Week 8 Urban From – Existing Grid Layout and the Pedestrian

As a result of Adelaide and Elizabeth Street closures to traffic, the focus of how cities could be rearranged is shifted to the needs of the pedestrian. Is the ridged grid system required or would a less ridged more free flowing pattern be more suitable? As this project is focused on a single architectural entity I'm not going to pursue any drastic large scale rearrangement, however consider the pedestrian movement at a localised scale within my site considering connectivity to Burnett lane and Adelaide Street, enabling cross block access. This is an important area to consider as the ground level of the proposal should consider the broader community than just the buildings resident users. 

This image looks at the existing 2012 transportation alternatives.  It also shows the ridged grid layout of Brisbane CBD.  Looking at the city at this scale highlights the traffic orientated block arrangement. The blue arrows indicate existing thoroughfares put in place to detour traffic from congesting the CBD.  It is envisaged that around the proposed site car free pedestrian streets are implemented and functional in 2030. It also makes a prediction that around 2050 the entire CBD may be car free, excluding public transportation. This entire area would become pedestrian orientated. So what of the large blocks and buildings dictating urban form?

The following diagram looks at the proposed site for 2030 and indicates the possibility allowing pedestrian movement through the site. The existing cross block pedestrian thoroughfare from Queen street through Queen Adelaide Building through to Adelaide Street.  This has allowed for commercial operators to active Burnett Lane via activation spaces at the central junction.  These examples of urbanization are pedestrian orientated in scale. The diagram also makes a prediction that as the area becomes less traffic orientated greater pedestrian cross block movement may be considered in new development. This idea also borrows from the precedent of the historical existing building on site.  It was one of the first buildings to spread the retail zone from Queen street to Adelaide, see earlier post about historical background “Week 7 Architectural Entity”.