by Thorbjoern Mann
I grew up in Germany and Norway and studied architecture in Munich, then worked with an architect who was a pioneer in 'space frame' architecture, (part of GEAM: 'Groupe d'tude d'Architecture Mobile') on various competitions, a technical school for Gabon, an industrialized building system for a large German construction company, and ideas and research for high density 'diagonal city' urban development with garden terraces for the apartments, covered public spaces. Realizing that I needed more knowledge about methodology than my previous training had provided, I emigrated to the US for graduate school. I worked first in Chicago architecture offices focusing on high-tech industrialized building systems before going to Berkeley for my Masters and then Ph.D. specializing in design methodology. I also worked with a German Systems Research Group on information systems for design and planning (IBIS: Issue Based Information systems). My dissertation, part of prof. Rittel's larger research program on the argumentative model of planning, explored the problem of evaluating arguments in the design / planning discourse to support design decisions, and developed an approach for this.
Teaching first at the University of Singapore and then at the Florida A&M University School of Architecture focused on architectural design and programming, design methods, building economics (for which I wrote a textbook "Building Economics for Architects"), with sporadic involvement with the School's program on low cost experimental construction where I developed a sheet metal shell roofing system. Retired from teaching, I have been writing: "Time Management for Architects and Designers", "The Fog Island Argument" (expanding on the argument assessment and design discourse topics as well as general education for planning), and "Abbe Boulah!", a collection of essays, as well as drawing and painting (a special 'laqskin' technique). A book on "Occasion and Image in Architecture" and one on "The Architectural Sketchbook" are underway, as well as a book on "Schools for the Future" by German professor of Architectural Psychology R. Walden, which I translated into English. As a board member of my neighborhood association, I got involved in local issues and submitted various ideas for urban design and downtown revitalization (some of which are described in more detail in the books). The following is a collection of brief summaries of some of these proposals and ideas, that I believe might be useful in planning a new future-oriented town. Some of these ideas don't need much more elaboration, others should be presented in more detail. The information /planning participation proposal is explained in "The Fog Island Argument"; other ideas are chapters in the collection of tongue-in-cheek essays in "Abbe Boulah!".
* Planning for emergency response:
Recent natural disasters have raised awareness of the need for better disaster preparedness as well as response. This also presents an opportunity for reorientation of some urban design and planning policies that have created sprawl, segregated communities, dependence of commuting etc. The proposal involves integrating emergency shelter facilities with various response agency HQ's. It should be designed to provide housing for a range of time spans, from 2-3 day stays (during hurricanes etc.. medium term stays until power, homes utilities restored; long term stay (until homes rebuilt). It should opportunity to convert emergency shelter into quality permanent housing by means of addition, conversion, eventually forming new higher density communities that combat sprawl. The facility should also serve as a demonstration project for new 'green' energy building technology.
* Downtown revitalization regulation.
These ideas grew out of various student mixed-use design projects in downtown areas that lost residents and businesses to 'Big Box' shopping centers. I always developed economic performance analysis spreadsheet programs for these projects, usually finding that given current regulations, new projects would not be financially feasible. (This led me to the 'cartmart' idea below)
Regulations currently focus on building height, setbacks etc., which does not address urban pedestrian appeal. Instead, I suggest size and visitor frequency regulations for the use of floor space adjacent to the sidewalk so as to encourage a small-grain pedestrian-friendly business community. Oriented towards frequency of visit for everyday living needs rather than infrequent high-end item purchases (which belong in inner courtyards or different levels but might have showcase at sidewalk level). Also encouraging the exploitation of multiple level of ground/sidewalk level made possible by Tallahassee's topography, and rooftop level activation at the 2 or 3-story level. (Sample schematic building design concepts available)
* Election campaigns / public discussion information system
Sound public policy requires adequate input by the affected public; Public acceptance of decisions depends on the ability to participate in policy formation. One critical factor in this is the information framework that facilitates, documents, and displays the flow of information.
The proposed information framework structured according to 'IBIS' (Issue Based Information System) principles would meet this need. Open to input from all sources, it would organize the material according to issues and the pro /con arguments about these, then display the network of these issues and arguments to facilitate their evaluation. It can be expanded to allow for the evaluation of the arguments according to premise plausibility and relative importance -- improving the current crude polling format to gauge public sentiment. These Argument evaluation techniques can pinpoint specific areas of agreement / disagreement and perceived certainty based on adequate knowledge and/or lack of information.
* "Druthers" Competition leading to model community:
In a city housing state government, two universities and a community college, plus many lobbying agencies, law firms and business, there is a wealth of knowledge and insight. But current policy formation does not draw on this resource that manifests itself by the frequent muttering "If I had my druthers, I'd do so-and-so"; but does not go anywhere since there usually are no organized channels for bringing this kind of ideas and other information to bear on the planning process.
