De La Salle University – Dasmariñas 1

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, ARCHITECTURE AND TECHNOLOGY

RE 100: PLANNING AND DESIGN FUNDAMENTALS OF AN

URBAN DISTRICT: DEVELOPMENT OF URBAN DISTRICT

AND MOVEMENT CORRIDOR

A Report Study presented to the

Architecture Department

De La Salle University – Dasmariñas

Dasmariñas Cavite

In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements for

T-ARCH411/T-ARCH411LA Design 7:

Community Architecture Urban Design

Presented by:

GONZALES, ERIKA NICOLE D.

ARC45

October 12, 2021

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

General Principles of Urban Design 3

Design Considerations/ Concepts 5
Space Requirements and Allocations 10
Parameters in Design
Site Selection Criteria

References
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GENERAL PRINCIPLES
Movement corridors are the connector and separator of neighbourhoods and
districts. Corridors include natural and man-made elements, ranging from wildlife trails to
rail lines. The corridor is not the haphazardly residual space that remains outside
subdivisions and shopping centres in suburbia. Rather, it is an urban element
characterized by its visible continuity. It is defined by its adjacent districts and
neighbourhoods and provides entry to them.
The corridor's location and type are determined by its technological intensity and
nearby densities. Heavy rail corridors are tangent to towns and traverse the industrial
districts of cities. Light rail and trolleys may occur within a boulevard at the neighbourhood
edge. As such, they are detailed for pedestrian use and to accommodate the frontages
of buildings. Bus corridors can pass through neighbourhood centres on conventional
streets. All of these should be landscaped to reinforce their continuity.
In low-density areas, the corridor may be the continuous green edge between
neighbourhoods, providing long-distance walking and bicycle trails, other recreational
amenities and a continuous natural habitat. The corridor is a significant element of the
New Urbanism because of its inherently civic nature. In the age of the metropolis, with
villages, towns, neighbourhoods and districts aggregated in unprecedented quantity, the
most universally used public spaces are the corridors that serve connection and mobility.
Of the three elements-the neighbourhood, the district and the corridor-the latter, in its
optimum form, is the most difficult to implement because it requires regional coordination.
1. Balance
Balance is a state of being as well as seeing. We are most comfortable in landscapes
that have a sense of balance. There are two major types of balance: symmetrical and
asymmetrical.
Symmetrical balance is used in formal landscapes when one side of the landscape is a
mirror image of the opposite side. These landscapes often use geometric patterns in the
walkways, planting beds and even how the plants are pruned into shapes. This type of
balance appears to be rather stiff in appearance and often is highly maintained.
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Asymmetrical balance, also known as informal balance, differs from one side to the other
and appears to be relaxing and free flowing.
2. Focalization
Any good design has a focal point – the place where the viewer’s eye is first attracted.
Focalization is sometimes referred to as focalization of interest or simply focal point. The
focal point is the strongest element in the design in any given view. A home’s focal point
is often the front door. The landscape focal point is often something close to the front door
to enhance the entrance of the home.
3. Simplicity
Simplicity is what the name implies – simple. Keeping landscapes simple, not cluttered or
fussy is always a good practice. This is not the opposite of complexity. Many landscapes
have very complex features, including the architectural design, water features and
extensive lighting features. Landscapes that make people happy and comfortable avoid
using too many colors, shapes, curves and textures, but in no way does this mean
simplistic, boring or lack of imagination.
4. Axis
Axis is mainly used to align elements. When elements are arranged around an axis, the
design feels ordered. As with most things in life, we enjoy things that are ordered because
they feel more stable, comfortable and approachable.
5. Proportion
Proportion refers to the size relationship of all the features in the landscape. This includes
vertical, horizontal and special relationships. Short people, tall people and children all
perceive space differently. Proportion in landscape design extends to building size, lot
size, plant size, areas of plantings to areas of open space as well as the use of the
landscape.
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DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS/ CONCEPTS

There are various considerations when it comes to designing road networks. Aside from
knowing the purpose and function of the urban development the following should also be
considered:
• Crosswalks/crossings - Where vehicle speeds and volumes are high and
pedestrian access is expected at regular intervals, signalized crossings preserve
a safe walking environment. Where anticipated pedestrian traffic is low or
intermittent, or where vehicle volumes are lower and pedestrian crossings shorter,
designers may consider the use of unsignalized crossing treatments such as
medians, hybrid or rapid flash beacons, or raised crossings. Frequent crossings
reinforce walkability and have the potential to fuel greater demand.
o Conventional Crosswalks - Historically, many
crosswalks were designed using inadequate, narrow
striping, setbacks, deviations from the pedestrian walkway,
and considerable crossing distances. Intersection
crossings should be kept as compact as possible,
facilitating eye contact by moving pedestrians directly into
the driver’s field of vision.

o Midblock crosswalks – it facilitates crossings to

places that people want to go but that are not well served
by the existing traffic network. These pedestrian crossings,
commonly occur at schools, parks, museums, water-fronts,
and other destinations. Install a midblock crosswalk where
there is a significant pedestrian desire line. Frequent
applications include midblock bus stops, metro stations,
parks, plazas, building entrances, and midblock
passageways.
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o Pedestrian Safety Islands - A pedestrian

safety island reduces the exposure time
experienced by a pedestrian in the
intersection.While safety islands may be used on
both wide and narrow streets, they are generally
applied at loca-tions where speeds and volumes
make crossings prohibitive, or where three or more
lanes of traffic make pedestrians feel exposed or
unsafe in the intersection.

