Winnebago-Atwood Business District Master Plan

Produced by Joseph Comer under the direction of Shawn T. Kelly ASLA and Susan Thering Ph.D. in
partial fulfillment of the degree of Bachelor of Landscape Architecture at the University of Wisconsin
 Table of Contents:

Part I: Background Information

Introduction
Site Context [6]
Current Issues [7]
Research [9]

Chapter 1: Site Inventory, Analysis, and Program Development

Starkweather Creek Watershed & City of Madison [13]
Schenk-Atwood-Starkweather-Yahara Neighborhood [16]
Winnebago-Atwood Business District [17]
Programming [19]

Chapter 2: Evaluation
Design Philosophy and Ethics [20]
Project Evaluation [21]

2
 Part II: Winnebago-Atwood Business District Master Plan
Chapter 3: Design Solutions & Rationales
Winnebago-Atwood Business District [23]
Schenk’s Corners [28]
Typical Streetscape [36]

Chapter 4: Conclusion and Reflection

Reflection [38]
Expected Results [38]

Appendix
Copy of Press Release [39]
Technical Drawings [40]
Summary of Project Log [50]
Letter of Receipt from Sustainable Atwood [50]

References

3
 Part I: Background Information

4
Introduction

To fulfill the requirements of the Senior Capstone Program in the Department of Landscape Architecture at the University of Wis-
consin-Madison, I will investigate how neighborhood indicators may inform the design of a sustainable business district master plan. This
investigation will be given context and focus by the concerns and goals of Sustainable Atwood, which include public participation, ad-
vanced stormwater management, and innovation in street design, infill, transportation systems, and green spaces. The Schenk-Atwood-
Starkweather-Yahara (hereafter SASY) neighborhood of Madison, Wisconsin will be the site for this study.

Neighborhood indicators — a set of simple periodically evaluated measures of specific aspects of a community that, as a whole,
reflect progress regarding long-term sustainability — are a strong tool for citizens to influence both policy change and the way public funds
are allocated. These indicators will then be adapted to form guidelines for teaching citizens about how they can positively influence the
measurement. Guidelines for implementing neighborhood indicators are well documented by literature from the 1990s (Maclaren 1996),
but are currently under used. The use of neighborhood indicators is one of Sustainable Atwood’s original but undeveloped goals.

Sustainable Atwood is a grassroots organization formed in 2009 working to measure, evaluate, expand, and create sustainable
practices, designs, and systems in the SASY neighborhood (Sustainable Atwood). The SASY neighborhood is on the east side of Madison
on Lake Monona, from the Yahara River on the west to the Starkweather Creek on the east to East Washington Avenue on the north. With
much of the local public infrastructure to be replaced by 2015, Sustainable Atwood is in a position to provide recommendations for the
development of a sustainable business district. My analyses and designs will be a model of the way design solutions can affect the sus-
tainability of the SASY neighborhood, as well as positively influence neighborhood indicators. Urban sustainability is defined as “a desir-
able state or set of conditions that persists over time” and the promotion of “introducing environmental considerations to policy debates”
(Maclaren 1996).

In addition to Sustainable Atwood’s landscape architectural goals, the group’s action teams include commerce and industry, com-
munications, food, health, transportation, and urban forestry. Sustainable Atwood is composed of forward-thinking community members
with a bottom-up approach to a more sustainable community.

The products of this capstone will include a set of design documents and recommendations for the SASY neighborhood, which will
be submitted to Sustainable Atwood; and a capstone document, which will be submitted to the Department of Landscape Architecture in
partial fulfillment of the degree of Bachelor of Landscape Architecture.

5
 Oshkosh

Lacrosse

This project is located in the Milwaukee

Schenk-Atwood-Starkweatehr-Ya- Madison
hara Neighborhood of Madison,
Wisconsin.
Dubuque
[Map 1: upper left] Madison is lo-
cated on an isthmus between the
Yahara chain of lakes in southern Chicago
Wisconsin.

[Map 2: right] Pertinent regions

to this project are the Stark-
weather Creek watershed and
the City of Madison.

[Map 3: bottom left] The Win-

nebago-Atwood Business District
is centered at the intersection of
Atwood Avenue and Winnebago
Street.

Site Context
6
Sustainable Atwood is...
• composed of individuals, groups, and organizations who have a stake
in the Schenk-Atwood-Starkweather-Yahara neighborhood,
• working to create a model neighborhood of sustainability for our city,
state, and country,
• guided by sustainability indicators,
• composed of action teams including: Commerce & Industry, Commu-
nications, Food, Transportation, and Urban Forestry.

Their landscape architectural goals are to...

• develop an integrated inter-modal transportation system
• reduce polluted runoff going into Lake Monona and Starkweather
Creek
• increase ratio of permeable to impermeable surfaces
• bury power and communication lines during street reconstructions
• preserve promote and protect neighborhood urban forest
• retain and attract sustainable business
Joseph Comer with Twink Jan-McMahon of Sustainable Atwood.

