Jackies enbe report new

ENBE | Final Project | Part A – Report | Better City Of The Future Representation

Jacquelyn Vanessa Tee | 0320021 | Puan Hasmanira | FNBE AUGUST 2014 | Taylor’s University

Better City Of The Future

PACIFICA

Jacquelyn Vanessa

0320021 FNBE AUGUST 2014

Taylor’s university



Contents

Title

Page

1. Introduction

2. The City

3. Investigation & Data Collection: Ancient & Old City

4. Investigation & Data Collection: Present City

5. Investigation & Data Collection: Future City

6. The New “X” City - PACIFICA

7. Conclusion

8. Reference list



INTRODUCTION

After 3 months of working on my Environment of Natural and Built Environments (ENBE) projects, I have finally reached the final project for this subject. This final project actually got me really pumped up and excited, as it is a really interesting project, which is to build a model on maximum 3nos of A2 presentation boards of the selected city in my group along with my group mates.

As for the individual project, I am required to make a report and a 3-minute-short video presentation. The purpose of this report is basically for an individual to investigate and understand the content related to “city” and “the built environment” plus to propose a better future city. I would need to research about the ancient and old cities, present cities, and also future cities that inspire the designs and concept of my future town. I also need to research about good town planning, as I need to plan well for my desired city.



The city 1. The definition of “City”

A city is an inhabited place of greater size and greater population,

or a place that has more importance than a town or village. It is where humans permanently settle.

Complex systems for sanitation, utilities, land usage, housing, and transportation are usually what cities have. The concentration of development greatly facilitates interaction between people and businesses, benefiting both parties in the process, but it also presents challenges to managing urban growth. When a city manages to expand to another city, this region can be deemed a conurbation or megalopolis. Population-wise, the largest city proper is Shanghai, while the fastest growing is Dubai.



2. Brief History

Cities came a long way and have a really long history. Humans in the early days were lived as nomads, who rely on hunting and gathering for sustenance. Between 8,000 and

10,000 years ago, systematic cultivation of plants and the domestication of animals allowed for more permanent settlements. But during the fourth millennium B.C., the requirements for the "urban revolution" were finally met. For instance, the production of food that could be stored, writing system, a more complex social organization, and an advancement in technology like the plough, potter's wheel, loom, etc.

Cities serve as centers of storage, trade, and manufacture. The agricultural surplus from the surrounding countryside is processed and distributed in cities. Cities also grew up around marketplaces, where goods from distant places could be exchanged for local products. Throughout history, cities have been founded at the intersections of transportation routes, or at points where goods must shift from one mode of transportation to another, as at river and ocean ports.

As for religious elements, ancient people had sacred places that are often associated with cemeteries or shrines, around which cities grew. Ancient cities usually had large temple precincts with monumental religious buildings. Cities then were mostly built near monasteries and cathedrals.



Cities also act as a barrier during war. During attacks, people who lived in rural areas would hide behind walls, while defense forces will come together to repel the enemy. The wall served this

purpose for many years, until the invention of heavy artillery rendered walls useless in warfare. Unfortunately because of the existence of this modern aerial warfare, cities don’t act as a safe

haven anymore because it has become the primary and ultimate targets for destruction.

3. What Makes A City

A city needs to have a number of services that can be provided to

the residents. For instance, electrical supply, distribution of food, water supply, roads, vehicles for transportation purposes, etc. Not forgetting, a city needs to have religious elements that can represent the various beliefs the city has and also to encourage the citizens to not abandon their faith.

On the other hand, it’s optional for a city to have something that represents them like a landmark, monument or anything that can signify the city. For example, the famous Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur helped in upgrading Malaysia’s image. It was also in fact world’s tallest building architectural element from the year 1998 – 2003.



Even though a city skyline defines its character in the postcard sense but at a human scale, we need greenery and open space that could act as our relax space such as parks. In a way, it balances the concrete jungle with actual floras that could also act as a sight for sore eyes.

4. What Makes A Good City

A good city must reach a number of requirements to risen the population of residents. Here are a few of them.

