Detroit In Transit - Transit Station design contest finalists

TRU invited artists, architects, urban planners and others to submit their vision for Detroit transit in 2025.  Here are the top entries.

In the transit-oriented neighborhood category

The winner was the "Royal Oak Transit Square - Urban planning design of a vibrant neighborhood around transit station," designed by a team led by Frank Arvan and including Mark Farlow, Johannes Potgieter, Shanita Rutland, Nathan Brantley, Kathi Brown, Matt Brown, and Carrie DaVia. (download the full design in pdf)  Here's a little of the design:

The Vision - Mass transit and dense mixed use form the heart of a sustainable city. Dense cities need mass transit to relieve automotive congestion and create a vital community. The vision is a network of interconnected regional transportation hubs located in viable, sustainable, diverse, urban downtowns.

The Proposal - Downtown Royal Oak this vision well. It is already a mass transit hub. It has a pedestrian friendly environment, new downtown housing and forward-looking zoning ordinance that promote dense urban life. Even with these assets it can be improved.

Our proposal looks at Second Street in Downtown Royal Oak. A regional bus and Amtrak station is now located at the west end of Second. At the east end are the Farmers Market and District Court. In between are the Post Office, City Hall and Library. This corridor has many street level parking lots that detract from the pedestrian experience. There is a great opportunity to create a real urban street connecting these important city assets. Our proposal shows how this could evolve.

A new Intermodal Mass Transit Station anchors the west end. In front of the station is a new triangular Transit Square. It is a grand public gathering place serving the station and the existing Post Office. New mixed use, mixed income housing, office and street front retail connect the Transit Square to a new central park and an enlarged Farmers Market at the east end.

As we move into this new century, urban mass transit combined with mixed use, dense urbanism offers numerous ways to reduce energy consumption and promote diverse, creative and sustainable ways to live. Our proposal is one hopeful vision of this future.

The runner up was "Transit Exchange @ Washington Boulevard" by Clair Vlach of the University of Michigan.  (download the full design in pdf)  Here's a little of the design:

The transit exchange is a new type of transit connection point which combines the concentration of a transit center with the linearity of a transit mall. Rather than focusing primarily on transportation, the transit exchange engages the surrounding city to form a lively district of which transit is an essential, but not dominating, feature.

This plan focuses on two areas that complement each other by providing different types of environments that support and are supported by proximity to transit: Washington Boulevard and Times Square Park.

Washington Boulevard serves as the location for the Detroit Transit Exchange. The boulevard median’s four sections have distinct uses which complement their surroundings, but are united by common street trees and walkways. All four areas can be used by transit riders as they wait for a connection, but these spaces are also convenient for residents, workers, and entertainment-seekers. These same people can shop in new and existing businesses located in historic storefronts along the boulevard. Finally, office and residential spaces in mixed-use buildings above the retail contribute to the life of the street.

Times Square Park, with its native plant species and meandering pathways, stands in contrast to the hustle and bustle of Washington Boulevard. This natural park is larger and contains more vegetation than other downtown open spaces, providing an urban oasis from within which the city seems almost distant. The park is surrounded on three sides by new residential developments, which are well suited for people who seek proximity to transit without the high level of activity of Washington Boulevard.

The people who use these spaces can exchange not only modes of transportation, but also goods and information. This dense concentration of exchanges creates a vital energy that is at the heart of every great city and is the future of Detroit.

 

In the transit station category -

The winner was "conneXions_new center – intermodal transportation hub, Detroit" designed by the LTU Design team of Justin Brevick, Mike Jacobs & Jordan Whitted.  (download a full-sized pdf) Here's a little of the design:

Extending from the Detroit River, 27 miles into the suburbs, the 120 foot wide Woodward Avenue was once densely lined with a mixed-use environment. ConneXions_new center draws its inspiration from this historic linear development and intends to reestablish a corridor along Woodward, serving as a catalyst for growth and urban renewal. The analyzed site is conveniently located on the outskirts of the New Center development with immediate access to downtown New Center, Wayne State University and regional access to the northern suburbs and Detroit’s rekindling downtown via M-10, Woodward Avenue and a proposed light rail system.