Current Issues: Sustainable Atwood

7
 2011
Much of the infrastructure in the
Schenk-Atwood-Starkweather- 2014
2013 2012
Yahara Neighborhood is slated to
be replaced within the next five
years.

This is an important opportunity

for Sustainable Atwood and other
community organizations to ap-
proach the city with design ideas. 2011
2015
Reconstruction will heavily affect
access to the local businesses.
Fortunately, work dates are stag- 2011 2012
gered within the core of the busi-
ness district.
2013
100’ 500’
0’ 250’ 1000’ North

Current Issues: Street Improvement

8
 In our post-industrial society, many communities have adjusted their values and goals to include ideas of sustainability (Thering
2000). Since the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development’s publication of Agenda 21 in 1992, the use of indicators of
sustainable community development emerged, as well as much supporting research (Smith 2000). Sustainable Atwood is a grassroots
multi-stakeholder organization with a specific vision of a more sustainable community. The group’s vision is described by specific goals
which provide an excellent opportunity to use neighborhood indicators. Indicators will be used to gauge their community’s progress toward
sustainability as defined by their goals.
I define neighborhood indicators as a set of simple periodically evaluated measures of specific aspects of a community that, as a
whole, reflect progress regarding long-term sustainability. Periodic reports based on these indicators will be a strong tool for Sustainable
Atwood to gain support from the local community and government. Additionally, the goals and thresholds specified by indicators can influ-
ence specific design developments of their community. This section describes the literature I will use to guide my design decisions.

Urban Sustainability Reporting -- Maclaren

With many communities implementing sustainability initiatives on the local level, a methodology is necessary to gauge whether
these actions are effective toward achieving their goals. Concrete evidence of positive progress is a useful tool for grassroots organiza-
tions to promote past and future initiatives. Virginia Maclaren is an associate professor in the geography and planning departments at the
University of Toronto. Her 1996 JAPA paper, Urban Sustainability Reporting, is widely cited in the realm of sustainability indicators. She
argues that urban sustainability indicators (which are undifferentiated from neighborhood indicators) are specifically concerned with inter-
generational equity, something conventional quality of life reporting lacks. Additionally, urban sustainability indicators are:
• integrating,
• forward-looking,
• distributional, and
• developed with stakeholder input (Maclaren 1996).
Indicators should be integrating in that they link the economic, environmental, and social aspects of sustainability in general; for-
ward-thinking in that they seek to reach targets or stay below thresholds; and distributional in that they take place into account on a case-
by-case basis. She stipulates that all sustainability indicators must be developed with stakeholder input, but a given indicator might not
posses all four qualities. It is more important that the set of indicators used by a group demonstrate all these qualities as a whole (Ma-
claren 1996).
Maclaren argues that the product of using indicators should be a report that describes the indicators and why they were chosen.
The report should also include an evaluation of the state of sustainability of the neighborhood, as well as a critical evaluation of the indica-
tors themselves. No time frame is given for the period in which a report should be produced, but it can be assumed that it would be mea-

Research: Neighborhood Indicators

9
 sured in years.
She goes on to describe the steps necessary to develop an urban sustainability report, which includes the development of a group’s
first set of indicators. I see a goal-based framework as being the most suitable for use by Sustainable Atwood, as it aligns with their ap-
proach to sustainability. This straightforward approach involves the identification of sustainability goals, which are published on Sustain-
able Atwood’s website, followed by the creation of indicators for the goals. The goals can be addressed by more than one indicator, or it
could take more than one indicator to address a single goal. Criteria for the selection of these goals are suggested and require indicators
to be: scientifically valid, representative of a broad range of conditions, responsive to change, relevant to the needs of potential users,
based on accurate and accessible data, based on data that will be available over time, understandable by potential users, comparable
with indicators developed in other jurisdictions, cost-effective to collect and use, attractive to the media, and unambiguous. To me, the
most important aspect of the set of indicators is that the indicators themselves be constantly evaluated. The performance of a group’s
sustainability report is only as strong as the data within it. The report must be scientifically sound to have any influence on policy and to
attract attention from the media.

Impervious Surface Coverage: The Emergence of a Key Environmental Indicator -- Arnold and Gibbons
Much has been done in the past to address point-source pollution, which was typical of the industrial era. However, the Environ-
mental Protection Agency has now defined polluted runoff as our nation’s leading thread to water quality (Arnold 1996). Specifically,
these nonpoint source pollutants include pathogens, nutrients, toxic contaminants, and debris. Runoff can be thought of as the inverse
of groundwater recharge. Runoff significantly lowers the water table, threatening water supplies and reducing the effect groundwater has
on stream flow. The authors of this paper argue that the best aggregate way to address these issues is with an indicator measuring the
Anatomy of an Indicator: Results
amount of impervious surface in an area (Arnold 1996).
are displayed graphically showing
trends and goals. [Source: Sus- This measure is integrative because it predicts a community’s cumulative effect on local water resources. Because an area’s popu-
tainable Seattle] lation density is related to its percentage of impervious surface coverage, this indicator relates economic development to environmental
quality. Arnold presents research that directly relates the imperiousness of a watershed to stream health, as well as thresholds relating
the two. Many techniques with a wide range of costs exist to measure the impervious surface coverage of an area. For the community
scale, determining land cover from aerial photographs is the best compromise between accuracy and cost.
A variety of Best Management Practices are described, such as alternatives to curbs, parking reduction, and road narrowing. These
BMP’s lack references to specific construction technologies. The authors suggest that planners would be wise to “piggy-back” these prac-
tices with other initiatives such as traffic calming.

