PlanningUrbanORegional

Mar 19, 2023

What may be missing in the way we plan and discuss cities?

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

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Taking example of a street

Lets see the possible levels of articulation of urban streets, in increasing order of sensitivity/ relevance. It is noteworthy that city administration in different parts of world simetimes choose to stop at any given stage of sensitivity depending on their statutory mandate, resource and motivation.

1. Basic street or road design, that can simply be achieved by adhering to standard engineering practices (dry, wet underground/ surface utility), following road design code book, following landuse regulations, and following design standards for different hierarchy of roads. Above is mostly possible without traffic modelling, without bespoke landscape design input and even in absence of urban design guideline.

2. Further, a good street design can be considered one that takes traffic modelling into consideration. Street that has urban design guideline in place and follows streetscape guidelines, also one that utilises tailored landscape, street art, street activation etc.

3. A better street design is possibly one that follows emerging good practices of low impact development, blue-green infrastructure design principles, urban heat island mitigation measures, rewilding, wind flow and shadow analysis etc.

4. Even better street design is the one that takes context into consideration i.e., adjoining laduse typology based activity intensity, local community needs, user ability and comfort, recreational needs, prioritization of road users including hierarchy of transit modes, adapting activity over the day.

5. Also those streets that considers, safe way to school, vision zero, disaster preparedness etc.

6. Then there are those streets which consider reclaiming rights of certain types of users (sometimes bottom up and radical),

7. Further there are those streets which are adapting itself to autonomous and EV transit regime, predictive monitoring, IOT based experience, AI algorithm, VR utilities, and ground for ML,

8. Also there are those which just started to consider following elements in street design, like psychological impact of street on different demography, perception by cultural groups, adapting streets to different demographic traits (age, gender), equity etc.

9. Then also those streets which may be adapted to requirements of wider spectrum of special needs and aspirations of previously subdued and unrecongnised social strata.

Realising the complexity and granularity that may exist in design of a street (and cities in general), seems that the current narrative, discourse and debate on street (and cities), still remains quite fragmented. A broader outlook and comprehensive approach may help plan better.

Author: Anoop Jha

[Recent update

Starting 2024, launching urban management, interior design, home decor and commissioned artwork services in the Netherlands, serving local as well as international remote clients.

Please Note, that I am also conducting a FREE 45-minute online individual consultation on your interior design and home decor needs and aspirations if you are in the Netherlands or even internationally. Drop me an email at anoop.jha@gmail.com

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

Instagram interior design page @urbantenets

Instagram fine art and illustration page @urbanoregional

My LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anoopjha/

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#urbanplanning #urbandevelopment #urbanmanagement #urbandesign #smartcity #Amsterdam #Utretch #Hague #Delft #Eindhoven #Rotterdam #Netherlands

What could be the barometer to know if a city is doing well?

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

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You may be able to figure out if a city or even country is doing somewhat well for community and visitors alike, by observing or experiencing some of following traits.

If you are feeling safe at all time of the day and night in a city. That may mean, your anxiousness doesn't increases (as a function of safety perception) as the night approaches. That is possible when you know there is next bus, tram, metro or train to make sure you reach your eventual destination, and if you could remain assured, that you can be rescued from an unsafe or unwarranted situation.

If you are still able to make sense of place any hour of day and night. That may mean, you are able to orient yourself in space and time throughout the day and night, at any location within city. That is possible when space is easily legible and well illuminated, for you to spatially position yourself in any part of city.

Making city work well is a constant quest for city administrations, urban planners, researchers and many. Targeting above may be a good starting point for any city, as there is always scope of making things good to better and more.

Author: Anoop Jha

[Recent update

Starting 2024, launching urban management, interior design, home decor and commissioned artwork services in the Netherlands, serving local as well as international remote clients.

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

Instagram interior design page @urbantenets

Instagram fine art and illustration page @urbanoregional

My LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anoopjha/

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#urbanplanning #urbandevelopment #urbanmanagement #urbandesign #smartcity #Amsterdam #Utretch #Hague #Delft #Eindhoven #Rotterdam

Mar 13, 2023

How cities may use modular concepts to maximise efficiency, ease and circularity

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

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Resource constraint, material scarcity, frequent maintenance needs and multiplicity of stakeholders, require “modularity” to be adopted as “a uniform conceptual model” and a “universal language” for spatial development, urban management and O&M.

