“Up YoUr AlleY”bY

Christopher lAwrenCe post

thesis Advisor

GAbriel diAz MonteMAYor

ArizonA stAte UniversitY

MAY 2009

AbstrACt

AbstrACt pAGe | i

re: AMeriCAn dreAM bY roGer sherMAn

ACknowledGeMents

this thesis CoUld not hAve been possible withoUt the sUpport And help froM A nUMber of people. first, i’d like to thAnk professor renAtA hejdUk, phd for enCoUr-AGinG Me to follow MY desiGn interests with MY desiGn ethiCs in Mind. to GAbriel diAz MonteMAYor, MY thesis Advisor, thAnk YoU for open Minded And enCoUrAGinG throUGhoUt the whole proCess. YoUr CritiCisM wAs AlwAYs iMpeCCAble, CleAr, And ConCise whiCh i treMendoUslY vAlUed At the tiMe And will forever be in YoUr debt. to ClAYton terAo, thAnk YoU for AlwAYs beinG there As A friend And desiGn peer who i CoUld CoUnt on to boUnCe An ideA off At AnY Given MoMent. to MY eMploYer, ArizonA stAte UniversitY GroUnds depArtMent, i wAnt to sinCerelY thAnk YoU for GivinG Me the opportUnitY to work while AttendinG GrAdUAte sChool. YoUr sUpport wAs less like An eMploYer And More like A teAM MeMber. thAnk YoU.

to lili AnGel, MY lovinG Girlfriend, thAnk YoU for beinG MY foUndAtion throUGh-oUt the GrAdUAte sChool experienCe. it wAs An Uphill CliMb for both of Us And i believe oUr perspeCtives hAve Also been elevAted throUGh this proCess.

finAllY, to MY lovinG fAther, ChAlMer r. post, MY ACAdeMiC sUCCess is A direCt resUlt of YoUr dediCAtion to Me And YoUr sACrifiCe. i vAlUe YoUr CoMMitMent to Me, MY fU-tUre, And MY edUCAtion As one of the sinGle GreAtest Gifts thAt YoU hAve ever Given Me. i’d like to dediCAte this thesis to MY fAther, the GreAtest MAn i’ve ever known.

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tAble of Contents

thesis stAteMent........................................................................................................p_12010.............................................................................................................................p_272020.............................................................................................................................p_362030.............................................................................................................................p_42phAsinG........................................................................................................................p_47Model..........................................................................................................................p_51ConClUsion................................................................................................................p_53

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1 | pAGe stUdY AlleY iMAGe

“What is the potential for residential alleys to serve as armatures in creat-ing new infill developments?” The major focus of this question has been the spatial feasibility for infill residential developments in the suburban or inner city suburban fabric of Tempe, Arizona. This thesis proposes the alley as an important urban typology for the city of Tempe and as a place that has the potential to create density, development, and civic life without the eradication of existing dwellings. These neighborhoods are charac-teristically perceived as urbanistically outdated. In many cases, they have met the limits of their design purpose in regards to contemporary housing needs, but have not completed a typical housing lifecycle.

thesis stAteMent

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This large and aging (sub)urban fabric does not embrace the contemporary culture. The high land value and aging housing is detouring buyer from these suburban neigh-borhoods. This abandonment of the inner city neighborhood is usually enacted without consideration of its proximity to cultural amenities, identity, and history.

I’m proposing a substitution to the conventional waiting game in which the suburban system traditionally expires and requires replacement.

3 | pAGe thesis stAteMent

thesis stAteMent_historiCAl developMent of teMpe, ArizonA pAGe | 4

Unexpected consequence of policy; R1-6thesis stAteMent

5 | pAGe r1-6 developMent (CUrrent Additions, 45% bUildoUt, sUbdivided propertY w/ CUrrent setbACks)

thesis stAteMent_existinG UrbAn fAbriC, lAndloCked CitY pAGe | 6

7 | pAGe thesis stAteMent_existinG UrbAn fAbriC, lAndloCked CitY

thesis stAteMent_existinG UrbAn fAbriC, lAndloCked CitY pAGe | 8

9 | pAGe thesis stAteMent_existinG UrbAn fAbriC, 180 lineAr Miles of AlleYs

thesis stAteMent_existinG UrbAn fAbriC, 180 lineAr Miles of AlleYs pAGe | 10

11 | pAGe thesis stAteMent_ UrbAn fAbriC, existinG residentiAl densitY

thesis stAteMent_UrbAn fAbriC, proposed residentiAl densitY pAGe | 12

13 | pAGe thesis stAteMent_Social and economic make-up of contemporary culture in regards to housing

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15 | pAGe Thesis Statement_The nuances of the thesis study (alley) block

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17 | pAGe Thesis Statement_The nuances of the thesis study (alley) block

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19 | pAGe Thesis Statement_The nuances of the thesis study (alley) block

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sUbUrbAn trAnsforMAtions bY pAUl lUkez

21 | pAGe thesis stAteMent_ The theoretical analogy of palimpsest operations (erasures, readings, writings)

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23 | pAGe thesis stAteMent_The experimental architecture and typological responds to enhance the identity of existing neighborhoods.

