DESIGN FOR PEDESTRIANS AS A WAY OF MAKING PUBLIC SPACE SAFER ANNE FAURE - ARCH’URBA / BREST METROPOLE OCEANE - 2012 / 2013 WALK 21 MUNICH - 2013.

DESIGN FOR PEDESTRIANS AS A WAY OF MAKING PUBLIC SPACE SAFER

ANNE FAURE - ARCH’URBA / BREST METROPOLE OCEANE - 2012 / 2013

WALK 21 MUNICH - 2013

A social neighbourhood in BrestA social neighbourhood in Brest

The Bergot neighbourhood is surrounded by a belt of tower blocks of flats.

In the centre, a range of shops . are built on top of a car park . are accessible from the boulevard by a one floor staircase.

The shopping mall is closed, is not crossed by user’s routes

The Bergot neighbourhood is surrounded by a belt of tower blocks of flats.

In the centre, a range of shops . are built on top of a car park . are accessible from the boulevard by a one floor staircase.

The shopping mall is closed, is not crossed by user’s routes

Urban safety is improved by pedestrian policies:

. Jane Jacobs explained the importance of public space in social life.

. Oscar Newman showed that people walking in public space are a factor in preventing crime.

Our experiment in Brest, is based on these concepts.

Urban safety is improved by pedestrian policies:

. Jane Jacobs explained the importance of public space in social life.

. Oscar Newman showed that people walking in public space are a factor in preventing crime.

Our experiment in Brest, is based on these concepts.

A social neighbourhood built circa 1980A social neighbourhood built circa 1980

Shopping mall

parking

Organisation of the shopping mallOrganisation of the shopping mall

parking

private

private

private

social

social

private

Housing : tower blocks of flats with different status, public and privateShopping center and car park : a single condominium

supermarket

Car park

3 000 people terrified by 20 youngsters3 000 people terrified by 20 youngsters

Shopping mall’s design:• makes crime easy• is not convenient to

enhance shopping• is not opened on the city

However, the site has a goodpotential, • is well maintened• is well served by buses• benefits of public

facilities nearby

Shopping mall’s design:• makes crime easy• is not convenient to

enhance shopping• is not opened on the city

However, the site has a goodpotential, • is well maintened• is well served by buses• benefits of public

facilities nearby

A gang of young dealers ischanging the neighbourhoodinto a battle field:

• they set fire to the backery to teach the owner a lesson

• inhabitants are terrified, they stay inside their flats and don’t want to go out

• clients of the shops are less and less numerous

A gang of young dealers ischanging the neighbourhoodinto a battle field:

• they set fire to the backery to teach the owner a lesson

• inhabitants are terrified, they stay inside their flats and don’t want to go out

• clients of the shops are less and less numerous

Heavy constrainctsHeavy constraincts

• The action of a private developer is necessary

• The financial mechanism has to balance the cost of demolition and rebuilding and must produce benefits

• The works must contribute– to change the image

and the organization – to make a safer and

attractive public space

• The action of a private developer is necessary

• The financial mechanism has to balance the cost of demolition and rebuilding and must produce benefits

• The works must contribute– to change the image

and the organization – to make a safer and

attractive public space

• The cost of reshaping the neibourhood is very high

• The private status of many buildings makes difficult to benefit of the grants from the state or from the region

• The community offers to contribute to define a project, can help to maintain the car park, but cannot pay for buildings

• The cost of reshaping the neibourhood is very high

• The private status of many buildings makes difficult to benefit of the grants from the state or from the region

• The community offers to contribute to define a project, can help to maintain the car park, but cannot pay for buildings

FIRST STEP :WORKING WITH PEOPLE

A first developer, hired by shopkeepers, proposed a scheme which was too denseand was not accepted

After a night of violence and a whole page in the newspaper,the local council decided - to enlarge the operating area, - to reorganise the whole surface using a pedestrian way as a spinal axis

The working groupThe working group

• The working group is composed of:– shopkeepers and their accountant – elected representatives and technicians

• The inhabitants have been living there for a long time: everybody knows each other, there is a high level of solidarity and a good cooperation with technicians

• In this frame of « co-production », the chemist decided to study, with young doctors arriving in the neighbourhood, the feasibility of building a medical centre

• The project of a medical centre could be able to give a financial support and makes the reshaping of the neighbourhood more realistic

• The working group is composed of:– shopkeepers and their accountant – elected representatives and technicians

• The inhabitants have been living there for a long time: everybody knows each other, there is a high level of solidarity and a good cooperation with technicians

• In this frame of « co-production », the chemist decided to study, with young doctors arriving in the neighbourhood, the feasibility of building a medical centre

• The project of a medical centre could be able to give a financial support and makes the reshaping of the neighbourhood more realistic

Working group’s objectivesWorking group’s objectives

• To improve the visibility of the shops by relocating them at the level of the boulevard

• To keep opened a basic level of services, a supermarket, a cafe, a backery, a pharmacy, if it could be useful to reduce the number of shops

• To use, if possible, the empty plot close to the shopping mall to enlarge the surface of the project

• To prevent young people to gather and to stay in the shopping mall by demolishing the shops located upon the car park

