Presentation delivered at the 2017 Natural | Design Ecologies: Water and Land Symposium at Kent State University on October 5, 2017. The talk was part of the "Sustainable Urbanism" session, convened by Beth Herndon from KSU's Department of Geology and Kelly Turner from KSU's Department of Geography.

1. KSU Water + Land Symposium
October 5, 2017
Urban Interventions Along a Crooked River
@davidjurca
David Jurca
Associate Director
Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative
Kent State College of Architecture + Environmental Design

2. Kent State University
CUDC Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative
The CUDC is an innovative, non-profit urban design practice
committed to a sustainable, vibrant and inclusive urban future.
By combining client-based projects, applied research, graduate
teaching and advocacy, we expand the ideas, energy, and
resources dedicated to making better cities.

3. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• Summarize emerging ideas for improving livability in
waterfront cities, derived from CUDC’s proposed and built
urban design projects
•
• Identify economic, health, and social reasons why winter
conditions should be addressed by designers and planners in
the Great Lakes Region
•
• Discuss opportunities to employ temporary interventions to
enhance urban vitality, engage the public in design decisions,
and support permanent development

4. LIVABILITY IN WATERFRONT CITIES

5. LIVABILITY
The extend to which the attributes of a place can satisfy
residents by providing:
• Economic and social needs
• Access to food, mobility, security, beauty
• Opportunities for cultural expression
• Health and well-being
• Protection of natural resouces and ecosystem function
• Sense of belonging to a community or place
Source: National Research Council. 2002. Community and Quality of Life: Data Needs for Informed Decision
Making. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/10262

6. STUDIO QUESTIONS
• How can communities along the
Cuyahoga river improve their
connectivity and access to the river?
• How can new development improve
ecological function, not simply aim for
“low impact?”
• How can urban design maximize use of
public spaces year-round?
• How can creative design integrate
the seemingly competing needs of
industrial and recreational activities?

11. INDEX STUDIO
The INDEX Studio is as an urban design
course intended to make global connections.
Students generate urban development
proposals for a site in Cleveland and a
comprable site in an global city. The studio’s
outcomes reveal potential urban futures and
build understanding across different cultures.
INTERNATIONAL
DESIGN
EXCHANGE
STUDIO
CLExHAV

12. A RESILIENT HAVANA BAY
The aerial rendering conveys a
vision of an ecologically restored and
recreationally active Havana Bay.
Swaths of land along the waterfront
are left undeveloped to provide
protection from occasional flooding
and future sea-level rise.
Casablanca
Neighborhood
Ñico-López
Redevelopment
Proposed
Wetlands Park and
Public Beach
Proposed Green
Tram Corridor
Regla
Neighborhood
New Ferry
Terminal
CLExHAV
2 0 1 6

13. Above: Section through pools and bioswales
Above: Section through wastewater treatment landscape and living machine park
CLExHAV
2 0 1 6

14. ALMENDARESRIVER
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MALECON
EL CARMELO / EL FANGUITO
NEIGHBORHOOD
DEVELOPMENT
Fabrica de Arte Cubano (FAC)
AVE. De Americas Monument
HISTORIC FORTRESS
GOV’T INDUSTRIAL SITE
ALMENDARES PARK
PRIMARY DEVELOPMENT SITES
Principales sitios de desarrollo
FORMER BICYCLE FACTORY
MIRAMAR
ELFANGUITO
VEDADO
G
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CLExHAV
01. Green Avenue
The bridge connects to an existing tree-
lined avenue, branching out to the Miramar
district.
02. Boardwalk
The pedestrian path meanders along the river’s
edge, bounded by clusters of houses on one side
and naturalized zones on the other side.
03. Passage Park
The pedestrian bridge is divided into three
separate passageways as it intersects the park:
riverside boardwalk, green avenue toward
Miramar, and Parque Almendares.
04. Eco Bridge
The pedestrian bridge acts as an extension of the
four regenerative zones. It provides an ecological
education center below the main path to enhance
the green infrastructure.
06. Grasslands & Lagoon
On the Vedado side of the Almendares
River, the bridge terminates at the lagoon
and grasslands (the third and fourth
naturalized zones used to revitalize the
riverfront).
Pedestrian Bridge
05. Parque Almendares
A tertiary path leading away from the bridge
connects to the existing Parque Almendares,
located at the southern edge of the site.
07. Community Squares
The bridge intersects with one of the
proposed community activity squares.
Houses are clustered around the
squares, providing amenities for the
surrounding spaces.
1 2 3
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CLExHAV
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15. CLExHAV
2 0 1 7
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16. WATER + WINTER CITIES

19. COLDSCAPES.org

20. URBAN INFILL V. 6
COLDSCAPES: Design Ideas for Winter Cities

21. Winter City: Place where the average January temperature
(AJT) is below freezing, 32ºF or 0ºC.
Cleveland AJT: 28ºF

22. WHY IS OUTDOOR WINTER DESIGN IMPORTANT?
ECONOMY
January temperature
is the leading indicator
of depopulation in U.S.
cities. Retail and dining
districts suffer from
decreased foot traffic and
perceived inactivity during
winter months.
HEALTH
Seasonal Affective
Disorder (SAD) is a mood
disorder associated with
changing seasons and
can take on many of
the same symptoms of
depression. SAD affects
10 -20% of the national
population.
CULTURE
A climate-responsive
city offers greater
opportunities for social
inclusion and expression
of authentic local
character.

