities it would be beneficial to include in a mixed-use building.

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OBSERVATION : Rationale

My use of this research method is limited to ca-sual observation, not observation in the sense of being an “official study.” Rather, these are long-term observations that I've made about the way that people live and interact with the environ-ment - people's behavior (such as driving habits, patterns created by decentralization, etc.).

This is combined with what I've learned through my college education about sustainability and the changes we need to make in our world, not only in the way we design but in the way we live.

OBSERVATION : Impact

The casual observations I've made about decen-tralization and the suburban lifestyle raise issues that I am very passionate about. These obser-vations will therefore impact my project in a general sense by providing motivation for me to pursue this project with energy, enthusiasm, and a commitment to quality in my design.

In particular, I will also be able to use my obser-vations and personal experience to help inform design decisions, based on the specific observa-tions I've made of Stanley* from having lived there for eighteen years.

* see pg 27

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In 1908 Henry Ford introduced his famous Model T, and by 1914 had perfected the assembly-line technology so that a Model T could be assembled in ninety-three minutes. He became the world's largest car manufacturer and by 1927 had pro-duced 15 million Model Ts.

For the upper classes, the car became seen as a means of escape from the congestion of the cities.

BACKGROUND Our “Love Affair” with the “Dream Machine”

In the nineteenth century, the face of America was changing. The industrial revolution brought many new and exciting technologies and pros-pects, and with them came men and women who wanted to live in the “land of opportunity.”

The United States saw a huge influx of immi-grants who crowded into cities like New York and Chicago. The infamous tenement slums, disasters like the Great Fire of Chicago in 1871, and the spread of disease were all signs that too many people were living too close together.

Research : Suburban Sprawl + America's Dependence on Automobiles

This new mobile population began moving out of the urban core into “suburban” areas, which grew rapidly. In fact, “immediately after World War I and during the 1920s, city population growth was outpaced by population growth in the suburbs by a factor of two”(Trends in Hous-ing).

This growth came to a halt during the years of the Great Depression, and it wasn't until the mid-1930s that the housing market began to make a comeback. By the 1950s, the car had become one of the primary symbols of social status in America (and by extension, so did the suburban lifestyle - which required a car and was therefore something only certain socioeco-nomic classes could afford).

SUBURBIAA Lifestyle Designed for Car Owners

“In 1940, most homes were considered at-tached” (Trends in Housing), but by 1960, nearly 2/3 of Americans were living in detached single-family homes. This dramatic change was due in large part to the influence of Levitt and Sons, deemed “the nation's biggest housebuilder” by Life magazine in 1948.

Few homes had been built during World War II, and soldiers returned to a housing shortage. Levittown, PA, the first modern “subdivision” community, gave them what they wanted: a nice place to live and to raise their families, at an af-fordable price.

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Levittown “sparked a postwar exodus to the suburbs and its impact has been both broad and diverse, ranging from ushering in longer com-mutes to work and contributing to urban sprawl, to democratizing home ownership. It placed average families within financial reach of an American dream marred only by its infamously monotonous cookie-cutter-style homes” (Kim-mel).

“Sprawl” is a term frequently heard used to de-scribe the suburban pattern of growth, and can be defined as growth that is new, low-density, automobile-dependent, and located on the fring-es of cities (which often have a deteriorating urban core because the population has migrated to the suburbs).

The decades following the advent of Levittown saw continued growth of suburban areas. A va-riety of factors promoted suburban sprawl, most notably a series of loan programs through the Federal Housing Administration and the Veterans Administration.

The mortgages on the loans cost less than most people were paying for rent in the city and made it more financially viable to move out into the suburbs. These loan programs were aimed solely at new, single-family construction, which dis-couraged the renovation of existing housing and provided no incentive to continue constructing mixed-use buildings or more condensed forms of housing such as row houses.

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In addition, the expansion of the interstate highway system, federal and local subsidies for road improvement, and a general disregard for the development of mass transit resulted in an increased dependency on cars with each pass-ing year. City planners also had an influence: the government merely promoted sprawl, but the planners became a little too enthusiastic about the single-use zoning and worked to make it the law.

The shops had to follow their customers out of the urban core. But the new subdivisions with their strict zoning ordinances provided no place for these shops to be integrated into the subur-ban fabric, so the new shops were placed along the routes between housing clusters.

Again, because of the new restrictions, these buildings had to be pulled back from the street, destroying any chance to bring the “Main Street” atmosphere to the new developments. So park-ing ended up in front of the buildings, with large, free-standing signage near the street to at-tract consumers as they drove by in their cars.

The workplace was next to follow its CEO out to his home in the suburbs. A shorter commute in combination with a lower tax burden motivated the development of the modern office park.

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So where does this leave us ?

As America continued to build in a pattern of suburban sprawl, we became locked into a vi-cious cycle: as cars became the primary mode of transportation, our lifestyles were increasingly designed around the assumption of individual car ownership - which in turn, makes us more and more dependent on our vehicles.

This cycle can be described as “a social organiza-tion of convenience, [and] as we allow our alter-natives to disappear, it indeed becomes hard to do things any other way” (Bell 78).

