Introduction to Urban

Design

URBAN DESIGN (AR-7104)

Department of Architecture
National Institute of Technology, Patna
 WHAT IS URBAN DESIGN?

According to Aristotle, the world’s first urban designer was Hippodamus of Miletus who in the 5th Century BC laid out the
Port of Athens with a rational street grid system and a central plaza.
Hippodamus wrote up his ideas in the highly influential text, Urban Planning Study for Piraeus, and later went on to plan
the new city of Thurium.

Modern urban design theory emerged in the late 1920’s in response to worsening health, housing, transportation and
other urban problems.
In 1928 Le Corbusier and other architects and planners established the Congres Internationaux d’Architecture Moderne, or
CIAM to explore topics and models for modern, rational city building. As its name implies, CIAM was largely driven by
architectural considerations but with rational city form as the objective.
Members conducted regular congresses and argued issues such as whether dense urban forms such as Le Corbusier Radiant
City, Garden city model proposed by the English contingent were more appropriate. The discussions were predominantly
philosophic and technocratic – experts opining on what a city should be based on theory and conjecture rather than an
informed understanding of the relationships between people and their environments.
 WHAT IS URBAN DESIGN?

Unfortunately, when applied, these new modern urbanism models failed to produce the utopian results that were
promised. Particularly in large scale urban renewal and infrastructure projects, the theoretical models and architectural
concepts resulted in barren, inhospitable developments and intrusive, neighbourhood crushing freeways.
Research techniques and methodologies from the 1960s and 70s formed a strong foundation for urban design theory and
practice. But there was another piece to the puzzle. The discipline was still seen as a top-down, expert driven exercise.

Professor Meyer Wolfe, who developed a theoretical framework for incorporating urban design in the compressive
planning and political decision-making processes.

As articulated by Professor Meyer Wolfe, Urban design is the manipulation of the physical environment, in a way that
• Pursues multiple objectives,
• For multiple clients (including affected members of the public), that
• Addresses the way people perceive and behave in their surroundings,
• Considers the implications of form-giving actions (including the environmental and ecological consequences) at a range
of scales (sometimes from the individual to the regional),
 WHAT IS URBAN DESIGN?

Conducted through an explicit public decision-making process that:

1. Offers the pubic the opportunity to participate in the process in a meaningfulway,
2. Identifies goals and objectives,
3. Analyses existing conditions,
4. Explores alternate concepts and solutions,
5. Evaluates those options with respect to project goals and public values,
6. Selects the preferred alternative or combines preferred elements into a synthesized concept,
7. Includes an implementation strategy.
 WHAT IS URBAN DESIGN?

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.

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.
 WHAT IS URBAN DESIGN?

• 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.
• It involves the design and coordination of all that makes up cities and towns.
• 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.
• Urban design 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 management, social equity and
economic viability into the creation of places with distinct beauty and identity.
 WHAT IS URBAN DESIGN?

• Urban design can influence the economics success and socio-economic composition of a locality whether it encourages
local business and entrepreneurship. Whether it attracts people to live there, whether the cost of living 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 building and infrastructure are sited. As such it affects the balance between natural ecosystem
and built environment, 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, how they use a space.
 WHAT IS URBAN DESIGN?

• Urban design deals with the arrangement, appearance and function of our suburbs, towns and cities.

It involves many disciplines:

• Planning Scale of Urban Design activity
• Development
• Architecture
• Landscape
• Engineering
• Economics
• Law and order
• Economy and Finance
Neighborhood level Town/city level Sub-region/ region level
 WHAT IS NEIGHBORHOOD UNIT PLAN?

The Neighborhood unit plan in in brief is the effort to create a residential

neighborhood to meet the needs of family life in a unit related to the
larger whole but possessing a distinct entity characterized by six factors :
• A child need not cross traffic streets on the way to school.
• A centrally located elementary school which will be within easy walking
distance, no more than one and a half mile from the farthest dwelling.
• A housewife can walk to a shopping center to obtain daily household
gifts.
• Convenient transportation to and from the workplace.
• Scattered neighborhood parks and playgrounds to comprise about 10%
of the whole area.
• A residential environment with harmonious architecture, careful
planting, centrally located community buildings, and special internal
street system with deflection of all through traffic preferably on
thoroughfares which bound and clearly set off neighborhood.
 WHAT IS ‘URBAN SPACE’

• ‘Urban Space’ –Public Spaces within cities, created through arrangement of buildings and other built elements.
• Related to concept of ‘Public Realm --Public Spaces, available for free use.
• Focus on ‘Urban Activity’
• Self contained Island
• Either related to neighboring spaces or may be interconnected.

