Image of the City & Responsive Environments PDF

“Urban design is about the built environment, providing it’s users with an essentially democratic setting, enriching their opportunity by maximizing the degree of choice available to them” -Ian Bentley (1985) I. Urban design principles 1. Permeability 2. Varie...

“Urban design is about the built environment, providing it’s users with an essentially democratic setting, enriching their opportunity by maximizing the degree of choice available to them” -Ian Bentley (1985) I. Urban design principles 1. Permeability 2. Variety 3. Legibility 4. Robustness 5. Visual appropriateness 6. Richness 7. Personalization I. Urban design principles 7 Responsive Environments Permeability (The movement) Characteristics of a place is how easy it is to get to and move through. Places should also be integrated physically or connected to their surrounding areas. Movement system Amount of choice for how people will make their journey. All modes of movement: Foot, cycle, by public transport and by car (in that order of importance) Connections to existing roads and facilities I. Urban design principles 7 Responsive Environments Permeability (The movement) Large block size decreases permeability. Network of public space divides the environmental into blocks. A well design movement system should contribute to the development of small blocks. Perimeter block development – preferred building layout. Connected streets from plots of land designated for building and other uses. I. Urban design principles 7 Responsive Environments Permeability (The movement) Large block size decreases permeability. Network of public space divides the environmental into blocks. A well design movement system should contribute to the development of small blocks. Perimeter block development – preferred building layout. Connected streets from plots of land designated for building and other uses. I. Urban design principles 7 Responsive Environments Permeability (The movement) A building usually has two faces: ∙ Public face – front and faces the street. ∙ Private face – back of the building and faces the inside of the block. Building’s public face overlooks the street, making it more safe and secure. I. Urban design principles 7 Responsive Environments Permeability (The movement) A network, where possible, should: 1. Encourage walking, cycling, and using public transport as an attractive alternative to traveling by private cars. 2. Minimize walking distance to local facilities. Many entrances as possible should be located around the edges of public spaces. I. Urban design principles 7 Responsive Environments Permeability (The movement) Decline in public permeability Scale of development Hierarchical layout Segregation I. Urban design principles 7 Responsive Environments Variety (The spices of life) Variety of use unlocks the other levels of variety. 1. Varied building types and forms 2. Varied people, times and reasons 3. Varied meanings - Different users interpret the place in different ways. Different activities. I. Urban design principles 7 Responsive Environments Variety (The spices of life) Mixed-use development Mix of activities to the wildest range of possible users. At different scales from global to local environments, village, town or city within a neighborhood or a street; or in a single structure. I. Urban design principles 7 Responsive Environments Variety (The spices of life) Advantages of Mixed-use development Experience implies places with varied forms, users and meanings. Offers users a choice of experiences. Why is this a problem? It depends on feasibility; economic, political and functional. I. Urban design principles 7 Responsive Environments Three main factors to maximize Variety (The spices of life) ∙ Locate and arrange properly the activities. ∙ Supply affordable spaces to house or accommodate activities. ∙ Extent to which design encourages positive interactions. Consider the Time element of each activity. I. Urban design principles 7 Responsive Environments Legibility (The Placemaking) People can only take advantage of the choice if those qualities offered in order, and they can grasp the place’s layout. Important two levels; Physical form and activity patterns. Use a place’s potential to the full. Use to complement one another. I. Urban design principles 7 Responsive Environments Why is legibility a problem? Legibility ( The Placemaking) Both form and use are reduced in modern environments. Old city and new development don’t complement each other. I. Urban design principles 7 Responsive Environments Legibility ( The Placemaking) Legible physical layout People can form clear and accurate image of the city. Prioritize the users how they can grasp the image of the city (Pedestrians and vehicles). We may explore by getting people to draw maps from their memory. I. Urban Kevin Andrew Lynch pioneered the perceptual form of urban environments and was an early proponent of mental mapping. American urban design planner and author of “Image of the city” principles Five elements of urban form are sufficient to make a useful survey of the form of a city. 7 Responsive Environments Legibility I. Urban Five elements of urban form design Paths – channels of movement principles 7 Responsive Environments Legibility Diversion Road/Benigno Aquino Avenue, Iloilo City I. Urban Five elements of urban form design Nodes – center of activity, focal principles places and junctions of paths. 