"Each year, we construct the equivalent of many cities, but the pieces don't add up to anything memorable or of lasting value. The result

doesn't look like a place, it doesn't act like a place, and perhaps most significant, it doesn't feel like a place. Rather, it feels like what it is: an

uncoordinated agglomeration of standardized single-use zones with little pedestrian life and even less civic identification, connected only by a

network of overtaxed roadways."

- Duany 12

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The “American Dream” that everyone wanted isn't being lived, it's being driven. According to a 2003 Department of Transportation survey (summarized by the Associated Press), Ameri-cans make a collective 1.1 billion trips daily (aver-aging 4 trips or 40 miles per person).

Nearly half of these are for shopping and errands - not driving to work, not going on vacation trips. When we get in our cars and drive some-where, it's to get milk, or go to the post office or the bank, or to pick up the kids from school and take one to his soccer game, one to her piano lesson, and one to an afterschool play date.

And with most suburban dwellers, they aren't choosing to drive because it's cold out or because they're too lazy to walk - it's because they simply don't have any other option.

“MOBILE STEEL CAGES”Counting the Cost of the Suburban Lifestyle

When one examines the environmental and social consequences of the suburban lifestyle, it be-comes clear that we have lost not only important natural resources and habitats, but also some of the most valuable aspects of our humanity. What price have we paid for the “American Dream?”

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Every year, Americans spend 8 billion hours sit-ting in traffic (Kay 14). How would the quality of our lives improve if we could have that time to spend in other pursuits? Life would be able to move at a calmer pace; our children would spend more time in the fresh air and less time stuck in their car seats getting cranky; family relation-ships would benefit from sharing time in the family room instead of on the freeway.

Americans spend millions of dollars every year to pay for their cars, their auto insurance, repairs, maintenance, and gas, not to mention all of the hidden subsidies through various taxes - dol-lars that have the potential to be invested in the development of mass transit, or other more sustainable efforts.

Suburban construction routinely destroys histori-cal sites, consumes small towns and obliterates their “Main Street” atmospheres, and promotes the deterioration of the urban core. Trees are cut down, soil is eroded, and habitats are annihi-lated.

The miles of roadways necessary for our car-dependent culture are fraught with dangers for both animals and humans alike - in the U.S. 70,000 pedestrians are injured and 4,600 are killed every year by motor vehicles.

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These things are convenient, it's true; but are they worth the price we pay?

Is this what the American dream has to be?

Or can we envision something better?

And perhaps most importantly, we have lost a sense of community, a sense of connectedness.

We drive down the street of our subdivision (sometimes through a security gate), with the front doors of the houses a comfortable distance away from our car; we pull into our driveway and open the garage door with the remote; we enter the house through the garage and make our way to the back patio to let the kids play in the fenced-in yard, then shut ourselves in for the night having successfully avoided any possible interaction with our neighbors.

So-called “amenities” such as drive-throughs, online shopping, and email result in less and less need for human interaction in our daily lives.

21APPROACH : potential solutions

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Suburbia itself wouldn't necessarily be a prob-lem if it weren't for its inherent dependence on cars and therefore on fossil fuels. But we are dependent - locked into the vicious cycle of social convenience. A problem of this magnitude rarely has what could be called a “solution,” but there are some strategies that America can use to break the cycle.

First of all, we should explore alternative modes of transportation. Less money should be spent on building up infrastructure for cars and more should be spent on the development of mass transit systems. Developments in both urban and suburban areas should be transit-oriented. Tran-sit should be “intermodal,” connecting the differ-ent modes (train, metro, bus, etc.) to create a

transit system that is efficient, inexpensive and easily navigable. Cars should be considered for their potential aside from private, individual ownership, including such alternatives as car sharing, car co-ops, and hourly car rental. And of course, biking and walking should be encouraged in whatever ways possible.

Secondly, land use and planning should become more sustainable. Greenfields should be protected. The restoration and preservation of existing buildings, as well as urban infill and the rehabili-tation of brownfield sites, should be encouraged.

New development should support rather than threaten the downtown, and the mixed-use streetscape should be decriminalized.

Research : Alternatives to Suburban Sprawl

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Thirdly, the design of future communities and developments should be walkable and pedestrian-friendly - designed for people, not cars. We should zone for mixed uses and for a variety of family types. We should put amenities within walking distance, reclaim the “main street” atmosphere, and encourage interaction with friends and neighbors.

Some of America's architects and planners have already begun exploring alternative methods of community-building. One example is a move-ment called “New Urbanism.” The basic principles of the New Urbanism movement are to focus on neighborhood centers, to create a range of household types and land uses, to design in a way that responds to the local environment, and to keep cars in perspective (Katz).

Communities such as Seaside, Florida, and Kent-lands, Virginia, are examples of constructed communities that emulate traditional neighbor-hood development without sacrificing any of the comforts we have come to enjoy as a modern society.

Another movement is known in America as “cohousing.” It began in Denmark in the late 1960s when “a group of dual-income pro-fessional families were searching for better childcare and a way to share evening meal preparation”(ScottHanson 2) and took root in the United States in the late 1980s. There are now over 300 completed projects in Denmark and more than 65 in North America. Every cohousing project is unique, but they do have some com-mon characteristics.

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hierarchical organization or designated “leaders.”

(Cohousing should not be confused with com-munes or “intentional communities.” Unlike many communes, residents of cohousing are financially and socially independent of each other: they do not share incomes and do not necessarily adhere to the same political or religious beliefs.)