Research: Neighborhood Indicators

10
Chicago’s Green Alley Program
With approximately 3,500 acres of paved impermeable alleyway surfaces in 2006, Chicago’s Mayor Daley saw an opportunity
to add to his long line of environmentally friendly initiatives. The 1,900 miles of public alleys in Chicago were originally built without a
connection to the City’s combined sewer and stormwater system, causing frequent flooding. Instead of connecting these streets to the
sewer system, a costly endeavor, the Green Alley program proposes a variety of more environmentally and economically sustainable
alternatives. (Chicago Department of Transportation)
As of 2009, one hundred green alleys have been installed using the framework described in “The Chicago Green Alley Hand-
book”, authored in part by Chicago’s own Hitchcock Design Group. The program encompasses more than just pavement design, but
stormwater management is its primary objective. Lighting design and tree planting are also addressed, with objectives including ur-
ban heat island reduction, material recycling, energy conservation, and glare reduction.
Depending on soil composition, paving alternatives range from dense concrete of recycled materials pitched to direct stormwa-
ter to adjacent street surfaces, to a full permeable field (using pavers, porous concrete, or porous asphalt) flanked by dense concrete
edges. All surfaces are to be composed of recycled materials (e.g. recycled aggregate and slag in concretes) that create a high albedo
finish (to reduce the city’s urban heat island effect). In addition, recommendations are given for dark sky lighting fixtures which reduce
energy use and reduce contribution to light pollution. Best Management Practices for adjacent residents described include the use of
rain gardens, green roofs, and shade trees.
This project lacks technical documentation that would make it more useful for implementation in other municipalities. Also, as a
recent project, it is likely too soon to critically evaluate its performance and longevity. The lack of research concerning the use of po-
rous concrete in the Midwest makes this initiative a prime opportunity for information-sharing. Descriptions of material use, soil condi-
tions, and maintenance required would be very useful for further research in this field.
The SASY Neighborhood is in a related position with much of their sewer, stormwater, and street infrastructure to be replaced by
2015. Alleys are not widespread in the SASY Neighborhood, but there is an abundance of streets with low traffic volume and a desire
by Sustainable Atwood to reduce stormwater runoff.

Rachel Smith’s (of AECOM) “Cycling Super Highways”

Width, separation and universal access make up the backbone of cycling super highways, according to Rachel Smith of AECOM.

Research: Precedent Projects

11
 This is the infrastructure required to start a revolution of sustainable transport: getting “average, everyday, normal people” to choose to
ride bikes (Smith 2010).
The status quo of bicycle lanes in the United states is “skinny unprotected on–road cycle lanes, often less than 1.0 metre wide”
(Smith 2010). All efforts to increase bicycle use are limited to building more of these restrictive lanes. Non-advanced riders will not regu-
larly commute by bicycle if these lanes are the only option. Smith argues that the solution to getting a wider variety of cycling path users is
cycling super highways, defined as:
• wide enough for everyone, allowing a pair of users to ride side-by-side as well as having enough space for a faster moving cyclist to pass
a slower cyclist safely. This allows riding to become a social activity, as opposed to having to ride single file.
• safe enough for everyone, regardless of age, physical ability, and skills. This means an even but high-traction surface with a route free
of obstacles.
• protected enough to encourage everyone to ride. Separation from parked and moving cars is important for perceived safety.
• socially-inclusive enough to support mobility aids such as powered wheelchairs. This means having accessible entrances to the path
especially near business and residences (Smith 2010).
The Winnebago-Atwood business district has an opportunity to appeal to customers who commute by bicycle. From my observa-
tions, the neighborhood appears to have a population willing to support a business district if it is easily accessible by bicycle.

New York City Department of Environmental Protection Bluebelt Project

The Staten Island Bluebelt project is a effort by the City of New York to replicate the pre-development hydrology of Staten Island’s
wetlands in lieu of expanding its storm drainage and sanitary sewer system.
The project takes advantage of the city’s ownership of wetlands, which will eventually serve one-third of Staten Island. This use of
best management practices is one of the reasons it has been so successful, as opposed to other fragmented regional systems. The Blue-
belt project uses the restored streams and wetlands to address both the quality and quantity of stormwater runoff. These natural areas
also double as places for wildlife and sometimes as park areas (Urban Omnibus 2010).
The Schenk-Atwood-Starkweather-Yahara neighborhood was originally around one-third wetlands by area. Surface runoff rates have
drastically increased because of current land cover, which is almost entirely urban. A 2006 report by the Nelson Institute for Environmen-
tal Studies described the Starkweather Creek’s watershed as having 33.5 percent impervious surfaces. (Nelson Institute for Environmen-
tal Studies 2006) In this heavily urbanized area, small-scale applications of the Bluebelt concept are more feasible. There is little open
land, most of which is in existing parks. For example, the open space along the Yahara river channel presents an excellent opportunity to
address the quality and quantity of stormwater runoff from the adjacent residential area.

