URBS 250 Final Review PDF

1-1 & 2-1 / graphic thinking & representing space what is graphic thinking why is it important? - using sketching to externalize the thought process [make it graphic] - thinking develops thru relationship of; eye brain hand image - surprises & mistakes reveal assumptions - notice new pat...

1-1 & 2-1 / graphic thinking & representing space what is graphic thinking why is it important? - using sketching to externalize the thought process [make it graphic] - thinking develops thru relationship of; eye brain hand image - surprises & mistakes reveal assumptions - notice new patterns & relationships - store ideas, make mental space to change focus what r signs in semiotics & what r they comprised of? - representations of things or concepts - comprised of signifier [form of the sign, ex; word, photo, drawing, sound] & the signified [what the sign represents, ex; concept, object, place] some ways space is conceived, perceived & represented? - perceived; morphological space as experienced in everyday life thru the senses. how ppl receive info from their surroundings, allowing them to know their environment - conceived; imagined space, including plans & designs. how ppl understand the environment based on immediate sensory experience, memory, social meaning, etc what r cognitive maps & mental maps? - cognitive maps; internal conceptions of space, stored in someone’s mind; their spatial cognition. - mental maps; externalized cognitive maps [via drawings, etc.] what is lynchian spatial analysis & its components? - imageability/legibility; degree to which urban environment can be perceived as clear & coherent mental image - five elements of urban legibility; - paths; channels along which the observer moves. ex; streets, walkways, transit lines - edges; linear elements not considered paths. ex; walls, railways, edge of development, boundary of another region, waterbodies - nodes; strategic spots in a city. ex; transportation hubs, intersections, public squares, street corner hang outs - landmarks; distinct physical objects. ex; buildings, signs, stores, mountains - districts; areas recognizable by a common character. ex; downtown, historic districts, suburbs 2-2 & 3-1 / diagrams & basics of maps what r the characteristics & uses of diff types of diagrams, charts & graphs? - conceptual diagrams; represent things & relationships - bubble diagrams - groups concepts visually in shapes - nature of relationship between concepts often unclear or implied thru arrows, configuration & size - spatial concept diagrams - using bubble diagrams [or other abstract shapes] to conceptualize spaces - very common in architecture & design processes - [semi-]hierarchial categories - top levels; category or theme - lower levels; above definitions & contents - colour-coding or shape-coding; helps connect to the broader category - processes - arrows; indicate progress direction - linear diagrams; sequential processes, often timelines - circular diagrams; ongoing cycles - flow charts & decision trees; multiple options or simultaneous processes - flowcharts & decision trees - start at common origin - branching processes or pathways - common meanings of shapes in flow charts; - rounded rectangle; start or end - diamond; decision - rectangle; process - venn diagrams - boolean logic; AND / OR - A OR B - A AND B - show commonalities [AND] & differences [OR] thru concepts contained in overlapping circles - concept maps - visualize explicit relationships between ideas - composed of CONCEPTS & LINKS making PREPOSITIONS - concepts; key ideas in a few words [“noun”]; in a rectangle or other shape - links; shows relationship between concepts [“verb”]; line or arrow w/ linking words describing the relationship  - prepositions; meaningful statement made up of two or more concepts connected w/ links - schematic diagrams; represent how systems work - straight-line diagram / strip map - used for roads & transit networks - intersections, stations, bridges r shown on a straight line - schematic-type diagrams - subway maps - represent sequence & connections - usually not to scale, distances distorted - include few or no above-ground landmarks - schematic-type diagrams - quantitative diagrams; visual representations of data w/ numerical values - uses; analysis [record data. explore & compare data] & presentation [communicate information. persuade] - infographics - visually illustrate quantitative data - goal is to use visual appeal to communicate to non-experts - not confined to conventions of charts or graphs [not necessarily proportional to the quantitative values] - charts & graphs; visual representations of quantitative data that can be ‘read’ thru graphic conventions - uses of charts & graphs; way of exploring the relationships in data. way of displaying & reporting data. - compared w/ data tables; give better sense of data overall. provide less detail & precision. - components; - content; depicts distribution of the data. data [aggregated, summarized] - scaffolding; provides context to interpret the chart. title, axis, grid, labels, legend, source. - scatterplots - used for; two or more variables to visualize correlation - line graphs - used for; continuous data [e.g. time series] - bar graphs - used for; discrete categories - circular charts - used for; proportional data [percentage of whole] - radar chart [kiviat chart or spider chart] - used for; multiple variables at comparable scales - max. 8 variables [spokes] - wind rose - used for; wind speeds & directions, other directions  - wind direction; angle - frequency; rings - wind speed; tone - flow maps - used for; flows of material, energy, etc.; also known as sankey diagrams - heat maps - used for; showing data intensity thru gradated colour/tone what r tufte’s factors of effective data visualization? 1. graphical integrity - “a chart must tell the truth” - shapes should be proportional to data - currency should be adjusted for inflation - data should not be taken out of context 2. data-ink ratio - most of the “ink” [coverage] should be used by the content itself, not the scaffolding - most non-data elements can be removed - decluttered graphs have been found to improve interpretation 3. chart junk - patterns & graphic effects distract from the data 4. data density - human eye is good at viewing dense arrays of data - humans r also good at seeing patterns when data is condensed - principle of “small multiples”; displaying many small instances of the same chart to quickly compare trends 5. aesthetics - simple design - complex & meaningful data what r basic characteristics of maps? - DOGTAILS - Date - Orientation - Grid - Scale - Title - Author - Index - Legend - Source what is map scale & how is it represented?  - how map distance compares to ground distance - diff ways to represent scale; - graphic scale - representational fraction [RF] - ratio - verbal scale reading; what r the main questions? - how does the london underground embody the paradox of mobility? - what is the role of the london underground in shaping the experience of urban space? - how do issues of accessibility, exclusion & inequality manifest in the underground system?in what ways does the “Mind the Gap” slogan reflect larger cultural & social issues - how does mobility interact with social structures & identities? what r the research methods? - participant observation - interviews - archival research - discourse analysis - spatial analysis what r the main findings? - paradox of mobility & immobility - social divides & inequality - the “Mind the Gap” slogan as a metaphor - psychological & emotional impact of the underground - design & spatial organization shapes social interactions - role of the underground in shaping urban identity - complex of “access” - public transportation as a social institution 3-2 / visual variables what r the three classes of symbols & six visual variables? - classes of symbols; - point; represents a position or location, independent of length or area - line; represents linear phenomenon, independent of width or area - area; represent phenomenon w/ measurable size, shape & orientation - visual variables; - size  - ordered [larger size = larger value] - area size cannot vary, but can apply to texture - linear size; weight [thickness] or multiple parallel lines - some small sizes may become imperceptible - shape - unlimited variation can be tempting to abuse - can be difficult to distinguish - can connect to symbolic meaning [cultural, sectoral] - texture - number of separable marks in an area - areas can support the largest number of perceptible steps - lines should be limited to 3-4 steps, points even fewer - can produce vibration [moiré] effects - tone - darkness or brightness [aka “value”, “luminosity”] - ordered [if darker = more, then lighter = less] - texture can produce tone effects - recommend no more than 6 steps of tone for best perception - orientation - difference of angle - mark must have a linear aspect - colour - denotes shared category or type - endless combinations of hues [ROYGBIV], saturation [intensity] & tone [darkness/brightness] - can be used to great effect, but also very badly - colour blindness; variety of forms, no sure guidelines to avoid - difficult to reproduce consistently [device calibration, colour modes] what r the gestalt principles? - proximity; elements located together r perceived to be part of a group - similarity; elements w/ similar features r perceived to be related - continuity; elements along a curve r perceived to be continuous - closure; the eye tries to complete the shape even when there r gaps - figure ground; - positive space [“solids” - usually black] seen as subjects & while negative space [“voids” - usually white] seen as background - but this effect can be reversed [used strategically