URBAN DESIGN

Urban designed is concerned with the arrangement, appearance and function of our suburbs, towns, and cities. It is both a process and outcome of creating
localities in which people live, engage with each other, and engage with the physical place around them.

Urban design involves many different disciplines including planning, development, architecture, landscape architecture, engineering, economics, law and
finance, among others. 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 inform land use
planning, infrastructure, built form and even the socio-demographic mix of a place.

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.

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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 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

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

Details + Materials - The close-up appearance of objects and surfaces and the selection of 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.

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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 is about a great variety of places: whether town and city centres, residential neighbourhoods and suburbs, grassy fields on the edge of villages,
down-at-heel industrial estates, or unloved and overlooked areas around train stations, rivers and canals. Urban design defines the nature of buildings and the
spaces between them, and how the design itself should be worked out: design processes and outcomes. Urban design inspires, illustrates and defines how a place
could be improved or protected to bring benefits to investors, developers and wider society.

Urban designers are typically architects, town planners or landscape architects. Their skill is to bring together ideas from developers, local communities,
architects, planners, traffic engineers, landscape architects, transport planners and many others, to resolve problems and conflicts in order to create better places
for everyone. Sometimes this will result in new places being built or a new appreciation of existing urban areas in cities, towns and villages. Urban designers can
be employed by developers, local planning authorities or community groups, including neighbourhood planning groups.

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The range of urban design approaches compared to other disciplines and scale, inspired by Roger Evans' Shaping Towns presentation on scale and process
(Bristol, 2012)

How big or small are urban design projects?

Urban design can help in drawing up masterplans and design guidance for large areas, through to working up detailed designs for a local street or public space. It
is about designing for people at the human scale, to make life better, and to make more attractive places that will remain valuable over time. Like any well-
designed object, a place must function well, be attractive, durable and cost-effective to build and maintain. Adding economic, social and environmental value
considerations to projects does not necessarily add to costs, but requires a view of the ‘bigger picture’ than many other professions adopt and at an early stage in
each project. This is what urban designer do.

What kind of project can it help?

Urban design is versatile and so urban designers can produce ideas and work that is indicative or specific, strategic or detailed, and this is reflected in the types of
drawings, reports and ways of working commonly used:

 Urban design is visionary creating a ‘vision’ to show the economic, social and environmental benefits of investment or changes at a strategic scale over
a wide area and over a long period of time. This is usually conveyed through a vision statement, projecting forward 20-25 years’ time to explain the
future characteristics of an area and how people will use it. This can then be complemented by a development framework, outlining the key physical
features that will deliver the vision.
 Urban design is fact-finding urban designers gather data and evidence about places to identify future options, and test the feasibility and viability of
change or development in context, for example transport and infrastructure capacity, development character and density, environmental capacity issues
(such as flooding), plus local community needs and values. Feasibility studies usually include options and a recommendation on the ‘best fit’ scenario.
 Urban design can be illustrative using masterplans, artists’ impressions, photomontages, 3D models and photographs of other successful places, urban
designers can bring to life how a development could look. This includes highlighting important local characteristics, landmarks and public spaces.
Illustrative masterplans often show just one way in which design guidelines can be built out.
 Urban design setting specifications site-specific masterplans set out precise proposals for which planning consent is being sought, and the use, size, form
and location of buildings, roads and open spaces, which are fixed. A local planning authority may prepare a site-specific development brief, which sets
out the main characteristics required, and it allows developers to draw up a proposed scheme in response. Masterplans and design codes bring together
plot-specific requirements for a site, which development proposals will need to comply with in order to be approved.

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A local planning authority can also identify district-wide character design policies, which set out a combination of broad-brush design ideas - relating to materials
and roof styles, for example - and specific requirements, such as minimum back-to-back distances for residential developments.

Why engage an urban designer?

