Allegro

ENBE | Final Project | Part A – Report | The Better Livable Town Representation

Better Livable Town

SONIA MANCXIA BALAGURU | 0317751| FNBE APR 2014

SONIA MANCXIA | 0317751 | MR LEE CHERNG YIH | FNBE APR 2014 | Taylor’s University1


Content:

1. Introduction2. A Town - Investigation on Better Township or Town or City

Guidelines and Issues 3. Investigation & Data Collection: Ancient and old cities/town 4. Investigation & Data Collection: The present towns5. Investigation & Data Collection: The future and better township 6. The New “X” Town – ALLEGRO

- Overview- Master Plan- Views and Cross- Sections - Zoning- Topography and Green Spaces- Transportation- Green Services- Green Plan - Green Implementation- Water Supply- Perspective Sketches

7. The Conclusion 8. References list



1. Introduction

Every town will need to sustain itself. Just like any living creature, a town is unique and very alive. It grows, it populates and it needs the basic requirements as for a city.

Every town is different whether it is the aim or structure. But to plan for a better and livable town, one must first understand the problems faced by the past and present town. This is to make an improvement for the present people and the future generations. The town should focus on the needs of people, facilities, infrastructures and how it can possibly sustain itself in the future. As a town grows, overcrowding becomes a serious problem. It affects the inhabitants and also the environment. Although a town is smaller than a city, the challenges will be the same as the city just that it is in a smaller scale.

In this project, we are supposed to understand the structure of towns and analyze the problems faced by the built environment which creates a great impact to the town itself. We are then supposed to plan our own livable town which comprises of all the elements that makes it sustainable.



2. The Town

2.1 The TOWN Definition An urban area that has a name, defined boundaries, and local government, and that is generally larger than a village and smaller than a city. It has a lower complexity compared to a city.

Types of town

Infantile towns, with no clear zoning

Juvenile towns, which have developed an area of shops

Adolescent towns, where factories have started to appear

Early mature towns, with a separate area of high-class housing

Mature towns, with defined industrial, commercial and various types

of residential area

2.2 What is the brief history The first true towns are sometimes considered large settlements where the inhabitants were no longer simply farmers of the surrounding area, but began to take on specialized occupations, and where trade, food storage and power were centralized.

2.3 What makes a town?Generally in the urban hierarchy, towns are smaller than cities but each country has its own definition of a city and an urban area. A town is usually a place with a lot of houses, but not a city. In some places, it is a kind of local government. The difference between towns and villages and hamlets are the sort of economy they have. A town is a community of people ranging from a few hundred to several thousands, although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan areas. In many areas of the world, a big village can have many more people than a small town. It is also difficult to say if a place is a town because today, some towns are becoming bigger, and in


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoning

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Residential_area

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commerce

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industry

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_class

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Factory

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retailing


some places people live in a village or near a town and work in the town.

2.4 What makes a good town?

A good town is a town which is self-sustainable and capable of fulfilling the needs of the people. A good town will also include a good jobs base that will not die off. It should have an environment that can keep the young there. Besides, it should also have a good sense of community such as decent schools and social events. A good town will provide a future for you and your kids to where they would not have a need to move away to the big city to go after a so called better life jammed into tiny apartment like a lemming. A good town should have a good layout and proper systems so that one won’t have a fear of living in a town that’s sinking into poorness.

2.5 What is a future town?

The most vital features of a future town isn't prettiness though. It is its 'survivability'. Could the future town or city survive if it was cut off for long periods from the rest of the world? A future town should be able to fulfill the needs of the people in a long run. Whether it is from the political, economic or social point of view, it should be sustainable. The environment should be taken into account as it affects the human and also the future generations. Future towns need to have green features as many present towns are getting congested and polluted.

Dereham Town Old Town Square



3. Investigation & Data Collection:Ancient Cities – Roman Paris

The case study Roman Paris is chosen as it has a water source for domestic use and for transportation which is similar to the town that is going to be proposed.

