Urban Design Folder - What is Urban Design?

URBAN DESIGN FOLDER Efekan ÇAKIR İstanbul Okan University

This folder consists of summative and exploratory information and knowledge gathering on urban, planning, urban design and architecture of the built environment topics that conducted during the course.

Introduction What Is Urban Design?

Urban design is concerned with the arrangement, appearance and function of our suburbs, towns and cities. It is both a process and an outcome of creating localities in which people live, engage with each other, and engage with the physical place around them.

Urban design involves many different disciplines including planning, development, architecture, landscape architecture, engineering, economics, law and finance, among others.

Urban design operates at many scales, from the macro scale of the urban structure (planning, zoning, transport and infrastructure networks) to the micro scale of street furniture and lighting. When fully integrated into policy and planning systems, urban design can be used to inform land use planning, infrastructure, built form and even the socio-demographic mix of a place.

Urban design can significantly influence the economic, environmental, social and cultural outcomes of a place: • Urban design can influence the economic success and socio-economic composition of a locality—whether it encourages local businesses and entrepreneurship; whether it attracts people to live there; whether the costs of housing and travel are affordable; and whether access to job opportunities, facilities and services are equitable.

• Urban design determines the physical scale, space and ambience of a place and establishes the built and natural forms within which individual buildings and infrastructure are sited. As such, it affects the balance between natural ecosystems and built environments,and their sustainability outcomes.

• Urban design can influence health and the social and cultural impacts of a locality: how people interact with each other, how they move around, and how they use a place.

Although urban design is often delivered as a specific ‘project’, it is in fact a long-term process that continues to evolve over time. It is this layering of building and infrastructure types, natural ecosystems, communities and cultures that gives places their unique characteristics and identities.

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To sum up, urban design focuses on the design of the public realm, its public spaces, streets, parks and paths. Urban design informs the design of infrastructure and buildings in as far as they affect the function and amenity of the public realm.

Elements of Urban Design This diagram shows the approximate hierarchical relationship between the elements of urban design, followed by a brief definition of each of the elements.

The section below provides basic explanations for terms that are commonly used for urban design in the Australian context.

• URBAN STRUCTURE: The overall framework of a region, town or precinct, showing relationships between zones of built forms, land forms, natural environments, activities and open spaces. It encompasses broader systems including transport and infrastructure networks.

• URBAN GRAIN: The balance of open space to built form, and the nature and extent of subdividing an area into smaller parcels or blocks. For example a ‘fine urban grain’ might constitute a network of small or detailed streetscapes. It takes

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into consideration the hierarchy of street types, the physical linkages and movement between locations, and modes of transport.

• DENSITY + MIX: The intensity of development and the range of different uses (such as residential, commercial, institutional or recreational uses).

• HEIGHT + MASSING: The scale of buildings in relation to height and floor area, and how they relate to surrounding land forms, buildings and streets. It also incorporates building envelope, site coverage and solar orientation. Height and massing create the sense of openness or enclosure, and affect the amenity of streets, spaces and other buildings.

• STREETSCAPE + LANDSCAPE: The design of public spaces such as streets, open spaces and pathways, and includes landscaping, microclimate, shading and planting.

• FACADE + INTERFACE: The relationship of buildings to the site, street and neighbouring buildings (alignment, setbacks, boundary treatment) and the architectural expression of their facades (projections, openings, patterns and materials).

• DETAILS + MATERIALS: The close-up appearance of objects and surfaces and the selection of materials in terms of detail, craftsmanship, texture, colour, durability, sustainability and treatment. It includes street furniture, paving, lighting and signage.

It contributes to human comfort, safety and enjoyment of the public domain.

• PUBLIC REALM:Much of urban design is concerned with the design and management of publicly used space (also referred to as the public realm or public domain) and the way this is experienced and used.

The public realm includes the natural and built environment used by the general public on a day-to-day basis such as streets, plazas, parks, and public infrastructure.

Some aspects of privately owned space such as the bulk and scale of buildings, or gardens that are visible from the public realm, can also contribute to the overall result.

At times, there is a blurring of public and private realms, particularly where privately owned space is publicly used.

