Hujun Tian

December, 2015

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Niehoff Urban Studio, Cincinnati, May, 2015 – August, 2015

-Participated in the Three-Dimensional web map development project

-Joined in the “Greater Cincinnati Outdoor Gym” project

Downtown Cincinnati Incorporation, Cincinnati May, 2015 – August, 2015

-Participated the web mapping project for “Available Vacant Storefronts in

Central Business District of Cincinnati”

-Joined in the project “Upcoming Development in Downtown Area-Joined in the project “Upcoming Development in Downtown Area

Urban-Rural Planning Institute, Guangdong July, 2013 - Sep.,2013

-Participated in the Education Planning Project of Baiyun District, Guangzhou

as an assistant planner ;

-Undertook data processing, data analysis and charting.

University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati August, 2014 – June, 2016

College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning

Master of Community Planning

Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong, China Sep. 2010 – June, 2014

College of Geography and Urban Planning

Bachelor of Science

RESUME

Address: 518 Riddle Rd Apt 10,

Cincinnati, OH, 45220

Phone: 513-652-5214

Email: tianhn@mail.uc.edu

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Graphics Photoshop

SketchUp

Programming Language Python

Other ArcMap QGIS ArcGIS Online Microsoft Office – Word, Excel, Powerpoint Microsoft Office – Word, Excel, Powerpoint

CONTE

NTS

The contents of this portfolio represents the skills and knowledge that I have learned so far in my college career. These projects show the work that I am most proud of. Thanks everyone who supported me along the way. -Hujun Tian

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Universal Urban Design November, 2014

GIS Spatial Analysis October, 2014

Methods of Physical Planning January, 2015

Urban Planning Studio September, 2015

Urban Design Theory September, 2015

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The purpose of creating this poster is to let

us, as planners, take some responsibility for

the handicapped while doing urban design

and allocate the facilities, to make their lives

easier when they go outside.

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Spatial Analysis

Slope School

RoadPopulation

BThis is site planning for high school in Cincinnati region and the factors that

need to be taken into consideration while decide where to allocate a high

school are slope, existing schools locations, population density and road

network density. Four small maps show the data of these four factors.B

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After rasterizing thoses four types of data, I use tools weight sum and raster calculator to determine the areas that are

suitable for construction of new school.The areas coverd by blue color are the potential area for allocate a school.

Potential Area

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O A K L E Y

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Physical Analysis

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Current Land Use in Oakley, Cincinnati

Current zoning in Oakley, Cincinnati

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Comparative Analysis of Land Use and Zoning in Oakley

According to the table above, we found that the zoning acreage of single-family, multi-family and commercial is more than the acreage of existing land use, which shows residential districts need to be constructed or maybe because people prefer moving to suburban instead of living here and the demand for housing is lower here and the demand for housing is lower than supply, so there are still zoning areas for single-family houses, which in fact, are not occupied by single-family houses. Commercial districts are rising these days.

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Compared with north part of Oakley, the south part is more suitable for pedestrians

Pedestrian Shed in Central Business District, Oakley

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West End: Physical Connections

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Urban Planning Studio

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VISION:

The The West End contains an abundance of

historic and cultural assets. Our vision is to

better utilize and showcase these assets by

connecting them to those found in OTR and

CBD while simultaneously revitalizing the

West End community and creating a

cohesive basin region.