• Must reach the health criteria set by the local authorities. (eg. Keep a clean environment, use eco friendly products, reduce the use of plastic bags, recycle papers, use a hybrid vehicle around the city as it doesn’t degrade the air quality, etc.)

• Easy transportation access • Efficient security and help granted when the city is in trouble • Has an open space such as parks, for relaxing purposes or

beneficial activity purposes.

5. What Is The Future City

Looking at how the ozone layer is gradually thinning every year, the future is definitely going to have low air quality compared to the air quality we have now. Flash foods might even happen every day and become a routine. Human’s life span might get shortened. Clinics and hospitals are going be unusually packed with patients.

Therefore, sustainability must be a primary focus when planning a city. A city that is eco-friendly can slowly freshen the air. It may take a few years but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Floras should also



be increased around the city to lower the temperature and also for them to give out oxygen for humans to breathe. I personally hope that this goal can be achieved in the near future, to save our beautiful mother Earth.

6. What Does A City Have

A city has residential buildings for citizens to live in. It also has vehicles for transportation purposes. Besides that, there’s education areas such as kindergartens, middle school, high school, colleges and universities are also found in a city for the younger generation to get their knowledge from whereas business areas are usually located near the city center, and its purpose is to create more work opportunities so that the rate of unemployment will drop. Other than that, it should also have a better waste management as well as the sewage system. Lastly, factories should be located far away from the city center and the residential areas so that it won’t affect the citizens’ health by inhaling the polluted air.



Investigation & Data

Collection: Ancient and Old Cities

Athens, Greece

1. History

Athens was named according to the Greek mythology from competition that the goddess Athena had with Poseidon about who will become protector of the city. The myth says that Poseidon gave a spring with seawater whilst Athena offered an olive tree as she



touched the ground of the sacred rock of the Acropolis. The people of Athens choose Athena as their protector and so the city was named after the goddess of wisdom. The myth is symbolic but the two Gods symbolizing the strength of Athens as a city of wisdom and as a sea power. The oldest known human presence in Athens is the Cave of Schist, which has been dated to between the 11th and 7th millennium BC. Athens has been continuously inhabited for at least 7000 years. By 1400 BC the settlement had become an important center of the Mycenaean civilization and the Acropolis was the site of a major Mycenaean fortress, whose remains can be recognized from sections of the characteristic Cyclopean walls. Unlike other Mycenaean centers, such as Mycenae and Pylos, it is not known whether Athens suffered destruction in about 1200 BC, an event often attributed to a Dorian invasion, and the Athenians always maintained that they were "pure" Ionians with no Dorian element. However, Athens, like many other Bronze Age settlements, went into economic decline for around 150 years afterwards.

2. What makes a significant city and what are the details?

Athens’ architectural style ranges from Greco-Roman and

Neoclassical to modern. Athens is not marked by a certain specific architectural style therefore they are often to be found in the same areas.

Hellenic Parliament was the first important public building to be built, between 1836 and 1843 because Neoclassicism dominated Athens as well as some deviations from it such as Eclecticism for the most part of the 19th century, especially in the early 20th century.

In the mid and late 19th century, Theophil Freiherr von Hansen and Ernst Ziller was part of the construction of many neoclassical



buildings such as the Athens Academy and the Zappeion Hall.

Zappeion Hall

Beginning in the 1920s, Modern architecture including Bauhaus

and Art Deco began to exert an influence on almost all Greek architects, and buildings both public and private were constructed in accordance with these styles. Localities with a great number of such buildings include Kolonaki, and some areas of the centre of the city; neighbourhoods developed in this period include Kypseli.

In the 1950s and 1960s during the extension and development of Athens, other modern movements such as the International style played an important role. The centre of Athens was largely rebuilt, leading to the demolition of a number of neoclassical buildings. The architects of this era employed materials such as glass, marble and aluminium, and many blended modern and classical elements. After World War II, internationally known architects to have designed and built in the city included Walter Gropius, with his design for the US Embassy, and, among others, Eero Saarinen, in his postwar design for the east terminal of the Ellinikon Airport.

