stephen crouch - urban planning portfolio

STEPHEN CROUCHURBAN PLANNING PORTFOLIOUNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI

COLLEGE OF DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE, ART, AND PLANNING

BACHELOR OF URBAN PLANNING

CLASS OF 2018

6

14

20

26

30

SITE PLANNING STUDIO

FALL 2014

CLINTON COUNTY PARKS PLAN

FALL 2015

PLEASANT STREET

SUMMER 2015

DESIGN YOUR SCHOOL

SUMMER 2014

NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESS DISTRICT

SPRING 2014

CONTENTS

ADDITIONAL PROJECTS

FREE-HAND SKETCHING

GRAPHIC DESIGN

INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL

COUNTY COUNCIL

34

EDUCATIONBachelor of Urban PlanningCincinnati, OHGPA: 3.66Classes: Study abroad in China Land use Controls Site Planning Studio Hand-drafting Studio Neighborhood Design Studio Urban Economies I and II Methods of Research

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCEPlanning InternWilmington, OHProducing a plan for parks and open space for Clinton County. Developed standards of design and quantity tailored to the needs of the region. Conducted surveys and research to determine park accessibility, and the possibility of creating a regional park district.

Planning InternHillsboro, OHWorked with the City Planning Commission on future land use mapping and created SOPs to streamline the process of updating map records. Performed research and interviews on economic development policies, such as Tax Increment Financing and Community Reinvestment Areas.

Clinton Community FellowWilmington, OHCreated a campus plan for a private school with a focus on experiential education. Organized a charrette for the students and parents to give input on the process through discussion and physical design. Also developed a branding strategy for a community health foundation in Clinton County.

Clinton County Regional Planning

CommissionJune to December

2015

City of HillsboroJanuary to April

2015

Energize Clinton CountyJune to August

2014

ABOUT

University of Cincinnati

College of Design, Architecture, Art, and

PlanningClass of 2018

117 N. East St.

Hillsboro, OH 45133

(937) 527-4470

[email protected]

PROFICIENCIES

PROJECTS AND AWARDSLeadership Clinton Youth Collaborative Graduation CeremonyKeynote speaker

City of Hillsboro Planning CommissionVoting member

2015 School of Planning Scholarship

2013 David H. Peet Memorial Award for Distinguished Freshman Project: Best-Looking Graphics Poster

Clinton County Student CouncilAdvisor & FounderCoordinates high school student leaders in their efforts to be included in the decisions made in their schools and communities. CCSC involves four public schools serving over 2500 students. Projects include organizing conferences, work-shops, service, and advocacy.

CONTACT

March 2016

June 2015to present

June 2015

December 2013

April 2013to present

Software ArcGIS InDesign Illustrator Photoshop AutoCAD SketchUp

Skills Public Speaking Graphic Design Group facilitation Writing Freehand Sketching Customer service

SITE PLANNING STUDIOFALL 2014

In this studio, I worked with a team to design a mixed-use neighborhood in the hills of Mt. Airy Forest, Cincinnati. The semester-long course required us to research the physical complexity of the site, quantify programmingrequirements, and design a cohesive community.

Skills: ArcGIS Spatial Analysis, Site Suitability, Rhino, ArcScene, Illustrator

7

Step 1: Context Analysis

The class was initiated by gathering data through site visits, GIS analysis, and historic resources to understand site context.

While we knew that Mt. Airy Forest was a dense forest with sloping hills, comparing the surrounding land use and zoning helped us understand how a community could be integrated into the site. In addition, we performed an evaluation of local building conditions throughout the neighborhoods.

We also took into account the local traffic patterns, and concluded there had to be major intervention to build a site that was well-connected with the surrounding neighborhoods.

Mt. Airy Zoning(0.5mi buffer)

Commercial

Single Family Residential

Multi Family Residential

Mixed Use

Office

Industrial

Institutional

Parks

8

Step 2: Site Analysis

Next, we studied the intrinsic values of the site.

Using ArcGIS Spatial Analysis, we created maps for topography, slope, and solar.

With the topography map, we also identified areas of the site that would be prone to heavy drainage.

By studying the existing utilities and infrastructure throughout the site, we determined that resources were limited within the site.

Lastly, we developed viewsheds of the site by taking pictures from notable vantage points.

