{"id":10511,"date":"2025-05-26T11:08:29","date_gmt":"2025-05-26T15:08:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dcp.ufl.edu\/landscape\/?p=10511"},"modified":"2025-05-28T14:14:37","modified_gmt":"2025-05-28T18:14:37","slug":"uf-students-propose-inclusive-neighborhood-redevelopment-near-depot-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dcp.ufl.edu\/landscape\/uf-students-propose-inclusive-neighborhood-redevelopment-near-depot-park\/","title":{"rendered":"UF Students Propose Neighborhood Redevelopment Near Depot Park"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

UF Students Propose Neighborhood Redevelopment Near Depot Park<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

University of Florida architecture and landscape architecture students presented innovative neighborhood redevelopment proposals during their final review held at the end of the 2025 Spring semester. Through an interdisciplinary Urban Design Studio, undergraduate students focused on inclusive design strategies and housing models for special needs populations at two sites adjacent to Depot Park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The joint studio brought together third-year students from both disciplines to envision high-density, mixed-use developments that integrate housing for adults with disabilities, workforce and market-rate housing, as well as commercial spaces, public amenities, and green infrastructure. Student teams were tasked with balancing urban intensity\u2014comparable to New York\u2019s Greenwich Village\u2014with the requirement that at least half of each site remain dedicated to public outdoor space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs Gainesville residents struggle with housing shortages and gentrification pressures, it is increasingly clear that an integrated and diversified approach to residential design has not manifested enough in local urban design efforts,\u201d explained Hayden Germanis, a landscape architecture student in the course. \u201cImagining residential design as an inclusive effort to integrate business, recreation, and living amongst shared sites gives us designers more creative freedom and cultivates healthy communities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Akila Jayaraman (Arch), Jake Hoffman (LA), and Kayley Gilman (LA), and M\u00e4dchen Kruse (Arch, not pictured), present a concept for a linear urban morphology that integrates residential and mixed-use buildings with public outdoor space in their project, \u201cVital Spaces: Designing Homes for Life\u2019s Rhythms.\u201d<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Co-led by Kevin Thompson<\/a> (Associate Professor, Landscape Architecture) David Rifkind<\/a> (Professor, Architecture), the studio challenged students to explore context sensitive design, universal\/barrier-free ADA design, and biophilic interventions. The studio also benefited from input by The Independence Project<\/a> (TIP), a Gainesville-based non-profit organization that advocates for adults with disabilities. TIP\u2019s mission is to support adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities to be able to live independent, socially connected lives through appropriately designed affordable housing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nine student teams participated, with six selecting the \u201cwest\u201d site\u2014currently home to a concrete batching facility\u2014and three designing for the \u201ceast\u201d site across SE 4th Avenue from Depot Park. Projects featured creative approaches to housing, public space, commercial opportunities, and ecological design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis was a rich opportunity for students to engage in cross-disciplinary thinking,\u201d said Professor Thompson. \u201cTheir designs addressed real challenges in housing affordability, accessibility, and sustainable urbanism.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Hayden Germanis (LA), Ana Lucia Rodriguez-Valdes (Arch), and Caelan Brown (Arch) presented an \u201curban acupuncture\u201d design schema emphasizing community, mobility, and environmental benefits.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Describing the interdisciplinary nature of the course Mr. Germanis mentioned, \u201cI thought collaborating with architecture students on a studio project was a challenging, yet insightful experience that has expanded my understanding of design. This interdisciplinary approach to a large-scale project helped our team see urban design as a holistic process, shaping buildings and landscape together as one integrated urban form.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Dr. Jules Bruck<\/em><\/a>, Director of School of Landscape Architecture and Planning, responds to students\u2019 urban design proposal alongside <\/em>Andrea Hook<\/em><\/a>, AIA, Project Architect at Gensler<\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The review panel included UF faculty, visiting professionals, and community partners, fostering dialogue around urban design, accessibility, and sustainability. The event underscored the value of interdisciplinary education and community-engaged design, with students demonstrating how a more inclusive, sustainable urbanism for the Depot Park area can be imagined through collaborative studio work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

UF Students Propose Neighborhood Redevelopment Near Depot Park University of Florida architecture and landscape architecture students presented innovative neighborhood redevelopment proposals during their final review held at the end of the 2025 Spring semester. Through an interdisciplinary Urban Design Studio, undergraduate students focused on inclusive design strategies and housing models for special needs populations at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":223,"featured_media":10513,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"wds_primary_category":4,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10511","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/dcp.ufl.edu\/landscape\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/36\/2025\/05\/UrbanDesignReview1.png",1920,700,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/dcp.ufl.edu\/landscape\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/36\/2025\/05\/UrbanDesignReview1-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/dcp.ufl.edu\/landscape\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/36\/2025\/05\/UrbanDesignReview1-300x109.png",300,109,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/dcp.ufl.edu\/landscape\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/36\/2025\/05\/UrbanDesignReview1-768x280.png",768,280,true],"large":["https:\/\/dcp.ufl.edu\/landscape\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/36\/2025\/05\/UrbanDesignReview1-1024x373.png",1024,373,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/dcp.ufl.edu\/landscape\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/36\/2025\/05\/UrbanDesignReview1-1536x560.png",1536,560,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/dcp.ufl.edu\/landscape\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/36\/2025\/05\/UrbanDesignReview1.png",1920,700,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"ryanhelterhoffurp","author_link":"https:\/\/dcp.ufl.edu\/landscape\/author\/ryanhelterhoffurp\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"UF Students Propose Neighborhood Redevelopment Near Depot Park University of Florida architecture and landscape architecture students presented innovative neighborhood redevelopment proposals during their final review held at the end of the 2025 Spring semester. Through an interdisciplinary Urban Design Studio, undergraduate students focused on inclusive design strategies and housing models for special needs populations at…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dcp.ufl.edu\/landscape\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10511","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dcp.ufl.edu\/landscape\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dcp.ufl.edu\/landscape\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dcp.ufl.edu\/landscape\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/223"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dcp.ufl.edu\/landscape\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10511"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dcp.ufl.edu\/landscape\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10511\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dcp.ufl.edu\/landscape\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10513"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dcp.ufl.edu\/landscape\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10511"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dcp.ufl.edu\/landscape\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10511"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dcp.ufl.edu\/landscape\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10511"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}