3. Conclusion about the cities

It’s really brilliant the fact that the architects back in the day could come up with really beautiful and creative architectural designs. What made me really inspired is the fact that these ideas are original.



Because of these designs, many architects all around the world right now improvises on their work. Which is why my future layout will have a little bit of a greek-esque touch.

4. What information or element that you can use for your future city?

The Grecian details and also the ancient Greek fonts and symbols.




Collection: Present Cities

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

1. History

On November 25 2009, the emirate announced Dubai would postpone payments on some of its $80 billion in debt, sending markets into a plunge. While Dubai's origins are largely a mystery,



what is now a Rhode Island — size principality on the Persian Gulf was just a pearl-fishing village when its current rulers, the Maktoum family, took over in 1883. Fortunately in the year 1966, Dubai’s fortune turned over and changed dramatically with the discovery of oil. But compared with its neighbours, Dubai had limited reserves, prompting its rulers to turn to other industries to fuel their bold economic aspirations. Starting in the year 1980s, at the prompting of the crown prince at that time – Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, Dubai fashioned itself into a free-trade oasis. It opened a tax-free infotech hub, Dubai Internet City, in 2000, to attract technology companies; media, finance and maritime projects soon followed. This day, the tallest building in the world is located in Dubai – Burj Khalifa.

2. What makes a significant city and what are the details?

Dubai is the most modern and populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the second largest emirate by territorial size after the capital, Abu Dhabi.

It is situated on the southeast coast of the Persian Gulf and is one of the seven emirates that make up the country. Dubai happens to be one of the emirates to have veto power over critical matters of national importance in the country's legislature.

This day, Dubai has emerged as a global city and business hub of the Persian Gulf region. It is also a major transport hub for passengers and cargo. Because of the many innovative large construction projects and sports events, the world has its attention on Dubai. The city has also become symbolic for its skyscrapers and high-rise built environment, such as the Burj Khalifa. Not to mention, Dubai meets world-class luxury



standards. A-list celebrities sometimes take their time off from their busy schedule and plan a vacation in Dubai because Dubai will never disappoint when it comes to 7-star hotels.

As for the architecture in Dubai, it’s mostly influenced by modern Islamic architecture.

3. Conclusion about the city Dubai is definitely a city worth visiting, reasons why

tourism played a huge role in bringing in lots of income. The beautiful skyscrapers are one of the main reasons tourists are attracted to Dubai. Some may even note down to visit the tallest building in the world – Burj Khalifa in their bucket list. There are also other famous landmarks like the Burj Al-Arab that happens to be one of the most visited landmarks in Dubai. This shows that a city will be noticeable on the map if a creative landmark is built to represent the city.

4. What information or element that you can use for your future city?

Tourism plays an important role when it comes to a city or even a country to be exact. Since Dubai is mostly known for their famous landmarks, I am planning on building a famous landmark that can blow people’s minds away. Dubai is also well known for their sandy beaches. Since my city will be floating on water, I am planning on having a city that will break the record for world’s longest white sand beach. This will definitely attract people all around the world. They will definitely save up their money to come to



my city to experience the peace and serenity they can get from relaxing by the sea shore while admiring the white sands all around them. Not only that, Dubai is known for their golf courses. I am planning on building a hotel and resort in my city that features beautiful golf courses. Golf is one of the world’s most popular sport therefore this could benefit tourism-wise. Who knows, Tiger Woods might even drop by my city once in a while to play on the golf courses.




Collection: Future cities

Lusail, qATAR

1. Introduction to Lusail

Lusail is a newest planned waterfront city located in Qatar next to The Pearl, which is intended to be the biggest domestic real estate development in the country. It will be as big as 377 million square feet. The US$ 5.5 million development project is planned to have buildings such as marinas, residential areas, island resorts, commercial districts, luxury shopping and leisure facilities that includes two golf courses, an all giraffe zoo and an entertainment district. Lusail City is expected to provide accommodation for over 200,000 thousand people. At the moment, it is still under construction and on its way to completion. 2The city is expected to be completed by 2019.