Topography

Slope

Solar


9

Step 3: Suitability Analysis

After gathering information on the context and characteristics of the site, suitability for a residential housing development was done by creating a series of overlay maps. In order to communicate these complicated maps effectively, layers from ArcMap were taken into Adobe Illustrator to create clear graphical representations.

This site suitability analysis identifies areas of Mt. Airy Forest that are appropriate for the desired development, considering a wide range of factors including viewsheds, microclimate, hydrology, and topography.

The color legend of this map generally shows darkest as most desirable, with lightest areas of the map being least desirable.

Soil suitability(Soil + drainage)

Acceptable drainage

Poor drainage

Accumulation

Microclimate(Solar radiation + tree canopy)

Very exposed

Moderately exposed

Sheltered

Slope + Vegetation

Flat and exposed

Exposed

Steep


10

Composite Suitability

By ranking the most important site factors and layering them accordingly, adjusting layer opacity shows every overlay map simultaneously. This technique is useful for looking at a wide range of data that shows clustering of site suitability types.

Ranking:1. Topography2. Hydrology3. Views4. Microclimate5. Utilities

HighLow

Suitability Legend

Step 4: Site Selection and Design

Each studio team was assigned a portion of Mt. Airy Forest to design a mixed-use neighborhood with a variety of housing types.

My team was assigned a 256-acres of desirable land in Mt. Airy.

Site location


11

Process:(Shown in isometric projection)

We began by studying the topography to create the street layout, then conceptualized land uses within the constraints of streets. After land use was defined, it affected the parcel size, which then affected building typology.

Figure ground

Parcels

Land use

Street layout

Topography


12

0 540 1,080 1,620 2,160270Feet

Basemap of Site

Project Results:

• 80 single family units• 20 apartments• 20 mixed-use units• Pedestrian pathways• Two arterial access points• 5 park


13

3D Model of Site


Close-up of town center (ArcScene, Rhino, Photoshop)

Close-up of single-family residential area

141 PARKS PLAN

CLINTON COUNTYPARKS PLANFALL 2015

During my second co-op, I worked with the Clinton County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC) to develop the first-ever comprehensive park plan for Clinton County. The plan was focused on enhancing the access and quality of parks and was tailored to the diverse needs of a rural county.

Skills: ArcGIS Network Analyst, Group facilitation, Research, Illustrator

15

Community Engagement

To kick off the Parks Plan, we began by engaging the community in the process of planning a splash park.

Using a family-friendly format, we carried out two charrettes with a total of 44 participants.

Children were encouraged to draw their ideal splash park, and got to vote on elements that they liked best.

Voting

Site selection

16

10-mile service area from existing parks

Existing County Parks and Population Distribution

10-mile service area from future park system

Parkland10-mile service area

Population Density

HighLow

Service Areas for County Parks


17

Community Survey Results

Only 53% of County residents live within a 10-mile radius of a park.

35% of County residents prefer to walk and/or ride a bike to a park.

46% of Village residents cited “lack of amenities” as the greatest barrier to using their local park.


18

Southwest Ohio TrailsProposed TrailExisting Trail

Committed Trail

WILMINGTON

HILLSBORO

GREENFIELD

BLANCHESTER

CLARKSVILLE

WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE

MORROW

NEW VIENNA

MIDLAND

CIRCLEVILLE

CHILLICOTHE

LOVELAND

CLINTON COUNTY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION °0 5 10 15 202.5

Miles

Southwest Ohio Regional Trails Plan

Existing Trail

Proposed Trail

Committed Trail

A large portion of the County Parks Plan was integrating the local bike trails with the regional system in Southwest Ohio.

My role in the planning process was to discover feasible routes for connecting Clinton County to the regional trail system.

19

Southwest Ohio TrailsProposed TrailExisting Trail

Committed Trail

WILMINGTON

HILLSBORO

GREENFIELD

BLANCHESTER

CLARKSVILLE

WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE

MORROW

NEW VIENNA

MIDLAND

CIRCLEVILLE

CHILLICOTHE

LOVELAND

CLINTON COUNTY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION °0 5 10 15 202.5

Miles

20

PLEASANTSTREETSUMMER 2016

This intensive six-week urban design studio focused on turning a narrow street in Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati, into a pedestrian and bike-friendly street. The street posed as an unactivated physical connection between the two cultural anchors in the neighborhood—Washington Park and Findlay Market.