24. Enhancing Urban Retail Districts in Winter Cities
source: Patrick Coleman, COLDSCAPES: Design Ideas for Winter Cities

25. Negative Aspects of Winter
• Snow management costs
• Health care costs associated with
accidents, both auto-related and
pedestrian
• Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and
psychological depression related to a lack
of sunlight
• Difficult mobility, particularly for seniors
and the disabled, either as pedestrians or
in automobiles
• Limited outdoor activity for many persons
• Increased heating costs and energy
consumption
• A visually monotonous environment
dominated by white and gray
Positive Aspects of Winter
• Outdoor recreational opportunities,
including downhill and cross-country
skiing, snowmobiling, ice fishing, snow
shoeing, ice skating, and hockey
• Natural beauty
• Winter tourism, special events, and
festivals
• Using ice and snow for civic art
• Opportunities for innovation and
improvement in services, building, and
product design
Enhancing Urban Retail Districts in Winter Cities
source: Patrick Coleman, COLDSCAPES: Design Ideas for Winter Cities

26. Following the recent decades of exodus by northern
city residents to the Sunbelt, winter cities must
become more livable and competitive to find their
place in today’s global marketplace.
Patrick Coleman, COLDSCAPES: Design Ideas for Winter Cities
WINTER DESIGN BASICS
• Some interior pedestrian systems have worked, but they expensive and detrimental to street activity
• Winter-responsive approach could improve attitudes of residents, community image, and enhance
retail sales.
• Promotional events are crucial during winter to let customers know“We’re open for business.”
• Extend winter decorations beyond the holidays to embrace the entire winter season.
• Lighting adds warmth and comfort to the extended dark nights.
• Street furnishings, such as benches and bike racks, should be built of appropriate materials.
• Winter biking is becoming more common and should be encouraged.
• Maintenance must be priority for walkways and parking lots.
• Consider snowmelt systems: used in Holland, MI; Racine, WI; and Anchorage, AK.

27. SITE DESIGN
• Utilize solar radiation
& southern exposure
• Use buildings to
protect outdoor
spaces from
prevailing winds
• Avoid shadows and
wind-tunneling
WINTER
DESIGN
CONSIDERATIONS
BUILDING DESIGN
• 2+ stories may
increase wind
speeds, known as
“venturi”effect
• Incorporate
balconies, stepped-
back facades, or
irregularities
ROAD DESIGN
• Balance snow
removal with
aesthetics
• Provide snow
storage areas
MATERIALS &
AESTHETICS
• Consider color and
lighting treatments
• Use outdoor winter
materials: wood,
polyethylene, or
vinyl-coated metal
LANDSCAPING &
VEGETATION
• Plant deciduous
trees on the
southern facade
• Conifers should be
used on the north
• Use species with
winter color
PEDESTRIAN
CIRCULATION
• Prioritize certain
segments for snow
removal
• Design crosswalks
to be slightly raised
to prevent water and
ice accumulation
PARKS & TOWN
SQUARES
• Connect to retail
districts used year-
round
• Use hillsides for
sledding or flood
paths for skating

28. COLD | Snowball Pavilion
fabrication

29. COLD | Snowball Pavilion
outdoor exhibition

30. 5| Create urban micro-nodes for high impact, temporary outdoor
experiences

31. TEMPORARY INTERVENTIONS

40. WATER
MARKwww.watermarkgiddings.org
Watermark
Revealing Cleveland’s Hidden Waterways
Watermark is a large-scale landscape intervention
for vacant city land bank lots in Cleveland’s St.
Clair Superior neighborhood. The installation
combines environmental art, community
engagement, and green design practices. A
beautiful, ephemeral landscape reconnect
Clevelanders with Giddings Brook, one of the
city’s long-buried waterways, and remind them of
their identity and responsibilities as citizens of the
Great Lakes. The installation will took place
from the Summer - Fall 2017.

41. Cleveland’s Historic Streams
and Vacant Lots

54. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• Summarize emerging ideas for improving livability in waterfront cities,
derived from CUDC’s proposed and built urban design projects
-> Eco-Tourism, New Industrial Identity, Public Access to the Off-Limits

55. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• Summarize emerging ideas for improving livability in waterfront cities,
derived from CUDC’s proposed and built urban design projects
-> Eco-Tourism, New Industrial Identity, Public Access to the Off-Limits
•
• Identify economic, health, and social reasons why winter conditions
should be addressed by designers and planners in the Great Lakes
Region
-> Reduced Retail Activity, SAD, Unique Cultural Events

56. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• Summarize emerging ideas for improving livability in waterfront cities,
derived from CUDC’s proposed and built urban design projects
-> Eco-Tourism, New Industrial Identity, Public Access to the Off-Limits
•
• Identify economic, health, and social reasons why winter conditions
should be addressed by designers and planners in the Great Lakes
Region
-> Reduced Retail Activity, SAD, Unique Cultural Events
•
• Discuss opportunities to employ temporary interventions to enhance
urban vitality, engage the public in design decisions, and support
permanent development
-> Response to Uncertainty, Social Capital, Engagement, Path Forward

57. KSU Water + Land Symposium
October 5, 2017
Urban Interventions Along a Crooked River
@davidjurca
David Jurca
Associate Director
Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative
Kent State College of Architecture + Environmental Design