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Marketing Flyer

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Final Reflection

1.      Designing places for people relates to the public place I chose to study in a few ways. First is that this place is already well designed and attracts a lot of people. There are tons of benches along the edge of the lake and the path is wide enough to accommodate runners, bikers, and people taking a leisurely stroll without anyone running into each other. This space was designed with people in mind. Second in that my plans to improve the place will hopefully attract even more people or maybe even get people who have never heard of the place to drop by and check it out. I think designing places for people is critical for the design of great cities because no one wants to visit a city where they feel uncomfortable.

 In previous posts I spoke about the possibility of finding a tenant to fill that un-utilized building on the peninsula. Since then I’ve favored tearing the building down and building new composting toilets but in the case of keeping the building and finding a tenant for the ‘snack bar’ it would make a lot of sense for the city to consider a public private partnership. The city already owns the building and paid for the infrastructure. In return for allowing the private business to use the building the city could require that the business refurbish or renovate the building to make it fit better in its natural setting using some of the ideas I had such as a wood façade or a living wall. The city gets a renovated building and fills their unused space and the business gets a cool location that attracts a lot of foot traffic, sounds like a win-win to me.

 Finally I’d like to talk about a recent occurrence of adaptive reuse in the news. You may remember Recreation Pier in Fells Point in Baltimore from its use as a police station in Homicide: Life on the Street. Unfortunately that show ended in 1999 and the only way I remember Recreation Pier is as a ratty old building that didn’t fit in with the rest of Fells. But now that the Sagamore Pendry Hotel has moved in a whole new generation will remember the building as one of the nicest hotels in Baltimore. The pier originally built in 1914 was first used to store port cargo. It had a few more uses over the years until it was purchased in 2008 by Kevin Plank, CEO of Under Armour. Since then over $60 million has been invested in the property and the Sagamore Pendry was born. There really appears to be no downsides to adaptive reuse the developer doesn’t have to spend money building an entire building and the city gets to keep one of its historic buildings. Adaptive reuse gets a thumbs up from me.

 [http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bs-bz-sagamore-hotel-ribbon-cutting-20170321-story.html]

 2.      Unfortunately I don’t think my views on zoning, eminent domain, and planning have really changed that much since I first posted about them. However in order not to leave this question blank I will reiterate my views on these topics. Planning and zoning really go hand in hand zoning is the legal planning of cities, planned cities are great but it really depends on what kind of planning is used. Mixed-use zoning is lightyears better than Euclidian zoning in my opinion because I think the walkability of a city is very important. Eminent domain is a little harder to form an opinion on because it is a tricky topic. In general I will support eminent domain if it follows all the rules mainly due process and just compensation.

 3.      I think the most effective thing that can be done to ensure that everyone has the ability to live in a sustainable community is having effective public transportation. A good public transit system will benefit the environment by taking cars off the road leading to less emissions. Good public transportation would benefit those ‘stuck’ in the inner city with little to no access to jobs outside of the city. Finally, in turn for access to jobs the economy of the inner city would improve as those who now have jobs spend their paychecks at local businesses. As you can see a good public transportation system would benefit all of the legs of the sustainability stool.

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Plan to Implement the Vision

Approvals

The main governmental bodies in charge of Lake Artemesia are Prince Georges County Department of Parks and Recreation and The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. It could be difficult to convince these bodies to spend money on an already successful park, however if I could drum up some support from the communities surrounding the lake the governmental bodies may be on board. In regards to my concert idea this would not require much buy in from the governmental bodies other than planning and hiring a band, which in theory should not be too much of a burden. In this case I think they would already be sold on the idea.

Funding

Because the funds for these improvements would be coming from the city of College Park or Prince Georges County, an easy option to finance these improvements would be through the issuance of municipal bonds. The government would sell the bonds and by virtue of buying a bond a citizen is basically lending money to the city. Once the bond reaches maturity the bond is paid back with interest to the investor.

Upkeep

So my dock idea and sign idea only require installation and replacement once the object has been worn out. The composting toilets would require a janitorial crew which the current toilets already require but they would also require some sort of compost expert or inspector to monitor the new composting system. The toilets would also require some form of landscaping on the living walls, however this could be added on to the landscaping already done around the park. Finally, the concerts would require some security staff and some planning. This would all cost some money here and there but I believe the benefits outweigh the costs.

