By
E. Sandhya Reddy
ELEMENTS OF URBAN DESIGN
Urban Design involves the design and
coordination of all that makes up cities
and towns
Urban design is the discipline through which
planning and architecture can create or renew a
sense of local pride and identity
It has great potential for enhancing the visual
image and quality of neighborhoods by providing a
three-dimensional physical form to policies
described in a comprehensive plan
It focuses on design of the public realm, which is
created by both public spaces and the buildings
that define them
Urban design views these spaces holistically and is
concerned with bringing together the different
disciplines responsible for the components of cities
into a unified vision
Compared to comprehensive plans, urban design
plans generally have a short time horizon and are
typically area or project specific
Good Urban Design promotes how buildings are scaled
and oriented towards the street
Walkways are landscaped to buffer between
pedestrians and vehicular circulation
Key elements of an urban design plan include -
The plan itself
The preparation of design guidelines for buildings
The design of the public realm –
Open space
Streets
Sidewalks
Plazas between and around buildings
Public interest issues of buildings-
• massing
• placement
• sun
• shadow
• wind issues
Urban design plans are prepared for various areas-
Downtowns
Waterfronts
Campuses
Corridors
Neighborhoods
Mixed-use developments
Special districts
Issues to be considered include-
Existing development
Proposed development
Utility infrastructure
Streets framework
Sustainable development principles
Urban design plans require interdisciplinary collaboration
among-
•Urban designers
•Architects
•Landscape architects
•Planners
•Civil and Environmental engineers
•Market analysts
Elements of Urban Design
o Signage
o Lighting
o Parking
o Landscaping
o Service areas
o Fencing
o Building materials
o Building articulation
o Transportation
Signage
Considerations are desired size, type and placement
of a sign
Space required to construct a sign
Lighting
Is an important element in Urban Design
Considering a lighting design, one must take into
account the type of light needed for the specific
purpose of the site
Is the light designed to enhance security to the
property, provide ambiance, aid drivers by increasing
visibility on roadways, or used simply to illuminate a sign
Parking
Parking is an essential element in urban design and
traffic circulation
The type and number of parking spaces
should reflect the desired uses of each site
Landscaping of parking areas is also
recommended to provide shade, enhance the
beauty of a site, and allow for a reduction in
storm-water runoff
Landscaping
The enhancement of an area’s aesthetic beauty is
directly related to that area’s landscaping
Each parcel of land should be landscaped thereby
reinforcing the area’s sense of place
It adds to the visual appeal and contiguity of a site, it
also performs important and invaluable function
relating to the reduction of pollutants and storm water
treatment
Landscape improvements have been implemented
as well as pedestrian amenities
Increased landscaping enhances the aesthetic appeal
of the area
Landscape
The landscape is the green part of the city that
weaves throughout - in the form of urban parks,
street trees, plants, flowers, and water in many forms
The landscape helps define the character and beauty
of a city and creates soft, contrasting spaces and
elements
Green spaces in cities range from grand parks such as Central
Park in New York City and the Washington DC Mall, to small
intimate pocket parks
Neighborhood scene with pedestrian ways,
building articulation & landscaping
Service Areas
When considering the placement of service areas is to
remember the old maxim, “out of sight, out of mind ”
Should be oriented towards the rear of the building to
minimize visual eyesores
Should be screened from public view, and the best
way to do this is to build a solid fence around the
service area in the same style as the building to which
the service area is designated
Fencing
It is to everyone’s advantage to construct, and
maintain good solid fences between two abutting
properties, especially when the abutting properties
are not under the same zoning classification
Chain-link and barbed-wire fences are discouraged,
wood and masonry fences are preferred
Building Materials
Design consideration is to be given to the underlying
building materials that contribute to the character of a
building
Such things include roof shape, pitch and overhangs;
entry porches, verandas, balconies and terraces;
materials, finishes, fixtures, patterns, colors and
detailing; the location and proportion of windows and
doors
Building Articulation
Refers to three dimensional modeling of a building
and its surfaces, giving emphasis to architectural
elements (windows, balconies, porches, entries, etc.)
