Urban Voids Unpacked (Master - Thesis)

Yordan Vakarelov - Simone Fracasso
URBAN VOIDS
UNPACKED
Master Thesis | Msc04 | Urb15
AALBORG UNIVERSITY
Yordan Vakarelov - Simone Fracasso
URBAN VOIDS
UNPACKED
A thesis submitted to the Aalborg University in partial fulfilment of the

requirements for the graduation in Master of Urban Design, 2015
Institute of Architecture & Design, Aalborg University
Master Thesis title: Urban Voids Unpacked

Thesis period: from 1st of February to 18th of June 2015
Submission date: 27th of May 2015
Supervisors: Ole B. Jensen and Niels Agerholm
Semester co-ordinator: Lea Louise Holst Laursen
Group number: 8
Number of copies: 3
Number of pages: 114
(Yordan Vakarelov)
(Simone Fracasso)
PREFACE
This Master thesis’ report was written by group 8, in the 4nd semester of the master programme in
Urban Design, at Aalborg University.
The theme of the project is Unpucking Urban Voids. Before to go in depth with the design phase
we went throught a research phase composed by the study of four different theories : Cities for
People by Jan Gehl (2010), Staging Mobilities by Ole B.Jensen (2010), Re-thinking a Lot: The Design and
Culture of Parking by Eran Ben-Joseph (2012) and Urban Catalyst: The Power of the Temporary Use by
P.Oswalt, K.Overmeyer, P.Misselwitz (2013).
These theories, togheter with the case study UDP in Milan, formed the theoretical and practical
foundation of the main project and the starting point for the definition of the analytical method.
ABSTRACT
The urban fabric of contemporary cities is changing at a fast pace. In order to meet the needs of modern
society, a new vision of how urban design is perceived is needed. The Urban Voids are a vital component
in the context of the built environment. With enormous but hidden potentials, it has the capacity of
becoming the corner stone of the city of tomorrow.
This Master Thesis project aims to create a concept of how these Urban Voids can be used as a catalyst
for the development of their environment. Combining analyses with a pragmatic design, this project
uses a solid theoretical background as well as a functional case study, to conceptualize the unpacking of
the potentials of Urban Voids.
Mixing practicality, economic feasibility and creativity, the design of this project aims to create a
realistic understanding of the site it examines and deliver an interesting and thought stimulating project,
not only in an aesthetic aspect, but also as an inspiration for the further implementation of Urban Voids
within urban design.
The result is made up by a beautiful, atmospheric mental image of Urban Voids as a catalyst for urban
development, combined with technical information to further the evident feasibility of such a project.
CONTENTS
7 Structuring the Thesis

9 Thesis Preamble (Definition Phase)
12 Introduction
13 Urban Voids Unpacked
16 Research Design
17 Theoretical Foundation (Research Phase)

19 Cities For People
19 First we shape cities, then they shape us
20 The lively, safe, sustainable and healthy city
21 Staging Mobilities
21 Features of the theory
21 Staging Mobilities
21 Critical Points of Contact
22 Geosemiotics
23 Re-thinking a Lot
24 Urban Catalyst
24 The Temporary Use
25 Patterns of the Unplanned
27 UDP Milan (Case Study)
29 Why this case study
29 Our Theories and the Milan UDP
30 Unpacking the “Urban Voids”
32 Describing the Milan UDP Case Study
35 Introducing the Site (Prenestina64)
45 From Above to Below (Analytical Phase)
47 The Weather Map
49 Neighborhood Populations
51 The Base Map
52 Geosemiotics & Materials
53 Interviewing Locals
54 What People Want
56 Edge Analysis
57 Mobilities Typologies
60 Countings and Flows
61 Parking Areas
62 Traffic Analysis
63 People versus Traffic (Concept Phase)
66 Manifesto
67 Design Strategies
69 Unpacking Prenestin64 (Design Phase)
71 Re-designing Traffic and Parkings
73 Masterplan of Interventions
75 Interventions (conceptually explained)
77 Working with the Edge: Main Street
78 Working with the Edge: Back Street
79 Zoom-in Plan
81 Sharing Pillars/Staging Tribune
82 Illuminating Pillars/LED Screen
83 Section A-A’
85 Renderings
91 Mobile App
93 Last Thoughts
95 Firs of All
96 Nuclei and Epicenters
97 Design Goals
98 Social Geography
99 Research Answer
103 Appendixes (Extra Material)
105 New Traffic Scenarios
107 Checking Parkings
108 Drone Aerial Analysis
109 Some References
111 Bibliography
112 Illustration List
Thesis Preamble
Introduction
Urban Voids Unpacked Research Question
Research Design
Case Study Urban Development Plan
Theoretical Foundation Cities For People 1
Staging Mobilities 2
Choice of the Site
Re-thinking a Lot 3
Prenestina 64 Urban Catalyst 4
Concept Phase
Manifesto
Design Strategies
Wake them up! Educational Design
Design Phase
Re-design of the Traffic Masterplan of Interventions
Re-design of Parkings - New Market - Working with the Edge
- Mixed Parking Areas - Staging Tribune
- Urban Connection - Illumating Pillars
- Pedestrian Terraces - LED Screen
New Traffic Scenarios - Mirror Wall - Sharing Pillars
Parkings Check
7
Analytical Phase Final Toughts
4 The Weather Map
History Nuclei
4 Neighborhood Populations
Geography Urban Voids
2 The Base Map
Context
1 Interviewing Locals
2 Geosemiotics & Materials
1 What People Want
1 Edge Analysis Design Goals
2 Mobilities Typologies
2 Countings and Flows
Social Geography
3 Parking Areas
2 Traffic Analysis
Research Answer
- What is the Urban Void?
- What is a catalyst
- Urban Voids as Catalyst
- Unpacking Urban Voids
Leave them Kids Alone!
Mobile App
Theory
- Learn
- Play Mappings
- Create Design
8
9
Introduction
Urban Voids Unpacked
Research Design
Thesis Preamble
Definition Phase
11
1
INTRODUCTION
Historically urban design is a discipline which deals & Waterman, 2010). Urban design is concerned with how
with the architectural outlook and planning of the city places function, not just how they look. “
structure in which we dwell. The contemporary face of
the discipline however deals with much more than the During the past decades different movements within
simplistic economic and aesthetic factors of urban the discipline have set standards, most of which did not
space, but also with their cultural, environmental and consider the human factor in their design, leaving a lot
sociological impacts. of unused spaces within the urban context. Relying on
solid theoretical framework, references and case studies
“Contemporary urban design exists at a crossroads of as well as analysis and mappings, this Master Thesis aims
architecture, landscape architecture and city planning. It to take on this problem which major modern cities
functions as a collaborative, creative process between several have, dealing with a specific kind of not functioning
disciplines and results in three dimensional urban forms and parts of the built urban environment, the urban voids.
space, enhancing the life of the city and its inhabitants (Wall
12
2
URBAN VOIDS UNPACKED
As discussed in the introduction, this Master Thesis According to Trancik, there are:
deals with the neglected or either forgotten spaces of
contemporary cities. Such spaces could be unused not “Five types of urban voids (with different degrees of openness
only because of their limited functionality, but also and enclosure) play a part in the exterior city.”
because of the fact that the public eye does not perceive “The first is the entry foyer space that establishes the import-
them at all. Urban voids can be seen as spaces which ant transition, or passage, from personal domain to common
disrupt the urban tissue, without belonging to a private territory.“
or public realm. They are seen as out of context and
incoherent with their surroundings. Often without “The second type is the inner block void – the enclosed “hole
function, due to the fact that they were rendered obso- in a doughnut” – a semiprivate residential space for leisure
lete, by new urban plans or social and commercial or utility or a midblock shopping oasis for circulation or rest.“
factors; or due to poor design both contemporary or
the mono-ideology of past urban design movements, “A third type of void is the primary network of street sand
these spaces live up to the definition of the very word squares, a category that corresponds to the predominant field
they bear – “without content; ineffectual; vain; useless; of blocks and that contains the active public life of the city.“
empty.” (dictionary.reference.com)
“Public parks and gardens are the fourth type of larger voids
“The usual process of urban development treats build- that contrast with architectural urban forms.“
ings as isolated objects and sites in the landscape, not as
part of the larger fabric of streets, squares and viable “The final type of urban void is the linear open space system,
open spaces. Decisions about growth patterns are made commonly related to major water features such as rivers,
from two-dimensional land-use plans, without consider- waterfronts, and wetland zones.“
ing the three-dimensional relationships between build-
ings and spaces and without a real understanding of In our contemporary cities, many spaces are left
human behaviour. “ neglected and unseen. For example the urban fabric
beneath and around the flyovers of massive transport
Taking this quote from Roger Trancik’s book “Finding arteries, are spaces almost always not perceived by
Lost Space: Theories of Urban Design” published in 1986, citizens. Even though the amount of people passing
we can understand why people do not perceive such next to them is significant, they are completely invisible
spaces. Designed on a simple two-dimensional plan, to their eyes. They are right there, but people aren’t able
staged from below, these spaces have no consideration to see them. These spaces are the main focus of our
for the quality of public life and accommodate no real Master Thesis and their characteristics as well as the way
requirements for the users of the urban fabric. However we want to unload their potential within the context
the users understand in a completely different way urban fabric around are why we defined the topic as
spaces, opposed to designers, who see their many “Urban Voids Unpacked”.
hidden potentials, which can be unfolded and devel-
oped in such voids. Bringing people to the accomplishment of the senso-
Quotes are taken from Roger Trancik’s book:

13 “Finding Lost Space: Theories of Urban Design”, 1986
rimotor stage of the development of their urban being places of “unexpected and unknown” outcomes,
consciousness, through our project design we aim to places with cultural, social and empowering functions.
make the users of the urban fabric aware of these spaces.
Not only to be perceived as the physical structures they Our main focus is to locate, describe, problematize and
are intended to be, our purpose is to make people see find solutions for these spaces, which we have defined
and experience these spaces in a way that is usually unseen for the public city eye, answering the main
reserved only by designers. They have the potential of research question of our Master Thesis project:
How can we unpack the catalysing potential

of urban voids in contemporary cities?
14
15
3
RESEARCH DESIGN
Our research design is comprised of a methodologi- – site analysis and mappings – initial design proposals –
cal plan for the execution of the Master Thesis finalized design proposals – conclusions and further
project including the following steps described development.
below:
- Design Outcomes: our aim is to propose a design
- Research Field: our research field extends from that has the ability to be functional in any similar
Theoretical foundations by urban designers concerning location to the one described in our Master Thesis and
the quality of public spaces and their usage, to a practi- able to evolve to serve the specific characteristics of the
cal case study that are in line with our goals and particular urban fabric of each new site.
thoughts.
- Demarcation: our Master Thesis project will be
- Methods: the methods we plan to use for our Master focused on a particular kind of “urban void”, which are
Thesis are a solid theoretical background; site analysis smaller in scale and positioned at vital mobility nodes
and mappings; interviews; 3D modelling; Peer-to-peer throughout cities, in which we will seek to “unpack”.
review. Thus the demarcation will leave out larger scaled spaces
and what can be the next step in the development of our
- Step by step Development: theory research – project – the backbone connection of the entirety of
theoretical framework – research question formulation “urban void” spaces within a contemporary city.
– revising the theoretical frame work – theory research
16
17
Cities For People
Staging Mobilities
Re-thinking a Lot
Urban Catalyst
Theoretical Foundation
Research Phase
The theories listed below constitute the basis for the development of our master thesis. Some of them are going
to be useful for the analytical stages and some will be used in the design stages of the project.
Cities for People by Jan Gehl (2010)

