E1UD 02: ELEMENTS OF URBAN DESIGN

Ar. Ravindra Patnayaka, B.Arch, M.Tech., Planning, PGDESM

Assistant Professor,
GITAM SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, Visakhapatnam.
 INTRODUCTION

Urban design is concerned with the arrangement, appearance and function

of various spaces with respective character and identity. 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.

A functional outcome of such articulated spaces shall be achieved by the

strategic amalgamation of certain ELEMENTS OF URBAN DESIGN.

Urban design operates at many scales, from the 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 uniform land use planning, infrastructure, built form and even the
socio-demographic mix of a place.
 ELEMENTS FUNCTIONING - HIERARCHY

This Urban Design

Element seeks to
define how the citys
identity and values
can be captured in the
visual and physical
qualities of its urban
landscape.

This diagram shows the

approximate hierarchical
relationship between the
elements of urban
design.
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.
ELEMENTS OF URBAN DESIGN

Signage
Lighting
Parking
Landscaping
Service areas
Fencing
Building materials
Building articulation
Transportation
Other image making indicators
SIGNAGE

Signs have been used as way finding

devices for thousands of years, since
individuals in early civilizations began
venturing beyond their immediate
Environment.
INFORMATORY SIGNS
signs conveying
information about
services and facilities,
such as maps,
directories, or
instructional signs

DIRECTIONAL SIGNS
Direction: signs showing
the location of services,
facilities, functional
spaces and key areas,
such as sign posts or
directional arrows.
IDENTIFICATION SIGNS
signs indicating
services and facilities,
such as room names
and numbers,
restroom signs, or
floor designations.

REGULATORY SIGNS
signs giving warning or
safety instructions, such
as warning signs, traffic
signs, exit signs, or signs
conveying rules and
regulations.
SIGNAGE - PRINCIPLES

Color-coding, numbering, visual cues, music, and even machines for

marking your ticket with your exact location to locate your car for easy
retrieval.

Locate signs in areas where driver can read in a timely fashion.

Clear, simple, and direct messages.

Architecturally all signs can be integrated with their surroundings in

terms of size ,shape ,color ,texture and lighting so that they are
complementary to the overall design of the building and are not in
visual competition with other signs in the area.

Configuration: - Shape of signboards

- Color
- Surface
- Lettering
 The size of letters should be in proportion to
the reading distance (fig. 6).

Character width-to-height ratio should be

between 3:5 and 1:1 and the character stroke
width-to-height ratio should be between 1:5
and 1:10 (fig. 7).

The letters and signs should preferably be Fig.6

raised at least 1 mm from the background, to
enable sightless people to read the information
using the tips of their fingers.

The smallest letter type should not be less than

15 mm.

Normal spacing between words and letters

should be used.
Fig.7
Types of signage in a typical residential locality
NIGHT LIGHTING

Night lighting extends the life of the city,

beyond twilight and sunset. It also
enhances the character of a place and
experience of the city at night. Guidelines
on the colour temperature of the lighting
are intended to reflect use and height of
the building.
Lighting
Lighting / illumination is an
important element in urban
design.

When dealing with lighting

design, the type of lighting
needed for specific purpose
of the site must be taken into
account.

Lighting must be designed to

enhance security to the
property , provide ambiance,
aid drivers by increasing
visibility on roadways or
simply to illuminate a sign.
roadways landscape

Parking Lots Architectural illumination

a. Provide pedestrian scaled - lighting
for pedestrian circulation and visibility.
b. Use effective lighting for vehicular
traffic while not overwhelming the
quality of pedestrian lighting.
c. Use lighting to convey a sense of
safety while minimizing glare and
contrast.
d. Use light fixtures that complement
the neighborhood character.
Types of Lighting Systems
 Creative street
lighting in the
night time

Public lighting
Street lighting with
Solar street lighting banner design
03. PARKING
PARKING

Parking as part of an overall transportation

system is one of the crucial issues of our
times.
parking facilities can take many forms as
stand-alone or part of a mixed-use
structure, self-park or valet, and automated
in urban settings
 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.

The type and number of parking spaces should reflect the desired uses of each site.
Capacity increased through Capacity increased through multiple level stacked
mechanized lifts parking using mechanical lifts.
04. LANDSCAPING
LANDSCAPE

Greenery plays an important role in our urban design, and developments are
encouraged to provide greenery (on the ground or skyrise) in the city. For
example, the sky terraces at Parkroyal Hotel at Pickering Street allow hotel
guests to enjoy greenery at new heights.
Other than its environmental benefitshelping to clean the air and mitigating
the urban heat island effectgreenery can help shape the streetscape, reinforce
the character of a place, and make the public spaces more comfortable by
providing shade.
 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.
Landscaping in parks Landscaping in plazas

Integration of landscape into Landscaping along foot path

buildings
 Landscape
Urban forestry is the careful care and management
of urban forests, i.e., tree populations in urban settings for
the purpose of improving the urban environment.
Urban forestry advocates the role of trees as a critical part
of the urban infrastructure.

Urban farming
This can be defined as growing fruits, herbs, and vegetables
in cities, a process that is accompanied by many other
complementary activities such as processing and distributing
food, collecting and reusing food waste and rainwater, and
educating, organizing, and employing local residents.
SERVICE AREAS

Services are provided for the convenience of the commuter in a urban space.