that create a complementary pattern or rhythm,
dividing large buildings into smaller identifiable pieces
It establishes the building’s street address, its
response to the local context and environmental
conditions and the degree of continuity between
indoor and outdoor rooms
Use existing lot structure to influence the design of
building articulation when development on
amalgamated sites is required to respond to the
existing or prevalent lot structure
Transportation
When planning a new development one should make
transportation a foremost concern incorporate
development a sidewalk system with walkways with
large enough surface area to allow at least two
people to walk side by side
Attention should also be given to cyclists
Provide an adequate number of bicycle parking
spaces as well as bicycle racks
Public transit should be incorporated into
development plans with new bus shelters and stops
Transport
Systems connect the parts of cities and help shape
them, and enable movement throughout the city
They include road, rail, bicycle, and pedestrian
networks, and together form the total movement
system of a city
The balance of these various transport systems is
what helps define the quality and character of cities,
and makes them either friendly or hostile to
pedestrians
The best cities are the ones that elevate the
experience of the pedestrian while minimizing the
dominance of the private automobile
An example of mixed use development, with clearly
defined pedestrian areas, landscaping, and signage
Lighting, signage, parking, landscaping, building
articulation and transportation elements
Enhanced visual and aesthetic character, alternative
parking and landscaping
A streetscape with defined pedestrian areas, and
maintained landscaping
Buildings
Are the most pronounced elements of urban design –
They shape and articulate space by forming the street
walls of the city
Well designed buildings and groups of buildings work
together to create a sense of place
Rome, Italy
Public Space
Great public spaces are the living room of the city –
The place where people come together to enjoy the city
and each other
Public spaces make high quality life in the city possible –
they form the stage and backdrop to the drama of life
Public spaces range from grand central plazas and
squares, to small, local neighborhood parks
Streets
Are the connections between spaces and places, as
well as being spaces themselves
They are defined by their physical dimension and
character as well as the size, scale, and character of
the buildings that line them
Streets range from grand avenues such as the
Champs-Elysees in Paris to small, intimate pedestrian
streets
The pattern of the street network is part of what
defines a city and what makes each city unique
Cartagena, Colombia
Urban design operates at 3 scales
The region The neighborhood The block
City and Town District and Corridor Street and Building
Urban design includes infrastructure,
architecture, public spaces
Urban Design weaves together these elements
into a coherent, organized design structure
PARIS BATH ROME
The urban design structure defines the urban
form and the building form
PARIS BATH ROME
The creative articulation of space is the most
prominent aspect of urban design
The following artistic principles are an integral
part of creating form and spatial definition:
Order Rhythm
Unity Contrast
Balance Context
Proportion Detail
Scale Texture
Hierarchy Harmony
Symmetry Beauty
An example of mixed use development, with
clearly defined pedestrian areas, landscaping,
and signage
Urban Design Districts
Urban Design Zoning District
Include design guidelines and also regulate permitted
uses in the district
This type of design district is utilized when properties
are in transition, usually from a residential use to an
office or neighborhood commercial use
Regulate uses within an area as well as operating
rules for the specific uses, for example operating hours
This type of design district tends to utilize more
stringent design regulations, including building
materials and setbacks
Example of a well defined Urban Design District with
building articulation, open areas for recreation and the
incorporation of natural features
Urban Design Overlay District
They do not change the underlying zoning category, but
rather impose additional requirements relating to
concerns such as green space, landscape, and
architectural features
Guidelines are a voluntary supplement to general
zoning regulations, designed to provide a
framework for the protection and enhancement
of the aesthetic, economic and environmental
quality by addressing development issues as
related to neighborhood character and economic
diversity
What Can Be Accomplished with
Urban Design?
Urban Design guidelines have great potential for
enhancing the visual image and quality of
neighborhoods
In this image, the original signs have been replaced
with monument signs according to the design
guidelines for the urban design district
The utilities have also been consolidated
Examples of great urban design from all
over the world
Cartagena, Colombia
Washington DC Salt Lake City, UT
Copenhagen, Denmark Strasbourg, France
Portofino, Italy
Siena, Italy A New City Aleppo, Syria
Rome, Italy
Thank
You