Urban designers assemble a comprehensive picture of an area today in order to learn from it, and put forward proposals that demonstrate how potential
constraints and opportunities have been responded to. This process helps to convey the benefits and other ripple-out effects of future change on the surrounding
area to other parties. Working collaboratively with developers, other professionals (e.g. transport, ecology, architecture, etc.), the views of stakeholders and the
local community are essential in identifying key design issues to address, ensuring that any potential future objections are addressed early in the development
process, so that everyone feels that change will be beneficial.

Urban design has often been described as bridging the gap between town planning and architecture; it uses the same language as development planning policy
making, yet brings the design inspiration that investors and stakeholders value. Unlike many architectural commissions, urban design looks beyond the boundary
of a site and does not necessarily design the final buildings in detail, but defines their main attributes, including their relationships to the spaces between them.

Urban design is most useful when it is used early in the design of a development proposal or process of regeneration – to bring together a well-founded vision, to
create a common set of principles with the local planning authority, to ensure that community views are well understood, and to focus on details that will
ultimately matter in the development’s success. Urban designers look beyond a developer’s immediate interests within the red line boundary required in planning
applications, and by working collaboratively in design teams can respond creatively, rather than defensively, to external challenges. Time spent on urban design
in the early stages of the development process can save time and money later, and will achieve results that satisfy more stakeholders.

Good urban design has been found to add economic value by:

 Producing high returns on investments (ie good rental returns and enhanced capital values)
 Making new places more attractive than the local competition at little cost
 Responding to occupier demand
 Reducing management, maintenance, energy and security costs
 Contributing to more contented and productive workforces
 Supporting dynamic mixed-use elements in developments
 Creating an urban regeneration and place-making market dividend
 Differentiating places and raising their prestige
 Opening up investment opportunities, raising confidence in development
 Providing opportunities for wealth generation by inhabitants
 Reducing the cost to the public purse of rectifying urban design mistakes.
(Value of Urban Design, CABE and DTLR, 2002)

Urban design in local government

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Within a local planning authority, an urban design officer can work collaboratively across departments with in-house and external experts. Looking critically at
an area and using analytical and professional skills to understand its constraints and needs, urban designers identify a site’s potential or capacity for change. By
involving local stakeholders and community members through a programme of events to hear their ideas and concerns, subsequent recommendations will have
been shaped by the public. Development requirements are set out in formal policy documents, and are designed to support development management and control
at a later stage in the planning process.

From identifying new site-specific policies for a Local Plan, to describing an area development framework, urban design can show in spatial terms what policy is
seeking to achieve. Outline planning applications are usually accompanied by a masterplan and a design and access statement; urban design also has a key part to
play in finalising reserved matters, and how development and other investment will be delivered and managed.

As the 2020 Planning White Paper Planning for the Future indicated, a reform of the English planning system could involve front-loading new Local Plans with
many critical urban design policies and considerations – defining the nature and location of new buildings and spaces, or how existing places are to be
regenerated. This change will place far greater emphasis on designing places strategically and specific sites too, and could use design codes to define what would
be acceptable. Urban design skills and expertise will be central to all involved in this new vision for the planning system.

So what is good urban design? The 2013 Urban Design Compendium set out the key aspects of urban design as:

 Places for People. For places to be well-used and well-loved, they must be safe, comfortable, varied and attractive. They also need to be distinctive, and
offer variety, choice and fun. Vibrant places offer opportunities for meeting people, playing in the street and watching the world go by.
 Enrich the Existing. New development should enrich the qualities of existing urban places. This means encouraging a distinctive response that arises
from and complements its setting. This applies at every scale – the region, the city, the town, the neighbourhood, and the street.
 Make Connections. Places need to be easy to get to and be integrated physically and visually with their surroundings. This requires attention to how to
get around by foot, bicycle, public transport and the car – and in that order.
 Work with the Landscape. Places that strike a balance between the natural and man-made environment and utilise each site’s intrinsic resources – the
climate, landform, landscape and ecology – to maximise energy conservation and amenity.
 Mix Uses and Forms. Stimulating, enjoyable and convenient places meet a variety of demands from the widest possible range of users, amenities and
social groups. They also weave together different building forms, uses, tenures and densities.
 Manage the Investment. For projects to be developable and well cared for they must be economically viable, well managed and maintained. This means
understanding the market considerations of developers, ensuring long term commitment from the community and the local authority, defining
appropriate delivery mechanisms and seeing this as part of the design process.
 Design for Change. New development needs to be flexible enough to respond to future changes in use, lifestyle and demography. This means designing
for energy and resource efficiency; creating flexibility in the use of property, public spaces and the service infrastructure and introducing new
approaches to transportation, traffic management and parking. (Table 1.1)