Staging Mobilities by Ole B.Jensen (2010)
Re-thinking a Lot: The Design and Culture of Parking by Eran Ben-Joseph (2012)
Urban Catalyst: The Power of the Temporary Use by P.Oswalt, K.Overmeyer, P.Misselwitz (2013)
Both Cities for People and Staging Mobilities strongly orient our design interest on the human perception of the
city. We’ll use the key concepts of these theories during the analytical phase of the work, during which the site is
scrutinized in different ways; resulting in mappings, registrations and a general understanding of the use of space
at the sites in question. The theory from the Eran B.Joseph’s book instead is helpful in understanding one particu-
lar type of urban void: the parking lot. Seen the actual use of our selected sites is oriented to illegal parking, this
books helps us to see in these spaces beyond the simplistic parking lot solution, opening up our eyes to new poten-
tials. Urban Catalyst instead serves as an inspirational tool in dealing with the task of designing and formulating a
concept of design. Our sources of inspiration and information while working on the project have been many,
relating to different challenges and tasks throughout the thesis development, but the ones discussed and
paraphrased here represent the main core of the theoretical foundation.
Jan Gehl
CITIES FOR PEOPLE
Jan Gehl’s book brings the urban design and planning marketplaces sustained their function as centres of
issues of our nowadays cities to the human scale. The trade and craftsmanship.
modern urban planning is dramatically changed in the
last decades and what before was the main focus, the There seems to be a mutual influence between the city
city life, now it appears to be completely forgotten. and the people. Bringing the matter to the present day,
Looking at the cities as they were thought before, for the issue moves to the growing demand for traffic in our
instance Venice, it is clear that the urban scale was the cities. The most immediate reaction was to fill all possi-
human one. An higher priority was given to activities ble spaces with moving and parked cars and then the
such as walking, sitting, standing or more simply construction of new roads. Unfortunately, as a direct
interacting with the public space. consequence, the effect was a further increase of the
number of cars in the city. We can say that more roads
In the last years, with the increasing number of cars and means more traffic, can we say less roads, less traffic?
traffic, the human dimension phased out and the condi-
tions necessary for the people to engage the city life are Consequently to the damages of an earthquake, San
being eroding. Francisco in the 1989 closed one of the biggest traffic
arteries of the city to cars. The effect was that car drivers
First we shape cities, then they shape us found an alternative route, but being the capacity lower,
Looking at the history of our cities, we can clearly see the traffic paradoxically diminished. So the damaged
that the urban structure and the way cities are planned double-decker freeway was converted into a city boule-
has always affected the people’s behaviours. For vard with trolley cars, trees and wide sidewalks.
instance, the compact urban fabric of the medieval
cities with their short distance, their cozy squares and The same argument can be made regarding the public
19
spaces of the city. The better their quality and better it and that creates boring and passive space for pedestrian.
will be the quality of city life. 1"If better city space is
provided, use will increase." Physical planning can The safe city concept deals with another paradox. A
greatly influence the pattern of use in individual regions more liveable city derives also from the safe conditions.
and city areas, what matters to entice people to walk At the moment in the majority of our cities traffic lanes
around and stay in city space is very much an issue of and pedestrian sidewalks are pretty much separated
working with the human dimension and issuing a each other. Having dedicated lanes make people to feel
tempting invitation. more protected, but paradoxically this lead to less
awareness of pedestrians and drivers. Mixed traffic
The lively, safe, sustainable and healthy city street are a solution for this problem, and even if having
1
"The quality in the city is a self-reinforcing process." shared spaces seems to be less safe, people are more
Attracting cities need closely designed public spaces to aware of the other type of traffic passing by so there are
sustain those processes empowering city life. Basically less accident and the street results to be safer.
people are naturally attracted by activity and the
presence of other people. As the common saying says: Talking about sustainability instead, walking and
1
"People come were people are". For instance watching cycling are two important factors. Giving to people the
outside the window other children playing, a child right conditions to walk and to cycle, doesn’t just
hurry to join them. Concerning a lively city is import- remove cars and traffic from the city, but gives the
ant to work with the right scale, the right dimensions, opportunity to implement new public transport
density alone doesn’t necessarily produce life in the systems, such as LRT and BRT. This leads not just to an
streets. Important features for lively cities are soft edges. environmental sustainability, with the reduction of
The edge in this case is the border between buildings pollution, but also to the more important social sustain-
and the city. Lower floors have a considerable affection ability that gives various groups in society equal oppor-
on the street life and their treatment deserves an higher tunities for accessing common city spaces and getting
priority in the urban design policies. They are exchanges around town.
areas where approximately the 70% of city life happens.
To have façades with several doors and openings, for Direct consequence of being able to experience the city
instance shops, and maybe also with vertical relief, helps by walking or cycling is that people make physical
a lot in creating a soft edge. Vertical lines are more activity. Benefits are substantial not just for a positive
coherent with the human 5km/h scale, instead of the spin-off of the quality of the city life, but also to reduce
60km/h scale that works more for drivers on the move the health-care costs.
1. Cities for People by Jan Gehl (2010)

20
Ole B. Jensen
STAGING MOBILITIES
According to this theory Mobility is a cultural designed, planned, and ‘staged’ (from above).
phenomenon. We carry flows and move across places:
John Urry proclaims that “Societies are not static However, they are equally importantly acted out,
‘things’ and ‘places’, but dynamic relations and performed and lived as people are ‘staging themselves’
networks!’. Moreover he argues that mobilities (from below). Staging Mobilities is a dynamic process
research should concern itself with five different kinds between ‘being staged’ (...) and the ‘mobile staging’ of
of mobilities: corporeal travel, movements of objects, interacting individuals3. Different actors play different
imaginative travel, virtual travel and communicative roles in this dramaturgical metaphor, depending on if
travel. These key points express a view of mobility as a they are staging from above or from below. Concerning
physical travel that involves embodied, sensed and the staging from above we can consider the following:
performed practices, with all the psychological implica- Planning (documents, procedures, plans etc.), Design
tions that occur before, during and after a travel. All the (design manuals, design codes, architecture etc.), Regu-
factors mentioned above contribute to the change of lations (legal frameworks, laws etc.) and Institutions
the view of our cities from mono‐centric to complex (policy arenas, economic interests and actors). In
networks of multiplicities. Nowadays a ‘mobility turn’ is regards to the staging from below: Consociates in
necessary to better understand the relationship interaction (the meeting and passing by on the everyday
between ‘problems’ and ‘potentials’ of the network city street), Individual performances (the body and its
using an interdisciplinary approach that goes from movements) and The mobile self-presentation (social
sociology to urban design. dynamics of interaction on the move)4. In the Staging
Mobilities framework the two important elements are
Features of the theory the metaphors of ‘the river’ and ‘the ballet’. The former is
The main theoretical features of the network city are as based on the bird’s eye view analysis of urban spaces, it
follows: New technologies and Performative Urban sees the flow of people as water in a river. The latter
Spaces, Staging Mobilities, Critical Points of Contact regards bodily interactions and situational dynamics of
and Geosemiotics. The relationships between human situational mobilites and it’s based on gestures, gazes,
beings were once a matter of face to face interactions, and embodied negotiations and interactions that take
but today with the advent of new technologies they place in urban spaces.
have become more abstract, they are invisible and
mobile social networks, with a reduced necessity for Critical Points of Contact
physical contact. Technology in this respect can be seen In the cities of today the social issues and the multiple
as a way to enhance interactions and experiences in systems are overlaid and constantly convergent, in
urban transit spaces: examples of these digital parallel and in conflict. What is Interesting in these
infrastructures are the WiFi, rain/wind detectors, air layered networks of physical dynamics, people, adver-
pollution sensors and so on. The implementation of tisement posters, deliveries of goods to the shops and so
these digital systems obviously needs to be regulated by on is to analyze how they are connected or not connect-
a protocol, but there is certainly also a need for designed to one another. In this framework the Critical Points
ers to take decisions. of Contact are defined as the clashes between these
layers, they start to be critical when a determined
Staging Mobilities system changes and affects the other ones implied in the
‘Staging Mobilities’ is an understanding of the mobile ‘meeting’. In addition to this the city can also be seen as
situation. Mobilities do not ‘just happen’ or simply ‘take a complexity of processes in which one finds our every-
place’. Mobilities are carefully and meticulously day practices, we are co‐constituents in re‐creating and
21
re‐shaping the city. We have a multiple perception of
this ‘object’, depending on who we are (social hierarchy,
mood, age etc.), but as we are also reshaping the city, it
does the same to us with its physical materiality and the
affection of its spaces on our urban behaviors. Said that
we should be aware that a CPC could be everything, it
doesn’t just concern the physical elements, but it could
be composed of more abstract characters as anthropo-
logical or sociological factors.
Geosemiotics
Sociological factors (e.g. a determined place in a neigh-
borhood could be the meeting point of different
cultures). Last but not least, the fourth feature of the
network cities is Geosemiotics. The origin of this
academic discipline has to be found in the Semiotics
studies by the American philosopher Charles Sanders
Peirce (1839-1914). He defined semiotics as the science
of the meaning of signs. We can sum up the interpreta-
tions of this ‘meaning’ into three parts: the Icon which is
based on the similarity of the sign with something
conventional and well known, the Symbol, that
represents habits and conventions of a specific local
culture and lastly the Index in which the meaning is
based on the physical placement of the sign within a
determined context, from this last point geosemiotics
develops its concepts. The definition of geosemiotics in
the Scollon & Scollon’s book ‘Discourses in Place:
Language in the Material World’ is: The study of the
social meaning of the material placement of signs and
discourses and of our actions in the material world5
From this quote is clearly visible what’s the focus of
geosemiotics, the strong importance of the placement
of a sign and the dialogue of this with other more or less
reflected messages within the same semiotic aggregate.
In contemporary cities the understanding of the mean-
ing of signs gains even more relevance when, for
instance in the graffiti/murals case, that is an expression
of urban subcultures, a voice that can no longer be
ignored but and has to be heard and conscientiously
used in the design of the city.
22
Eran Ben-Joseph
RE-THINKING A LOT
Eran B.Joseph’s book analyzes the surface parking lots sophisticated ethnic cuisine, one can enjoy a quickly
issue in the contemporary city. The “Urban Voids served fresh meal in a convenient location.” Talking
Unpacked”, object of our master thesis project, are about the social realm, they can also serve as
being used as parking lots in the majority of cases. playground for children, or during the off hours, when
Common feature of these spaces is their state of stores are closed, they can be a meeting point for young
neglect, but what makes them special is their huge people that show off their cars and socialize.
unexpressed urban potential.
Being they part of the urban landscape they also have a
2
“Parking lots could be significant public places, huge impact concerning to the environmental issue and
contributing as much to their communities as great in the way we perceive the atmosphere of the city we
boulevards, parks, or plazas. For all the acreage they live in. Even if their life reason is unavoidably linked to
cover, parking lots have received scant attention. It’s the constant need of new space for car, they can be seen
time to change that; it’s time to rethink the lot!” in a different perspective, closer to the way we design
public spaces.
Parking lots have a lot in common, they can affect more 2
then we think the way we experience the city. They are “Parking lots with or without parked vehicles can be
the first and the last thing we see when we arrive to our fine space, even great spaces. Lots can be integrated
destination. into their surroundings with little or no environmen-
tal disruption. They can be social and cultural assets,
They can be a fertile ground for artistic, cultural and a stage for open, less controlled behaviours where
social uses, there is much more beyond the simple multiuse and multifunction can be achieved. Lots can
parking. In the U.S.A. for instance, before football be productive places that do environmental work,
games these parking lots are used for eating, drinking clean water runoff, generate oxygen, and produce
and having fun before the match starts. During this so energy. They can also be well designed with attention
called “Tailgating”, people set up BBQs, tables and paid to details, materials, and architectural composi-
chairs transforming the parking lots in a new common tion. The options are limitless. It is time to shift from
space where temporary communities can develop. modest and lackluster attitudes about parking lots
These spaces are also a fertile ground for mobile food towards attitudes that celebrate and acknowledge the
shops. 2“Food trucks and parking lots enjoy a symbiot- great potential of these spaces.”
ic relationship. From traditional hot dogs to the
2. Re-thinking a Lot: The Design and Culture of Parking