• TOPOGRAPHY, LANDSCAPE AND ENVIRONMENT: The natural environment includes the topography of landforms, water courses, flora and fauna—whether natural or introduced. It may be in the form of rivers and creeks, lakes, bushland, parks and recreational facilities, streetscapes or private gardens, and is often referred to as ‘green infrastructure’.

• SOCIAL + ECONOMIC FABRIC: The non-physical aspects of the urban form which include social factors (culture, participation, health and well-being) as well as the productive capacity and economic prosperity of a community. It incorporates aspects such as demographics and life stages, social interaction and support networks.

• SCALE: The size, bulk and perception of a buildings and spaces. Bulk refers to the height, width and depth of a building in relation to other surrounding buildings,

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the street, setbacks and surrounding open space. For example, a large building set amongst other smaller buildings may seem ‘out of scale’.

• URBAN FORM: The arrangement of a built up area. This arrangement is made up of many components including how close buildings and uses are together; what uses are located where; and how much of the natural environment is a part of the built up area.

Urban Design Aims of Urban Design Urban Design is occurs with five pillars: productivity, sustainability, liveability, leadership and design excellence.

When integrated together, these pillars form the aim of urban design:

Productivity. To harness the productivity of people and industry, by better managing our use of labour, creativity and knowledge, land and infrastructure.

Sustainability. To advance the sustainability of natural and built environment, including through better resource and risk management.

Liveability. To enhance the liveability of cities by promoting better urban design, planning and affordable access to recreational, cultural and community facilities.

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Principles of Urban Design Design Principles About Place: PRODUCTIVITY + SUSTAINABILITY Creates the context for people to engage with the place.

• Enhancing: It respects the needs and aspirations of the community that lives and works there It creates opportunities for people to prosper and local businesses to thrive It sustains and enhances the natural environment It enhances the built environment visually, physically and functionally It celebrates unique characteristics-heritage, culture and community-that create a sense of place and identity • Connected:

It is well connected to surrounding areas You can see where you are and where you are going There is a range of transport options, including public transport, walking and bicycling It is connected to places with jobs, schools, shops, facilities and services It is connected with the past – the heritage of a place – and with the community and its culture It feels connected with the natural environment

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• Diverse

Each locality has its own character and qualities There is a rich range of experiences – how you move around and interact with others, what buildings and spaces look and feel like, and what things you can do There is a range of facilities and services Despite the diversity, there is an overall harmonious blend You can take different routes depending on your mood, or if you’re visiting different places on your way It meets different people’s needs, including a diversity of housing options There is biodiversity in the flora and fauna • Enduring It is resilient to extreme weather events, natural disasters and a changing climate Things are built to last, where appropriate – they’re made of robust materials, are designed well and there’s a sense of quality It is visually and aesthetically pleasing as well as practical It is well maintained and cared for It is designed to save resources like water, energy and materials, and minimises its impact on the environment It considers current and future activities and can evolve and adapt over time

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Summary of Productiviy + Sustainability

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Design Principles for People: LIVEABILITY Creates the context for people to engage with each other • Comfortable It feels comfortable to walk through, sit, stand, play, talk, read, or just relax and contemplate It is not too exposed to unpleasant noise, wind, heat, rain, traffic or pollution You can freely use the place, or at least part of it, without having to pay You can be yourself and feel included as part of the community It caters for people with various physical abilities, the old and the young

• Vibrant You can see that there are other people around People are enjoying themselves and each other’s company There are places to meet and interact, play, explore, recreate and unwind It is a place you want to visit, experience, or live in

• Safe It feels safe and secure, even at night or on your own There aren’t signs of decay such as graffiti, rubbish, weeds or derelict places Roads and paths are safe for adults and children to walk or ride their bikes • Walkable It prioritizes people walking or riding before vehicles It is easy to get around on foot, bike, wheelchair, pushing a pram or wheeling luggage Buildings and streets feel like they’re the right size and type for that place It encourages physical activity and social interaction, and promotes a healthy

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Summary of Liveability

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Principles About Leadership and Governance • Context

It sets, or works within the strategic planning framework It integrates with the physical environment, including its topography, biodiversity, landscape and views, existing streets and buildings, and infrastructure It incorporates the heritage, culture and historical context of surrounding communities and places It is compatible with the surrounding social and economic activities • Engagement