The idea of the 'druthers competition' addresses this problem -- for example, for a project to develop a new community.
- Round 1:
- Invitation to 'everybody' for good ideas in general (e.g. in building, growth management) in return for recognition, prizes, public documentation of ideas.
- Evaluation of the ideas, looking for overlap, compatibilities, potential.
- Development of a set of 'new rules' (regulations, program specifications) for a specific project.
- Round 2: - Second round competition inviting appropriate firms to propose actual plans according to the new rules.
- Selection of project to be implemented -- (using a format such as the IBIS public discussion and evaluation framework above?)
- Round 3: - Implementation of the experimental project.
- Developing research center for study and evaluation of project
- Encouraging new ('clean') businesses related to the project (research, tourism, conferences).
* "CartMart": Downtown market
The feasibility analysis of mixed use projects (see dowtown vitalization proposal above) consistently indicated that the kind of small grain pedestrian-oriented business needed for downtown revitalization could not afford to rent space in this area. This led to the proposal for a market in which small 'cart' vendors would occupy the same space in shifts so as to collectively cover the required rental. For example, instead of the large chain stores occupying the ground floor of a mixed use facility -- but offering only one kind of merchandise -- the entire ground floor would be opened up as an urban public space with common support facilities shared by a number of 'cart vendors' for 3-4 hours at a time (daytime-specific). Movable carts being stored, or vending trucks cruising suburbs now without close-by shopping, perhaps several such vendors forming instant temporary markets in selected outlying communities.
The project could be supported in part by universities (business schools), city and government small business agencies, even Big Box markets in outskirts: In return for permits and advertising on one side of the carts, they would supply the small vendors with merchandise 'at cost', redeeming their reputation for destroying downtown by killing off small business.
Such markets would begin to service the residential population the city hopes to attract downtown, and encourage more small grain business to return.
* "Design Tavern"
In spite of the growing role of the internet and IT, an argumnt can be made that public participation in planning requires an actual 'place' for live encounter, visual inspection of plans, and sicussion. This must be at a place people would visit 'anyway' for other reasons, e.g. a market or coffee house, or a tavern. A centrally located venue (combined with downtown market as well as existing local government planning offices) would be preferable: serving as the meeting and marketplace for exchange of ideas, exhibit areas for projects, facilities and equipment for getting and contributing information, opinions, user concerns, etc. It would feature large surfaces for the simultaneous exhibit of projects, plans, ongoing developments etc. to provide visual overview. It would also house the office of the information system collecting, processing condensing and displaying plans, community contributions, pro/con arguments displays to prepare and support decision-making.
* Making public transit more attractive:
The 'Tallahaitian Mass Transit System': Buses serving white collar areas to be comfortable, with refreshment service, news, etc. to make them 'must'
occasions to exchange gossip and news, besides saving money, parking, traffic congestion. The buses could be painted by Haitian artist refugees, becoming art collector items. 'Park-and-ride' stops located in the oversized parking lots of shopping centers (which are usually filled only on special shopping days) -- providing those centers with 'instant' customers before and after work.
* Synfuel growing on public roads right-of-way.
Public roads occupy considerable acreage not only in the roads themselves, but in the right-of-way areas and medians of those roads. These areas are now growing grass that must be mowed, collected, disposed of anyway, at some cost in terms of labor, equipment, and fuel. Alternate crops suitable for synfuel production (perhaps supplying experimental research & development centers for exploration of different approaches); could supply synfuel at least for the equipment needed for road maintenance if not more of the government vehicle fleet. The argument that synfuel does not alleviate CO2 emission is countered with the fact that biomass left to decompose will emit the same amount of CO2 -- in addition to the CO2 of the gasoline or diesel running the equipment now.
"Occasion and Image in Architecture"
My ideas for architecture and urban design in general, which so far only have been published in several papers and will be presented comprehensively in a book I'm working on (manuscript largely complete with remaining work needed on illustrations) offer a new 'way to talk about architecture' that I feel would be significant in a project for a new experimental town. It addresses the failure of modern and contemporary architecture to
a) pay attention to the 'occasions' that make up the lives of users, and to create places that not only serve those occasions but actively, visibly 'invite' people to engage in them, and
b) design the environments to convey 'images' about 'who we are' (or ought to be?), 'what kind of place this is', and 'what kinds of occasions and activities should be occurring here' -- imagery that not just celebrates the designer's creativity but supports the inhabitants in their efforts to live according to new visions of "How We Ought To Live".
This topic, which I feel is crucial for any significant project such as a New Town, requires more elaborate presentation.
Sincerely
Thorbjoern Mann