23 by Eran Ben-Joseph (2012)
P.Oswalt, K.Overmeyer, P.Misselwitz
URBAN CATALYST: THE POWER OF THE TEMPORARY USE
Urban planning was initially interpreted as an act of

colonization, primarily based on the designation and
development of city’s areas, and after for the construc-
tion of new buildings. However, now things are chang-
ing, and the matter it’s more about addressing what has
already been built and how it evolves in a long time
perspective.
3
”The built environment is no longer the goal, but the
starting point”.
With this changing trend regarding the development of

the city, also a different perception raised up in citizen
consciousness. Urban Catalyst book is dedicated to all
urban areas whose future is vague, the ones in a state of
no longer or not yet. Temporary urban areas with a huge
unfulfilled potential.
The Temporary Use

Temporary use is unplanned, but concerning to the
city’s public and cultural life as well as in its urban devel-
opment it is very important. Unfortunately it has been
almost completely shrugged off in the urban policies of
our cities. Below are listed 9 different typologies of
temporary uses explored in the book:
- Stand in: The stand-in has no lasting effect on the

place. It merely uses gap between the last use and the
next. Such a low-impact approach makes realization
easier at the cost of transitoriness.
- Free Flow: The use continues indefinitely by moving

to new locations as the opportunity arises. This
approach skilfully combines the pragmatism of the
stand-in with long-term development, as it also uses the
change of location to update its own activity.
- Impulse: In-between use can decisive impulses for

the programmatic profiling of its location: it establishes
a new activity profile that is carried on in a new form
even after it ends.
3. Urban Catalyst: The Power of the Temporary Use

by P.Oswalt, K.Overmeyer, P.Misselwitz (2013) 24
- Consolidation: Former temporary use becomes “lie fallow” period in agriculture. It’s a time usable to
established and turns into long-term use. Informal regenerate and to let the space to become fertile again.
arrangements are replaced by long-term leases and
regular permits In this perspective people whose lives close to these
areas play an important role. They can be an active part
- Co-Existence: Even after the appearance of new of the catalysing reaction, with their amount of social
commercial uses, the informal temporary use continues and cultural capital. We can define the temporary user
to exist on a smaller scale, A niche existence makes in three main groups:
co-existence possible.
- Young Entrepreneurs: People that use these urban
- Parasite: The temporary use exploits the potential of spaces as a springboard for the realization of an idea.
an existing long-term use by operating next to it. Usually they are young well-educated people between
- Pioneer: Hitherto unused territory is at first temporar- school and career.
ily appropriated by the simplest means and used in a
transient manner. With the success of the temporary - Hobbyists: People who undertake the temporary use
use, the activities continue indefinitely and take on as an hobby. These urban actors search to enrich their
increasingly permanent forms. cultural experience seeking the freedom to follow
experimental life styles.
- Subversion: The temporary use strategically occu- - Opportunists: These temporary users are usually
pies the spaces of a long-term use in order to disturb and people searching for opportunities to pull back from
transform it. Although such occupations and sit.ins are society and changing drastically their life habits.
usually short-lived, they often effect a marked transfor-
mation of the institutions concerned. Temporary users discover urban architectural poten-
tials, have a flair for unusual locations, and worry very
- Displacement: Permanent uses are temporarily little about the existing image of the site. 3“Temporary
displaced and continue in an improvised fashion until users do not expect a site to meet established
they are able to return to their permanent location. The standards of structure, they understand the impor-
temporary displacement can generate impulses for the tance of the unknown and the unexpected.”
reinvigoration of the program.
It is important when we analyze a good place where test
The importance of temporary uses stay also in their a temporary use to build a “Weather Map” composed
affection on the future development of the urban life. by traffic connections, available area and density of
3
“Their influence continues to be felt even after their young people. In general a good location for a tempo-
end...temporary uses change the image of their rary use is a place with intact infrastructure, very accessi-
location and attract other uses to settle there...they ble and with a dense network of potential actors.
also have an impact on the biography of the initiators.
Even if in most cases temporary uses only exist for a 3“Characteristic and also visible to the visitor is an
limited time, they may have lasting and long-term easily readable multilayerdness: the site is overlaid
effects on the development of locations, economic with a series of interventions that decidedly belong,
sectors, and cultural fields.” aesthetically, to the present, and culturally to contexts
different from that of the site.”
Patterns of the Unplanned
Vacant spaces as the unplanned ones occupied and used To build a strong identity compensates the instability of
by temporary users have to be considered a resource for the temporary use.
the city. The lack of specific uses has to be seen as the
3. Urban Catalyst: The Power of the Temporary Use by

25 P.Oswalt, K.Overmeyer, P.Misselwitz (2013)
26
27
Why this case study
Our Theories and the Milan UDP
Unpacking the “Urban Voids”
Describing the Milan UDP Case Study
UDP Milan
Case Study
THE PLAN Magazine
NEW URBAN DEVELOPMENT PLAN IN MILAN (UDP)
Why this case study “lively, safe, sustainable and healthy city”. These
The reason why we have found this case study interest- qualities which Jan Gehl searches for and describes are
ing in regards to our Master Thesis is because it is a also many of the main focus points of the New Urban
recent urban development plan for the city of Milan, Development Plan for the city of Milan (UDP). Found
which is like where our sites are based is a big metropoli- as sub goals to the main focus points, the case study of
tan city in Italy. Apart from the solely geographical Milan’s prospect for the future is a valuable insight into
similarities, this case study offers a really interesting a more practical rather than theoretical approach
perspective upon a new urban proposal for the city towards the urban fabric in a modern setting and also
based on the following goals and sub goals. with geographical similarities to our Master Thesis’s
aims.
The attractive city
The metropolitan network; Synergies between urban “Staging Mobilities” by Ole B. Jensen:
development and infrastructure organisation; A house One of the focus points of the Milan UDP is the design
for everyone; Encouraging creativity and a pro-active approach through the analysis of the “urban voids”.
tertiary sector; Safeguarding neighbourhood identities, These spaces can derive from different causes, but often
the historic city and landscape. they are a product of a missed convergence between
urban planners, staging from “above”, and the real
The liveable city human dimension of the people’s city life, staged from
Permeable environmental systems; Efficient use of “below”. They are areas full of potential, because they
agricultural areas; Remediation of contaminated or are frequently located in urban Critical Points of
decommissioned areas; Water, an essential element; Contact, where the city expresses its multilayered
The new energy policy. nature. Mobility is a cultural phenomenon, according
to Ole B. Jensen and according to the new UDP of
The efficient city Milan, one of the main aims of the governmental
Evenly allocated services; Focus on neighbourhoods bodies is to put emphasis not on a big scale city urban
and local-scale green areas; Free-flow time; Manage- development masterplan, but rather gives regard to
ment and upkeep of green public spaces; Subsidiarity to small neighbourhood communities and their cultural
link public and private significance. This can be seen in the quote from the
interview between Nicola Leonardi and the Studio of
Most of these goals can directly correlate to the formu- Metrogramma; Andrea Boschetti & Alberto Francini,
lation of our theoretical background and more specifi- published in the 2010 edition of THE PLAN Maga-
cally to the “Cities for People” by Jan Gehl and “Staging zine “Milan, The Dense City”.
Mobilities” by Ole B. Jensen.
4
“It’s a bit like the metaphor of the tree and its fruit:
Our Theories and the Milan UDP the branches are the urban structure; the fruit is the
“Cities for People” by Jan Gehl: individual neighbourhoods; each of whose particular
As described in our theoretical background this book characteristics are closely connected to the city’s
emphasises on the importance of the quality of the overall identity. “
urban space as a liveable place for the people. It also
emphasises on the human scale factor as a tool when 4
“The whole mobility issue is a delicate one. Let’s start
designing and perceiving the quality of an urban space. from one prerequisite: that a city should have a
As stated in the title of the book a city for people is a far-reaching efficient public transport network. None-
29
theless it would be completely utopian to attempt to
deprive a community of private cars. “
4
“This approach entails enhancing the specific identi-
ties of the various neighbourhoods and districts”
The interesting aspects of this new UDP are that they

are treating the large scale environment of the city of
Milan on a more local basis, putting emphasis on
culture and communities but also giving regard to the
big infrastructural nodes and arteries that serve the
mobility aspect of every modern metropolitan city.
Unpacking the “Urban Voids”

This new urban development plan also has two main
areas of activity, the first of which presents a particular
interest to us as it is the main theme in our Master
Thesis the “urban voids”. Quotes from the magazine
article regarding these areas can be found below.
4
“The collective or public structure of the city. This is
the pattern of “void” separating the built volumes and
is an unchanging feature, especially when these voids
connect the city’s monumental buildings. This weave
of open areas is the blueprint for the future city, fram-
ing the concrete action plans to be implemented at the
different scales”
The built fabric or “solids” making up Milan’s many

neighbourhoods that contribute to the city’s multiple
identities. This built fabric will be the object of a rolling
series of optimisation projects.
Treating the urban fabric and generalizing it into two
more concrete sides – the void and the solid – is maybe
a simplistic way of perceiving a city but the notion of
the “urban void” is an interesting term, because it could
be correlated to our idea of the “Urban Voids
Unpacked”.
The aim is to use these “void” spaces and their huge

potential as a corner stone for the future development
of the city, an interesting perspective which we, in our
Master Thesis, share with this strategy, having chosen to
view these spaces as a huge potential for the revitaliza-
tion and redevelopment of the urban fabric of the city.
4
“A pillar of Milan’s sustainable Urban Plan is what
is known as the “urban voids”. These will be turned
into truly collective places for socialisation, flexible
4. “Milan, The Dense City”
THE PLAN Magazine, (2010) 30
spaces that relate to their immediate urban
surrounds.
The proposed extensive and intensive service provision

delivered by these “urban voids” is key to the city’s
future development. “Urban voids” will constitute the
green backbone of the new urban vision, a varying
scale series of pedestrian walkways, squares, open
public spaces, cycle paths, circulation routes ( for
collective and private traffic) , new services provision
centres for the local and wider communities, neigh-
bourhood shops and so on.
The backbone structure confirms the overall strategy

of the development plan whose underlying objective is
to create greater service density that will in turn raise
the overall quality of the people’s lives. As the new
Milan Urban Plan is rolled out, service quality
standards should rise from 18 sq m to 36 sq m per
inhabitant in just a few years.”
Connecting the concept of the urban “void” to our

concept of “Unpacking” them, we see a lot of potentials.
These spaces are a left over, a result of superficial urban
planning policies. Although different in scale, the
“Urban Voids Unpacked” shares the same problems
and possibilities but in a smaller capacity than most
urban “voids”, as described and pointed out in THE
PLAN magazine article and according to the new
UDP of Milan.
“Urban Voids Unpacked” are not perceived by people

as urban spaces or in the cases they do, it is simply born
by a primary temporary necessity of parking space for
their increasing number of cars. Here comes in help
another theory we are working with: “Re-thinking a
lot: The Design and Culture of Parking” by Eran
Ben-Joseph. Often people use these areas as surface
parking lot, this behaviour is dictated by a need of space,
but this choice implicitly encloses the potential multi-
functional nature regarding the uses of parking lots.
New possible temporary uses can grow autonomously

