Urban DesignNeed, scope and objectives

The art of creating and shaping cities and towns.

Urban Design

• Two dimensional• Regional Planning:-

Master planning, development plans, Town planning schemes

• Physical and Non-Physical planning

Planning

• 3d manifestation of master plan

• Futuristic, both planning and architecture

• Multiple client – population of an area

• Less control, No fixed timeframe, continuing process

• Geographical area, no defined boundaries, system network with a set of objectives

• Works with various layers – human, built/open, Networking, Communication and their interrelationships.

Urban design

• Single client• Effective control and

time bound• Smaller scale and

defined area • Determinant process

Architecture

Urban designer Convert the

regional planning guidelines to reality

Determining the appropriate land uses, movement, pattern, scale, architectural level details, openings and visual aspects

Maintaining the character of the city

Areas designed according to the activity and life pattern.

Objectives Establish a comprehensive spatial development framework

and a set of development policies. A direct response to people’s needs and creating a livable

environment. It covers all dimensions like visual, perceptual, social, cultural, historic and symbolic resources of community.

Increase the functional efficiency by relating the circulation, urban activities and use of land to physical form.

Accommodating urban growth and should be capable of adapting variables of unpredicted growth.

Economically feasible solutions, geared to incremental implementation over a substantial time period.

Solving the environmental deficiencies that exist in terms of physical, visual, perceptual, social and psychological terms.

Functions Analytical function: provides survey and identification of visual and

other human sensory qualities, development qualities, functional qualities, opportunities and limitations of a particular urban place.

An explicit articulation of design objectives, design evaluation criteria.

Generation of alternative concepts for future development as well as full illustrative images of desirable and possible consequences.

Development of standards, incentives, policies, control techniques and priority programs to achieve the qualitative values proposal.

Provisions for verbal statements, illustrative graphics and communication media capable of engaging all levels of community and choice of options of future form.

Integration of all elements of planning process, continuous revision possibilities to adapt to urban growth variables.

Scope

Regional

Metropolitan

City level

District level

Sector level

Project level

Urban

design

• Applicability of UD can be classified according to elements of physical design like residential areas, neighborhood planning, circulation system, river front development.• Outcome of UD project may be a completed project with detail design of building or it can be a framework for overall growth conceived as self adjusting and continuously changing process.• Implications of Urban design – policy framework guidelines for development and detail implementary measures including building and site.• Includes public participation, decision making, Research function.

Urban design at Regional level

• Classification of Natural and Man-made things

• Topographic analysis

• Identifying developing regions

• Networks

• Wilderness , Flora and Fauna, Landscape

• Tourism, Infrastructure

• Preservation, Conservation, Revitalization of the region

Image source: Google, Alba Iulia - Sebes - Teius, Territorial Development Project ~ Romania, 2008

Urban design at Metropolitan level• Development plans, Structure plans(workable solutions), Transportation networking, Activity and Land use• Overall form of the city – open, built, green areas, Infrastructure

• Hierarchy of spaces – (open areas)• Transporrtation – Nodes, Links, Hierarchy of roads, highways, modes of transport, generators, new intrusions

• Approach to city and Imageability• Views and Vistas, Skyline• Special sites- Typology, development regulations, Guidelines

Image source: Google, Six Urban districts of Tehran

Urban design at City level• Planning for urban open spaces – Use, hierarchy, types• Pedestrian circulation – Formal/informal/Processional/Casual, Activity, Connecting other modes of transport, Accent, Event• Landscaping – Preservation of natural resources, planting of trees• Urban lighting – Quantitative and Qualitative aspects • Street furniture• Urban art and sculpture – Landmarks, sense of scale • Street hardware

Image source: Google, Mitchell street Central Hermanus, Capetown

Urban design at City level• Rehabilitating old Neighborhood• Historic preservation • Suburban Centers and development and New towns

Image source: Google,Belfast City Centre Public Realm Plan

Urban design…

Urban design involves the arrangement and design of buildings, public spaces, transport systems, services, and amenities.

Urban design is the process of giving form, shape, and character to groups of buildings, to whole neighborhoods, and the city.  

It is a framework that orders the elements into a network of streets, squares, and blocks.

Urban design blends architecture, landscape architecture, and city planning together to make urban areas functional and attractive.

Urban design  is about making connections between people and places, movement and urban form, nature and the built fabric.

Urban design draws together the many strands of place-making, environmental stewardship, social equity and economic viability into the creation of places with distinct beauty and identity. 

Urban design is derived from but transcends planning and transportation policy, architectural design, development economics, engineering and landscape. It draws these and other strands together creating a vision for an area and then deploying the resources and skills needed to bring the vision to life.Content source: www.urban design.org

Elements of Urban design…

Urban design involves the arrangement and design of buildings, public spaces, transport systems, services, and amenities.

Urban design is the process of giving form, shape, and character to groups of buildings, to whole neighborhoods, and the city.  

It is a framework that orders the elements into a network of streets, squares, and blocks.

Urban design blends architecture, landscape architecture, and city planning together to make urban areas functional and attractive.

Urban design  is about making connections between people and places, movement and urban form, nature and the built fabric.

Urban design draws together the many strands of place-making, environmental stewardship, social equity and economic viability into the creation of places with distinct beauty and identity. 

Urban design is derived from but transcends planning and transportation policy, architectural design, development economics, engineering and landscape. It draws these and other strands together creating a vision for an area and then deploying the resources and skills needed to bring the vision to life.

Conducting a Urban Design SurveyA. City as a whole

1. Shape of the city2. Size of the city3. Access to city

B. City as partsC. Micro level analysis of each area

1. Topography – cliff, slope, hilly etc2. Microclimate – Humidity, Sun, Rainfall, Wind etc3. Shape – Physical outline in horizontal ( Radio-centric, Star,

Linear, Ring, Rectilinear, Branched)4. Size – Population and Physical extent, Density5. Pattern, Texture and Grain6. Pathways or Roads, Landmarks, Districts, Nodes, Edges

(Imageability aspects)7. Open spaces8. Views and Vistas9. Magnets, generators or Linkages10.Special activity centres and Overall activity structure

11.Hubs of intense visual experience12.Pedestrian areas13.Urban Signage14.Point of Conflict15.Historic special districts16.Community structure – ethnic groupings17.Urban Blighted areas18.Entry points19.Non physical aspects like festivals, emotional aspects, intangible

elements

Conducting a Urban Design Survey