Research: Precedent Projects

12
Chapter 1: Site Inventory, Analysis, and Program Development

As stated earlier, regions relevant

to this project [see above] in-
clude the City of Madison (black
perimeter) and the Starkweather
Creek Watershed (pink).

Regional Infrastructure [Map 1:

left] The Schenk-Atwood-Stark-
weather-Yahara Neighborhood
(shown in green) is well-served by
hospitals and an airport.

Regional Automobile Transporta-

tion [Map 2: right] Major regional
highways (black) are routed
around the City of Madison. The
city is accessible via a variety of
arterial roads (red and blue).

Starkweather Creek Watershed & City of Madison:

Infrastructure & Circulation
13
Pre-European Settlement Vegeta-
tion Cover [Map 3: left] Prior to
European settlement, the area
that is now Madison was domi-
nated by forests.

Existing Land Use [Map 4: right]

Since the area was settled, land
cover has changed to urban de-
velopment surrounded by agricul-
tural land.

Starkweather Creek Watershed & City of Madison:

Land Cover
14
 Starkweather Creek has steadily
degraded in quality since the
beginning of development in its
watershed. A report from the
Nelson Institute for Environmen-
tal Studies rated its watershed at
~33% impervious.

Stormwater Magazine classifies

watersheds in this range as “non-
supporting” [Figure 3: bottom
left]. A similar diagram from the
EPA [Figure 2: top right] outlines
drastic changes in the water
cycle as a result of this kind of
development.

Starkweather Creek also expe-

riences regular algal blooms
[Figure 1: top left] as a result of
phosphorus loading. Channeliza-
tion [Figure 4: bottom right] also
increases sediment loading and
reduces habitat.

Starkweather Creek Watershed:

Water Quality
15
Open space is well-distributed
throughout the neighborhood
[Figure 1: left]. One excep-
tion (shown in red) is centered
around the Goodman Commu-
nity Center, where there are no
substantial public open spaces
within a quarter mile.

There are some notable conflicts

between bicycle (blue) and auto-
mobile (black) circulation [Figure
2: right]. The Capitol City Bike
Path crosses arterial streets at 100’ 500’ 100’ 500’

two points. Dangerous intersec- 0’ 250’ 1000’ North 0’ 250’ 1000’ North

tions along Atwood Avenue are at

Fair Oaks and Winnebago.

Schenk-Atwood-Starkweather-Yahara Neighborhood
16
 KEY
One-Way Traffic

et
Two-Way Traffic

tre
oS
NORTH WINNEBAGO

ag
eb
enue
d Av

nn
CENTRAL ATWOOD o
Atwo

Wi
TOWN SQUARE

ive
d Dr
SOUTH WINNEBAGO
oo

Division Street
stw

Fir
Ea

st
St
re
et
The Winnebago-Atwood Busi-
ness District is centered around
North North
Schenk’s Corners at Winnebago
0’
100’

250’
500’

0’
100’

250’
500’
Street and Atwood Avenue (see
above).

The district has distinct zones

and entrances with varying char-
acteristics [Figure 1: top left].

KEY KEY Automobile traffic [Figure 2: top

Private Parking Bicycle Route

Conflict
right] is largely directed through
Eastwood Drive. It is a one-way
Public Parking

street (solid lines), while the ma-

jority of Winnebago and Atwood
are two-way (broken lines).

There is an abundance of mostly

private surface parking [Figure
3: bottom left] which reduces
groundwater recharge.

North
100’
North
500’
Bicycle circulation [Figure 4: bot-
tom right] through the district is
100’ 500’
0’ 250’
0’ 250’

discouraged by a lack of appro-

priate lanes.

Schenk-Atwood Business District

17
A slope vector analysis [Figure
5: top left] shows mostly gentle
slopes with some opportunities
for groundwater recharge along
the Capitol City Bike Path.
North
100’ 500’

Workforce housing [Figure 6: 0’ 250’

top right] indicated by each blue

circle, is not concentrated in the
district.

Canopy coverage [Figure 7: bot-

tom left] is sparse along road-
ways in the core of the district.

There is limited access to open

space from storefronts in the
district [Figure 8: bottom right].

