ERASMUS INTENSIVE PROGRAMME

Bologna, March 2014

Spatial planning and housing policies creating community living spaces

Uta Hennig Rene Koolen Jake Murphy Tams Pnzes Lucrezia Poli Lora Tremblay Word Count: 3801

Contents

1.0. Introduction 2.0. Site analysis 2.1. Location constraints 2.2. Accessibility 2.3. Public Buildings 2.4. The site 3.0. Planning Policy 3.1. PUV 3.2. PSC 3.3. RUE 4.0. SWOT Analysis 5.0. Criteria for Sustainable development 5.1. Triple bottom line theory 5.2. Criteria for Caserma Masini 5.3. Spectrum appraisal 6.0. Action plan 6.1. Vision 6.2. Social mix 6.3. Facilities and Transport 6.4. Sustainability 6.5. Start up businesses 6.6. Development Steps 6.7. Master plan 6.8. Spectrum Appraisal 7.0. Conclusion 8.0. References 9.0. Appendices 9.1. Appendix 1 9.2. Appendix 2 9.3. Appendix 3

Page 3 Page 3 Page 3 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 5 Page 5 Page 6 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 11 Page 11 Page 11 Page 12 Page 12 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 16 Page 16 Page 17

1.0.

Introduction

Working in a team consisting of six international students, this collaborating report highlights the spatial strategy for the redevelopment of Caserma Masini, a 7526m site in the historical centre of Bologna. The site poses many difficulties and constraints but given its city centre location it is ideal for redevelopment. Bologna is a large city in Northern Italy with a population of 384,502 (iperbole, 2014). The city has a shortage of housing and the development of brown field sites is important to keep up with demand. One of the more important issues regarding housing that is recognised in the city is the grey area. This is a category of people who cannot afford to pay market prices for properties typically due to job loss or the rise in the cost of living. However, most of these people do not qualify for public housing which is only available for people on very low incomes. The solution is social housing which is temporary low cost housing (up to 18 months) which can help people with a home until they find something permanent. The development of Caserma Masini will aim to provide some social housing to contribute to solving this problem. The first part of this report consists of an overall site analysis, SWOT analysis and a policy evaluation for Caserma Masini. Following this an action plan for the site that gives details of the proposal including housing, facilities and services being provided on the site.

2.0.

Site Analysis

The following is an analysis of Caserma Masini and the near vicinity. The site analysis looks at infrastructure, accessibility and issues relating directly to the site. This will enable a thorough understanding of the problems that need addressing in the proposal, as well as the strengths that can be built on.

2.1.

Location constraints

Figure 1.0. Map showing location of Caserma Masini in Bologna

The site of Caserma Masini is located in the south-east part of the historic centre of Bologna, located between Orfeo Street in the South, Borgolocchi Street in the West and Santo Stefano Street in the North (see figure 1.0). The site covers an area of approximately 7,526 m.

2.2.

Accessibility

Giovanni Gozzadini Road is the ring road close to the site; it is also very close to the city centre which generates a lot of congestion. Concerning roads inside of the city centre, the traffic is limited due to certain restrictions. Access is only 3

allowed for residents to limit pollution and traffic inside of the city centre. We can also mention that in the city centre streets are narrower, meaning many of them are one-way roads instead of two-way roads. The site is reachable by two roads from the city centre, Orfeo Street in the South and Santo Stefano in the North. However, the only existing entrance to the site is located in the Orfeo Street. Santo Stefano Street is a very important way for the city centre because it is one of few two-way-streets. One way is just for buss and bikes, whereas the other way is for all traffic (see map figure 2.0).
Figure 2.0. Map showing local streets

There are few parking areas, the biggest one is located in the south eastern part from our site and consists of around 70 parking spaces. There are a few parking spots along Santo Stefano Street (approximately 30) and some other spots in Porta Santo Stefano (approximately 20). All the parking spots are free for residents, but everyone else has to pay for parking. The site is accessible by the bus lines 90, 96, 13 and 11. There are two bus stops in Santo Stefano Street which are in close proximity to the site. There are some parts of cycle paths around the area, in the Santo Stefano Street the cycle path is shared with the bus lane. In the East, there is a cycle path in the middle of the Giosue Carducci Street. In the South, there is also a cycle path joining M. Meliconi Street that passes through the Margherita Park. The area around the site is also well suited for pedestrians. Baraccano Street is completely pedestrianised and is located to the east of our site. All the other streets are open to traffic and have pavements for pedestrians except for Butteri Street which does not have any pavements.