Cohousing projects are environmentally friendly and conserve green space. Some of the social benefits of cohousing include: a safe and support-ive environment; opportunities for social inter-action and contribution; lower living costs; the opportunity to share resources, raise children as a community, and save time.

Chris and Kelly ScottHanson, who literally wrote the book on American cohousing projects, list these common traits:

The future residents participate in the planning and design of the community; the design fosters a strong sense of community and there is a pur-poseful separation of the car from the dwellings. The community is made up of a combination of private homes and shared facilities.

Residents help each other with looking after chil-dren and preparing food - shared evening meals are usually an important part of the cohousing culture, especially in American projects. Residents manage their own concerns, usually participating in regular meetings. Decisions are made togeth-er, as a community; they typically don't have a

CONCLUSION

As an architecture student, I see so much oppor-tunity for planners and architects to change the way Americans live, not only by making buildings more sustainable in their resource and energy usage, but also in creating more livable com-munities that protect and foster human relation-ships.

I don't believe it's an unrealistic goal; on the con-trary, I believe it's what our profession and the nation as a whole should be striving towards. As Jean Holtz Kay puts it:

“It is a quest for the connecting of lives released from mobile steel cages” (358).

Research : Conclusion + ApplicationAPPLICATION TO PROJECT

PROBLEM + RESEARCH = HYPOTHESIS

Hypothesis : :

Creating more mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly buildings is one of the key strategies for preventing some of the damage created by suburban sprawl and

reducing Americans' resultant dependence on automobiles.

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PART TWO : The Proposal

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FALL 2009

The Proposal

BACKGROUND : stanley, ks (page 27)

CHALLENGE : project description (page 33)

27

BACKGROUND : stanley, ks

I grew up in a small town called Stanley, KS. At least - it was a small town when we moved there. Stanley is on the southernmost edge of Overland Park, KS.

Overland Park is the second most populous city in Kansas after Wichita and is generally considered to be a satellite city of Kansas City, MO. It has a population of approximately 180,000 people and is a monument to suburbia and urban sprawl.

Over the years, Stanley has slowly been swal-lowed up by Overland Park, but it retains vestiges of the small-town feel it used to have.

Stanley, KS : A Small Town in Danger

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On one corner of this intersection is a pharmacy,

on one corner is a grocery store and a bank,

and on the third corner there are two tiny brick buildings that represent the historical section of our town. (Figures 3 + 4, next page)

I would say that if Stanley had a town “center,” it would be at 151st Street and Metcalf Avenue (Figure 2). GoogleEarth confirmed this and took me to that exact street intersection when I typed “Stanley, KS” into its search bar.

29figure 2

Stanley, KS : Historic Business District

30

figure 3 - 1976 (source : jocohistory.org, property of Olathe Public Library) figure 4 - 2009

31

The old Stanley Bank also used to sit on this cor-ner, but a few years ago when 151st Street was being widened, it was almost destroyed.

This created quite an outcry in the local commu-nity, however, so the bank building was carefully removed from its foundations and moved a little ways down the street. It was also beautifully restored.

The fourth corner of this intersection has a small dingy building sitting in a small ugly parking lot. The building used to be an auto parts store, but it's been years

since it was occupied.

Currently the lot is nothing but a blemish on the face of our community, even though it is located at the heart of our town. For my project, I would like to

reclaim that piece of land for my town.32

CHALLENGE : project description

33

My goal for the project is to design a building for this corner lot which is mixed-use in nature. It will probably only be three or four stories high, as the other buildings in the area are all less than four stories.

The ground level will have retail or restaurant spaces that the community can enjoy. The upper levels will be residential, or perhaps one level of office spaces and then two levels of residential above that.

I would also like to consider how this new building fits into the existing fabric of the town, and how it might be just a small piece of a revitalization plan for the town “center,” such as it is.

Project Description

34

Project Description : Design Goals

My goals for this building are that it will:

-> fit into the existing community infrastructure

-> revitalize this area without destroying the small-town feel

-> help beautify the heart of my town

-> create a place where people can live that is within walking distance of numerous amenities

-> create a connection to the history of Stanley in its function + its aesthetics

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PART THREE : The Project

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SPRING 2010

The Project

BACKGROUND (page 37)

MOTIVATION + VISION (page 45)

PROCESS (page 51)

OUTCOME (page 58)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

BIBLIOGRAPHY

37

BACKGROUND

38

At the beginning of the Spring 2010 semester, I returned to this project with fresh eyes but also with a need to clarify exactly what my project was going to be and to identify my specific goals for its outcome. The Fall 2009 process had been something of a struggle: I think what I really wanted to do was master-plan a pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use community.

Having neither the time nor the expertise to be able to do that, I had to narrow it down to something manageable. What I really needed was a context.

One day it struck me that my own hometown was an excellent example of the suburban envi-ronment - but it wasn't always that way.

Stanley used to have a history, an identity - it used to be a community, although it was years before my time. How had we lost our sense of place? What could I do through design to help reclaim it?

My literature search and observations (research methods used in the Fall 2009 semester) had led me to the conclusion that

Designing more mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly buildings is the key to preventing some of

the damage created by suburban sprawl and America's dependence on automobiles.

I had to determine what this meant for my project.