Group members:Group members:

Brad Roebke

Di Meng

Evan Koff

Hujun Tian

Tianyi Zhang

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Opportunities:○ The West End’s major thoroughfares (Central Pkwy, Liberty St, Ezzard Charles Dr, and Linn St) are all wide enough to

be converted into “complete streets” with widened sidewalks, bike lanes, and streetscape improvements

○ Liberty St. bisects not only the West End but the entire basin region, serving as a primary access point to the West End

○ Ezzard Charles connects the West End to Union Terminal, Music Hall and Washington Park

○ Central Ave. connects the West End to Downtown and The Banks

○○ Street grid is relatively compact and easily walkable

○ Greenery already exists along Central Pkwy and Ezzard Charles Dr, which can easily be enhanced

○ Existing vegetative land on Findlay St can be turned into a park

○ Streetcar is only 1-2 blocks east of Central Pkwy, proving businesses and residents access to Downtown and

Over-the-Rhine

○ Large swath of light industrial land along Central Pkwy and Liberty St has many vacant parcels and is prime for

redevelopment

○○ Existing art studio can serve as a catalyst for other art studios, galleries, and public art

○ The West End contains many historical and cultural landmarks

Constraints:○ Central Pkwy is 120 feet wide, carries a high traffic load, and has few intersections - serves as a physical barrier between

the West End and Over-the-Rhine

○ Sam Adams brewery and Taft High School each take up 4 city blocks along Central without any cross-through streets

○○ Liberty St connects to I-75 (via Western Ave), I-471 and I-71 (via Reading Rd), generating high traffic volume and

frequent accidents

○ Many projects, such as capping I-75 with a park at Ezzard Charles, will be very expensive and take many years to

implement

○ Many industrial buildings are currently being used, and owners may resist zoning changes/relocating

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Union Terminal

Dayton District

Findlay Market

Music Hall

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Goal 1:

Form a complete streets network on Ezzard Charles Dr., Central Pkwy., Linn St., Central Ave., and Liberty St. to

make strong connections between the cultural assets of the area for pedestrians and bicyclists.

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Goal 2:

Establish an art and design collaborative with studio and gallery space and artist lofts in the West End, to promote the

visual enhancement of the neighborhood with public artwork and murals.

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Goal 3:

Make strategic zoning changes to the manufacturing area along Central Pkwy. and Liberty St. to allow for commercial,

multi-family residential and mixed uses and to encourage a gradual phasing out of industrial uses.

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Goal 4:

Connect the West End to Findlay Market by creating public spaces and improving the streetscape, transforming

Findlay St. into an attractive area for pedestrians and commercial activity.

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Goal 5:

Establish a cultural trail which showcases the many historical and cultural assets of the West End, Over-the-Rhine

and Downtown.

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Existing Condition of Findlay Street

Findlay Corridor Current Land Use Condition

Urban Fabric

The current land use patterns show that the

Findlay Street corridor between Central

Parkway and Linn Street is largely made of

light manufacturing usage and vacant land.

Next, we analyzed the urban tree canopy

and the condition of the existing buildings

along the Findlay Street Corridor. We found

that there is a severe lack of street trees that there is a severe lack of street trees

throughout the northern portion of the West

End.

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Existing Condition of Findlay Street

Findlay Corridor Building Condition

The buildings along Findlay St

were analyzed and sorted into

three categories (good, fair and

bad), based upon the building’s

current condition, architectural

significance, and potential for

rehabilitation. While many of the

buildings have fallen into various buildings have fallen into various

states of disrepair, most appear

structurally sound and offer historic

architecture, suggesting high

redevelopment potential.

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Plan Proposal

In order to achieve the goals earlier stated in the plan, three large-scale projects have been recommended:

1. Complete streets network

2. Findlay Street Corridor

3. Historic Heritage Trail

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Complete streets network

Transforming the major streets into complete streets

has been proved as an effective way to promote

non-automobile use of the streets, and reduce the

car-dependency when travelling in the basin area.

The complete street transformation also aligns with

the transportation goals from city’s comprehensive

plan - Plan Cincinnati, which was adopted in 2012.

Most of the transformation recommendations were Most of the transformation recommendations were

meant to be low cost and “quick-win” approaches,

such as repainting surface markings and slightly

traffic signal improvements. However, to further

promote non-automobile use of the street for the

further future, some long term approaches such as a

streetcar extension have been recommended.

