Understanding Urban Design Elements of Urban Design Akshan Bhide | PG190073
CONTENTS
1 2 3
Preface
Elements of Urban Design 2a. Building Types 2b. Streets 2c. Open space 2d. Urban Blocks
Workshop
Urban Design Intervention near Vastrapur Lake Area
4
Design of Public Place
5
Learnings
near Vastrapur Lake Area
1
Preface
The studio is structured as an introduction to urban design representation and how it is used as a means of design thinking. The premise is that urban design is best understood and expressed through the study and representation of the built urban environment. Hence, the studio focuses on the study and representation of the key urban elements in cities (building types, urban blocks, streets, and public spaces) and will be structured in multiple modules running through the semester, each culminating with an exhibition of the outcome. The first module focuses on methods of effectively capturing and communicating the spatial qualities of the urban built environment. The exercises in this module enables with methods to study each element and how they contribute to the scale, form, character and their relationship with the larger urban context. The second module will involve design problems involving everyday public places such as streets, neighbourhood open spaces, public infrastructure etc. The exercise will involve identifying problems and potentials, proposing urban design solutions and communication through effective representation of the existing and proposed scenario.
2
Elements of Urban Design 2a. Building Types
1. Administration Headquarters
Building Name :
Riverfront House, Amedabad
Building Name :
Vikas Minar, Delhi
Building Name :
Caltrans District 7, Vancouver
Ground Coverage :
1647 sqmt
Ground Coverage :
600 sqmt
Ground Coverage :
10600 sqmt
Total Built-up area :
8237 sqmt
Total Built-up area :
12000 sqmt
Total Built-up area :
84800 sqmt
Administration Headquater
10
40
10
0 0
40
20 20
m m 80 80
N N
2. Shopping Mall
Building Name :
4D Square Mall, Amedabad
Building Name :
Vegas Mall, Dwarka, New Delhi
Building Name :
Bugis Cube, Singapore
Ground Coverage :
5990 sqmt
Ground Coverage :
17967 sqmt
Ground Coverage :
1666 sqmt
Total Built-up area :
23962 sqmt
Total Built-up area :
89835 sqmt
Total Built-up area :
11666 sqmt
Shopping Mall
10
40
10
00
40
20 20
m m 80 80
N N
3. Hotel
Building Name :
Novotel, Amedabad
Building Name :
Park Prime, Kolkata
Building Name :
Ibis, Singapore
Ground Coverage :
1717 sqmt
Ground Coverage :
544 sqmt
Ground Coverage :
2800 sqmt
Total Built-up area :
17170 sqmt
Total Built-up area :
3808 sqmt
Total Built-up area :
28000 sqmt
Hotel
10
40
10
0 0
40
20 20
m m 80 80
N N
4. Hospital
Building Name :
Mayflower Hospital, Amedabad
Building Name :
Bensups Hospital, Dwarka, New Delhi
Building Name :
Regents Medical Building, Vancouver
Ground Coverage :
566 sqmt
Ground Coverage :
2418 sqmt
Ground Coverage :
780 sqmt
Total Built-up area :
4528 sqmt
Total Built-up area :
14508 sqmt
Total Built-up area :
6240 sqmt
Hospital
10
40
10
00
40
20 20
m m 80 80
N N
5. School
Building Name :
AG High School, Amedabad
Building Name :
Basava International School, Dwarka
Building Name :
Canada International School, Singapore
Ground Coverage :
955 sqmt
Ground Coverage :
2344 sqmt
Ground Coverage :
6292 sqmt
Total Built-up area :
3825 sqmt
Total Built-up area :
11720 sqmt
Total Built-up area :
31460 sqmt
School
10
40
10
0 0
40
20 20
m m 80 80
N N
6. Mixed-use Apartment
Building Name :
Kirtan Complex, Amedabad
Building Name :
Niyoshi Parki, Pune
Building Name :
2799 Granville St, Vancouver
Ground Coverage :
727 sqmt
Ground Coverage :
703 sqmt
Ground Coverage :
594 sqmt
Total Built-up area :
3635 sqmt
Total Built-up area :
3515 sqmt
Total Built-up area :
3564 sqmt
Mixed-Use Residential Apartment
10
40
10
00
40
20 20
m m 80 80
N N
Elements of Urban Design 2b. Streets
MG Marg, Sikkim
Edge Type
10
Total building edge = 520 m Total no. of entrance = 80 No. of entrance / 100m = 15
0
40 20
80
10%
Partially
20%
Legend
Porous
N
Access to street Access to building
Opaque
Porous
m
Visually Physically Opaque
Partially Porous
70%
Porous
The MG Marg street in Gangtok is very clean, well planned attracting beautiful crowd and has benches and fountains on the path. Almost the entire street is partially porous as one moves along it downwards.