on site in many ways, the book “Urban Catalyst”, part
of our theoretical framework, describes how this
happens. It also serves as a toolbox, filled of different
methods of implementation of new temporary uses in
these vacant areas of the city.
Concerning our mobility theoretical framework, we
31 THE PLAN Magazine, (2010)
think that the “Urban Voids Unpacked” is similar to ent perspective; looking for more theoretical
the ones described in Milan’s new Urban Development background; sometimes also coinciding with our
Plan, which is our case study, but more concerned with viewpoints.
mobility, because of their location and connection with
vital transport hubs. Also the way they can be seen as New Urban Development Plan in Milan – includes
staged from above and below. Connecting Ole B. the public spaces and their organisation , certain
Jensen’s work with Jan Gehl’s one, these spaces are fundamental services, roads, public transport etc.
maybe well designed from above to execute purely The UDP Plan of Milan is a huge venture that includes
mobility functions, but poorly designed from below. It’s every aspect of that a modern city should look and be
like urban planners staging from above the model of the contemplated as such, providing a better standard of
new designed flyover, get distracted by their “bird view” living for its population. We believe that our sites are
perspective and they forget about the space beneath. locate in such a way that they tie into the transport
They do not consider the human factor, the functional- system of the city but their unfulfilled potential can also
ity of the urban fabric and the context around our be developed and designed with functionality for the
“Urban Voids Unpacked” regarding their usage by people.
people.
Redistribution of urban loads
Also the concept of the “urban void” directly correlates This concept of the UDP of Milan ties in with our idea
not only to the mobility issues that our “Urban Voids of the redistribution of the urban components around
Unpacked” faces, but also to Jan Gehl’s theory about a out sites and their actual connection to the urban fabric.
city for people. A “void” for us can be considered as a
space deprived of qualities, thus being empty not in the Underlying idea of an open-ended plan that will
literal sense of the word but metaphorically speaking continue to evolve
about the quality of the space (scale, dimensions, densi- This method of a progressing plan that can set a founda-
ty, etc). Concerning the factors that Jan Gehl sets in his tion but continue to evolve is similar to our Iceberg
book “Cities for People”, these places are neither lively Method – we create the bottom of the iceberg but the
nor safe or sustainable and healthy. top of it that is above water will be designed specifically
for each case, enhancing the particular cultural identity
According to our understanding of the theoretical of the urban neighbourhood around or the design
framework and the case study that we found, we think purpose of the site in question.
that there is a direct link between the so-called “urban
void” described in THE PLAN Magazine and our Flexible and abreast of the times
“Unpacking” of those “voids” and, concerning the New We believe that our design proposal should be flexible
Urban Development Plan for the city of Milan. Deriv- as we are aiming for creating a blueprint, model, matrix
ing from this, we have chosen to highlight certain that can be applied to different sites around the world
points in the article as well as quotes that would further similar to ours here in Rome.
our understanding of such spaces and also give us new
ideas about their potential development. This development must be two-way. Definitely
the idea is not so much to be set in as a plan but
Describing the Milan UDP Case Study a work-in-progress, a blueprint, also aimed to
Important points and quotations from THE PLAN interact with the citizens of the city
Magazine, dedicated to the new urban development Our aim is to create a design proposal that is influenced
plan of Milan. From these points we can also derive as much from our point of view as planners or “staging
some important ideas for the future development of from above” as it is from the people which are going to
our own project and the Master Thesis in general. This use it or “staging from below”
case also serves as a tool for the elaboration of our
Research question. These elaborations of the points are Once the structure – the backbone of the collec-
just like examples or food-for-thought, resulting in the tive spaces has been established, densification of
re-reading of the theories; looking at them with a differ- the services will be necessary to ensure these
32
areas become the drivers of transformation. terises are closely connected to city’s overall identi-
A very interesting point of view upon the urban fabric ty
was discussed in THE PLAN Magazine concerning This metaphor can be correlated to our Iceberg idea as
the methods with which the governmental urban well. The branches are the solid foundation design which
bodies discuss the topic of the “void” spaces. They have could be applied to similar locations while the fruit is the
constructed a model showing all of these spaces with specific site location “custom” development design, which
the heights of the voids correlating to the surrounding of course depends on the location, cultural and commer-
built urban fabric. See picture below: cial scene, surrounding urban fabric etc. Also we feel like
we could use another metaphor regarding our particular
Master Thesis project. The branches can be seen as the
urban fabric of the city, spreading around everywhere,
being mobility networks; social networks; cultural
networks etc. These branches are connected to the fruits
which are represented by our PaBS or the urban voids in
such a sense as these fruits are something beneficial, spaces
where there is unutilized potential for the future develop-
ment of the city.
Interventions that can be put in place immediately

at a local level and broader-scale projects whose
complex structural nature makes them long-term
With our design development we will be looking to create
Image curtesy of THE PLAN Magazine
a sort of intervention that could become permanent over
time or change in some way but still be a part of the
This model clearly demonstrates the magnitude of such transformation of these spaces.
“void” spaces and why they can be seen as a backbone of
the city. They connect the urban tissue together and The pattern of “voids” separating the built
remain unutilized in their potential to become urban volumes/environment is an unchanging feature,
catalysts. This is the potential that we want to explore in especially when these “voids” connect the city’s
our Master Thesis’s design but in a smaller detail, as we public spaces, transport hubs, monumental build-
cannot deal with all the various types of such voids, ings
focusing on the ones that are closely connected to the This issue deals with the fact that these urban “voids” are a
transport system of the city – the flyover spaces. part of the urban fabric. Separating urban volumes they
serve no other function or purpose, which leaves their
The whole mobility issue is a delicate one potentials unutilized.
By our opinion we transfer this point to our project in
regards that mobility is not easy to stimulate and main- Correlate economic, creative, social, cultural and
tain in places such as ours, because of the simple fact urban resources into a strategic system
that people do not perceive them as public, well-de- One of the main points with which the new UDP deals
signed or as spaces in general. This is one the main with is the practical redistribution of the resources and the
difficulties that our design proposals must answer, creation of a system which provides new services –
because to create a successful design we must work with commercial, economic, cultural and residential – based on
the mobility issue in such a manner, which will imple- a local “need and provide” system
ment these spaces into the urban fabric in a coherent
and functional way. By encroaching on the inner city, regional areas will impact
the centre’s morphology and its inhabitants lifestyles
The metaphor of the tree and its fruit; the branches
are the urban structure; the fruit is the individual 4“Until recently, urban voids were considered simply as
neighbourhoods; each of whose particular charac- left-over pieces of land between buildings, not as an
33 THE PLAN Magazine, (2010)
essential “material” resource with which to create quali-
ty urban space. By showing all the urban voids on the
city map as an architectural volume, one gets a clear
understanding of the vital importance of these spaces
and the enormous opportunities they hold”
Some ideas that came up after this quote regarding our

projects are to:
- Create a model showing our “Urban Voids Unpacked”
- Create a hierarchy of “void” spaces within the city and
ziclassify them
- Show why we are interested in working with the
iii“fly-over spaces” in particular
- Create a map showing all of the “void” or “fly-over spaces”
Enhance the quality of city life

One of the beneficial factors of developing places like
these urban “voids” is the fact that they will improve the
quality of city life within the urban fabric for they will
be converted into different functional spaces, which
serve best the needs of the particular location they are
in, being able to adapt to the changing situation and also
decreasing the urban sprawl expansion, providing densi-
fication without sacrificing new land for construction
4
“A network city is the antithesis of a city composed of
juxtaposed enclaves or one conceived as a central hub
with surrounding outskirts. Rethinking the city as a
vast regional network of connections and flows also
means better, more balanced service designation based
on a series of “quality densification nodes’. Better service
distribution allows previously underserviced peripheral
areas to acquire greater autonomy and efficiency. “
4
“Today it is imperative to improve connections
between the inner parts of the city and its outlying
districts, rethinking the infrastructure network,
enhancing interconnections and increasing the level of
autonomy and efficiency of the suburban areas. “
4
“Increasing density means compacting the urban
fabric, consolidating especially the city’s more fragile
areas or reinforcing key infrastructure and service
nodes, i.e. the “epicentres”. A key tenet of enacting a
sustainable urban plan is the principle of not consum-
ing green field sites but rather building the new compo-
nents of tomorrow’s city on brown fields. “

THE PLAN Magazine, (2010) 34
Introducing the Site Italy Lazio Rome
Prenestina64
The site of Prenestina 64, is the ideal example for the 2.Developing a contemporary identity
concept of Urban Voids, because although problem- Taking notice to the small cultural neighbourhoods
atic due to its large scale and complex social context, it within districts, it is important to take into consider-
possess to turn those problems into potentials and ation their needs and wants, in order to create a well
become a solid case study for further development of working and integrated plan
the subject.
3.Creating a system of linked void epicentres
Whenever we are speaking in the context of a big scale As mentioned earlier, we believe that creating a
contemporary urban development, we can no longer system of all the void spaces and an hierarchy of
apply the now outdated principles of central expan- epicentres will create a solid backbone structure,
sion. As practically shown in our case study example which can serve as a literal or metaphorical path for
in the city of Milan, modern urban plans aim to cultural and urban development
“encroach” on the inner city, thus creating a mutually
beneficial two-way connection which impacts their 4.Increasing the green areas
morphologies. Furthermore the contemporary vision Due to the very heavily concrete and cold nature of
for our cities must include a social and cultural touch. our area, the goal is to increase the recreational green
Enhancing the cultural identity of each small neigh- public areas within the limits of the site, rejuvenating
bourhood, this method creates strong links in-be- public life and its quality
tween different epicentres of the city, like a backbone
structure. With the main focus put on the unpacking 5.Functional and social mix
of the urban void potentials as a means to catalyse Our area presents a lack of many cultural, commer-
urban life and improve the quality of life for people, cial and recreational activities, which has proven to
our Master thesis emphases the urban voids connect- be the main factor in the lack of public life. Creating
ed to the flyover structure, because of their unique a mix of these functions correlated with the needs of
multi-layered nature. the area, similar to the “service provision” plan of
Milan, will create a more detailed and well-function-
Important hubs, neglected and full of potentials, ing neighbourhood
these spaces are placed in key areas where usually we
have a lack of urban life. In the case of our project, our 6.Redistribution of traffic
site is located in-between four regulatory administra- The traffic in the area is a huge problem for the
tive neighbourhoods, making it a unique connection pedestrian life and therefore for the public one. Redi-
point. The problem with the site is mainly its lack of recting main traffic arteries, redistribution of the
urban life. Due to the high level of transitional traffic, predominant parking and also creating entirely
which although is not vital to the city’s infrastructure, pedestrian zones will further enhance the impact of
is staged from above in such a way, that it deprives the the functional and social mix implementations and
site of important factors needed for a vibrant public generate a lot of vibrant urban life
space.
7.Pedestrian connections
Having studied the urban context fabric around our Our aim is to create pedestrian zones and connec-
site and realizing its huge potential as a linking epicen- tions between the urban void epicentres, as well as
tre, our concept idea revolves around several points: connect them to the centre of the city. Using public
transport and improving the edges of the area from
1.Everyday living places currently being hard to soft ones, will create better
Aiming to improve the quality of life and influence sensorial experiences for the people in the area, thus
the current tendency of the decreasing of the popula- more public life
tion within the context area
35
36
379
38
10
399
40
10
419
42
10
439
44
45
The Weather Map
Neighborhood Populations
The Base Map
Geosemiotics & Materials
Interviewing Locals
What People Want
Edge Analysis
Mobilities Typologies
Countings and Flows
Parking Areas
Traffic Analysis
From Above to Below