2.3.

Public buildings

The district of Santo Stefano is mainly residential. In the larger streets (Santo Stefano Street, Dante Street) the buildings have mainly two functions. On the ground floor there are tertiary activities, and on the upper floors there are private residential apartments. There is very good green infrastructure in the vicinity of the site. The largest park in central Bologna; The Margherita Gardens is just south of the site. There is also the Santa Teresa Garden just to the East side of our site. There is a space for cultural activities on Fondazza Street which is just one block away from the site. There is also the Galvani High School in Castiglione Street which is located to the west is just ten minutes away from our site by foot.

Figure 3.0 shows the local facilities around the site such as green infrastructure, restaurants, schools and cultural facilities around the site.
Figure 3.0. Land Use surrounding Caserma Masini

2.4.

The Site

Due to the sites location in the historic city centre there is a high density of buildings surrounded by narrow streets. Most of the buildings in Santo Stefano district are of a historical status, so they are subjected to strict regulations. This ensures they are not tampered with; in particular the facade of these buildings cannot be altered in any way. The site has services such as electricity and water supply, as well as connection to the sewage network which is very beneficial when developing the site. Caserma Masini is occupied illegally by a group named L-bas. They occupied the site in November 2012 and do not pay any rent or utilities. However, because of the beneficial work they are doing the private owner Cassa Depositi e Prestiti and municipality has allowed them to continue to operate on the site. The site is now open to the public only on Wednesdays because L-bas hosts a biological market which is quite popular in the neighbourhood. They also run a kindergarden and a few allotments in which people from the outside can grow their vegetables.

3.0.

Planning Policy

There are three urban plans that have influence over how the site can be developed; the PUV, PSC and RUE. Under the title of each plan we have recognised which policies will affect development of the site. In this section we also perform a spectrum appraisal for the development to see how sustainable the site is for development.

3.1.

PUV

The PUV gives details on specific areas to be developed. The PUV detailing Caserma Masini has given the following requirements to its redevelopment: 1. 1000m of space for very young children required. (Can be split into different uses.) 2. Underground private parking lot required for residents, a maximum of 40 spaces. 3. Any asbestos on the site needs to be removed expensive.

3.2.

PSC

The PSC identifies the territory structure and development trends. It also portrays special protection, enhancement and transformation measures for a certain territory (Tondelli, 2014). The following policy directly applies to the site: 1. Social housing: Required to be 19% on all new developments (next urban plan will increase this to 20%).

3.3.

RUE

The RUE depicts urban planning rules and building regulations in Bologna (Tondelli, 2014). From this document the following policies applied to developing Caserma Masini: 1. Historic buildings: Fascia of building must remain the same; only internally can it be altered. 2. Porticoes: These have to remain as they have historic importance. 3. Uses for site: Housing for temporary use, private housing, educational facilities, convents, storage buildings, waste disposal centre, offices, small tertiary activities, local food stores, car garage, hotels, hostels, student dorms and cultural space. The policies mentioned above will restrict what can be developed on the site and will be taken into account when developing the proposal and master plan. These have also been applied in the SWOT analysis.

4.0.

SWOT analysis

The following table depicts a SWOT analysis of Caserma Masini. It shows the strengths and the weaknesses as well as the opportunities and the threats around the site. It also includes the policies and initiatives in the surrounding area. The highlighted areas are the points that are considered to be of a higher importance.
Table 1.0. SWOT analysis

5.0.

Criteria for sustainable development

To create a sustainable development there are certain criteria that should be addressed. The following are general criteria that can be applied to most developments. The criteria have been placed into The Triple Bottom Line theory (The Economist, 2009). This divides the criteria into social, economic and environmental sectors but shows any overlapping features between them. This list is not exhaustive and there are many other factors to consider. The diagram highlights that all the three sections should be considered to ensure the development is truly sustainable.

5.1.

Triple bottom line

Providing office or industrial space will bring businesses to the area which will stimulate the economy. The simple effect of providing more housing will increase the population and economic activity in that district also.

