Reformation of the urban public domain : Summit City Corridor

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Authors
Grutsch, Michael J.
Advisor
Mackey, David Lloyd
Issue Date
1988
Keyword
Degree
Thesis (B. Arch.)
Department
College of Architecture and Planning
Other Identifiers
Abstract

The modern tradition of building in conjunction with the urban renewal efforts of the 1950's and 60's has contributed to the erosion of urban space and the deterioration of the public domain in many of today's cities. Freestanding modern buildings, in many instances, are unsupportive of or isolated from the urban context. Spaces left between buildings are often unrelated to the structure and only vaguely related to human scale and experience. Historic blocks of row buildings, which once defined and supported the pedestrian movement and activity of the street, have been partially demolished over time and so that the supportive characteristics of the street are lost. The predominance of the automobile has also degraded the street as a desirable domain of public activity.In the future, what form might the city adopt in order to-create an environment which provides a supportive framework of public activities, places, and buildings? My studies have been directed towards this question in a search for a cohesive design structure which could integrate the fragmented elements of the city and redefine the public domain. The city of Fort Wayne have been used as a model for this exploration. Design proposals respect and are built upon the existing spatial structure and building fabric of this city. Proposed future developments have explored the potential of welding together isolated buildings and spaces. Networks of linkages, transportation movement systems, parking facilities, the city's skyline, and building relationship to context have all played a role in determining the design structure. Also, within this larger scheme, a half block area has been developed to explore architectural issues of contextualism at a more local level.