AR 344 I URBAN DESIGN

LECTURE 1 - INTRODUCTION TO URBAN DESIGN

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN
LIMITED SCALE / MICRO SCALE ➔ Involves many different disciplines
including planning, development,
❖ Relates to single building architecture, landscape
❖ Insists on function of the building architecture, engineering,
( residential - commercial - office ) economics, law and finance,
❖ Form of the building among others.
( colors - materials … )
❖ No focus on spaces between ➔ Operates at many scales, from the
buildings. macro scales of the urban
URBAN PLANNING
structures(planning, zoning,
LARGE SCALE / MACRO SCALE
transport and infrastructure
networks) to the micro scale of
❖ Organize the physical components street furniture and lighting.
of the city. Deals with groups of buildings and
❖ Such as district - neighborhoods ➔
❖ Deals with functional relationships the urban spaces between these
between the elements of the city buildings.
( such as uses of the buildings -
streets transportation - ➔ Open spaces like “streets-
infrastructure… ) pedestrian paths- gardens-
squares……”
URBAN DESIGN ➔ Concerns with aesthetics of the
INTERMEDIATE SCALE physical environment” landscape-
furniture of open spaces……
The art of creating and shaping cities,
towns and villages. ➔ Is the method by which man
creates a built environment that
❖ Design spaces that focus on the fulfills his aspirations and
users. represents his values
❖ Design for people
➔ We express Urban Design projects
Deals with : in: Detailed Maps
1. . Building Environment
➔ Buildings spaces
➔ Functional aesthetics
2. User’s need
3. Environmental issues
URBAN DESIGN
➔ Is the arrangement, design of
buildings, public spaces, services.
which giving them form, shape,
and character
➔ Is concerned with the
arrangement, appearance and
function of our suburbs, towns
and cities.
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WE EXPRESS URBAN DESIGN PROJECTS
IN: The formal emergence of urban design as
❖ Elevations a science happened in 1960 as key works
❖ Plans / Maps in the field of urban perception and
❖ Sections visual studies were performed by Kevin
❖ 3D / Perspective Lynch and Gordon Cullen in 1960 and
1961.
URBAN DESIGN AND TEAM :
❖ Natural Science
❖ Geography PIONEERS OF URBAN DESIGN:
❖ Architecture
❖ Technology
❖ Social Science
❖ Landscape Architecture
❖ Planning
❖ Art

“The best urban design project involves

working in teams with groups of
professionals with a wide range of
complementary skills, knowledge and
expertise.”
THOSE DEFINITIONS INCLUDES

DIFFERENT THEMES :

1. Urban design highlights the value

of “place”
2. Urban design is a type of art and
design
3. Urban design is for and about
people
4. It deals with the real world which
is constrained by economic
(market) and political (regulatory)
forces
WHEN DID URBAN DESIGN EMERGE?
Urban Design had a long history related Hassan Fathy
to the history of human settlements
7000B.C
As a profession and science:
After the industrial revolution and its bad
effects on cities in Europe, some
movements began to arise calling for a
need for more human and well designed
spaces in the cities .

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URBAN DESIGN IS A TOOL FOR up of many components including how
MAKING PLACES THAT ARE : close buildings and uses are together;
what uses are located where; and how
1. Good to live and work in. much of the natural environment is part
2. Conserves Heritage and Historical of the built-up area.
building and Urban fabric
- Creates community identity. ELEMENTS OF URBAN FORM :
3. Attractive to visit.
4. Successful both socially and ❖ Urban Structure
economically. ❖ Urban Grain
- Livable space ❖ Density + Mic
5. Make places more secure ❖ Height + Massing
- Careful urban design ❖ Streetscape + Landscape
reduces crime and ❖ Facade + Interface
anti-social behavior. ❖ Details + Materials
6. Effectives planning in the widest
sense
- It can help to deliver better ELEMENTS OF URBAN FORM FORM IN
public services and access. URBAN DESIGN :

