Trolleybus in Valparaiso

As mentioned at last post, escalators are city icon for Valparaiso traffic system. Today, I will talk about another city character, which is trolleybus. Actually, this system was very popular and normal around the world since 1900; Currently, only few countries still operate trolleybus. Valparaiso is the country which operate longest route of trolleybus in the world. 

Trolleybus is the electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using trolley poles. Valparaiso began to operate this system since 1952, it is the second oldest trolleybus in Latin America. After 1994, trolleybus route at Valparaiso became the only operational trolleybus route in Chile. In 2003, Chilean Government appointed this system as national monument to reflect its value. Besides, trolleybus has helped Valparaiso gain its designation by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. 

The advantages of the trolleybus are:

1. Trolleybus system is more environmentally friendly, compared with buses or cars in the city, it release less greenhouse gas in Valparaiso. Therefore, the system is suitable for sustainability. 
2. Because of trolleybus system started operating since 1952, I believe that trolleybus has long-lived working period . 
3. Also, it has become the landmark of Valparaiso. As a tourist point, people could not only catch the trolleybus to visit city centre, also feel and understand real valparaiso life. 

There are some disadvantages about trolley:

1. The speed of the trolleybus is so slow, if somebody in hurry, he or she cannot get on the trolleybus to reach the destination in time. This slow-speed trolleybus is just suitable for tourist or leisure hour. 
2. Two wires and poles require the unchanged route for trolleybus, therefore, this trolleybus is just located at specified locality.
3. Besides, wires and pole occupy urban space. In Valparaiso, trolleybus is mainly operated at city centre. Maybe it has broken the overall urban design and plan, urban designers cannot redesign the city centre avoid breaking current trolleybus line. 

Compared advantages with disadvantages, I believe that trolleybuses are good for tourist purpose, local government should keep them appear. However, the government can redesign and remodel a new  small area for trolleybus route, maybe a short line just for tourists. 

Escalators in Valparaiso, Chile

unesco 2003

Transport to a city, same like breakfast to a person. That means transport system is very significant for a city. Most of cities around the world have some common transport system, such as public bus, metro lines, light rails. However, as the city icon of Valparaiso, escalators play the important role for Valparaiso. 

unesco 2003

Before introducing these escalators, I should talk about the background of why Valparaiso need escalators. Valparaiso is city with more high level hillsides than plain. With increasing population trend, narrow plain area cannot offer enough extra space for new born people. Also, last post has already mentioned that after the earthquake in 1730, people decided to move on the hills to avoid harms from earthquake. However, the slope of hills is very steep, people cannot get their homes from hill foot easily. At the same time, not many cars appear. Therefore, local government planned to build some public transport system for residents from Hills. After that, the escalators formed in Valparaiso in order to help people get home from city centre beyond steep and dangerous stairways.  

Valparaiso used to have 30 escalators during previous time. By contrast, 15 keep remain. The ownership of escalators should be separated by public owned and private owned. During present day, escalators are not only for local people transport from the hill foot to their houses, also the tourist point for visitors to feel the real Valparaiso.

chilevalparaiso 2014

Concepcion Elevator is the oldest escalator in Valparaiso, which was inaugurated in 1883. Generally. escalators have two wooden or metal cars, moving simultaneously in opposite directions. They are mounted on a platform to which are attached the wheels.

In my opinion, escalators are very useful in Valparaiso, it can overcome the problems from hills for people. However, local government has to maintain these systems regularly and upgrade the speed of escalators to become more efficient for people. 

unesco 2003

The Jewel of Pacific

These days, I am researching some useful basic information for Valparaiso (Chile) for another course this semester. During the research stage, I find that this city is a really interesting choice to share with you guys at here.

Former 1536,  Valparaiso was just a small fishing village along the Atlantic Ocean, Changos was the original residents at here. The first foreign settlement happened at here after Spanish found Valparaiso in 1536. Since then, this city grew extremely became one of the most important stopover between Atlantic ocean and Pacific ocean. At the end of 19th, Valparaiso became the major port in Chile, and whole South America. 

However, after opening Panama Canal in 20th century, the speed of development in Valparaiso became slowly. Valparaiso lost its competitive advances and benefits year by year. After 20th century, Valparaiso became the underdevelopment city with higher unemployment rate above national average, poverty indicators issues, and low economy performance. 

Nevertheless, Valparaiso still keeps its 19th urban characteristics. Therefore, UNESCO recorded Valparaiso into World Heritage List in 2003. The reasons for this decision was ' The colonial city of Valparaíso presents an excellent example of late 19th-century urban and architectural development in Latin America. In its natural amphitheatre-like setting, the city is characterized by a vernacular urban fabric adapted to the hillsides that are dotted with a great variety of church spires. It contrasts with the geometrical layout utilized in the plain. The city has well preserved its interesting early industrial infrastructures, such as the numerous ‘elevators’ on the steep hillsides.'(UNESCO, 2003).

UNESCO 2003

This colourful city has clearly urban layout mainly around two focal points, the seaport with the commercial centre, and the Almendral beach area with farmhouses and small businesses. The costal narrow plain was first site for city urban form. But after heavy earthquake happened in 1730, new settlement decided to move on the hillsides. Then, the new beautiful natural amphitheatre formed. The city expanded, the chain of hills was connected by the Cintura highway some 100m above the sea. 