Ground Floor Building Use
10 0
40 20
80
m
N
Residential
C1 Retail
Office
Institutional
Commercial
C2 Hotel/ Restaurants
Religious
Open space
Hotel/ Restaurants 16%
MG Marg in Gangtok is one the famous and major shopping street, not only for localites but also for tourists. The place also boasts a lot of eateries and other shops. Half street is fully pedestrianised
Retail 84%
making it ideal place for public space as well. The other half of the street is a one way street with 10 m wide pedestrian walkway.
Clark Quay, Singapore
Edge Type
10
300 m 15 5
Total building edge = Total no. of entrance = No. of entrance / 100m =
0
40 20
80
m
N
Access to street Access to building
Opaque 20% Partially
Legend
Porous
Visually Physically Opaque
Partially Porous
50% Porous
Porous
30%
Chruch street, Bangalore: One of the busiest street in the Central business district. A stretch of about 750m from Brigade road and St.Marks road. The building edge of mostly partialy porous allowing visually connectivity to the street.
Ground Floor Building Use
10 0
80
m
N
Residential
C1 Retail
Office
Institutional
Commercial
C2 Hotel/ Restaurants
Religious
Open space
Retail 59%
40 20
Office 15%
Clark Quay is succeeding in drawing tourists and locals back to the historic waterfront. The built form and design provides a new ‘lease of life’, with an attractive streetscape and waterfront. Cantilever
Hotel/
is provided at several levels over the water to
Restaurants 26%
maximize the number of people who can eat with a view over the river.
Elements of Urban Design 2c. Open Space
Bryant Park, New York
Edge Type
10
936 m 37 5
Total building edge = Total no. of entrance = No. of entrance / 100m =
0
40 20
80
m
N
Access to street Access to building
Porous 10%
Legend
Opaque 10%
Partially
Visually Physically Opaque
Porous
Partially Porous
80%
Porous
Bryant Park is an iconic park in Midtown Manhattan
has been widely
recognized as one of the best public space renewal projects of the last three
decades. The park is . The park edge of mostly partialy porous allowing visually connectivity to the park.
Ground Floor Building Use
Residential
C2 Hotel/Restaurants
Commercial
Office
C1 Retail
Religeous
Hotel/
Retail
Restaurants
13%
45%
Office 32%
Open space 3%
Institutional 6%
10 0
Institutional
40 20
80
m
N
Open space
The eastern half of Bryant Park is occupied by the New York Public Library.The western half, which contains a lawn, shaded walkways, and amenities such as a carousel. In the two years after its renovation, rental activity around the park increased by 60 percent: A place once considered to be a deterrent to renters is now, according to some real estate agents, a marketing tool.
Elements of Urban Design 2d. Urban Blocks
Krakow Old Town, Poland Throughout the year the Old Town is lively and crowded. There are many tourists, open cafes, and lined up horse-drawn carriages waiting to give a ride. The place is always vibrant with life especially in and around the Main Market Square, one of the biggest squares in Europe
Different kind of activities can been in courtyard formed within thr buildings, such as green space for residential buildings, parking for hotels as well as outdoor seating for cafes, restaurants
The main street of the Old Krakow Town is a pedestrianised street allowing the pedestrians to walk freely enjoying the landmarks, restaurants, cafe and pubs.
The urban block is surrounded by the green belt whcich was turned from the moat encircling the fort walls.