Street in Walled City, Jaipur Corridor to Golden Temple Amritsar New York’s Washington Square
• URBAN SPACE is actual physical enclosure or its strong articulation by urban forms.
• In a plaza, we must be sufficiently enclosed on all sides so that our attention focuses on the space as an entity.
 OPEN SPACE VS URBAN SPACE

• Open Space – Areas of greenery in or near the city -- natural, park-like open piece of land that is undeveloped (has no
buildings or other built structures) and is accessible to the public. It include Green space (land that is partly or completely
covered with grass, trees, shrubs, or other vegetation).
• Urban Space – Public Spaces within cities, created through arrangement of buildings and other built elements. A public
space refers to an area or place that is open and accessible to all peoples, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, age or
socio-economic level. These are public gathering spaces such as plazas, squares and parks. Connecting spaces, such as
sidewalks and streets, are also public spaces.
Urban Design work at three different levels
• Block level
• Neighbourhood Level
• Regional Level

City or Town District and Corridor Street and Buildings

Infrastructure Architecture

Public space

Extent of urban design ranges in scale from small public space or street to neighbourhood., city wide system or whole region
 Difference between Architecture, Urban
Design and Urban Planning

Parameters Architecture Urban Design Urban Planning

1. Scale Individual building Spaces between Whole
buildings: street, neighborhood,
park, transit stop district and city

2. Orientation Aesthetic and functional Aesthetic and functional Utility

3. Treatment of 2D & 3D 3D Predominantly 2D

Space
4. Time frame No definite time frame Short Term (<5 years) Long Term (5 to 20
years)
EXAMPLES OF URBAN DESIGN
Elements of Urban
Design

URBAN DESIGN (AR-7104)

Department of Architecture
National Institute of Technology, Patna
 ELEMENTS OF URBAN SPACE

• Buildings
• Public Spaces
• Streets
• Transport
• Landscape

• Urban Structure
• Urban grain
• Density and its Composition
• Height and Massing
• Transport
• Landscape
• Facade and interface
• Detailing and Materials
 URBAN STRUCTURE

The overall framework of the region, town and precinct, showing relationship between zones of built forms, land forms,
natural environments, activities and open space. 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 small 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 linkage and movement between locations and mode of transport.
 DENSITY AND ITS COMPOSITION

The intensity of development and the range of different uses( such as residential, commercial, institutional or recreational
users)
 HEIGHT AND MASSING

The scale of the building in relation to height and floor area, and how they related to surrounding land form, building and
streets. It also incorporate building envelop, site coverage and solar orientation. Height and massing create the sense of
openness and enclosure and effect the amenities of streets space and other buildings.
 TRANSPORT
Transport systems connect the parts of cities and help shape them, and enable movement throughout the city. These are
the connections between spaces and places, as well as being spaces themselves. 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.
 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.
 FACADE

The relationship of building to the site, street and neighboring building ( alignment, setbacks, boundary treatment) and the
architecture expression of their facades (projections, openings, patterns and materials).
 DETAILS AND MATERIALS

The close up appearance of objects and surfaces and the selection of materials in terms of detail, craftsmanship, texture,
color, 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 SPACE

Much of urban design is concerned with the design and management of publicly used space and the way this is experienced
and used. It 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.
 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.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF PLACE

To develop an understanding about a place and to involve it in urban design:

• Identify neighborhoods,
• Unique architecture,
• Aesthetically pleasing public places and vistas,
• Identifiable landmarks and focal points,
• Human element established by compatible scales of development and ongoing public

Other elements of place includes

• Lively commercial centers,
• Mixed-use development with ground-floor retail uses,
• Human-scale and context-sensitive design;
• Safe and attractive public areas;
• Image-making; and
• Decorative elements in the public realm.
Elements of Urban
Design