in graphic design] what types of figure ground r commonly used in planning & how? - figure ground diagram - very common type of image in urban planning - two-tone plan view  - solids represent selected built form [e.g. blocks, buildings] while omitting most other details - voids reveal open spaces, public squares, street grid - used to; 1. analyze the form of a city [urban morphology] 2. compare urban morphology of different cities 3. compare urban morphology past, present, future what is visual hierarchy? - relative importance of each element conveyed w/ size, position, colour, tone & other variables 4-1 / orthographic primary views what r the characteristics of parallel projections & orthographic primary views? - parallel; - projection rays r perpendicular to the plane - measurements r proportional - does not match optical reality - orthographic; - level of detail; based on scale [large vs small] & purpose [technical vs conceptual] - dimensions r not distorted by perspective -> can be used for reference measurements what r common uses for orthographic primary views? - plan view; site context, analysis, design, street design, streetscapes, figure ground, block structure, street networks & transit routes - elevation view; streetscape character, facade details, infill fit, building guidelines - section view; streetscapes, street canyons, airflow, sunlight/shadow, underground structures, utilities, topography [esp. landscape architecture], vertical use mix what graphic techniques r used to provide visual cues abt orthographic primary views? - graphic cues; - line weight; heavier lines appear in front - line continuity; broken lines appear unclear & distant - atmospheric perspective; muted colours & lighter tones appear distant - shadow & light; taller objects cast longer shadow. shadows densest near the object. 4-2 / plans & plan making what r the characteristics of comprehensive plans & strategic plans? - comprehensive;  - addresses wide range of topics - “big picture” plan - usually has a long-range outlook [10+ years] - often required by law [e.g. state, provincial] - strategic; - addresses specific topic - focused; only issues directly impacting the plan topic - usually shorter time frame [5-10 years] - often produced as a compliment to a comprehensive plan what r the difference between goals. objectives & implementation program? - goals; - general statement abt desired future; “increase public transit use” - derives from visioning process w/ stakeholders [e.g. residents, community groups, private sector, institutions] - objectives; - measurable advancement of goals; “increase public transit use by 10% over the next year] - measurable objectives facilitate accurate metrics for monitoring plans & evaluating their success - program of implementation; methods planned to achieve the objectives [e.g. by-law & policy changes, creation of investment programs] what r common plan scales? - hierarchy of plan scales in montreal - metropolitan region - regional - municipality - neighbourhood / borough - neighbourhood / detailed planning area 5-1 / access distinguish between catchment, permeability & connectivity - catchment; travel time/distance; attraction - permeability; barriers vs paths; built environment - connectivity; connections between routes; network recognise & calculate street permeability measures; average block size; (sum of lengths) / number of sides connectivity index; ratio of ‘links’ to ‘nodes’ in an area (ex; 44 links & 38 nodes -> 44 / 38 = 1.16) network density; intersections / area (ex; area:.22 mile2 intersections: 34 -> 34 /.22(2) = 155) identify different street hierarchy levels on a diagram - principal arterial; - long distance continuous routes, thru & between urban areas - highest volume & speeds - little access to surrounding land - not intended for pedestrian & cyclists - include freeways & major throughfares - minor arterial; - district distributors - continuous routes within urban areas - supplement principal arterials - medium-high volume & speed [barriers to cyclists & pedestrian traffic] - access to major commercial & institutional uses [i.e. job centers] - collector; - local distributor, connections between neighborhoods & other uses - limited continuity - form grid between minor arterials & connect local streets - access to surrounding land uses [residential and/or commercial properties, may have driveways] - can be good for cyclists & pedestrians - local streets; - lowest continuity, volume & speed - all roads not in a higher category - direct access to adjacent land, esp residential & uses that do not require visibility to traffic - e.g. access roads, cul-de-sacs 5-2 / mix how has urban planning practice changed over time in regard to functional mix [land use]? - historically; non-compatible uses have been separated to greater & lesser extents but most urban areas had multiple functions - following