This site presently contains a subservient Amtrak station, two passenger rail lines, two freight rail lines, private surface parking, and an additional privately owned structure. The proposed inter-modal hub consists of six passenger rails, two freight rails, two light rails, and a metro-wide central bus station. The passenger and freight rails are an expansion of the existing East/West aligning tracks while the light rail is articulated from a proposal originally created by the City of Detroit and its three surrounding counties. ConneXions_new center supports and reiterates the need for a link between Detroit and its surrounding areas.

The existing perpendicular arrangement between Woodward Avenue and the passenger rail axis has been analyzed and reinforced. The point of intersection creates an obvious node where all forms of transit are open to interact with one another. A depression underneath the passenger rail currently exists and is utilized as bus and vehicular access below grade. A semi-enclosed pedestrian thoroughfare which accommodates pedestrian and bicycle traffic to, from, and through the hub lines Woodward Avenue across the span of the conneXions_new center site directly beneath the light rail tracks. The pathway breaches the main concourse at the center of the site, characterized by simple, clear, and legible circulation. The South parking structure and North plaza incorporate an urban refuge area of lawns and landscaping. Third public plaza also fills in the remaining North side of the site. Third party retail spaces at street level line the South side of the North plaza and the South end of the parking.

In its entirety, conneXions_new center optimizes the fabric of Woodward Avenue as a historic infrastructure and creates a new city image. It is a flexible node with opportunities for future expansion and provisions of innovative modes of transportation.

The runner up was "Metro Interchange – the future of light rail transit in metro Detroit" by Roger Berent and Kyle Hulewat of MAP – Metropolitan Architecture Practics. (download full pdf) Here's a little of the design:

 

As we look into the future and speculate on the possibilities for rapid light-rail transit in Detroit, we see a future where lightweight composite materials and computer systems make for a nimble, adaptable, system that fits seamlessly into the current city fabric. Our proposal emphasizes three key points:

1. The experience for the passenger. We focused heavily on the pedestrian circulation in the station and outside of it. It was critical to us that the pedestrian never directly intersect any of the trains and also that vehicular traffic at this busy intersection never be interfered with in order to minimize the disturbance to traffic. This is why the tracks rise and fall the way they do. It is important that the station through LCD screens have a clear understandable way finding system and that they are directly controlled by the stations integrated computer systems.

2. Multitasking. The stations need to multitask and adapt to the demands placed on it throughout the day. We thought it important that the track divides at the station to add more flexibility to the routing of the trains. This way the station is not only a station for pedestrians to board the trains, but also a switching station for the trains themselves. Along with ease of access to the trains we provide multiple areas for waiting, and meeting i.e. rooftop gardens, convenience shops, and eating areas.

3. Energy Independence. We felt strongly that the station should be self-sustainable in its energy and water usage. We used green roofs and green decks to harvest the water on site for non-potable uses. We also envision a futuristic although not unreasonable composite material of aero gel, polycarbonate and photovoltaic’s. The composite skin of the station acts as an insulator, self-supporting structure and solar energy producer.

The other finalist was "Detroit Amtrak Station + Hostel" by Jamie Galimberti of the University of Michigan. (download full pdf) Here's a little of the design:

 

This project is a proposal for two buildings in response to a mass transit-oriented Detroit. As a replacement for the current Amtrak station in Detroit on the corner of Woodward Avenue and Baltimore Street, this station and hostel is proposed to enliven the site and bring a renewed sense of urban life to the area. The two buildings reinforce the grid of the city and accentuate the corners of each block. Together they bracket a plaza, which is connected to the block south of the tracks trough a tunneled passageway. An unbroken spine of circulation connects the parking lot across Baltimore Street to the Amtrak Station and continues through the hostel, landing across Cass Avenue in a walled precinct containing recreation facilities for hostel guests. The “arms” of circulation connect the surrounding blocks to the hostel and station, pulling together a more complete complex and stronger relationship to the urban fabric. The bridges of circulation create strong thresholds throughout the site, creating a series of covered and open moments. This is iterated in the station, which expresses a sequence of low ceilings and open rooms. The station itself contains a clock tower, as well as numerous skylights and clearstories for ample lighting and a comfort of safety. The second floor of the Hostel employs a double-skin façade, creating an interstitial zone for exercising between the bunk rooms and glazed exterior. Those in this exercise corridor look out over the plaza, facing the train station’s café terrace and dreaming about their next meal. This dialogue continues for those in the café, observing those on the hostel treadmills and feeling the desire to burn a few calories. Overall the project seeks to make mass transportation more convenient and enjoyable while also strengthening the qualities of the city of Detroit.