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URBAN DESIGN PROCESS

URBAN DESIGN
- process of designing and shaping cities, towns and villages.
- - deals with the larger scale of groups of buildings, streets and public spaces,
whole neighborhoods and districts, and entire cities, with the goal of making
urban areas functional, attractive, and sustainable.
- utilizes elements of many built environment professions, including landscape
architecture, urban planning, architecture, civil and municipal engineering.
URBAN DESIGN
- The urban design characteristics are composed of the various components in
the buildings and streets of the area:
Building bulk, use, and type
- Buildings in a neighborhood are usually described by their size, and the
way it is massed on its site, use, and type.
- In describing a building, noting its general use (manufacturing vs.
residential, for example) conveys a sense of its appearance, and thus adds
to the understanding of its visual and urban design character.
Building arrangement
- refers to the way that buildings are placed on zoning lots and blocks.
- They may be attached to one another, as are row houses, or detached and
separated by driveways or open uses
- Building arrangements can be quite varied or organized in a site plan (such
as an institutional campus or a large residential development).

Block form and street pattern

- The block form and street pattern contribute to urban design because
they define the flow of activity in an area, set street views, and create the
basic format on which building arrangements can be organized.
- The shape and arrangement of blocks and surrounding streets may be
regular composed of rectangular blocks or formed by streets intersecting
at right angles or may be
interrupted by a diagonal
street
- The pattern may be
defined by irregularly
shaped blocks, curving
streets, or cul-de-sac’s.
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Streetscape Elements
- distinctive physical features that make up a
streetscape, such as front yards, street
trees, curb cuts, street walls, street furniture
(i.e., items permanently installed on the
street, such as streetlights, fire hydrants, or
newsstands), building entrances, parking
lots, fences, parking ribbons (i.e., the row of
parked cars along a street), etc.
Street Hierarchy
- an area's streets which express a sense of
width, circulation, and activity. These
include expressways, which have limited vehicle access and no at grade
pedestrian crossings, arterials, which have limited, at grade crossings,
boulevards, collector/distributor streets and local streets (which include
cul-de-sacs).
Natural Features
- include vegetation and geologic, topographic, and aquatic features. Rock
outcroppings, steep slopes or varied ground elevation, beaches, or
wetlands can help define the overall visual character of an area.

FOUR BASIC PHASES OF URBAN DESIGN

1. Analysis
- Gathering Basic Date: It includes understanding the structure,
organization, and pattern of urban areas. Basic information is gathered on
such items as land use, population, transportation, natural systems, and
topography. Designers also examine the varied character of the site and
the structure of neighborhoods and business areas. Problems and design
goals are identified.
- Visual Survey: The visual survey is a standard part of any urban design
study. It is an examination of the form, appearance, and composition of a
city or neighborhood. To conduct a visual survey, one must have a basic
idea of the elements of urban form. The most prominent is the study of
Kevin Lynch: Paths, Nodes, Edges, Districts and Landmarks as five basic
skeletal elements of a city form. Next, one must examine the city and
describe it in terms of this vocabulary.
- Identification of hard and soft areas: The defInition of hard (e.g. public
parks) and soft areas (e.g.business district) helps to designer to know what
parts of the city can accommodate growth and change and what parts are
essentially fixed because they may be occupied, for example, by a historic
landmark. Such information is of considerable value in the latter stages of
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the urban design process when proposed plans must be evaluated for
feasibility of implementation.
- Functional Analysis: The functional analysis examines the relationship of
activities among the various land uses and the way that relate to
circulation systems. This study builds on the work of the land-use
planners. However, the urban designer carries the study into three
dimensions. (e.g. changing of building heights to street width ratio over
time.)
2. Synthesis
- In this phase, the data gathered, and the analysis of the problem must be
translated into proposal for action. The first component of synthesis phase
is the evolution of concepts that address the problem. Concepts are
followed by the development of schematic design proposals. These
proposals are more specific in nature. Schematics are followed by
preliminary plans.
3. Evaluation
- Evaluation occurs at many levels, ranging from meeting technical demands
to the ability to gain public acceptance. After the design proposals are
complete, it is essential that they be evaluated in the light of the original
problem or issue they were intended to address. One of the more
complicated tasks associated with evaluation is determining what criteria
should be employed.
- There are 2 basic categories: “How well the solutions fit the problem” and
“How readily the proposals can be implemented”
4. Implementation
- During the implementation, the strategy for actual financing and
construction is formulated. Detailed phasing studies and tools are
considered to realize the project.

