Sustainable Neighborhood Design

Criteria for Afghan Cities

Osama HIDAYAT24 May 2016

Overview

Background Current Research Conclusion

Necessity of Research Dysfunctional pattern of urban growth; Increasing pollution and cost of land and resources.

Jaada-e-Maiwand (Source: Noori, 2009)

Chronological Timeline

ARG (Presidential Palace) built in 1880 by king Abdur

Rahman Khan in capital Kabul.

Ambitus urban programmes of

modernization were launched in major cities.

The deepening conflict between the soviet-

supported government and Mujahidin factions impact

on urban development

Focused on the spatial development of the city, including

new capital in Darulaman

Modernization and urban development efforts

continued, including ministry buildings and public facilities.

1880 1920 1950 1970 1985 2016

Kabul New City Master plan

Research Question

what might constitute a sustainable neighborhood or community.

How can we define sustainability principles and criteria in neighborhoods for various periods of time and different spatial circumstances?

Current Problems The Dispersal of Population and Activities

Centralization of Services and Facilities

Desire line of year 2008 over existing urban areas in Kabul city

Internally Displaced People (IDP’s) and Squatter Settlements

Kabul City squatter settlement updated 06/2013, 63 Settlements mapped. Source: IMMAP/USAID, Kabul.

Improving Current Land Use Trends

Development Density

• Less land is required for development,

• The potential to use energy more efficiently.

Accessibility to Public Transport

• Reduce reliance on car.

Provision Local Employment,

Services and Facilities

Trip Composition by PurposeSource: JICA- KMA Report 2008

 

Administration and Management

Neighborhood Sustainability Assessment Standard• Evaluate and rate the performance of a given neighborhood;

• Specify the extent of the neighborhood’s success in approaching sustainability goals.

Enlist public participation regularly in decision making

Design Guidelines for Neighborhood Sustainability

Land Use Conservation

Energy Use and Conservation

Walkability and Cycling

Network

Land Use Conservation

Different choices of housing;• Reduce dwelling lot size;

• Neighborhood variations

Include mix-use area; Street pattern and type.

Land use plan for the proposed neighborhood

Passive Architectural Strategies for Energy Use and Conservation

In sustainable development, the built environment should be designed in response to the site microclimatic conditions;

Some aspects of importance that need to be considered in the planning process

Sun

Considering and incorporating the effects of the sun on buildings into a design may reduce energy consumption by as much as 30% (Brooks 1988).

Developing the Passive House Standards (PHS) that provides sustainable solutions to energy needs can be a good starting point.

Psychrometric chart showing daily temperature ranges per year in Kabul. The range indicates that passive solar heating is the most effective climate responsive design strategy Source: IHFD, Feasibility study for a housing complex in Kabul. 2012

Passive Solar Heating

Thermal Mass Effects

Natural Ventilation

Direct Evaporative Cooling

 

Thermal Insulation of Buildings

Indoor temperature hours with internal gains in KabulSource: IHFD, Feasibility study for a housing complex in Kabul. 2012

Install shading devices and employ night ventilation

Can drop the indoor temperature by 3-4 Co

Use better glazing windows to maximize the use of solar gain.

Wind Wind direction is another element that must be integrated into

neighborhood design.

Wind direction over the entire yearSource: IHFD, Feasibility study for a housing complex in Kabul.

2012

Streets should be gently curving and houses should be closer to street’s edge,

Setback should vary slightly from house to house to avoid aligning front facades

Walkability & Cycling Network

The key motivation behind this interest is that travel by non-motorized modes constitutes an environmentally sustainable and a physically active transportation choice;

Trip Composition by Main Transport ModeSource: JICA- KMA Report 2008

Commercial and Civic amenities can be placed in close proximity to each other to foster walkability

A

Offices above stores

B

Apartments above stores

C

Shopping strip

D

Homes

Walkable Neighborhood

Conceptual Movement structure along with cycling route

Movement Structure (Appendix)

Preliminary Findings

Characteristic Traditional Neighborhood Design

Sustainable Neighborhood Design

Land-use diversity Single use: predominantly residential, with designated areas of clustered retail; segregated use base

Integrated mix-use: neighborhood based with integrated residential, retail, commercial and institutional

Street pattern & type Straight-linear and hierarchical;Traffic dispersed

Inter-connected network; flatter hierarchy of types; Traffic dispersed

Residential lot size and housing density

Average lot size: 600m2

Typical density: 11 lots/haAverage lot size: 500m2

Typical density: 14 lot/ha

Dominant retail type Regional, serving shopping centers, chai stores

Neighborhood, serving Independent retailers

Dominant planning Create comfortable housing Create community; affordable housing; jobs containment

Comparison of design for Kabul: Traditional vs Sustainable neighborhoods

Conclusion

The microclimate consideration in buildings and preserving green spaces in neighborhoods are making our cities more energy efficient;

Neighborhood Sustainability Assessment needs to be customized for being applied to Afghan cities;

Promoting mon-motorized modes of transport means lower emission and lower emission can mean cleaner environment;

adopting the recommendations systematically will be a significant long-term resource, bring monetary savings, and preserve the historical and cultural heritage of cities.

Thank you from your attention