Modular by design:

Modularity by design permits infrastructure and built environment to be easily expandable, scalable and replicable. We see application of modular design concepts starting from modular pavement tiles, to modular water and waste water treatment plants, to modular housing units, to modular land and zoning parcels.

While there is already increasing standardisation in terms of industry supplied components (product level); there is still room for modularity in terms of i) creativity (currently limited to individual projects), ii) open-source environment (currently there is asymmetry of information) and iii) statutory obligation (currently it remains mostly optional/ a choice).

Modular for interoperability:

Modularity in terms of interoperability makes built environment components to be easily replaceable and interchangeable. We see the concept in action mostly in terms of maintenance where, “more the level of modularity, faster the maintenance process” (replacing/ swapping of components) e.g.

There is still enough scope for interoperability in terms of modular concept within the built environment, which means built environment increasingly to be designed with replaceable/ swappable components, so that the output of maintenance work should not compromise the integrity of built environment and doesn’t remain just a makeshift arrangement, patchwork or eyesore.

Modular for operations:

Modularity for operations offers agility, elasticity and adjustability. For instance, level of urban services delivery that corresponds to fluctuating daily, diurnal and seasonal demand (adjustment of transport services, traffic regulation, power load management etc).

There is still room for agility in terms of modular operation like system at built environment level that may go to hibernation when not in use (Sensors/ automation/ IBMS), real-time readaptation of spaces (temporal and temporary usage), real-time spatial concertation/ relocation of services matching demand (interoperable office or commercial space/ resource/ energy management based on real-time demand).

Modularity for cognition:

We see modularity in terms of cognition at city scale, like urban way finding signages with a common theme and scheme across city which makes it easier to navigate. As our brain reduces information to smaller, familiar and recognisable modules (symbols, patterns) for easy processing, same is true for city scale modularity in terms of cognitive processing.

Author: Anoop Jha

Image source: Author

[Recent update

Starting 2024, launching urban management, interior design, home decor and commissioned artwork services in the Netherlands, serving local as well as international remote clients.

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

Instagram interior design page @urbantenets

Instagram fine art and illustration page @urbanoregional

My LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anoopjha/

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#modular #modulardesign #urbanplanning #builtenvironment #urbandesign #circulareconomy #Netherlands #DenHaag #Hague #Amsterdam #Rotterdam #Leiden #Delft #Eindhoven

Mar 12, 2023

Possible means to expedite circular practices in building construction industry

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

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Following may be the possible means to expedite circular practices in building construction industry

On job training:

Urgency of transitioning to circular economy practices is such that, construction industry can’t really wait for handful of new circular experts to graduate in coming decades in the business-as-usual case. For 100X or more increase in skilled manpower in next five years, civil and structural engineers, architects and draftsman are expected to go through on-job training and have a hands-on learning experience through trial and error on real circular building and construction cases, in an experimentative environment, permitted by client.

Removing bidding barrier:

For 10X to 100X participation, both public and private clients are expected to reduce the barrier for new entrants in circular construction business, by allowing firms having no prior demonstrated case of circular building, showing trust in professional competency of architectural firms while keeping some extra time cushion for learning curve. This is possible if client and firm both aspire to adopt and transition to circular economy practices in their vision. Means to delivering circular projects can always be worked out by professionals without compromising on integrity of building structure and aesthetics.

Software patch:

For exponential diffusion and 100X to 1000X adoption of circular architectural practices the most popular and widespread architectural, structural and simulation software like AutoCAD, Revit, Sketch Up, Bentley, 3DMax, Lumion etc. may require to give a huge circular patch upgrade to their software (including software commands and effects, circular element template and 3D library/ warehouse) and training material/ programme, allowing for on-job-learning and training. Construction industry can’t simply rely on new workforce trained (only) on new/ yet to emerge circular architecture/ structure software for its circular transition.

