Development Controls: Unit 7

• Development controls are covered in Unit 7

Use Zone vs Development Controls

• Zoning is an overarching category that splits into use zones and development controls.
• The use zone determines what land uses are permitted, such as residential, business, industrial, or mixed-use.
• Development controls dictate the physical and functional nature of development, including size, appearance, and function.
• Development controls are implemented through standard conditions in land use schemes or specific conditions tailored to a Land Use Scheme.

Example of Specific Conditions

• Tshwane Town-Planning Scheme is a scheme property that describes a portion of land in Hartfield
• Under use zone 28 there are specific uses permitted like a place of refreshment, and places of amusement
• Building requirements include submission of Site Development Plan and Landscape Development Plan

Land Use Considerations

• Land use zones determine the permissible land uses for a property
• Density is how many buildings are one property
• It's important to consider a building's relationship to its surroundings, including building size and layout
• Parking requirements and infrastructure availability are key factors in development
• Functional and aesthetic aspects, like landscaping and fencing, are considered in planning

Reasons for Development Controls

• Development controls ensure a development works functionally on its site, considering parking, landscaping, etc.
• Development controls ensure developments align with the general character of the area.
• Development controls prevent negative impacts on surrounding developments.
• Development controls ensure developments positively contribute to the character and functionality of an area, considering the relationship with pedestrians, public spaces and transport.
• Successful cities require development controls beyond just land use.
• Considerations such as sense of place, placemaking, legibility, and environmental quality are elements of successful cities.

Common Development Controls

• Key development controls include height, coverage, and Floor Area Ratio (FAR).
• Controlling density and having set building lines are common
• Parking requirements, site access, and landscaping are also key
• Façade design and boundary treatments are important considerations
• Managing areas between buildings and the street, solar exposure, and buffer zones are important factors
• Noise and health regulations, including the placement of air conditioners and waste disposal, are typically controlled in a development

Understanding Propery

• Essential site details include shape, dimensions, size, and any existing servitudes.
• Access points (roads etc.), adjacent buildings, and traffic patterns should also be determined
• The Site's topography influences design and development

Building Typologies

• Different building typologies necessitate diverse responses in development control measures, with freestanding and perimeter buildings being common
• Various types of residential buildings exist, including detached, semi-detached, group housing, townhouses, walkups, row houses/terrace houses, and flats/apartments

Quantitative Controls: Height

• Height limitations impact urban structure, form, and corridor definition
• Height influences relationships between buildings, including privacy and sunlight
• Minimum and maximum height regulations exist
• Geological conditions affect building height feasibility
• Height is specified in meters or stories

Height and Enclosure

• The degree to which streets are visually defined by buildings helps create a sense of enclosure
• Enclosure along streets relies on street width, building setbacks, and building height and influences the pedestrian experience

Quantitative Controls: Coverage

• Expressed as a percentage of land area, coverage describes how much property buildings cover
• Restricting building coverage ensures space for parking, landscaping, and open areas
• Greater development intensity calls for larger coverage

Quantitative Controls: Floor Area Ratio (FAR)

• Floor Area Ratio manages development bulk and intensity in an area.
• Typically expressed as a decimal number
• FAR calculates building's total floor area in relation to property size

Quantitative Controls: Density

• Density measures dwelling units in an area, influencing population concentration
• It is expressed as the number of dwelling units per hectare
• In multi-story apartment buildings, FAR is favored instead of density

Quantitative Controls: Parking

• The number of parking spaces relative to the floor area dictates parking requirements
• Parking location relative to buildings is an important design consideration

Qualitative Controls

• Qualitative controls focus on aspects like spatial quality and the relationship with urban design

LUM and Urban Design

• LUM (Likeness, Usefulness, and Meaning) in urban design shapes interactions between people, places, and the environment.
• Urban design focuses on public spaces and their usage
• Buildings shape space
• Site layout, building mass, and facade design are essential
• Crime Prevention through Environmental Design is an important consideration

Building Lines

• Building lines include street, side, and rear building lines
• Buildings must be located where a building line is or further
• Built-to-lines dictate the building's exact position
• Considerations for building lines include street alignment and landscaping

Street Interface

• The street interface is the threshold between public and private areas
• The interface influences the public perception for how someone experiences the street driving, walking or cycling
• Continuity, rhythm, and engagement are key design principles
• Building facades, enclosures, boundary walls, and landscaping contribute to this interface

Interface with Adjoining Development

• Distance and height between buildings are necessary
• Mitigation of noise, dust, and smells
• Buffers, solar exposure, visual impact, and privacy are important to interface

Landscaping and Streetscaping

• Functional benefits include noise reduction and shade provision
• Active interfaces connect buildings with roadways
• Areas should be aesthetically connected and used for landscaping

Solar Exposure

• Optimal site layouts should consider solar exposure
• Site layouts should facilitate optimal building orientation for solar access
• Appropriate building setbacks/building lines need consideration
• A shadow study contributes to the site development plan

Green Building Design

• Orienting the building helps to reduce adverse affects of different weather times during the year
• Green roofs promote ecological benefits
• Weather proof cycle storage is needed to lower need for cars
• The use of solar panels can greatly reduce fossil fuel usage
• Centralized collection facilities promote waste management
• Storm water runoff should be reduced by green pavements and utilizing infiltration measures

LUM and CPTED

• Clear street layouts prevent confusion and improve accessibility
• Territorial reinforcement is used to promote public and private safety
• Proper management and care demonstrates that the members of the community care about the public image
• Not constructing dark alleys will lessen chance of danger
• Natural light is a necessity to keep an eye "on the street"