Urban Blocks Block Peremeter Smallest 190 m Largest 570 m 10
0
40
20
80
25
65 m 100
50
m
160 m
50 m
190m 570m
0
N
190 m
Block Perimeter Smallest Largest
m
N
200
Building Footprints
Building Footprints
Bult v/s Open Built Space 44% Public Open Space 46% Private Open Space 10% Public open space 46%
Private open space 10%
Built space 44%
25 0
100 50
m
200
N
3
Workshop : Urban Design Intervention near Vas
strapur Lake area
Vision Vision of this design intervention near Vastrapur lake area is to experiement with the streetscape elements and creating a safe pedestrian environment. Providing the pedestrians with safe degree of circulation space along the lake edge with formalized space for vendors as well as organizing parking space. The project is an attempt to understand the streets surrounding the Vastrapur lake and the activities which make the street lively. However the next questions that lies are: - How to extend to the rest of the road? And the streets around? - How to link this to other infrastructures?
Activity Map
LEGEND Human
Parked Car
Two-Wheeler
Car
Auto
Informal Activity
Street Vendors
10 0
40 20
80
m
N
Creating a safe pedestrian environment with formalised hawking and parking space and safe pedestrian crossing
Existing Condition
Miscellaneous activities disrupting pedestrian movement
Proposed Condition
Formalising spaces around the lake with proper demarcation of hawking spaces
Existing Condition
Discontinuous sidewalk due to encroachment by parking and hawking space
Proposed Condition
Strategies & Intervention
Defining places with the help of levels thus providing degree of safe circulation
4
Improving Pedestrian Experience of Vastrapur
Constraints Shaded space in the center which is being utilized as parking
Narrow footpath width encroached with parked vehicles limits space for pedestrians
Understanding the Site Vastrapur neighbourhood is a vibrant and active neighbourhood. The streets of Vastrapur are essential for transportation, open space, health and wellbeing, safety and the identity of the neighborhood. These streets are traversed daily by diverse users, including visitors and residents alike. Vastrapur also is a commercial core with a public space in the form of lake at the centre. The two central spines running along Vastrapur are: East-West corridor connects SG Highway to IIM like institutions North- South corridor connects Drive-In road to Judges Bungalows
Disorganized & unauthorized parking encroachment forcing pedestrians to walk on carriageway
Hawking activities sometimes occupy the footpath, thereby causing a spillover of pedestrians onto vehicular carriageway
Opportunities & Constraints Map
LEGENDS Public Space Edge Commercial Residential Institutional Vendors Parked Vehicles Narrow Pedestrian Sidewalk Disruptive Pedestrian Sidewalk No Pedestrian Sidewalk
25 0
100 50
m 200
Design Vision - Continuous pedestrian experience with provision of street furniture and organizing of parking and vending activities. - Enhancing visual accessibility and porosity with the help of activity generators in created pocket parks along lake edge.
Design Vision Map
Sidewalks along the stretch for continuous pedestrian experience
Pedestrian crossings to create better connection with existing access to lake edge
Activity generators to activate pocket parks as well as enhancing visual accessibility and porosity
Pedestrian crossings for safe movement of pedestrians
25 0
100 50
m 200
Design Strategies 1. Expanding pedestrian walkway
2. Planned parking and vending areas
Proposed Master Plan Master Plan focuses on creating a pedestrian experience as we move along the Vastrapur Lake and commercial edge in front of the lake. The idea is to create a pedestrian experience as we enter the Vastrapur area with the help of a continuous pedestrian walkway enhancing seamless experience ensuring enough space to accomodate parking and space for vendors to keep the street lively. Pocket parks on the lake edge are brought out in the front with various activities proposed such as childfen play area, open gyms, etc to enhance accessibility and porosity. Pedestrian safety is also looked at by giving safe pedestrian crossings.
3. Retaing existing and propose new trees
4. Providing street furniture
Master Plan
25 0
100 50
m 200
Delayering 1. Continuous pedestrian sidewalk encouraging seamless experience
2. Proposed trees with existing trees to create a shaded pedestrian experience
Detail Area - Sargam Marg The proposed condition of the detail area is a more pedestrian friendly design with organized on-street parallel parking and activity generators such as children play area along the pocket parks on lake edge. The motive is to create a lively pedestrian experience with the help of seamless walkway, activities such as vending, children play area along the lake edge. Street infrastructure along the pedestrian walkway also helps in enhancing the physical interface of both the lake edge as well as retail edge.