3.1 When did it start? Paris was born with the development of the villages on La Cite. Crucial architectural development stated during the reign of Philippe August in the 12th century. In the 16th century Paris was in crisis: too small for its ever-growing population, too vast for defense, too crowded for sanitation, and had a lot of congestion. Efforts were made to improve conditions by requiring sewers and latrines, as well as the banishment of polluting factories. This indicated development of some sort of organization in planning focused on -restoring the quality of life.

3.2 What type of ancient city are you concentrating on?City with the use of water source as the proposed town will be related to water. How ancient people use their major source to sustain their city till now is a part that I need to consider as my proposed town shall be sustainable.

3.3 What makes it a significant city and what are the details?It is a very complete city whereby it is well-planned. It has an aqueduct, amphitheater, theater, houses, forum, rural settlements and other more infrastructures. These infrastructures are the core of creating a livable town. Paris is also the ideal transfer point between river and road, and therefore of trade between North and South. The islets that made up the present-day Île de la Cité formed a natural ford opening to the North and the Plaine de France via the La Chapelle valley. So this is what makes it present till today but more improved. The discovery of ancient roads, the reconstruction of the boundaries of



the main Early Roman monuments and the path of certain medieval roads have all contributed to the establishment of a theoretical, strictly orthogonal town grid. The basic unit of this grid has been found everywhere in the Roman Paris.

3.4 What information or element that you can use to your better livable town?

Roman Paris is a town framed by a river which benefits the people there. Similarly, the town that will be proposed will have a lake that will bring advantages to the people. People of Roman Paris manage to use the river as a form of transportation but also preserve the natural beauty of the river till today. This will be taken into consideration when planning the better livable town as the lake should be remained untouched. Roman Paris is also part of a complete multi-level network of waterways. the large alluvial plain that spread out on both sides of the river was good land for farming. The fluctuations of the Seine made this environment unstable but very rich because it was favorable to many aspects of human habitation and trading. The early history of Paris is one of successive implantations on the banks of the Seine-the search for an active section of the river seemed to be one of the primary considerations in choosing a place to live. The proposed town will also put agriculture into consideration as the lands near the lake will be suitable for crops to grow and there is constant water supply from the lake.


Buildings built at that time.

The view of Roman Paris.


4. Investigation & Data Collection:Present Town – SIEM REAP TOWN

4.1 When did it start? History and allSiem Reap is a popular resort town with a lake called Tonle Sap. The Tonlé Sap, "Large Fresh Water River", but more commonly translated as "Great Lake") is a combined lake and river system of major importance to Cambodia. It is located about 30 minutes from Siem Reap town centre and has many attractions. Tonle Sap is a popular tourist attraction which leads it to have a large number of hotels, restaurants and businesses closely related to tourism. The Gecko Environment Center is a floating environment center located in the province of Siem Reap on the Tonle Sap Lake. The goal of the center is to promote environmental awareness among the local community as well as visitors to the great lake.[

4.2 What town are you concentrating on?A town whereby tourism is related to a lake. The main focus will be on how the lake is being used as the main character in the town. The next focus will be on the development of tourism and how it is being planned so that it relates back to the main focus, which is the lake.

4.3 What makes it a significant town and what are the details?Siem Reap Town focuses on tourism which is one of the sector that can generate economy growth for the town. It can generate income through tourism which can sustain its development. As it focuses on tourism, the businesses also benefit from it.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siem_Reap#cite_note-6


4.4 What information or element that you can use to your new town?The way Siem Reap town utilizes the lake. Tonle Sap acts as the main water source for the surrounding areas. How the water system runs is important. Besides that, as a tourist attraction spot, the landscape and environment remain untouched. It is essential as a part of conservation of nature while benefits the people.

