UNIT-4: SITE PLANNING

 Site Investigation appraisal,

 Site Planning neighborhood parts,
 Children’s Parks, Toilets & Sports area

Site Planning
The Art of Arranging Structures on the Land shaping the spaces between.
Site Analysis
The Process of Correlation of available information of the Site with relevance to
its suitability for the purpose.
Factors involved in Site Analysis
1. Natural Features
Physical Characteristics
Terrain
o Contours
o Sorts
o Water table
Environmental Factors
o Air Flow
o Humidity
o Temperature
o Solar Exposure
2. Man-Made Features
o Arch - Structures
o Utilities - Sewage disposal Irrigation System
o Road Ways
o Parking
3. Cultural Aspects
o History
o Present Use
o Aesthetic Qualities

Site Analysis
1. General Site Content
a. Geographic location, adjacent land use patterns,
access systems, nearly destinations & facilities, stability or change in
development pattern.
b. Political jurisdictions, social structure of the
localities, population change in surrounding areas.
c. Ecological &hydrographic system of the region.
d. Nature of the area economy, other proposals or
Projects nearby & their effects on the site (Mahindra City)
2. Physical Data, Site & Adjacent Land
Geology & Soil
a. Underlying geology, rock character & depth, fault lines.

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 b. Soil types & depth, value as en egg. Material & as a plant medium
(plant & selection) presence of hazardous chemicals or contaminants.
c. Areas of fill or ledge, liability to slides or subsidence.
Water
a. Existing water bodies – variation & purity
b. Natural & Man-Made drainage channels – flow capacity, purity.
c. Surface drainage pattern – amount, direction, blockages, flood zones,
undrained depressions, areas of continuing erosion.
d. Water table – elevation & fluctuation, flow directions.
e. Water Supply – location, quantity or quality.

Topography
a. Contours.
b. Pattern of Land forms – typology, slopes, circulation, possibilities,
access points, barriers visibility.
c. Unique features (will it be damaged)
Climate
a. Regional pattern of temperature, humidity, precipitation sun angles,
cloudiness, wind direction & speeds.
b. Local micro climate: warm & cool slopes, wind deflects & local breeze
air drainage, shade, and heat reflection & storage plant indications.
c. Ambient air quality, dust, swells, sounds levels.
Ecology
a. Dominant Plant & animal communities: their location & relative
stability, self regulation & vulnerability.
b. General pattern of plant cover, quality of wooded areas, wind firmed
regeneration potent ions.
c. Specimen trees – their locations, spread, species, and elevation at
base, whether unique or undangered support system needed.
Man-Made Structures
a. Existing buildings: locations outline floor, elevations, type, condition,
current use.
b. Networks: roads, paths, transit lines, sewers, water lines, gas,
electricity, telephone, steam, their locations, elevation, capacity,
conditions.
Landscape
7 Sensory Qualities
a. Character & relationship of visual spaces & sequence.
b. View points, vistas, focal points.
c. Quality & variations of light sound & swell.

Cultural Date, Site

Resident & Using populations

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 a. No: of compositions, pattern of change.
b. Social Structure, ties, institutions.
c. Economic status
d. Organisation, leadership, political participation
Behaviors Settings
a. Nature, locations, participants, rhythm stability, conflicts.
Site values, rights, restraints
a. Ownership, easements & other rights.
b. Zoning & other regulations that influence site use & character.
c. Economic value & how it varies across the site.
d. Accepted territories.
Past & Future
a. History of the site & its visible factors.
b. Public & Private intention for future use of site.
Site Character & impacts
a. Group & individual identification with aspects of the site.
b. How the site is organized in peoples.
c. Meanings attached to the Site, Symbolic associations.
d. Hopes, fears, wishes.

Correlation of Data
a. Sub divisions of the site, areas of consistent structures.
b. Character, problems.
c. Identification of key points, axes best left undivel areas where intensive
development is possible.
d. Ongoing changes & those likely to occur without intervention – the dynamic
aspects of the site
e. Ties to context current & possible linkages, areas where consistent uses are
desirable, patterns of movements to be preserved.
f. Summary of significant problems & potentials, summary of +ive & -ive
potentials of the site.

