Bosselmann’s book “Representation of Places” argues that the most important way a city is experienced is as a sequence of spaces. In particular, this sequence often happens through the street scape. For example, he utilized a series of sketches diagraming the experience while moving down a street in Venice.
I then applied this knowledge to my own site and Multnomah Street as it leads to my site and then passes it. I began at the Rose Garden Arena where the large monolithic building does little to create a street scape. Then passing under the I-5, I found a dark, seedy sort of atmosphere. Coming out from under the freeway, the road winds up to my site. Here and for the next few blocks buildings meet one side of the street at most. Moving further past MLK Jr. Blvd. and to 7th and Grand Ave. The buildings rise grandly in scale and density and the street scape is nicely lined with trees.
In comparisson to McHarg’s “Design with Nature”, Bosselmann’s book is much more about the experience. In McHarg’s book, the most important aspect of the city is what we can learn from it when diagraming at a bidseye view and looking at data and statistics. See the link below for an example image of his work.
In line with McHarg’s methods, I visited portlandmaps.com and diagramed out the copious amounts of information posted there. Below are diagrams of amenities such as schools and parks within a mile radius. Also, there is a diagram of the only slight change of elevation from less than 100′ to between 100′ and 200′. The last diagram shows how this area is mostly commercial with industrial zones to the north and south.
Most interestingly, drug abuse is a large problem in the area. The first diagram on this page shows in darker shading the density of sited cases and in general there have been 75 sited cases within the last year. In the third and fourth diagrams I show where the willamette watershed goes and that my site currently has a privately maintained sewer line. Lastly, I jotted down some statistics about the kind of population in this area: (1) mostly renters, white, and living in single households, (2) 48% are over 65 and 25% are between 22-39, and (3) the population density is about 1 person per acre. These statistics are right along the current trends of the nation and so my design solutions to these problems could be applicable on a national scale aswell.
For my final three diagrams, I focused on the streets. I noticed that currently along Multnomah and Gran there is active new work being done and pavement and that there are plans to continue this work west. This says to me that the city is supportive of development happening here.
In the first of the lower diagrams, I show the streets with the highest traffic volvume: Holloday, Grand, MLK, Weidler, and Broadway. In the last diagram, I’m trying to show the MAX and Pedestrian Street Corrador along Holloday and the Bicycle Way/ Bus/ City Walkways along Multnomah, Grand, MLK, Weidler and Broadway. It is obvious that there is a complex transportation system which provides multimodal transportation to, from and through this site.
This excercise was really helpful in getting to know the site and its context.