COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

AND ARCHITECTURE

ELEMENTS OF URBAN
DESIGN

TAN, BRYANT ANGELO E. AR. KAE SHEN GALANG

BS ARCHITECTURE – 5 PBSARC 054 SPECS 3 – PROJECT MANAGEMENT
URBAN DESIGN

 The process of designing and shaping cities, towns, and villages

 A fundamental part of the development process, it is about making places that respond
to planning, architectural, and environmental objectives.
 In contrast to architecture, which focuses on the design of individual buildings, streets
and public spaces, whole neighborhoods and districts, and entire cities, with the goal of
making urban areas functional, attractive, and sustainable.
 Concerned with the arrangement, appearance and function of our suburbs, towns, and
cities. It is both a process and an outcome of creating localities in which people live,
engage with each other, and engage with the physical place around them.
 Involves many different disciplines including planning, development, architecture,
landscape architecture, engineering, economics, law and finance, among others.
 Operates at many scales, from macro scale of the urban structure (planning, zoning,
transport and infrastructure networks) to the micro scale of street furniture and lighting.
When fully integrated into policy and planning systems, urban design can be used to
inform land use planning, infrastructures, built form and even the socio-demographic mix
of a place.
Urban Design occurs all parts of a city, from the inner city to the suburbs and outer
metropolitan fringe. Urban design is relevant to developments, whatever their nature and size.
City-wide transport and infrastructure networks, urban infill projects, regional towns, new suburb
developments, shopping malls, streets, office blocks, university campuses and hospitals are all
result of urban design.

ELEMENTS OF URBAN DESIGN

There are basically 9 elements of urban design when classified broadly which are as follows:

 Signage  Fencing
 Lighting  Building Materials
 Parking  Building articulation
 Landscaping  Transportation
 Service areas  Public areas

SIGNAGE
- Environmental graphic communication whose functions include direction, identification,
information or orientation, regulation, warning, or restriction.
- Signage include direction signs, signs of locality, street names and numbering,
information signs, etc.
- All types of signs should be visible, clear, simple, easy to read and understand, and
properly lit at night.
- In general, signs should not be placed behind glass because of possible reflection.
- All directional and informational signage must be uniform to provide a unique character
in a particular precinct.
- Sign must not block the view of or the view from adjacent buildings and must not be
excessive in size and number.
LIGHTING

- Lighting is an important element in Urban Design. When considering a lighting design,

one must take into account the type of light needed for the specific purposes of the site.
- Lighting of the street system, including adjacent sidewalks, walkways, and bike lanes,
increases security and pedestrian safety and comfort.
- Lighting should also be used decorative to highlight landscaping elements and important
buildings.
- The lightings of public urban spaces must not cause or contribute to light pollution.
PARKING
Parking is an essential element in regards to urban design and traffic circulation. A parking
plan should be developed for each site prior to development (consult the UDC). The type and
number of parking spaces should reflect the desired uses of each site.

- The layout of parking areas must allow for a variety of uses for times during which there
is no significant demand for parking space (e.g. on weekends or in the evening).
- On occasion, parking areas may be used for flea markets, for recreation purposes, for
gatherings, etc.
- Parking areas must be intersected by sufficiently wide walkways that are easily
identifiable as walkways and allow comfortable pedestrian movement.
- These walkways must be protected from the intrusion of vehicles by means of vertical
kerbs or bollards.
- Trees, preferably evergreen, must be planted along all streets where provision is made
for parallel, diagonal parking in order to provide shade for the parked vehicles and to
soften the visual impact of the parked vehicles.
- Ten percent (10%) of a parking area must be landscaped. The standard of one tree for
every four parking bays be applied.

LANDSCAPING
The
enhancement of an
area’s aesthetic
beauty is directly
related to that area’s

landscaping. All
efforts should be
made to enrich the
visual landscape.
Each parcel of land
should be landscaped
thereby reinforcing
the area’s sense of
place. Not only does
landscaping add to the visual appeal and contiguity of a site, it also performs important and
invaluable function relating to the reduction of pollutants and storm water treatment.
SERVICE AREAS

- The fixtures/utility zone is located directly adjacent to the street and provides a buffer
between street traffic and the pedestrian travel zone. It also offers a location for lights,
poles, and signs outside the pedestrian travel way.
- Service areas should be oriented towards the rear of the building to minimize visual
eyesores.
- When possible, consolidate or congregate utilities, street furniture, etc., to minimize
pedestrian obstacles and improve visual appearance.

FENCING
- Screening provides a visual
and a continuation of the street
improve public safety through
circulation areas, as well as
- It is to everyone’s advantage
between two abutting
buffer between pedestrian and vehicular spaces
wall. Delineation between the two can also
separation of public areas from parking and
grade changes.
to construct, and maintain good solid fences
properties, especially when the same zoning

classification.
BUILDING MATERIAL
- Details and materials refer to the close up appearance of objects and surfaces and
selection of materials in terms of detail, craftsmanship, textures, colour, durability,
sustainability, and treatment.
- It contributes to human comfort, safety and enjoyment of the public and private realm.
- The design must reflect best practice and ensure minimal maintenance, durability,
longevity of materials and finishes and a sustained appearance which is critical for a
positive visitor interaction.
BUILDING ARTICULATION
Building articulation refers to the three dimensional modelling of a building and its
surfaces, giving emphasis to architectural elements (windows, balconies, porches, entries, etc.)
that create a contemporary pattern or rhythm, dividing large buildings into smaller identifiable
pieces.

Building articulation establishes the building’s street address, its response to the local
context and environmental conditions and the degree of continuity between indoor and outdoor
rooms. Use existing lot structure to influence the design of building articulation when
development on amalgamated sites is required to respond to the existing or prevalent lot
structure.
TRANSPORTATION

- When planning a new development, one should make transportation a foremost

concern.
- You should incorporate into your development a sidewalk system with walkways with
large enough surface area to allow at least two people to walk side by side.
- Attention should also be given to cyclists.
- You should provide an adequate number of bicycle parking spaces as well as bicycle
racks which are in plain sight and easily accessible to all.
- Public transportation decreases the number of vehicles on the road, thus reducing traffic
and emissions, as well as providing those without vehicles a means to travel, stop and
go to work.

PUBLIC AREAS

An indoor or outdoor area, whether privately or publicly owned, to which the public have
access by right or by invitation, expressed or implied, whether by payment of money or not, but
not a place when used exclusively by one or more individuals for a private gathering or other
personal purpose.
REFERENCE:

https://www.slideshare.net/SukhneetKaur/elements-of-urban-design-56591761

https://www.slideshare.net/aakanshakapoor5/elements-of-urban-design-55063626