Urban, Community and Regional Planning Commons^™

[Re]Mapping Resilience: Reimagining Urban Waterfronts In The Face Of Climate Change, Brandon Bernard

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

By the year 2100, southern-Florida is projected to experience a 1-2 meter rise in sea level, resulting in the lower portion of the state becoming almost completely submerged under a new watertable.[14] During the 19th and 20th centuries, the city of Miami developed rapidly and the community and economy inevitably became intertwined with the water and its ecology. Due to the growing population and economy, urban developments soared and led to low-lying areas being filled in, open space along waterways were claimed for commercial and residential buildings, and man-made islands such as the venetian islands were constructed. As a result, …

Revitalizing Sweet Auburn, Georgia: A Foodcentric Biophilic Inspired Solution, Cason Lott

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Revitalizing Sweet Auburn, Georgia: A Foodcentric Biophilic Inspired Solution addresses the critical issue of food deserts and the challenges of maintaining a healthy balance in densely populated urban environments. It underscores the importance of easy access to essential resources like food for community well-being and highlights the strain on individuals. The thesis emphasizes the potential for sustainable solutions to improve urban living conditions, promoting both physical and mental health while ensuring stability and community. Furthermore, the thesis explores the integration of urban farming, community education, and sustainability with biophilic design’s natural elements to create an enriching community center that acts …

Closed For Storm: Open For Opportunity Revitalizing New Orleans At The Six Flags Site, Jackson Crow

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

New Orleans, a city known for its rich culture and historical significance, has faced its fair share of challenges, including natural disasters and economic struggles. One notable symbol of these struggles is the abandoned Six Flags theme park. This thesis proposal aims to explore the potential of revitalizing the old Six Flags site as a means to revive the city, while at the same time giving back to the community by enhancing its economic, cultural, and recreational offerings. The site will also double down as a safe center if another catastrophic hurricane hits the city.

Alt-Sensory, Yevguenni Marseille

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

For blind pianists like Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder, or a deaf drummer such as Evelyn Glennie, how is it that they explore music? For a deaf and blind activist like Helen Keller, how could she have explored the world? The intent of this thesis is to discern and then integrate the spatial qualities that enhance communication and exploration for the sensory impaired into the public fabric. Simultaneously, the goal is to design a space that supplies to the needs of the sensory Impaired while incorporating the desirable features of the unimpaired. Typically, sensory impaired design, otherwise known as accessible …

Rehabilitation Of The Street: Design Strategies To Increase Diversity In Downtown, Atlanta, Abigail Akridge

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Streets in Atlanta have become exclusionary to one or more functions, uses, and communities. Streets dominated by a single demographic or function contribute to urban decline. Such streets lack diversity in activities and uses, leading to increased crime, decreased engagement, and a dying urban fabric. Architects play a crucial role in reversing this trend by designing with a focus on streets’ implications and the needs of diverse communities. By prioritizing diversity and inclusivity in street design, architects can foster a thriving urban environment. The goal of my thesis is to propose an urban design process centered on the street section, …

Deluge [ Proof ]: A Design Resilience Study, Nia A. Mcgann

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Rising sea levels, a consequence of climate change, pose a significant and escalating threat to coastal communities worldwide. Projections indicate that by 2050, sea levels may rise by an estimated 1 to 2 feet, potentially affecting not only coastal but also inland communities. The ramifications of rising sea levels encompass heightened risks of flooding, erosion, and saltwater intrusion. These impacts have multifaceted consequences, ranging from evident transportation disruptions and damage to underground and ground-level structures to more subtle yet equally critical effects on infrastructure, ecosystems, potable water reservoirs, community displacement, and economic activities.

In response to this pressing challenge, a …

Square One Station: Atlanta's New Multi-Modal Passenger Terminal, Mariya Georgieva

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The Atlanta Journal Constitution Building and its block is located in arguably the most historically significant area to Atlanta: The Gulch. Being so close to the original Zero Milepost location, this is where the City of Atlanta was founded. The Gulch started out as the center of downtown’s business district, but has since steadily declined in popularity, initially triggered by people moving out to suburban homes

Even after multiple attempts to revive the area, it proved unsuccessful. This is best illustrated by the fact that the city lost money on the property even during big events like the 1996 Olympics …

Dead Malls Living Communities, Lucas Fernandez

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

This thesis is about the revitalization of unused/ underutilized suburban land and how it can be transformed into a nuevo town center of sorts for the new millennium. It analyzes how to properly integrate a new urban center into the surrounding area its in and which approaches are successful and unsuccessful.