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Photos

This is just a mock up of the tunnel sign I wanted to install. This will serve to make this part of the park safer; bikers sometimes blitz through this tunnel which can be dangerous sometimes since this is a blind corner. So if all traffic stays to the right as they enter or exit the park you shouldn’t run into anyone coming the other way.

This is the amphitheater at Lake Artemesia unfortunately there aren’t any pictures of it with a band on the stage and families watching on the terraced hill. But if you use your imagination to picture them there that is what it would look like during the summer concert series. This beautiful area has the potential to be used for a lot of community gatherings but sadly it goes unused.

This is the beautiful building in Grand Teton National Park that houses the composting toilets that inspired my idea for the lake. Now Lake Artemesia may not need anything as grand as this but this just gives you an idea of what a building that compliments it’s surroundings looks like. 

This is an example infographic explaining how composting toilets work something like this could be posted on the outside of the building housing the toilets. I know if I was a little kid something like this would get me excited about ‘using the potty’. 

A unique living wall like this one could be installed and host all kinds of samples of native plants that can be found in the park. This would help local boy scouts earn some requirements involving plant identification. This could also get kids excited about native plants and sustainability.

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Final Vision Video Link

Please Follow this link to watch my video.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3CHmAVXaLavaXltOThPdlV6aVk

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Final Vision

I got a lot of really positive feedback on my blog from the peer reviews and from the Professor/TAs so I think my vision for the lake is pretty good however I had a few small extra ideas that I left out of my original plan. Here is a short summary of my original plan: There is a small bathroom and snack bar building that is currently un-utilized except for the bathrooms. It would be cool to replace this building with composting toilets in a building that fits into the natural space by adding a living wall and other natural looking features. I would also like to improve use of the space staging concerts in the amphitheater that sits on the edge of the lake, food trucks could be invited and serve food to those attending the event. Putting on a show like this would serve to promote community bonding. Finally I proposed replacing the wooden docks with a material that would last longer and require less maintenance in the long run such as recycled aluminum. In addition to these original plans I also thought it would be a nice idea to put a sign on either side of that tunnel that you have to enter the lake through so that people don’t run into each other. I think these plans reflect topics we’ve covered in class especially designing places for people. Lake Artemesia is already a great public place that attracts a lot of people but hopefully my plans would help attract more people and help the city and the county utilize the space to promote community bonding.

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Reflection

The metro line running next to the lake got me thinking: if the family that donated the land to College Park never got around to doing so would the metro still have the same route? I guess the real question here is if the land was never donated to College Park would the city have been able to claim eminent domain on that land to allow metro to still build in the same place? WMATA is a government agency and not a private company and it could very well be argued that metro is for public use, although it can be a little expensive for lower income individuals, this leads me to believe the answer here is yes. I skimmed some case law and found that WMATA is “empowered by its charter to exercise the power of eminent domain.” Oddly enough the case I chose deals with a case brought from a company in College Park. The text makes it clear that eminent domain was used to condemn the buildings and purchase the land. This case deals more with just compensation than whether or not WMATA was able to exercise its powers. Thus it can be inferred that the answer to my question is yes.

I tried to find a website listing events happening at the lake and it was kind of a hassle to find it. But beyond that the list of events was fairly lackluster. It is neat that they host yoga in the park on Saturdays but what’s not neat is that it’s the only thing listed. I know our lecture on planning was more geared toward planning the layout of a city however it appears that planning is being neglected in some capacity here with the lake. A community event planner would be an amazing tool to increase the sense of community and civic engagement and a community event planner could even plan those concerts I was talking about.

 Court Case [https://casetext.com/case/wmata-v-precision-small-engines]

Lake Events [http://www.mncppcapps.org/calendar/outdoors/default.aspx]

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Improvement pictures

This is what is called a living wall. As you can see these plants are growing on/in the wall. This shows that ivy isn’t the only thing that can be grown on walls and provides an excellent example of how the building on the peninsula could be improved.

This is an aluminum dock and this is generally what the new docks I’ve proposed would look like. To me this is certainly more pleasing to the eye than the current situation they have. Currently the docks at the lake are wooden behemoths floating on plastic barges. This new dock would very rarely or never need to be replaced, at least not in my lifetime. 

This is what the full amphitheater could look like if my concert idea took off. Unfortunately the lake does not have a cool floating stage like this one.