Lusail is set to have a stadium – The new Lusail Iconic Stadium, with a capacity of 80,000+ people. It is also believed that it will be the host for the opening and closing

matches of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. After the FIFA World Cup, the stadium will be used to host other sporting and cultural events.

(Qetaifan Island) Qetaifan Island is an exclusive and luxurious island located not far from Lusail’s city of bright lights. The main attraction of the island is its beautiful natural beach and waterfront property. The bridges in Qetaifan Island will have a touch of local traditional design for tourists

and visitors to feel the vibe of the local culture. The island will also have architectured marinas for super boats and yachts – a true indication of style and status. This breathtaking island will promise relaxation and

serenity wit their spa treatments that will rejuvenate the body. 2. City Features

Lusail City is located north of Doha, 22km away. It will be spread over an area of 38km², with a waterfront location stretching over 28km. Lusail is built and designed for work, leisure and recreational activity purposes to provide a comfortable and sweet life for citizens. It is said to consist 19 mixed-used entertainments, commercial and residential districts. It will also feature four islands, a blue lagoon with two marinas, 25,000 residential buildings, high and low-rise buildings, a business square, and low-rise buildings.



Lusail City will also feature commercial towers, hospitals, ports,

two golf courses, five stadiums, commercial park for energy firms, retail spaces, schools, mosques, medical services, sports, entertainment, public avenues, recreational areas, cultural centres and shopping centres. Not forgetting, 22 internationally standard hotels.

A few out of the major

elements of the city are the Marina District, Energy City Qatar, Entertainment City and the Fox Hills residential area. To be more precise, Energy City Qatar is the first full-fledged oil and gas hub of the region. 3. The element that I want to use for my town

I am definitely using the futuristic concept of this city. I’m not going to follow the exact way but I’ll improvise. I’ll also improvise on the zoning for Lusail. I personally like how this city is arranged and zoned. It’s very tidy and strategic in its own way. I’m also going to include a very luxurious villa or hotel by the sea with yatchs and super boats, just like Qetaifan Islands.



The New “X” Town –

Pacifica 1. What type of city did I choose? Why?

The city that my group and I chose is a city that floats on water. We chose this city because the other choices that were given are either too common or too difficult. Don’t get me wrong, my group and I are up for challenges that’s why we find a city that floats on water very interesting and hopefully manageable.

2. How did I come up with the name of my desired city – Pacifica?

The city named Atlantis, from the Disney movie

“Atlantis”

When I started brainstorming on my desired city, I instantly thought of Atlantis – the Disney movie I grew up with as a toddler. Atlantis to me looked very beautiful even though it was through an animated movie. From what I noticed, Atlantis lies above the water. It also portrays a combination of an ancient architecture with a touch of modern architecture, which is more or less similar to the concept of my city.



As for my city name – Pacifica, I thought of the word ‘pacific’. Pacific actually means calm and peaceful, and a soothing appearance or effect. I instantly thought that this is the perfect name for my city as the meaning behind the word is what I want my city to be like. But since the word ‘pacific’ sounds too plain, I added the letter ‘A’ at the back to make it sound more or less like a city. Hence, the name – Pacifica.

3. Introduction to Pacifica Pacifica is a nature inspired city. The city is shaped like a seashell if it’s viewed through a plan view. The estimation for human population in Pacifica is about 150,000 – 200,000 people. Pacifica is going to be world’s only city with the most green-features.

4. Aim of the city The main purpose of my city is for it to be livable and to attract a lot of tourists as well as locals. I want the citizens to live a comfortable life, without worrying about the air quality, water supply, transportation, etc. I would also want my city to be a nature inspired city; hence the plan of the city looks like a seashell.

5. Important considerations



First of all, a city must have a good connection and accessibility. Walkways around the city as well as the circulation must be well planned in order to achieve sustainability. Roads for land vehicles must also be well planned. This is to ensure easy access and for the convenience of the residents in the city.

