Activating residential back alleys to improve social life of streets

Understanding the Residential back alleys

Alleys are often forgotten spaces in an urban setting that holds a sense of drama with the nature of linearity.  This blog discusses about, how transforming the back alleyways of terraced housing in the UK could lead to a creation of community driven, environmentally attractive zone for mental health and well-being. As we all know, currently  the back alley ways of Victorian/ Georgian terrace housing serves the purpose of disposing household waste. Alleys accumulated with utility bins, leaves the space isolated from human involvement most of the time. As a result, residential alleys foster many anti-social elements such as fly tipping, unorganized littering and graffiti. The recent surveys indicate that the local environment quality of alleyways fall far behind the average standards of streets/facades.

Fig 1:  An example of transforming residential back alley into a community driven space for engagement, Middleborough

However, alleys can be an important layer in the modern day residential development with its intimate relation to human scale. Also, possesses a compelling potential to become a part of urban intervention through unique experiences. Using proper revaluation and regeneration techniques, alleys could become an active secondary network for movement and interactions. Besides, an off street space for multiple generations  facilitating intimate personal outdoor experiences and cultural activities.(Duell & Harding, 2013)

Potentials of Residential back alleys:

• Alley creates an activity driven network for pedestrian movement.
• Alleys can be welcoming to induce green infrastructure in its streets.
• Intimate and safe personal spaces, keeping in mind the use of services.
• A multi-generational space with age inclusive development.
• Off street podium for festivals and cultural activities.
• Unique spatial features and experiences.(Witte & Meisel, 2011)

Fig 2:  Proposed activity chart in a redeveloped alley way, Seattle, USA

An alley could achieve this transformation into an active interactive space by :

• Diluting boundaries of back yard using robust boundaries
• adding colours and mixed pavement materials to differentiate the functions.
• using linearity of space to create sequential activity nodes for children and elderly using furniture and plants. 

These community driven efforts to create communicative neighborhoods could contribute to the collective sustainable development and helps in enhancing the overall quality of life of the residents, evidently reflecting its effect on urban intervention. At the same time the purpose of service laid on alleys should not be forgotten to keep the area clean and healthy.

Keys for creating a Successful residential back alley

The goal of revitalizing alleys is to create a closely knit public realm which are safe and healthier with a communicative environment in the urban housing fabric. (Fialko & Hampton, 2010). And, a successful alley requires:

Quality of space

• Users should be able to recognize the importance of the space by reduced speed of movement with intermediate activity nodes throughout the linearity of alleys.
• It should form the part of street identity, rather than a neglected space for services.
• The redevelopment should not hinder the service aspect of alley and alternatives such as community bins should be provided for waste management.
• Using mixed pavement materials to differentiate and distinguish the functions aesthetically and practically.
• The purpose of alley for services should be kept in mind during regeneration.
• Opening/ Diluting the backyard to the alley creates eyes on alley and fosters a secondary movement network.

Fig 3: Dilution of back yard boundaries                                                  Fig 4: Transforming back alleys in West Belfast- “Miracle way”

Ecological impact on streets

1. Blue- Green Infrastructure

Using permeable materials in alley way would help in collecting surface water and distribute efficiently to the drainage, keeping the area clean and hygiene. Additionally, Permeable paving and bios wales are potential on site water treatment to eradicate waste water from the site. (Fialko & Hampton, 2010)

  Fig 6: Old Firehouse Alley Redesign  – Fort Collins                                       Fig 5: Detroit’s first alley, Green garage Detroit

2. Flora and Fauna

Adding plants to the street brings attractions to the alley and creates robust boundary between backyard and alley space. Moreover, Plants provide welcoming spirit for people to use the space and improve the atmospherical quality of the alley. Furthermore, Planting trees and small plants foster new habitat generation for the existing ecosystem in the urban fabric. Therefore, “Giving back the taken”. Above all, Alley gardens can also be an area for economic generation and create sustainable and positive interactive spaces. Along with all these benefits, plants play an integral part in the green infrastructure by supporting water filtration and absorbing pollutants.

Fig 8:  Green infrastructure in Chicago alley redevelopment                   Fig 9  Wild alley- Revitalizing neglected alley in Belfast

In conclusion, re vitalizing the back alleys require intense effort from the occupants. Therefore, efforts should be laid by the community itself, as they form the heart of this development.  Subsequently, It starts from the communication with neighbors followed by cleaning up the space, identifying potential strengths and threats to invent a proper plan of action to create a community driven intimate personal space. Consequently improving the quality of the neighborhood and the life style of residents in an urban scale.