ARCH 523

WRITTEN REPORT

INTRODUCTION
TO URBAN DESIGN

SUBMITTED TO:
ARCHT. JED C. CAJATE, UAP

SUBMITTED BY:
GROUP 1
AFABLE, CLARK VINCE CAEZAR
BASAS, NORELLE
CAMASIN, ANA MARIE
MAGPANTAY, IVY JAN
DOCENA, LEYTTON JAY
BSAR – 5A
 equity and economic viability into
the creation of places with distinct
beauty and identity.

 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
"The building of cities is one of
 Urban design is an inter-
man's greatest achievements."
disciplinary subject that unites all the
built environment professions, -Edmund Bacon
including urban planning, landscape
architecture, architecture, civil and Urban design involves place-
municipal engineering. making - the creation of a setting
that imparts a sense of place to an
area. This process is achieved by
 It involves the arrangement
establishing identifiable
and design of buildings, public
neighborhoods, unique architecture,
spaces, transport systems, services,
aesthetically pleasing
and amenities.
public places and vistas, identifiable
landmarks and focal points, and a
 Urban design blends
human element established by
architecture, landscaping, and city
compatible scales of development
planning together to make urban
and ongoing public stewardship.
areas functional and attractive.
Other key elements of place
making include: lively commercial
 Urban design is about making
centers, mixed-use development with
connections between people and
ground floor retail uses, human-scale
places, movement and urban form,
and context-sensitive design; safe
nature and the built fabric. Urban
and attractive public areas; image-
design draws together the many
making; and decorative elements in
strands of place-making,
the public realm.
environmental stewardship, social

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 Urban design can significantly
influence the economic,
environmental, social and cultural
outcomes of a place:
 Urban design can influence
the economic success and socio-
economic composition of a locality—
whether it encourages local
businesses and entrepreneurship;
whether it attracts people to live
there; whether the costs of housing
and travel are affordable; and
whether access to job opportunities,
facilities and services are equitable.
 Urban design determines the
physical scale, space and ambience
of a place and establishes the built
and natural forms within which
individual buildings and infrastructure
are sited. As such, it affects the
balance between natural
ecosystems and built environments,
and their sustainability outcomes.
 Urban design can
influence health and the social and
cultural impacts of a locality: how
people interact with each other, how
they move around, and how they use
a place.
Although urban design is often
delivered as a specific ‘project’, it is in
fact a long-term process that
continues to evolve over time. It is this
layering of building and infrastructure
types, natural ecosystems,
communities and cultures that gives
places their unique characteristics
and identities.
THE SCOPE OF URBAN DESIGN
From Historical, Professional, and
Policy Context….. Why? to provide a
framework for exploring the meaning
and scope of urban design in
contemporary planning and urban
development
Central Argument: UD is neither big
architecture nor limited to urban
landscape issues. It does not operate
solely at the interface between
planning and architecture.
UD is a problem-solving activity with
applications to spatial decision-
making at all scales of urban
planning
The need for UD as a discipline has
arisen as a result of the fundamental
cultural, political, social and
economic changes.
Other issues include the impact of
environmental issues and quality of
life on the nature of the city and how
urban form can best be adapted to
our current and future needs.
It has proved difficult to provide a
simple, commonly accepted
definition of the scope of UD
URBAN DESIGN OPERATES AT 3
SCALES
1. The Region, City, and Town
2

