Urban Landscape Design I Sensitive Map

Group 3 Presentation

Ayse Mutlu Sonbahar I Celeste Rio I Chetna Mudgal I Caijia Liu I Felix Tunez I Hanxi Chen I Jingyi Li I Lidia Kifle I Mohammad Jasim I Nijat Abdulla
 Introduction

Urban design plays a critical role in shaping the way we

experience cities historically, geographically and
demographically.
Prato, one of the important historical and industrial centers of
Tuscany, is a prime example of this. As a city with a rich
blend of historical architecture and modern urban
development, Prato also demonstrates the complexity of
urban design. The city has concrete and textile & fashion
industries so that is provided a big potential and became the
one of the polycentric city of Italy. As we know that Gorone
has a strong connection that shapes the city so we could
follow footsteps of Gorone in our project area.
This presentation aims to provide a better understanding and
appreciation of our project area in Prato.
Introduction to Urban Design Map of Prato : Perspectives of Kevin Lynch, M.Shafer

Urban design is not just about the physical layout of a “And, sitting in the darkness of my moving
cell, I recognized, echoing in my tired
city, but also how people perceive and navigate it. In this brain, all the characteristic sounds of a
context, urban form theory, outlined in Kevin Lynch’s The town I'd loved, and of a certain hour of the
day which I had always particularly
Image of the City , is the first method we use to enjoyed.
understand our project area. The shouts of newspaper-boys in the
already languid air, the last calls of birds in
Lynch identified five key elements that represent how the public garden, the cries of sandwich-
individuals mentally map and experience a city: roads, vendors, the screech of trams at the steep
comers of the upper town, and that faint
edges, zones, nodes, and turning points. rustling overhead as darkness sifted down
In this presentation we analysed its streets (roads), its upon the harbour ... one incident stands
out ... I heard the tin trumpet of an ice-
borders (edges), its neighborhoods (zones), its central Mike Parson’s ‘Sound of the City’ cream vendor in the street, a small, shrill
meeting places (nodes), and its critical areas, potential sound cutting across the flow of words.”
points for the area. Urban design typically focuses on Camus
Albert physical structures and
spatial layout. The auditory environment also significantly
impacts how we experience cities. Murray Schafer’s
soundscape theory emphasizes how sound shapes our
perception of urban spaces. It allows us to understand the
relationship between people and places from the silences of
narrow streets to the buzz of activity in public squares.

5 Elements of Kevin
Lynch
Critical Elements
Critical Elements
Potential Elements
Using Kevin Lynch's elements, we tried to identify
potential areas within the site.
We have defined these potential areas as green
areas, unused areas, car parking lots and the
boundaries formed by factory buildings.
Potential Elements
Potential Elements
Analysis of the openness and
security of the space

Open space with high-traffic but unsafe

Open space with high traffic and safety

Open spaces with low-traffic and unsafe

Narrow and unsafe

Narrow but safe

 Sensitivity map

Echoes of Light and Sound: Navigating the City's Sensory Thresholds

Exploration of sensory experiences (light and sound) and how they influence human emotions like fear and comfort
in urban spaces.
 Echoes of Light and Sound: Navigating the City's Sensory Thresholds

The theme emphasizes the dynamic interaction between human emotions, sensory experiences, and the changing qualities of urban
environments across different times of the day.

Key Components:

1. Fear and Comfort Zones: Temporal Shifts

● Morning vs. Night: Use color gradients to illustrate spaces that evoke a sense of comfort or fear at different times of day.
● Perception of Safety: Overlay perceived danger areas, and design features that alleviate or amplify fear (e.g., open spaces,
sightlines, enclosed pathways).

2 . Soundscapes: Sonic Texture of the City

● Daytime vs. Nighttime Soundscapes: Overlay sound levels and types of sounds (e.g., traffic, nature, voices, machinery) at
different public spaces or nodes.
 Echoes of Light and Sound: Navigating the City's Sensory Thresholds

Key Components:

3. Illumination Mapping: Light and Shadow

● Daytime Sunlight vs. Nighttime Lighting: Visualize the spaces based on natural light exposure during the day (e.g., shaded
areas, direct sunlight) and artificial lighting at night (e.g., well-lit paths vs. dark alleys).
● Light Pollution: Overlay maps could show where light pollution disturbs nighttime experience, affecting the sense of calm or
safety.