5. Investigation & Data Collection:The future of towns and Better Towns

CASE STUDY: Many Ideas from Future Towns have been used as case studies

The supply of fresh water for example would need to be guaranteed and locally sourced. A supply of fresh water would be problematic for a town if they were cut off during a period of drought. How would a source be guaranteed? It would perhaps be necessary to source several supply routes, which would work simultaneously. Deep wells, desalination plants with large pumping stations, effective rain water harvesting or supplies from an inland fresh water source would all need to be used to keep fresh water supply secure. But two of these options would rely on regular maintenance of the supply infrastructure and therefore cannot, in isolation provide a complete solution. Reuse of water through onsite sewage treatment plants, so that the water available from rain or local reservoirs is used efficiently would perhaps be the key source. Sewerage treatment plants are the norm in any town anyway, so an adequate water sewerage treatment would be a key feature of the future town. Environmentally sustainable treatments would of course have to be employed. Water efficiency measures would also form a key part of the water use strategy.



‘Smart Town’

Town Square

Secondly the independent supply of electricity is also a major requirement. There are several ways this can be done using the buildings themselves to supply the electricity, without outsourcing the supply. The object would be the ability to cut off the building from a grid, as a matter of course. One of the key parts of any design, must be a sealable, air tight skin, which can be adjusted to counter extremes of weather conditions, which would contribute significantly to use of energy to heat and cool the



buildings. Also needed would be a natural light source, meaning that large areas of glass would be required. So glass technology would provide many of the essential features of a survivable, livable structure.

Ground source heat pumps could also be installed to provide heating and energy for the site. As the surface area of the structure would be quite large, this would be a great way to provide energy for the buildings inside and would be a constant and reliable source of heat and energy.

Also each town could have their own localized fuel cell electricity generators. However, these require an input of gases such as butane and propane to make them work, as hydrogen isn't something that is produced naturally. It is a by-product of other gases and liquids, like natural gas, so this would be something that would rely heavily on imported goods from elsewhere, meaning there is only a slim chance there would be local supplies.

6. The New “X” Town

The proposed town will have a lake. The lake will be located in the center of the town. It uses the radial grid system and it consists of two wings which are connected by a lake. The entry point of the town is from the East.

Land size: 21.5 km²Lake size: 4 km²Population: 120,000

The town is named Allegro. It is an Italian word which means lively or cheerful. It hopes that the people living there are lively and cheerful too. The lake is located in this town is named Lake Adagio. Adagio in Italian means slow. In a way, the lake should be calm and slow just like its name.As for the Lake Park, it is named Presto Park. Presto means quick in Italian. The Lake Park should have a quick and lively feel which makes the main attraction of the town lively.

THE CONCEPTSelf-sustainable smart town in an eco-friendly and comfortable living environment.


SUSTAINABLE

Reduce burden to mother Earth and maintaining the beauty of nature.

SMART

Combining lifestyle wisdom and knowledge of advanced technology

Latest IT solutions

Optimize energy usage


Landscape and Design criteria : 1. Nature conservation 2. Relaxed Street Landscape

3. Public Spaces 4. Universal Design 5. Saves Energy

AIM: To provide a green and sustainable town with a lake as a tourist attraction which will benefit the present and future generation.

The town focuses on tourism. It is the main source of economy as tourism is known as the world’s largest industry.

For this proposed town, the main center of tourism will be at the 2nd wing which is nearer to the lake. Resorts and tourist attractions are located at the lakeside. The tourists will get a better view of the lake from their resorts and it is easily accessible by them. The lake park which is known as Presto Park is a recreational place whereby people can go there for evening walks and to see the natural beauty of the park.



Based on the illustration above, there is only one entry point into the Presto Park. To prevent congestion, there are only small lanes for cars to travel, not mentioning the bicycle lanes that are constructed all over the Presto Park for easy access. Only half of the park is developed while the other half remains untouched.

THE MASTER PLANThis is the master plan of the town. In it, the municipal boundary, the main entrance ( The Great Door) the main roads and lanes, the green areas and the average height of the buildings.



VIEWS AND CROSS SECTIONThe views above ground and cross-section of the town is illustrated as below. It is mainly surrounded with greenery. The cross- section also shows the topology of the town.