Analytical Phase
- -
- -
+ +
+ +
- -
+ +
+ +
+ +
+ + + +
+ +
- -
+ +
- - - -
47
1
THE WEATHER MAP
Analysing the potential areas in Rome, where implemen-

tation of temporary uses is more probable, the Weather
-
Map takes in account existing mobility flows, density of
the built environment and concentration of younger
people. Located at the edge of one of the highlighted
zones, the site of this Master Thesis, Prenestina 64, is
positioned at a vital node.
Our site is essential, not only for its close proximity to the
centre of the city, but also because its adjacent relation to
the main flows that go through it. Also visible from the
Weather Map, the built environment directly affects the
concentration of positive areas for temporary use. This is
so because of the unique connection between the built
fabric and the Urban Voids With the potential of creating
a diverse and interesting system of programing, tempo-
rary use can be implemented with this connection in
mind.
-
- Main Flows
Thesis ‘s Project Site
+ Suitable Areas for Temporary Uses
- Not Suitable Areas for Temporary Uses
0 2km 4km
- Background (opposite page) : Satellite View of Rome 48

2
NEIGHBORHOOD POPULATIONS
Linked to the Weather Map, the surrounding neighbour- a rich context creates an unique area, where the possibility
hoods of the site were important to analyse, because of of temporary use is greatly augmented.
their impact upon our area. Gathering data for the current
demographics in those neighbourhoods, as well as the Although the possibility to make use of such a socially diverse
future trend, a clearer picture could be painted for the situation, the Demographical trends for these neighbour-
social and cultural contexts. hoods showed a decrease in population, which mean that the
requirements of their inhabitants were not met. As our site is
What was interesting to observe was that these neighbour- centrally positioned in-between, it was the ideal place to
hoods were composed by a large number of young people stimulate urban regeneration by implementing temporary
as well as people with different cultural backgrounds. Such use thought the enormous potentials of the Urban Voids.
5
2
1 4
3
0 10km 20km
49 Illustration: Neighborhood of Rome

1 MUNICIPIO I (Esquilino) 4 MUNICIPIO VII (Centocelle)
37383 inhabitants 55785 inhabitants
32,1% of Foreigners 12,4% of Foreigners

25,7% 25-35 years old 30,1% 25-35 years old
-3,1% Demographic Trend* -4,4% Demographic Trend*
2 MUNICIPIO III (Verano) 5 MUNICIPIO V (Casal Bertone)

3 MUNICIPIO IX (Tuscolano N.) MUNICIPIO VI (Casilino)

Project’s Neighborhood

*
The Demographic Trend is calculated through the 50
relationship between the population in 2001 and 2010.
Data Source: Municipality of Rome

3
THE BASE MAP
A graphical representation of the current staging from real reason to stay there, which leave the question:
above at Prenestina 64, The Base Map indicates the mobil-
ity situation of the area, as well as the typology of its How can the design of the site be changed to attract
context surroundings. A mix between industrial and the attention of people towards its potential?
residential, the site is located in a central for Rome neigh-
bourhood with good mobility connections towards it.
As seen from The Base Map, one of the predominant Industrial and Dismissed Areas
usages of the site is as a parking lot, which not only Tram and Bus Stops
obstructs the flows going through it, but physically takes
up most of the spatial environment. An important flow to Traffic Directions
note is the public transport systems going through and
Parkings
around the site, which are busy and regularly used. This
means that there is a steady traffic of people experiencing
the site as a transit zone at a daily basis, but currently no 0 50m 100m
51
4
GEOSEMIOTICS AND MATERIALS
As a modern skeletal ruin of the industrial period, the

huge Fly Over structure in the site along with its context
is made up mostly by cold and neutral materials like Steel,
Concrete and Asphalt. Symbolical to the industrial
surroundings however these materials combined create a
magnificent image, and a strong distinctive atmospheric
presence.
The Geosemiotics in the site can mainly be divided in two
parts: Informative signs (in the form of transport,
private/public indications, and commercial advertise-
ments) or Cultural (mainly represented by the numerous
street art in the area). These Geosemiotics show the great
aspiration for ownership over the site by the people that
inhabit it.
45% of Steel
35% of Concrete
20% of Asphalt
52
5
INTERVIEWING LOCALS
1. Antonietta, Concetta and Angelina

Age: 79, 72, 81 Sex: female Transport user: pedestrian
Travel: coming from the shop, on their way home
The experience: “We don’t like this place, when we were younger, before the construction of the highway, the
atmosphere was pretty and clean (I think they were talking about the air pollution). When we have to cross the street
we don’t feel safe.”
2. Stefano
Age: 24 Sex: male Transport user: none
Travel: studying in his flat
The experience: “I’ve been living here for 5 years now. At the beginning the traffic noise was a problem, I couldn’t get
that much concentration during, but now I got used to it. The light rail is very useful, even if I don’t have a car I’m very well
connected with the rest of the city.”
3. Dadzie
Age: 35 Sex: male Transport user: pedestrian
Travel: getting off from work, on his way home
The experience: “I work very close to here (bike shop where he fixed our bike during the mappings). I never hang
around this place when I’m not at work, I don’t see nothing interesting in it.”
4. Sabrina
Age: 28 Sex: female Transport user: cyclist
Travel: biking from the park to her place
The experience: “Rome is not a city for cyclists, wherever I go I don’t feel safe riding a bike. Especially this place seems
to be designed just for cars. Too grey and few green. It’s a stressing environment to pass by.”
5. Massimo
Age: 56 Sex: male Transport user: tram
Travel: taking the tram, in his way home
The experience: “I work in this tram depot since 1991, this place hasn’t changed at all. I don’t pay that much attention
on what’s going on in this space, there is nothing interesting to see. It’s just a place with traffic jams, noise and pollution.”
53
6
WHAT PEOPLE WANT
“This would be a nice place to start a conversation with a

stranger”. A very interesting and informative slogan found
on the site, printed as informal Geosemiotics. This piece
of paper manages to capture all the embodiment desires
of the inhabitants that were observed during the analysis
phase of the Master Plan. The photographic material
shows a clear aspiration to communicate, socialize and
explore the space. But what is also visible is the enormous
amount of cars dominating the area which obstruct such
possibilities.
54
1 2 3
3
1 2
0 50m 100m
7
EDGE ANALYSIS
Studying/Reading the boundaries of the site of Prenesti-

na 64 showed a significant predominance of a hard edge,
opposed to a more human friendly soft one. Lacking
atmosphere, crude and unable to sustain or evoke public
life, these hard edges facilitate only the fast pace traffic
present in the area, giving little to no regard to the human
dimension. A concrete example reflection of these obser-
vations can be found in the absence of life in the area, and
its unfortunate use as only a transit zone.
4
As shown on graph to the left, it is clearly visible how
strong the hard edge is, creating a rigid border between
the built environment of the city and urban voids beneath
the flyover structure in the site. The photographical exem-
plifications of these edges however show an existent
desire for a public life and human interactions.
How do we facilitate the need for public life?
Although the dimensions of the site are set in “concrete”,

the hard edge of its boundaries can be translated into a
more human dimension, by extending the public space in
front of the facades, as well as introducing the notion of
vertical relief, taken from Jan Gelh’s “Cities for People”
How does creating soft edges out of the present hard

ones effect the design and the spatial environment?
Soft Edge Hard Edge
56
8
MOBILITIES TYPOLOGIES
Fluctuating in type and predominant usage, modern

metropolises have a variety of modes of transport
intertwined in a complex mobility network. Many big
contemporary cities put emphasis on their public
0.5 km
transport system, paving the way for a more human friend-
ly environment. However after observing the mobility
typology system in the site, the dominance of car
transport was evident, pushing aside other manners of
transport.
Dealing with typologies of mobility, it is important to

note the functionality of a certain system. Even though
the design of the site was made for a predominant car
usage, times have changed, perceptions evolved, which
has left this concept old-fashioned and impractical.
Mobilities are meticulously designed and staged from
above, but the contemporary understanding of the term
incorporates the awareness that there is more to the
simple travel from point A to point B, the in-between
matters.
How does mobility link to the concept

of public life?
Public life is vital for a prosperous city. People attract

people; our cultures are not inert and set in stone, but a
network of dynamic relations and grids. All of these
interactions, visible and invisible are part of mobility.
Creating a successful public domain means understand-
ing not only the physical environment but also the flows
that go through it.
Pedestrians
Cars
Bikes
57
0.2
5k
m
58
115
130 150
48
12
59 Counting’s Timelapse: 16:30-17:30

9
COUNTINGS AND FLOWS
In order to get a more complete scope of the mobility

system in place at our/the site, the flows through it were
observed, recorded and represented in a visual way. The
dominance of car traffic was clear, apart from the predis-
posal of the staging from above or the context built
environment, but by simple volume in numbers.
A not so surprising observation, due to the fact that a

heavy car traffic flow interrupts normal pedestrian/public
interactions, still the numeric volume of cars in the area
was surprisingly high. Providing additional negative
effects upon the area, pollution and noise other factors
that need consideration except the simple physical
220 presence of traffic, which left the question?
How should the traffic system in

the site be improved?
Pedestrians
Cars
Light Rail
0 50m 100m
60
10
PARKING AREAS
Besides the dominant traffic flow, cars in the site had an 60 + parked cars
even stronger presence due to the high amount of public 50 to 60 parked cars
parking. Obstructing other flows through and on the site, 40 to 50 parked cars
the numeric counting’s showed a higher percentage of
30 to 40 parked cars
cars than people. The space was perceived as nothing
20 to 30 parked cars
more than a parking lot, keeping the potentials of the
urban voids hidden and unused. 10 to 20 parked cars
Are cars obstructing the potentials

of the urban void? 0 50m 100m
Check the appendix for analysis of parking surfaces

61 consequent to the design proposal
11
TRAFFIC ANALYSIS
While observing a particular flow it is important to note

that besides its volume there is always a certain patterns at
place which can reveal a lot of possibility for its redistribu-
tion via staging from above. Also the heavier loads of
1.
circulation during specific times of the day reveal poten-
tial problematic areas, which are functional even for road
traffic. Deducing from a low-traffic loaded circulation on
the bottom layer of the site the following question arises.
2.
Can the bottom layer traffic be redirected to
the top layer in the site?
km/h
3.
0-15 15-30 30-45 45-60 60-75 75+
4.
Times of the day analysed:1. 9:00 | 2. 17:30 | 3. 21:30 | 4. Average Value

62
Check the appendix for new traffic scenarios
consequent to the design proposal
63
Manifesto
Design Strategies
People versus Traffic

Concept Phase
65
31
1
MANIFESTO
The goals and intentions of this manifesto spring from a theoretical foundation that has its roots firmly embedded
in the idea of the human dimension by Jan Gehl and the concepts of temporary use as a catalyst for a development,
where the potentials of the urban voids in contemporary cities are realized or as we like to put it “unpacked”, as in
opening a box.
The design we envision brings back the humanity to these urban voids, where people have been held hostage to
concrete environments and busy traffic for too long. It’s time to rebel, against the car domination and the pollu-
tion. We want to change the scale of the flows and motions from the prevalent 60km/h and replace/implement
them with that of 5km/h.
We want to return the sense of safety and what we believe is the rightful ownership of the area back to people.
They no longer have to walk through dull and uninspiring paths, where the composition of space is solely based on
the premise of car traffic. It is our goal to create places where you can daily experience and interact with the city,
showing people that there is more than going from A to B.
Providing the users with a different experience means to reveal the latent qualities of the urban voids, thus making
them understand how they work. Unpacking the potentials through an autonomous process of re-appropriation
and own self-expression towards the space and its usage.
We aim at breaking ethnical and cultural barriers and making people more open-minded toward each other.
Through a re-design of their urban environment we set up to create conditions for temporary interactions and the
activation of space. Our design will stimulate feelings and sensorial experiences that will garner and act as
common ground between people, putting their prejudices to sleep for a while.
66
2
DESIGN STRATEGIES
“Worldmaking as we know it always starts from the moment is torn up by unused spaces, decommis-
worlds already on hand; the making is a remaking. sioned areas and most of all, unseen to most – urban voids.
Just what worlds are to be recognized as actual is quite Aiming to break apart conventional ways of perceiving
another question. Even what may seem like severely the spatial environment, the strategy of this Master Thesis
restrictive views, each may recognize countless versions is to develop a plan with which to inform people of the
as equally right.“ 1 hidden possibilities of their surroundings and help them
explore them to their full potential.
As urban designers, we directly have the power to
influence the way people perceive our spatial surround- The main goal of this Master Thesis is to relate together
ings. However that environment is not only physical, but and create a balance between several aspects - creative
rather far more complex. Just as important as the built design, economic feasibility and social geography. Similar
setting, urban voids can play an equally big role in the to the Milan Case Study, this project is based upon three
defining of a city’s atmosphere, the experiences it offers design phases, all of which are accumulated through
and its future development. smaller objectives that the project aims to achieve.
Rome is made up of various and distinct components, not How do these strategies work?
all of which are coherently connected. The urban fabric at
1. Wake them up!

