Technological Institute of the Philippines

No. 363 P. Casal Street, Quiapo, Manila

Activity # 2

INTRODUCTION TO URBAN DESIGN

Submitted by:

Rodiño, Maricris C.

AR 453 (Planning 2) – AR41FA1

Submitted to:

Arch. Janice Ma. Irene V. Echiverri, UAP

What is Urban Design?

Urban design is the process of designing and shaping cities, towns and villages.
Whereas architecture focuses on individual buildings, urban design address the larger
scale of groups of buildings, of streets and public spaces, whole neighborhoods and
districts, and entire cities, to make urban areas functional, attractive, and sustainable.
Urban design is an inter-disciplinary subject that unites all the built environment
professions, including urban planning, landscape
architecture, architecture, civil and municipal engineering. It is common for
professionals in all these disciplines to practice in urban design. In more recent times
different sub-strands of urban design have emerged such as strategic urban
design, landscape urbanism, water-sensitive urban design, and sustainable urbanism.
Urban design demands a good understanding of a wide range of subjects from physical
geography, through to social science, and an appreciation for disciplines, such as real
estate development, urban economics, political economy and social theory. Urban
design is about making connections between people and places, movement and urban
form, nature and the built fabric. Urban design draws together the many strands of
place-making, environmental stewardship, social equity and economic viability into the
creation of places with distinct beauty and identity. Urban design is derived from but
transcends planning and transportation policy, architectural design, development
economics, engineering and landscape. It draws these and other strands together
creating a vision for an area and then deploying the resources and skills needed to
bring the vision to life. Urban design theory deals primarily with the design and
management of public space (i.e. the 'public environment', 'public realm' or 'public
domain'), and the way public places are experienced and used. Public space includes
the totality of spaces used freely on a day-to-day basis by the general public, such as
streets, plazas, parks and public infrastructure. Some aspects of privately owned
spaces, such as building facades or domestic gardens, also contribute to public space
and are therefore also considered by urban design theory.
Who are the Urban Stakeholders?

‘A stakeholder in an organization is (by definition) any group or individual who

can affect or is affected by the achievement of the organizations objectives’
The urban design and construction process (UDCP) is a complex process
involving stakeholders from many differing areas and disciplines. The UDCP
comprises a system of decision-making that orders land use, communication
routes and the character and siting of buildings in order to secure the optimum
level of economy, convenience and beauty Responsible decision-making must consider
the effects on all stakeholders involved within a process. It is critical, therefore, to
identify as many of the stakeholders involved as possible. Failure to identify
stakeholders and understand their aspirations may negatively impact upon an urban
design and construction project through a lack of critical resources.
The identification of the various stakeholders within the UDCP allows for further
investigation into key themes that are important for each stakeholder group. In
order to ensure that the context for further detailed research was both current
and relevant to stakeholders in the UDCP it was determined that a pilot study
should be conducted. The pilot study was aimed at identifying individual
stakeholder needs, constructs and influences with respect to sustainability.
Conflicts between stakeholder groups also were ascertained.

What is good Urban Design?

There are so many things to consider when designing a city- but when considering
urban design specifically, here are what I believe to be the top 10 indicators of a well-
designed place (in no particular order):

1 A Space Becomes a Place- the concept of placemaking is absolutely essential in

creating good urban design. To go from being just any physical location to a place
people feel connected to takes design that considers human scale, culture, and the
needs of that specific community as far as use, location, design, and scale.
2 Built on the Past- every city has a history, and a great urban design will incorporate
that into new plans. Building on the existing not only saves materials, but helps to
create a richer experience rather than a completely new settlement with no character of
its own.
3 Connected to the Landscape- it is incredibly important to consider the local ecology of
a site before designing it- local watersheds, plant life, and potential impacts the
development will have on the land are all vital in creating a good design.
4 Expect the Unexpected- a good design has definition and character, but doesn’t
eliminate the possibility of changes in use or additions to the design in later years.
5 Mix and Match- multiple uses in a small area keep “eyes on the street”, as Jane
Jacobs would say, keeping streets safer as people use them for different things
throughout the day. Mixed-use designs also bring in a wider variety of people, keep
places interesting, and continue to thrive even if some uses slow down in the coming
years.
6 Cohesion, Not Uniformity- what many Americans love about old European cities are
all the stone in old London or whitewashed plaster in Greece- but when we’ve tried to
copy that in our suburbs, they just look monotonous. A careful but not demanding
palette and material list keeps a design looking cohesive but not over designed and dull.
7 Economically Viable- though its a boring concept, its important to consider the budget
you can work with in creating a design. If you create something too extravagant, the
entire plan won’t be built, which could really backfire upon the entire design and the
livability of the new development.
8 Equitable and Inclusive- designing for one socioeconomic class, whether in housing
or retail, will create more socioeconomic disparity than already exists, a boring street
life, and an area that outsiders don’t feel welcome in. A good design includes people of
all walks of life.
9 Environmentally Conscious- using sustainable materials, considering the weather
patterns, and building with green technology are all important factors in design,
especially when considering the many problems with climate change and energy usage
of today.
10 Focus on the People, Not the Car- for too many years, planners and designers
focused on the highway and the car, placing it in importance above the individual
person. Wide sidewalks, vegetated medians, street trees, and bulb-outs are all ways of
making the pedestrian feel comfortable and slow cars down. If you want your design to
have decent street life, be financially stable, and connect to people of all kinds, you
need to put the pedestrian first.

What is Urban Design Framework?

A map of the city that illustrates the direction and future aspirations for the city’s
physical environment, identifying areas of change and future connections, along with
major built, natural, and cultural features.

The Urban Design Framework is a design tool that provides a physical interpretation of
the City of Perth’s vision and strategies. It helps to ensure that the built environment we
create reflects the community’s vision and the Council’s strategies, and it underpins an
integrated approach to better physical environments. The Urban Design Framework

focuses on the broad scale and the long term, and sets an overall planning and design
context within which more detailed and localised strategies, studies and projects can be
coordinated. It also identifies administrative actions, economic initiatives and social
initiatives that have a bearing on the creation of a great city.The need to have an urban
design ‘manifesto’ has been acknowledged by other Australian cities, such as
Melbourne’s ‘Grids and Greenery’ which has provided a sound policy framework for
over 20 years. Such a strategic document includes directions for improving both the
public and private realm, reflects a political commitment to urban design, and guides
urban design quality and consistency through future capital works programs.

 What is its purpose?

To describe the city’s growth strategy and approach

To prioritize public investments

To help guide decision-making

 What does it build on?

The urban design framework builds on the city’s existing places and helps the

city chart a course toward its future physical form. The framework will update

Metro’s 2040 Growth Strategy, which illustrates where growth and change should occur.
Building vibrant urban districts and connected natural areas helps implement objectives
in the City’s Climate Action Plan and the Portland Plan.

The Portland Plan envisions a prosperous, educated, healthy, equitable and resilient
city. The Healthy Connected City strategy includes a concept diagram that lays the
foundation for the urban design framework map.

 What is in the framework?

The Urban Design Framework includes four big ideas:

Centers: Focusing growth and change

Connections: Linking a healthy city

Natural Features: Growing our natural resources

Pattern Areas: Recognizing that one size does not fit all

The map shows a combination of existing conditions on the ground and future

aspirations based on the goals and policies of the Comprehensive Plan.

Reference

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_design

http://www.cityofperth.wa.gov.au/documentdb/1612.pdf

http://www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/article/441793

https://gin.confex.com/gin/viewHandout.cgi?uploadid

http://adashofdesign.wordpress.com/2010/10/11/good-urban-design/