Urban Design Insights: Process, Criteria, and Future Trends

1. URBAN DESIGNChapter 10 Professor Habib Alshuwaikaht

2. Introduction • The design of cities has been conscious task of many throughout history. • In 1950’s the term urban designer emerged a profession with a separate university degree. • Urban designers assume that in spite of the vast scale and complexity, cities can be designed and their growth shaped and directed. • An early and major example is the work of Baron Haussmann from 1855-1868 in Paris. • Haussmann’s works in Paris included: new pattern of boulevards, the facades of buildings, the flow of traffic, the skyline and the proportion of space, … Prof. Alshuwaikhat - KFUPM - CP101

3. What is Urban Design? • Urban design falls between the professions of planning and architecture. • It deals with the large-scale organization and design of the city, with the massing and organization of buildings and the space between them, but not with the design of the individual buildings. • Factors distinguish UD from AD: large scale; long time frame; large number of variables; approaches and techniques. • UD and planning have complementary roles but separate and distinct functions Prof. Alshuwaikhat - KFUPM - CP101

4. The Urban Design Process • The basic four phases: Analysis; Synthesis; Evaluation; Implementation • Analysis: • Gathering of basic information: land use; population; transportation; natural system; topography ; and other relevant information for the specific intended project (residential, commercial,..) • Visual Survey: is used as a tool by designers to communicate their perceptions of the structure and organization of a city or neighborhood to one another . Mental Map – The Image of the City (Kevin Lynch 1960) Prof. Alshuwaikhat - KFUPM - CP101

5. The Urban Design Process continued… • Identifying of Hard and Soft Areas : helps the designers to know what parts of the city can accommodate growth and change and what parts are essentially fixed because they may be historical landmarks or cemetery • Functional Analysis: examines the relationship of activities (in 3D) among the various land uses and the way that relate to circulation system. • Synthesis: the data gathered and the analysis must be translated into proposals for action. Components of synthesis phase: evolution of concepts; development of schematic design proposals; followed by preliminary plans. Prof. Alshuwaikhat - KFUPM - CP101

6. The Urban Design Process continued… • Evaluation: how well the solutions fit the problem? And how readily the proposal can be implemented? • Implementation: the strategy for actual financing and construction is devised. Once an urban design plan is developed, the principal tools through which it is implemented are land-use control and capital expenditure. Prof. Alshuwaikhat - KFUPM - CP101

7. What is Good Urban Design? • A list of important criteria for judging UD: • Unity and coherence. • Minimum conflict between pedestrian and vehicles. • Protecting from rain, noise, wind and so on. • Easy orientation for users. • Compatibility of land use. • Availability of places to rest, observe, and meet. • Creation of a sense of security and pleasantness. • The design should not only look good but also functions well. It must consider factors beyond the purely physical. Theses include financial, political, psychological, and sociological considerations. Prof. Alshuwaikhat - KFUPM - CP101

8. The Neighborhood Concept • The neighborhood is a central concept in UD. • It is not an old concept – 1920’s Clarence Perry: the area that would contain a population (5000-6000) sufficient to supply the pupils (1000-1200) for one elementary school. • The neighborhood plan will provide for residences, a school, shopping facilities for frequent goods, playgrounds and perhaps small parks. The street pattern will serve the resident population but discourages through traffic. Prof. Alshuwaikhat - KFUPM - CP101

9. Replanning Suburbia:The Neotraditionalist –new urbanism • Andres Duany is the most exponent of the Neotraditionalist –new urbanism. • Neotraditionalist argue that excessive dependence on automobile degraded the quality of life; pedestrian-unfriendly patterns. • The Neotraditionalist advocate the mixing of uses and pedestrian-unfriendly streets. • They rest much of their case on the market – people will pay very high price for a fine-grained, pedestrian-unfriendly pattern. Prof. Alshuwaikhat - KFUPM - CP101

10. Edge City • Edge city embodies no single design philosophy and clear spokesperson such as Adres Duany for Neotraditionalist. • Edge city is an evolving form of development based on a variety of economic forces and the understanding that developers and investors have of those factors. • Has 5 million square feet or more of office space, 600000 square feet of retail space, more jobs than bedrooms, has it all – jobs, shopping to entertainment Prof. Alshuwaikhat - KFUPM - CP101

11. Visions of the City of the Future • There are many concepts behind each an idea how city dwellers should respond to social and technological change. • Examples: In Ville Radieuse, Le Corbusier envisioned high-rise residential towers and major roadways would link together sectors of the city (collective ownership). • In contrast, Frank Llyod Wright’s concept of Broad Acre City, each individual of family owned 1-arce lot. Homes and industries would be connected by major roadways. Wright’s social and political philosophies were translated into the design proposals (independences and autonomy of the individual. Prof. Alshuwaikhat - KFUPM - CP101

12. Ville Radieuse, Le Corbusier Prof. Alshuwaikhat - KFUPM - CP101

13. The 1934 Broadacre City Model Prof. Alshuwaikhat - KFUPM - CP101

14. Visions of the City of the Future continued… • Other visionaries have suggested more radical approaches to structuring the future city. • Palo Soleri: hyperstrucures with heights as great as the tallest skyscrapers but covering as much as several hundreds acres of ground. Prof. Alshuwaikhat - KFUPM - CP101

15. The Shimizu TRY 2004 Mega-City Pyramid is a proposed project for construction of a massive pyramid over Tokyo Bay in Japan. The structure would be about 14 times higher than the Great Pyramid at Giza, and would house 750,000 people Prof. Alshuwaikhat - KFUPM - CP101