Site Planning- Neighborhood Parks

a. Defined as Parks that are approximately 2 hectares, which provide a
landscaped environment with some nature conservation interest & with
arrange of facilities –children’s area, sit out areas & gardens.
b. Parks are identified as suitable for pedestrian visits especially are elderly
people & children.
c. They have an important environmental role for the local community & can
positively contribute to the quality of life of people living nearby.
Site Location
a. Centrally located in the neighborhood.
b. Should have sufficient local residential roadway frontage to provide a secure
environment.
c. Feature some residential development facing the park rather than backing
onto the park to enhance safety & security.

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 d. Serve a population within 1km preferably not obstructed by major arterial
roads.
e. Not have significant topographic challenges to gain access to the park.
f. Should not generate significant traffic or noise.
Site Requirement
a. Accessibility, safe & secure environment are very important for a park.
b. A neighborhood park should facilitate interaction, creativity & innovation.
c. Landscape & streetscape elements to reinforce identity of park & buildings.
Visual Quality & Aesthetics
a. A neighborhood park – visually pleasing & identifiable form a distance.
b. It should be inviting & help the people relax.
c. The park may also have a play area incorporate within it.
d. A few focal points along the park can make the space more interesting to the
users.
e. Certain areas of the park can be accented by the plants themselves as well as
by lighting.
f. Plants can be grouped & given special focus by a background of tall trees or
sculptures or water features.
g. Lighting can be accent lighting, diffused lighting or back lighting for specific
areas of interest.
h. Flood lighting can be used to illuminate a large area.
i. The Plant of the Garden – provide a few semi-private spaces, this can be
done by increasing & decreasing the heights of the plants in each space.
j. Elements like Pergolas, Fences made of plants or any other material &
Gazebos can also be used.
k. The textures & colours of Plants & Flowers – different for each space within
the park.
l. A neighborhood park should aim to satisfy the needs of every person who
uses it.

Traffic Management
a. Traffic Management refers to Management of Pedestrian, wheeled & well as
motorized traffic.
b. A traffic management plan is required if an event:
Impacts pathways or bikeways
Involves road closures
Creates parking concerns
c. The traffic management plan will include one or more of the following
components:
“Notification of restriction” signage

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 E.g. Road closures, seawall, congestion;
On site marshals to control pedestrian & wheeled traffic
or parking concerns;
Police presence for road closures.
Maintenance of Neighborhood Parks
a. Measures to protect park condition & infrastructure.
b. Fencing of landscaped areas, placing plywood under parked vehicles as well
as restricting vehicle movement to hard surfaces.
c. Protection measures required well reflect the potential damage to the park.
d. The Board may request a security Deposit form the event organizers.
Activity Restrictions
a. The Park Board reserves the right to restrict specific activities in parks.
b. A reason for restricting activities relates to potential damage to park, the
impact the activity will have on other’s enjoyment of the park & public safety
considerations.
c. In addition, any activities, which are prohibited by law, are not permitted in
parks.

Site Security
a. Depending of the nature & scope of the event, organizers may be required to
provide staff with a site security plan.
b. Objectives for a security plan – to ensure event patrons are safe & secures
(as well as to protect park property)
A Site Security Plan is required if
o Public access is restricted
o Crowding on the site is expected
o The event includes a special occasion license
o An admission fee is charged
o The event occurs at night
Security Plan will include one or more of the following components
o Trained volunteers or paid security personnel
o Police presence on site
o Communications plan (walkie talkies, cellular
phones, etc)
o Fencing of restricted areas
o Provision of first aid services
o Access plan for emergency vehicles.
Site Service Requirements
o Vehicle Access
o Power
o Structures
o Garbage Disposal
o Washrooms

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 o Event Notification & Directional Signage