7 Responsive Environment s Legibility I. Urban Five elements of urban form design Edges – Linear elements and the termination of a district. Elements principles like rivers, railways and elevated 7 Responsive motorways. Environments Legibility I. Urban design Five elements of urban form principles Landmarks – points of reference 7 Responsive and which most people experience Environments from outside. Legibility Festive walk, Mandurriao, Iloilo I. Urban design Five elements of urban form principles Districts – component 7 Responsive neighborhoods or district; a medium Environments to large section of the city. Identifying Legibility character. Molo District Jaro District I. Urban design principles 7 Responsive Environments Legibility (The placemaking) Five elements of urban form 1. Paths – channels of movement. 2. Nodes – center of activity. 3. Landmarks – points of reference. 4. Districts – Identifying character. 5. Edges – The termination of a district. IMAGE OF THE CITY  IMAGEABILITY This is a measure of how easily a physical object, word or environment will evoke a clear mental image in the mind of any person observing it.. KELVIN LYNCH He introduced this term in his book, The Image of The City (1968) where he argues that cities contain a key set of physical elements that people use to understand the environment, orient themselves inside it and assign meaning to A city is a large human settlement. It can be defined as a permanent and densely settled place with administratively defined boundaries whose members work primarily on non- agricultural tasks. Cities generally have extensive systems for housing. transportation, sanitation, utilities, land use and communication. Traits of Cities Population Population Density- Number of dwelling units Infrastructure Special Symbolic Status- conferred by a certain authority Functions A city is constructed in Space but of a vast scale A City is described with its surroundings and elements Perception of the City by the people is important Going through a City from the viewer’s mind is the mage of the City  MENTAL MAPPING Lynch used simple sketches of maps created from memory of an urban area to reveal five elements of the city; nodes, edges, districts, paths and landmarks. Lynch claimed that “Most often our perception of the city is not sustained, but rather partial, fragmentary, mixed with other concerns. Nearly every sense is in operation, and the image is the composite of them all. Mental maps have been used in a collection of spatial research Mental maps have also been used to describe the urban experience of children The idea of mental maps is also used in strategic analysis  Elements of the City They make the City 1. NODES 2. PATHS 3. DISTRICTS 4. EDGES 5. LANDMARKS PATHS Channels in which people travel. Examples: streetsExamples: stre ets, sidewalksExamples: streets, sidewalks, trails, canals, railroads.  NODES Large areas people can enter, that serve as the foci of the city, neighborhood, district, etc. They foster the integration of the network into urban circumstances like spatial structure, economy and regional development. …Origin and/or destination of most long-distance trips …Location of major transport nodes (ports, airports and other terminals) …Interfaces of long-distance and local/regional transport  DISTRICTS They are medium to large areas people can enter into and out of and have a common set of identifiable characteristics. A district is a type of administrative division that, in many countries, is managed by local government. Districts can vary greatly in size and scope across different countries. They can encompass regions, counties, multiple municipalities, or even subdivisions of municipalities. Districts can also serve specific purposes, such as education (school districts) or politics (political districts).  EDGES Objects that form boundaries around space. Examples: wallsthat form boundaries around space. Examples: walls, buildings, and shorelines, curbstonethat form boundaries around space. Examples: walls, buildings, and shorelines, curbstone, streets and overpasses. AN OVERPASS Can be called an overbridge or flyover in the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth countries It is also a bridge bridge, road bridge, road, railway or similar structure that crosses over another road or railway. An overpass and underpass together form a grade separation. A CURBSTONE OR KERB Is the edge where a raised sidewalkthe edge where a raised sidewalk (pavement in British English; pavement or footpath in Australian English) or road median/central reservation meets a street or other roadway. A WALL Is a structure that defines an area, carries a load; provides security security, shelter security, shelter, or soundproofing; or is decorative.  WALLS Border barriersBorder barriers between countries Brick walls Defensive wallsDefensive walls in fortifications DoorsDoors, mobile walls on hinges which open to form a gateway GlassGlass walls (only when most of the wall, in smaller amounts it is called a window) Permanent, solid fences Precast walls Retaining walls, which hold back dirt, stone, water, or noise sound Stone walls Walls that protect from oceans (seawallsWalls that protect from oceans (seawalls) or rivers (levees)  LANDMARKS Memorable points of reference people cannot enter into. Examples: signs, mountains and public art. A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for navigation, a feature that stands out from its near environment and is often visible from long distances In modern use, the term can also be applied to smaller structures or features, that have become local or national symbols.  TYPES OF LANDMARKS NATURAL MAN MADE Natural landmarks can be characteristic In modern sense, landmarks are usually features, such as mountainsNatural referred to as monumentsIn modern landmarks can be characteristic features, sense, landmarks are usually referred to such as mountains or plateaus. as monuments or prominent distinctive Examples of natural landmarks are Table Mountain in buildings, used as the symbol of a South Africa, Mount Ararat in Turkey, Uluru in Australia, Mount Fuji in Japan and Grand Canyon in certain area, city, or nation. the United States. Trees might also serve as local landmarks, such as jubilee oaks or conifers.  