The building of the development will provide jobs in itself, however incorporating other job opportunities through facilities such as cafs, bars and shops will provide jobs. The provision of office and industrial will also apply to this. This will be beneficial to the community also.

ECONOMIC

SOCIAL

Social diversity can be obtained through providing a variety of housing size and tenure. Social interaction and cohesion in a community will be improved. Also providing community facilities such as common spaces and events such as markets and exhibitions will also contribute to this.

Increase economic activity

Increase job opportunities

Create social diversity

Efficient use of resources Efficient use of resources reduces costs and waste contributing to more sustainable development.

Bio diversity

Reduce consumption of fossil fuels Reduce waste

Biodiversity in an area is important for wildlife and improving aesthetics of an area. Green infrastructure is the main requirement for this.

Renewable energy sources could be incorporated through photovoltaic cells or wind turbines on the site. Improving public transport links would reduce car usage also. Furthermore, by building the development in a more efficient way will reduce electricity and energy consumption.

ENVIRONMENTAL
Constructing out of ethically sourced and high quality, lasting materials will reduce waste of materials. High insulated buildings will further reduce wasteful consumption of energy. Using recycled materials is also beneficial. On site, making sure recycling facilities are nearby will reduce waste going to landfill.

5.2.

Criteria for Caserma Masini

The following shows how each point in the SWOT analysis will be addressed. The limitations show the areas that are difficult or not possible to address. Weaknesses: Currently there is only one access point on the site, to make sure the site will be accessible to everybody, there is going to be a second access point. There is very limited parking in the area around the site, that problem will be tackled by building an underground car park. Because there is very little social diversity in the existing neighborhood, there will be room for student housing and social housing, as well as private housing. Because some of the buildings on the site are historic and therefore protected, there are limitations regarding the adaptation of those buildings. Therefore the design was formed around the existing historical buildings. There is a chance that some of the buildings that are going to be demolished contain asbestos. This is something that has to be taken into consideration when defining the temporal phases of application. Threats: The Caserma Masini site has already been built on; this means that the existing buildings are going to be a part of the redevelopment. The Caserma Masini is at this moment occupied illegally. To make sure that these occupiers are not going to cause problems while developing the site, it could be helpful to communicate with them. The residents of the existing area may have resilience towards social housing in their area; therefore the re-development is going to be positively promoted in the neighbourhood. Strengths: This area is located close to the city centre and the university. There are a couple of cycle paths as well as a pedestrian path around it so the accessibility is good as well. Therefore a percentage of the housing is going to be for students. There are two main roads like the ring road and several bus stations around this it. The good connectivity and accessibility around this area makes this site open for everyone in Bologna, so there are going to be facilities that can be used by the whole area. The largest park in the central Bologna (Margherita Park) is just a five minute walk away. Even right next to this area is a small park. Therefore, there are not going to be a lot of sport or green facilities on the site. Opportunities: The Caserma Masini site has already been built on; therefore most of the existent buildings as well as the courtyard are going to be reused for different purposes. 9

Because the site is south-facing, there is a great opportunity to use non-conventional energy sources. Because of the presence of the occupiers, a sense of community involvement already exists, which can be expanded into a more permanent community. The municipality gives a lot of freedom regarding the use of the place, so there is going to be place for several different activities such as a school, markets, offices and housing.

Limitations The site is surrounded by traffic and some of the nearest streets are very narrow. This is a limitation, because this is not a desiring aspect of a livable and social community. This problem is not addressed, because this project is limited to the borders of the Caserma Masini site.

5.3.

Spectrum Appraisal

The spectrum appraisal is a tool used to measure the sustainability of a site. The tool can be used to assess a project before and after completion to see how much more sustainable the development has become. The criterion is measured with a colour coded system from red (unacceptable) to dark green (extremely satisfied). The criteria used are adapted to suit Caserma Masini and Bologna, figure 4.0 shows a spectrum appraisal before development has occurred.

Figure 4.0 Spectrum Appraisal of Caserma Masini before development

Spectrum Appraisal Economic Job opportunities Affordability Environmental Green Spaces Renewable energy Land use & movement Biodiversity Air & noise pollution Car Usage Social Variety of services and facilities Mixed Use Housing type & tenure Public Transport Pedestrian Access Aesthetics Safety/Levels of crime

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6.0.

