Retail centers for community : addressing both pedestrian and car traffic

Authors

Luis Asturias, Florida International University

Document Type

Thesis

Degree

Master of Architecture (MArch)

Major/Program

Architecture

First Advisor's Name

Marilys Nepomechie

First Advisor's Committee Title

Committee Chair

Second Advisor's Name

Gray Read

Third Advisor's Name

Norman Blandon

Date of Defense

3-30-2004

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis was to redesign a commercial center in Miami, Florida in a manner that incorporates the needs of pedestrians as well as the automobile.

In my research, I studied projects that had been successful at integrating cars in retail design. I applied the strategies learned from this research to the design of a center that creates a positive interaction of pedestrian and car traffic, addressing the needs of the surrounding community.

I designed a master plan that includes a mix of residential, retail, commercial and parking space. The parking is designed so that the retail center is not dominated by surface parking. Rather, the automobile is introduced into the different layers of the proposed buildings. The design focused on connecting pedestrian plazas and parking areas beneath them through the introduction of light and greenery. The findings show how a shopping center might transform the area around it by including spaces for residential, civic, cultural and social functions, as well as for the automotive infrastructure that make those functions possible.

Identifier

FI14032364

Recommended Citation

Asturias, Luis, "Retail centers for community : addressing both pedestrian and car traffic" (2004). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2063.
https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/2063