University of Nizwa / Department of Architecture / Fall 2015-16
ARCH 404: Housing & Urban Design / Prepared by Ravishankar. KR / Handout for MID – 1 1
ARCH 404: Housing and Urban Design Chapters for Mid Exam – 1 1. Introduction Definition, Basics of Urban Design, Role of Architecture, Urban design, Urban Planning
2. Dimensions of Urban Design Morphological, Perceptual, Social, Visual, Functional, Temporal dimensions
3. Basic Frame work of Urban Design Place, density, culture, public realm, environment, Historic & Architectural values, ……
4. Elements of Urban Design Signage, lighting, service areas, parking, landscape, transportation, …..
5. Urban Pattern Planned and Organic cities
6. Urban Forms Five basic urban forms in a city; Paths, Nodes, Edges, Districts, Landmarks
7. Urban Theories Figure-Ground theory, Place theory, Linkage theory
8. Urban Design Process Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation, Implementation
1. Introduction
What is Urban Design?
• Urban design is the process of shaping the physical setting for life in cities, towns and
villages. It is the art of making places.
• It involves the design of buildings, groups of buildings, spaces and landscapes, and
establishing the processes that make successful development possible.
• In practical terms, Urban Design provides a set of descriptive and analytical tools for
working with the tangibles of landscape, built form, land use, and hard infrastructure.
• Urban Design helps to create successful places where people want to live, work, and
play... Help create a place that will be used and enjoyed by a wide range of different
people for different purposes, not only now but in years to come.
• Its concepts and methods enable us to examine and make sense of how people use space.
• The process of giving physical design direction to urban growth, conservation, and
change
• The design of cities - 'a grand design‘
• The interface between architecture, landscape and town planning
• The complex relationships between all the elements of built and inbuilt space the
architecture of public space
• Urban design is not land use policy, sign controls, and street lighting districts.
• It is not strictly utopian or procedural.
• It is not necessarily a plan for downtown, however architectonic, nor a subdivision
regulation.
University of Nizwa / Department of Architecture / Fall 2015-16
ARCH 404: Housing & Urban Design / Prepared by Ravishankar. KR / Handout for MID – 1 2
Role of Urban Design
• Urban design as the interface between architecture and town planning, or the gap
between them.
• An Urban Planner is someone who is primarily concerned with the allocation of
resources according to projections of future need. Planners tend to regard land use as a
distribution of resources problem, parceling out land, for zoning purposes, without much
knowledge of its three-dimensional characteristics, or the nature of the building that may
be placed on it in the future. The result is that most zoning ordinances and Official land
use plans produce stereotyped and unimaginative buildings.
• Architect designs buildings. A good architect will do all he can to relate the building he
is designing to its surroundings.
2. Dimensions of Urban Design
1. MORPHOLOGICAL DIMENSION
– Focuses on the layout and configuration urban form and space
2. PERCEPTUAL DIMENSION
– Deals with awareness and Appreciation of Environmental perception and
experience of a place.
3. SOCIAL DIMENSION
– This dimension deals with the relationship between people and space.
4. VISUAL DIMENSION
– Explains the aesthetic appreciation of the environment
5. FUNCTIONAL DIMENSION
– Deals with how places work and how urban designers can make a better place.
6. TEMPORAL DIMENSION
– Deals with the influence of time on urban environment
University of Nizwa / Department of Architecture / Fall 2015-16
ARCH 404: Housing & Urban Design / Prepared by Ravishankar. KR / Handout for MID – 1 3
3. Basic Frame work of Urban Design The basic framework of urban design includes:
• Place,
• Density,
• Mixed and compatible uses,
• Pedestrianization and human scale,
• Human culture,
• Public realm,
• Built environment
• Natural environment,
• Architectural values,
• Historic preservation and
• Urban conservation.
4. Elements of Urban Design Elements of Urban Design includes
Signage
Lighting
Service areas
Parking
Landscaping
Fencing
Building materials
Building articulation
Transportation
University of Nizwa / Department of Architecture / Fall 2015-16
ARCH 404: Housing & Urban Design / Prepared by Ravishankar. KR / Handout for MID – 1 4
University of Nizwa / Department of Architecture / Fall 2015-16
ARCH 404: Housing & Urban Design / Prepared by Ravishankar. KR / Handout for MID – 1 5
5. Urban Pattern Generally urban areas in the world can be categorized in to two major classifications.
These are planned and organic (unplanned) urban areas.
A. PLANNED CITIES These are cities that are laid with the intention of founding cities.
They are designed on paper and finally realized with careful control of professionals.
General characteristics of these cities are.
• Have regular type of layout,
• Have standard street patterns,
• Well studied land use,
• Fair distribution and location of services,
• Future expansion schemes.
B. ORGANIC CITIES These are cities that have evolved with the need and day to day activities of the society.
They grow by the unintended or unplanned actions of the society.
General characteristics of these cities are
• Irregular type of layout,
• Narrow, winding streets,
• Irregular pattern of land Use,
• Need oriented location of services,
Planned Cities The planned cities are further classified in
to five categories according to their shapes.
1. Grid-iron pattern
A simple rectangle divided up into
square blocks for building with
streets.
Examples: Chandigarh,
Washington, New Delhi, New
York, Philadelphia, and Chicago.
2. Radial pattern
A pattern where roads from different directions
forming a nodal group. Towns established at these
junctions took the form of a radial plan. Examples :
Washington, New Delhi, and Versailles
3. Spider web pattern
When there is a radial plan a series of circumferential
roads are introduced, closed spaces between roads are
created resulting in controlled development.