This first phase of the design process is to emphasise the
unpacked void spaces within the site. Sometimes the
potentials of the urban voids can be obstructed by a
physical setting, a barrier that was set by poor or outdat-
ed staging from above. Removing these obstacles
reveals their connection to the physical setting, creat-
ing a bigger “playing field” for both designers and users.
In the case with this project, heavy loaded car traffic

obstructs the centrally positioned urban void, thus the
first step of the design will be to redirect the flow
through the site and remove car traffic. “Liberating” the
people, this phase aims to give rightful ownership of the
site back to them.
1. Ways of Worldmaking by Nelson goodman (1978)

67
2. Educational Design
The second phase of the design processes is focused
on using the catalyst potentials of the Urban Void to
stimulate public life in the area. Re-designing the
space using the solid theoretical framework of the
project, the aim is to combine Jan Gelh’s perspective
towards a more “lively, safe, sustainable and healthy”
city with Ole B. Jensen’s mobility networks.
By doing so we want to show the potentials of the

urban voids to the users and to “unpack” the voids
themselves.
3. Leave them kids alone!

In the final stage of the Master Thesis, having already
implemented temporary design solutions as part of the
Urban Void and shown the potential of these inert
spaces, we aim to create a guiding tool for the users.
Something to stimulate and intrigue them, this tool is
meant to have the possibility to add an additional
dimension into the already complex network of layers.
Serving as a supplementary approach towards activat-

ing and programing the space, this tool can be modified
in time in various interactive ways.
68
69
Re-designing Traffic and Parkings
Masterplan of Interventions
Zoom-In Plan
Section A-A’
Renderings
Mobile App
Unpacking Prenestina64
Design Phase
1
RE-DESIGNING TRAFFIC AND PARKINGS
As mentioned in the first design phase, the traffic in the

area is to say the least problematic. Cars take up almost all
of the spatial area, proving to be an obstacle not only for
the inhabitants and users of the site but also to the mobili-
ty network.
The traffic plan re-design consists of several steps which

aim to accomplish the set goals without having a negative
impact on the traffic network in the area in a broader scale.
The mobility system in the site is composed on several
levels, the main flows of which are carried by the fly over
highway structure. By closing the traffic in the lower level,
analytical analysis show that that traffic load can be carried
by the upper roads as well as the peripheral road system.
The new staging from above will close the roads off at the
boundaries of the site, also removing the West parking
area and relocating it at the former market square to the
South-East. The backyard local traffic lane will also be
converted to a pedestrian area, extending the already
existing famous “Via del Pigneto”. The West parking zone
will be kept but renewed into a Green Parking space,
connected to the newly constructed Green Strip within
the site. Overall with these interventions the functionality
of the whole system will improve while even creating
more parking spaces than the already existing staging
from above, but removing the negative effects of cars in
the area.
Scale 1:2000
71
Closure Lines Boosted Friction Asphalt Parking Area
New Traffic Connections Pedestrian Area Mixed Parking Area
72
2
MASTERPLAN OF INTERVENTIONS
A A
The Masterplan drawing serves as a tool to comprehend
the complete scope of developments planned for the site
of Prenestina 64. Working from the edge of the built
environment, to the full potential extent of the urban void
spaces, this Masterplan aims to create a basis for better
understanding the desired atmosphere in the area.
Based on a solid theoretical background, the design of the

site was also inspired by personal thoughts and a desire to
strive towards a more creative and innovative thinking.
Incorporating the different layers present in the area,
these interventions work in a 3 dimensional scale. A visual
representation of our manifesto, the different parts of this
masterplan are further developed and explained in the
next pages of the report.
A Flying triangle Square*

B Green Parking Square
Scale 1:2000
*
73 Zoom-in Plan at page 79
**
Conceptually illustrated at page 75
***
Conceptually illustrated at page 81
B
x3 New Market **
Mixed Parking Area New Parking Areas
Urban Connection Sharing Pillars ***
Pedestrian Terraces Staging Tribune
Mirror Wall Illuminating Pillars
Working with the edge LED Screen
74
Interventions (conceptually explained)
Due to the large scale site of this project, the Masterplan is made up by ten main interventions, which however are
categorized up in two groups, depending on their level of detailing – conceptual or designed. The aim was to create a
system of interventions, which do not alter the existing context, but rather use it and/or blend in with it. The design is
made to look familiar and coherent with the spatial environment. Another goal was also to find a way to catalyse the
space using the urban voids, but do so in an economically feasible way, thus making this project as realistic as possible.
The first group includes: The New Market; Mixed Parking Area; Urban Connection; Pedestrian Terraces; Mirror
Wall. The second group comprises of: The Staging Tribune; Illuminating Pillars; Sharing Pillars; The LED Screen.
New Market
Positioned in the “backyard” area of the site, this New
Market development replaces an existing warehouse area.
Serving several functions, the Market is placed both in the
buildings, as well as the square in front, formed by them.
Moving the already existing Market to the South-East of
the site to this location, the idea is to better utilize this space
and bring life to the South edge of the site.
Due to the nature of the neighbourhood, as a vital cultural
area in the city of Rome, this space is planned as a culture
house/meeting point for different artists to showcase their
performances, work and talent. Left to the inhabitants of
the site, this urban void has the potential for many activities
and programs, although of its planned function.
Mixed Parking Area

Understanding the needs of the context, the idea for this
location is to keep its current functions, but due to its
current problematic functionality, to better stage it from
above. Bringing it as a part of the new Master Plan develop-
ment, the North Green Strip extends to this parking space,
turning it into a Green Parking area, while keeping a more
coherent outlook with the context surroundings.
As an important entrance point to the site, The idea for this
Green Parking Area is to be used by people who want to
experience the East side of the site, because of the many
commercial and recreational programing that surround it.
75
Urban Connection
Linking together the different atmospheres of the North
and South part of the Master Plan. Positioned close to the
New Market/Culture house development, the Urban
Connection is seen as an experience link, where the inhabi-
tants of the area can experience shifting programing.
Planned as a changing experience and perfect example of
the importance of voids in the linking of the built environ-
ment. A transitional corridor, the space is ideal for provok-
ing people with different audio/video visualisations at night
and/or promoting an exploration feeling during the day.
Pedestrian Terraces
Created as a built up structure on top of the already existing
car ramp, this composition of Pedestrian terraces extends
beyond a simple human dimension experience as it grows in
a 3 Dimensional scale. With many possibilities as for its
detailed design, this area is created in the face of the Com-
mercial Street below as well as a viewing point for the
Culture house opposite to it.
The idea is to create a contrast between its scaling up as a
physical structure and its scaling down as a more
slow-paced area, opposed to the lively pedestrian path
below, creating a more leisure and isolated environment
form the busy city life.
Mirror Wall
This concept was wrapped around the analysis of the area’s
edges. At the moment the Northern boundary of the site is
completely unappealing. The site seems uncompleted.
The decision was to create a mirror wall alongside the
Northern edge of the site, in order to reflect the one oppo-
site of it, thus creating a cosier atmosphere. In Addition to
that a mirrored wall is a rather interesting object, which will
attract people to not only go and experience it, but stay
there, due to the park-like effect created by the Green Strip.
76
Working with the edge: Main Street
Based on the solid theoretical framework of this project, horizontal plane which supplements it, to bring down the
the edge of the site was a particularly important issue, scale of the spatial environment.
which was factored in its Design. As the analysis of the
area shows, the human dimension was completely The function of the edge of the Main Street, via Prenesti-
ignored. Working with the Main Street, the main goal was na, shifts from commercial to residential and commercial
to create a more enjoyable and interactive experience for again. This is so because the entry points of the site will get
the newly designated as a pedestrian street. However, the most exposure to the public and also mappings of the
leaving most of the already present residential functions area showed already existing commercial functions at
intact, this strategy aimed to make use of the vacant spaces those entrance points. The edge also links with the
at a human scale. internal Urban Connection, transforming its Commer-
Keeping the vertical nature of this edge, the aim is to work cial purpose to an open Public Space, more open to
with the detailing of the facades and extending the interpretation and embodiment.
Context
Public Space Semi/public Space
Commercial Residential
77
Working with the edge: Back Street
Similar to the Main Street of the project, the residential the edge in that area wraps around a small square space,
functions have not been changed alongside the edge of which is a redesign of an old warehouse development,
the Back Street. However the previously closed off with a much more human scale than the rest of the site.
semi-private and private green areas are now transformed Around it, semi-public, public and commercial edges
into semi-public spaces. Further extending the more provide a more practical functionality of the space,
leisure atmosphere of the “Back Street” opposed to the attracting more users.
more commercial Main one, the edge here is more open
and horizontally transversal. With the edge of the Back Street, as well as the Main
Street, the main detailing of the edge was kept at around a
The main notable addition to this edge is the Culture vertical height of 5 to 6 meters, keeping the redesign
House, which expands within the boundaries of the built developments at a human scale and not distorting the
environment. Closely linked to the Urban Connection, already predominant residential typology.
Culture Context
Public Space Semi/public Space
Commercial Residential
78
3
ZOOM-IN PLAN
A Detailed part of the Masterplan, this zoom-in shows an

imperative for the site area; where the Urban Void is most
impactful, both in scale and potential. The detailing
illustrates the designed pavement for the new pedestrian
square. The pavement strips are made up to contrast the
Fly over structure above, conceptualized in a more
orthogonal geometry. Two different types of texture for
the ground surface form a playful interaction which
stimulates the perceptions, made out of small elements
opposed to the big scale concrete surroundings.
Another distinguishing feature which contrasts the

concrete structure framing the Urban Void, is the Green
Strip alley, starting at the newly formed square. The pedes-
trian path composed of three different textures, creating a
gradient in the material density, working from a smoother
towards a stricter one when approaching the building
edge.
The newly implemented Staging Tribune is shown on the