Skills: InDesign, Hand-drafting, Project management, Urban Design

21

Students began the studio by identifying the “feel” of the neighborhood by doing site visits and assembling theme boards using pictures that were descriptive of the site.

Next, we created a series of hand-drawn maps describing existing conditions of the context, such as building colors, transit stops, and sidewalk quality.

Building Color Map Building Aesthetics Map

Part 1: Observations

22

1 2

3

4

Transit nodes

Cultural Buildings 1. People’s Liberty 2. Findlay Market 3. Music Hall 4. SCPA

Streetcar stops

Red Bike stations1 2 3 4 5 6

¯0 290 580 870 1,160145Feet

Bus Stops

1:4,000 Stephen Crouch | Brian Farrell | Saeed Piracha | Yawen Huang

OpportunitiesTransit + Cultural Buildings Bus stops

Size of dot is equal to number of bus lines

Legend

Part 2: Opportunities

After existing conditions maps were created, we overlayed certain maps to create opportunities and constraint maps.

Transit Stops + Cultural Buildings

1 2 3 4 5 6

Bus stopsSize of dot is equal to the number of bus lines

Streetcar stops

Bike share

Transit Node

Cultural Building

23

Art

Food

Culture

Over-the-Rhine Character Zones

Ideation sketchPart 3: Concepts

The third portion of the studio consisted of developing concepts for our area.

After trying different scenarios, our team concluded that Pleasant Street would serve as a symbolic connector between food and culture, then extend north into an arts district.

Rationale:

Art: This zone is also known as the Brewery District, and has many old warehouses that could function as artist studios.

Food: The “food” zone is characterized by the public market.

Culture: This zone is home to the historic Music Hall and Washington Park, two defining landmarks of the neighborhood.

PLEASANT STREET

24

Jake DevostINTJ

Macy BiellerESFJ

Alex OsborneENFP

Nick SeillerINFJ

Jason WernerISTJ

Kyle LynchINFJ

PLEASANT STREET

CONNECTIVITY

HOUSING AND AMENITIES

Danielle CampbellESFP

Jesse UrbansikESFJ

Charlie HoganENFP

Part 4: Master Plan

Our studio joined into one team of 21 people to complete our master plan for Pleasant Street. We had five major sections: Pleasant Street, Connectivity, Housing and Amenities, Public Spaces, and Big Ideas.

My task was to oversee the graphics and presentation of the entire document, as well as coordinate projects between teams.

Sample of Team Breakdown Page in Plan Document

PLEASANT STREET

25

Brad BowersINFP

Brian FerrellINFP

Saeed PirachaINFP

Kyle FedermannESTJ

Madison LandonENFP

David WardESFP

Lauren BihlENFJ

Tim HawkESFJ

Haylee MartinkoINTJ

3D MODELING

PUBLIC SPACES

BIG IDEAS

*The four letters beneath each name denote the Myers-Briggs Personality Type of each person

PLEASANT STREET

26

DESIGN YOUR SCHOOLTHE EXPERIENTIAL ACADEMYDuring my 10-week fellowship in Clinton County I was fortunate to have helped a new private school plan their campus facilities.

After I planned and conducted a successful charrette with over 80 participants, the final product was a Master Campus Plan reflective of the desires of the students, families, and faculty of the school.

Skills: Public speaking, Public Engagement, Site Design Illustrator, InDesign

27

6:00pm Introduction

Welcome - Headmaster

Introduction - Stephen Crouch

Design Process – Landscape Architect

Group Creation – Stephen Crouch

6:30pm Group Work

Brainstorming

Common themes

7:15pm Synthesis

Return to commons area and display finished maps

Idea Sharing – Stephen Crouch

Summary

7:45pm Closing

Next steps – Stephen Crouch

Thank you – Headmaster

8:00pm Dismissal

“Design Your School” Charrette

The charrette involved over 80 participants, including students, parents, and faculty. The event occurred on July 14, 2014 and lasted for two hours.

After the introduction, students and adults were broken up into different design groups tailored for their respective ages.

Charrette Agenda

Charrette Logo Art

28

Natural Interactive

Versatile Unique

Results:

Two weeks after the charrette, a short meeting was had with the participants to synthesize the input collected.

By summarizing the results, the group decided on four common themes that would influence the physical design of the campus: Natural, Interactive, Versatile, and Unique.

In my recommendations of the locations and characteristics of playscape, I attempted to incorporate these four themes whenever possible.