FIVE CATEGORIES OF DESIGN METHODS

Incremental Method
- Important to achieve the
main goal and objectives.
- Decision making by
individuals, group and
organization. It is more
straightforward to get the
goal and objective.
- The designer establishes a
goal and will develop
steps to achieve it.
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Synoptic Method
- Also described as ‘Rational’ or
‘Comprehensive”
- Two important complementary
concepts are involved: Value and
Uncertainty
- synoptic planning method proceeds from analysis
to target definition followed by a search for
alternatives and their comparison.

Transactive Planning
- emphasis on mutual learning and dialogue
between those affected by planning.
- It seeks to build decentralized planning bodies
which can give the population more control over
the social processes that are affecting their
welfare.
Advocacy-Oriented Method
- The planner contributes to the development process by creating a
situation with many competing plan proposals.
- Postulates that this model of planning provides for minority groups to be
heard more clearly and that, as a consequence, the general public receives
better information about alternative options.

-
Radical Process
- Able to predetermine growth and adequately accommodate it.
- Abstract methods implicit in some of system but most of methods are
purely theoretical and Academic.
- Has two approaches:
- Emphasizing decentralized control and the experimentation with
alternative societal organizations.
- focusing on the impacts of the economic system and the role of
planning on class conditions.
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CHARRETTES IN URBAN DESIGN AND COMMUNITY ARCHITECTURE

WHAT IS A CHARRETTE?
- A French word, "Charrette" means "cart" and is often used to describe the
final, intense work effort expended by art and architecture students to meet a
project deadline.
- This term originates from the École des Beaux Arts in Paris during the 19th
century, where proctors circulated a cart, or “Charrette”, to collect final
drawings while students frantically put finishing touches on their work.
- Today a “Charrette” combines creative, intense working sessions with public
workshops and open houses.
- It’s a collaborative planning process that harnesses the talents and energies of
all interested parties to create and support a master plan that represents
transformative community change.
- The design charrette, a method of urban management, works as a community
tool or as the first step in providing the foundation by generating ideas and
suggestions to a specific community issue or issues. Suggestions resulting from
the charrette are just the first in many steps in developing the ideas into a
reality for the community.

TODAY’S CHARRETTE
1900 CHARRETTE

A CHARRETTE IS: A CHARRETTE IS NOT:

- An open process that includes all - A one-day workshop.
interested parties (stakeholders). - A multi-day marathon meeting
- At least three to four consecutive involving everyone all the time.
days. - A plan authored by a select few
- A collaborative process involving all that will affect many.
disciplines in a series of short - A “visioning session” that stops
feedback loops. short of implementation.
- A process that produces a feasible
plan.
- A generalist, holistic approach.
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WHO USES CHARRETTES?

- Planners and Designers
- Architects and Landscape Architects
- Public Officials and Organizations
- Planning and Community Development Directors
- Public and Private Developers and Landowners
- Non-Governmental Organizations
CHARRETTE TYPES:
- Charrettes can be used virtually any time a product needs to be created or
designed, the Charrette model results in feasible plans for:
- Regional Planning
- Comprehensive Planning
- Rewriting Development Codes
- New Community Master Planning
- Specific Planning
- Affordable Housing Developments
- Buildings
BENEFITS OF A CHARRETTE:
- High quality architectural and planning projects with demonstrable public
benefit may lose support without a collaborative approach.
- A public planning Charrette has emerged as an alternative to the “plan and
present” convention.
- Charrettes provide a framework for creating a shared vision with community
involvement, directed by consultants representing all key disciplines.
BENEFITS OF USING A CHARRETTE PROCESS:
Trust
- Charrettes promote trust between citizens and officials through
meaningful involvement and education.
Vision
- Charrettes foster a shared vision.
Feasibility
- Charrettes increase the possibility of completing a process by obtaining
support from citizens, professionals, and staff.
Good Planning
- Charrettes create a better plan through diverse input and public
involvement.
Economy
- Charrettes avoid costly rework and utilizes productive work sessions.
HOW TO CONDUCT A DESIGN CHARRETTE
1. Gather people in a room. This can be done with as many as 20 people and as a
few as 2.
2. Give Everyone a few sheets of plain paper and a pen.
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3. Write a goal or a design challenge in the whiteboard. For example, “design a

