ZIONE GROSSHUESCH
The figure ground drawing shows the Kerrytown neighborhood in Ann Arbor. The roads are set up on a grid with a diagonal street leading to the Broadway bridge over the Huron river. The Kerrytown neighborhood has; shops, bars, restaurants, parks, residential living, artisans/farmer's market and is a block away from downtown Ann Arbor.
The aerial view shows the block between Detroit St, 4th Ave, 5th Ave, and E. Kingsley St. The buildings that are highlighted are mixed use, two attached at one end of the block, a market pavilion in the center, and four buildings with court yards at the other end of the block. The structures vary in the number of story’s (2-4) and are made up of primarily brick. There is also a small parking lot for the shops and the market.
The key elements of the block are shown along Detroit Street and N. Fifth Ave this includes roads, bike lanes, sidewalks, parks, structures, court yards and gardens showing the rich urban environment. The way the streets were designed slows down traffic through the use of a small pedestrian median and by using brick pavers on the road. In the park which houses the market area, a small picnic area and benches where recently implemented.
The ANT diagram takes a look at the urban dynamics that shaped the environment as one sees it today. The history of the Kerrytown neighborhood has a large impact on how the block has developed into the rich urban environment. From being one of two neighborhoods African Americans could live in due to redlining, the threat of a road bypass cutting through the undesirable neighborhood and being a lumber yard and slaughterhouse. It is interesting to see how much the neighborhood has changed today into a desirable rich urban environment, and the gentrification of the locals. The neighborhood didn't change overnight it took years for this transformation to happen. The local investment from the community into the neighborhood and the proximity to downtown have all raised the value. The social environment between the bars restaurants shops and cafes and a world-famous deli have put the neighborhood on the map. The farmers market on a given summer Saturday brings in 13,000 people before Covid. The transportation system has bus routes through the neighborhood there's access to bike lanes sidewalks and is located within walking distance to the train station and blocks away from downtown. It is also within walking distance to the Huron river and the park systems. All of these things have made the neighborhood what it is today and have turned it into one of the hottest neighborhoods in the city, causing property values to skyrocket.
The image shows an alternative possibility for the Market, with green roofs, solar panels, living green walls, native plants for the median, a covered bus stop with a bike rake. The concept for the design came from seeing all the non-permeable surface adding to a flood zone area. The plants would allow for some of that rain water to slowly filter through, and have the added benefit of helping the bees and the butterflies. Because the market is seldom used at night, a good use of the space would be to have nightly food trucks or pop-up bars. The Market sign was added because the currant sign lacks street appeal. The people population the space are all adults and represent the diversity of the neighborhood. The city recently invested in the park and there are plans for a new market, this design takes it a step further towards a green environment.