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With the Coronavirus, there have been huge impacts and changes on lifestyles worldwide, ways of working, access to local goods and services, short and long-
distance modes of transport, and, the use of outdoor public and private spaces - urban and natural. The principles of creating walkable, mixed use and sociable
places, which have always underpinned urban design practice, have come to the fore as a simple but very effective way of making places to support all ages of
people with their physical and mental health needs. Urban design is about making places for people to enjoy at every stage of their lives. But what is the
alternative? Evidence has shown that poorly designed places can quickly become areas with alienated communities, few or spoiled natural resources, and little
sense of welcome and coherence for those who visit or use them. These areas often decline economically and with consequences that are felt far beyond their
boundaries.

Urban design awareness has increased amongst other professions and the general public as a result of witnessing the failure of many urban areas to respond to
people’s needs. The lessons from how some of the most attractive and valuable urban places in the world work are still being learned today – these include Bath,
Edinburgh, Paris, or Manhattan, and it is no coincidence that these are often the kind of places that we aspire to visit on holiday. Designing new developments to
site well within their wider contexts means that negative impacts are mitigated, and economic, social and environmental benefits can be more widely felt.

Some exemplar projects

VISIONARY:

URBAN INITIATIVES STUDIO. A Framework for Woolwich Town ENIVIRONMENTAL DIMENSION PARTNERSHIP. Tredegar Town
Centre Vision

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PLACE-MAKE. Houghton Regis Place Shaping Study BDP. Basing View Place-making Vision

FACT FINDING:

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 DAVID LOCK ASSOCIATES. Milton Keynes 2050

PRO VISION. Examining settlement extension opportunity in Caine, Wiltshire

Urban design considerations are formulated to bring to the attention of the designers in applying the valuable design requirements to buildings and urban spaces.

Urban Structure: how a place is put together and how its parts relate to each other.
Urban Typology: Spatial types and methodologies such as urban pattern, street network, solid and void.
Accessibility: Providing for ease, safety and choice when moving to and through places.
Legibility and way finding: helping people to find their way around and understand how a place works.
Animation: Designing places to stimulate public activity.
Function and Fit: Shaping places to support their varied intended uses.
Complementary Mixed Uses: Locating activities to allow constructive interaction between them.
Character and meaning: Recognizing and valuing the difference between one place and another.
Order and incident: Balancing consistency and variety in the urban environment.
Continuity and change: Respect for heritage and support for contemporary culture.

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Urban design is the process of designing and shaping cities, towns and villages. In contrast to architecture, which focuses on the design of individual buildings,
urban design deals with the larger scale of groups of buildings, streets and public spaces, whole neighborhoods and districts, and entire cities, with the goal of
making urban areas functional, attractive, and sustainable. Urban design is 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. It
involves the design and coordination of all that makes up cities and towns.

Another definition: Urban design involves the arrangement and design of buildings, public spaces, transport systems, services, and amenities. Urban design is the
process of giving form, shape, and character to groups of buildings, to whole neighborhoods, and the city. It is about making connections between people and
places, movement and urban form, nature and the built fabric. Urban design draws together the many strands of place-making, environmental stewardship, social
equity and economic viability.

ARCHITECTURE vs URBAN DESIGN vs URBAN PLANNING

Architecture is the art or practice of designing and constructing buildings.

