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INTRODUCTION TO URBAN DESIGN AND COMMUNITY PLANNING

- DEFINITION OF URBAN DESIGN

Urban Design involves understanding, organizing, and shaping relationships between

buildings, streets, open spaces, landscape elements, and natural features. Its principles operate
within all place types, from rural to metropolitan. Urban design is interdisciplinary; we work
with architects, engineers, economists, and other technical and creative professionals to
uncover new paths and possibilities. We create clear, compelling visuals to communicate
observations, ideas, and concepts, and to generate excitement about the future.

Urban planning is the art and science of shaping the future of our cities and towns.
It's a complex field that involves a wide range of disciplines—architecture, engineering,
economics, sociology, public health, finance, and more— and considerations, all aimed at
creating sustainable, equitable, and thriving communities.

Community Planning starts with understanding the civic framework of a place —

the agencies, organizations, institutions, and residents that shape places. It entails meaningful
engagement to learn how places are valued and to identify expectations, hopes, and concerns.

Community Planning is a process by which organizations who provide public

services, business and voluntary groups and local communities work together to improve
people’s lives. It aims to improve the connection between all the tiers of Government and
wider society work through partnership working to jointly deliver better outcomes for
everyone. Community plans identify long-term priorities for improving the social, economic
and environmental well-being of districts and the people who live there.

7 Types of Urban Planning Concepts Explained from a Strategic Lens

1. Strategic Urban Planning

Strategic Urban Planning focuses on setting high-level goals and determining desired
areas of growth for a city or metropolitan area. The strategic plan’s goals may include easing
transportation throughout the city, creating more community spaces, improving citizens’
quality of life, or encouraging people to visit or move to the city.
2. Land-Use Planning

Land-Use Planning concerns legislation and policy, adopting planning instruments

like governmental statutes, regulations, rules, codes, and policies to influence land use. These
planning instruments deal with the type, location, and amount of land needed to carry out
different functions of the city.

3. Master Planning

Typically used for greenfield development projects, or building on undeveloped

land. Urban planners must consider the required zoning and infrastructure to make the project
possible, such as residential and commercial land, transportation considerations, road
locations, etc.

4. Urban Revitalization

Focuses on improving areas that are in a state of decline. The improvement tactics city
leaders use for revitalization may include things like repairing roads, developing
infrastructure, cleaning up pollution, and adding to parks and other public spaces.

5. Economic Development

Identifying areas of growth to foster greater financial prosperity within the city by
enticing companies to build or move offices there. This, in turn, drives economic activity and
boosts local businesses.

6. Environmental Planning

Emphasizes sustainability, addressing air pollution, noise pollution, wetlands, habitats

of endangered species, flood zone susceptibility, and coastal zone erosion, along with other
environmental factors.

7. Infrastructure Planning

Deals with the fundamental facilities and systems that serve a city and its people,
including public works infrastructure, community infrastructure, and safety and
transportation systems.
 - URBAN DESIGN ROLE IN COMMUNITY ARCHITECTURE

Urban design pursues multiple objectives for multiple clients

A critical, defining aspect of urban design that separates it from single-client master
planning is that urban design is directed toward accomplishing a variety of objectives for all
populations in a community. This sometimes involves balancing different interests, but a real
benefit is that urban design can provide solutions that address more than one problem.

Urban design addresses the sensory environment

Urban design addresses how people perceive and use their environment. People care
about the look, feel, and livability of their communities, and urban design tools are a
planner’s most effective tools to address this need. To accomplish this, urban designers must
be well-versed in the way human perception and behavior is affected by their physical
surroundings, which also involves understanding cultural behaviors and preferences,
economic factors, and functional activities associated with the physical environment.

Urban design considers the implications of form-giving actions in a range of scales

A successful urban design project typically addresses conditions within the project
boundaries but also the recommendations effects on the larger surroundings. At the same
time, such efforts should examine how the proposed actions relate back to the experiences of
the individual. Urban design is often thought of addressing only urban design features, such
as a park, street, or town center, but urban design tools are also effective in addressing
regional, landscape-scale objectives.

Urban design uses an explicit, public decision-making process

Broad and focused engagement techniques are critical in most public planning efforts and
urban design brings with it a number of tools to help people participate meaningfully in the
design process. This includes visual preference surveys in which participants evaluate
different building types, park features, or environmental measures to identify which might fit
best within their community.

In addition to designing buildings, architects also play a key role in the design of public
spaces. Public spaces, such as parks, plazas, and pedestrian zones, are vital components of
any city or community. They provide places for people to gather, socialize, and engage with
their environment. Architects must consider a range of factors when designing public spaces,
including accessibility, safety, functionality, and aesthetic appeal. By designing public spaces
that are welcoming, safe, and well-suited to their intended purpose, architects can help create
vibrant, engaging communities.

