Introduction to City and Regional Planning PDF

# Introduction to City and Regional Planning ## Lecture 1 ### What is a city? - A city is an active, alive being which varies in population, buildings, area, and form. - A city starts in the past, manages the present, and shapes the future. - A city is the center of agriculture, industrial, comm...

# Introduction to City and Regional Planning ## Lecture 1 ### What is a city? - A city is an active, alive being which varies in population, buildings, area, and form. - A city starts in the past, manages the present, and shapes the future. - A city is the center of agriculture, industrial, commercial, religious, and political activities. ### What is city planning? - Planning is a formulation program, short or long-term, that works to improve the city and its utilities. - City planning has changed through civilizations and develops with time. ### Why do we plan? - Planning serves the following functions: - Identifies the city problems and solutions (overpopulation, pollution) - Integrates land use planning and transportation planning. - Improves the built environment and social environments of communities. - Directs the city extensions. - Creates a livable community. - Studies city development. - Creates sufficient agriculture land for inhabitants. ### Who plans? - Planning is a team work that includes the following specializations: - Planners (real estate developers, tourism planners, traffic planners, city and regional planners, neighborhood planners) - Architects and landscape architects. - Engineers (civil infrastructure engineers, environmentalists) - Specialists (social, economic, legislation, geographical). ### Levels of planning - Types of planning: - International planning - National planning - Regional planning - City planning - Neighborhood planning (detailed planning). ### New Planning Visions - Consider the following: - Needs: - Traffic - Population density - Land use - Services and infrastructure - Environment - Economical factors - Social factors. ## Lecture 2 ### History of City Planning #### Planning in Ancient Egypt ##### Predynastic - Types of cities: - City of the alive (east bank) - City of the dead (west bank) - Workers city - Fortress city ##### Ancient Egyptian Cities - Characteristics of ancient Egyptian cities: - Surrounded by walls - Houses are lined along a main street - Temples acted as city centers - Mortuary temples and tombs are located outside the city - Cities could be centralized, linear, or irregular. ##### City of the Dead - Haba City (west bank Luxor) - Linear form - Old Kingdom tombs (not royal family) - Luxor city of the dead - Centralized form (Pyramids) ##### City of the Alive - Dwellings: - Houses were made from mud brick - Had an inner court, rooms arranged around it. - Gateways were made of stone and roofs were flat - The gateways were made of stone and roofs were flat. - Gardens: - Reed house (sign of prosperity) and placed outside of city. - Gardens were very popular in Egypt - Enclosed yard with a few fruit trees, ponds, fish, and caged animals and birds. ##### Tal el Amarna (Women's City - Amarna) Planning: - North Palace ##### Workmen's City - City was built of stones. - Houses were arranged along a main street. - Deir el Medina - Houses built of stones ­ - Kahun City - Houses built of stones - Royal Artists - Internal streets and main streets leading out of the city ##### Fortress Cities - Ancient Egyptians made their fortifications on the eastern, western, and southern borders. - - Water surrounding the city served as an obstacle during war (citadel). #### Planning in Mesopotamian Cities ##### Planning Features - City Components: walls, streets, markets, temples, houses, gardens. - City District: Divided along main street. - Land Use: residential, mixed use, commercial, and civic spaces. - Form: Irregular form with regular features; used a grid system. - Defense: Walls surrounded by canals, flowers, and gates with bridges - Temples at the city center are the first to be built, forming the nucleus of urban forms - Palaces and temples at the boundaries of the city, facing the river. ##### Sumerian Cities (Ur Cities) - Material: mud brick with wooden doors - Courtyards: All rooms were connected to a large courtyard. - Reed Houses: Signs of poverty, probably placed outside the city ##### Akkadian City (Mari) - Circulation city with a branch of the river going through it - Surrounded by agriculture - Poor people resided on the edges of the city ##### Babylonian Cities - City center: - Ishtar Gate - Royal Palace - Ziggurat of Marduk - Northern Palace - Temple of Marduk - Extensions were made on the other side of the river - Babylon Hanging Gardens ##### Assyrian Cities - Palace of Sargon Khorsabad - Decoration of Persepolis Palace - Nineveh City ## Lecture 3 ### Greek City Planning #### Greek Planning Features - Hippodamus was the founder of the theories of city planning in Greece. - His theory was described as follows: - Cities were built on coastal mountains. - The highest mountains in the city were the Acropolis, where temples were located. - Streets intersected at right angles, making the city well-ventilated and sunlight-ed. - Used the Gridiron Plan adapted to the city’s functions, topography, and regular housing blocks. - Wide arterial avenues reflected the importance of streets. - Created public areas for temples, theaters, commercial centers (agora), office buildings, libraries, public baths, and gardens. - Fences enclosed the city but they were integrated into the plan - The streets network had two main perpendicular axes and the agora was located at their intersection. - The agora (heart of the city) was an open-air market place in the city; a square or rectangular area for large capacity of people, surrounded by covered corridors. #### Miletus City - An ancient city of Asia Minor, located now in Turkey. - Planned by Hippodamus: - Used a rigid grid of identical units called “city blocks.” - Public space existed for commercial and religious buildings (agora) - The plan provided a limited number of wider avenues (main streets) - The city wall was not related to the city’s shape. - Miletus was “ahead of its time.” - Miletus theatre and temple #### Athens City - 5th Century: - Acropolis was the highest in the city (urban fabric of the city) - Agora was apparent - Straight streets - Plan of Agora #### Alexandria City - Founded in 331 BC - Planner: Dinocrates. - Planning: as a Greek city (grid iron) system. - Streets: 11 (N-S) and 7 (E-W) - Main streets lead to city gates (Horya Street, Naby Daniel Street) - Fences: surrounded the city with five gates - Districts: classified into five districts - Cemeteries: located at the west of the city - Infrastructure: paved roads, water supplies from Mahmoudeya Canal. - City codes: the oldest in history. - It was constructed on the place of a fisherman village called Rokaty - The site was selected for the following: - Easily connected with Greece. - Connection with Mariut Gate (Lake) and the Nile. - Using Pharos Island as a port. - Mediterranean weather. - Availability of water supply. - Military (navy base). - Economical (port for exports) - Cultural (Keeps Alexander the Great in history) ## Lecture 4 ### Understand the Port-City Relationship #### Introduction - City built around a port for its defense; to provide infrastructure support, or as parasitic urban sprawl. - The term “port city” was based on the idea that city and port have formed as an indissoluble twin in terms of function and space. - However, over the last decade, many of the port cities became increasingly separated both in terms of function and space requirements. The link between port and city growth has become weak. - Segregation between city and port: - Industrial Revolution (need for more space) - Evolution of containers - Technological development of ships and cruises - Therefore, since the 1960s, this change was associated with a new urban development phenomenon called the waterfronts or port city interface revitalization. #### Waterfronts - A part of a town/city that borders the sea or a lake or a river. #### Port-City Interface - Hoyle (1989) defined the interface as a filter line of demarcation between the port owned land and urban land uses. #### Revitalization - Reasons to revitalize old PCI: - Economic - Social - Preservation - Environment - Revitalization process: since the 1960s, the PCI has experienced huge transformations. Scholars from different fields started to study this transformation that became a worldwide phenomenon. The research classified this PCI revitalization process into four primary stages: - American Experiences: - Center in decay - Water ornamental - European Experience: - Center compressed - Water ornamental - Waterfront residential - Large events: - City in decay - Waterfront mega territory - Water activity - Hybrid Model: - City compressed - Port activity - Waterfront city #### PCI Physical Change Types - The research categorized the PCI physical change into two types: “beauty” waterfront and productive waterfront. #### European PC Case Studies - Helsinki: - Serves as a hub for people and goods. - Industrial zones removed out and development improved - Buffer zones - Transport (water bus/taxi) - Culture and Identity - Social Agenda (Pavilion) - Rotterdam: - Biggest port in Europe. - Transformation of the city - Recreational and active port - Like Zamalek - Community, education - New technologies (port centre) - Oslo: ## Lecture 5 ### Seattle’s Port Interface - Location: U.S. state of Washington - Linear planning - Bridge acting as a buffer. - Heights of port sides. - Connection with the main streets. - Port out of the city. - Beauty waterfront. - A comprehensive vision which considers the planning and design of the Seattle Port City interface across a range of scales: - The city scale - The city center scale - The waterfront scale. #### Alexandria PCI - Two ports: Alex and Dekhela - The evolution of Alexandria port city, interface pattern tends to become less and less connected/integrated. It seems that Alexandria PCI lost its connection with the urban tissue of the city. - The appearance of port wasteland and warehouses along the PCI, turning the area into “places to avoid rather than a place to go to.” - Environmental deterioration and pollution processes. - The unplanned and not well designed gate of the city from the port area, bad to the “loss of the image of the port city.” - High security and lack of accessibility to the western city interface. - Alexandria provides an interesting case not only because it may imply useful insights for other major PC’s of the region but also the following reasons: - Alexandria is the second most important city and the main port in Egypt; both approximately 60% of foreign Egyptian trade #### Alexandria