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This thesis is seen as a preemptive strike and is aimed to repel and defeat the perceived build-out capacity and entropy of the existing neighborhoods. This approach is an oppor-tunity for Tempe as a landlocked city to adapt and embrace: the existing urban fabric, the existing demographic, and the foreseen demographic re-composition.

25 | pAGe thesis stAteMent_preeMptive strike

Tempe is currently engaged in traditional modes for developing residential density. The 2030 general plan proposes residential densities primarily around:• Downtown Tempe• Tempe Town Lake• Arterial roads/corridors

These traditional modes of development fail to address alternative infill and creative investigations in large portion of Tempe’s suburban residential fabric. We can gain strate-gic advantage in the future by pursuing development that will have profound beneficial effects on the social and economic life of the cities residence. It’s imperative that we attempt to respond to our large suburban fabric and strategically look at it in an oppor-tunistic fashion that negates negative connotations.

This urban intervention is presented through:• The layering of contextual research• Quantitative Information and • An architectural responds upon a study (alley) block that represents the existing and proposed demographic re-composition.

thesis stAteMent, teMpe developMent pAGe | 26

bill tiMMerMAn photoGrAphY

27 | pAGe 2010 CAtAlYst proposAl

2010 CAtAlYst proposAl

1 rUle wAs broke to Allow for the CAtAlYst projeCt to hAppen. the rUle thAt wAs broke wAs the ChAnGe of the r1-6 residentiAl zoninG to ACCoMModAte A plAnned AreA developMent overlAY distriCt or r1-pAd. the pUrpose of this overlAY is to ACCoMModAte A hiGher densitY bY ChAnGinG the residentiAl zoninG to A MUlti-fAMilY zoninG.

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2010

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2010

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2010

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2020 proposAl

2 More rUles where broken to Allow for the new developMents to eMerGe. the first rUle thAt wAs broke wAs to Allow the plAnned AreA developMent overlAY distriCt to AdjUst the setbACk reqUireMents to zero lot lines on the sides of the propertY. the seCond rUle thAt wAs broke wAs to rezone the privAte lAnd for pUbliC Use. in this CAse An eMptY pool AdjACent to the AlleY is beinG trAnsforMed into A pUbliC pool And A pArCel bACkYArd in the Middle of the AlleY is Allowed to expAnd the pUbliC spACe in the Middle of the bloCk And provide A GAtherinG/soCiAl spACe. these Are two keY AlleY AMenities thAt will pUsh the “Up YoUr AlleY” into the next deCAde.

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2020

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2020

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2030 proposAl

3 More rUles where broken to Allow for the new developMents to eMerGe. the first rUle thAt wAs broke wAs to Allow the Mixed-Use plAnned AreA developMent overlAY distriCt to Allow for More thAn A sinGle proGrAM of residentiAl to inhAbit the neiGhborhood. the seCond rUle thAt wAs broke wAs to Allow the sAle of the pUbliC Air riGhts to fACilitAte developMent. in this CAse lAnd vAlUes Are verY hiGh And the less lAnd on needs to ACqUire the better qUAlitY of hoMe the individUAl CAn Afford. the sAle of Air riGhts over the AlleY Allow for A new CitY revenUe GenerAtor And A new “overlAY” tYpeoloGY to eMerGe. in Ad-dition to the new tYpoloGY And lAnd vAlUe the 45% MAxiMUM footprint will be open to interpretAtion bY develops throUGh the r1-pAd And the Mixed-Use pAd

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43 | pAGe 2030 proposAl

2030

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2030

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2009 2010

47 | pAGe phAsinG proposAl

2020 2030

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2009 2010

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2020 2030

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51 | pAGe Models

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The conclusion finds that the urban alley is a rich site for investigation and its develop-ment will have a catalytic effect on the inner city neighborhoods of Tempe, Arizona.

53 | pAGe Proposed densitY / ConClUsion

proposed residentiAl shell lifeCYCle renovAtion/developMent inflUenCe pAGe | 54