It acknowledges that urban design is primarily about creating places for people It engages people in the development of their community It adopts a multi-disciplinary and collaborative approach to design

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• Excellence

It prioritizes best practice planning, design, engineering, procurement and maintenance It champions universal design and accessibility It integrates design, and design expertise, from the earliest stages of a plan or project through to completion It engages competent, skilled professionals to design and deliver on projects • Custodianship It recognizes that communities, environments and cities are continually evolving and adapting It considers the wider environmental, social and economic costs and benefits of development, operations, maintenance and disposal It ensures that the design of a place is appropriate for its ongoing maintenance, operations and upkeep It incorporates strategies to reduce and adapt to climate change

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Summary of Leadership and Governance

Resources This section prepared with Urban Design Protocol for Australian People.

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Urban Design Planning Processes

The basis for integrating energy aspects in planning processes is a thorough understanding of the existing urban planning process in a given city. Such a process should include all phases (see graphic below), steps, stakeholders and their related activities/responsibilities as well as instruments and tools used in planning urban development projects.

In most cases the main planning instrument of a city such as the zoning plan or land use plan needs to be adapted when new projects are being developed. However, it is important to not only show the final, official steps when adapting the zoning plan. The process map should depict all phases including the early planning steps, feasibility and master plans, the permitting process and final implementation. It should also show some decision points or paths during this process for instance criteria for special procedural steps or competitions. It might also be helpful to develop two process maps: one for the procedure of new development areas and one for transformation areas. The following figure shows an example of a “typical� simplified urban planning process for a new development area.

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Every plans occur with same phase but different content. For this reason, cities councils decide guidelines for making relation with each plan.

Resources This section prepared with Urban Learning.

Also, you can see Review of capital city strategic planning systems San Francisco Planning Code

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Guidelines What are the Urban Design Guidelines?

Urban design guidelines are determined to support state agencies, local government and the urban development sector to deliver, functional and enjoyable places for people to live, work, and spend leisure time. The guidelines aim to create neighborhoods that foster community interaction and make it easy for people of all ages and abilities to live healthy lifestyles and engage in regular physical activity. These places may be urban areas in metropolitan and in regional cities and towns.

What do the guidelines aim to achieve?

Generally, urban design guidelines assist in creating places that are: • accessible, safe, diverse and provide choice • enjoyable, engaging and comfortable to be in and move around • conducive to people being more physically active • accommodating of people of all abilities, ages and cultures • distinctive and celebrate their social, cultural and natural heritage.

Why we need urban design guidelines?

High quality places support the social, cultural, economic and environmental wellbeing of our communities, and are critical to the development of competitive and efficient cities and towns. New development and changes in land uses should respond to their context and enhance places of value to the community. Good urban design delivers places that are safe, healthy, functional and enjoyable.

When to use the guidelines?

Decisions affecting the public realm The guidelines assist decision making and are intended for use by those initiating urban development and public realm works, by those assessing or reviewing development proposals for planning in so far as they affect the public realm, and by members of the public who have an interest in urban development and public realm design.

Investing in the public realm The guidelines may be used to inform strategic investment in community infrastructure and public realm assets. The guidelines may also be used to develop area specific urban design policies and frameworks.

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Applying the guidelines in context In applying the guidelines, designers and decision-makers need to determine the relevance of the specific guideline in the context of the proposed development.

However, there may be ways to achieve the objectives other than through the responses described in these guidelines.

Where designers believe that a guideline should not apply, they should be able to express clear reasons why this is so and put forward an alternative way to meet the objective.

Resources This section prepared with Urban Design Guidelines for Victoria.

Also you can see Urban Design Protocols for Australian Cities

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Example Guidelines In this section, Downtown Urban Design Guidelines(Cambridge, Ontario) and San Francisco Urban Design Guidelines will be explained together simply.

Knowledge Learning background of site In this phase, we must to learn history of site, neighborhood of site, environment of site, social life of site etc. This phase requires a lot research and site traveling.

Vision After getting knowledge, we have to decide future way or solution for exist problems.

Site Planning We must to study our area to focus on land use, parking area, transportation, urban patterns, relationships between, streets, and open spaces etc.

Study Area

Land Uses

Parking Areas

Walking, Transit and Cycling

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Site design can extend existing patterns or help Modify the shape and location of new open spaces historic ones re-emerge. to support existing ones.

By modifying typical rear yards, corner sites can Building massing should respect larger patterns in better support street walls and mid-block open the urban fabric. space.

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Massing should reflect similar dimensions to street widths and surrounding buildings.

Place and shape front, side, and rear facades to support the overall urban design of the block.

Special Conditions This phase contains special designations or unique conditions. It is not same in each guidelines.

Architectural Characters Also it same as special conditions as changes with guidelines. Examples:

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Public Realm This phase generally contains universal conditions, because liveable conditions for humanity is almost same at whole world. Examples:

Courtyards connected at the level of the street supPlazas surrounded by active building uses mutually port sidewalk activity. support each other.

Locate bicycle parking near pedestrian entrances and access points. Provide racks in an orientation so that cargo bikes can also fit without interrupting Access to many entries, buildings, and public rights-of-way helps encourage natural pedestrian pedestrians. flow and safety.

Resources This section prepared with Downtown Urban Design Guidelines and San Francisco Urban Design Guidelines.

Also you can see Guide to Victoria’s planning system

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International Guidelines For global connection and make same prosperity at world, there are some international guidelines for development that contain some benchmarks for countries or cities.

Creative Cities Network The UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) was created in 2004 to promote cooperation with and among cities that have identified creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development. The 246 cities which currently make up this network work together towards a common objective: placing creativity and cultural industries at the heart of their development plans at the local level and cooperating actively at the international level.

Objectives The UNESCO Creative Cities Network aims to: • strengthen international cooperation between cities that have recognized creativity as a strategic factor of their sustainable development; • stimulate and enhance initiatives led by member cities to make creativity an essential component of urban development, notably through partnerships involving the public and private sectors and civil society.

• strengthen the creation, production, distribution and dissemination of cultural activities, goods and services; • develop hubs of creativity and innovation and broaden opportunities for creators and professionals in the cultural sector; • improve access to and participation in cultural life as well as the enjoyment of cultural goods and services, notably for marginalized or vulnerable groups and individuals; • fully integrate culture and creativity into local development strategies and plans.

Citites Design Network This subnetwork communication platform of the 31 UNESCO Cities of Design aims to visualize its globally engaged network, to promote the network, to represent member cities that are willing to contribute to this network by showing relevant projects, activities and events on this website. The goal is to enhance interactive communication and to facilitate and improve co-operations and the scheduling of events

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City Competences An essential topic of their subnetwork is, the UNESCO Cities of Design, define themselves and how they want to cooperate and share information. In order to foster exchange, it is crucial to promote what they have in common and what special competences each city holds.

They have therefore established the so-called Pizza-Agenda, which provides two components at a glance: First, at the edge of our Pizza-Agenda, they show their five common principles: They promote design. They connect. They support. They share a common market and They share knowledge. Second, their Pizza-Agenda displays 15 topics that altogether represent services that all UNESCO Cities of Design agreed to share.

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Glossary Professional Exchange: Committing to foster exchange of professional designers by, for example, providing an in-residence-programme.

Student Exchange: The city supports exchanges and work placements from high schools as well as universities.

Human Oriented: Considering the social factor of design as a key issue of a city – e.g. design for a better life.

Design Week/Month: The city hosts a fair, in which companies form the design industry showcase their latest products and services.

Design Trade Fair: A trade fair is an short-term exhibition in which companies from the design industry showcase their latest products and services, meet with industry partners as well as customers and examine recent market trends and propsective opportunities.

Business Oriented: Supporting the local (creative) industries in particular.

Show & Showcase: An exhibition format/space, in which design products are shown throughout the year.

Conferences on Design: The city hosts international conferences about design relevant topics.

International Workshops: International workshops are held in the city; creative people (UCCN) are invited to actively participate.

Exhibition Space: There is an exhibition space available to show design products by local designers as well as international ones; UCCN-partner cities are invited to use and book the space.

Competitions & Calls: The respective city to announce international call for papers, products and designers.