• To build a medical centre, a need for the neighbourhood, to bring a possible benefit to developers’ program

• To improve the visibility of the shops by relocating them at the level of the boulevard

• To keep opened a basic level of services, a supermarket, a cafe, a backery, a pharmacy, if it could be useful to reduce the number of shops

• To use, if possible, the empty plot close to the shopping mall to enlarge the surface of the project

• To prevent young people to gather and to stay in the shopping mall by demolishing the shops located upon the car park

• To build a medical centre, a need for the neighbourhood, to bring a possible benefit to developers’ program

Actions to launch at the same timeActions to launch at the same time

It is also necessary:

•to make local power’s presence legible in the field– to help shopkeepers and inhabitants– to support citizen groups

•to help jobs search– learning a profession, for some young people– teaching again to read and write for the others

•to launch, or support, sport and leisure activities for young people

It is also necessary:

•to make local power’s presence legible in the field– to help shopkeepers and inhabitants– to support citizen groups

•to help jobs search– learning a profession, for some young people– teaching again to read and write for the others

•to launch, or support, sport and leisure activities for young people

A PROGRAM TO RESHAPE THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

Proposed principles for a new programProposed principles for a new program

1- Two types of proposals

- South part only (shopping mall and car park) solution A, B, A bis

- Whole neighbourhood

solution C, D

2- Analysis and choice of the best proposal

1- Two types of proposals

- South part only (shopping mall and car park) solution A, B, A bis

- Whole neighbourhood

solution C, D

2- Analysis and choice of the best proposal

Several sketchesSeveral sketches

In depth studiesIn depth studies

The feasibility of a direct access to the shops has been studied

Cross section along the boulevard

In depth studiesIn depth studiesSufficient surface for shops relocation : street level

In depth studiesIn depth studiesSufficient surface for shops relocation : top floor of the car park

Analysis of the different proposalsSHOPPING MALL AND CAR PARK WHOLE AREA

CRITERIA A et A bis B C D

Ouverture du site sur le quartier faible faible bonne très bonne

Qualité urbaine, valorisation du site faible faible bonne très bonne

Fonctionnement commercial bon bon bon bon

Facilitation des modes « actifs » moyen moyen amélioration amélioration

Transparence, co-visibilité faible faible bonne très bonne

Clarification des domanialités possible possible possible possible

Clôture de l’espace public / privé possible possible possible possible

Accessibilité pour la Police pas d’amélioration pas d’amélioration bonne bonne

Accessibilité du parking bonne dangereux bonne bonne

Retraitement de la dalle possible possible possible possible

Utilisation des surfaces ouest reprise structure reprise structure reprise structure adaptation possible

Augmentation surface /av. Provence difficile difficile difficile possible

Possibilités de phasage moyen/ court terme moyen/ court terme moyen terme long terme

Relogements provisoires dans la supérette dans la supérette terrain à l’est terrain à l’est

Modes de gestion des sols PLU PLU PLU rétrocession voirie

Acquisitions foncières surface moyenne surface moyenne surface moyenne s. très importante

Approche des coûts de travaux moyen moyen lourd très lourd

Echelonnement possible des coûts difficile difficile phasage moyen terme phasage long terme

Red cells = negative – Green cells = positive

The chosen solutionThe chosen solution

A pedestrian way, joining the bus stop, to focus inhabitants’ movements

A tower block of flats whichwill be demolishedto design a circular road, instead of the two existingcul de sac

Low housing buildings to replace the demolished flats and other to produce benefits

New shops and a medical centre along the boulevard, accessible at the street level

A car park refurbished and safe, without buildings at the top

The projectThe project

Towards the operating process

• The planning showed that works could last 5 years

• The cost is approximately 30 million euros

• The financial balance is difficult to adjust

• The purchase of the empty plot close by is necessary

• The help of the community is needed, more than planned at the beginning of the study

• Defining the project of the medical centre is a key point

Towards the operating process

• The planning showed that works could last 5 years

• The cost is approximately 30 million euros

• The financial balance is difficult to adjust

• The purchase of the empty plot close by is necessary

• The help of the community is needed, more than planned at the beginning of the study

• Defining the project of the medical centre is a key point

The projectThe project

Some recommendations

• Increasing pedestrian practice to improve safety, which means:

. To organize acces and pedestrian paths from the dwellings

. To reinforce the presence of public authority

. To increase the number of citizen groups by offering offices…

• Improving public space quality : . To create a garden on the top of the car park taking into account the technical constraints. To make shops and garden accessible for disabled persons

• Developing social activities for young people and for adults:• To create a day nursery ?• To plan sport grounds but not too close to dwellings (noise)…

Some recommendations

• Increasing pedestrian practice to improve safety, which means:

. To organize acces and pedestrian paths from the dwellings

. To reinforce the presence of public authority

. To increase the number of citizen groups by offering offices…

• Improving public space quality : . To create a garden on the top of the car park taking into account the technical constraints. To make shops and garden accessible for disabled persons

• Developing social activities for young people and for adults:• To create a day nursery ?• To plan sport grounds but not too close to dwellings (noise)…

THANK YOU