ARC 331

URBAN DESIGN
Why is urban design needed
 Is There Need for Urban Design?
…….Arguments for and against Urban design
• Arguments Against:
- Today the city is more shaped by economic / entrepreneurial
forces than planning and design forces. (communications &
transport technology and markets)

- Cities have in the past developed incrementally and without

master designs, with very good results; when such designs were
developed in the 1960s things went dramatically wrong!

- The city form is never finite, but always changing. Design tends to
freeze form and structure hence prevent the city from adapting to
changing socio-economic changes.
• Arguments For:
- There is a significant interrelationship between form and
function of a city; thus,

- It is immoral for urban development to be left to chance …it

must be controlled through planning and design frameworks to
ensure the city works well, is people-friendly, and has positive
environmental impact

- The enterprise culture, with its laissez-faire attitude of the 1980s

and 1990s led to more amorphous growth and remodeling of
many cities, hence the erosion of quality of urban space
• Arguments For (cont’d):

- Many of the problems of cities are actually the result of their

inadequacy: structure and form, their distribution of
population, their land use patterns and transport systems all of
which are interdependent.

- Economic forces must operate for rather than against the

city…their manifestation in the physical, spatial, structural,
and land use terms must be guided into forms that enhance the
city’s quality and identity as a place for people.
 Why is Urban Design Needed?
• Design can help enhance a city’s advantages: physical needs of
citizens; safety, security and protection; an environment free of
pollution, noise, accidents, and crime; a conducive social
environment ..a sense of community; an appropriate image and
prestige; creativity and self-expression in neighbourhoods;
aesthetically pleasantness as a place of culture and a work of
art.
• Design can help diminish a city’s disadvantages: containment
of size & population; the obligation to travel; social
stratification
Criteria for Urban Design:
What may dictate an urban design undertaking?

• Appeal (…how places look….)

• Function …(how places work…);
• Quality of urban areas; (ambience)
• Community well-being: Vitality; safety;
Criteria (cont’d)

• Environmental stress
• Behavioural support
• Identity
• Diversity
• Legibility
• Meaning/communication
• Development
• Perceptual engagements
• Regeneration
• Constraints
Role of urban design
1. Character of place

Santorini, Greece
2. Imagination/Clarification
…legibility of function/form

The use of imagery/iconic design

(Guggenheim, Bilbao); different
materials and fabrics for
different circulation areas, use
of pedestrian/street furniture,
and signage.
3. Negotiation: among conflicting interests; space contestation

Central Park, NY and Plaza in front of Seagram building

4. Visualization: scenarios-building; simulation; foresight

Bernard Tschumi Follies la villette

5. Correction/ reconstruction:
defects/malfunctions; destruction (hazards: fires, earthquakes, flooding, tsunamis,
hurricanes, erosion,/landslides, glaciers etc.

Rohinga camp, Bangladesh, Tsunami housing by Shigeru Ban

6. Mitigation: e.g disaster preparedness, crime prevention
7. Prescription:
Show the way out of situations- sprawl, land use conflict, pollution etc.
8. Prowess: celebration of civic excellence (high-cost projects)
 Objectives of Urban Design
There is often considerable overlap between
objectives and they are mutually re-enforcing;
they include:

• Aesthetics: Strong Visual Impact

• Development: New Investment. Employment opportunities
• Functional Efficiency
• Improved Environmental conditions
• Safety (ref. Safer Cities Program; CEPTED)
• Guardianship and Space standards
• Technical Solutions to unique problems
• Cultural Identity and symbolism
• Community Integration
• Character: A place with its own identity
• Continuity and Enclosure:
A place where public and private spaces are clearly distinguished
• Quality of the Public Realm:
A place with attractive and successful outdoor areas
• Ease of Movement:
A place that is easy to get to and move through
• Adaptability
A place that can change easily
• Legibility
A place that has a clear image and is easy to understand
• Diversity
A place with variety and choice
 Levels/Scale of Urban design:
Macro: City-wide Meso: Zone/District/Fragment Micro: Object
 Elements and Materials of Urban Design

1. Space Frame:
Space and its definition; enclosure; built (+ve) versus unbuilt (-ve);
skyscape; landform
2. Elements of form: Point, Line, plane
3. Urban Functions: Living; Working; Leisure; Mobility;
Administration
4. Urban Fabric: Texture; water, vegetation; furniture; light etc.
5. Environmental Factors: precipitation; temperatures; humidity;
wind; lighting etc.
Typical Urban Design Problems/Issues

• Area policy
• New Settlements
• Rehabilitation, redevelopment, and conservation
• Lines of movement
• Commercial centres and central districts
• Special Areas
• Large natural and man-made features
• Special Systems