North North

100’ 500’ 100’ 500’

0’ 250’ 0’ 250’

Schenk-Atwood Business District

18
The analyses reveal the following issues within the Winnebago-Atwood business district:
• high percentage of impermeable surfaces
• fragmented urban forest
• high traffic speeds in business district core
• lack of pausing nodes for pedestrians in business district
• businesses must survive street construction

The following program elements will serve to mitigate the issues:

• distinct town square
• streetscape design with:
• multiple modes of transportation
• narrower street design
• pocket parks
• bicycle parking
• urban forest plantings with proper root volume
• workforce housing infill
• concentration of parking in structure

Programming
19
 Chapter 2: Evaluation

My personal design approach is the product of a lifetime of observations and experiences. My mind is constantly thinking about,
evaluating, and critiquing my surroundings. For my work in school, and with this project especially, inspiration comes from anywhere, and
rarely it is while sitting at a desk. A significant part of the projects where my work is focused is defining the project itself. Defining a proj-
ect’s scope requires constant adjustment to an initial idea. To accomplish this, I allow for flexibility during my day to focus on whatever
ideas are on my mind. I constantly carry around a notebook and have post-it notes around my apartment to jot down ideas as they come.
These blips of information prove to be useful in forming well-developed thoughts when it comes to the production stage.
The field of landscape architecture involves applying the integrating landscape approach to the sciences and art. That is, applying
these contemporary views and values to our environment. I strive to practice in an honest and open manner in which there is open ex-
change of information among client, stakeholders, and me. My designs should accommodate all users, not only those in the immediate
area. Priority should be given to projects and ideas with the greatest effect, keeping in mind the client’s limited funds and human power.
All systems should be reinforced by scientific research or other recommendations from an appropriate field. I strive to conduct all commu-
nications in a professional manner. The bottom line is that the practice of landscape architecture is moral work that depends upon practi-
cal wisdom gained from the personal experiences and observations of the landscape architect.
The role of thorough inventory and analysis is to identify issues that take place in the project site. These issues with then guide the
formation of specific goals, objectives, and performance criteria to be addressed by the design. Clear statement of all of the above is nec-
essary to ensure clear communication among designer, client, and stakeholders.

Design Philosophy and Ethics

20
 Sustainable business practices are becoming more important to citizens and consumers in our post-industrial society. As these
environmental concerns become more important to consumers, expectations of businesses rise. This presents the Winnebago-Atwood
business with an opportunity to fill a niche within the City of Madison. If this business district is to thrive while using ideas of sustain-
ability, as well as convince consumers of its sustainable image, it must address all three pillars of sustainability as defined by the Millen-
nium Ecosystem Assessment: environmental, social, and economic sustainability.
The integrative nature of neighborhood indicators makes their use appropriate for a sustainable business district master plan.
Indicators serve as a scientific and defensible way of “analyzing the problem” before “synthesizing an approach” (Crewe and Forsyth
2003) in this arena of landscape architecture. Design as synthesis requires the landscape architect to have knowledge of seemingly
separate elements of an area. Indicators give the designer concrete measurements and goals that the community is seeking to reach,
which can be influenced through design. Indicators play a large role in an iterative design process through their periodic evaluation. This
allows for a master plan that is intended to be implemented over a long time period (say, fifty years) to be adjusted depending on indica-
tor progress.
Sustainable Atwood, as a grassroots organization, is an excellent avenue for public participation. The group’s approach to promot-
ing sustainability is an admirable combination of research and citizen involvement on every level. Sustainable Atwood’s goals that are
within the realm of landscape architecture involve the integration improvement of existing systems. For example, their goals to “reduce
polluted water going into Lake Monona and Starkweather Creek” and to “increase ratio of permeable to impermeable surfaces” (Sus-
tainable Atwood) are both a function of the natural water cycle, but are affected by other ecosystem and human transportation systems
in the neighborhood. Also, the effects of any effort regarding one indicator must be evaluated in terms of other indicators and the neigh-
borhood as a whole. For example, the concentration of automobile parking in a structure presents opportunities to affect other indica-
tors such as infill and increase in workforce housing.
The Winnebago-Atwood business district has the opportunity to be at the forefront of sustainable design in the Midwest. The
neighborhood’s citizen involvement is unique, and their forward-thinking attitude will likely prove to support cutting-edge design practic-
es that could make it a very desirable place for sustainable businesses.

Project Evaluation
21
 Part II: Winnebago-Atwood Business
District Master Plan

22
 Chapter 3: Design Solutions & Rationales
Union Corners development
s
Legend te )
ic a 05
Existing Building so (20
As es
d t
Proposed Building an ocia
th s
G ra As
c r
M eibe
200’ y
b hr This design accomplishes
l an Sc
0’ 400’ t p on
ep ers
the following goals:
c
n nd • Lower traffic speeds
Co d A • Enhance pedestrian experience
an
• Increase canopy coverage
• Increase connected open space
Winnebago Street infill • Increase groundwater recharge
• Increase surface albedo
• Increase bicycle access

Schenk’s Corners Infill on Winnebago Street ac-

comidates housing above com-
mercial space. This corridor
serves to connect two major
Structured parking hubs in the district: Schenk’s
Corners and Union Corners.