industrialization [esp. post 1916]; - zoning regulations place ‘nuisances’ in separate zones [single-use zoning] - pollution, noise, odor from industrial uses  - but also…. multifamily residential uses considered a ‘nuisance’ by single-family homeowners - single-use zoning meant residences were geographically separated from work, school, shopping, services etc. - now; - emphasis on mixed-use areas - increase vibrancy of cities - reduce car dependency how do LBCS dimensions [activity, function, structure] differ? - activity; an observable characteristic of land, based on actual use. - function; the economic use or type of establishment using the land. - structure; the structure or building on the land, which suggest the utility of the space. identify what LBCS Activity dimension categories [1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, 7000] apply to a building or site - 1000; residential activities [yellow] - 2000; shopping, business or trade activities [red] - 3000; industrial, manufacturing & waste-related activities [purple] - 4000; social, institutional, or infrastructure-related activities [blue] - 7000; leisure activities [light green] how can multiple uses on a site be represented? - city of austin uses brown colour for mixed use - montreal uses red for mixed use what r the main components of formal mix according to jane jacobs? - “cities need old buildings so badly it is probably impossible for vigorous streets and districts to grow without them” - building age; - old; cheaper rents. can be more durable [but require more maintenance]. are cared about. - new; energy efficiencies. can accommodate specialized uses. - lot sizes; - small; less dispersed frontage/access. easier to replace. can constrain occupational density. - large; needed for some uses [industry, institutions]. can allow higher density occupation. what r ways to support social mix? - rent control  - social housing [public, non-profit, co-op] - public housing; government run [in canada, usually for lowest income groups w/ multiple vulnerabilities, including elderly] - non-profit housing; usually provide support to groups with special needs - co-op housing; collectively owned by residents [no profit incentive] - community land trusts - remove land from speculation thru collective non-profit ownership - development decisions based on community priorities - can include market-rate housing as revenue source for non-profit projects - inclusionary zoning - new developments required to include a number of social & ‘affordable’ units [below average market rate] or pay into an affordable housing fun - often in exchange for added height or other zoning allowance 6-2 / axonometric view & building types what r the main types of axonometric projections? how can they be recognized? - isometric; all angles equal [all 120deg] - dimetric; two angles equal - trimetric; all three angles unequal what r typologies & how r they used in planning? - thes classification of any field into typical subsets [‘types’] - in planning; identify the ‘basic building blocks’ of the city - categories based on commonly repeated conditions such as form, function & meaning 7-1 / density what r the characteristics & elements of main density measures? - how the boundary of an area is defined is one of the most important factors in comparing urban density metrics - block scale - neighborhood scale - district scale - city scale what is the difference between gross & net density? - gross density; area includes infrastructure, streets, parks, etc - net density; only includes area dedicated to structures [i.e. streets, parks & infrastructure r excluded] - gross density will always be lower than net density [often ~75% of net density] 7-2 zoning controls what was the origin & significance of the new york city 1916 zoning ordinance? - defined zoning districts specifying; - separation of uses - building envelopes [height, bulk & area restrictions] what can zoning regulations do & what r their limitations? - specify; 1. types of land uses permitted 2. intensity or density of development 3. building placement & dimensions [height, bulk & minimum setbacks] 4. amount & type of parking 5. other aspects of land uses & development - e.g. planting, signage, special areas, historic preservation, sidewalk cafes, floodplains - does not regulate; design or style, construction materials, occupancy what r non-compliance, variances & incentive zoning? - non-compliance; where zoning regulations r applied to existing buildings that do not conform; they may gain an acquired right [‘grandfathering’], they may be given a timeframe to become compliant - variances; exceptions to existing zoning regulations that r granted to new developments, may require application for rezoning, related concept; incentive zoning - incentive zoning; programs regarding what developers can provide in exchange for variances to zoning regulations 