From junk to vintage:

There is a fine line between what is discarded as junk and what is embraced as vintage, creative industry, academia and mass media can always help wider diffusion and faster adoption of harvested material in new building.

Biomass and bio-based industry working together:

As they compete for same biomass-rich feed/ raw material; construction industry must work hand in hand with biomass energy players, to divert biomass for their first usage in construction industry before getting converted into energy.

Author: Anoop Jha

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[Recent update

Starting 2024, launching urban management, interior design, home decor and commissioned artwork services in the Netherlands, serving local as well as international remote clients.

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

Instagram interior design page @urbantenets

Instagram fine art and illustration page @urbanoregional

My LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anoopjha/

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#circulareconomy #circulartransition #construction #architecture #BIM #Netherlands #DenHaag #Hague #Amsterdam #Rotterdam #Leiden #Delft #Eindhoven #dcarbonise #climatechange #urbanplanning #builtenvironment

Mar 5, 2023

Meaning and benefits of public transport goes beyond what is usually understood or quantified.

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

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Public transportation system is versatile and agile, not only as a mode of communication, but it also presents an opportunity-scape that resembles city itself. Public transport can also be seen as a public space in motion, having several traits like a public square or public plaza. Transport system or rolling stocks also serves complementary urban landuse functions. For instance sometimes like "office", as so many business calls are made and emails are send from within the fleet system of public transport, on a daily basis, across the world. "Institutional", like Library, considering all the book chapters completed by scores of commuters while travelling in metro, tram and buses. "Commercial" considering all the money spent on online shopping and e-commerce while completing journey in public transport. Also "dining" for example, scrolling through menu and placing food order online while travelling in metro and tram, timing order and tracking delivery perfectly, so that your hot meal also gets delivered by the time you reach home. Or “theatre” considering all the movies streamed during travel in public transport, not to mention in a rather very different ambient setting than typical original landuse.

Public transport sometimes also challenges the notion of "what should be" when it comes to design of architectural spaces, for instance "library” is always designed with an idea of maintaining 'pindrop silence' within the space, considered conducive for study, then what about millions of books being read by people on the go world over, while commuting in the public transport, reading digital or hard cover book, few para or a few pages a day to slowly complete the book, be it fiction or science, that too right within the bustling chaos and white-noise of public transport.

Public transport can be considered a microcosm and miniature reflection of city in which it is situated. Taking clues and inspiration from multi-functionality and multidimensionality of public transport system, it would be worth revisiting traditional design and planning role and values around public transportation system.

Author: Anoop Jha

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[Recent update

Starting 2024, launching urban management, interior design, home decor and commissioned artwork services in the Netherlands, serving local as well as international remote clients.

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

Instagram interior design page @urbantenets

Instagram fine art and illustration page @urbanoregional

My LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anoopjha/

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#publictransport #urbanplanning #urbandevelopment #urbanmanagement #urbandesign #architecture #smartcity #Amsterdam #Utretch #Hague #Delft #Denbosch #Alkmaar #Leiden #Noordholland #Northholland #Tilburg #Eindhoven #Rotterdam #Netherlands

Effective use of vacant real estate inventory and land use interoperability as an innovative shared economy model.

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

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The ~2.5% to ~25% of vacancy rate witnessed across world in range of real estate inventories including residential, to offices, to commercial, to hospitality, suggests to have a new business and governance model and calls for emergence of a niche "integrator sector", that is as impactful as real estate and as efficient as shared mobility sector. We see algorithm at work when cab services, rideshare or MaaS make use of technology to match demand and supply to maximise the use of inventory, there is no reason why same logic can’t be applied in the real estate inventory case, except for the self imposed, static and limiting regulations of land use. Making effective use of this last quarter vacant inventory may prove to be the one missing piece of puzzle towards sustainable use of resources and circular economy. Need of this new integrator sector or functionality, either private or public, emerges as traditionally fragmented sectors of real estate and hospitality has been unable to fill this last mile vacancy gap.