Collaboration of Architects and Urban Designers

Architects and urban designers’ collaboration is essential for creating successful urban
environments. Here are some ways in which architects and urban designers can work
together.

1. Integrated design approach: Architects and urban designers can work together from
the outset of a project to create an integrated design approach. This means that they
collaborate closely to ensure that the building and its surrounding environment are
designed in a cohesive and harmonious way, taking into account issues such as scale,
massing, materials, and connectivity.

2. Design guidelines: Architects and urban designers can collaborate to develop design
guidelines that reflect the values, aspirations, and needs of the community. These
guidelines can help ensure that new buildings and public spaces are well-suited to
their context and are designed in a way that contributes to the overall character of the
neighborhood or city.

3. Community engagement: Architects and urban designers can work together to

engage with local communities and stakeholders. This can help ensure that the design
process is inclusive and participatory, and that the resulting buildings and public
spaces reflect the needs and aspirations of the community.

4. Sustainability: Architects and urban designers can collaborate to create sustainable

buildings and public spaces. This can involve designing buildings that are energy-
efficient, use sustainable materials, and incorporate green spaces and infrastructure.
Urban designers can also work with architects to create pedestrian-friendly
environments that encourage walking, cycling, and public transport.

5. Placemaking: Architects and urban designers can work together to create vibrant,
engaging public spaces that contribute to the social and cultural life of the community.
This can involve designing public spaces that are welcoming, safe, and well-suited to
their intended purpose, and that encourage community engagement and participation.
 In conclusion, architects and urban designers have complementary roles in shaping cities
and communities, and their collaboration is essential for creating successful urban
environments. By working together to develop an integrated design approach, engaging with
local communities, creating sustainable buildings and public spaces, and fostering
placemaking, architects and urban designers can help create vibrant, healthy, and sustainable
cities and communities.

- ELEMENTS OF URBAN FORM: MACRO TO MICRO

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.

Elements of urban form macro to micro

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 build 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 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.

- SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES OF URBAN DESIGN

OBJECTIVES

 Establish a comprehensive spatial development framework and a set of development

policies.
 A direct response to people’s needs and creating a livable environment. It covers all
dimensions like visual, perceptual, social, cultural, historic and symbolic resources of
community.
 Increase the functional efficiency by relating the circulation, urban activities and use
of land to physical form.
 Accommodating urban growth and should be capable of adapting variables of
unpredicted growth.
 Economically feasible solutions, geared to incremental implementation over a
substantial time period.
 Solving the environmental deficiencies that exist in terms of physical, visual,
perceptual, social and psychological terms.

FUNCTIONS

 Analytical function: provides survey and identification of visual and other human
sensory qualities, development qualities, functional qualities, opportunities and
limitations of a particular urban place.
 An explicit articulation of design objectives, design evaluation criteria.
 Generation of alternative concepts for future development as well as full illustrative
images of desirable and possible consequences.
 Development of standards, incentives, policies, control techniques and priority
programs to achieve the qualitative values proposal.
  Provisions for verbal statements, illustrative graphics and communication media
capable of engaging all levels of community and choice of options of future form.
 Integration of all elements of planning process, continuous revision possibilities to
adapt to urban growth variables.

SCOPE

 Applicability of UD can be classified according to elements of physical design like

residential areas, neighborhood planning, circulation system, river front development.
 Outcome of UD project may be a completed project with detail design of building or
it can be a framework for overall growth conceived as self-adjusting and continuously
changing process.
 Implications of Urban design - policy framework guidelines for development and
detail implementary measures including building and site.
 Includes public participation, decision making, research function

URBAN DESIGN AT REGIONAL LEVEL

 Classification of Natural and Man-made things

 Topographic analysis
 Identifying developing regions
 Networks
 Wilderness, Flora and Fauna, Landscape
 Tourism, Infrastructure
 Preservation, Conservation, Revitalization of the region

URBAN DESIGN AT METROPOLOTAN LEVEL

 Development plans, Structure plans (workable solutions), Transportation networking,

Activity and Land use
 Overall form of the city open, built, green areas, Infrastructure
 Hierarchy of spaces (open areas)
 Transportation - Nodes, Links, Hierarchy of roads, highways, modes of transport,
generators, new intrusions
 Approach to city and Imageability
 Views and Vistas, Skyline
 Special sites- Typology, development regulations, Guidelines
URBAN DESIGN AT CITY LEVEL

