Built environment
Romsås and Sagene
Location
We have compared the urban characteristics of the area of Romsås to that of Sagene. Sagene is also located in Oslo, and it is recognized as a good urban neighbourhood with lots of positive characteristics.
Through the analysis, we see that there is a clear difference between Romsås and Sagene, where Sagene for example has broken down barriers on several points by either bridges, roads, or crosswalks that connect further into Oslo city.
Romsås on the other hand is completely isolated from the city and is not only positioned on a hillside but also has a barrier at the perimeter surrounding it, with only one area of entry. The urban planning restricts the connection between spaces, making the residents and the people using them even more isolated as a result.
Romsås and Sagene
How to build an efficient city
-
Make a street network
-
Get eyes on the street
-
Create a small city grid
-
Multiple street entries
-
Create orientation
-
Main city elements
-
Mental network
-
Create variety of function
-
Cities are in need of sound
-
Different building aesthetic
-
Include pedestrian roads
-
Both public and private
-
Main transportation
Jane Jacobs
Street network
Eyes on the streets
City entry
City scale comparison
Kevin Lynch
Orientation
Urban elements
Jan Gehl
Variety
Sound
Building aesthetics
Pedestrian
.png)
Public - Private
.png)
Transportation
Romsås
Sagene
Trondheim
Barcelona
Paris
New York City
These maps explain the idea of eyes on the streets. The eyes that are coming from either restaurants, residents or the activity generated from the surroundings would create a safer and more engaging city. An unwatched street would create a more unsafe area that is prone to criminal activity and hostility.
The map explains the way of orienting oneself in each city district. This is presented through primary streets, secondary streets, minor streets and landmarks.
The street hierarchy is also presented as connection points to other surrounding city districts, where the main connection would be the primary streets.
The map shows how each of the city districts functions on a practical level. Romsås works around the barriers with little sense of direction. This creates multiple interlocks of many street paths and weak links to other streets creating an ineffective neighbourhood.
Sagene breaks down its barriers at multiple points, creating a more effective neighbourhood.
Through visualizing the transportation, we see a clear difference between Romsås and Sagene. Romsås offers mainly two methods of transportation, while Sagene offers six different alternatives for going around the city district. Access to these different transportation stops is also more prevalent in Sagene then what is seen in Romsås.
Environment
Mental health - Romsås/Sagene
We know that the environment has an impact on mental health. This comes across in the way Romsås and Sagene function, as the city districts are very much opposites.
We see that the urban environment of Romsås negatively impacts its residents, causing a triggering environment for mental disorders. As opposed to Sagene, where the urban environment impacts the residents in a positive way, actively reducing the triggering elements that contribute to mental disorders.
Romsås experience
We have attempted to rationalize the built elements of Romsås to show the current urban element's impact on the resident’s mental health. The area contains multiple blockages, areas of isolation and areas without any clear sense of direction.
In most city districts the barriers would be broken down by roads, crossovers, pathways, bridges etc. In Romsås the circulation works around the barriers, amplifying the isolation, which we presume is triggering the mental health disorders.