Urban Design refers to the design of functionality of spaces between buildings & structures.
It is an art of making places for people. Human interaction with the environment and involves places such as Squares, Piazza, Streets, Pedestrian, among others.
Urban Planning is the design and organization of urban space and infrastructure. It is the laying out of neighborhoods, cities, and regions; and fulfilling the needs
of community and economy.
ARCHITECTURE URBAN DESIGN URBAN PLANNING
Scale Individual building Spaces between buildings: street, Whole neighborhoods, districts and
park, transit shop cities
Orientation Aesthetic and functional Aesthetic and functional Utility

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 Treatment of space 2D and 3D 3D Predominantly 2D
Time frame No definite time frame Short term (<5years) Long Term (5 to 20 years)

ELEMENTS OF URBAN DESIGN

Buildings. The most pronounced elements of urban design. They shape and articulate space by forming the street walls of the city. Well-designed buildings and
groups of buildings work together to create a sense of place.
 Residential Buildings: structures where people dwell.
 Commercial Buildings
 Institutional Buildings
 Educational Buildings
 Government Buildings
 Industrial Buildings

Public Spaces. 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. It ranges from grand central plazas and squares, to small, local
neighborhood parks.
Examples: St. Peter Square located directly in front of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.
Times Square – New York’s famous city square. Times Square is located at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from
West 42nd to West 47th Streets.
Plaza Mayor. The best known plaza in Madrid, Spain,
Manila Baywalk located at Roxas Boulevard.

Streets. These are 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. The pattern of the street network is part of what defines a city and what makes each city
unique.
Examples:
Main Street. It is usually a focal point for shops and retailers in the central business district and is most often used in reference to retailing and
socializing. The term is commonly used in Scotland, USA, less often in Canada, Australia and Ireland.
High Street. Frequently used for the street name of the primary business street of towns or cities, especially in UK.
Fore Street. Often used for the main street of a town or village. Usage is almost entirely confined to the South West of England.
Overpass. An overpass is normally a bridge for motor vehicles to pass over other road or rail traffic.
Overpass. It would introduce confusion to call a pedestrian bridge or footbridge an overpass.

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 Another example of overpass:
Skyway. Usually used in the US for long or high bridges for traffic.
Freeway. A type of highway which has been designed for high-speed vehicle traffic.
Boulevard. A type of large road, usually running through a city.
Avenue. A traditionally straight route with a line of trees or large shrubs running along.
Esplanade. A long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water where people may walk. In North America, an esplanade may often
refer to a Median or the strip of raised land dividing a roadway or boulevard.
Alley. A narrow passageway between or behind buildings.
A narrow street between the fronts of houses or businesses. This type of alley is found in the older parts of many cities. It can also refer to a
narrow, usually paved, pedestrian path, often between the walls of buildings in towns and cities.

Transport. Transport systems connects 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.
Train. A train is a form of rail transport consisting of a series of vehicles that usually runs along a rail track to transport cargo or passengers although
magnetic levitation trains that float above the track exist too.
Bus. A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry many passengers. Buses have utilitarian fittings designed for efficient movement of large numbers of
people, and often have multiple doors.
Taxi. A taxi is an automobile that carries passengers for a fare usually determined by the distance travelled.
Tricycle. A tricycle is a public utility vehicle consisting of a motorcycle and a passenger sidecar.
Private Automobiles.
Bicycle.
Sidewalks. Also considered transport since it allows pedestrian to go to other places.

Landscape. It 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 to small
intimate pocket parks.
Central Park
Pocket Park. It is a small park accessible to the general public. Pocket parks are frequently created on a single vacant building lot or on small, irregular
pieces of land. They also may be created as a component of the public space requirement of large building projects.

PRINCIPLES OF URBAN DESIGN

Character. A place within its own identity, to promote character in townscape & landscape by responding to and reinforcing locally distinctive patterns of
development, landscape and culture.

