Description
- The New Westminster Skytrain Station is located at Columbia Street and 8th street. Taking the space from the 8th street, the surrounding buildings include restaurants, and parking spaces. This space is mostly filled with transit passengers for whom the station is the nearest point of transport.
- The construction materials are mostly concrete and bricks, different sizes in mostly a gray and white tone which varied by public restaurant decorations which are mostly red. The parts connected to the station itself are the stairs in which their bluish-green roofs contrast with the surroundings having a somewhat futuristic look.
- The entrances are accessible, and by that it is meant that the stairs and crosswalks to the nearby bus stations are fully visible and easy to reach.
- The vegetation cannot be said to be much accumulated, nevertheless there are trees planted along the 8th street and around the parking lot on Carnarvon Street.
- The only form of art, except for the restaurant’s signs, can be seen on a side street next to New Westminster station representing a kitchen for the Salvation Army. The space seems to be very fragmented, and thus lacks integration, but in terms of materials it is pretty much uniformed.
- The place is semi-crowded, varying from small groups of people of young age to middle age individuals passing by. However, the amount of cars gives an impression of more crowded area.
Purpose
- The surrounding restaurants mostly chose such location due to large flow of people because of the station. However, being a city center there are some empty places such as the building site behind the station which shows that they are in the process of construction.
- The space mostly gives an impression of business direction, where people come and go and there is no moment to stop. Despite the fact that there are plenty of restaurants, they do not seem to be very crowded. Some elements such as the kitchen of the Salvation Army give an impression of abandonment and forlornness.
Thesis: The area of New Westminster Skytrain Station is an important transit point. However, being a public place and a living place it needs considerations that exceed building merely restaurants. These considerations concern the problems that can be seen through the design and location of the surrounding objects.
Urban planning and design is an important aspect of the city’s culture and the way people perceive their surroundings. The consideration of many elements and guidelines when planning can be an important aspect, especially for public places. In the example of New Westminster Skytrain Station it will be shown that being an important area in the heart of the city, it still lacks many aspect of a livable place.
The importance of public places as an essence of a “good city” is a vital aspect in planning the city design. In designing public space, the principle of planning “must be involved in all thinking about the city in order to produce the appropriate urban ambience” (Lennard, 105) Assessing the space of New Westminster Skytrain Station, it can be seen that many aspects were considered. However, some points should be outlined in regard to the guidelines of public place design and “heart of the city” principles”.
The first point, as a problem considering the public art, is the “need to revive in the city dweller a sense of the joy, delight and wonder that a civilized city can convey.” (Lennard 64) It can be seen through the painting on the kitchen of the Salvation Army that it does not resemble anything close to “joy, delight, or wonder” In that sense, as acts of charity are a necessity of the civilized community, it would be beneficial if the painting is replaced with something more suitable.
Another principle for the livable city is the creation of “primary pedestrian arteries to link the ‘heart’ to all other parts of the city. “(Lennard 232) The area surrounding New Westminster Skytrain Station is filled with bars and restaurants; nevertheless the access to these places from almost any direction requires crossing the street, which is due to high traffic flow, could be a dangerous issue.
Regarding the park lots, it can be seen that replacing them with underground parking (Lennard 232), can save the city a space for facilities beneficial for the local residents. The fragmentation of the space can be addressed as another problem of urban design, which as stated by Jacobs and Appleyard is one of many problems that requires designing a new urban manifesto. The problem states that “city has spread out and separated to form extensive monocultures and specialized destinations reachable often only by long journeys”. (Jacobs and Appleyard 168).
At the same time the examined space shows an important characteristic which is the minimal density. (Jacobs and Appleyard 171) Despite the high flow of people and cars in the space surrounding the station, the density of the buildings is minimal, a feature which is apparently fixed with nearby building site.
Addressing the area around the station from the point of effectiveness, it should be noted that the design conforms to the purpose of providing comfort to train passengers. The presence of parking lots, plenty of food places, and bus stations, indicate the practical consideration when the space was designed. In addition, the access to the station itself with its curved roof and bright color helps creating a uniformed image that can follow through the design of the trains and other stations as well.
In general, it could be seen that the guidelines considered when designing the examined area were addressing the public place aspect more than the surrounding neighborhood. In that matter, some aspects of public places are also absent, e.g. “most important public places must be for pedestrians, for no public life can take place between people in automobiles.” (Jacobs and Appleyard 174) However, it can be seen through the presence of the building site that the place would be reconstructed, thus there is a hope that some of the guidelines would be considered.
Works Cited
Jacobs, Allan, and Donald Appleyard. “Toward an Urban Design Manifesto.” Journal of American Planning Association (1987): 165-75.
Lennard, Suzanne H. Crowhurst. Livable Cities Observed : A Source Book of Images and Ideas for City Officials, Community Leaders, Architects, Planners and All Other Committed to Making Their Cities Livable. Carmel, CA: Gondolier Press, 1995.