Medieval style mixed use development

[michaelskis]

Medieval architecture is reminiscent of 15th Century walled cities that have entire blocks that are only a few stories tall, have common walls, (like at grade row homes) and the street is wide enough for a horse drawn cart. The streets are actually valleys to allow for water to drain to the center, and each of the homes/ shops are at street level with nothing more a single half step to get into the structure. These homes range in size from 10 feet to 30 feet wide, and they sometimes shared in interior courtyard.

Most cities that were actual

[tamias6]

One would need bring the width of the roads to a minimum of thirty feet wide for a single lane one way road with parallel parking on one side flanked by pair of 6' wide side walks, one on each side. For two way traffic the street width would have to be increased to accommodate an additional lane and parallel parking. Secondly the intersections would need enough clearance to accommodate the turning radius of a fire truck.

For storm drains the road could be made into a valley with drains in the center. However the mobile home park I live in has such a configuration. The roads here are in very poor condition and filled with pot holes in the center of the road where water collects. Thus another way of drainage would have to be found.

As for the buildings themselves I would insure that ordinances and building codes for a development as dense as your Medieval city idea be very strict when it comes to fire codes. Because of the density of Medieval cities or any highly populated city, a fire in single building could easily ignite into a firestorm burning the entire city to the ground. The Great Chicago fire is a vivid reminder of such cases along with fire that destroyed much of London several hundred years ago.

Once these issues where dealt with I'm sure a Medieval city plan could work in dense areas of any city.

Medieval architecture is reminiscent of 15th Century walled cities that have entire blocks that are only a few stories tall, have common walls, (like at grade row homes) and the street is wide enough for a horse drawn cart. The streets are actually valleys to allow for water to drain to the center, and each of the homes/ shops are at street level with nothing more a single half step to get into the structure. These homes range in size from 10 feet to 30 feet wide, and they sometimes shared in interior courtyard.

Most cities that were actual

[michaelskis]

One would need bring the width of the roads to a minimum of thirty feet wide for a single lane one way road with parallel parking on one side flanked by pair of 6' wide side walks, one on each side. For two way traffic the street width would have to be increased to accommodate an additional lane and parallel parking. Secondly the intersections would need enough clearance to accommodate the turning radius of a fire truck.

For storm drains the road could be made into a valley with drains in the center. However the mobile home park I live in has such a configuration. The roads here are in very poor condition and filled with pot holes in the center of the road where water collects. Thus another way of drainage would have to be found.

As for the buildings themselves I would insure that ordinances and building codes for a development as dense as your Medieval city idea be very strict when it comes to fire codes. Because of the density of Medieval cities or any highly populated city, a fire in single building could easily ignite into a firestorm burning the entire city to the ground. The Great Chicago fire is a vivid reminder of such cases along with fire that destroyed much of London several hundred years ago.

Once these issues where dealt with I'm sure a Medieval city plan could work in dense areas of any city.

[GRDadof3]

Are you thinking something like THIS Micheal? Or maybe something similar to the new developments in Frankenmuth?

The one issue you'll run into with street widths is that current fire codes require fire trucks to be able to get in and turn corners, etc.. They ran into that problem on the Broadway and 1st project, which cause the project to be a little bland.

[tamias6]

Pertaining to narrow streets, I fond some pdf document that might be of interest

Traffic Calming and Emergancy Responces

and

Street Design and Emergancy Responces.

Maybe some of the principles and suggestions from these two documents may be applicable to a Medieval style master plan when accommodating emergency services.

[michaelskis]

Are you thinking something like THIS Micheal? Or maybe something similar to the new developments in Frankenmuth?

The one issue you'll run into with street widths is that current fire codes require fire trucks to be able to get in and turn corners, etc.. They ran into that problem on the Broadway and 1st project, which cause the project to be a little bland.

[tamias6]

Michaelskis, would your plan look similar to this Sketchup file I quickly threw together just now?

[dtown]

That would be a really cool development, as long as it didnt come off as cheesy.

As for the water drainage, it would be just the opposite of our crouned roads. The water couldnt just sit in the center of the road though. Put in metal grates in the center of the road, connecting it the storm sewer.

[michaelskis]

Michaelskis, would your plan look similar to this Sketchup file I quickly threw together just now?

[dtown]

Maybe put it on the lots across the river from the CBD?

[tamias6]

Something like the Medieval plan would also look good near GVSU DT since that campus already has a old world feel to it.

[gvsusean]

Something like the Medieval plan would also look good near GVSU DT since that campus already has a old world feel to it.

[Veloise]

ummmm... bike factory???