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  Protect and enhance the buildings, street, materials, landmarks and views that are unique and give the city its identity.
 The appearance of the built environment defines an area’s identity and character and creates a sense of place.
 Many areas of the campus have a well-established character that needs to be protected and enhanced.
 No site is a blank slate. It will have shape and there will be adjacent development and a history which make it a distinctive place.
 This context should be established for each site and responded to in order to build something that is recognizable and special.

Continuity and Enclosure. A place where public and private spaces are clearly distinguished. To promote the continuity of street frontages and the enclosure of
space by development which clearly defines private and public areas.
 Create streets and public spaces that are well connected and enclosed by attractive building frontages.
 Every building is just one part of the fabric of the campus/city which is held together by the network of streets and spaces.
 Well enclosed and connected spaces allow using and enjoying the campus conveniently and in comfort.
 The street forms the interface between the public and private realm.
 Developing and protecting the urban fabric or structure with strong spatial continuity and a good sense of enclosure will benefit the campus overtime.

Public Realm. A place with attractive and successful outdoor spaces. To promote public spaces and routes that are attractive, safe, uncluttered and work
effectively for all in society, including disabled and elderly people.
 Create high quality public spaces that are attractive, safe, comfortable, well maintained, welcoming and accessible to everyone.
 The term ‘public realm’ means any part of the campus that can be experienced by everyone, from buildings to bollards. Everything in the Public Realm
has an effect on the campus/City image and character.
 A key principle is that ‘people attract people’.
 Places which feel good will encourage people to use them and places which are well used stand a better chance of being well cared for.
 The aim is to produce friendly, vibrant public places where people feel welcome to visit, socialize, and go about their business and leisure in comfort
and safety.
 Buildings define spaces and good architecture.

Ease of Movement. A place that is easy to get to and move through. To promote accessibility and local permeability by making places that connect with each
other and are easy to move through, putting people before traffic and integrating land uses and transport.
 Make the campus easy and safe to get to and move around in, particularly for pedestrians and cyclists.
 Movement of all kinds is the lifeblood of any campus.
 The movement network must operate in a way which brings the campus to life, yet high levels of traffic can impact negatively on quality of life
and perception of place.
 Transport planning should acknowledge roles in addition to that of being channels for vehicles.
 A well-designed urban structure will have a network of streets.

LEGIBILITY. A place that has a clear image and is easy to understand. To promote through development that provides recognizable route and landmarks to help
people find their way around.

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  Create a place that both residents and visitors can understand easily and navigate.
 Good urban design can help to create a campus that is easy to understand and find one’s way about.
 Streets, buildings, vistas, visual details and activities should be used to give a strong sense of place to provide an understanding of destinations and
routes.
 A legible urban environment is the sum of many of the urban design principles
.
Routes – the routes people take are a key element in the way the campus is perceived.
Landmarks – landmarks include public art or a unique lighting scheme, traffic signals, a strong element of urban character such as a distinctive building or a
striking vista.
Focal Points – public spaces are key to the legibility of any place. The best are active areas where people gather and meet and such focal points should be
emphasized, given clear definition and purpose.
View – protect key views and create new vistas and landmarks to help people locate themselves in the campus and create links within and beyond the
intermediate area.

Adaptability. A place that can change easily. To promote adaptability through development that can respond to economic conditions.
 Create a campus that can adapt to change so that buildings may come and go, but the streets last a lifetime.
 Successful campus’s accept change and continually adapt to remain vibrant over time.
 Thoughtful and good urban design is required to achieve this flexibility.

Diversity. A place with variety and choice. To promote diversity and choice through a mix of compatible developments and uses that work together to create
viable places that respond to local needs.
 Create a campus with variety and choice. Encourage a mix of uses (institutional, residential, leisure) and architectural styles to create vibrant campus.
 Housing, leisure, places to work and meet should interrelate to form an identifiable and walkable campus that meets the needs of residents.

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