8-2 / perspective views be able to recognise; 1-point perspective 2-point perspective 3-point perspective what characteristics distinguish linear perspective views from one another & from parallel projections? - picture plane [pp]; imaginary plane on which the visualization is captured - sightlines [projection rays]; lines extending from the object to the station point [sp] - perspective projection; where the sightlines intersect w/ the picture plane - central axis of vision [cav]; sightline determined by the direction the observer is looking - station point [sp]; fixed point in space representing a single eye of the observer slide 40 - 9-1 / photo methods what r the characteristics of the following methods & why r they used; photo survey; - take stock of the visual landscape - by location [e.g. intersection, street] or by theme [e.g. signage, architectural motifs] - fast & detailed, but limited to what is currently in place repeat photography; - re-photographing locations of at different moments in time - visualizes urban change over time - quantitative or qualitative data - timeframes; - short-term; evaluate use of space at different times of day [i.e. time lapse] - long-term; helps picture how long-term forces shape cities [e.g. deindustrialization, gentrification, financialization] serial vision; - to visualize how the city is experienced by a moving observer - components; - sequence of views as seen moving along a path thru urban space - accompanied by a map showing the path & location of views - originally a sketching method, but now often technique used w/ photos - views should highlight landmarks, contrasts, anticipation & surprises visual preference survey; - present specific visuals which r rated by community members - may be photos, photomontage, illustration, etc. - passive form of public participation  - can be conducted in person or virtually - combining w/ interviews can give better understanding of stated preference photo voice; - asking participants to take photos of some aspect of their experience of the city [positive, negative, where certain activities/feelings/etc. occur] - their photos r used as a departure point for interviews, raising topics that may be unanticipated by researchers - participatory action research approach intended for engaging marginalized groups identify which examples belong to each method above [e.g. intersection survey is a photo survey] 9-2 digital montage why is digital montage used? - portray how planning & design changes can look by overlaying images [photos or 3D renders] w/ new design elements - help create informed discussions abt best plan or design direction - visualizes what complete build-out of existing or proposed zoning regulations - can motivate action on regulation - depicting potential of proposed development [vision or specific designs] - helps generate buy-in from investors & community when is the use of stock photos authorized? - limits may be placed on type of use, type of distribution [web, print, broadcast, web], or even how many people in an organization can use the image under a given license - different licenses for the same image may have different pay rates; an image that is free-to-use for non-commerical uses might have a license fee for commercial purposes - some images may not be used for certain purposes under any circumstances [e.g. ‘editorial’ for use w/ news articles only] 9-B / sun & shade studies what r the characteristics of light of the solstices & equinoxes? - summer solstice; highest sun angles & shortest shadows - winter solstice; lowest sun angles & longest shadows why r sun & shade studies requested from developers? - when a proposed development involves an increased building height - when a proposed development exceeds zoning height limits - where shadow sensitive uses may be impacted; - residential amenities [yards, patios] - children’s play areas [school yards, playgrounds] - public realm [sidewalks, plazas, etc] - gardens [community gardens, public park plantings] - cultural heritage sites 10-1 file formats what r the differences between RGB & CMYK colour modes & when r they used? - RGB; - three colour channels; red green blue - additive colours [i.e. projected light] - each pixel’s colour value is defined as a combination of different proportions of r, g & b - for screen display [web, video] - RGB can display colours that cannot be produced w/ common process printing - CMYK; - four colour channels; cyan magenta yellow black - subtractive colours [wavelengths of light r differentially absorbed & reflected by surfaces] - each pixel’s colour value is a combination of amounts of ink from the 4 colours - for printed output [specifically, 4-colour process colour printing] - CMYK colour model limits a file to what can be printed w/ these four colours what r the characteristics of raster & vector graphic files? - raster graphic [or ‘bitmap’] - image