URBAN STRUCTURE
WHAT GETS URBAN DESIGNERS OUT The overall framework of a region, town
OF BED IN THE MORNING? or precinct, showing relationships
It is the challenge of creating a place that between zones of built form, landforms,
will be used and enjoyed by a wide range natural environments, activities and open
of different purposes, not only now but in spaces. it encompasses broader systems
the years to come. including transport and infrastructure
networks.
URBAN FORM
URBAN GRAIN
The term ‘urban form’ can be used The balance of open space to built form,
simply to describe a city’s physical and the nature and extent of subdividing
characteristics. At the broad city or an area into smaller parcels or blocks.
regional scale, urban form has been For example, a fine urban grain might
defined as the spatial configuration of constitute a network of small or detailed
fixed elements (Anderson et al., 1996). streetscapes. It takes into consideration
Features of urban form at this scale the hierarchy of street types, the physical
would include urban settlement type, linkages and movement between
such as a market town, central business locations, and modes of transport.
district or suburbs. However, urban form
is closely related to scale and has been DENSITY + MIX
described as the ‘morphological attributes The intensity of development and the
of an urban area at all scales’ (Williams et range of different uses( such as
al., 2000). Characteristics therefore range residential, commercial, institutional or
from, at a very localized scale, features recreational uses).
such as building materials, façades and
fenestration, to, at a broader scale, HEIGHT + MASSING
housing type, street type and their spatial The scale of the buildings in relation to
arrangement, or layout. height and floor area, and how they relate
Urban form: The arrangement of a to surrounding land forms, building
built-up area. This arrangement is made streets. It also incorporates building
envelope, site coverage and solar

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orientation. Height and massing create well-being) as well as the productiv e
the sense of openness or enclosure, and capacity and economic prosperity of a
affect the amenity of streets, spaces and community. It incorporates aspects such
other buildings. as demographics and life stages, social
STREETSCAPE + LANDSCAPE interaction and support networks.
The relationship of buildings to the site, SCALE
street and neighboring buildings The size, bulk and perception of buildings
(alignment, setbacks, boundary and spaces. Bulk refers to the height,
treatment) and the architectural width and depth of the building in
expression of their facades( projections, relation to other surrounding buildings,
openings, patterns and materials). the street, setbacks and surrounding
open space. For example, a large building
DETAILS + MATERIALS set amongst other smaller buildings may
The closeup appearance of objects and seem “out of scale”.
surfaces and the selection of materials in
terms of detail, craftsmanship, texture,
colour, durability, sustainability and SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES OF URBAN
treatment. It includes street furniture, DESIGN
paving , lighting and signage. It
contributes to human comfort, safety and ❖ The need for Urban Design as a
enjoyment of the public domain. discipline has arisen as a result of
the fundamental, cultural,
PUBLIC REALM political, social and economic
Much of urban design is concerned with changes.
the design and management of publicly ❖ The other issues include the
used space( also referred to as the public impact of environmental issues
realm or public domain) and the way this and quality of life on the nature of
is experienced and used. The public the city and how urban form can
realm includes the natural and built best be adopted to our current and
environment used by the general public future needs.
on a day – to – day basis such as streets,
plazas, parks, and public infrastructure. ❖ The basis for framework defining
Some aspects of privately owned space urban design can be grouped
such as the bulk and scale of buildings, under six main headings according
or gardens that are visible from the to The Institute for Urban Design
public realm, can also contribute to the (IUD)’s criteria
overall result.
1. Historic preservation and
TOPOGRAPHY AND LANDSCAPE Urban Conservation
The natural environment includes 2. Design for Pedestrian
topography of landforms, water courses, 3. Vitality and variety of use
flora and fauna, - whether natural or 4. The cultural environment
introduced. It may be in the form of rivers 5. Environmental context
and creeks, lakes, bushland, parks and 6. Architectural values
recreational facilities, streetscapes or
private gardens, and is often referred to
as “green infrastructure.”
SOCIAL + ECONOMIC FABRIC
The non-physical aspects of the urban
form which include social factors (
culture, participation, health and

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GOALS AND PRINCIPLE OF URBAN
DESIGN SOCIAL AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE
An important factor determining why
1. Place people choose to visit, invest in or
2. Density relocate to a particular place is the
3. Pedestrianization and human scale “atmosphere” or the “cultural” identity
4. Mixed and compatible users (eg- Chandigarh or Goa)
5. Human culture
6. Public realm
7. Built environment
8. Natural environment

WHY IS URBAN DESIGN IMPORTANT?