homepage that drives customers to buy gummy bears.” or “design an intranet
page that encourages employees to share knowledge about the project they
are working on.
4. Communicate the charrette process, which is:
- Each person sketches his or her own ideas for 5 minutes. Each has just 5
minutes; then all pens down. This is supposed to be fast. People may
sketch one or several ideas, until then run out of paper, ink, or inspiration.
- Each person works alone. No talking once sketching begins.
- When the 5 minutes are up, each person gets 2 minutes (and no more
than 2 minutes) to show his or her ideas and explain the reasoning behind
them.
- The group may then ask questions of each sketcher, spending one minute
on each person.
5. The person running the meeting has to keep time and be diligent about it.
Otherwise, these meetings can go forever, and in the future people won’t want
to come.
6. At the end of the charrette, the designer then collects the papers and uses the
ideas generated to help derive a design.
EXAMPLE OF CHARRETTE
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URBAN DESIGN VISUAL SURVEY

VISUAL SURVEY
- The city is analyzed to determine its components and see the relations
between them. City is assessed through visual survey. It is an examination of:
- Form
- Appearance
- Composition of cities
- The components’ assets and liabilities are evaluated. Information about City
improvement is done through visual survey.
- Scales of visual survey
- Neighborhood Center, suburban, small group of buildings
- It can be the built-up part of the city or the entire city
HOW TO CONDUCT A VISUAL SURVEY
- Basic idea of urban form
- Examine: the city and describe it in terms of this vocabulary
- Relate the elements, in order to understand its workings, its form, and its
consequent appearance.
- Evaluation: certain discordant elements must be noted as faults to be
corrected; certain appropriate elements must be noted as assets to be
protected.
- A good urban design survey will also disclose several specific ideas for
improving, correcting, or replacing parts of city, for a good survey leads to
ideas for action.
ELEMENTS OF CITY IMAGE URBAN DESIGN
- These five elements of urban form are useful visual VOCABULARIES
survey form of the city. Their importance lies in the Elements of city image
fact that people think of a city’s form in these basic - Pathways
elements. - Districts
- These elements are the skeletal elements of the city - Edges
form. - Landmarks
OTHER URBAN DESIGN VOCABULARIES - Nodes
Landform and nature
- The form of the terrain. Landscape is part of the character of the city. Flat
site may have vertical architecture or assertive horizontal.
- A slightly hilly sites may call for vertical architecture at the summit with
flow of cubes on the slopes.
- A very steep slope may suggest terracing.
- Prominent features of landscape should be noted-hills, mountains,
plateaus, rivers, etc. They can serve as vistas
- Characteristic detail of the landscape should be considered for possible
architectural and urban design embellishment. Ex.\: natural color of the
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earth, characteristics of the trees, Indigenous architecture should be