Hard & Soft Landscaping

a. In new development areas, local or action area plans should identify
at an early.
b. Stage the preferred location of larger open spaces including, if
considered appropriate, locations in the non developments areas adjoining
the development areas.
c. This may allow playing pitches & larger recreational facilities to be
concentrated away form housing areas but easily accessible form them &
allow a more flexible approach to open space requirements within residential
estates by way of more casual spaces suitable for smaller children’s play,
informal kick-about and passive amenity.
d. The criteria used for selection of preferred locations should include
preservation of natural landscaping features, accessibility & gradient.
e. Suitable pedestrian linkage between open spaces should be identified &
where appropriate cycle lanes provided.
f. The use of hard landscaping elements – paving, cobbled areas etc. should
play an increasingly important role in the design & presentation of open
space concepts.
g. Hard play areas – all weather surfaces should also be taken into account
when assessing new proposals.
Hard Landscaping – Fencing
a. Design of Fence & Materials used in its construction should harmonies with
surroundings.
b. Show best side (fair face) boundary fence outwards with post visible form
within site.
c. On sloping ground fence should follow contours.
d. Extend protective fences against animals 100-200 below ground, especially
where hedge planted.

Landscape Design considerations & Guidelines for Sports Areas

Sports areas normally need large properties of land & it can vary form 5 acres to
more than 10 acres depending on the kind of sporting activities housed in that place.
Large places would have lot of life & ecology & definitely creating these structures
would mean to work with the ecology of that region, its climate & its landscape.
Hot places need more emphasis on this aspect due to the fact that such complexes
bound to have large uncovered open spaces subjected to heat.
Site Conditions

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Different Sporting activities have different guidelines regarding the play field size,
material & shape.
Topographically
Most of the sporting activities need near flat land or space for the playfield with
sometimes slight slopes for surface drainage.
Climate
Very passive roles as far as the sporting activities are concerned.
Modern technologies have been put to use to overcome the climatic problems.
But still certain open field sporting activities still demand proper daylight &
orientation.
E.g. Cricket, tennis etc.
Park Design Characteristics
a. The Park is a well-used place.
b. People of different ages, genders & backgrounds – use park on a regular basis
during all parts of the day, week & year.
c. A Good Park – visible & easy access by various means of transportation.
d. A Park should be comfortable, with a good image and possess (seating,
information, food concessions, bike racks & bulletin boards)
e. These Elements make a Park not only attractive but entering for people of all
ages.
f. A park should be a sociable place where people go to observe the passing
scene, meet friends, & interact with a wide range of people different form
themselves.

Ideal Park Elements

a. Access & Circulation – A park should allow people alternative choices of
movement to provide physical permeability.
b. Visibility – A park should also allow for visual permeability allowing people to
see in & out of an area.
c. Lighting –Improves the night time legibility, use & enjoyment of a site.
d. Diversity – Parks should provide variety in physical features, activities, &
users.
e. Signage & park information.
f. Discourage Isolation encourage sociability.
Accessibility
a. To create an accessible park, we must look at its connection to its
surroundings both physical & visual.
b. Place should have sidewalks leading to and form where people want to go, &
should be fairly easy for people to walk to enter the site.
Site Planning- Neighborhood Parks
a. Comfort – the most important aspect of the four requirements.
b. Uses& activities – important to consider because with design u can
accommodate for the activities that we want to happen.
c. The last element that needs to be designed for is sociability.
d. A park to be successful – there must be certain activities that take place this
includes both passive & active activities.