Students pinning up their designs

Students creating designs Voting on playscape elements

DESIGN YOUR SCHOOL

29

Rec Center

Lytle CreekGreenway

0 175 350 Feet

Davids Dr.

Parking

Koi Pond

SPORTS FIELDS

AGRICULTURECENTER

KiddiePlayground

Sport Court

MAIN PLAYSCAPE

The Experiential Academy Campus

Runway Woods

ROPESCOURSE

Final Campus Design

DESIGN YOUR SCHOOL

NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESS DISTRICTSPRING 2014

In this studio we were tasked with understanding the fabric of a neighborhood business district and propose ways to improve it. My group was assigned the up-and-coming Cincinnati neighborhood of Northside.

By the end of our studio, our team produced a physical model of the business district and proposed our recommendations to Northside Neighborhood Council.

Skills: AutoCAD, Rhino, ArcGIS, Illustrator, InDesign

31

Figure ground

Solid void

Existing Conditions

Our group began by studying the history of Northside and performing site visits. My favorite aspect of the business district is how it is a curvilinear corridor. This curve gives a good sense of enclosure and a break from monotony.

Our team also used ArcGIS extensively to study figure grounds, solid voids, land use, zoning, and ownership.

32


Physical Model of Business District

33


Roundabout Proposal

inscribed circle

5ft.apron

10ft.pedestrian path

10ft.

Before:One of the obvious opportunities in the business district is to solve the congested six-way intersection at the southern entrance. This intersection is particularly difficult for pedestrian to cross, and a danger to bicyclists using the bike lane.

After:

A single-lane roundabout would be a more efficient and safer option for this intersection. We also made the recommendation to convert one street to a bike lane that connects to the Mill Creek Greenway.

Specifics:We investigated the feasibility of a roundabout in this intersection by referencing engineering standards for roundabouts by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

After presenting this proposal to the Northside Community Council, they made a motion to investigate the feasibility of the project with the Cincinnati Transportation Department.

34

ADDITIONAL PROJECTSHAND-DRAFTINGGRAPHIC DESIGNINT’L TRAVELCOUNTY COUNCIL

35

HAND-DRAFTING

Shadow study

Wilson Memorial Hall sketch

Downtown sketch

36

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Downtown map commission for Mainstreet Wilmington

GNG

c h u r c h n o t a s u s u a l

c h u r c h n o t a s u s u a l

church not as usualGNG

Logo concept #1 for church

Logo concept #2 for church

37

Promotional poster for Experiential Academy Charrette

T-shirt graphic for Clinton County Regional Planning Commission

38

INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL

CHINABeijing, 2014

My first international trip was a two-week long urbanism workshop at universities in Beijing and Jinan.

In an inter-disciplinary team of architects, planners, and engineers, we proposed urban design solutions for a small village in rural China.

39

BANGLADESH

HAITI

Dhaka, 2014

My trip to Dhaka was spurred by my interest in informal settlements and rapidly-growing cities.

During my week-long stay in Dhaka, I visited a garment factory, a slum, and parts of rural Bangladesh.

(Left) Freehand sketch of two Bengali taxi drivers who I met on my trip.

LaCroix, 2016

In January of 2016 I took a week-long mission trip to the small village of LaCroix to volunteer with a local ministry.

I worked on the construction team to put a roof on an unfinished medical residence up in the hills.

40

COUNTY COUNCIL

My passion for urban planning began through a student council project while I was a senior in high school and student body president.

I was concerned that traditional student councils had no stake in their community and that no tangible change was being created. When my student council began organizing meet-ups with other schools to discuss relevant issues, the Clinton County Regional Planning Commission provided us with support.

Coordinates high school student leaders in their efforts to be included in the decisions made in their schools and communities. CCSC involves four public schools serving over 2500 students. Projects include organizing conferences, workshops, service, and advocacy.

Today, the Clinton County Student Council coordinates high school student leaders in their efforts to be included in the decisions made in their schools and communities. CCSC involves four public schools serving over 2500 students. Projects include organizing conferences, workshops, service, and advocacy.

I am excited to take part in leading this organization because I believe it helps break down the myth that students have no say in the things that happen in their schools and community.

Student Government

41

117 N. East St.

Hillsboro, OH 45133

(937) 527-4470

[email protected]

CONTACT

STEPHEN CROUCHURBAN PLANNING

PORTFOLIO

stephen crouch - urban planning portfolio

Documents