3. Organized on-street parking and demarcated space for vendors
4. Proposed street infrastructure in the form of seats, pedestrian lights and safe pedestrian crossings
Detain Area Plan
5 0
25 10
m 50
Detail Area Narrow footpath widths, disorganized and unauthorized parking and lack of street infrastructure can be seen in existing condition which makes the street character less walkwable. The changes proposed in the design is to have a extended walkway with designated space for parking and vendors along the walkway. retaining existing trees and proposing new trees for shade comfort as well as to maintain visual connection with the park edge and retail edge. Lake edge boundary wall also reduced to act as street furniture as well enhancing visual accessibility and porosity
Existing Condition
Pedestrian Sidewalk 1.50m
Carriageway
Median
12.00m
1.00m
Carriageway
Buffer Pedestrian Sidewalk
11.50m
1.50m
2.50m
Proposed Condition
Pedestrian Sidewalk
4.00m
Buffer
2.50m
On-street Parking
2.50m
Carriageway
Median
Carriageway
7.50m
1.80m
7.50m
On-street Buffer Pedestrian Sidewalk Parking
2.50m
1.80m
4.25m
Isometric View
Detail Isometric View 1. Continuous pedestrian sidewalkgiving pedestrians a seamless experience. 2. On-street parallel parking to reduce clutter on the vehicular carriageway, creating space for pedestrians as well vehicles. 3. Demarcating space for vendors to reduce clutter on the sidewalk and activating the street with enough space for walking and hawking. 4. Boundary wall of lake edge reduced to convert it into seating, thus enhancing the visual experience with the lake. 5. Pocket parks from lake brought into front and to enhance physical interface with the lake edge as well activating them with children play area.
1
2
3 4
5
Eye Level View
Streetscape Elements Streetscape is the built fabric of the street, and defined as the design quality of the street and its visual effect. It is also a very important link between public spaces and buildings. Identity and experience is closely linked to the quality of the streetscape, which is defined by the character of the buildings, the space between them, ground surfaces, vegetation, walls, fences and furnishings that enrich the space. On the rifght is a suggestive pallette of streetscape elements which help in enhancing the the pedestrian experience along the lake and retail edge.
Street Trees
Paving
Wayfing
Source: YDSMP_Phase2_FinalReport
Source: YDSMP_Phase2_FinalReport
Source: YDSMP_Phase2_FinalReport
Pedestrian Linkages
Lighting
Street Furniture
Source: YDSMP_Phase2_FinalReport
Source: https://www.landscapeforms.com/en-us/lighting/ projects/pages/Boulder-Junction.aspx
Source: https://in.pinterest.com/HauteContriver/architecture-landscape/seating/ | http://thegoodsline.aspect.net.au/
Proper selection of trees add visual intrigue, shade, ornamentation and continuous between urban spaces. Proposed network of trees is to establish people’s connection with the park edge as well as retail edge.
Pedestrian-friendly environments allow walking to be a pleasant, safe and an efficient alternative. Providing an attractive pedestrian environment with a high level of pedestrian priority, safety, accessibility and amenities.
Paving design to improve the quality of urban space and enhance the site features such as public open space. Creative paving design play a significant role in placemaking.
Lighting helps to make people feel safe, provide ambiance, and contribute to placemaking. Helps in defining visual environment at night and adds a prominent visual characteristic during daylight hours.
Wayfinding helps pedestrians, navigate their communities efficiently and safely. Effective wayfinding strategies help the community know where they are, where they are going and how to get there.
Furnishings should be organized to allow people to talk in groups and activate the sidewalk. People are most often comfortable sitting on a sidewalk when they can monitor their environment.
5
Learnings
Urban design elements - building types, streets, ipen space and urban blocks are the key elements of any urban space formed by the people and for the people. The study of building types has helped in understanding the typical characteristics of each typology and how these building edges are important to any urban space. The study of streets and open space helped in understanding the different types of streets and open space and importance of people in these areas. Many questions were answered through this exercise like why some spaces work, what is importance of building use in these spaces, etc. The learning outcome from the first module are: to prepare design drawings to graphically communicate the key spatial characteristics of an existing urban built environment with focus on its elements and prepare a design for a given urban area in the form of a framework plan, design analysis and 3-dimentional illustration to represent the design. The learning outcome from the second module of studio, helps in understanding the current state of streets, public spaces in our city and focuses on improving these spaces. “Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” ― Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities