Le Blanc - Andrews Handout Gulf Coast Green 2009, Houston, Texas

1. INCREMENTAL
URBANISM
THE AUTO AND THE PEDESTRIAN
RECONSIDERED IN
GREYFIELD DEVELOPMENTS
MICHAEL GAMBLE, AND W. JUDE LEBLANC
WITH
DR. CATHERINE ROSS
FUNDED BY THE CENTER FOR QUALITY GROWTH AND
REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE
GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
ADDITIONAL FUNDING FROM THE NEA - ARCHITECTURE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AWARD PARTNERSHIPS IN TEACHING
ASSTANCE BY RYAN CROOKS, PAUL GRETHER, TED HITCH, MEHUL PATEL, WAAFA SABIL, MUTHUKUMAR SUBRAMANYAM

2. THE PERIMIETER
285
DORAVILLE
PEACHTREE DEKALB
AIRPORT
S
ILE
8M
INTERSTATE 85
NORTHEAST PLAZA
SHOPPING CENTER

3. Our research examines the link
between public health and the built
environment.
A number of studies conclude that
low-density auto-oriented
development, like Buford Highway,
may have some adverse affect on
public health.

4. Health is affected at the scales of the
individual, the neighborhood social
unit and the larger ecological system.
While there is significant writing on the
subject, there are few examples of
exactly how to implement change.

5. Greyfield sites are strategically chosen
in order to focus on the relationship
between architectural projects, public
policy and community design.
Our hypothesis is that in Greyfields
revised relationships between
interconnectivity, parking
requirements, mixed use-density and
public transportation are needed to
produce healthier environments.

6. We are exploring an urbanism of
increments.

7. WHAT IS A GREYFIELD
?
BROWNFIELD
GREENFIELD
GREYFIELD

10. GREYFIELD DEFINED
Greyfield is a relatively new term.
Frequently used to describe
abandoned retail malls, a
greyfield can be broadly defined
as an underused, site without
gross environmental damage.

12. BUFORD HIGHWAY
TRANSPORATION
INFRASTRUCTURE

13. TRANSPORTATION
MARTA
•Bus route #39 is one of the top 3
ridership routes for MARTA
•Buford Highway is a high priority BRT
corridor
GDOT
•Constructed the facility and operates /
maintains
•Considers it an emergency alternate to
I-85
•35,000 vehicles per day

16. BUFORD HIGHWAY PROPER:
STREETS
STATE ROAD OWNERSHIP
BUFORD HIGHWAY

20. BUFORD HIGHWAY PROPER:
DEKALB SUBDIVISION
REGULATIONS

22. CHAMBLEE SAVANNAH
CHAMBLEE MIDTOWN

23. SCHOOL
HOUSE
The arterial strategy of controlling traffic
promotes cul-de-sacs and diminishes
roadway connectivity.

24. BUFORD HIGHWAY PROPER:
LAND USE AND PARCEL MAP

26. BUFORD HIGHWAY PROPER:
YIELD OF SUBDIVISION
REGULATIONS AND ZONING

27. Sec. 21-14. Height and setback requirements.
(a) All signs shall be set back as follows:
(1) Ten (10) feet from the curbline of each street adjacent to the lot
authorized curb cut exists; (applicable to all zoning districts);
(2) If the right-of-way is more than ten (10) feet from the curbline as
at least one (1) foot from the right-of-way (applicable to all zoning dis
(3) In a residential zoning district, if the distance between the right o
than fifteen (15) feet, signs shall be setback two-thirds ( 2/3) of the dist
principal structure on the lot on which the sign is located.
(4) Along all lot lines which are not adjacent to a road with an auth
the buildable area of the lot.
(5) No sign greater than fifteen (15) feet high shall be placed within
church, school, park or cemetery, any residential zoning district bound
property.
(6) All signs shall be so located and shall provide such vertical clear
unobstructed passage for pedestrians and vehicles.

28. the result of existing
zoning, lines around the
parcel indicate minimum
setback requirements
Sec. 27-601. Lot width; lot area; setbacks.
The following requirements shall apply to all lots
and structures in the C-2 (General Commercial)
District:
(a) Lot width: All lots shall have at least one
hundred (100) feet of frontage as measured along
the public street frontage.
(b) Minimum lot area: Thirty thousand (30,000)
square feet.
(c) Minimum setback requirements:
(1) From public street
a. Front yard setback: Seventy-five (75) feet.
(2) Interior side yard: Twenty (20) feet, five (5)
feet of which shall be planted and landscaped.
(3) Rear yard: Thirty (30) feet.
(Ord. No. 99-11, Pt. 1, 4-13-99)