noted. Certain areas should be preserved in their natural state.
A visual survey of nature threefold:
- Determine the character of the surrounding landscape to which
architecture and urban
- design must respond aesthetically and functionally
- Evaluate the degree on which the city enhance nature
- Decide what natural areas should be left along as complement to
urban form
Local Climate Climatological
- Microclimate Elements
- Macro climate - Sun
- Meso climate - Temperature
- Local climate determines much of the - Light
character and appearance of the landscape - Sun Wind
and buildings - Precipitation
Shape
- Every city has a general shape:
- Radiocentric: large circle with radial corridors of intense
development emanating from the center.
- Rectilinear: a variation on radiocentric form is the rectangle.
- Star: a star shape is a radiocentric form with open space
between the outreaching corridors of development.
- Ring: a ring shape is a city built around a large open space a
Ring and a star may be in combination, particularly where a
loop road is built around the outskirts of an expanding
metropolis.
- Linear: is usually the result of the natural topography which
restricts the growth of transportation spine.
- Branch: a branch form is a linear spine with connecting
arm.
- Sheet: a vast urban area with little or no articulation.
- Articulated sheet: is a sheet form is accented by one or
more central cluster and several sub cluster
- Constellation: is a series of nearly equal-size cities in
proximity
- Satellite: is a constellation of cities around a main center
Size and Density
- Density: the number of persons per square km; houses per
square miles; amount of building per given section.
Densities have impact on transportation and other city
development
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- Pattern, Grain and Texture: Distinct pattern seen on blocks and street
layout (Rectilinear street pattern, Curvilinear street pattern, Cul-de-sac
system, Loop system).
- Mixture of open spaces and built-up areas
- Grain: degree of fineness and coarseness in an urban area
- Texture: degree of mixture of fine and coarse elements
- They are useful in evaluating an area’s form and in making decisions about
a design treatment. Ex: a coarse-grained unevenly textured area may be
impersonal and repellent and could be treated with some fine scale and
unifying design elements.
Urban Spaces and Open spaces
- Urban shape, pattern, grain, size, and texture are primarily the solid
forms- the building masses of the city. The open spaces are the voids.
- Urban space must be distinguished by the predominant characteristics
such as:
- Quality of enclosure
- Quality of detailed treatments or outfitting,
- The activities that occur in it
Types of urban spaces
- Oases: island type for stopping places
- Linear corridors for linear movement
Activity structures
- Certain spots in the city that have characteristic functions such as working,
shopping, travelling, leisure, recreation, Location of these activity
structures would have visual results in their deployment and
interrelationships ex: concentration of people would affect transportation
- Topography can alter transportation routes, location of structures
- New transportation pattern can alter urban structures
Orientation
- Logic arrangement of city’s anatomy and if that arrangement is visibly
evident-articulated-the sense of orientation is strong.
- Landmark give sense of orientation
- Orientation can be done thru study-interview map technique
Details
- Appearance of small details, such as: Cracks on the pavement, tree trunks,
parking meters characterized the city. Give ideas on age, purpose, upkeep,
or decay.
- Study- visual study on small details should be done.
Pedestrian
- Give space for pedestrians and cars
- Good pedestrian movement
- Width
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- Paving condition
- Protection from rain and sun
- Sidewalk outfitting such as benches
- One should walk through the pedestrian area taking several different
paths to locate the main points of uninterrupted movements generally
speaking the intersections and crossovers.
- Pedestrian crossings should be frequent and convenient.
Vistas and Skylines
- Vistas should be protected from intrusions
- The views into and out of the city are precious assets. They are important
part of urban design plans.
- Point of approach should be taken into consideration.
- Skyline is a collective vista. It is often a single visual phenomenon which
embraces the minimum amount of urban form. Many skylines can be
improved by adding counterpoint tower at an outlying location.
- Night lighting is a good vista for skyline.
Nonphysical Aspects
- History, festivals, public ceremonies, and symbols of the old city’s
personality. Ex: Miami-center for leisure, New York, finance, and culture
PERSONAL TECHNIQUES FOR SURVEYING
- Magnets: bustling urban centers
- Generators: people are generators which requires magnets around which to
rally.
- Feeders: are links and paths which connect the two.
RECORDING THE RESULTS
- Simple maps accompanied by sketches photographs and brief notes. Maps can
be base maps, scales of the survey.
- Sketches, photographs, and notes can be Full survey maps
attached to the maps. The whole study is put on - Topography
report or display. - Microclimate
- The map and their notation are best done in - Shape
cartoon style and notation of certain features are - Pattern, texture,
indicated in graphic symbols: grain
- Routes and movements indicated in arrows, - Routes
- parking garages in spiral, - Districts
- landmarks as large X’s, - Landmark and
- vistas as sector lines, node
- Points of conflict in red, gray areas in grey - Open spaces
- One map should show the sum total of the - Vistas
general form of the city and its features. The
remaining maps should complement these as a series of:
- Magnets, generators, linkages
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- Special activity centers and overall activity structure

- Hub of intense visual experience
- Strong and weak areas of orientation
- Sign areas
- Points of conflict
- Historic or special district
- Community structure
- Areas for preservation, moderate remodeling, and complete overhaul
- Places needing clarifying design elements
- Sketch maps produced by the “man on the street” to discern the urban
features and forms prominent in the public eye.
- Each of these maps should be illustrated by few salient sketches or photos that
show exactly what a map symbol represents and a series of pictures which
characterize the area.