MAIN ENTRANCE

MAIN ROAD

LANES

FURTHER DEVELOPMENT

MUNICIPAL BOUNDARY


ZONINGThe town is divided into 6 zones. The zones are placed in a way which benefits the people as it is easily access by them.

The commercial area is stretch from the town center district which is located at the entry point till around half of the circle. This is will make it easier for the people as they can run errands more efficiently. In that way, they burn less fuel.



There are also commercial areas that are distributed near the residential area so that people don’t need to congest the town center. In addition, the education, health and services area will also be situated in this zone. In the town center district, there will be town hall, municipal buildings, post office, court house, public library, social security office, general hospital, fire department and other services.

The residential area is divided into 3 sections; upper class residential, middle class residential and lower class residential. They are distributed throughout the town. The upper class residences are located in the inner circle, closer to the lake so that they’ll get a better view. The lower class residences are located near the services and industry as most people work in these fields. It will be easier for them to go to work. As for the middle class, they are mostly located near the town center district. Between parts of residential areas, there will be community areas for residents to gather.

In this proposed town, only light industry is available as the town should be less polluted. Light industry is located far away from the residences.

Public spaces are essential for a sustainable town. There is a central park located just across the street of the town center district. There are a few pocket parks scattered around the town. These places are where people can be closer to nature as most of the parks are natural parks that are preserved since back then. As a town that focuses on tourism, it has a lake park situated at the heart of the town.

The services in the town are mostly located far away from the city center or closer to ends of the town. The water treatment plant is located by the lakeside as it needs to process water from the lake. The solar energy generator is situated at the west side of the town as it will get sufficient sunlight throughout the day. As for the agriculture, the agricultural farm acts as the main food source for the town.

Tourism is the theme for the town as it emphasizes on the lake. Many tourist resorts and attraction areas are set up around the lakeside.

There will be forest reserves and greenery at the north and south side of the town. Here, the land remains untouched.



Zoning illustrated in diagram for

LEGEND



COMMERCIAL TCD Town Center DistrictCBD Central Business DistrictGC General CommercialEDU Educational AreaHS Health and Services

RESIDENTIALUR Upper Class Residential MR Middle Class Residential LR Lower Class Residential

INDUSTRYLT Light Industry

PUBLIC SPACESPA Park/ Recreational AreasLP Lake Park

SERVICESWT Water Treatment PlantRP Recycling PlantSL Solar Energy Generating PlantWD Wind Energy generating PlantBM Biomass Energy Generating PlantAG Agriculture

TOURISMTR Tourist ResortTA Tourist Attraction Areas

FR Forest Reserves and Greenery

TOPOGRAPHY AND GREEN SPACEThe town is not built on a piece of flat land but rather a curvy contour. The northern and southern region of the town will be lower and as it extends to the town center it gradually increases with height. The height drops again when approaching the inner C curve. The topography is illustrated as below whereby



the darker shades of green represent lower grounds compared to the lighter shades of green. The brown patches are bare ground. The green spaces are distributed throughout the town. In some places, a linear park is formed. Some parts even connects the parks together. Green space provides recreational areas for residents and helps to enhance the beauty and environmental quality of neighborhoods.

Distribution of green spaces and the topography of town.

TRANSPORTATIONThere are both underground and above ground systems in the town. There will be two tunnels, Uno Tunnel and Duo tunnel running underground. Uno Tunnel – Only for cars to travel. It links part of the central town area to



reduce road congestion. It has two layers, each layer is for only

direction.Duo Tunnel – Consists of both railway and bus. The bus will travel on the

top layer whereas the railway is at the lower layer. This system

linksthe whole town. The distance between stations of the bus will

be approximately 500m so that passengers can get off to nearer places after taking the railway. The distance between the railway stations are approximately 800m. The railway will be

run using the wind energy that is generated.

Both tunnels are covered with casings of steel and concrete. The structure and technology used also meet quake resistant norms.



UNO TUNNEL

DUO TUNNEL

As for the road system above ground, it is planned in a way that will reduce the risk of accidents and congestion. It is also believed that traffic jams will decrease


The cross-sectional view of the two underground tunnels.


and also for a more efficient traffic flow. The diagram below shows the sectional plan of the road distribution. It is divided into 5 sections for different uses.