Zoom-in Plan, as a centrally positioned element, has an
overview of the whole Urban Void, facing towards the
LED Screen opposing it.
Scale 1:500
A’
79 Section A-A’ at page 83
A
80
Sharing Pillars
The concept of using the pillars is a way to incorporate
the already existing structure in a different and creative
way, while also introducing a practical usage. Based on
the fact that the neighbourhood surrounding the site is
a cultural node within Rome, these columns can be
used to transfer music, graphics and art, through a
simple USB sharing network.
A horizontal LED circle designates these centrally
positioned columns within the square. Their lighting
indication can also serve as a illumination during the
night, creating a more safe and attractive atmosphere.
Staging Tribune
The new Terrace/Stage design is conceptualized to extend the existing Fly Over structure in such a way that it does not
distort its current form, but coherently blends in with it. An extension of the Pedestrian Terraces, the stage is their focal
point, as it brings an extraordinary overview of the whore square.
Constructed of the same elements and materials of the Fly Over structure, the Stage takes use of a closed car ramp, to
create a large space for people. Similar to the Pedestrian Terraces, this stage is designed as a place of leisure, where people
can go and stay; view the fast paced world both above and below it.
81
Illuminating Pillars
Similar to the Sharing Pillars’ concept the rest of the
columns within the site are redesigned to hold a vertical
LED light illumination, creating an interesting and altering
corridor of light beneath the present Fly Over structure.
Opposite to their physical environment, these lights are
conceptualized to increase the transversal permeability
through the site, which at the moment is poorly designed.
Again making the site a more attractive and safe place
during the night, these lights can also be used as an indica-
tion for the incoming tram traffic, which is their more
practical use above their aesthetic one.
LED Screen
The LED Screen is designed as a visual meeting point, guided by the organic lines of the Fly Over. Opposite the
Staging Tribune, the screen can serve as a cinema, theatre for it, but also function on its own.
Versatile in its programing, the LED Screen can serve as an information board; supplement the Sharing Pillars or an art
installation. Its structure is made in such a way, that the screen can be both extended from and into the Pillar of the
structure above.
82
4
SECTION A-A’
This section is a cut-through the more detailed area of the Master Thesis project, showing the scale of the
Fly Over structure opposed to the human dimension below. An interesting contrast, the section relates the
atmosphere of the space below – A huge open area, which although overwhelming in its dimensions, does
83
Scale 1:200
not intimidate or feel uncomfortable. On the contrary, the Void Structure, below the magnificent concrete
structure is open, clean and welcoming, having the potential to house all of the small implementations, part
of the design of this project.
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
5
MOBILE APP
The mobile application idea is only at a conceptual stage, all, the idea allow for users to actively participate in the
an additional and innovative way to activate the catalytic manipulating and designing of the urban fabric, which in
potential of the Urban Voids. With the ability to program turn can also be used to gather data of how the Urban
them in a really adaptable way, this concept uses the Voids can be further transformed by small implementa-
notion of the unphysical nature of the void. tions, specifically targeted at what the users want.
Using this Mobile Application, the user can discover a
hidden world, which lies in a layer which is invisible but Further transforming the urban context into something
still intertwined with the present environment at the site. new, something that changes all the time, this concept
Play, explore, create are only a part of the options that this creates an entirely new atmosphere, dictated by audio and
mobile application can have. graphical visualisations. From practical usage, regarding
The mobile application creates a secret world, open for the public transport network or the parking and traffic
exploration, regardless if we are talking about the big open situation within the site, the mobile application can also
square spaces or the smaller Urban Connection. Socializ- stimulate the sensory experience of its users. Connecting
ing together, this application has the potential to further together the real world with a digital one, the possibilities
catalyse the Social Geography within the site. But most of of this idea are endless.
INTERACT
91
PLAY
CREATE
92
93
First of All
Nuclei and Epicenters
Design Goals
Social Geography
Research Answer
Last Thoughts
1
FIRST OF ALL
History ented a specific interest, because of its important

Historically the ancient city of Rome was built upon location. Positioned in the urban composition of
the foundations of a vivid public life, with spacious Rome, as a link to 5 municipality districts and a direct
forums and squares, which endorsed human interac- connection to the city centre, our site had the potential
tion, business and leisure. However the industrializa- to serve as a case study example for the future develop-
tion and modernism periods in the past century have ment of the concept of urban voids.
put little to no emphasis upon those ancient practicali-
ties. Enormous infrastructure developments combined Context
with the urban sprawl has left the outskirts of the city of The surrounding neighbourhoods are a mix of residen-
Rome less prone to a lively public life. Filled with not tial and industrial zones, with green areas to the east of
functioning and neglected areas, the built urban fabric our site and the enormous Rome cemetery as well as its
of the city is separated by numerous urban voids. first University, to the North. Although the primary
Connected together, these voids can be viewed as a nature of the adjacent neighbourhoods can be easily
backbone of the city, similar to the already built urban described, all of them lack an important balance
fabric, possessing enormous potential for the future between their functional and social mix. Similar to the
urban development for the modern face of Rome. case study in Milan, these neighbourhoods were viewed
as components to a complicated matrix, which is repre-
Geography sented by the city of Rome. Looking at their potentials
As a big metropolitan area, the city of Rome is a and problems, their identity, all of them had a common
network of various geographical, urban and social element – the urban voids. Unutilized and filled with
entities, composed of neighbourhoods and areas with a potential, these spaces were an inert catalyst for urban
different cultural identity. With many interesting exam- development waiting to be activated.
ples of urban voids within its boundaries, or siteipres-
95
2
NUCLEI AND EPICENTERS
New nuclei system in-between

As in the case study example in Milan, our goal was
to observe urban voids as possible catalysts for
different purposes developments. In this Master
Thesis case, our site represents a vital connection
within the confines of its urban context, an epicen-
tre of sort within the network of its surroundings.
The UDP of Milan looks at the smaller scale of the
urban context, as it identifies smaller cultural micro
neighbourhoods, rather than creating its basis of
future urban development based on the regulated
municipal neighbourhood distinctions. In our
vision, we can look at an urban void as such a micro
epicentre, which can for example serve for spatial
densification development. These voids carry the
potential of connecting the urban tissue, supple-
menting to the missing functional mix of their
surroundings, creating a more integrated and
well-designed designed metropolitan area, thus
making the city of Rome more attractive, efficient
and foremost liveable.
Urban voids
These urban voids can be viewed as and connected
as a chain of spaces, due to their high number and
close proximity, within every contemporary metro-
politan city. Having a hierarchy of importance in the
developing of the context around them, the main
focus of this project was to redesign such a key
urban void, but also to develop guidelines for the
future development of similar sites or urban voids.
96
3
DESIGN GOALS
Implemented in the design process of our site, these a. Places for everyday living and leisure.
goals are correlated to the case study in Milan as well as b. Creating a contemporary identity linked with the
the theoretical foundations of the project. surrounding social environment.
c. Forming new green spaces.
Aiming to utilize the potential of our key urban void, d. Developing the urban public transport system.
catalysing the development of not only our site but also e. Achieving a balance between a functional and social mix.
the surrounding neighbourhoods, the goals target f. Redistribution of vehicular traffic.
specific areas that are problematic for the urban context g. Creating pedestrian areas and connections throughiout the
of the site. city fabric.
Prenestina64 a. b. c.
d. e. f. g.
The purpose of these design goals is to follow a of the existing surroundings. Laying on a solid
specific path of revitalization within the area theoretical foundation of urban studies, such as
and around it, that aims to develop the site into Jahn Gehl’s “Cities for People”, these goals prior-
a more attractive, efficient and liveable place, itize and promote enchanted social interactions
but also stimulate the social and cultural aspects and qualit y of life for the people of Rome.
97
4
SOCIAL GEOGRAPHY
As a definition, the term “social geography” means the city should be. Even if seemingly nothing is there,
study of people and their environment with particular potential lies hidden. Not necessarily physical, the
emphasis on social factors. With that said it was only different parts of the environment around can be invisi-
logical that the aim of the project was not entirely ble to the naked eye, in the form of not only urban voids
focused upon a specific site or area, but also orientated but also vast mobility networks of communication and
towards a more broad scope of understanding the urban information.
fabric of a city. Seen as the “environment” around our
site, it was important to take into consideration that Designing the physical setting, implementing these
these neighbourhoods will influence our design urban voids within the built environment empowers
outcomes and should be considered as a factor in it. This urban life. It has the possibility to provide such diversity
is so because such a key urban void will not only impact and unleash the imagination upon innovative solutions.
the neighbourhood in which it is located, but also These spaces can be designed in various ways to supple-
influence its surrounding areas. The effects of the ment the already existing built environment by
project will ripple like a wave, having of course a lesser enchanting its lacking functional, cultural or social
effect as further as they are from its epicentre. aspects.
The social factors that play a role in this project are Jan Gehl provides some really interesting and insightful
directly connected to the environment, because of its thoughts about a well-designed urban space, with some
effect upon them. Shaping that environment will shape of the most important focus points of his research
the people who inhabit it – “First we shape cities, and included in the design goals for this project. But
then they shape us” 1. By the way the environment is contemporary cities are fast paced, complexly created.
designed it can either endorse or dissuade public life They are places where a vast network of systems and
and interactions, thus impacting the social geography. flows interacts. Working in a human scale is not always
Taking in account the different cultural backgrounds of possible or functional. As “Staging Mobilities” by Ole
the people in our site, the design aims to stimulate not B. Jensen shows cities work on different levels and
only social but also cultural interaction, creating a more scales. Working in a human dimension must not
broad scope of activities, possibilities and communica- exclude the development and concept of different
tions, not only within the specific site but also within a layers interacting together in a three-dimensional scale.
wider urban context.
It is important to note that “Societies are not static
“The built environment is no longer the goal, but the ‘things’ and ‘places’, but dynamic relations and
starting point” 2. This quote is something that the case networks!” 3. A contemporary city should be able to
study in Milan and our project’s vision has adopted. mix the fast paced life, with existing and expected flows
Modern cities already possess a vast network of built of people, as well as the quality of the public spaces.
environment. Cities cannot grow forever, but rather With that said the design goals extracted the most
must be densified, redesigned in a new, smarter way. important conclusions from the solid theoretical
Like missing pieces of a puzzle, urban voids represent background of the project and combine them together
vital parts of the full picture of what a contemporary in order to supplement each other.
1. Cities for People by Jan Gehl (2010)

2. Urban Catalyst: The Power of the Temporary Use
98
by P.Oswalt, K.Overmeyer, P.Misselwitz (2013)
3. John Urry from Staging Mobilities by Ole B.Jensen (2010)
5
RESEARCH ANSWER
Research Question: Urban Voids.

“How can we unpack the catalysing potential of
Urban Voids in contemporary cities?” Extending far more than the mental image most
people have of a chemical analogy, which forces
elements to react faster and with less energy, a catalyst
What is the urban void? in an urban context is something different. It is a
Blank and unusable space? Empty but filled with component which interacts with the urban environ-
potential? The blueprint of the future redevelopment ment, but its possible results can be in a much more
of contemporary cities? widespread perspective. It has a greater purpose and
dynamic potential.
The urban void can be all of those things, simply
because of its nature, left to interpretation but most of As Urban Designers we have the power to form such
all, perception. The biggest problem with the concept catalysts. Modifying them to fill a specific purpose,
of the urban voids is that people do not perceive them they have a really diverse functionality. Shaped by the
as spaces thus they do not see the potential which lies environment and people surrounding, in which we
hidden. place it, catalysts in turn shape them back.
Urban voids make up for a large percentage of a city’s “Its purpose is the incremental, continuous regenera-
environment. Although in many cases inert, they tion of the urban fabric. The important point is that
connect the built fabric together. the catalyst is not a single end product but an element
that impels and guides subsequent development.” 4
However that fabric needs to change in order to meet
the requirements of modern society. Densification; But one important thing to remark about the catalysis
redistribution of multi-layered mobility networks; of urban development is that unlike the chemical
emphasising social geography; these are just parts of compounds whose name their carry, their effects
the processes cities need to go through. Overwhelm- slightly differ. In the world of Chemistry, a catalyst is
ing and significant, this process cannot happen without reacts with the elements and can be extracted
a catalyst to manifest it. afterwards, without chaining its chemical composition.
When talking about Urban Design however, these

What is a catalyst? catalysts have a much longer lasting effect, even if
In Urban Design terms, a catalyst is a sort of redevelop- removed from the initial environment they were
ment strategies consisting of different guidelines, placed
implementations, projects and etc. which drive urban in. Furthermore that environment reacts with them, as
transformation. Lying hidden within contemporary much as they react with it, morphing them into some-
cities is the ideal facilitator for such processes- the thing new.
4. American Urban Architecture: Catalysts in the

