Spaces under big bridges seem to have very specific "qualities", especially for people living in larger cities. Many fear these locations because of their dark and dull atmosphere. Others use these spaces like valuable niches in the urban fabric because nobody really seem to take notice of these areas. I wonder if there is any focussed research on this subject in architecture, urban planning, landscape architecture, urban sociology, psychology etc. etc.. Thanks for any hints!
Hi Udo,
A former colleague of mine - Dr. Brian Rosa, did his PhD on a similar topic; " Beneath the arches: re-appropriating the spaces of infrastructure in Manchester". The focus of his PhD is on infrastructure bridges in Manchester and how the material configuration of those spaces have been (re)appropriated through political, economic and cultural changes in the city.
You can access his thesis via his Academia page (as enclosed).
Hope that helps!
https://www.academia.edu/6205819/Beneath_the_Arches_Re-appropriating_the_Spaces_of_Infrastructure_in_Manchester
Dear Udo,
Maybe I can point you out some best practices and a brief overview of usages of such interstitional infrastructure spaces. Currently at the City on the Move Institute we are organising an international design competition in the city of Tours on the activation of such a space. More precisely, it consists of a typical case of left over space under a highway overpass. By the local inhabitants this majestic infrastructural space is called 'the cathedral'. In our design brief you may find the description of a few design best practices, but the Tours case in itself might also inspire you of how such left over spaces can become meaningful passages within the urban tissue.
http://passagestours.atu37.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/short-Brief-Passages-Tours-eng.pdf
More information about our overall project on urban passages you can find here:
http://passages-ivm.com/en/article/passages-project
Best of luck with your research.
http://passagestours.atu37.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/short-Brief-Passages-Tours-eng.pdf
Dear Udo
This is not necessarily an answer, but as a side note (and to other urban planners and ecologists as well), the "cathedrals" of sub- highway ramp spaces here in the USA are often (as mentioned ) utilized by the homeless as semi-permanent encampments. In turn, this brings food debris, which in turn brings city rat infestations and ultimately rodent-borne disease issues.
Sociologically, the rats cause a strong repulsion to the city residents of the area, whom may be considering the space for more creative use such as art fairs, weekend farmer's markets (fresh food and vegetables),bicycle/skateboarding arenas, and other potentially creative uses.
Once the cycle begins, an entire city rat ecology specific to highway cathedral spaces often develops. Interesting to urban rodentologists, but repulsive to most others.
The point is, these spaces are unfortunately overlooked by city officials as "wasted and unusable space" which begets them being even more unusable, and literally more unhealthy as a space.
Bobby Corrigan, Ph.D.
Urban Rodentologist
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Social Psychology
- Attitude