29. the result of existing
zoning, lines around the
parcel indicate minimum
setback requirements
Sec. 27-601. Lot width; lot area; setbacks.
The following requirements shall apply to all lots and
structures in the C-2 (General Commercial) District:
(a) Lot width: All lots shall have at least one hundred (100)
feet of frontage as measured along the public street
frontage.
(b) Mi i lt Thi t th d (30 000)

30. BUFORD HIGHWAY PROPER:
THE
BASE
CASE
PROGRESSIVE ZONING
STRATEGIES WORTH
CONSIDERING

31. CITY OF CHAMBLEE
Section 306. IV-O International Village overlay district.
This is an overlay zoning district that is intended to
encourage a mix of uses both horizontally and vertically on
sites and in structures, to encourage creativity in the site
planning process, to allow for joint use of parking facilities
where appropriate, and to allow for additional density based
on the provision of additional useable open space where
appropriate, within the area designated in the International
Village Master Plan. The purpose of this overlay district is to
provide certain reductions in restrictions otherwise imposed
by each of the various zoning districts included within the
overlay district to achieve this intent.

32. BUFORD HIGHWAY PROPER:
A
HEALTH AND SAFETY
CONCERN
FIRST

33. LAYER DIAGRAMS – FAST, MEDIUM, SLOW CONFIGURATIONS

34. BUS STOPS : BEFORE

35. BUS STOPS : AFTER

36. TWO SITES
AND
FOUR STRATEGIES
DORAVILLE
+
NORTHEAST PLAZA

37. EXISTING PROPOSED
PROPOSED CHANGES
FRONT YARD SETBACK - DECREASED
SIDE YARDS -BECOMES STREET IN SOME CASES W/PARKING– PRIVATELY HELD PUBLIC
ACCESS
PARKING – SHARED AND/OR ON STREET
F.A.R. - INCREASED

38. NORTHEAST PLAZA
TABULA RASA AND
INCREMENTAL

39. TWO SITES AND FOUR PLANNING STRATEGIES

50. DORAVILLE
THE MASTER PLAN STRATEGY

53. DORAVILLE
THE INCREMENTAL STRATEGY

55. Super Block Existing Street Configuration

56. New Block Configuration based on
Cut Throughs and Property lines.

57. Super Block Retrofit with New Streets

61. ARCHITECTURAL PROTOTYPES:
REFINING COMPONENTS
FOR A
STRATEGY
OF
INCREMENTAL URBANISM

62. THE LINER BUILDING
AS
INFILL STRATEGY

63. EXISTING PROPOSED
PROPOSED CHANGES
FRONT YARD SETBACK - DECREASED
SIDE YARDS -BECOMES STREET IN SOME CASES W/PARKING– PRIVATELY HELD PUBLIC
ACCESS
PARKING – SHARED AND/OR ON STREET
F.A.R. - INCREASED

65. LINER: THE THIN WALL ARCADE

66. LINER: THE THIN WALL ARCADE : BEFORE

67. LINER: THE THIN WALL ARCADE : AFTER

68. LINER: THE THIN WALL ARCADE : BEFORE

69. LINER: THE THIN WALL ARCADE : AFTER

70. LINER: THE THIN WALL ARCADE : BEFORE

71. LINER: THE THIN WALL ARCADE : AFTER

72. LINER: THE THIN WALL ARCADE : AFTER

73. LINER: THE OREO DECK

74. LINER: THE OREO DECK PRECEDENT

75. LINER: THE OREO DECK - BEFORE

76. LINER: THE OREO DECK - AFTER

77. LINER: THE OREO DECK - AFTER

78. LINER: THE WRAPPED GARAGE
This building type is conceived to work within the 60-75 foot front yard setback
restriction of most commercial zoning. This building consists of retail space on the
ground and a quick ramp up to parking on the second floor with the third floor given
over to uses such as office space or restaurants (uses that do not rely on foot traffic to
succeed.) Parking on the second floor adds to the overall cost of the project, but the
benefit is connectivity at the ground level for pedestrians and a long term return for a
property owner who can increase leasable space because of the additional parking
that the prototype provides.

79. LINER: THE WRAPPED GARAGE: BEFORE

80. LINER: THE WRAPPED GARAGE: AFTER

81. LINER: GAS STATIONS/ WAREHOUSE AND CONVENIENCE STORES

82. LINER: GAS STATIONS/ WAREHOUSE AND CONVENIENCE STORES : BEFORE

83. LINER: GAS STATIONS/ WAREHOUSE AND CONVENIENCE STORES : AFTER

85. WITH ASSTANCE BY PAUL GRETHER, MEHUL PATEL, RYAN CROOKS,
TED HITCH, MUTHUKUMAR SUBRAMANYAM