Another missing piece of puzzle is the short to medium term interoperability of land use. That basically means, residential demand (rental, student housing etc.) is not necessarily to be fulfilled only by residential land use but may possibly be served by vacant office or commercial spaces as well and visa versa, that further implies revisiting and reinventing the structure, definition and statutory construct of land use, which may choose to allow room for swift, smooth and temporary interoperability i.e. near real time to quick on demand land use changes, which theoretically seems plausible. Land use here may mean a unit, to floor, to facility to altogether a neighbourhood. The only actual time lag that is there, is the time required for remodeling one land use space to another purpose, contractual and operational arrangements. There are great examples across the world where horizontal or vertical or mosaic mixed use spaces coexist in harmony.

What is required, is to have a centralised real-time stock of vacant inventories, stock of upcoming availability based on contract tenure and predicted vacancy modelling, and need of one integrator or consortia of integrators managing same.

City administration individually or collectively at a city, metropolitan or regional level are technically most equipped to bridge this demand supply gap and to do the associated regulatory adjustments as required.

Hoping the next phase of urban digitalisation may be able to solve the puzzle, and reap the benefit of shared economy at urban built environment scale.

Presented as a universally applicable conceptual model.

Author: Anoop Jha

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[Recent update

Starting 2024, launching urban management, interior design, home decor and commissioned artwork services in the Netherlands, serving local as well as international remote clients.

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

Instagram interior design page @urbantenets

Instagram fine art and illustration page @urbanoregional

My LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anoopjha/

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#urbanplanning #realestate #smartcity #infrastructure #architecture #smartcity #Amsterdam #Utretch #Hague #Delft #Lieden #Eindhoven #Rotterdam #Netherlands #circulareconomy

Cities in search of identity - why its a good idea and where to start from!

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

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Cities as a dynamic entity are not regenerative or replenishing on its own, and the pressure on its infrastructure and resources tend to grow with time due to natural growth reasons. Which also means that left on continued business as usual track city may only last for couple of years until it may require a drastic overhaul to keep pace with new demands and new realities, hence the need of sustainability. Not just that, cities also require to prepare for future and unforeseen challenges like shocks, hence the need of agility and resilience.

Part of cities development is usually already guided by policy mandates form proactive regional and national authorities. Also fuelled by grants, funds and private investments and regular annual budget based on immediate priorities. This is not much different than business as usual case and even considering this scenario, cities may still struggle in long term.

What is noteworthy here is that if cities simply follow the blueprint of someone else, especially just follow top down policy mandates or statutory mandates, it may still do well technically, in terms of economy and operations, but may be at the risk of being an average or mediocre city.

That means cities and city administrations may require to think beyond mandates, to unlock its true potential and taking control of its own fate. This approach i.e. "having its own development plan and own identity" is driven from within, may be result of community based bottom up initiatives, political ambition, regional competitiveness, community ethos etc.

This self driven initiatives of city, in alignment with regional and national directives may be essential for a city to be resilient and distinctive, building on its distinct potential, unique strengths, characteristic resources, peculiar demographic compositions, unique historic and ecological context etc.

Such cities which may act on its own will and motivation, beyond the statutory mandates, are not just able to provide a better quality of life to its inhabitants, but also gain much deserved visibility, harness previously unimagined support, unexpected external aids and attract investments and skillsets like a magnet, while enjoying this new position.

All its takes is either a reinvented leadership or a sufficient build up of bottom-up initiatives or a score card or sometimes a setback.

This process of search for a new identity, for cities, may start with as basic catalyst as creation of a dedicated web portal or social media initiative by city administration, or inviting community members to town hall, or creation of a think tank, for community, professionals from different walks of life, businesses, industry and academia, to share their ideas.

Author: Anoop Jha

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[Recent update

Starting 2024, launching urban management, interior design, home decor and commissioned artwork services in the Netherlands, serving local as well as international remote clients.

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

Instagram interior design page @urbantenets

Instagram fine art and illustration page @urbanoregional

My LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anoopjha/

************************************************

#smartcity #infrastructure #architecture #smartcity #Amsterdam #Utretch #Hague #Delft #Eindhoven #Rotterdam #Netherlands