99 Design of Cities by Wayne Attoe and Donn Logari
Urban Voids as Catalyst
The Urban Voids are a strong example of a possible
urban catalyst because of their following characteris-
tics:
a. They are ideally positioned as a connective tissue in the

built environment of contemporary cities. Centrally located,
either in the whole city network or in their local context.
b. Urban Voids possess the potential versatility in their
functions.
c. “Empty” and non-programmed space, open to physical
interpretation.
d. Usually they have a strong identity and/or historical
background.
e. They are part of a backbone structure of Void spaces which
spreads throughout the city environment.
As this Master Thesis project demonstrates the main

problem with unpacking the potential of Urban Void is
perception. Whether people cannot see them as a
spatial component or urban designers do not emphasise
their importance in their concepts, Urban Voids are
simply unutilized. As important as the built environ-
ment and sometimes even more, these spaces need to
be addressed.
“But how can we channel all of that hidden poten-
tial in the form of an urban catalyst?”
Unpacking Urban Voids

In the course of working with this project, the first main
focus was to pick out a great example of an Urban Void
in a big contemporary city, one which possessed the
qualities to be large enough in scale to be used both as a
case study for further development of the subject and
reflect upon as academic pupils as well as future Urban
Designers.
100
Studying its problems and potentials, we aimed to development over time. As mentioned earlier, catalysts
understand how it actually connects to its environment are shaped by their environment and in return shape it
and of course how can this Void provide a vital prospec- back. People play a big role in this, with their embodi-
tive towards the catalysation of urban development ment performances and direct interaction with their
within its context. environment. This means that the process of catalysa-
tion in any given surroundings is on-going and dynamic.
With that said, this is the first step into utilizing the full
Monitoring the unpacking of Urban Voids, beyond
potential; unpacking the Urban Voids – context. their initially designed potential is necessary to further
Their relations to the built environment, as well as to supplement their influence upon the contemporary
each other, provide key information on how the percep- cities, by understanding their mutual relation to both
tion of them can be changed in an impactful way. In people and the urban fabric.
other words the Voids can be designed and
programmed in such a way that they supplement their Here it is important to point out another positive
environment. characteristic of the Urban Void – their flexibility.
Although they must be designed to focus on a specific
The interesting thing here is that although planned, or problem and area, their multifunctional nature allows
staged from above, in a particular way, these catalysts for them to be adjusted in a later for the development
are not dictated by a single-minded vision. Their impact process point in time. This essential quality allows for
extends beyond the confines of their relation to their the unpacking of their potential to be done with small
surroundings and their purpose. For example although and temporary implementations over a period of time,
the Urban Void with which this Master Thesis deals opposed to more concrete urban design solutions,
with is designed to be a social catalyst for its area, it also which in turn means that Urban Voids are an economi-
has an economic, cultural and in a way even political cally feasible solution.
influence. Furthermore it also interacts in the built
environment, with the architecture of the site. The final point, which stands as the most important
one, as we look to unpack the hidden potential of the
However, even though their positive prospective Urban Void as a catalyst, is perception. Whether we
returns are extensive, the second important aspect into are talking about physical obstructions or perceptual
properly utilizing their full potential is good staging such, Urban Voids are often non-existent in the eyes of
from above. Their design must be focussed at a precise many. Unpacking their potential requires the knowl-
scope of revitalization. Simply adding on development edge and awareness of their presence, but even more,
or functions does not usher good urban design. The the sound mind to practicably reveal them. This must
potential of these Urban Voids can be unpacked only if be done in a subtle but efficient way, because these
there are target specific, towards problematic or Voids mustn’t seem out of place. Their design must
lacking areas in their urban fabric context. relate to exactly how they exist at the moment –
connected to the urban fabric of contemporary cities.
It is important however to monitor their progress
101
Context
Target Specific
Adjust
Perception
Monitor
102
103
New Traffic Scenarios
Checking Parkings
Drone Aerial Videos
Some References
Appendixes
Extra Material
1
NEW TRAFFIC SCENARIOS
1.Go South
From the traffic analysis conducted during the analytical
phase of this master thesis, there has been observed pros
and cons of the traffic situation in our site before our design
proposal. Seen that, one of the two possible options for the 1.
re-direction of the traffic is to move it to the south part of
the site where there has been found no problems at all.
In fact the average speed mapped is between 30 km/h and

45 km/h, a value that permits the channeling of new traffic,
previously allocated in our site, to the southern L’Aquila 2.
Street.
km/h
3.
0-15 15-30 30-45 45-60 60-75 75+
4.
105 Times of the day analysed:1. 9:00 | 2. 17:30 | 3. 21:30 | 4. Average Value
2.Up the Ramp
As discussed in the previous page, from the analytical
phase it has been observed that from the current traffic
situation there are two possible options for the re-direc-
tion of the traffic. Go South (previously explained) and 1.
Up the Ramp.
In this second scenario the vehicular flow, previously

going to our site, is re-directed up the flyover on top.
Also in this case, it was mapped an average speed
between 30 km/h and 40 km/h, enough low to allow 2.
the insertion of new traffic within.
km/h
3.
0-15 15-30 30-45 45-60 60-75 75+
4.
Times of the day analysed:1. 9:00 | 2. 17:30 | 3. 21:30 | 4. Average Value 106
2
CHECKING PARKINGS
Analysing the parkings in the area, before our design simple fact that before there were mainly linear illegal
115 proposal, it has been found that the number of cars is parkings beside the streets, from the design proposal
higher than the number of pedestrians. instead, there has been the implementation of an
undergorund parking lot. The latter, togheter with the
Now seen that the designed parkings are even more others parking lots, will be able to contain not just the
than the pre-existent ones, it could sound a paradox the local inhabitants’ cars, but also the cars of new incomers
130 fact that instead of decrease the amount of cars , it has coming for pass some time in the new 15public
0 space
been actually increased. This comes for a reason, the designed in the area.
10’340 m2 total parking surface

Pre-Existent = 826 = number of actual
parkings
12,5 m2 standard parking area
Law Requirements 4’468 hb · 2,5 m2/hb = 11’168 m2

inhabitants in our area · parking area pour inhabitant by law = required parking area
11’168 m2 required parking area

= 893 = number of required
parkings
12,5 m 2 standard parking area
22’560 m2 total parking surface

Designed Parkings = 902 = number of designed
parkings
25 m 2 standard parking area
including distribution
45
107 Checking Formula
Counting’s taken from16:30-17:30
Timelapse: the
Italian Regulation Law: DM 1444/68
3
DRONE AERIAL VIDEOS
During the Analytical Phase of this Master Thesis there have been conducted also
several observational mappings, done with Drones, GoPros and Reflex Cameras.
These tools served to create 3 videos focused on different matters. The drone’s videos
have been done mainly to have a look from an unusual perspective (different from the
human one) and to take a closer look at the flyover’s infrastructure. With the GoPros
instead it has been possible to study three different ways to experience the site, and
lastly with some Reflex Cameras there has been produced some timelapse videos to
analyse rythms and flows of the area. To watch the videos scan the QR Code.
DEFINITELY STAGED FROM ABOVE [DRONE]

https://vimeo.com/122186971
RHYTMS AND FLOWS [TIMELAPSE]

3 DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES [POV]

108
4
SOME REFERENCES
During the development of the Master Thesis there has In these two pages are listed just some of them, the 5 that
been researched, studyied and analysed several references, has been found more relevant for the development of the
very different among each other, but related to projects concept and for the actual shaping of the final design
dealing with the same issues around the world. proposal.
THE PORCH
Philadelphia, USA
2011
HIGH LINE
New York City, USA
2009-2015
109
45
OCTAVIA’S BOULEVARD
San Francisco, USA
2002
Taman Film Bandung

Bandung, Indonesia
2007
SOTTO IL VIADOTTO
Rome, Italy
2014
110
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cities for People

by Jan Gehl, Island Press (2010)
Staging Mobilities
Ole B. Jensen, Routledge (2013)
Re-thinking a Lot: The Design and Culture of Parking
by Eran Ben-Joseph, Mit Pr (2012)
Urban Catalyst: The Power of the Temporary Use
by P.Oswalt, K.Overmeyer, P.Misselwitz, DOM Publishers (2013)
Finding Lost Space: Theories of Urban Design
by Roger Trancik, Wiley (1986)
Milan, The Dense City
THE PLAN Magazine (2010)
American Urban Architecture: Catalysts in the Design of Cities
by Wayne Attoe and Donn Logari, University of California Press (1992)
Ways of Worldmaking
by Nelson goodman, Hackett Pub Co. Inc. (1978)
111
45
ILLUSTRATION LIST
17 Map of Rome (1962), RomaTre University of Rome
30 Photo by Antonello
https://www.flickr.com/photos/anton3ll0/
31 Photo by Giorgio Vianini
https://www.flickr.com/photos/giothebike/
34 Photo by Emanuele Minetti
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nene56/
95 Map of Rome (1845), RomaTre University of Rome
All the remaining illustrations and photos have been made

by Yordan Vakarelov and Simone Fracasso.
112

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Yordan Vakarelov - Simone Fracasso

A thesis submitted to the Aalborg University in partial fulfilment of the

Master Thesis title: Urban Voids Unpacked

7 Structuring the Thesis

17 Theoretical Foundation (Research Phase)

Urban Voids Unpacked Research Question

Case Study Urban Development Plan

Theoretical Foundation Cities For People 1

Prenestina 64 Urban Catalyst 4

Wake them up! Educational Design

Leave them Kids Alone!

Quotes are taken from Roger Trancik’s book:

How can we unpack the catalysing potential

Cities for People by Jan Gehl (2010)

1. Cities for People by Jan Gehl (2010)

2. Re-thinking a Lot: The Design and Culture of Parking

Urban planning was initially interpreted as an act of

With this changing trend regarding the development of

The Temporary Use

- Stand in: The stand-in has no lasting effect on the

- Free Flow: The use continues indefinitely by moving

- Impulse: In-between use can decisive impulses for

3. Urban Catalyst: The Power of the Temporary Use

3. Urban Catalyst: The Power of the Temporary Use by

The interesting aspects of this new UDP are that they

Unpacking the “Urban Voids”

The built fabric or “solids” making up Milan’s many

The aim is to use these “void” spaces and their huge

The proposed extensive and intensive service provision

The backbone structure confirms the overall strategy

Connecting the concept of the urban “void” to our

“Urban Voids Unpacked” are not perceived by people

New possible temporary uses can grow autonomously

Interventions that can be put in place immediately

Some ideas that came up after this quote regarding our

Enhance the quality of city life

4. “Milan, The Dense City”

From Above to Below

Analysing the potential areas in Rome, where implemen-

- Background (opposite page) : Satellite View of Rome 48

49 Illustration: Neighborhood of Rome

37383 inhabitants 55785 inhabitants

32,1% of Foreigners 12,4% of Foreigners

2 MUNICIPIO III (Verano) 5 MUNICIPIO V (Casal Bertone)

255 inhabitants 37383 inhabitants

10,8% of Foreigners 7,2% of Foreigners

3 MUNICIPIO IX (Tuscolano N.) MUNICIPIO VI (Casilino)

9,6% of Foreigners 32,1% of Foreigners

Data Source: Municipality of Rome

As a modern skeletal ruin of the industrial period, the

1. Antonietta, Concetta and Angelina

“This would be a nice place to start a conversation with a

Studying/Reading the boundaries of the site of Prenesti-

How do we facilitate the need for public life?

Although the dimensions of the site are set in “concrete”,

How does creating soft edges out of the present hard

Soft Edge Hard Edge

Fluctuating in type and predominant usage, modern

Dealing with typologies of mobility, it is important to