REQUIRED Reading 2 - Planning 2 and UDS

AR 451/AR591B: UD & Community Architecture and UD Studio
Eduardo F. Bober, Jr., SIL
REQUIRED Reading No.2

Further Elaboration on Urban Design Concepts
What is good urban design?
In its most general sense, urban

designers intend to improve the quality of
people’s lives through design. They
accomplish this through the elimination of
barriers as well as the creation of opportunities
for people to move about the city in a free,
safe, and pleasant way. For example, one
should be able to walk through a reasonable
portion of an urban area in inclement weather
without major difficulty. This goal was
accomplished in Minneapolis with a system that links the

second stories of downtown buildings with climate-
controlled skyways. The skyways with its connecting
corridors in commercial and public buildings form a five-
mile system where people travel from parking structures
or apartments to offices or stores without having to go
down street level.
People like to see other people and be seen.

Many cities provide incentives for developers who will
create public plazas in conjunction with new
developments. Such spaces provide an opportunity for
people to sit in the sun at lunch and observe the general
activity of the street. William Whyte in The Social Life of
Small Urban Spaces reports a systematic study of the
factors contributing to successful urban space. He
concludes that some form of moveable seating and the
opportunity to purchase food and drink are key elements.
Another way to evaluate the success

of urban space is the way in which it assists in
orienting the user. For example, can users find
their way from one place to the other without
the confusion or fear? Are the signs easily
understood? Kevin Lynch’s The Images of A
City. Lynch says, “Every citizen has had long
Urban Spaces
associations with some part of the city, and his image is soaked in memories and meanings.” He also
concerned with how we locate ourselves within the city, how we find our way around. To know where we
are within the city, therefore, we have to build up a workable image of each part. Each of these images will
comprise:
• our recognition of its “individuality or oneness” within the city as a whole,
• our recognition of its spatial or pattern relationships to other parts of the city,
• its practical meaning for each of us (both practical and emotional)
Also, are major pedestrian areas well lighted in the evening so that users can make their way easily and
safely? Jane Jacobs made this point forcefully in the early 1960’s in The Death and Life of American Cites.
Other functional criteria such as safety are also

important. For example, separation of pedestrian and
vehicular traffic reduces accidents. Yet the spaces and
circulation areas must be organized so that they can be
readily accessible to emergency and delivery vehicles.
One good example of this is the work of Architect
Clarence Stein (1882-1975) who made improvements on
the concept of “neighborhood”. His principle was applied
in the new-town development at Radburn, Northern
New Jersey in 1933. It is a place where community
involvement can take place; where the emphasis is on a
program to meet the needs of children of all ages, as well
as adults; where there is open space (parks); where the
main thoroughfares are separated from the pedestrian
walks; where the property is small, but the common
parks make up for the lack of yard space.
Good design achieves its intentions and often

more. For example, the developer’s intention in
constructing a mixed-used project may simply be to
achieve a profitable combination of commercial and
residential structures. Yet if the project is well
situated and aesthetically attractive, its benefits
will spill over onto adjacent areas. The project
might increase pedestrian traffic and hence
enhance property values in adjacent retailing
areas. Its presence might also enhance the value
of adjacent neighborhoods by making the area
more interesting and varied.
A myriad of factors can affect the

success of an urban design project. A list of
number of the more important criteria for judging
urban design follows:
1. Unity and Coherence
2. Minimum conflict between pedestrian and vehicles
3. Protection from rain, noise, wind, and so on
4. Easy orientation for users
5. Compatibility of land uses
6. Availability of places to rest, observe, and meet
7. Creation of a sense of security and pleasantness.
But it must be admitted that urban design is not an exact science, for there is always the element of
personal taste. One’s personal peace and tranquility will be another’s boredom and sterility. One’s person’s
excitement will be another person’s soul-destroying cacophony. The area that suits a single person in his or
her twenties may seem quite unsuitable ten years later when the same person has a spouse and two
children.
Source: Levy, John M (2009), Contemporary Urban Planning, 8th Edition, Pearson Education, Inc.,
Upper Saddle River, NJ, Pearson Prentice Hall
Credits: http://blog.hotelclub.com/16-noteworthy-things-you-might-not-know-about-minneapolis/
http://mapsof.net/minneapolis/static-maps/png/minneapolis-skyway-map
http://www.sync-blog.com/sync/2011/06/50-must-see-places-in-a-lifetime-theres-an-app-for-that.html
http://www.dairyriver.com/wordpress/?page_id=70
http://www.justupthepike.com/2009_05_01_archive.html
Activity for this week (NOT FOR AR591B): Take pictures of urban spaces that show the characteristics of
a good urban design as explained in these notes. Pictures should be taken in real urban settings in various
cities of Metro Manila. Label and/or provide appropriate captions and an explanation why such urban
design project/space is considered to have possessed the criteria of a good urban design. Compiled
pictures (minimum of 46) should be submitted on or before Sep 20, 2023 together with the “urban
photography” activity on the common themes of Urban Design.
Strictly follow the activity guide posted in the class messenger GC.
Additional activity: Read books and other reading materials in the library or in the internet related to this
topic that could augment and enhance your knowledge on the fundamental concepts of urban design.

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AR 451/AR591B: UD & Community Architecture and UD Studio

Eduardo F. Bober, Jr., SIL

REQUIRED Reading No.2

What is good urban design?

In its most general sense, urban

accomplished in Minneapolis with a system that links the

People like to see other people and be seen.

Another way to evaluate the success

Other functional criteria such as safety are also

Good design achieves its intentions and often

A myriad of factors can affect the

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