East entrance park Parking is concentrated in struc-

ture to allow for connected open
Historic building preservation space between buildings. Open
space creates a pleasant atmo-
Structured parking and sphere in the district.
connected open space
West entrance park

Capitol City Bike Path greenway

Winnebago-Atwood Business District Master Plan

23
 Union Corners mixed use

All proposed buildings in this de-

sign are either apartments, con-
dominiums, or low cost workforce Legend
housing. Additionally, buildings Residential Building
along main thoroughfares have Residential space above Commercial Building
commercial space on the first
floor.
commercial space Industrial Building

Larger buildings are proposed 200’

along Winnebago Street to lower
0’ 400’
annual heating, cooling, and
maintenance costs.

Historic retail buildings are pre-

served on one section of Win-
nebago Street.

Schoep’s Ice Cream

Large residential buildings

conserve open space

Master Plan: Building Uses

24
 Building density has a large
influence on pollution in runoff
[Graph: pollutant loading with
respect to DUA, courtesy Storm-
water Magazine, January 2011].
Forty to fifty dwelling units per
acre is a good trade-off between
pollutant reduction and building
cost. This roughly correlates to
seven story buildings.

Not to Scale

Master Plan: Isometric Model

25
One-way automobile circulation
[Figure 1: left] on Eastwood Drive
is balanced by one-way traffic on
appropriate sections of Atwood
and Winnebago.

Bicycle access is greatly in-

creased with a two-way lane
through the core of the district
[Figure 2: right].

200’
0’ 400’

Master Plan: Circulation

26
 400’
0’ 800’

Building density (left column:

existing below, proposed above)
and urban forest canopy cover-
age (right column: existing below,
proposed above) are greatly in-
creased in this design. Increased
building density makes goods
and services more accessible to
residents and visitors. Increased
canopy coverage reduces the
heat island effect and enhances
the pedestrian experience.

Master Plan: Building Density & Canopy Coverage

27
 Aligned Second Street

Market plaza
This design accomplishes
the following goals:
• Create a focal point for the Sunken plaza
district
• Increase diversity of site pro-
gramming (outdoor dining, pas-
sive recreation, market space)

The Capitol City Bike Path runs

parallel to Winnebago and At-
wood, allowing safe access by
bicycle.

A speed table at the intersec-

tion of Winnebago and Atwood
increases safety for crossing 20’
pedestrians and bicyclists. 0’ 40’

Outdoor dining, passive recre-

ation, and market space are ac- Vine sculpture Speed table
comidated with open space and
a sunken plaza.

Schenk’s Corners Site Plan

28
 Sunken plaza Market plaza Second Street 15’
0’ 30’
Parking

A grid of medium-sized trees that

is diffused from left to right [Tree
Grid Sketch: bottom left] creates
private spaces around the sunk-
en plaza and open spaces in the
market plaza.

Light-colored pavements [Mary

Bartelme Park: bottom right,
courtesy www.unilock.com] re-
duce the urban heat island effect
by increasing surface albedo.

Schenk’s Corners Section

29
The sunken plaza is surrounded
by medium-sized shade trees to
create an environment that is
at human scale. It is accessible
via a gentle ramp as well as two
staircases.

This design serves not only im-

mediate users, but the adjacent
outdoor dining patrons by creat-
ing a focal point for the plaza.

Paving reflects the tree grid, and

creates an interesting visual
puzzle as the grid becomes less
stiff moving toward the market
plaza to the east.

5’
0’ 10’

Sunken Plaza Plan

30
Natural and man-made materi-
als are juxtaposed in this design
where the gabion walls meet
natural stone benches [Figures
1-3, top].

A wire frame model [Figure 4:

bottom] shows the construction
of the vine sculpture. Incon-
spicuous cables extend from the
sculpture over the roadway.

All necessary cables and fasten-

ers are produced by Jakob Rope
Systems of Trubschachen, Swit-
zerland.

Non-aggressive vine species

that will not escape the main
structure were selected for this
design.

31
Inspiration for the vine sculpture
came from a desire to create a
bold focal point at Schenk’s Cor-
ners. The aesthetics of sublimity
(greatness or vast magnitude)
[Figure 4: Wanderer Above the
Sea of Fog, Casper David Fried-
rich; 1817] is something I try to
accommodate into all design
work. It is difficult to apply this
concept on a small scale. This
was achieved through a sunken
plaza two feet below the adjacent
grade with a 20’ tall cable and
vine sculpture growing out of a
mound in the center.

Early sketches [Figures 1, 2: top

row] show the sculpture hang-
ing over the intersection and
the grade change in the sunken
plaza.

MFO-Park in Zurich [Figure 3:

bottom left], a reused industrial
area, uses similar cable and vine
structures as vertical elements.

32
 The sunken plaza is created
by four gabion walls filled with
reused crushed road material.
These walls are lined by two lev-
els of stone benches.

An eight foot concrete foundation

secures the vine sculpture below
grade. The two are attached with
a turnbuckle to accommodate
slight seasonal adjustments to
the cables.

The 20’ tall vine sculpture cre-

ates a dramatic effect for all four
seasons.