Other than that, environmental responsibility should also be obtained when planning a city. This is because the residents need to live in the city whereby the air is not polluted, land is clean, as well as environmentally friendly. Due to that fact that green features are very well known at the moment, I want to ensure that my city goes 100% eco-friendly if possible. Energy sources should also be renewable and unlimited such as biomass for the use of the residents staying in Pacifica.



Not only that, the town’s security should also be ensured otherwise not many people would live in Pacifica. It’s actually a human nature that they would prefer living in a safe area rather than an area that puts their life at risk. Therefore, high security should be granted in Pacifica for residents to live in comfort and peace.

6. Important characteristics and elements

(Zoning)



Residential Area: This area will provide residential waterfront units for residents to live in. Government Buildings: These are located somewhere at the tip of the city. Business Area: This will be located nearby the government buildings. Commercial Area: This will be located everywhere with the purpose of minimizing the burdens of the residents living in Pacifica. Recreational Area: A long linear park will be located somewhere in the middle of Pacifica. Education Area: This will be located nearby the residential areas so that it does not take long for students to get to school to attend their classes. Religious and Cultural Area: This will be located between the residential area and education area. Hospitals: Several hospitals will be built nearby most of the areas for easier access for the residents in case of an emergency.



Airport: The airport will be located at the end of Pacifica, away from the city centre as it won’t disturb the peace of the residents in the city as aircrafts produces a loud noise when it lands and takes off. Service Area: This will be located near the airport. Industrial Area: Located further away from the city to provide for localized environmental controls that are specific to the needs of an industrial area. Port and Shipping Area: This will be located near the airport and business areas for products to be easily imported and exported. Forest and Green Area: The greenery is mostly surrounding industrial areas. There are also a lot of trees planted around the city to balance natural environment and built environment. Agriculture Area: A huge land filled with palm oil will take about 30% of the area in the whole city. Tourism and Hospitality Area:



Luxurious hotels are located somewhere by the ocean, whereas the theme parks, landmarks, monuments etc. are located somewhere in the middle of the city.



CONCLUSION In conclusion, I learned a lot from doing all my research to complete this report. I have never learned or heard about zoning before but thanks to this report, I learned the definition of it and how to plan the zonings. I also learned a lot about the cities from a different time and how much they differ with the cities nowadays. We humans on the other hand, must take good care of our Earth for future purposes. We don’t want the future generation to have a hard time breathing when the ozone layer is in its thinnest state. We could save our Earth before it’s too late by reducing the amount of carbon monoxide that is released into the air. The hardheaded humans who care less about our Earth should turn over a new leaf and be alert with their surroundings, starting by reusing, reducing and recycling. Earth’s survival and sustainability is in our hands and we should start making a change before it’s too late.



Reference list The City http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/may/08/what-makes-city-tech-garden-smart-redefine http://www.planetizen.com/node/70537 http://dallasinstitute.org/events/center-for-the-city/ http://crcresearch.org/case-studies/case-studies-sustainable-infrastructure/land-use-planning/what-makes-a-city-liveable http://www.sasaki.com/media/files/cities_survey_final-1.pdf http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petronas_Towers Ancient and Old Cities http://www.ancient.eu/Athens/ http://www.athensguide.org/athens-history.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athens#Architecture http://www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/architecture/Ancient-Architecture.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_architecture#Greek_architecture http://www.ancient.eu/city/ Present Cities http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubai http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Dubai http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubai#History http://www.emirates.com/english/destinations_offers/discoverdubai/aboutdubai/dubaihistory.aspx http://www.alshindagah.com/september99/architecture.htm Future Cities http://www.lusail.com/English/Interactive%20Map/Interactive%20Map/en.html http://www.designbuild-network.com/projects/lusail-city/ http://www.enterprise-ireland.com/EI_Corporate/en/Export-Assistance/Market-Research-Centre/Qatar-Lusail.pdf http://realestate.theemiratesnetwork.com/developments/qatar/lusail_city.php http://www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/architecture/Ancient-Architecture.html