University of Nizwa / Department of Architecture / Fall 2015-16
ARCH 404: Housing & Urban Design / Prepared by Ravishankar. KR / Handout for MID – 1 6
4. Composite of grid and radial pattern
Where the grid-iron is used for the sake of
convenience of repeating the same or similar unit.
5. Irregular pattern / Organic Pattern
–The difficulties of land undulation,
presence of natural features may demand a
layout befitting the site, an irregular plan
will be obtained
6. Urban Forms Five basic urban forms in a city are: Paths, Nodes, Edges, Districts, Landmarks
Paths Paths consist of the "channels along which the observer customarily, occasionally, or
potentially moves". These can include streets, paths, transit routes, or any other
defined path of movement. It is important to note that the paths an individual
identifies may not correspond to a traditional street network. These are often the most
University of Nizwa / Department of Architecture / Fall 2015-16
ARCH 404: Housing & Urban Design / Prepared by Ravishankar. KR / Handout for MID – 1 7
predominant items in an individual's mental map as this is main mechanism for how
they experience their city.
Edges Edges provide the boundaries that separate one region from another, the seams that
join two regions together, or the barriers that close one region from another. They are
linear elements, but are not the paths along with the individual experiences the built
environment. They can be physical edges such as shorelines, walls, railroad cuts, or
edges of development, or they can be less well-defined edges that the individual
perceives as a barrier.
Districts Districts are "medium-to-large sections of the city". They are typically two-
dimensional features, often held together by some commonality. The individual often
enters into or passes through these districts. According to Lynch, most people use the
concept of districts to define the broader structure of their city.
Nodes Nodes are points within the city, strategically located, into which the individual enters
(and which is often the main focal point to which she or he is traveling to or from).
There are often junctions – a crossing or converging of paths. They often have a
physical element such as a popular hangout for the individual or a plaza area. In many
cases, the nodes are the centers of the district that they are in.
Landmarks Landmarks are also a point-reference (similar to nodes). However, unlike nodes,
which the individual enters during his or her travels, landmarks remain external
features to the individual. They are often physical structures such as a building, sign,
or geographic features (e.g. mountain). The range of landmarks is extensive, but the
commonality is that there are used by the individual to better understand and navigate
the built environment.
7. Urban Design Theories Figure-Ground theory, Place theory, Linkage theory
Figure-Ground Theory • The figure-ground theory is founded on the study of the relative land coverage of Solid
masses (“figure”) (buildings) & Open voids (”ground”) (parks, streets, squares).
• A predominant “field” of solids and voids creates the urban fabric.
University of Nizwa / Department of Architecture / Fall 2015-16
ARCH 404: Housing & Urban Design / Prepared by Ravishankar. KR / Handout for MID – 1 8
• The figure-ground approach to spatial design is an attempt to manipulate the solid-void
relationships by adding to, subtracting from, or changing the physical geometry of the
pattern.
• The figure-ground drawing is a graphic tool for illustrating mass- void relationships; a two-
dimensional abstraction in plan view that clarifies the structure and order of urban spaces
Urban Solids & Voids
Urban Solids:
• Public Monuments or institutions
(Ziggurat, Pyramid, Gothic or Baroque Churches etc)
• Urban Blocks
(Traditional urban block as the definer of streets and square)
• Edge-defining Buildings
-Establish an edge of the district- (Housing district in Amsterdam)
Urban Voids: • Entry foyer space
–Establishes the important transition from personal domain to common territory-
(fore court, mews, niche, lobby, front yard)
• Inner block void
–A semi private residential space for leisure or utility- (courtyard and covered
passage)
• Network of streets and squares
–Places to spend time in and corridors through which to move-
• Public parks and gardens
–Nodes for the preservation of nature in the city, places for recreation-
• Linear open-space system
-Commonly related to major water features such as rivers, waterfronts, and
wetland zones.
University of Nizwa / Department of Architecture / Fall 2015-16
ARCH 404: Housing & Urban Design / Prepared by Ravishankar. KR / Handout for MID – 1 9
Place Theory
• The place theory adds the components of human
needs and cultural, historical, and natural
contexts.
• Advocates of the place theory give physical space
Additional richness by incorporating unique
forms and details indigenous to its setting.
• In place theory social and cultural values, visual
perceptions, of users and an individual’s control
over public environment are as important as
principles of enclosure and linkage.
Linkage Theory
• The linkage theory is derived from lines
connecting one element to another. These lines
are formed by streets, pedestrian ways, linear
open spaces, or other linking elements that
physically connect the parts of a city.
• The designer applying the linkage theory tries to organize a system of connections or a
network that establishes a structure for ordering spaces.
• Emphasis is placed on circulation diagram rather than the special diagram of the figure-
ground theory.
• Movement systems and the efficiency of infrastructure take over patterns of defined out-
door space.
8. Urban Design Process Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation, Implementation
Four basic phases of urban design:
1. Analysis,
2. Synthesis,
3. Evaluation,
4. Implementation
ANALYSIS Gathering of Basic Information, 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.
University of Nizwa / Department of Architecture / Fall 2015-16
ARCH 404: Housing & Urban Design / Prepared by Ravishankar. KR / Handout for MID – 1 10
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,
i.e. the five basic elements of a city form. Those are Paths, Nodes, Edges, Districts and
Landmarks.
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 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.)
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 proposals.
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 two basic categories:
(1) How well the solutions fit the problem and
(2) How readily the proposals can be implemented.
IMPLEMENTATION During the implementation, the strategy for actual financing and construction is
formulated. Detailed phasing studies and tools are considered to realize the project.
Note:
For better understanding refer the Lecture PPTs and the Reference Files uploaded in the EduWave.