made of a grid of pixels [‘picture elements’]; - pixel is the smallest unit of a raster file [often looks square] - each pixel has its own value that represents the colour/tone that it displays - developed for images w/ continuous & varied tones & colours - good for; photographs, artwork - resolution dependent - vector graphics; - geometric shapes & visual variables [e.g. gradient mesh, etc] saved as equations  - best for points, lines [incl. curved lines] & areas w/ visual variables applied - good for; icons, diagrams [including charts & graphs], architectural designs [CAD], GIS shape files typefaces - infinitely scalable [resolution independent] what r the common graphic files types & their characteristics? - pdf [portable document format] - supports both vector & raster components - widely supported standard for print & screen - contains what you put into it [just saving a raster file as a pdf does not make it a vector] - the most common & widely accessible vector format - jpg / jpeg [joint photographic experts group] - raster; best for photos & complex images - widely supported as a graphic file standard [web browsers, photo software, etc.] - no layers, no transparency - compressional level can be chosen to control the trade-off between file size & image quality - RGB & CMYK support - most widely supported raster image filetype - png [portable graphics format] - raster format - web browser standard - transparency support - encoding best for continuous areas of colour - RGB only, no CMYK support - best for screen displays of images w/ solid colours and/or transparancy 10-2 layout design what is design? what is its relationship to culture? what r the components of effective design? - design = form; material shape & aesthetics + function; usefulness of the design, visual culture; meaning, fashion - design influences & reflects style trends - popular styles can become dated over time - but out-of-style aesthetics can also return in design to draw on cultural significance or just the mood - components of layout design; all layout design involves three elements; - visuals; photos, illustrations, maps, diagrams, logos, icons  - text; headings, copy [body text], captions, pull quotes, lists, page numbers, footnotes, credits, end matter, legalese… - space; where visual & text elements work together, includes negative space; the ‘empty’ space or ‘white’ space around the other elements what r the components of layout design? - bleeds & margins; - bleed; for a design to extend to the finished edge of the page, an area outside the finished document is needed [to be cut away] - avoids white gaps if the trim line does not perfectly align w/ the crop - requires printing on a larger size paper than the finished size - crop marks; location of the trim / cut - margins; set a ‘safe zone’ for content that should not be accidentally trimmed - without bleed; white gap can appear at the trim edge - with bleed; ink covers to the edge even if the cut isn’t perfect - 37, - golden ratio composition - rule of thirds 11-1 GIS basics i what is GIS & its components? - the application of integrated computation tools to use spatial info for addressing real-world geographic problems - Geographic [location] - Information [data] - System [technology, procedures & people] what r the characteristics of raster & vector data? - how do they differ from raster & vector in graphic software? - raster; - made of rectangular cells [pixels] in a grid [matrix] - each cell has a single value to join attributes - each cell represents X meters in reality [e.g. 30m] - variation within the cell is lost - best for representing continuous features or dense data [e.g. land cover, elevation, temperature] - sources; aerial photography, satellite imagery & remote sensing - vector;  - features represented as coordinates [points] connected w/ straight lines; - point; coordinates only [x,y] no dimensions - line [‘polyline’]; straight line connecting 2 or more points, 1 dimension [no curves] - polygon; area formed by connecting points, 2 dimensions - each feature has a unique ID used to join attributes - best for features w/ discrete boundaries [e.g. individuals, property lines, transportation, buildings] 11-2 GIS basics ii what r the components of coordinate systems & what challenges do they address? - datums; accuracy of an ellipsoid will vary depending on its dimensions & its position relative to the earth’s topography - datums in coordinate systems r what specify; 1. which ellipsoid to use [reference ellipsoid]; 2. where it is positioned [origin]; 3. where the prime meridian [0 degrees longitude] is located - ellipsoid; simplified geometry [mathematical] used to approximate the geoid. used for the coordinate system. - longitude; divides the earth in 360deg around the axis - locations east or west measured from the prime meridian - lines r called ‘meridians’; converge to pass thru the