URBAN DESIGN (AR-7104)

Department of Architecture
National Institute of Technology, Patna
 ELEMENTS OF URBAN SPACE

Urban thinker Kevin Lynch was able to establish a notation of city elements that matched peoples perception. They are
identified as:
• Districts
• Paths
• Edges
• Nodes
• Landmarks

Kevin Andrew Lynch was an American urban planner and

author. He is known for his work on the perceptual form of
urban environments and was an early proponent of mental
mapping. His most influential books include The Image of
the City (1960), a seminal work on the perceptual form of
urban environments.
HOW CAN WE RELATE VARIOUS ELEMENTS OF URBAN DESIGN

ST.PETERS,ROME
 PATHWAYS

• These are the streets, sidewalks, trails, canals, railroads and other channels in which people travel;
• They arrange space and movement between space
• Paths are the channels along which the observer moves.
• They may be streets, walkways, transit lines, canals, railroads.
 PATHWAYS
Importance:
• They organise the mobility.
• Pattern of street network is what defines a city and makes it unique.

Characteristics of Paths
• They are defined by their physical dimension, size ,shape and character of the buildings that line them.
• They range from grand avenues to intimate small paths.
 NODES
• A common point where two or more roads meet to form a junction or square.
• The strategic focus points for orientations of squares and junctions.
• Spots in a city into which an observer can enter, and which are the intensive foci from which the person is travelling.

Importance:
• to increase the perception of an active, urban corridor and to encourage more walking.
• Strengthen the emphasis on alternative mode use in the corridor.
• Contribute to the overall vibrancy, safety, and desirability of the area.
 NODES
Characteristics of nodes:
• These nodes should occur where single uses or a combination of uses lead to higher levels of pedestrian activity,
• Pedestrian nodes should include such furnishings as drinking fountains, trash cans, and benches to increase the users’ sense of comfort.
• Seating should be arranged to accommodate groups of people
• Careful thought should be given to the amount of seating provided because too much unused seating may detract from the goal of
creating an active area.
 LANDMARK
• External points of orientation, easily identified objects– towers, spires, hills are distant and are typically seen from many angles and from
• distance, over the top of smaller elements.
• Other landmarks – sculptures, signs and trees are primarily local being visible only in restricted localities and from certain approaches.

Importance
Functionally prominent structures have a major influence on the aesthetics of their immediate urban landscape; location ,function of open
spaces and landscape furniture.

Physical Characteristics
• Some aspect that is unique or memorable in the context.
• Points of reference person cannot enter into;
• These are buildings, signs, stores, mountains, public art;
• Mobile Points (such as Sun) can be used as well.
 LANDMARK
• Landmarks are another type of point-reference, but in this case the observer
does not enter within them, they are external.
• They are usually a rather simply defined physical object: building, sign, store, or
mountain.
• A physical element with unique and special visual features that has a "point-
specific” location, and can be identified from the distance.

Singularity: “one in the context”

Difference in form, shape & height from surroundings Contrast with the surroundings Clarity of general form
 EDGES

They are boundaries between two phases,

• Bodies of water (such as an ocean, river, or lake)
• Landforms (such as mountains and hills)
• Manmade structures (such as buildings, railroad tracks, walls, or highways)

Characteristics of edges:
• Acts in a space by stopping it, more or less penetrable, or they may be seams, lines along which two regions are related
and joined together.
• Street edges need to be oriented and/or adjusted for maximum light on the space between buildings, and not just for
interior penetration, in order to encourage active street life.
 EDGES

• Boundaries;
• They can be either Real or Perceived;
• These are walls, buildings, and shorelines, curbstone, streets,
overpasses, etc.
• Edges are linear elements that form boundaries between areas or
linear breaks in continuity (e.g. shores, railway cuts, walls).
 EDGES

The strongest edges are continuous in form, and often impenetrable to cross movement.