Action Plan

The plan for this development is introduced in this section. It gives details of the levels of housing, facilities and services on the site. Also described here is how the site will integrate into the community.

6.1.

Vision

The following vision to create a sustainable development on Caserma Masini has been created:

The development of Caserma Masini aims to implement social, student and private housing with start up businesses. An important aspect of the site will be a focus on sustainable ideas, business and education. We hope to deliver community space and facilities for the entire neighbourhood that will contribute to social cohesion and balance in the area. The mixed usability of the space and environmentally friendly aspects incorporated will deliver a lasting, sustainable community.

6.2.

Social Mix

As mentioned in the vision, the main aim is to redevelop the site into a community where different kinds of people can live comfortably, with a focus on creating a sustainable environment. The first step that is taken to reach that aim is to designate 55% of the dwellings to social housing, 22.5% to student housing and 22.5% to private housing. The site is close to the university and the city center, and there is a high demand for student housing (L'Universit oggi: tra numeri e innovazione, 2014), (Appendix 3). The need of social housing in Bologna is also very high, the amount of people that made an application for social or public housing is quite significant (Appendix 2). The apartments for social housing are going to be divided between single apartments, two person apartment, and larger family apartments. To try to make the redevelopment economically sustainable, there are also going to be some private apartments for families and couples as these generate the most profit. This also helps to create a mixed population in the area, which according to Page (2011) helps to make fundamental contributions to performance. To promote the communication and the community feeling, a large communal room will be developed. This room can be used for a variety of activities, such as meetings, parties, lectures, flea markets or as a workplace. To create a sense of community, some benches and a barbeque area will be created outside in the main square.

6.3.

Facilities and Transport

On the ground floor of one of the student complexes, a study hall with a coffee room will be created. This floor will be open for everyone in the neighbourhood. To promote the environmentally friendly way of thinking, there will be several bicycle areas where you can safely store your bike, so that students as well as other residents do not have to own a car. They will 11

have two levels of bicycle racks, to save space. For the residents who do own a car, an underground parking garage with 40 lots will be created. Residents and people living in the neighbourhood can rent or buy a parking space, which will create a healthy cash flow for the development. To promote sustainability, some charging units for electric cars will be included, and spaces for these cars can be available at a discounted rate. At this moment, a biological market is held in the main square once a week. A lot of people from the neighbourhood are visiting this market, and the market is still growing. Because of this, the biological market will get its own place in the site redevelopment. It will get a permanent status, so people from the site and from the neighbourhood can go there every day. There are more markets in the neighbourhood, but the biological market is going to be unique in this area as can be seen in the site analysis shown earlier. Another facility that is going to be developed is a kindergarten. As can be seen in the site analysis, there is no kindergarten in the nearby area and it a requirement to build one. Therefore approximately 1000m of space is designated for the kindergarten and an outside play area.

6.4.

Sustainability

To create a sense of community, as well as promoting a sustainable way of living, 24 vegetable patches will be created. These can be used by residents and by people living in the neighbourhood to grow their own vegetables. Another way to make the living on the site more environmentally friendly is to use solar panels. There will be normal solar panels on the roof of the new built kindergarten. On top of that solar panel trees will be placed in the center of the main square. These innovative solar trees have an organic look, and have a relative large surface of solar panels. They have proven to be efficient (Siebert, 2012) and give the area more sustainable energy without the problem of having aesthetic disruptions.

6.5.

Start up Businesses

As mentioned earlier, an important aim for the site is to support innovative and sustainable businesses. In order to fulfill that aim, four office spaces are going to be built, in which new sustainable businesses can set up. The offices are meant for new businesses, which can rent the offices for a low rent up to two years. The offices are only for businesses with a sustainable business plan, in all kinds of working fields. Next to that, there will be an education center, in which business owners, students and residents can learn more about starting a new business, ecological sustainable living, earning money in a sustainable way, or get help with other problems in that field. These offices and education center should form a place where people with innovative ideas can find other people with the same mindset, and can learn from each other.

6.6.