A NEW SEMESTER

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Although I felt like I had just spent all of the Fall semester narrowing down my project, it soon became clear that I was about to broaden the scope again. I had found a context, it was true, but one building was not going to solve my town's problem.

What I liked about my chosen site (at 151st Street and Metcalf Avenue) was that it is essen-tially the “town center.”

However, aside from its physical location and the amount of activity concentrated there, this intersection had absolutely nothing to identify it as being the center of Stanley.

My major professor, Fayez Husseini, and I talked about doing a conceptual redevelopment of the entire intersection - and then designing a build-ing within this ideal context - one in which Stanley as a whole would adopt policies and take steps to become more pedestrian-friendly. I did some additional research on what that would look like:

STRATEGIES FOR TOWN CENTERS

I researched several different aspects of com-munity design. One of these was the idea of a “third place,” a place that is neither home nor work - but one of the many other places we spend our time. I also explored what it means to design for walkability, and what it means to design for a sense of place.

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I did case studies on pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use districts such as The Grove in Los Angeles, California, and the Clarendon Market Common in Arlington, Virginia, trying to determine what made these areas successful and what strate-gies they used to create vibrant public spaces.

I researched streetscape design and some of the psychology associated with it, including the prospect-refuge theory, the need to protect the integrity and authenticity of historical districts, and the importance of physical connection / proximity to neighborhoods.

I also discovered a need for balance between familiarity and variety, and between legibility and mystery.

Some of the specific physical aspects of streetscape design include pedestrian paths, parking, lighting, trees, street furniture, public art, graphics, and signage.

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One of the biggest things that Stanley would have to accomplish in order to become a more pedestrian-friendly town would be the adoption of policy changes that would allow it to be redeveloped for walkability. These policy changes could include:

-> Allowing housing above retail-> Permitting construction of multifamily dwellings-> Allowing narrow streets-> On wider streets, allowing higher building heights->Splitting up large blocks with new streets-> Reducing building setbacks-> Forbidding parking lots in front of new buildings-> Improving the quality of sidewalks-> Adding more streetlights, with shorter, more pedestrian-scale poles-> Providing safe bicycle routes-> Consolidating parking lots-> Providing or improving transit access-> Imposing architectural guidelines that address scale and character

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As I delved into these fascinating subjects, I quickly came to the conclusion that although I definitely liked the idea of redeveloping Stanley for walkability, it simply wasn't going to happen.

For one thing, Stanley no longer exists as its own entity. It is incorporated into Overland Park, and must therefore abide by Overland Park's policies.

In addition, even if Stanley were an independent township, the area has continued to encourage new development - they just finished widening the roads; they're not about to start narrowing them now!

THE CONTEXT

So although I'm majoring in interior architecture (not landscape design or urban planning), and although in reality Stanley will probably never take these steps to become more pedestrian-friendly (and will in all likelihood continue to adopt policies that encourage suburban sprawl),I decided that at the very least, I wanted my project to provide a vision of what this area could look like if it were redeveloped for walkability.

This led to the decision to change my site.

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In order to make the entire intersection more pedestrian-friendly, it would be absolutely cru-cial to narrow the streets, since right now any pedestrian movement would be crossing at least six lanes.

But as I said, this simply isn't feasible within the current infrastructure. Therefore, any building I designed on the northeast corner lot would es-sentially remain disconnected, and people would have to drive there even from as close as across the street.

The LAST thing I wanted was for people to be doing more driving!.

The southeast block held more potential. One of the few remaining pieces of Stanley's history is a toy train store across the street from my original site. The store is actually two small brick buildings, and they stand as solitary but stead-fast reminders of our past.

I began considering how I could transform the entire block to become a pedestrian-friendly “district,” one that would become the true “town center” and would strengthen the small piece of history that already stood on this corner.

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Because the area is already mixed-use in nature, this district could include residential and commercial buildings, public areas, and hopefully some green space. This would not be a fully-developed design in any sense, but simply a concept - a vision of what this quadrant could be.

I was determined that whatever I design be feasible in the existing context, and I strove to redevelop the area in a way that would encourage policy-makers to replicate the strategies and aesthetics in future developments in the area so that, slowly but surely, Stanley might eventually be able to reclaim its identity and become a more walkable community.

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MOTIVATION + VISION

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Within this conceptual redevelopment, I had to determine what the actual building would be.

My focus is interior architecture and therefore the majority of my concentration for the project would be in the space planning of the building - but what would it be?

I knew what my “big-picture” goals for the building were, within the proposed context of a walkable “town center”:

reclaiming aspects of humanity that have been lost through the suburbanization of America (designing for people, not for cars)

regaining a sense of identity + place for Stanley

restoring a sense of community by creating a place where people come together. meet. connect. communicate.

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I went back to my initial questions :

What aspects of our humanity have we lost in the transition to a

suburban culture?

What can be done through design to reclaim them?

I thought about what I had learned in the previous semester through my research,

counting the cost of suburbia:

time (8 billion hours a year stuck in traffic)

money (on gas, car maintenance, etc.)

sense of community (world designed for

cars, not people)

family life, childhoodhistory (deteriorating small towns, abandoned urban cores)

natural resources + habitats, animal lifepeace + safety (increase in road rage in-cidents; 70,000 pedestrians injured and 4600 killed every year by motor vehicles, )

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Three of these aspects in particular stood out to me as being relevant for my project:

sense of community (world designed for cars, not people)

family life, childhood

history (deteriorating small towns, abandoned urban cores)

So where did my yellow brick road lead me? . . . .