3’
0’ 6’

Sunken Plaza Section

33
 Katsura Tree Amur Maackia Turkish Filburt
Chinkapin Oak (Quercus muenlenbergii) (Cercidiphyllum japonicum) (Maackia amurensis) (Corylus colurna)

Urban-tolerant tree species were

selected according to Frank
Santamour’s guidelines (no more
than 30% of any one genus, 20%
of any one family, and 10% of any
one species in a neighborhood)
given my observations of existing
trees in the neighborhood.

Large- and medium-sized trees

(top row) were selected for street
trees to increase canopy cover-
age. Medium-sized trees with
unique characteristics (bot-
tom row) were selected for the
Schenk’s Corners plan for human
scale and winter interest.

Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry Paperbark Maple (Acer griseum) China Snow Lilac
(Amelanchier Xgrandiflora ‘Autumn Brilliance’) (Syringa pekinensis ‘Morton’)

Planting Scheme: Selected Street & Plaza Trees

34
 Regal Red Lady Fern Ellen Willmott Barrenwort Star Showers Virginia Creeper
(Athyrium niponicum ‘Regal Red’) (Epimedium Xwarleyense ‘Ellen Willmott’) (Parthenocissus quinquefolia ‘Monham’)

Shrubs and perennials were

selected for multi-season inter-
est around the sunken plaza.
Smaller shade-tolerant plants
were chosen for the two sides of
the sunken plaza that parallel
buildings where there are lower
light conditions.

Three different climbing species

were chosen for the vine sculp-
ture for multi-season interest.

Oregon Grapeholly (Berberis aquifolium) Russian Arborvitae (Microbiota decussata) Tom Thumb Cotoneaster
(Cotoneaster horizontalis ‘Tom Thumb’)
Golden Flat Juniper
(Juniperus communis ‘Depressa Aurea’)

Planting Scheme: Selected Plaza Shrubs & Perennials

35
Multiple modes of transportation
are served by this design. A two-
way bicycle lane at sidewalk level
will bring many more visitors into
the district.

With spring comes sediment

from melting snow [Figure 1: top
left]. This sediment and salt can
clog pores in permeable paving
materials and damage trees.
A dense concrete median runs
between the open-jointed brick
sidewalk and porous concrete
parking lane to stage sediment
before regular sweeping in
spring.

Silva Cells [Figure 2: bottom left]

are boxes made of plastic poly-
mer and steel that are placed
below pavements to prevent the
compaction of tree rooting zones.

4’
0’ 8’

Typical Streetscape Plan

36
 Continuous Deeproot Silva Cells
provide 1,200 cubic feet of
rooting volume per tree in ac-
cordance with Bruce Ferguson’s
guidelines in Porous Pavements
[Figure 3: bottom left].

Oversized tree grates that over-

lap both the concrete median
and brick sidewalk [Figure 4:
early sketch, bottom right] will ac-
commodate mature trees.

Brick rumble strips between the

dense concrete roadway and
porous concrete parking lanes
4’
serve to catch suspended sedi-
0’ 8’ ment in stormwater.

Typical Streetscape Section

37
 Chapter 4: Reflection & Conclusion

This project proposal exposed two main learning opportunities to me. The first was the ability to develop a project from a fuzzy idea
into a proposal in concrete terms. The second was the adjustment to working on a project with a greater scope and breadth than I had
before.
I found that as soon as I got my head “wrapped around” this project, progress came a lot more quickly. To get to this point, I con-
centrated all efforts on figuring out what I wanted the end product of this semester to be. Once I was in the position to discuss the specific
goals of this project with my client, I could decide on the scales of analysis and design as well as the specific project type. I worked back-
wards from the scales of analysis to make a list of what specific elements of analysis would be necessary.
I have always leaned toward “minimalist” tendencies (that is, accomplishing things with as little means as is practical) when prepar-
ing projects in the past. This habit served me well when preparing this proposal because it caused me to question every action regarding
whether or not it served to what I was trying to achieve. Time constraints are everywhere and are especially difficult to self-enforce given
this project’s independent nature.
This project presents new challenges in its self-defined nature and in working with a client other than a university professor. Having
to define this project on my own caused me to be thinking about it practically all the time. I went through a couple pads of post-it notes of
ideas, for this semester and next, when something came to mind during another class, dinner, or the middle of the night. It really paid off
to be constantly thinking through possible scenarios and have the ability to write down whatever I was thinking at the time.

Expected Results
My work on a sustainable business district master plan is intended to provide recommendations for and guide further development
of Sustainable Atwood’s goals to measure, evaluate, expand and create sustainable practices, designs and systems in the SASY neighbor-
hood.
The use of neighborhood indicators as described above is an excellent method for a “hands on” community to guide the kinds of
changes its citizens would like to see. The literature and case studies repeatedly show that every aspect of sustainability is tied to every-
thing else. For example, reduced road widths promote safety, allow for more soil volume for street trees, allow room for bicycle lanes, etc.
I hope that my work on this project will demonstrate to community members the non-obvious social and environmental connections that
are everywhere in our built environment.
Design is a long series of decisions. This proposal has shown me that there are many sources of information (literature, case stud-
ies, etc.) that can back up small decisions and ultimately create a stronger final product. I hope that the final product can be used as a
basis for innovation in the development of the Winnebago-Atwood business district in years to come.