Manmade edges

Natural edges
 DISTRICT

Areas characterized by common characteristics, these are the medium to large areas, which have some common identifying character.
Characteristics:
• Distinctive physical characteristics might include ‘thematic continuities’, such as texture, space, form, detail, symbol ,function and
building.
• The presence of these and other similar attributes reinforce a district’s fabric, cohesiveness, and identity.
• Good planning makes for liveable neighbourhoods, a safe and healthy community, and a sustainable economy.
 DISTRICT

Districts may have Clear edges, or soft uncertain ones gradually fading away into surrounding areas.
Are the medium to large parts of the city which share the same characteristics
 ELEMENTS OF URBAN SPACE

• Buildings
• Public Spaces
• Streets
• Transport
• Landscape
 BUILDING
• Buildings are 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.

CHARACTERISTICS:
• Variation in building height,volume and the way in which buildings are grouped together
• Contour
• Facade Design-main doors /openings, other fenestration, material, etc.
ROLE:
• Height & Contour define sense of enclosure and visibility
• Openings lead to spatial structuring
• Facade Designs animate & personalize urban space
• 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.

EXAMPLE:
Developments along Orchard Road, however, have shopping podiums with high-rise towers set further away from the road. This gives a
sense of openness to the tree-lined pedestrian mall, that has become a signature feature of Orchard Road.
BUILDING
 BUILDING
• Buildings are 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.

CHARACTERISTICS:
• Variation in building height,volume and the way in which buildings are grouped together
• Contour
• Facade Design-main doors /openings, other fenestration, material, etc.
ROLE:
• Height & Contour define sense of enclosure and visibility
• Openings lead to spatial structuring
• Facade Designs animate & personalize urban space
• 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.

EXAMPLE:
Developments along Orchard Road, however, have shopping podiums with high-rise towers set further away from the road. This gives a
sense of openness to the tree-lined pedestrian mall, that has become a signature feature of Orchard Road.
 PUBLIC SPACE
• 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.
• Public spaces range from grand central plazas and squares, to small, local neighborhood parks.

CHARACTERISTICS:
• Promotes human contact and social activities.
• Is safe, welcoming, and accommodating for all users.
• Has design and architectural features that are visually interesting.
• Promotes community involvement.
• Reflects the local culture or history.
• Relates well to bordering uses.
• Is well maintained.
• Has a unique or special character.

ST. PETERSQUARE
Located directly in front of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.
 PUBLIC SPACE
ROLE:
• Open spaces can be grand central plazas and squares, or small, lush pocket parks. They can also be soothing sanctuaries amid the urban
hurly-burly or packed with people.
• These spaces let you soak in the sun, enjoy the lush greenery and interact with fellow city dwellers at these open spaces.
• These open spaces also act as landmarks and unique setting for events and celebrations.

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.
 STREET

• These are the connections between spaces and places, as well as being spaces themselves.
• Other pedestrian networks include pedestrian malls, promenades, covered walkways and link-ways, through-block links and overhead
linkages.
CHARACTERISTICS:
• 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.

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 and the United States, and
less often in Canada, Australia and Ireland.
 STREET

ROLE:
• 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.

OVERPASS SKYWAY Alley

In many countries including India, an overpass Skyway is usually used in the US for long or A narrow passage between or behind
is normally a bridge for motor vehicles to pass high bridges for traffic building
over other road or rail traffic.
 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 best cities are the ones that elevate the experience of the pedestrian while minimizing the dominance of the private automobile.
CHARACTERISTICS:
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.
ROLE:
• 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.

Train Bus Taxi Bicycle

 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.
• Green spaces in cities range from grand parks to small intimate pocket parks.
• The landscape helps define the character and beauty of a city and creates soft, contrasting spaces and elements.
CHARACTERISTICS:
• Levels, Flat or Sloping
• Pattern
• Surface texture
ROLE:
• Level moulds scale, give directionality, focus, emphasis.
• Texture suggests (supports / prohibits) nature of activity – pedestrian, vehicular / slow, fast
• Pattern moulds movement paths, gives direction
• Landscape plays an important role in our urban design, and developments are encouraged to provide greenery (on the ground or skyrise)
in the city.
• Other than its environmental benefits—helping to clean the air and mitigating the urban heat island effect—greenery can help shape the
streetscape, reinforce the character of a place, and make the public spaces more comfortable by providing shade
EXAMPLE:
The sky terraces at Parkroyal Hotel at Pickering Street allow hotel guests to enjoy greenery at new ‘heights’.
 PRINCIPAL OF URBAN DESIGN