THE VISION : A PEDESTRIAN-FRIENDLY DISTRICT

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THE VISION : POTENTIAL TENANTS

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In addition to creating a concept for a site redevelopment / streetscape package, I also did some thinking about what kind of clients would be ocupying the buildings in this district.

In order to appeal to Stanley's main demographic (families with children), the list of potential tenants (right) is comprised of retailers or services that would provide for the needs of these families.

Having a variety of different activities and services in a walkable district such as I envision this to be will help reduce the need to drive so much, reconnecting the different “colors” of the “spectrum” (see pg. ) and allowing the residents of Stanley to have more meaninful interactions in the community.

-> daycare facility

-> children's bookstore

-> children's clothing retailers (The Gap Kids, Gymboree, The Children's Place)

-> craft/hobby store (JoAnn, Paint Glaze & Fire)

-> gift shop (with games, puzzles, toys)

-> Discovery Channel store

-> children's furniture, etc. (Pottery Barn Kids)

-> portrait photographer

-> organic grocery / convenience store

51PROCESS

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[WHAT is the project?]

Initially, I tried to decide exactly what I wanted to have at the end of the semester. Eventually I determined that this would include:

-> A conceptual site redevelopment, including suggestions for potential tenants and a basic streetscape package

-> A comprehensive design for a coffeehouse located in one of the buildings on site, including the building exterior, interior space planning, furniture design, and lighting design)

-> Branding for the coffeehouse including name, logo, graphics, and signage

[WHY this design?]

After a great deal of thought, I decided to design a coffeehouse, because I felt that it was the kind of environment that could begin to reclaim these aspects and accomplish my overall goals for the project.

[WHO is it for?]I wanted this coffeehouse to appeal to a variety of age groups, but I decided to specifically focus on families, since this is Stanley's main demographic.

ANSWERING THE BIG QUESTIONS

53

[WHAT influenced the design?]

After I made this choice, most of my decision-making in the design process was driven by a desire to be as family-friendly and as child-friendly as possible.

It was important for me to create a connection between the exterior environment and the interior of the building in order to simultaneously draw pedestrians in from the sidewalk as well as encourage people within the building to spend time outside.

I also wanted this building (as stated in my origi-nal goals at the end of the Fall 2009 semester) to fit into the existing context of the area and help strengthen Stanley's identity as a place.

[HOW does this design differ from others already produced?]

What makes Stanley's coffeehouse unique is that most coffee shops are not designed to accommodate children, but because of my town's special demographic, a coffeehouse designed specifically for Stanley must be family- and child-friendly.

Figuring out how to accomplish this reallybecame a focus for my design.

54

[HOW will this research and project further knowledge in the profession?]

Although you can find thousands of books about design, and thousands of books about the problem of urban sprawl, the use of design to help solve this problem is a potential that has not yet been fully realized.

The New Urbanism and Cohousing movements are among the first attempts to create more mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods that hearken back to traditional neighborhood-building, a way of life that was much more sustainable - and also allowed us to connect with our community in meaningful ways.

However, so much more can be done, and as designers we have a responsibility to continue to explore the ways in which our skills and expertise can protect history, identity, and community.

My project is just one small piece of the answer to this puzzle.

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[WHAT did I learn in the process?]

I have learned so much during the research and design of this project.

I have a much deeper appreciation for the

past: my history, the history of my town, and the history of housing in America.

I am much more aware and have a deeper understanding of the

present: how humans live and interact with their environment, the problems associated with our dependence on cars, and the need to move towards a more sustainable way of life.

Most importantly, I have a new vision for the

future: a dream of what America could look like, if we would only decide to reclaim the aspects of our humanity that are slowly being destroyed by the spread of suburbia.

PROCESS

56

Project Timeline

Process

observation photographic documentationresearch/data gathering + compilationassessment of goals for outcome

site analysis + conceptual redevelopmentconceptual streetscape package development of building design sketchwork concept + visualization CAD + Revit drawings / renderingsname / logo / signage + graphicdevelopment of presentation materials

] Fall 2009

]Spring 2010

57

5858

OUTCOME

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Project Background : Location

STANLEY, KS

-> my hometown-> southern edge of Overland Park, KS-> “Stanley” technically no longer exists as an independent township - it is part of the city of Overland Park

-> Overland Park : - second-largest city in Kansas after Wichita - satellite city of Kansas City, MO - population of around 180,000 - monument to suburban sprawl

-> most of the people living here are families with children

-> not a lot of seniors or young adults - the growing demographic is empty-nesters as my generation starts leaving for college and/or moving out - but the main demographic is definitely still families and that will probably continue to be the case

-> family-friendly, family-oriented communitythe school district (Blue Valley) is one of the best in the nation

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-> it's impossible to define Stanley's “borders” or estimate its population because it is no longer an independent entity

-> roughly, it extends North-South from 143rd Street to 159th Street, and East-West from Nall Avenue to Antioch Road

-> development has continued topush southward since I moved here 18 years ago, and shows no signs of slowing

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Project Background : Site

retail

restaurant

other business

educational

“dead zone”

This intersection is prime real estate and is ideal for pursuing a mixed-use development because the zoning in the area is already mixed-use.

62

For my project, I am looking specifically at the southeast quadrant of the intersection of 151st Street and Metcalf Avenue, and what could be done there to create a mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly district.

Although Stanley has been swallowed up by Overland Park, it still retains vestiges of its small-town past . . .

63HISTORIC TOY TRAIN STORE

6464

HISTORIC STANLEY HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING

65

HISTORIC STANLEY BANK BUILDING

66

Site : Existing + Proposed Redevelopment Overlay

Site : Proposed Redevelopment

67

existing buildings

new construction

green space

vehicular circulation

68

Proposed New Construction : (Aerial) View from Metcalf Avenue

Floor Plan : Level 1

69

Floor Plan : Level 2

70

71

Floor Plan : Level 1

RR

Storage

Coffee Prep

Ice Cream (Child Height)

“Walk-Up” (Bar Height)

CC (Counter Height)

Banquette Seating

Soft Seating

Fireplace

Hard Seating (Flexible)

“Kid Zone”

Entry Zone Vestibule

Main Entry

Drink Rail

Child RR

Entry +Stairs to Apts.Above

CC/T/R

CC/T/R

Order/Pay/Pick-UpPastry

Outdoor Seating

NanaWall

72

Reflected Ceiling Plan + RCP with Level 1 Underlay

Ceiling Height : 9'-6”

Ceiling Height : 8'-0”

73

Exterior View : a

The Grand Tour

DESIGN RATIONALE : EXTERIOR

The design of the building form and its facade went hand-in-hand with the development of the site and streetscape concept. One of my goals was to strengthen what little identity the streetscape already had.

To accomplish this, I kept the building to only two stories and used similar materials to those found on Stanley's historical buildings (such as the toy train store and the bank): namely, brick and limestone.

To further strengthen the streetscape, I envision lampposts (modeled on the one in front of the Stanley Bank) placed regularly to help define the district. These lampposts will serve multiple func-tions: providing light, creating a visual boundary, displaying signage, and establishing a nostalgic and quaint ambience.

In addition, trees and other vegetation will be planted wherever possible; sidewalks will be wide and inviting; benches or other seating will be provided.

74

75

Exterior View : b

One of the challenges in the design of the building facade was figuring out how to create a visual connection between the interior and exterior of the building in order to “advertise” the coffee-house and draw people in, while also protecting the people inside from the noise of a busy street. For this reason, there isn't a lot of penetration on the west-facing facade (that runs parallel to Metcalf).

The corner of the building I felt held great poten-tial to attract drivers. A large fireplace on this wall is a prominent architectural feature that draws attention, allows people without to see into the building (and vice-versa), creates op-portunity for signage, and even provides seating for pedestrians on the sidewalk to stop and enjoy the fire.

The fireplace created a rather strong vertical element, but I wanted to emphasize the hori-zontal, finding it more appropriate for the locale (similar to Frank Lloyd Wright's emphasis of the horizontal in his famous “Prairie Style”).

The limestone mantle became a strong hori-zontal line that is picked up in other limestone accents that relate to various regulating lines on the facade.

This results in a stronger horizontality and also gives the building a bit more of a modern look - I wanted it to look like it “fit” in the area, but I didn't necessarily want it to be an exact repro-duction of the historical style.

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The front entry is placed along a side street per-pendicular to Metcalf. In my conceptual site re-development, this street would be where people would be able to park on this side of the site, so the door is located in proximity to the parking.

This allows not only visitors, but also the residents who live above the coffeehouse, fast access to the building. Elements like the flower boxes and the signage above help identify the front entry and give it more presence.

The rear entry, however, is the one that I envi-sion being used the most. People will park on the edges of the site and enter in between the build-ings to a small park-like space.

I didn't specifically define what would be in this green space - one idea (see rendering, pg. 82) was a playground, since this district is intended to be as family- and child-friendly as possible. It could be something else, though - a community garden, for example.

Whatever this green space becomes, I see this being where families would want to spend their time.

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This building is meant to be an integral part of the “big picture” for the area. I paid special attention to these overall connections on the facade that faces the park, since that is where most of the pedestrian circulation will occur.

One feature that helps connect interior + ex-terior is an installation called the NanaWall. This system of folding glass panels allows an entire wall to be opened up. This is located on the wall adjacent to the “Kid Zone,” and can be opened in nice weather, allowing children to run in and out freely and enjoy the fresh air.

Another feature is what I'm calling the “Walk-Up” (as opposed to the “drive-through”), which is essentially an opening in the facade that has a counter where a person can order, pay, and pick up without ever entering the building.

This allows parents to stroll over and get a drink without having to interrupt their children's game. It would also be ideal for someone who is running errands in the area and just wants to grab a quick cup of coffee without entering the building. T

he ice cream case is at child height so they can see all of their flavor choices, and there is even a counter with all of the “coffee condiments”: creamer and sugar and napkins, etc.

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79

Exterior View : c

80

Exterior View : d

Perhaps one of the other tenants in the area is a daycare facility. The father drops his two young children off at the daycare on his way to work in the morning. He walks across the pleasant green park to the coffeehouse, where he gets his daily cup of coffee and a copy of The Kansas City Star before he heads for the office.