poles - latitude; divides the earth in 180 degrees by ‘parallels’ - locations north or south measured from the equator why r map projections used? - translate 3 dimensional earth into 2 dimensions what r the four map projection classes & what do they preserve? - conformal; preserves shape [angles] - equal-area; preserves area - equidistant; preserves distance [scale] from certain locations to all other locations - azimuthal; preserves directions from a single location to all other location what r the main characteristics of the lambert conformal conic & universal transverse mercator projection systems? - lambert conformal conic; - class; conformal - shape; conic [normal, secant]  - preserves shape - good for areas w/ east-west extent - commonly used for maps of canada - universal transverse mercator [UTM]; - class; conformal - shape; cylindrical [transverse, secant] - now the most common projection - update on the standard mercator to use w/ satellite imagery - preserves shape [angles] - distortion minimal within a zone between secant position; best for narrow regions - choosing one of the 60 UTM zones that best the area to be mapped which UTM zone is montreal located? - zone 18 12-1 visualizing data w/ maps what r common types of thematic maps? - quantitative; - spot symbol maps - proportional symbol maps - graduated symbol maps - circle segment maps - dot density maps - flow maps - flow maps; origin-destination survey - isarithmic [isoline] maps - choropleth maps - cartograms - qualitative what r the different types of data visualized w/ maps? - qualitative; nominal scale data - distinguishes features based on qualitative attributes, without reference to quantities or relative status - both; ordinal scale data - categories based on rank or relative status related to intensity, importance, hierarchy, etc. - partway between qualitative & quantitative data; usually derive from quantitative info but do not indicate specific magnitude of difference - quantitative; interval scale data  - numerical measurements using units w/ an arbitrary zero [e.g. celsius degrees, elevation above sea level] - quantitative; ratio scale data - numerical measurements w/ a non-arbitrary zero [e.g. population, precipitation] what r the factors to consider in visualizing data w/ maps? - nominal w/ points; choose distinctive & legible symbols that respect conventions - nominal w/ areas; consider the relationship between categories when selecting visual variables to help reveal patterns in mapped info 12-2 site analysis what r the different types of site analysis? what r they used for? - environmental site assessment; - create inventory maps of physical, biological & cultural features - focus on natural processes & ecological impacts - site suitability analysis; - process of determining the appropriateness of a piece of land for a specific use - urban analysis; - develop a thorough understanding of a place in relation to common urban design concepts - focus on built areas at various scales - based on project goals to help determine project outcomes what r the different inventories & elements for each? - environmental site assessment; - physical features inventory; - geology - topography [elevation, slope] - climate [temperature, precipitation, ventilation, solar radiation] - hydrology [water bodies, wetlands, coastlines, drainage flows, floodplains & flood hazards, water quality [chemical & biological], eutrophication, water supply, sewage treatment systems] - soils [drainage, aeration, compaction, ability to support structures, ability to support life, acidity, contamination] - biological features inventory; - vegetation [plant species & communities, endangered & threatened species, wildfire susceptibility] - wildlife [composition & distributions of species, potential habitat] - cultural features inventory; - land use & land users  - settlement patterns - historical use & archeological sites - property ownership - building & open-space - plot & street arrangement - utility lines & easements - viewsheds & vistas - regulation & policy - urban analysis; - community; census info, previous planning efforts, public process - regulations & ownership; zoning & land use [regulations, existing], design & planning guidelines, property ownership [parcel maps & property lines [cadastres] - continuity; history [community change over time. changes to topography & built environment], patterns of development [figure grounds (building, block, public space)] - character; - urban form - topography - views - open space - activity nodes - architectural character - streetscape - environmental concerns - connections [street network, traffic, parking & collision data, transit modes & services, bicycles & pedestrians, utilities & services] - microclimate [solar radiation [sun & shade studies], ventilation, surface albedo, precipitation, urban heat islands] - economic & market setting