4. Public Spaces and Nodes: Interactions of Sensory Layers

● Multisensory Experience Nodes: Identify key public spaces or intersections where these layers overlap the most (e.g.,
squares, parks) and explore how sound, lighting, and emotional responses (fear or comfort) interact in these areas.
For instance,plaza might be vibrant during the day (sound of conversation, well-lit) but may feel empty and intimidating at night.
● Tactile and Visual Design Elements: Incorporate textures (pavement, benches, walls) and visuals (murals, signage) that
contribute to comfort, wayfinding, or unease, depending on how they interact with light and sound at different times.
 Echoes of Light and Sound: Navigating the City's Sensory Thresholds

Final Sensitivity Map Layers:

● Fear and Comfort Zones (morning vs. night)

● Soundscape Analysis (decibels, types of sound at different times)
● Illumination and Light Mapping (natural light vs. artificial lighting)
● Public Space Nodes (intersections of sound, light, and safety)
 Theme : Fluid Connectivity
The theme revolves around re-integrating water channels into the city's fabric and establishing a network of connected and vibrant
spaces that foster community interaction, safety, and ecological balance.
 Key Components:

1. Unveiling the Hidden Waterways 2.Demographic and Social Mapping

open up the closed water channels, revealing Prato’s historic Understanding the local demographics and communities in
waterways, integrating them into the urban environment, and each district is crucial to designing spaces that meet their
turning them into dynamic public spaces. The re-opened needs and foster a sense of belonging. By conducting social
canals will create a fluid network that connects different and demographic research, the intervention can address the
districts, providing recreational and ecological value while also specific interests, cultural values, and social dynamics of
acting as a unifying element across neighborhoods. different neighborhoods.

Strategies: Strategies:

● Waterfront Development: parks, pedestrian ● Cultural Nodes: Identify key areas where different
promenades, urban plazas, and green spaces. communities interact (e.g., markets, plazas, schools).
● Blue-Green Corridors: Create continuous green Develop cultural hubs around these nodes that reflect
corridors that follow the canal paths, linking public the specific needs of each district (e.g., spaces for
spaces, parks, and markets. markets, events, or social gatherings).
● Sustainable Water Management: Use the canals to ● Community Engagement: Work with local
manage stormwater, community groups to co-design public spaces,
ensuring that the interventions reflect the preferences
of the inhabitants and encourage participation in
maintaining these spaces.
3.Nodes and Public Safety 4.Bridges, Markets, and Public Interventions

To ensure safe and active public spaces, focus on key nodes Seamlessly integrating new bridges, markets, urban farming,
that can serve as anchors for activity throughout the day and and parking areas into the revitalized canal system will create
night. Lighting, visibility, and accessibility are essential to a balanced urban environment. These interventions should
improving safety in these areas. enhance the character of the area and improve connectivity.

Strategies: Strategies:

● Activated Nodes: Design vibrant public spaces ● Bridges as Social Spaces: Design pedestrian-
around key nodes such as bridges, intersections, and friendly bridges over the canals that double as public
markets, ensuring they are well-lit and inviting. These spaces, incorporating seating areas, greenery, and
spaces should cater to multiple uses, from day-to- small kiosks or cafés, turning bridges into social
night activities such as local markets, outdoor cafés, nodes.
and cultural events. ● Waterfront Markets: Create open-air markets near
● Multi-layered Activities: Develop programs that the canals to leverage the scenic value of the water,
activate spaces throughout the day, such as morning encouraging activity and commerce in key nodes.
farmers' markets, midday food trucks, and evening ● Urban Farming: Incorporate small-scale urban
cultural performances. This ensures continuous farming along the green corridors, where locals can
activity, making the spaces safer and more inviting. engage in community gardening or ecological
● Strategic Lighting: Implement a comprehensive projects, turning unused land into productive areas.
lighting strategy, with pedestrian-oriented lighting for ● Multi-use Parking Solutions: Design parking areas
walkways, bridges, and public spaces, ensuring a that can serve other functions (such as markets or
safe environment for walking at night. event spaces) during off-peak hours, optimizing
space use while maintaining the aesthetic and
function of the area.
 Final Integration:

The interventions will be seamlessly incorporated into the urban fabric after the study.

By enhancing connectivity, activating public spaces, and fostering a safe and vibrant urban environment, Fluid Connectivity will transform
Prato’s closed canal system into a dynamic lifeline that serves as both a social and ecological asset for the city.