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We recommend to slightly narrow the greenbelt and move bike lanes on sidewalks. The space that previous being used by bikes can now be used for on street parking as

well as bus stop. To make people crossing easy, we also recommend installing curb extensions at intersections.

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We propose to eliminate the medium on the traffic lane and slightly reduce the width of on street parking to accommodate bike lanes on both sides. We also recommend

curb extensions at intersections to make crossing the street easier.

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we recommend to transform the one-way portion into two-way, and make the whole Central Ave. a complete street by removing the on-street parking on the east side of

the street and adding bike lanes on both sides.

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Our recommendation for Liberty St., especially for the portion in the West End, is to keep up with the pace of complete street transformation. We recommend to slightly

reduce the width of on-street parking, traffic lanes, and the medium to accommodate bike lanes on both side. The medium will turn into left turn lane at intersections and

curb extensions will be installed in favor of crossing pedestrians.

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Our approach to transform Ezzard Charles Dr. into complete street would be slightly narrow the greenbelt and the parking lane to accommodate dedicated bike lanes and

wider sidewalk, and install curb extensions in intersections to make crossing the street easy. In the long-term plan, we recommend that the streetcar extension be

constructed on Ezzard Charles Dr. to strengthen the public transit network and further reduce the usage of automobile.

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A key component to the transformation of Findlay St. is attracting the artistic community. The West End is a prime

area for artist studios and galleries because of the cheap rents, abundance of large industrial buildings, and the

historical value of the neighborhood. In turn, the art works produced can be installed throughout the neighborhood to

beautify the streetscape and make it more welcoming to visitors.

Findlay Street Corridor

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Rendering of Current Street Physical Environment & Potential Changes

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The art works produced can be installed throughout the neighborhood to beautify the streetscape and make it more welcoming to visitors. The potential for Findlay Street

to be developed into an art district is real - a large (12,000+ sq ft) artist studio/gallery called Solway already exists here.

Findlay Street Corridor Short - Term Plan

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Other desired amenities to complement an artist district were identified as: a pocket park, a public plaza/square, a visitor center, a parking garage, apartments and studios,

and plenty of pedestrian-friendly mixed-use commercial/residential development. In addition to these amenities, a new streetscape was desired for Findlay St. to make the

corridor visually appealing and to encourage pedestrian activity.

Findlay Street Corridor Long- Term Plan

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Street Scaping

The portion of Findlay St. between Linn St. and Central Avenue will have its asphalt paving removed, revealing the 19th century brick street that lay underneath.

Resurfacing the brick street will have many benefits. Brick streets are a nod to Cincinnati’s historic character and will help beautify the corridor. They are easier and

cheaper to maintain than asphalt. The bricks will also deter automobiles from speeding or driving on Findlay St. altogether, making it more welcoming for pedestrians.

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The Findlay Street Corridor Plan calls for the creation of two public spaces: a park and a plaza/public square. The park consists of about 2 acres of already densely

vegetated land along Findlay St., between John and Linn streets. The park will strongly be influenced by the nearby Findlay Art & Design Center, featuring murals,

sculptures, and other forms of public art crafted by local artists.

Public Space

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Public Garage and Visiting Center

At the corner of Findlay St and Central Pkwy, the plan calls for the conversion of the existing vast gravel lots into an

architectural bacon multifunctional garage, which is designed to catch the eye of passersby and welcome visitors to

the area. (refer to Miami’s 1111 Lincoln Road garage)

The garage and the visitor center will be connected to Findlay Market via a skywalk over Central Pkwy in long term.

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Intersection of Central Parkway and Findlay Street

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Findlay Art Gallery

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Bird View towards Downtown Cincinnati

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Heritage Trail

The West End possess a very rich history with a

multi-cultural heritage. Unfortunately, due to a

combination of post-industrial disinvestment and

urban renewal, the neighborhood has not leveraged

this heritage into economic gain. With the

installation of a West End Heritage Trail we plan on

rectifying this by celebrating the surviving historical

architectural landmarks, and giving reverence those architectural landmarks, and giving reverence those

that no longer stand.