2. The Neighbourhood, District, and
Corridor
3. The Block, Street, and Building
URBAN DESIGN INCLUDES
1. Infrastructure
2. Architecture
3. Public Spaces
COMPONENTS OF URBAN SPACE
AND THEIR INTERDEPENDENCIES
Urban Design involves the
design and coordination of all that
makes up cities and towns:
BUILDINGS - Buildings are the most
pronounced elements of urban
design - they shape and articulate
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space by forming the street walls of
the city. Well designed buildings and
groups of buildings work together to
create a sense of place.
PUBLIC SPACE - Great public spaces
are the living room of the city - the
place where people come together
to enjoy the city and each
other. Public spaces make high
quality life in the city possible - they
form the stage and backdrop to the
drama of life. Public spaces range
from grand central plazas and
squares, to small, local
neighbourhood parks.
STREETS - Streets are the connections
between spaces and places, as well
as being spaces themselves. They
are defined by their physical
dimension and character as well as
the size, scale, and character of the
buildings that line them. Streets
range from grand avenues such as
the Champs-Elysees in Paris to small,
intimate pedestrian streets. The
pattern of the street network is part of
what defines a city and what makes
each city unique.
TRANSPORT - Transport systems
connect the parts of cities and help
shape them, and enable movement
throughout the city. They include
road, rail, bicycle, and pedestrian
networks, and together form the total
movement system of a city. The
balance of these various transport
systems is what helps define the
quality and character of cities, and
makes them either friendly or hostile
to pedestrians. The best cities are the
ones that elevate the experience of
the pedestrian while minimizing the
dominance of the private
automobile.
LANDSCAPE - The landscape is the
green part of the city that weaves
throughout - in the form of urban
parks, street trees, plants, flowers, and
water in many forms. The landscape
helps define the character and
beauty of a city and creates soft,
contrasting spaces and
elements. Green spaces in cities
range from grand parks such as
Central Park in New York City and the
Washington DC Mall, to small intimate
pocket parks.
THE ELEMENTS OF URBAN DESIGN
This diagram shows the
approximate hierarchical relationship
between the elements of urban
design, followed by a brief definition
of each of the elements. The section
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below provides basic explanations for
terms that are commonly used for
urban design in the Australian
context.
URBAN STRUCTURE
The overall framework of a region,
town or precinct, showing
relationships between zones of built
forms, land forms, natural
environments, activities and open
spaces. It encompasses broader
systems including transport and
infrastructure networks.
URBAN GRAIN
The balance of open space to built
form, and the nature and extent of
subdividing an area into smaller
parcels or blocks. For example a
‘fine urban grain’ might constitute a
network of small or detailed
streetscapes. It takes into
consideration the hierarchy of street
types, the physical linkages and
movement between locations, and
modes of transport.
DENSITY + MIX
The intensity of development and
the range of different uses (such as
residential, commercial, institutional
or recreational uses).
HEIGHT + MASSING
The scale of buildings in relation to
height and floor area, and how they
relate to surrounding land forms,
buildings and streets. It also
incorporates building envelope, site
coverage and solar orientation.
Height and massing create the sense
of openness or enclosure, and affect
the amenity of streets, spaces and
other buildings.
STREETSCAPE + LANDSCAPE
The design of public spaces such as
streets, open spaces and pathways,
and includes landscaping,
microclimate, shading and planting.
FACADE + INTERFACE
The relationship of buildings to the
site, street and neighbouring
buildings (alignment, setbacks,
boundary treatment) and the
architectural expression of their
facades (projections, openings,
patterns and materials).
DETAILS + MATERIALS
The close-up appearance of objects
and surfaces and the selection of
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materials in terms of detail,
craftsmanship, texture, colour,
durability, sustainability and
treatment. It includes street furniture,
paving, lighting and signage. It
contributes to human comfort, safety
and enjoyment of the public
domain.
PUBLIC REALM
Much of urban design is concerned
with the design and management of
publicly used space (also referred to
as the public realm or public
domain) and the way this is
experienced and used.
The public realm includes the natural
and built environment used by the
general public on a day-to-day basis
such as streets, plazas, parks, and
public infrastructure. Some aspects
of privately owned space such as
the bulk and scale of buildings, or
gardens that are visible from the
public realm, can also contribute to
the overall result.
At times, there is a blurring of public
and private realms, particularly
where privately owned space is
publicly used.
TOPOGRAPHY, LANDSCAPE AND
ENVIRONMENT
The natural environment includes the
topography of landforms, water
courses, flora and fauna—whether
natural or introduced. It may be in
the form of rivers and creeks, lakes,
bushland, parks and recreational
facilities, streetscapes or private
gardens, and is often referred to as
‘green infrastructure’.
SOCIAL + ECONOMIC FABRIC
The non-physical aspects of the
urban form which include social
factors (culture, participation, health
and well-being) as well as the
productive capacity and economic
prosperity of a community. It
incorporates aspects such as
demographics and life stages, social
interaction and support networks.
SCALE
The size, bulk and perception of a
buildings and spaces. Bulk refers to
the height, width and depth of a
building in relation to other
surrounding buildings, the street,
setbacks and surrounding open
space. For example, a large building
set amongst other smaller buildings
may seem ‘out of scale’.
URBAN FORM
The arrangement of a built up area.
This arrangement is made up of
many components including how
close buildings and uses are
together; what uses are located
where; and how much of the natural
environment is a part of the built up
area.
URBAN DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
1. Urban structure – How a place
is put together and how its
parts relate to each other
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2. Urban typology, density and equals, an important
sustainability - spatial types component in building social
and morphologies related to capital.
intensity of use, consumption
of resources and production
and maintenance of viable
communities THE CREATIVE ARTICULATION OF
3. Accessibility – Providing for SPACE
ease, safety and choice when
moving to and through places The most prominent aspect of urban
4. Legibility and way finding – design. The following artistic
Helping people to find their principles are an integral part of
way around and understand creating form and spatial definition –
how a place works
1. ORDER
5. Animation – Designing places
to stimulate public activity 2. UNITY
6. Function and fit – Shaping
3. BALANCE
places to support their varied
intended uses 4. PROPORTION
7. Complementary mixed uses – 5. SCALE
Locating activities to allow
constructive interaction 6. HIERARCHY
between them 7. SYMMETRY
8. Character and meaning –
Recognizing and valuing the 8. RHYTHM
differences between one 9. CONTRAST
place and another
9. Order and incident – 10. CONTEXT
Balancing consistency and 11. DETAIL
variety in the urban
environment in the interests of 12. TEXTURE
appreciating both 13. HARMONY
10. Continuity and change –
Locating people in time and 14. BEAUTY
place, including respect
for heritage and support for
contemporary culture
11. Civil society – Making places
where people are free to
encounter each other as civic