Coliving: Bringing Social Spaces Back Offline, Helen Dymek

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The way in which we construct our built environment defines how our community will engage with one another. Social spaces are the key to creating a healthy community. However, today, we are in crisis. In a society which is built on the pillars of freedom and independence, our social spaces are dying out. Social isolation is on the rise, a problem only accelerated by the recent pandemic. Today, many Americans (and much of the world) seek social connection through a screen. Instead of getting to know our neighbors, we spend more time watching videos of or talking to people who …

Safer Favelas Through Urban Redevelopment: Keeping Kids Of The Street, And Away From Criminal Life, Thayna P. Rocha

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

This thesis investigates the complexity of a favela’s physical and social environment , and how urban redevelopment can improve crime prevention for youth .Favelas are informal settlements lying on the outskirts of brazilian cities. The favela of Grajau is located south of the city of Sao Paulo, and it is known for gang related violence, and high crime rates. Statistics show that an average of 240 homicides happen in the district of Grajau. Out of these 240 homicides, 104 are teenagers that were involved in gang related fights. A favela’s urban setting, and its’ lack of social programs have a …

10 Minute City -Reinventing Ways To Move Around The City Via Scooter, Emily Melchor

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Urban sprawl is an issue that many major cities in the United States are experiencing. The population rise in cities has contributed to their rapid growth, increased traffic, pollution, and the reliability on cars. These issues can slowly be tackled by addressing them in areas that are on their way to reaching the height of urban sprawl. An example of such an area is Gwinnett County located northeast of Atlanta. Gwinnett County is on its way to becoming one of Georgia’s most populated counties, according to MARTA Transit System. MARTA did such studies on Gwinnett because in 2018, MARTA along …

Desert Safe Haven, Deja Dortch

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The purpose of this thesis is to inform on the materials, technologies, spaces and structure needed to architecturally and sustainably achieve human comfort and create a mother nature-proof safe haven in the becoming harsh climate of the USA. All the while implementing minimum HVAC, using primarily passive and active systems towards a net zero home. Studies have shown there is a real threat with the rate in which the climate is changing. Temperatures are rising worldwide which is causing droughts, more frequent fires, glaciers to melt, sea levels to rise, more severe hurricanes and storms, etc. Sustainability is a way …

Stadiums Redefined: Connecting Stadiums To Their Communities, Jonathan Linssen

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Stadiums are currently overspecialized structures that have limited uses during offseason of the sports they are built for. Additionally, stadiums tend to be extremely enclosed, cutting off its surroundings and greatly limiting any interaction it could have with the surrounding community it is set into. The aim of this thesis is to create a new typology for stadiums by looking at how a stadium can become something that provides more to the surrounding community and transcend its current design limitations.

Often placed in urban areas, stadiums are often surrounded by communities that could have used the space taken by the …

Urban Anchors: Reviving The "Motor City", Alan Mota Lopez

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Currently, there are several large post-industrial cities around the world that are ridden with abandoned industrial buildings, these cities have also gone through a constant decline in population and culture while at the same time the rest of the world has done the opposite. The question at hand is what can be done for these cities to catch up with the successes of other major neighboring cities. The existing infrastructure and buildings left behind by these industries hold a great potential for re-development into proposed districts which would span a couple of blocks along a main street. The primary function …

Activating Non-Place, Noah Stogner

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Marc Augé defined non-place as the typical area in the urban space that has lost its identity and thus has fallen into the banal. Some of these typical nonplaces include airports, hotel rooms, convenience stores, and shopping malls. Augé argues that our urban space is ridden with these infrastructural inserts that lack of uniqueness and are homogeneous in nature. This lack of uniqueness has evolved into a mass exodus of urban interaction resulting in the identity of a city becoming lost. Auge’s nonplace are evident in our urban and suburban environments. On the other hand, Kevin Lynch defines the city …

Convalesce, Grace Kunst

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

What do you value most? Security or comfort? Could you choose only one? This is the daily dilemma for women and children trapped in violence and trafficking. They have a greater disposition to being re-trafficked or abused if they are unsheltered. Often, people within this group have been cut off from their friends and families, meaning they have no access to food, shelter, or finances. They need a place that can provide safety and security along with a support system for a fresh start.