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Heritage Trail Participant Experience

Starting at the proposed West End Welcome Center you will learn

the heritage of those that called the Kenyon-Barr District of the

West End home.

Make your way north west towards the Dayton Historic District to

remember the Poems of the famous German-American writer

Heinrich A. Rattermann and rediscover the efforts of West End’s

own Civil Rights activist Reverend Maurice McCrackin.

Explore the history of Findlay Market, and its role in shaping the Explore the history of Findlay Market, and its role in shaping the

West End

Make your way south and west on Central Avenue and Ezzard

Charles Drive towards the old State Theater, the African American

WWII Veteran’s Memorial and the aptly named Regal Theater.

another great testament to the grand film-going tradition of

Cincinnati and those who lived in the West End.

From the Regal, walk along Clark Street towards the Betts Longworth Historic District, where you

will have the opportunity to visit 19th century Synagogues, the oldest Jewish Cemetery this side of

the Allegany Mountains, and the Betts House, the oldest standing residence in Cincinnati

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As part of the greater Cincinnati place marketing strategy, a West End Heritage Trail would present itself both on the

physical and digital landscapes. We recommend the development of an integrated and interactive mobile app that

can increase the city's global reach. In addition, through a Quick Response (QR) code and enhanced reality system,

the heritage trail participant can let their feet lead them through a history they hold in their hands. To enhance the

physical landscape, it is proposed that a system of wayfinding, informational, and place-making signage will be

implemented. This will be designed and coordinated through the West End Neighborhood Redevelopment

Association and stakeholders from the arts district created along the Findlay street corridoAssociation and stakeholders from the arts district created along the Findlay street corridor.

Place Marketing and Digital Interaction

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Urban discontent raged in the US during the first half of the 20th century.

Suburbs were hot; cities were not. Suburbs were clean, cheap, luxurious; urban

cores were filthy, cramped, crime ridden. Suburbs were built for white, affluent

residents; urban cores were inhabited by poor minorities. This depleted

perception caused a fast and hard downward spiral of cities for decades.

Jacobs, the outspoken urbanophile, defended the so-labeled “slums” of this era.

Flying in the face of ‘modern discontent’, Jacobs advocated for the small-scale

urban neighborhood over its suburban counterpart. In this case studurban neighborhood over its suburban counterpart. In this case study, we take

Over - the - Rhine, a neighborhood that is adjacent to Central Business District

of Cincinnati, as an example to analyze the interrelation between the

development history of Over - the - Rhine and Jane Jacob’s theory.

Urban Design Theory

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History of Over - the - Rhine, Cincinnati

Over-the-Rhine (OTR) has come a long way

over the past two centuries. Originally a

bustling German enclave during the 19th

century, several social and economic factors

slowly shifted the area into disrepair. As the

neighborhood’s original German population

moved out, poor white Appalachians and

AfricanAfrican Americans migrated to the vacant

neighborhood during the 1920s, just as slum

clearance became the pressing issue in cities

across the nation.

Inner-city slum clearance was a top priority for

the forty-some years between the 1920s and

1960s, yet OTR escaped this era of ‘modern

discontent’ relatively unharmed. What remains

today in terms of buildings, architecture, and

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OTR’s narrow escapes from destruction

mostly due to governmental inefficiencies,

alternative priorities, and evolving theories

While Jacobs did not play a direct role in

protecting OTR during the era of ‘modern

discontent’, her support of urban communities

may have helped reshape the views of

politicians in Cincinnati.

Interrelation

Neighborhood Physical Urban Form Change

In cities, streets hummed with activity:

shoppers bopped in and out of stores,

working men and women trudged to and

from the office, storeowners predictably

opened and closed up shop. Movement

gave life to urban neighborhoods.

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