• Corner radii - directly impact vehicle turning speeds and pedestrian crossing
distances. Minimizing the size of a corner radius is critical to creating compact
intersections with safe turning speeds. While standard curb radii are 10–15 feet,
many cities use corner radii as small as 2 feet.In urban settings, smaller corner
radii are preferred and actual corner radii exceeding 15 feet should be the
exception.

• Visibility and sight distance - are parameters central to the inherent safety of
intersections, driveways, and other potential conflict points. Visibility can be
achieved through a variety of design strategies, including intersection “daylighting,”
design for low-speed intersection approaches, and the addition of traffic controls
that remove trees or amenities that impede standard approach, departure, and
height sight distances.
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• Traffic Signals - Equally important to the allocation of space, in the form of street
cross-sections and geometry, is the allocation of time, performed by traffic signals.
Space and time in combination govern how streets operate and how well they
provide mobility, safety, and public space.
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• A Leading Pedestrian Interval (LPI) - typically gives pedestrians a 3–7 second

head start when entering an intersection with a corresponding green signal in the
same direction of travel.LPIs enhance the visibility of pedestrians in the
intersection and reinforce their right-of-way over turning vehicles, especially in
locations with a history of conflict.

• Signal Cycle Lengths - Long signal cycles, compounded over multiple

intersections, can make crossing a street or walking even a short distance
prohibitive and frustrating. This discourages walking altogether, and makes streets
into barriers that separate destinations, rather than arteries that stitch them
together.
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• Fixed vs. Actuated Signalization - Fixed-time signals are the rule in urban areas
for reasons of regularity, network organization, predictability, and reducing
unnecessary delay. Actuated signals in general are not preferable because of the
maintenance requirements and upkeep of the detection on the street.

• Coordinated Signal Timing - synchronizes traffic movements and manages the

progression speed of specific modes where uninterrupted flow is desired along a
corridor. While traditionally applied to increase vehicular traffic flow and reduce
peak-hour delay, coordinated signal timing can also be optimized for slower
speeds, creating an uninterrupted flow for bicyclists or low vehicle progression
speeds for a pedestrian-friendly downtown.
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SPACE REQUIREMENTS AND ALLOCATIONS

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PARAMETERS IN DESIGN
(Legal, Technical, Environmental and others)
Part of the movement corridors are intersections. Intersections are a critical aspect of
street design as the point where motorist, bicycle, and pedestrian movements converge.
Successful intersection design addresses all mobility and safety goals as well as
opportunities to enhance the public realm. This section explores intersection design and
operation, from signal timing to crosswalks, and investigates each concept as it relates to
citywide goals for safety, mobility, and more vibrant, accessible public spaces.

DPWH Highway Safety Design Standards – Part 1: Road Safety Design Manual
RESIDENTIAL ZONE
• Residential development should be separated from heavy industry and major
commercial uses.
• Land uses should be planned with the aim of minimizing travel and maximizing
accessibility to public transport.
• Light industry and service establishments can be located adjacent to residential
areas but vehicular access should not be via the residential streets.
• Traffic planning is different depending on the land use.
• Residential roads longer than 100 to 200 meters should be meandering and should
have tight horizontal curves or roundabouts at local road intersections to
encourage low speeds.
• Large developments should be sub-divided to minimize traffic on internal roads.
• Existing grid networks with cross roads should be modified by closures or
restrictions to create internally or externally-fed systems.

INDUSTRIAL ZONE
• Land zoned for industrial purposes should have direct access from the district
distributor network whenever possible.
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• Each site should have sufficient off-road parking and loading areas to
accommodate all its operational, staff and visitor requirements within the site
boundary.
• Roads and footpaths for industrial areas should provide a safe and efficient means
of access for workers, visitors and the range of vehicles which can be anticipated
when a number of different industries are grouped together.

COMMERCIAL / RETAIL ZONE

• All commercial and trading areas should be away from the through traffic network.
If alongside, then service roads should be provided to service the development.
• Adequate parking and loading facilities for operational use should be provided
within the site of individual premises if possible.
• Visitor and customer parking should be provided off the road, possibly on a
communal basis.
• On-street parking should be discouraged.
• Good public transport provision to and within such areas can effectively reduce
overall parking demand.

RECREATIONAL/TOURISM AREAS
• Recreational land uses should be separated from residential areas, but they may
be on the fringes provided recreational traffic is directed away from dwellings.
• Certain recreational uses may be acceptable within commercial or industrial areas,
although this should be done with care.
• All participant and spectator parking should be provided separately within or near
each facility and be sufficient to accommodate peak demands.
• Where events necessitate the use of public highways, they should be clearly
segregated from general traffic.
• Service areas and facilities should be segregated from general traffic and if
possible, should operate at different times to public use.
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SITE SELECTION CRITERIA

In selecting the site for urban planning and road networks, there are many criteria to
follow. When it comes to road networks, hierarchy must be followed in which the
classification is whether the road is to be used primarily for movement or for access.
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REFERENCES:
• Sandborn, D. (2015). Principles of Landscape Design. Retrieved from
https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/principles_of_landscape_design
• DPWH Highway Safety Design Standards – Part 1: Road Safety Design Manual