This thesis project aims to explore the socio-spatial dilemma and stigma of distressed and homeless women …

Reinventing Greyfields, William Jones

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Since the 21st century began, sports involvement within society has grown as sporting events have become significant spectacles. Thus, major stadia came to be to hold spectators. Unfortunately, many are on the city's outskirts due to the size of their parking lots, categorized as greyfields. Greyfields are 'Underused' land or a 'sea' of asphalt concrete. The problem of creating greyfields within cities harms the urban fabric and the actual relationship between the stadium and the city. They are creating a disconnection between the two. This proposal is to design an urban hub around a chosen existing stadium to enrich the …

Sustainable Urban Community, Camilo Gonzalez Contreras

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Atlanta has evolved into a single-occupant vehicle city resulting in downtown blocks devoid of any semblance of community and higher greenhouse gas emissions. In 1991, leading up to the 1996 Olympics, Marvin S Arington announced plans to demolish Techwood Homes, which at the time was the oldest federally subsidized housing community in the US (Marvin S Arington, 1991). Many other low-income housing developments were demolished during this time, including homes located in what is now Centennial Park. Program block voids began forming where black communities had previously stood. Corner stores, pharmacies, family practitioners, restaurants, and bars were replaced by a …

Motown [Re]Vival: The Use Of Culinary And Urban Farming To Revitalize The Dying City Of Detroit, Keilani M. Patton

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Motown: Detroit, Michigan, once known as the automotive capital of the world, received its claim to fame through the birth of the assembly line by Henry Ford in 1905. His innovation steered the big boom of the automotive industry in the early 20th century, and later the mass movement to the city. Sadly, that all came crashing down with the fall of the industrial period. The loss of nearly all its auto plants, postwar white flight and suburbanization caused the city to suffer economic turmoil. By 1980 the population had decreased 35% since its peak in 1950. Today? The city …

Manufactured Exurbia, Elijah Swift

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

This project redefines the identity of the manufactured housing typology by conceiving of more adaptable structural configurations which provide a framework for breaking the conformity of mass production and mass consumption to give the residents true economic prosperity through control of the 3-D manufacturing process of their homes. Manufactured housing, formerly known as mobile or trailer homes, is one of the most vulnerable housing types in the United States during a severe weather event. This is due to the mass industrial production of a structural composition that is rather suited for permanently fixed construction, leading to fragility in their assemblage …

The Integration Of T.O.D. Principles In Relation To Built Form: Connecting Suburbia And Urbia, Kim Yen Banh

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Automobiles have been a growing part of our lives. We are left with the consequences of their effect on urban and suburban forms that are detrimental to human accessibility. Atlanta, deemed the poster child of urban sprawl, has made a major impact on neighboring cities, including Marietta, Georgia, which has a population of 60,687 (Data USA). Due to Marietta’s rapid urbanization and population density, the city will need to increase its accessibility and develop sustainable opportunities to meet residents’ needs.

As the city’s population grows and major universities such as Life University, Gwinnet College - Marietta Campus, and Kennesaw State …

Building Unity; Design Framework For Inclusive New Urbanism, Chad Sharp

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The city of Atlanta has historically embraced isolated growth over integrated density, which has contributed to the city’s limited inventory of inclusive urban centers. This divisive approach to urban design has helped facilitate a city of extremes; with high regional concentrations of wealth and poverty. This phenomenon is worsened by the city’s inherently exclusive transportation network and isolated residential development patterns. As Atlanta continues to grow and densify, it is crucial to adopt planning and design models that prioritize high-density, mixed-use residential developments in equitable locations with easy access to public transportation. To account for the failures of property filtering …

Core Connections: Stitching Together The Heart Of Atlanta Through The Redevelopment Of Underground Atlanta., Amari Parrish