THE ROAD DISTRIBUTION

GREEN SERVICES Green services in my town are solar, wind and biomass energy generating plants. These three types of energy generators are located at the west region of the town. These ways act as an alternative for using energy. Besides all of



these, there is also a recycling plant to remove part of the wastes. All of these features serve the same purpose which is to maintain the cleanliness of the environment.


Solar energy plant is act as the major source of energy supply. This is due to the tropical climate in Malaysia which has sufficient sunlight throughout the year. The energy generated by the solar energy plant will be used for the commercial area as it requires more energy during daytime. The plant is located at the west side of the town as it will receive more sunlight throughout the day.



The wind energy generator is another form of energy supply to the town. The energy generated by the wind turbines will be used for the street lamps throughout the town and also for the underground trains.


The energy produced by the 3 generators will be sent to most of the households and also the commercial area.


Biomass energy is generated by the wastes of the consumers. These waste are generated into energy instead of being dumped at the dumping ground which will pollute the environment. After the process of decomposition and combustion, the waste is converted into energy which will supply to the lower class residential as a way to cut down their electricity bills.


THE GREEN PLAN A sustainable way of living. A green plan is the plan where the green systems are applied into the town for its sustainability. It is seen has a sustainable approach for the town. There are many green features that will be implemented in this proposed town.

Rooftop Garden/ Green Roofs

Daylighting


All the recyclable materials from the entire town will be collected and gathered to be transported to the recycling plant. Here, it will be distributed accordingly to the type of materials. The recycling process will begin. A new product will be formed and to be sold in the Material Shop (shop that sells new recyclable products).

A roof garden is any garden on the roof of a building. Besides the decorative benefit, roof plantings may provide food, temperature control, hydrological benefits, architectural enhancement, habitats or corridors for wildlife, and recreational opportunities. Roof gardens are most often found in urban environments. Plants have the ability to reduce the overall heat absorption of the building which then reduces energy consumption.

Daylighting is the practice of placing windows or other openings and reflective surfaces so that during the day natural light provides effective internal lighting. Daylighting saves energy. The mix of top lighting and side lighting, light shelves, high reflectance ceilings to provide fairly uniform deep-plan daylighting without glare of sunlight.


Solar Thermal Panels


Solar water heating systems use solar panels, called collectors, fitted to your roof. These collect heat from the sun and use it to heat up water which is stored in a hot water cylinder. A boiler or immersion heater can be used as a back up to heat the water further to reach the ideal temperature. Malaysia has hot water throughout the year so the system works all year round. As sunlight is free, so once the initial installation is paid, the hot water costs will be reduced. It will also cut down carbon footprint as solar hot water is a green, renewable heating system which can reduce carbon dioxide emissions.


Rainwater Harvesting

Self- Cleaning Walls


Rainwater harvesting is the accumulation and deposition of rainwater for reuse before it reaches the aquifer. Rainwater harvesting provides an independent water supply during regional water restrictions and may be used to supplement the main supply. It provides water when there is a drought, can help mitigate flooding of low-lying areas, and reduces demand on wells which may enable ground water levels to be sustained. It also helps in the availability of potable water as rainwater is substantially free of salinity and other salts.

The key to these self-cleaning surfaces are photocatalysts, substances that mediate chemical reactions and are activated by light energy. When organic matter comes into contact with a photocatalyst, it is oxidized at an increased rate and decomposes into water and carbon dioxide. This property enables photocatalyst-coated walls and windows to break down any organic dirt that sticks to them.


GREEN IMPLEMENTATIONS

Rooftop gardens are to be planted by most of the commercial blocks as they are situated in the town center district where the carbon emissions are high.

Daylighting is implemented by the municipal buildings and offices that work during the day. In this period of time, there won’t be any usage of electricity for lights in the building.

Solar thermal panels are to be installed to all of the households. This is because based on analyses, domestic use of hot water is high. This will lead to a great positive impact if the energy is not needed to heat up the water.