This diagram explains the basics of how a composting toilet works. I got this idea from the composting toilets I used one summer while visiting Yellow Stone and Grand Teton National Parks.

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Improvements

In addition to the improvements mentioned in the previous post there are two more things I’d like to improve and once again they are in the peninsula area. Near the previously mentioned building is a semi-terraced hill in the shape of a half circle that surrounds what evidently must be a stage of some sort. This area doesn’t necessarily need any physical improvement but what could be improved is the use of this space, much like the building housing the toilets I’ve never seen this amphitheater area used. In an ideal world there would be concerts from local bands in the spring, summer, and fall and the park could entice members of the community with a snack bar (think that un-utilized building) or possibly having food trucks or local food spots come to the event. In an ideal world the bands would appeal to college students and locals thus bringing two groups that don’t necessarily interact with each other often. So this improvement would not only support local bands and businesses but would also serve to facilitate community bonding. This is just one example of what the amphitheater area could be used for. On a less impactful note the fishing docks have certainly seen better days. Replacement would mostly provide aesthetic benefit however the docks could be purchased from a company that makes them out of recycled aluminum or some other recycled materials that would stand the test of time and seldom need replacement. Overall these improvements would serve to make the area more sustainable by creating a local source of compost for the city, facilitating civic engagement, utilizing under used spaces, and thinking long term while replacing infrastructure.

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Field Report

1.      I visited the lake on 4/1/2017 from 9am-12 noon as a part of a community service project for Good Neighbor Day and I figured I’d kill two birds with one stone.

2.      The weather was overcast, chilly, and it had just rained the day before.

3.      The lake itself is beautiful unfortunately the trees still don’t really have any leaves so that was visually displeasing but the leaves will be back soon. As I mentioned before it had rained the previous day so it was muddy and wet. Frequent goose honks could also be heard.

4.      I can’t really put a number on how many people I saw because there were so many, of course there were quite a few more than usual since there were so many of us doing the community service project. I believe about 4 or 5 teams of 10-20 people went to the lake yesterday. My team was in charge of removing honey suckle, a well-known invasive species, another group working near us was in charge of planting trees. People who were at the lake for reasons other than the community service project were engaged in a multitude of activities: fishing, running, walking their dog, bird watching, and riding their bike just to name a few. I also know that ROTC does runs around the lake. Most people who go to the lake go around one or both of the loops of the loops of the lake. One loop had a mile marker at the end that said 1.35 miles the other one did not have a marker that I saw. On average I would say people spend about 30 minutes to an hour at the lake. There are tons of benches to the side of the path that loops around the lake

5.      Most people say hi to each other when they pass one another on the path. Other than that most people came to the lake with people they knew before hand and have a chat as they walk, bike, or run around. The community service groups worked great together as teams.

6.      I believe the lake was designed to be an aesthetically pleasing outdoor area that provides space for recreational activities. As mentioned in one of my previous posts the lake was built as a thank you to the city for allowing Metro to source gravel and sand from the area where the lake now stands this saved Metro millions. When it was first built the lake also served to cover up or fill in the areas where gravel and sand had been taken

7.      I believe the main thing that draws people to the lake is that it along with the other natural areas immediately surrounding it, it is one of a few bastions of nature here in the vast suburbia that is College Park and the I-95 Corridor. It’s also really neat to me because it’s all tucked away and unless someone tells you about it you really wouldn’t expect it where it is.

8.      For one the place was overrun with honey suckle luckily we were there to help with that. One area that I’d like to improve is the peninsula in the middle of the lake. There’s a little building there with toilets but it’s also clear that the building used to house something else maybe a snack bar or something along those lines but I’ve never seen it used in my time here at UMD. I’d like to improve this building by either utilizing the buildings empty space or if a tenant cannot be found by tearing it down and building composting or some other similar sustainable toilet system in its place as a standalone building. The building as it sits now interrupts the natural aesthetic of the park being made of brick and grey cinder-block material with decorative blue tiles. This could be fixed by planting ivy or some kind of climbing vine on the building allowing it to become natural over time or in the case of the tear down the toilets could be rebuilt with a wooden façade.

Bonus Question:

What’s the craziest thing that occurred during your observation?