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
ARCHITECTURE, URBAN DESIGN AND
ECOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE TOWN PLANNING
Urban Design involves modifying the
natural environment. It largely deals with ➔ Urban Design lies somewhere
the quality of the built environment that between the broad-brush
is vital for preserving nature. It can be abstractions of planning and the
affected positively or negatively; more concrete specifics of architecture.
emphasis on pedestrian circulation; It implies a notion of citizenships:
relevance of site (like contour site). life in the public realm. It is not
Neighborhood concept – everything in 10 just about space, but time as well.
minutes reach by walking.Ecological Much of what passes for urban
Significance: Urban Design involves design is conceived only for one
modifying the natural environment. It moment. Good urban design is
largely deals with the quality of the built more than just knitting together
environment that is vital for preserving the townscape. Urban designers
nature. It can be affected positively or should be configuring a rich
negatively; more emphasis on pedestrian network in which buildings come
circulation; relevance of site (like contour and go: a framework of transport,
site). Neighborhood concept – everything built fabric and other features,
in 10 minutes is reached by walking. which will create natural locations
for things. Urban Design
structures activities.’
ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE
Due to competition, the quality of the ➔ An urban planner was someone
built environment is the key factor that who was primarily concerned with
significantly affects the local, regional the allocation of resources
and international image of countries and according to projections of future
sets the stage for all economic activity. As need. Planners tend to regard
Harvey points out, there is a strong land-use as a distribution of
relationship between technological resources problem parceling out
changes in the economic production and land for zoning purposes, without
structural changes in the quality and much knowledge of its
production of urban spaces. Here we can three-dimensional characteristics,
consider the concept of smart cities (fully or the nature of the building that
hi-tech designs just like in the movie may be placed on it in the future.
Ultraviolet). The result is that most zoning

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 ordinances and official land use 9. Designing the development process
plans produce stereotyped and 10.Coordinating all physical inputs
unimaginative buildings. into urban development
➔ Architects, on the other hand,
design buildings. Agood Architect FOUR GENERIC TYPE OF URBAN WORK
will do all he can to relate the
building he is designing to its 1. Total Urban Design
surroundings, but he has no Where the urban designer is part of the
control over what happens off the development team that carries a scheme
property he has been hired to from inspection to completion.
consider.
2. All-of-a piece urban design
➔ There is substantial middle ground Where the urban design team devises a
between these professions, and master plan and sets the parameters
each has some claim to it, but within which a number of developers
neither fills it very well. work on components of the overall
project.
➔ Land-use planning would clearly
improve if it involved someone who 3. Piece by piece urban design
understands three-dimension In which general policies and procedures
design. On the other hand, are applied to a precinct of a city in order
someone is needed to design the to steer development in specific
city, not just the buildings. directions.
➔ Therefore, there was a need for 4. Plug-in urban design
someone who could be called an Where the design goal is to create the
urban designer.” infrastructure so that subsequent
➔ Undoubtedly urban design is an developments can “plug in” to it or
interdisciplinary concept and alternatively, a new element of
should be considered with the infrastructure is plugged into the existing
other disciplines and professions fabric to enhance a location’s amenity
such as real estate development, level as a catalyst for development.
economics, civil engineering, law,
social science and natural science.

TEN WAYS IN WHICH URBAN

DESIGNER CAN WORK
1. Designing Public realm
2. Designing Urban Context
3. Responding to the contextual
complexity within a precinct
4. Empowering the urban object as
an active agent in the city
structure
5. Incorporate the safety of human
networks in the city
6. Mediating the expression of history
7. Defining large scale architecture
8. Giving third dimension to the
master plan

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