Rainwater collected will be used to water the plants on the rooftop gardens and also plants along the road. Excessive water will be used to water the agricultural area.

The walls are painted with self-cleaning paint. With this technology, the maintenance cost will be low as there will not be any human intervention. This photo-catalysis technology enables dirt to be decomposed and washed away by the rain.



WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMWater supply is essential for a town to sustain. Proper water supply is needed so that there is constant water supply to the people. The main water source of the proposed town will be from the lake itself. The water treatment system and sewage treatment system come hand in hand. So it is wise to have a planned out system.

The diagram above show the water supply system. Water is taken in through pipes to the water purification plant. Here, many processes of filtration takes place till the water is changed into potable water (clean water for drinking ). Then it is then transported out to the entire town via the underground pipes. The used water is then transported back to the sewage treatment plant and to be treated till clean before it is transported back to the lake. This is the cycle of the water supply.



The Distribution of Water Supply

The distribution of water supply is divided into 7 zones. The distribution of water supply is via the underground pipes. The green pipe indicates the distribution of clean water from the filtration plant. The orange section is where the filtration take place. The red pipe indicates the flow of used water back to the filtration plant The used water is processed and being filtered back to the lake.



Underground piping system. Sewage

This illustration shows how the sewage system works in individual blocks.



This is how it looks underground with two piping systems.

Graywater

Defined as wastewater generated from wash hand basins, showers and baths, which can be recycled on-site for uses such as WC flushing, landscape irrigation and constructed wetlands. Graywater often includes discharge from laundry, dishwashers and kitchen sinks. It differs from the discharge of WCs which is designated sewage or blackwater to indicate it contains human waste.

Graywater, as the name implies, is something in between white water and black water. By most domestic definitions, gray water is tap water soiled by use in washing machines, tubs, showers and bathroom sinks. It's not sanitary, but it's also not toxic and generally disease free. Gray water reclamation is the process by which households make use of gray water's potential instead of simply piping it into overburdened sewage systems with all the black water.

+

This is an overview of how the graywater system will look like in the proposed town. The graywater, once processed, will be used to water the food crops.



View of Allegro from the entry point.

View of Lake from the Southern Region.



7. Conclusion

Throughout this project, many researches and investigations were carried out to analyze the ancient, present and future towns and also to identify the problems facing in each case study. It is best to learn from what others have done well in their township planning and to know how to rectify the problems faced.

Upon producing this proposal, a lot of understanding and thinking have been done. To propose a better livable town for the people, the planning of urban structure, the transport systems and water supply systems are taken into consideration. In addition, many green approaches were implemented in this town as to make sure that it is sustainable and eco-friendly. The aim of the town is to make sure that everyone including the environment benefits from the planning of it.



8. Reference Links1. Mairie de Paris (N.D)Paris, a Roman city. Available at:

http://www.paris.culture.fr/en/ (Accessed: 13 July 2014).2. Siem Reap, Cambodia (N.D)Gateway to Angkor Wat. Available

at http://www.siemreapcambodia.org/ (Accessed: 13 July 2014).

3. NPR (2014)Tonle Sap: The Flowing Heart of Cambodia. Available at:http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5039980 (Accesed: 13 July 2014)

4. Nextera Energy Resources (2014) Solar - How Solar Plants Work. Available at: http://www.nexteraenergyresources.com/what/solar_works.shtml (Accesed: 13 July 2014)

5. Wind Energy Development Programmatic EIS Information Center (2014)Wind Energy Basics. Available at: http://windeis.anl.gov/guide/basics/ (Accesed: 13 July 2014)

6. Louise Lundberg Scandinavian Green Roof Institute (2009). The benefits of Rooftop Gardens. Retrieved July 13, 2014.

7. Trends In Japan (2014) Self- Cleaning walls and windows. Available at:


http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5039980

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5039980


http://web-japan.org/trends/08_sci-tech/sci090116.html (Accesed: 13 July 2014)


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