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 e. A park needs certain elements to be successful-
Seating-Plaza-Walkways-Vegetation
Water Features-Shelter
Space-Signage
Trash Receptacles-Parking
Rest Rooms-Public Art
Access-Crosswalks
f. 3 main forms of circulation within parks-
Vehicular
Pedestrian
Maintenance
Vehicular Circulation Issues
o Protect resources
o Have a large impact on use & maintenance
o Can control & channel movement throughout the park
o Can be dangerous to the recreational setting
o Helps to separate vehicular traffic form pedestrian & bicycle traffic.
4 major park road configurations
Spinal Configuration
This always offers more than one entrance to the park, but usually divides it into
2 halves.
Peripheral Configuration
The road is located near the park boundary, with activities located to one side.
Terminating Configuration (Cul-de-sac)
The road provides one entrance into the park, and often ends in a parking lot
area.
Loop Configuration
Loop roads are often for internal circulation within the park & consists of several
loops or an open loop form
Road Width
When planning road width, traffic volume must be taken into consideration.
One-way single lane roads should have a minimum 10’ width. Two-way roads should
have a minimum 20’ width.
Parking Lots
o Countless types of parking lot & stall designs.
o 90’ parking stalls will always afford the most number of parking spaces.
o At least 5% of parking will accommodate handicapped parking.
o Handicapped parking stalls must be clearly marked, with a minimum width of
8’ & adjacent 5’ aisle for accessibility
o Shade trees are an important part of parking lot design in area with warm to
hot summers.
o They will improve aesthetics while providing much needed shade for cars.
o A goal of 50% shade cover 10 years after construction is a suitable goal.
Pedestrian Circulation

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 a. Walks: these are utilitarian support routes & provide access to main areas
throughout the park. Minimum width for wheelchair access is 6’
b. Trails: they are narrower & less formal than walks. They are well-suited to
hiking & mountain biking.
c. Paths: these are considered a compromise between walks & trails, and are
informal in design.
Maintenance Circulation
These are necessary in Parks of almost any size.
It will increase the efficiency of maintenance & can serve the dual purpose of
providing the infrequently needed access for emergency vehicles
Accessory Park Facilities include:
Lighting: is necessary for the safety of people, the security of property & in the
emergency of power failure.
Light fixtures are available in many forms & styles.
Drinking Fountains: this should be conveniently located & sanitary. An artistic flair
can add much character to the simple necessities of light fixtures & drinking
fountains.
Restrooms: this also should be conveniently located, especially capacity, & must be
conveniently located to encourage use.
Parkscape
The atmosphere of the park, including visual appearances & aesthetics.
Some ways to create a pleasing parkscape are
o Screening undesirable areas (dumpsters, utility, sheds, etc)
o Using plants that harmonize with the existing vegetation.
o Use views & open spaces to create a visual experience for roads & trails.
o Buffer areas against noise pollution (parking lot or highway noise)
Park Facilities
Picnic Areas:
o They are located near areas with a high concentration of activities in order to
allow for visual participation and access by car.
o Alternative Picnic areas should be located in naturalized parts of the park
o All Picnic areas should be paved with hard surface materials in order to
facilitate easy access & maintenance.
Athletic Fields/Courts
o Open space or designated fields should accommodate sports (football,
baseball & softball, soccer, volleyball, basketball & tennis)
Amphitheaters:
o Should be located in an area that naturally accommodates an amphitheater
& requires the least amount of grading.
a. Is protected form the sun by trees
b. Offers scenic views
c. Is lighted for eventing use
d. Have access aisles with an 8’ minimum width
e. Optimum orientation for afternoon use has audience facing north to
northeast

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Interpretive Sign/ Trails:
a. Help visitors enjoy the park through better understanding & appreciation of
its purposes & resources
b. Increase knowledge of ecology & the role in the natural environment
c. Help visitors develop interest in past history
d. Gives practical geographic & directional information
Park Design:
a. A Focal Point – used to draw people in to the Park.
b. “Spaces” are needed to keep people in the Park.
c. Different Spaces – contain – different types of activities for everyone.
d. E.g. People are most likely to stay in a Park – can play in a fountain, sit
around & play music.
e. Spaces will improve – the social atmosphere within the park.
f. Access & Linkage – important topics – a Park Design.
g. Restoring – a Park is also important.
h. Spaces – be beautified by rebuilding them, whether it be replanting an area,
rebuilding a pathway, or even fixing up an old structure.
i. By Revitalizing a space, it enhances the overall aura of the environment &
surrounding spaces

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