A girl found a dead body during the community service event

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Week of 3/7 Reflection

The lake area seems so pristine that one might venture to guess the area has been zoned as a recreation area in College Park for a long time. This is not the case however the park and the lake were not built until 1976 along side the green line, I’ll get to this. The lake was originally used in 1900 to spawn goldfish, an agricultural use. It wasn’t until 1972 when Artemesia N. Drefs donated 10 lots to the county for preservation of open space that the idea of a park here was feasible. This also signified a legal transition of the land from private to public land. The lake itself is largely the product of what seems to be like a public private partnership. In 1976 during the construction of the green line metro builders saved millions by locally sourcing sand and gravel from the park area. In return the builders repaired the excavation damage and developed a recreation area for the city. I love this because this situation shows how sustainability can be a win-win for everyone. The builders saved millions by sourcing locally, which was also more sustainable. And in return the city got less traffic during construction and a free park.

(Much of the info above comes from http://outdoors.pgparks.com/Sites/Lake_Artemesia_Natural_Area.htm)

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Week of 3/7 Questions

1. This area is a trail system with a lake recreation area attached. It is located due east of the main entrance to campus and surrounded by the communities of College Park, Berwyn, and Berwyn Heights. There is a lake and a stream and the trails mostly meander through wooded areas. This area is used mostly for recreation and save for the few buildings on the peninsula in the lake all of the infrastructure (i.e. the trail) is in great condition.

2. I chose the lake area because it is a hidden little pocket of nature right in the middle of the very suburban College Park that I feel many do not know about even though it is so close to campus.

3. College Park is the main city surrounding the lake the population in College Park is a majority White (63%) with black as the next largest race (14.3%). College Park has a bus system and a metro stop so transportation choices are abundant. College Park also enjoys easy access to US 1, I-95, I-495, and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. Housing is mostly limited to apartments or single family detached homes, which end up occupied by college kids. The 3 biggest industries in the town are educational services, research, and the service industry (which is impacted by student population fluctuations.) College Park is known mostly for its affiliation with the University of Maryland. As far as natural features College Park has Paint Branch.

4. College Park started to grow around the Agricultural College, that eventually turned in to University of Maryland, beginning around 1889 and from there it began to grown catering to students and professors who wanted to live nearby. College Park has a few historic structures including the Rossborough Inn on US 1 and the College Park Airport, the longest continuously operating airport in the world. Rossborough Inn has definitely been restored to provide modern amenities to the historic house and the airport began as a grass strip and has now evolved into an asphalt strip. The history is not really represented in the architecture of the city unless you count that every building on campus generally looks the same. 

5. College Park was a food desert until Target Express came to town, however I disagree that the Target is an ample super market. Affordable housing is definitely limited for students who would like to live close to campus, rental prices here reflect those of DC.

6. College Park is really on the rise right now with at least 4 buildings on campus being built or renovated as this post is written, so many apartment complexes built or being built over the past few years that I’ve honestly lost track, and the building of a brand new hotel. I am unaware of future plans for the town, however with the way things are going right now it would be a safe bet that some more apartment buildings will go up along with a few more academic ones over the next couple of years.

7. There is currently a plan being executed right now to extend the end of the paint branch trail two extra miles to connect with an existing trial at the Beltsville Community Center. It would be very easy to survey users of the area as they leave to have them evaluate what they liked and didn’t like about the park.

8. As I mentioned below my video post I think the trail could be better lit at night and a play ground on the peninsula in the lake would make a fantastic addition to the lake.

(http://outdoors.pgparks.com/Sites/Lake_Artemesia_Natural_Area.htm)

(http://www.pgparks.com/Your_Parks/Trails/Anacostia_Tributary_Trail_System.htm)

(https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/community_facts.xhtml?src=bkmk)

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If I had the opportunity to change the area I would make sure the trails were better lit at night and I would build a playground area on the peninsula in between the two lakes at Lake  Artemesia

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Placemaking

I think both of my places tie in well to our topic of placemaking. Life (place) is what you make it and for me the chapel fields and the trail system and Lake Artemisia make College Park. To me the chapel is the face of the school. It sits there on a hill perched above Route 1, light shinning off it and onto the city below. In fact a great deal of the city is visible from that hill. The chapel is a symbol of the University and without the University there would he no "college" in College Park. The trail system and the lake, which in my opinion are hidden gems, really transform college park from a piece of suburbia into an actual city with great recreation areas. For the most part College Park is just a school surrounded by some apartment buildings, rental houses, and restaurants. The trail system and the lake bring the "park" to College Park. And with these two areas you have what makes College Park, College Park.