38
Appendix

May 4th, 2011

The University of Wisconsin Landscape Architecture department has produced a student-de-

signed master plan for the historic Winnebago-Atwood Business District on Madison’s east side. The
project was conceived in partner with the local neighborhood organization Sustainable Atwood as the
author’s senior project for the degree of Bachelor of Landscape Architecture.

Sustainable Atwood is a grassroots organization formed in 2009 working to measure, evaluate,
expand, and create sustainable practices, designs, and systems in the Schenk-Atwood-Starkweather-
Yahara (SASY) neighborhood. The SASY neighborhood is on the east side of Madison on Lake Mono-
na, from the Yahara River on the west to the Starkweather Creek on the east to East Washington Av-
enue on the north. With much of the local public infrastructure to be replaced by 2015, Sustainable
Atwood is in a position to provide recommendations for the development of a sustainable business
district. Justification for design decisions were based on neighborhood indicators — a set of simple
periodically evaluated measures of specific aspects of a community that, as a whole, reflect progress
regarding long-term sustainability.

Elements in the proposed master plan include a distinct town square at Schenk’s Corners, a
streetscape design with multiple modes of transportation, pocket parks, urban forest plantings with
proper root volume, housing infill, and concentration of parking in structure.

The products of this project include a set of design documents and recommendations for the
SASY neighborhood, which will be submitted to Sustainable Atwood; and a presentation to the public.
For more information about the project, please see [www.joecomer.com].

Copy of Press Release

39
 Schenk’s Corners Planting Plan
40
Species Schedule
41
 Sunken Plaza Planting Plan & Species Schedule
42
Schenk’s Corners Grading Plan
43
 Detail A: Streetscape Materials Section
44
Detail B: Streetscape Materials Section
45
 Detail C: Streetscape Materials Plan
46
Detail D: Streetscape Materials Plan
47
 Detail E: Streetscape Dimensions Section Detail F: Streetscape Dimensions Plan
48
Sunken Plaza Stair, Gabion Wall, & Ramp Elevations
49
Summary of Project Log
Fall 2010 Semester
Week 1 16.5 hours
Week 2 5 hours
Week 3 4 hours
Week 4 17 hours
May 14, 2011
Week 5 4 hours
Week 6 19 hours Department of Landscape Architecture
Week 7 9 hours Capstone Program
Week 8 3 hours
Week 9 8 hours Shawn T. Kelly ASLA and Sue Thering Ph.D.
Week 10 14 hours 1 Agricultural Hall
Week 11 22 hours 1450 Linden Drive
Week 12 19.5 hours Madison, WI 53706
Week 13 16 hours
Week 14 14 hours
Week 15 3 hours Dear Professors Kelly and Thering,
Week 16 4 hours
Week 17 5 hours
Thank you for the opportunity to work with Joseph Comer. Joe was pleasant and respectful
2010 Total: 183 hours
of our group and listened carefully to our communities needs. Joe’s final project reflects the
Spring 2011 Semester community’s visions for sustainability and brings a fresh perspective to a problematic area
Week 1 10 hours of our neighborhood. His presentation provides much-needed out-of-the-box solutions with
Week 2 9 hours supporting graphics and research to help our local stakeholders envision how we might
Week 3 15 hours replace the current car-centric configuration at Schenk’s Corners.
Week 4 12 hours
Week 5 7.5 hours
Week 6 26 hours Thank you for accepting our project as part of your Capstone program. And thank you for
Week 7 27.5 hours the opportunity to work with Joseph Comer.
Week 8 7 hours
Week 9 8.5 hours
Week 10 13 hours Yours truly,
Week 11 27 hours
Week 12 25 hours Twink Jan-McMahon
Week 13 19 hours
Week 14 15 hours
Week 15 28 hours Capstone Committee Chair
Week 16 30.5 hours Sustainable Atwood
Week 17 33 hours 2018 Helena Street
2011 Total: 313 hours
Madison, WI 53704
Project Total: 496 hours

Letter of Receipt from Sustainable Atwood

50
References

Arnold, Chester L., Gibbons, C. J. Impervious Surface Coverage: The Emergence of a Key Environmental
Indicator 1996

Chicago Department of Transportation. The Chicago Green Alley Handbook: An Action Guide to Create a
Greener, Environmentally Sustainable Chicago

Crewe, Katherine, Forsyth, Ann. LandSCAPES: A Typology of Approaches to Landscape Architecture 2003

Maclaren, Virginia W. Urban Sustainability Reporting 1996

Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies. Starkweather Creek Watershed: Current Conditions and Im
provement Strategies in an Urban Context 2006

Smith, Rachel. Cycling Super Highways 2010

Sustainable Atwood [sustainableatwood.org]

Thering, Sue; Dobel, Cheryl. Theory and Practice in Sustainability: Building A Ladder of Community Focused
Education and Outreach 2000

Urban Omnibus. The Staten Island Bluebelt: Storm Sewers, Wetlands, Waterways 2010

51