• CHARACTER
• CONTINUITY & ENCLOSURE
• PUBLIC REALM
• EASE OF MOVEMENT
• LEGIBILITY
• ADAPTABILITY
• DIVERSITY
Principles of Urban
Design

URBAN DESIGN (AR-7104)

Department of Architecture
National Institute of Technology, Patna
 PRINCIPLES OF URBAN SPACE

• CHARACTER
• CONTINUITY AND ENCLOSURE
• PUBLIC REALM
• EASE OF MOVEMENT
• LEGIBILITY
• ADAPTABILITY
• DIVERSITY
• HUMAN SCALE
• TRANSPARENCY
• COMPLEXITY
• COHERENCE
• IMAGEAIBILTY
 CHARACTER

A place with its own identity, to promote character in Townscape & landscape by responding to and reinforcing locally
distinctive Patterns of development, landscape and culture.
• Protect and enhance the buildings, street, materials, landmarks and views that are unique and give the campus/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 & 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
over time.
 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 is obviously important.
 EASE OF MOVEMENT

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 that streets have vital social,
economic and amenity roles in addition to that of being channels for
vehicles.
• A well designed urban structure will have a network of streets and space
that can accommodates these roles as well as the traffic
 LEGIBILITY

refers to the ease with which the spatial structure of a place can be understood and navigated as a whole. The legibility of
a place is improved by a street or pedestrian network that provides travelers with a sense of orientation, and relative
location and by physical elements that serve as reference points.

• Create a place that both residents and visitors can understand and easily
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 and to provide an understanding of
destinations and routes.
• A legible urban environment is the sum of many of the urban design
principles.
 LEGIBILITY

• 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 immediate area.
• SIGNAGE- the provision of good signage Different are necessary to
create a environment where information seamlessly fills navigational
gaps, heightens the sense of place and helps people interpret their
surroundings.
 ADAPTABILITY

Adaptability a place that can change easily. To promote adaptability through development that can respond to changing
social, technological and 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.
• New developments and public realm improvements should be
designed both to respect the existing context and to accommodate
future change.
 DIVERSITY

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 walk able campus that meets the needs of residents.
• The campus’s which benefit from a mixture of good amenities have the
• means to support their own requirements and reinforce a sense of
community.
 HUMAN SCALE

Human Scale refers to size, texture, articulation of physical elements that

match the size and proportions of humans and, equally important,
correspond to the speed at which humans walk. Building details, pavement
texture, street trees and street furniture are all physical elements
contributing to human scale.

Moderate-sized buildings, narrow streets, and small spaces create an

intimate environment; the opposite is true for large
buildings, wide streets, and open spaces.

Today too many things are built to accommodate the bulk and rapid speed of
the automobile: we are designing for 100
km/h. For pedestrians the information field should be scaled for offering a
rich and coherent information at 5 km/h.

These distances and speeds set the limits of human scale. The most highly
regarded public squares in Europe are almost all smaller than10,000 square
meters; most are smaller than 8,000 square meters.
 TRANSPARENCY
Transparency refers to the degree people can see or perceive what
lies beyond the edge of a street or other public space and, more
specifically, the degree to which people can see or perceive human
activity beyond the edge of a street or other public space. Physical
elements that influence transparency include walls; windows,
doors, fences, landscaping, and openings into midblock spaces
 COMPLEXITY
Complexity refers to the visual richness of a place. The complexity of a place depends on the variety of the physical
environment, specifically the number and kinds of buildings, architectural diversity and ornamentation, landscape elements,
street furniture, signage and human activity.
Narrow buildings in varying arrangements add to complexity, whereas wide buildings subtract.
 COHERENCE
Coherence refers to a sense of visual order. The degree of coherence is influenced by
consistency and complementarity in the scale, character, and arrangement of building,
landscaping, street furniture, paving materials, and other physical elements. Medium rise
buildings line the street providing a coherent and vibrant streetscape.
 IMAGEABILITY
Imageability is the quality of a place that makes it distinct Imageability plays to the innate human ability to see and
remember patterns: a place whose elements are easily identifiable and grouped into an overall pattern:
- Landmarks (singularity and location)
- Sense of place: a characteristic visual theme