That afternoon, his wife, who is a teacher at a local elementary school, comes to pick up the kids. She runs into the organic grocery store on the corner to pick up a few things for dinner, and stops at the toy train store to buy a gift for her nephew's birthday party next week.

The kids are getting restless so they go back outside and she sits on a park bench while they play on the playground. She sees another mother that she knows and they chat while their children play tag.

When she sees them start to get tired, she sug-gests that they all walk over to the coffeehouse and get some ice cream. They walk up to the counter and order, then the children find seats at the small child-sized tables nearby. The mothers stand at the counter to get the ice cream . . .

81

The "Big Picture"

82

Exterior View : e

After their treat, she and her kids walk home (because they live in a nearby subdivision). Their next-door neighbor, a teenage girl, comes over to play with the children while their mother prepares dinner. When the kids are called into dinner, the girl returns home.

That evening her friends call; they have a big history test the next day and are going to the coffeehouse to study. The girl packs up her books and walks over to meet them. They each get a hot drink and some of them buy a dessert from the pastry case.

Then they pretend to study until someone's mother calls and reminds them that it's getting late . . .

83

84

Exterior View : f

85

Floor Plan : Level 1

RR

Storage

Coffee Prep

Ice Cream (Child Height)

“Walk-Up” (Bar Height)

CC (Counter Height)

Banquette Seating

Soft Seating

Fireplace

Hard Seating (Flexible)

“Kid Zone”

Entry Zone Vestibule

Main Entry

Drink Rail

Child RR

Entry +Stairs to Apts.Above

CC/T/R

CC/T/R

Order/Pay/Pick-UpPastry

Outdoor Seating

NanaWall

86

Interior View : A

The Grand Tour

DESIGN RATIONALE : INTERIOR

A vestibule space just inside the front door al-lows for a transition from exterior to interior. The brick pavers used for the sidewalks outside are carried in to the vestibule to help maintain the connection to the outdoors (they are also durable and weatherproof).

Signage and a board with the coffeehouse's spe-cials greet visitors, and the glass door into the space allows people to see through even when it is closed. There is another (solid) door that leads to the stairs to the apartments above. These residents' mailboxes are in the wall in the vesti-bule for easy access for both postal workers and tenants.

Just inside the coffeehouse is another transition-al “entry zone.” I know from personal experience that families, especially those with small children, often have to pause just inside the door to take a head count any make sure everyone's shoes are tied before truly entering the space - this area allows them to do so.

There are benches with cushions, and a newspa-per stand / magazine rack. Also nearby is a coat rack in the shape of one of the exterior lamp-posts, which also serves as a column. This quirky element adds some fun to the space while si-multaneously strengthening the connection from interior to exterior.

87

88

Interior View : B

89

Interior View : C

Close to the entry, along the window, is a drink rail with bar-height seating. This large win-dow brings in a lot of natural light and frames a pleasant view of the quiet side street.

Between the drink rail and the newspaper / magazine rack is a counter for “coffee condi-ments” and used dishes, as well as under-the-counter receptacles for trash and recycling.

The wall space above this counter would be ideal for a community bulletin board.

The granite counter of the drink rail overlaps with the limestone and granite surfaces of the fireplace to form shelves, allowing display space for accessories that will give the space a “homey” feel.

In front of the fireplace is a soft seating area for lounging, the adjacent wall is banquette seating, and most of the remaining floor space is occu-pied by flexible (moveable) hard seating.

This variety in the seating types ensures that there will be a place for everyone to feel com-fortable, creating appeal for all demographics.

90

91

Interior View : D

92

Interior View : E

93

Interior View : F

The ADA restroom is located in the back, allow-ing for privacy and separation of functions. This hallway also provides access to employee areas.

The long counter in front of the coffee prep area has plenty of room for a cash wrap and pick-up, as well as space for the “coffee condiments,” trash, and recycling, with an easily-legible menu board above.

The coffee prep area efficiently serves both the interior customers and the exterior “walk-up” customers.

Behind the prep zone is a large room for stor-age, including storage of trash, which can be taken out the exterior door to the sidewalk on trash pick-up days.

(The expanse of brick paving just outside this door is not intended for everyday vehicular traf-fic, but can accommodate the occasional trash truck or delivery van.)

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95

Interior View : G

The “Kid Zone” (or “Junior Java”) is the crown-ing glory of this coffeehouse. Many efforts were made throughout the design to accommodate the needs of families, but this area is designed just for the kids! One notable feature is what's called a “tansu stair,” a storage system built into the wall (under the stairs that go up to the sec-ond level). These shelves and cabinets could store games and toys for the children, or parents could stash their diaper bags or even their fold-up strollers.

Almost disappearing into the unit is a door to a convenient additional restroom, with child-pro-portioned fixtures. Adjacent to the storage wall is the NanaWall, which opens to the exterior to create one big play space. The tables and stools are child-sized, brightly colored, and made of easily washable materials.

In the corner is a small kitchenette for kids to play house (or play coffeehouse!), the proportions of which are appropriate for children ages 2-7. Sets of plastic dishware and other toys could be provided for imagination facilitation!

Close to the mini-kitchen is a small additional soft-seating area, with comfortable armchairs where mothers can watch their little ones playing or where older children can curl up with a book.

