ecotecture.GIF (12664 bytes)

Department of   Design and Environmental Analysis,
Cornell University
  1. External Considerations

  2. Core & Envelope

  3. Indoor Ecology

  4. Material/Product Content

  5. Ecotecture Worksheets

  6. Additional  information.

  7. Case Studies

Use the table of contents to go directly to specific topics:

TRANSPORTATION

Design Considerations:

Biking/walking employees-  Take a poll of how many employees would prefer to bike or walk to work.  Provide a means for securing bikes for at least 5% of occupants, as well as storage, showers and lockers for employees who bike or walk to work.

Mass transit systems-  Acquire a map of nearby mass transit systems and where their destinations are, schedules, etc.  Acquire a map of arterial roads within a 10 minute drive from the site.  Locate the building in reference to bus, train and subway stops.  Provide access to mass transit systems by means of a shelter, walkways, etc. 

Corporate shuttle or bus- If mass transit systems are not available or are not close in proximity, provide a corporate shuttle to pick-up and drop-off employees.

Commuter rideshare- Encourage and create a corporate rideshare system where employees can commute together and take turns driving.

Parking - If possible, eliminate surface parking and use multi-level garages or underground parking facilities.  This prevents run-off problems and “hot spots” created by the concrete.

Tools:

Drawings: Use a USGS map or a road map that includes railways.  Draw in bus routes using different  color markers or pencils.  Draw a circle a quarter of a mile in diameter around the site.  This is the 10 minute walking zone.  Designate distances in walking and/ or driving distances in approximate minutes from the site to mass transit stations.

Case Studies to research:

Biking/ Walking employees - Seaside Community, Seaside, Florida
Duany & Plater-Zyberk of Miami
Mass Transit Systems-  Curitiba, Brazil
Mayor Jaime Lerner, architect and mayor
(28% of city's car owners are drawn to the bus-based transit system daily)
Corporate shuttle or bus - The Gap Inc. has two locations within the San Francisco Bay 
area – in downtown San Francisco and in San Bruno.  A shuttle drives to and from each site every hour, so employees can take advantage of this service.
Commuter Rideshare - Most metropolitan highways have carpool lanes for commuters with 3 or more passengers.
 

Further Information:

Green Architecture, Robert and Brenda Vale
EPA Green Building Standards
U.S. Department of Transportation: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Transportation Research Board Bookstore
American Public Transit Association
Transact: Transportation Action Network
Innovative Transportation Technologies
Community Transportation Association of America On-line
National Station Car Association
Madison, Wisconsin Bicycling Community Page
Taming the Automobile in Dutch Cities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

© Cornell University, December 1998