There are two types of service areas:

I. Services within Building compound

Building services should be provided at the rear end of the building. These
include HVAC system, Garbage bins etc. these should be screened
properly from the public spaces. Cables and conduits shall be laid
beneath the ground.

II. Urban level community services

The urban services include the public toilets , telephone booths, bus stops etc.
These should be strategically located for the convenience of the users.
Domestic Services

Decorative wall
to conceal
hydro meters

Avoid placing utility meters,

mechanical equipment and
venting in prominent, front yard
locations
Community Services

Bus stop Public toilets Telephone booths

06. FENCING
FENCING

Trees as physical barriers

 Fencing

It is everyones advantage to construct and

maintain good solid fences between two
abutting properties , especially when the
abutting properties are not under the same
zoning classification.
Fencing

Masonry fences
BUILDING MATERIAL

The building materials and textures articulate the character of the street
significantly.

The application of building material plays an important role in shaping the

street.

The materials used , color, texture, faade detailing, entry porches, roof types
etc., contribute in developing a unique identity to the street.
Building materials

Traditional streets in England use similar

Building materials so as to create
harmony.
The white building looks out of
place amidst the brick cladded
buildings.
 The streets of jodhpur are the best example of the
significance of building material and color in streetscape.
It creates a unique identity and sense of unity
BUILDING FORM & ARTICULATION

Variation in building height, volume, and the way in which buildings are grouped
together, are examples of how building form contributes to the unique character
of specific areas. Building forms are guided by specific uses of buildings. As they
have an impact on the streetscape, it is important that their forms respond to
their surroundings.
 Building Articulation
Building articulation refers to the three dimensional modeling of a building and its
surfaces, giving emphasis to architectural elements (windows, balconies, porches,
entries, etc.) that create a complementary pattern or rhythm, dividing large
buildings into smaller identifiable pieces.

Building articulation establishes the buildings 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.
Building articulation

This residence is articulated on all sides A corner unit with a wrap-around porch is
with windows, wrap around porch, comparable in architectural detail on both
variances in faade depth and color and frontages and entry on the flanking street
material changes. side
TRANSPORTATION

When planning a new development one should make transportation a

foremost concern. Public transit should also be incorporated into
development plans with new bus shelters and stops.

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, shop and go to work.
 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.

 Transport system

Old urban designing and planning New urban designing and planning
 TRANSPORTATION RIGHT OF WAY

This cross-section drawing shows typical streetscape elements-planting strips with trees
separating the pedestrian from the curb, bike and travel lanes and a median for
landscaping and pedestrian refuge.
PEDESTRIAN NETWORK

Well-connected pedestrian networks to allow people to move easily and

comfortably within the city, and facilitate the use of public transportation. It connects
open spaces, points of interest and parks, and can be at different levels, allowing
you to appreciate the city from different perspectives.
VEHICULAR ACCESS
The location of car parks and drop-off points affect the way vehicles navigate
their way around the city. It also influences how pedestrians experience the
city. It is important to separate pedestrians from vehicular traffic to avoid
causing danger and conflict to pedestrians.
10. OTHER IMAGE MAKING INDICATORS
STREETSCAPE

Streets can make our interaction with our city richer and memorable. The
character of the street is contributed by active uses at the street level
including signage, lighting, landscaping, building form and architecture.
ROOFSCAPE

Roofs are literally the crowning glory of buildings. A good roof design
enhances the building form, contributes to the skyline, and reinforces
the character of a district.
ISSUES RELATED TO ROOFSCAPING
Social issues
1.Occupant comfort
2. Lighting
3. Noise
4. Ventilation
5. Thermal comfort
6. Access to green outside
Environmental issues
1. Water
Runoff
Rainwater Next steps (Rehabilitation
2. Landscaping
3. Energy Method)
Thermal energy 1. Measured drawings of the facades and
Solar control 2. streetscape
Recycle and Reuse 3. Historic studies
4. Site 4. Research on the original colours
5. Material and components 5. Research on the needs of the inhabitants
Concrete 6. Proposal for the action
Glass 7. Organisation of the pilot action teams
Smart materials (masons, craftsmen)
ROOF, AS THE CITY BACKGROUND
SCENE ON ROOF UNCOMMON TO USUAL EYES
TRADITIONAL ROOF - HIDDEN
INSIDE MODERN CITY
EYE-CATCHING ROOF
ROOF DETAIL
ROOF DETAIL
ROOF - textures
ROOF, A COMFORTABLE PLACE TO RELAX
ROOF, A LIVING PLACE
ROOF UNFRIENDLY TO HUMAN TOUCH
 URBAN SQUARES

A town square is an open public

space commonly found in the
heart of a traditional town used
for community gatherings. Other
names for town square are civic
center, city square, urban
square, market square, public
square, piazza, plaza.
SKYLINES

A skyline is the artificial horizon that a city's

overall structure creates. Skylines serve as a kind
of fingerprint of a city, as no two skylines are alike.
Skyline
URBAN CIVIC ART

Civic art is one of the highest art forms - it's what makes great cities unique and special. Civic art is
the sum total of the architecture, public spaces, monuments, urban design, and landscape of a city,
but it is far more than the sum of the parts. Civic art is place making into art that creates timeless
civic values and helps define cultures.
Urban design and city building are surely among the most auspicious endeavours of this or
any age, giving rise to a vision of life, art, artefact and culture that outlives its authors. It is the
gift of its designers and makers to the future." -Donald Watson
THANK YOU