 Planning for urban open spaces - Use, hierarchy, types

 Pedestrian circulation - Formal/informal/Processional/Casual, Activity, Connecting
other modes of transport, Accent, Event
 Landscaping - Preservation of natural resources, planting of trees
 Urban lighting - Quantitative and Qualitative aspects
 Street furniture
 Urban art and sculpture - Landmarks, sense of scale
 Street hardware
 Rehabilitating new neighborhood
 Historic Preservation
 Suburban Centers and Development and New Towns

B. EVOLUTION OF COMMUNITY ARCHITECTURE: THE HISTORY OF

TOWN PLANNING TO URBAN PLANNING

Ancient Urban Design:

The urban design of ancient civilizations such as Rome, Athens, and Babylon, was
centered around the principles of order, symmetry, and hierarchy. These cities were designed
to convey a sense of power and grandeur, with monumental architecture and public spaces
that served as gathering places for the people. The urban design of ancient cities influenced
modern urban design in many ways, including the use of axial planning, which is a layout
that involves organizing streets and buildings around a central axis.

 Rome, Italy: known for its grand architecture and monumental public spaces,
including the Colosseum, the Pantheon, and the Forum.
 Athens, Greece: famous for its classical architecture and the Acropolis, a hilltop
citadel featuring the Parthenon temple.
 Babylon, Iraq: an
ancient city known
for its innovative
urban planning,
including the
famous Hanging
Gardens.

Medieval Urban Design:

During the medieval period, urban design was heavily

influenced by the church and the feudal system. Cities were
designed around religious institutions and castles, with
narrow streets and winding alleys that provided a sense of security and privacy. The
development of trade and commerce during this period also influenced urban design, with
markets and merchant quarters becoming important elements of the city.

 Paris, France: a city with a rich history of medieval urban design, including narrow
streets and winding alleys that provide a sense of charm and intimacy.

 Siena, Italy: a city with a historic center that features medieval architecture and a
distinctive urban layout based around the Piazza del Campo.
  Toledo, Spain: a city with a medieval old town that is renowned for its narrow,
winding streets and historic landmarks

Renaissance Urban Design:

The Renaissance period saw a revival of interest in classical architecture and humanism,
which had a significant impact on urban design. Cities such as Florence and Venice were
designed with a focus on creating beautiful public spaces that reflected the ideals of
humanism. The concept of the “ideal city” emerged during this period, with architects and
planners designing cities based on principles of order, symmetry, and balance.

 Florence, Italy: a city with a rich Renaissance history, featuring beautiful public
spaces such as the Piazza della Signoria and the Uffizi Gallery.

 Venice, Italy: a city with a unique urban design that features canals instead of streets,
creating a sense of magic and mystery.

 Edinburgh, Scotland: a city with a rich architectural history that features

Renaissance-style buildings and beautiful public spaces such as Princes Street
Gardens.

Industrial Revolution and Modern Urban Design:

The industrial revolution had a profound impact on urban design, as cities grew rapidly
and became centers of industry and commerce. The rise of modern urban planning during this
period was led by urban planners such as Ebenezer Howard and Le Corbusier, who believed
in the power of planning to improve the lives of people living in cities. Modern urban design

principles, such as zoning, transportation, and

green space, were developed during this period to address the challenges of urbanization.

 London, England: a city that underwent major changes during the Industrial
Revolution, including the development of rail and canal transportation systems and
the creation of new neighborhoods such as the Docklands.

 Chicago, USA: a city that is known for its innovative modern architecture, including
the Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower) and the John Hancock Center.

 Brasília, Brazil: a planned city that was built in the 1950s and 60s with a focus on
modern urban design principles such as zoning and functionalism.

Contemporary Urban Design

Today, urban design continues to evolve and adapt to changing societal needs and
technological advancements. Contemporary urban design trends include sustainable design,
smart cities, and mixed-use development, which prioritize energy efficiency, social equity,
and livability. However, contemporary urban designers also face challenges such as
gentrification and the need for affordable housing, which require creative solutions and
community engagement.

 Copenhagen, Denmark: a city that is renowned for its sustainable urban design,
including extensive bike lanes and green spaces such as the King’s Garden.

 Singapore: a city-state that is a leader in the development of smart cities, with a focus
on technology and innovation to improve urban life.
  Medellín, Colombia: a city that has undergone a transformation in recent years, with
innovative urban design strategies such as the creation of public libraries and the use
of cable cars to improve transportation access in underserved neighborhoods.

The history of urban design is a rich and complex story that has evolved over time to become
a critical component of modern city planning. From ancient civilizations to modern cities,
urban design has played a key role in shaping the physical environment of our communities.

REFERENCES:

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planning-urban-design/

https://www.communities-ni.gov.uk/articles/community-planning

https://mrsc.org/stay-informed/mrsc-insight/march-2020/the-importance-of-urban-
design-for-your-community

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