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The heart of Atlanta, a prosperous tourist destination brimming with life, has found itself containing areas that have been commercially cut off from inner-city connections in contradiction to being in a heavy transit area. Atlanta’s longstanding history of inhabiting smaller sub-cities inside a larger context that houses a constantly growing population has become overshadowed by traffic, underutilized spaces that create massive voids, and fragmentation which prevents the city’s unification. Core Connections focuses on creating a mixed-use development comprised of parking, retail, and office that reconnects the surrounding contents of Downtown Atlanta and repairs the area as the city’s core. Core …

Chattahoochee River Front: Creating A Public Space For The City Of Atlanta, Samantha Manders

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The city of Atlanta lacks public spaces. Atlanta is characterized by many high-rise buildings, and a bare urban fabric that is accessed by automobile-oriented roads rather than pedestrian streets. Dense city centers such as Buckhead, Midtown, and Downtown, lacks proper public places that support social cohesion. While the city is renowned for its green spaces and the tree canopy, much of the public space is dedicated as green parks rather than plazas as extension of the street network. When the development of Atlanta began, it was designed as a railroad city. This took the focus off its natural course of …

Design Diplomacy - Cooperative Living, Kameren Horton

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

From 1990 through 1996, we witness a significant shift within the city of Atlanta. In the Summer of 1996, the Olympics was hosted in Atlanta. Techwood Homes at the time, was the first large affordable housing project in that area. In 1991, there was an order for the demolishment of Techwood Homes. However, it wasn’t until 1995, when the Atlanta Housing Authority (AHA) decided to begin demolition after waiting 4 years prior to the Olympics.

Several other large housing projects were demolished to make room for Olympic venues. This is where we see redevelopment. This is where we see a …

Holistic Generations | Reshaping A City's Health, Tania Rodriguez Serrano

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

In Puerto Rico everything seems emptier. The more hurricanes hit us, the less opportunities there are, the more corrupt the government gets, then the more people leave. The Puerto Rican population is rapidly decreasing. The small town of Jayuya, Puerto Rico is one that seems to be very lonely these days. I scarcely see my generation and the older generation is getting left behind. Due to this the town is basically a ghost town by the time 4pm hits. If my generation leaves, then who takes care of the older generations? Who maintains the town alive? When asked these questions …

Urban Mitigation And Adaptation: Ecological Design Strategies For Flood Resilient Environments And Community Health In Athens, Makenna Chambers

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

According to FEMA, flooding is the most frequent and costly natural disaster in the United States (National Flood Insurance Program and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2010). The risk it poses to both people and property will only increase in the coming years due to the increasing effects of Climate Change. Additionally, the effects of Climate Change mean that areas that were once safe from flooding are now in danger and their current infrastructure was not designed to withstand the impact and effects of the more frequent and dangerous flooding occurrences. Climate Change effects temperature, sea levels, and the increasing …

Skins+Fabrications: Addressing Fashion And Clothing Waste, Renee Palmer

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Articles of clothing; they are the second organ, the Second Skin. Their functions are to protect the body from the harsh external elements and create a sense of design with Fashion—the same as exterior facades on a building. However, where architecture and Fashion differ is sustainability.

The Global fashion industry contributes 10% of greenhouse emissions. From that 10%, about 13 million tonnes of clothing waste ends up in landfills or burned. Most of the waste comes from the Fast Fashion Industry, which sees cheap labor from underdeveloped countries to maximize profits. These companies will spend a good portion of their …

Vida: Community Center In The Heart Of Bogota, Juan Sebastian Mejia Ceballos

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Abstract

Bogota is the capital of Colombia known for its beautiful culture, architecture, music, food, ambiance. All these things are only seen in the northern portion of the city. When looking at the southern portion of the city, this is where the true neglect of a government shows. There is a lack of care, love, and respect for a city. It is noticeable that there is hierarchy where the elite live in the north and the poor live in the south.

This is the first issue addressed in this thesis.

When looking at the city and its relation to the …

Where Dreams Begin: Challenging The Architecture Of Migrant Detention, Pablo Garcia

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Today, more than 40 million people living in the US were born in another country, accounting for about one-fifth of the world’s migrants. Even though the US is a nation comprised largely of immigrants and their descendants, immigration remains one of the most fraught social and political issues of modern times. People dream of moving into the country seeking a better life than the one they are leaving behind. Yet, upon arrival, they face inhumane circumstances due to the recent influx of people seeking asylum within the US. According to the Department of Homeland Security, over 3 million people arrived …