Cosmopolitan - The evolution model of Alexandria port-city relationship - Throughout history, Alexandria PC was a central attraction for cultural, religious, economic, and political reasons, and each period had its particular evolutionary concept: - **Gireco Roman** - **Islamic** - **Modern (1)** - **Modern (2)** - Comparing Alexandria’s PC transformation from 1805 to1955, we could highlight the boundaries of growth, and how the PC continued to stretch towards the east, west, and south: - The digging of Mahmoudeya Canal - Establishment of Alexandria Municipal Council - Construction of PC railway - Alex Port and harbor restoration - The West Port Development Project was planned to transform the Arsenal; it was a magnet node. – The projects were designed to accommodate port and maritime activities, such as warehouses, workshops, and large shipyards. - The erection of quays and large break water that built in the 1870’s by Khedive Ismail led to dividing the west harbor into two working ports instead of one, European interest in commodities made Alex a centre of commerce; by 1849, it had again become a court of 10,000 people, that is Cosmopolitan. - In the 11th century of July 1882, the PC entered another phase of transformation after the Britannic bombardment of the British by the British fleet; hence, after the boom, the PC transformed to a new phase of reconstruction of the PC - The second phase of Modern Alex began after the revolution 1952, and with the advent of the new city planning projects in 1958, which resulted in the decline of European model influence and the affirmation of anti-imperialism and socialism — concurrent at the dawn of globalization era: - Decolonization and socialism of the post-revolution (1965-1972) - Urbanization of the open-door policy (1973-2020) - A new phase of Alexandria port city relationship (2020-present) - The planning projects of 1958 had a large impact on the PC planning and the PCI transformation. - After the victory of the 6th of October war 1973, a new economic and political approach based primarily on international affirmations and loans policy emerged. - In 2020, the Ministry of Transport in collaboration with the APA have developed a new integrated plan/project for the development and modernization of the west part of the city. ## Lecture 6 ### Theories of City Planning #### Le Corbusier - Elements of Le Corbusier’s plan: - Use technology to transfer nature to the city. - Cities include 3 million inhabitants classified into two parts: offices and residential. - Cities were classified into equal cells. - Each cell is surrounded by a network of lifted freeways that intersect every 400 m. - There is a relation between building heights and surrounding landscape. - A sixty-level skyscraper with metro stations under it. - The airport is located in the office area, while the main car parking and bus terminal are underground - The city center includes the main public buildings – railway station, city hall, opera… - Transportation is classified as a multi-level traffic system to manage the intensity of traffic (highways, _secondary roads_, and underground). - Residential area includes different types and heights. - Applied in replanning Paris, San Francisco, and Rio de Janeiro. - Surface area is reserved for green space. - High density: 1200 P/A in skyscrapers - Low density: 120 P/A in luxury houses. #### Ebenezer Howard - 1850-1928. - The garden cities: - The garden city theory: “Three magnets” - Town: high wages, opportunity, and amusement. Country: natural beauty, lower rents and fresh air. Town-Country: combination of both. - The city area is 6000 acres. - The built-up area is small surrounded by a landscape. - Each city has its industry for employment. - The city density is 70-100 P/A. - Suburbs are separated by/from cities center greenbelt. - Low urban density. - Garden cities spread rapidly to Europe and the United States. - Residential suburbs of individuality, owned houses. - Combine the best elements of the _city_ and the _country_, and avoid the worst elements of them. - Formed the basis of the earliest suburbs -_Ex._ Letchworth, England. and Welwyn, England. #### Raymond Unwin - Central cities and satellites towns. - Implementer and corrupter of the garden city movement. - The city is located on one side of a highway. - The city center is surrounded by four parts, one of them for industry. - The city is surrounded by satellite towns, each form of 4-6 thousands, that allow pedestrian movements. - Each satellite town is divided into four parts, one of them (industry). - Satellite towns have no direct links with each other. #### Eric Glodzen - 1926. - Equal cell theory - Example for decentralization. - Cells will be repeated around the main city. - Each cell has a fixed diameter. - Cells are connected with roads. - Landscape surrounds each cell #### Frank Lloyd Wright - 1934. - Broad Acre City - His dream of decentralized, automobile dependent. - Wright’s vision with one-acre lots. - The city has a linear shape on one side of a highway. - It has a good connection with rural areas that surround it. - Residential areas were classified from 1 to 5 acres. - Low density reduced toward town edges. #### Soria Matra - 1882. - The linear city. - Reflects the impact of technology on urban form. - Depends on the existing two cities connected by a main road. - The main economic activities are located in the two