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HERITAGE OF URBAN DESIGN the minimal leftover space for
circulation.
 The Acropolis
Although contemporary A religious and defensive
professional use of the term 'urban structure up on the hills, with no
design' dates from the mid-20th definite geometrical plan.
century, urban design as such has Layout:
been practiced throughout - once thought to lack
history. Ancient examples of visible design relationships :
carefully planned and no geometrical axial
designed cities exist in Asia, Africa, relationship
Europe and the Americas, and are - BUT, a very definite visual
particularly well known within relationship
Classical Chinese, Roman and  The Agora
Greek cultures - Whereas the Acropolis
THE BEGINNINGS: consisted of masses
articulations space, the
Innovations that influenced the buildings of the Agora served as
development of early cities: facades to form an enclosed
1. Rectilinear town planning urban space.
or Grid - Product of the  Greek Towns
farmers - Athens as a city was a cluster
of irregular cells.
2. Circular (fencing) - Gridiron Layout:
product of the herdsmen; - Plan of Athens harbor, Piraeus
defensive role was attributed to Hippodamus
3. Radiocentric plans- when - Areas of finite size,
circular settlement comprehensible to the eye,
enlarged; fortress cities and politically workable
- Neopolis : when a town
ANCIENT GREECE reaches its maximum size, a
“new town” is built
- The early Greek cities were
- Paleopolis : old town
quasi-rectilinear, the houses
being small cubicles and the
early towns a jumbled mass of
ANCIENT ROME
irregular rectangular cells. The
- The Romans used a set of
street was not treated as a
proportions that would harmoniously
principal design element but as
relate the various parts of a building

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to each other but not necessarily to
human measure.
- Roman use of street pattern as
module : to achieve a sense of
overpowering grandeurs : made for
military government
 The Republican Forum
- or “The Roman Forum”, the most
famous forum
- was designed by architect
Vitruvius who felt the proportions
needed to be 3:2 (length to width)
- level area is small, about 6 acres
Buildings
- a development of steadily
increasing political power (509 BC
– 27 BC)
- buildings have no formal
relationship between each other
- Curia : senates assembly house;
forum’s most important building
- successive buildings are larger
than their predecessors
 The Imperial Forum
- Architectural or urban masses
were made subordinate to spaces
- composed of plazas formed by
collonades
- colonnades act as transition and
link to plazas.
 Roman Cities
Adopted Greek Forms but with
different scale – monumental, had
a social hierarchy
MEDIEVAL TIMES
- The decline of Rome’s power left
many outpost settlements all over
Europe which became the nuclei of
new societies.
 Siena
Siena is composed of several
political sections, each
occupying prominent
topography, each with its local
small square, but together
focusing on one of the finest
piazzas in the world and, a short
distance from the piazza, on a
central dominating cathedral.
 Medieval Town Designs
In medieval times the practice
of architecture as an art
revolved principally about
fortification, churches, guild
halls, and burghers’ houses.
Visible Exteriors
- suits the viewing conditions of
small spaces
Vista
- considerations and human
scale : fine accent in
landscape
Street Layout
- is functional, although with
no logical form
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THE RENAISSANCE AND • Geometrical forms of cities
BAROQUE PERIOD were proposed.
• Vienna emerged as the City of
 Ideal Cities culture and the arts – the first
- 1440 (beginning of “university town”
Renaissance) • Landscape architecture
- Leon Battista Alberti : foremost showcased palaces and
theoretician gardens, best displayed in the
plans of Lenotre for Versailles in
- Alberti’s De Architectua France and its adaptation in
 Accomplishments of early the design of Kartsruhe in
Renaissance Germany
- Public works
EXAMPLES OF URBAN DESIGN
- Civic improvement projects
 Rebuilding FERRARA: is the first 1. Washington DC
modern city in Europe
- Palazzo Diamenti : most
famous structure

- Biaggio Rossetti : architect

and town planner regarded as
aone of the world’s earliest
modern urban designers
- Rosetti’s plan:
2. Cartagena, Columbia
1. street widening, new
buildings, wall
improvement
2. Enlarge the town
3. Carryon with the plan

• In 15th Century France the

kings achieved unity and
display their affluence and
power by improving and
beautifying their cities.

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3. Salt Lake City, UT

4. Copenhagen, Denmark

5. Strasbourg, France

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