COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
AND ARCHITECTURE
URBAN DESIGN AND
COMMUNITY PLANNING
TAN, BRYANT ANGELO E. AR. KAE SHEN GALANG
BS ARCHITECTURE – 5 PBSARC 054 SPECS 3 – PROJECT MANAGEMENT
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 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.
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.
COMMUNITY PLANNING
Community planning is how public bodies work together and with local communities to design
and deliver better services. It helps to drive public service reform by bringing together local
public services with the communities they serve and providing a focus for partnership working
that targets specific local circumstances. Partners work together to improve local services and
to ensure that they meet the needs of local people.
Professional planners:
Improve quality of life through recommendations such as the use of public transit
systems, development of walkable communities, development of affordable housing,
sustainable practices, or historic preservation
Make communities more livable by regulating land use, creating design guidelines, or
developing finance packages
Ensure that all members of the community are involved and represented in decision
making processes
REFERENCES
https://urbandesign.org.au/what-is-urban-design/
https://www.slideshare.net/PreventionWorks/cpt-power-pointmodule1
http://northayrshire.community/about-us/what-is-cp/
https://www.design.iastate.edu/community-and-regional-planning/choose-isu/what-is-
community-planning/