cities. - Under the main road, the infrastructure of the city exists. - Surrounding the main road are residential areas. - Secondary roads are perpendicular on the main road. #### Constantine Doxides - Dynamic City. - The city's attention is centralized and has two directions for its extension. - The city is planned on a modular system, each unit 2x2km. - The city center is dynamic followed by its land use. #### Planning Theories Evolution - City Beautiful Movement: focus on classical styles, wide sheets and squares. It looks like the Renaissance era with showy urban landscapes, especially in the city center. But the city problems weren’t solved. - The City Practical Movement: focuses on projects with economical benefit, such as roads, residential. - The City is the People Movement: focuses on building codes, city extensions, solves problems, new housing projects, and etc. #### Planning Today - The main tool: zoning - Imposes a rigidity to existing land uses. - Encourages retail strip development. - Discourages mixed use. ## Lecture 7 ### Planning New Cities - Design Guidelines: #### Vision and Objectives - Define a clear vision: purpose, character, long-term goals. - Identify core objectives - Ex: Restoration/revitalization #### Master Plan - Develop a comprehensive master plan - Prioritize sustainable design - Ensure resilience. #### Infrastructure and Services - Provide essential infrastructure. - Plan for future growth #### Economic Development - Diversify the economy. - Attract investment. #### Social Inclusion and Equity - Ensure affordable housing. - Promote social cohesion. #### Governance and Management - Effective governance management - Engage stakeholders. #### Environmental Sustainability - SDFG - Protect natural resources #### Technology and Innovation - Examples: Central Zone of Khedives Cairo ## Lecture 8 ### Traffic Planning #### Introduction - Roads are arteries of the city that form the urban context and city blocks. - They are used for movement, lighting, ventilation, and infrastructure. #### Kinds of Roads in the City: - Main roads (arterial): 25% of the length of roads in the city. - Secondary roads: 75% of the length of roads in the city. - Freeway: Non-stop roads around the city - Main Streets: Divide the city into districts. - Collector Streets: Attach main street of local district. - Local Streets: Small streets around district |Name of Street |Function |Dimension | |---|---|---| |Freeway | Connects between the city and the national roads | 2-way; 18m | |Express Way|Connects between neighborhoods and the center of the city | ­ 16 m | |Main Roads |Connects between neighborhoods |12m | |Collector |Facilitates the traffic movement between main access and side streets | 8 m | #### Roads & Extensions - Perpendicular Roads: Easy to survey and construct, has perpendicular and dangerous intersections, not suitable for changeable contour land. Represents 20-40% of the city area. - Radial and Perpendicular Roads: Represent luxury and is normally used in the city center. Land blocks are not symmetrical with triangle shape. - **Square Form:** 120x120m, 15m sidewalk. - **Rectangle Form:** 60x240m, 30m and 18m sidewalk. - **Radial Roads:** Connect the city with its center (City Center has always traffic jam, suitable for small cities). - **Organic Roads:** Follows land topography without symmetry #### Road Forms & Intersections: - Safety vs. Dangerous - {Diagram of safe roundabout} - {Diagram of dangerous straight road} #### Road Design ##### Dead Ends - Sac de Cul (Diagram) ##### Sections - Property line: cannot build on, so pavement appears larger - (Diagram) ##### Bridges - Height of bridge (Diagram) ##### Rules - Yellow lines mean different direction (can’t cross). - White lines mean: different vehicles. - Parking (Diagram) - Cross (Diagram) - Cross right (Diagram) - 2 lanes in (Diagram) - People cross (Diagram) - Yellow (Diagram) - No cross (Diagram) ##### Lanes |Lane Type|Freeway |Main Roads |Collector |Local | |---|---|---|---|---| | Width Traffic Lanes | 3.75 m| 3.75 m| 3 m| 3 m| - Lane +2: More than two people in a car can use lane. #### Traffic Control - **Raised intersection:** - Heights: 7.5-10 cm - Lenghts: 35-100 cm - Local roads (speed reduction 10km/h) - **Speed table:** Contains pedestrian crossing. - **Signs:** - A0 (Blue) - Warming - Prevent - Mandatory - (Diagram) - (Diagram) - (Diagram) - Light vehicles: red, yellow, green. - Solar street lights - **Lanes:** - 0.75m from the edge of pavement - Height of the bar (15m) - Distance between columns (30-40m) - 0.5m low level light - 3-5m intermediate light - 6-12m parking lot #### Pedestrian - Curb ramps, components - 1.22m: Landing - 2.41m: Curb ramp - 4.21m: Total - 8.3% Slope #### Parking Design - Handicapable parking next to entrance. - Land use type: standard - Ground level, commercial: 1 spaced per person 24m² - 1st floor: 1 space per person 10m² #### Highway - Reduce time, energy, and accidents. - Contains 2-6 lanes in each direction. - The middle lane (island) is planted with shrubs. - Lanes increase when the road is divided. - Slow traffic are not permitted (bicycle). - Has clear enough signs. - Intersection exists on different levels. - Distances between entrances and exists are more than 2km. - Road slabs is 5-15%. - Vertical vision is 150m, horizontal 450m. - Lane capacity is 500-900 cars/h. #### Road Furniture - Mail ban - Phone booth - Waste - Benches