Several of the “Dave” tables by IKEA are posi-tioned close to the chairs. These tables can be tilted to accommodate a laptop or adjusted for height, becoming useable as a side table for an adult to set down a drink, or as a child-height table.

96

97

Interior View : H

98

Interior View : I

99

Materials + Finishes : Flooring

HARDWOOD FLOORING. RED OAK. DARK STAIN.

GRASS

BRICK PAVERS. HERRINGBONE PATTERN.BASED ON EXISTING.

100

Materials + Finishes : Walls

PAINT. BENJAMIN MOORE.

NON-UNIFORM BRICK.BASED ON EXISTING.

101

Materials + Finishes : Counter Surfaces + Casegoods

TERRAZZO. BLACK.

LIMESTONE.BASED ON EXISTING.

WOOD.DARK STAIN.

HARDWARE.CHROME FINISH.

WOOD.ANTIQUED WHITE PAINT FINISH.

102

Materials + Finishes : Textiles

PALLAS TEXTILES.SAVANNAH.

lemongrassturmeric

teal

103

Materials + Finishes : Textiles

CHAIRS.LEATHER.CHARCOAL GRAY.

CLEC

SOFA.SUEDE.

LIGHT GRAY.

104

Details : Furniture

BARSTOOL.BOMBO.

COFFEE TABLE.THOMASVILLE.CINNAMON HILL.

ARMCHAIR.BERNHARDT.MANHASSET.

105

Details : Furniture

LAPTOP TABLE.DAVE.IKEA.

CHILD TABLE + STOOLS.ECOTOTS.

SIDECHAIR.STEELCASE.IVY BY COALESSE.

106

Details : Light Fixtures

ARTICHOKE PENDANT.PAOL HENNINGEN.

PENDANT.MURRAY FEISS.

107

Details : NanaWall

Details : Branding + Signage : Coffeehouse

The name of this coffeehouse is “The Rally.”

The word “rally” has several definitions, including two that are pertinent to my project:

1 - "to come together for common action or effort"2 - "to find renewed strength or vigor"

I liked that the first definition implies that people will be drawing together (which was one of my overall goals for the project), and I also found the second definition very appropriate for a coffeehouse!

I also felt that the word has a very subtle sense of nostalgia to it, as well as being a fun name to say in everyday conversation: “I'm going to The Rally,” “I'll meet you at the Rally,” etc.

108

109

Details : Branding + Signage : Coffeehouse

109

Details : Branding + Signage : Streetscape

110

But we have only begun to love the earth.We have only begun to imagine the fullness of life.How could we tire of hope? --so much is in bud.

- Denise Levertov, "Candles in Babylon"

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

"It is the supreme art of the teacher

to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge."

- Albert Einstein

My heartfelt thanks to :

My major professor, Fayez HusseiniMy minor professor, Donna FullmerMy many faculty advisors: Lorraine Cutler, Allan Hastings, Bob Bullock, Neal HubbellMy studio family, my roommates, and other friends who have helped me out along the wayMy family - I l ove you all so much.

And especiallyMy Heavenly Father - the Original Designer - for in Him I live and move and have my being. I owe Him everything.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Associated Press. “America's Love Affair with Cars, Trucks, and SUVs Continues.” USA Today, 30 August 2003. Web. 10 November 2009.

Bell, Michael Mayerfield. An Invitation to Environmental Sociology. Los Angeles : Pine Forge Press, 2009. Print.

Crankshaw, Ned. Creating Vibrant Public Spaces : Streetscape Design in Commerical and Historic Districts. Washington, DC : Island Press, 2009. Print.

Duany, Andres, Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, and Jeff Speck. Suburban Nation : The Rise of Sprawl and the Decline of the American Dream. New York : North Point Press, 2000. Print.

Katz, Peter. The New Urbanism : Toward an Architecture of Community. New York : Mc-Graw-Hill, Inc., 1994. Print.

Kay, Jane Holtz. Asphalt Nation : How the Automobile Took Over America and How We Can Take It Back. Berkeley : University of California Press, 1997. Print.

Kimmel, Chad M. “Community in History: Levittown and the Decline of a Postwar American Dream.” Footnotes. American Sociological Association, November 2003. Web. 15 November 2009.

Langdon, Philip. A Better Place to Live : Reshaping the American Suburb. Amherst : University of Massachusetts Press, 1994. Print.

Martinson, Tom. American Landscape : The Pursuit of Happiness in Postwar Suburbia. New York : Carroll & Graf Publishers, Inc., 2000. Print.

Moe, Richard, and Carter Wilkie. Changing Places : Rebuilding Community in the Age of Sprawl. New York : Henry Hold and Company, Inc., 1997. Print.

Schmitz, Adrienne, and Jason Scully. Creating Walkable Places : Compact Mixed-Use Solutions. Washington, DC : The Urban Land Institute, 2006. Print.

ScottHanson, Chris, and Kelly ScottHanson. The Cohousing Handbook : Building a Place for Community. Gabriola Island BC : New Society Publishers, 2005. Print.

n.p. “Trends in Housing.” Housing History and Purpose. Center for Dis-ease Control and Prevention, n.d. Web. 10 November 2009.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

"If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be.

Now put the foundations under them."

- Henry David Thoreau