The beautiful urban layout should be marked to show us seaside city's main character. 

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Regimental Square

Lots of war memorials are standing in Sydney, most of them looks huge, peaceful, and state. However, there is a memorial square for both commemoration and  relax purpose.

As a major thoroughfare, Regimental square is located at George Street. It is a small square for pedestrian, pass from George Street to Wynyard area. The regimental memorial is erected in order to commemorate the campaigns Royal Australia Regiment in Asia. At the back of memorial stone, four iron signals recorded dead members from 7th, 8th, 9th RAR Battalion; the last of signal  explains the memorial very well.

This memorial square was unveiled in 1976 by previous Governor of New South Wales. Since then, Regimental Square became an important place at Sydney CBD.

I think this war memorial square is more useful to us than most of other war memorials in Australia. Because, this location has used land efficiently. It was created as war memorial, but think about to design a pedestrian place for citizens at the same time. That means, the designer understood Sydney is a global city with high people density, every design plan should be prepared for the city's future development. There are some seats for people to have a rest. Green space surround the seats to form a lively area

From this city observation, I believe that as a urban designer, I should keep sustainability, open space, and accessibility in mind. And then I could design the city to offer more and more benefits for local people.

Pitt Street Mall

As a global city, Sydney is a busy and active city with lots of people and events everyday.  This afternoon, I visited one of the busiest leisure precincts in Sydney- Pitt Street Mall.

Actually, it is a small size block with many flagship chain stores. But we can also find some interesting rare shows at the middle square of Pitt Street. Therefore, I have to say it is a multi-function area for people to feel how active Sydney is.

It is reported that Pitt Street has the highest rent in Australia, and fifth high worldwide. I believe stores along the street must rely on high density people to earn enough profit. Thanks for a large number of people passing through this street, buskers could show their skills and talents to many people.

From 2010 to 2011, this area had once redevelopment project. After upgrading, Pitt Street Mall attract more and more people with its whole new 'face'.

As far as I know, people prefer to visiting here since most of stores with different level prices. People do not need visit more and more shopping malls to purchase products. After shopping, they can take a seat to relax, talk with other people, enjoy shows.

National Museum Australia

George Serras

When I first time settled down in Australia, I thought Australia is a beautiful country with amazing natural and manual advantages. However, I had a little knowledge about this country, I did not understand history and urban form of Australia. Thanks for National Museum Australia, I could have a wider and deeper understanding about Australia, which is my second hometown. Therefore, I will introduce some basic information about National museum Australia.

National Museum Australia, open in 2001, is located in Canberra on the Acton Peninsula, near Lake Burley Griffin. The museum was designed by architects Ashton Raggatt McDougall and Robert Peck von Hartel Trethowan. As a landmark of Canberra, it has its own features to show unique importance of museum; that means architects decided to adopt a post-modern style to reflect diversity of collections in the museum. 

John Gollings

The 11 hectare museum houses 6600 square meters of exhibition space. As far as I know, Uluru Line is the key design of the whole museum, which is actually the gigantic sculptural loop at the main entrance of Museum. 

John Gollings

In my opinion, another character of this museum is mix different colours extensively. Different colours are connected with several themes to tell true stories about Australia. 

The Garden of Australia Dreams is one of the most important landscape of this museum, which is based on true situation of Central Australia. Water, grass, and trees form a foundation of life. People could take a break at here, and think of 'place' and 'home' as well.  

George Serras

All in all, National Museum Australia is a good place for both local residents and visitors to know Australia very well. It worths people using hours to feel every collection in the museum.

Lake Burley Griffin

As a country surrounded by Ocean, we could treat Australia as a country full of sea. Most of cities have seas pass through. However, Canberra, as a inland city, has an artificial lake instead. 

(source:greataustralia, 2014)

 The artificial lake is called Lake Burley Griffin, named after Walter Burley Griffin, an American Architect, who had won the competition to design this city. Mr Griffin has adopted several geometric methods to design the lake. Therefore, the axes of the lake is lined up with city natural landmark to form the artificial lake.

The Lake Burley Griffin is located at geographic centre of city, also it is the centerpiece of the capital.  The whole surface area of the lake is 6.64 square kilometres, with maximum length 11km and 1.2 km maximum width. The average depth of Lake Burley Griffin is 4 meters. Besides, there are two accessible islands within the lake, one is located at West Basin, the other one is located at Central Basin. 

Lake Burley Griffin is a main part of the city, since there are numerous national public places near here. If the area only has buildings, it looks very boring and spiritless. Thanks for the lake, central area of Canberra could look peaceful and balanced. 

 

In my opinion, Lake Burley Griffin is not only the landmark of the city. It has become the recreation place with surrounding parklands for local people to  relax and do sports:

(source:greataustralia,2014)

The lake is a busy place for residents to do some activities, such as rowing, sailing, windsurfing, canoeing, fishing, etc. 

People also can have picnics, take a breath, go swimming, and walking tracks at surrounding parks. At the same time, relative services (e.g. hire boat and bike, lake cruises, ferry services, etc.) appear at here to offer convenience for people. 

(source:greataustralia, 2014)

Therefore, I think Lake Burley Griffin is a good tourist point in Canberra, the artificial design is the result of critical thinking for both aesthetics and  practicability. The urban design should consider accessibility and open space for the whole city. That is why I believe Mr Griffin is a good urban designer at least for Canberra.