I. Urban design principles 7 Responsive Environments Legibility (The placemaking) Combining new and existing elements solution Develop the project by relating the new design to existing elements on the site and in its surroundings. Consider the path and nodes for design development. Reinforcing paths 1. To give each path a strong character and easily distinguished by users 2. To bring out the relative importance of each path I. Urban design principles 7 Responsive Environments Legibility (The placemaking) Reinforcing nodes – decide how far the legibility of each should be reinforced. 1. Functional roles of the linking streets. 2. Level of public relevance of the activities in the adjacent buildings. I. Urban design principles 7 Responsive Environments Robustness (The use) A desirable quality of a development is if it can be used for many different purposes, people and can change and adapt for different uses. Environment which can be used for many different purposes. 1. Small-scale robustness 2. Large-scale robustness I. Urban design principles 7 Responsive Environments Robustness (The use) Why is robustness a problem? Owner of the development, patronage, renter or lot owner has the ultimate power of deciding how a place should be designed lies in the hands whoever pays for it. I. Urban design principles 7 Responsive Environments Robustness (The use) Solve it Architecturally: Small-scale robustness – within the building to change to accommodate a wide range of activities. Interior spaces. 1. Adjusting the room sizes and shapes 2. Spatial layout 3. Room details 4. Outdoor spaces 5. Private garden space I. Urban design principles 7 Responsive Environments Robustness (The use) Solve it Architecturally: Large-scale robustness – the ability of the buildings as a whole or large parts of them to be changed in use. 1. Design according to the building code o Building depth, height, and access o Development controls o Rule 7 & 8 of NBCP I. Urban design principles 7 Responsive Environments Robustness (The use) Solve it Architecturally: Large-scale robustness – the ability of the buildings as a whole or large parts of them to be changed in use. 2. Public outdoor space 3. Designing the edge of space – active elements on the ground floor I. Urban design principles 7 Responsive Environments Robustness (The use) Solve it Architecturally: Large-scale robustness 4. Importance of Microclimate design 5. Consider vehicular and pedestrian activity I. Urban design 5 principles 7 Responsive Environments Visual appropriateness (The details) Strongly affects the interpretations people put on the place. When these meanings support responsiveness, the place has a quality of visual appropriateness. Cues are Architectural elements and details. What makes the visuals appropriate? Interpretation can reinforce responsiveness by: 1. Place’s legibility 2. Place’s variety 3. Place’s robustness  I. Urban design 5 principles 7 Responsive Environments Visual appropriateness (The details) How do people interpret places? People interpret visual cues as having meanings because they have learned to do so. It is shared by groups of people; whose members will make similar interpretation. But different social groups may create different interpretation because of two main reasons: ∙ Environmental experience ∙ Objectives of those other groups I. Urban design 5 principles 7 Responsive Environments Visual appropriateness (The details) Using cues (Architectural elements) in design ∙ Vertical rhythms ∙ Horizontal rhythms ∙ Skylines ∙ Wall details (Material, color, wall patterns and etc.) ∙ Windows ∙ Ground level details I. Urban design principles 5 7 Responsive Environments Visual appropriateness (The details) I. Urban design principles 7 Responsive Environments Richness (The Sense of experience) Increases the variety of sense-experiences which users can enjoy. Most of the information we handled is channeled through our eyes. Design for all senses. Richness is not purely a visual matter; other senses also have design implication. Sense of motion Sense of smell Sense of hearing Sense of touch I. Urban design principles 7 Responsive Environments Richness (The Sense of experience) Increases the variety of sense-experiences which users can enjoy. Most of the information we handled is channeled through our eyes. Design for all senses. Richness is not purely a visual matter; other senses also have design implication. Sense of motion Sense of smell Sense of hearing Sense of touch  I. Urban design principles 7 Responsive Environments Richness (The Sense of experience) How do users choose? The basis of visual richness depends on the presence of visual contrast. Two ways for users to choose from different sense of experience: Focusing their attention on different experience Moving away from one source to another I. Urban design principles 7 Responsive Environments Personalization (The uniqueness) Allows people to achieve an environment that bears the stamp of their own tastes and values, makes a person’s pattern of activities clearer. I. Urban design principles 7 Responsive Environments Personalization (The uniqueness) Where does personalization happen? Private personalization is within the space, public personalization happens at in every public boundary or thresholds and external surfaces or façade. Public impact – erode the balance between pattern and variety. Private actions wear down the quality of the public realm.