Development steps

These form the steps in which the development will occur. There are a total of six phases: Phase 1: Underground parking lot; If there will be problems with building the underground parking lot, they will not interfere with the rest of the redevelopment. 12

Phase 2: Demolish; the buildings that are going to be demolished, will all be taken down in this phase. Phase 3: Renovate the student dorms, the study hall and the bicycle storage. After this phase, the students can move in and start paying rent. Phase 4: The renovation of the historical buildings and the kindergarten. After this phase, the residents of the social and private apartments can move in. Phase 5: Renovate the Biological market and the start-up offices. Phase 6: Renovate the courtyards, the gardens, and the exterior of the square. After this phase, a big opening can take place, for which all the residents of the neighbourhood will be invited.

6.7.

Master Plan

Master Plan showing the design and layout of the site

The following plans show the uses and functions on the sites. The first is ground floor level and the second is the upper floors:

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6.8.

Spectrum Appraisal

By applying the spectrum appraisal to the completed development we can see where the improvements have been made. Figure 5.0 shows us the results, as you can see there has been significant improvement in affordability, aesthetics and housing type and tenure. Some areas have had little or no change but this is because they were either already at a satisfactory level or due to externalities that cannot be addressed easily, such as air and noise pollution due to the city centre location.
Spectrum Appraisal Economic Job opportunities Affordability Environmental Green Spaces Renewable energy Land use & movement Biodiversity Air & noise pollution Car Usage Social Variety of services and facilities Mixed Use Housing type & tenure Public Transport Pedestrian Access Aesthetics Safety/Levels of crime
Figure 5.0. Spectrum Appraisal of Caserma Masini after development

7.0.

Conclusion

The development of Caserma Masini provides some difficult barriers to overcome. The master plan that has been developed aimed to overcome these and provide an excellent mixed use development. Through providing a variety of facilities and housing type, with a focus on student and social housing, the development meets the needs of the area, and indeed Bologna. The group dynamics were agreed at the beginning of the project and the team was split into smaller groups to divide the work load and deliver on individual strengths. Language barriers were minimal and teamwork between students was efficient and effective. The project has been a valuable experience and the resulting project hopes to show the hard work from each team member. 14

8.0.

References

Bertocchi, 2014; Housing policies in Bologna, Powerpoint Presentation, Municipality of Bologna, Bologna Clercq de, B., 2006. The Role of Knowledge in Business Start-up Activity. International Small Business Journal, August 2006, 24: 339-358. Comune.bologna.it. 2014. Benvenuto su Iperbole | Iperbole. [online] Available at: http://comune.bologna.it/ [Accessed: 12 Mar 2014]. Comuni-Italiani.it. 2014. Bologna - Italy: Information and Town Profile. [online] Available at: http://en.comuni-italiani.it/037/006/ [Accessed: 10 Mar 2014]. Gabellini, 2014; Bologna structural plan, Powerpoint Presentation, Politecnico of Milan, Bologna L'Universit oggi: tra numeri e innovazione (n.d.). Retrieved march 13, 2014 from: http://www.unibo.it/it/ateneo/chi-siamo/luniversita-oggi-tra-numeri-e-innovazione/universitaoggi-tra-numeri-e-innovazione-2013 Page, S., 2011. Diversity and complexity. Princeton, N.J : Princeton University Press. Pianificazione Territoriale E Trasport. 2014. [online] Available at: http://www.provincia.bologna.it/pianificazione/Engine/RAServeFile.php/f/reportSiebert, B., 2012. Building integrated Photovoltaics. International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering. IABSE Congress Report, 18th Congress of IABSE, Seoul, 2012, pp. 10651072(8). The Economist. 2009. Triple bottom line. [online] Available at: http://www.economist.com/node/14301663 [Accessed: 13 Mar 2014]. Tondelli, 2014; The Italian planning system and the system of the Emilia-Romagna region, Powerpoint Presentation, University of Bologna, Bologna

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9.0.

Appendices 9.1. Appendix 1- Demographical overview of Santa Stefano

Population Santo Stefano

over 64 years 45-64 years 30-44 years 15-29 years 0-14 years 0.00% 5.00%

0-14 years 15-29 years 30-44 years 45-64 years over 64 years

10.00%

15.00%

20.00%

25.00%

30.00%

Appendix 2 Overview of need for public and social housing in Bologna

Residents Bologna

Residents Request for public accomodations Request for social fund

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9.2.

Appendix 3 Population of Bologna

Population Bologna

Students Residents

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