City Development: Design is understood as a driver for city development.

Design Centre: There is a permanent design centre in the city, where design is shown all year round.

Design University: There is at least one university in the city that offers degree programs in design.

Fashion Week: A fashion industry event takes place in the city for one week; international designers and brands display their latest products.

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United Nations Development Programme / Sustainable Development Goals The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were born at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro in 2012. The objective was to produce a set of universal goals that meet the urgent environmental, political and economic challenges facing our world.

The SDGs replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which started a global effort in 2000 to tackle the indignity of poverty. The MDGs established measurable, universally-agreed objectives for tackling extreme poverty and hunger, preventing deadly diseases, and expanding primary education to all children, among other development priorities.

For 15 years, the MDGs drove progress in several important areas: reducing income poverty, providing much needed access to water and sanitation, driving down child mortality and drastically improving maternal health.

They also kickstarted a global movement for free primary education, inspiring countries to invest in their future generations. Most significantly, the MDGs made huge strides in combatting HIV/AIDS and other treatable diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis.

Affordable and clean energy Between 2000 and 2016, the number of people with electricity increased from 78 to 87 percent, and the numbers without electricity dipped to just below one billion.

Yet as the population continues to grow, so will the demand for cheap energy, and an economy reliant on fossil fuels is creating drastic changes to our climate.

Investing in solar, wind and thermal power, improving energy productivity, and ensuring energy for all is vital if we are to achieve SDG 7 by 2030.

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Expanding infrastructure and upgrading technology to provide clean and more efficient energy in all countries will encourage growth and help the environment.

Industry, innovation and infrastructure Investment in infrastructure and innovation are crucial drivers of economic growth and development. With over half the world population now living in cities, mass transport and renewable energy are becoming ever more important, as are the growth of new industries and information and communication technologies.

Technological progress is also key to finding lasting solutions to both economic and environmental challenges, such as providing new jobs and promoting energy efficiency.

Promoting sustainable industries, and investing in scientific research and innovation, are all important ways to facilitate sustainable development.

More than 4 billion people still do not have access to the Internet, and 90 percent are from the developing world. Bridging this digital divide is crucial to ensure equal access to information and knowledge, as well as foster innovation and entrepreneurship.

Sustainable cities and communities More than half of us live in cities. By 2050, two-thirds of all humanity—6.5 billion people—will be urban. Sustainable development cannot be achieved without significantly transforming the way we build and manage our urban spaces.

The rapid growth of cities—a result of rising populations and increasing migration—has led to a boom in mega-cities, especially in the developing world, and slums are becoming a more significant feature of urban life.

Making cities sustainable means creating career and business opportunities, safe and affordable housing, and building resilient societies and economies. It involves investment in public transport, creating green public spaces, and improving urban planning and management in participatory and inclusive ways.

Climate action There is no country that is not experiencing the drastic effects of climate change.

Greenhouse gas emissions are more than 50 percent higher than in 1990. Global warming is causing long-lasting changes to our climate system, which threatens irreversible consequences if we do not act.

The annual average economic losses from climate-related disasters are in the hundreds of billions of dollars. This is not to mention the human impact of geo-physical disasters, which are 91 percent climate-related, and which between 1998 and 2017 killed 1.3 million people, and left 4.4 billion injured. The goal aims to mobilize US$100 billion annually by 2020 to address the needs of developing countries to both adapt to climate change and invest in low-carbon development.

Supporting vulnerable regions will directly contribute not only to Goal 13 but also to the other SDGs. These actions must also go hand in hand with efforts to integrate disaster risk measures, sustainable natural resource management, and human security into national development strategies. It is still possible, with strong political will, increased investment, and using existing technology, to limit the increase in global mean temperature

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to two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, aiming at 1.5°C, but this requires urgent and ambitious collective action.

Life on land Human life depends on the earth as much as the ocean for our sustenance and livelihoods. Plant life provides 80 percent of the human diet, and we rely on agriculture as an important economic resources. Forests cover 30 percent of the Earth’s surface, provide vital habitats for millions of species, and important sources for clean air and water, as well as being crucial for combating climate change.

Every year, 13 million hectares of forests are lost, while the persistent degradation of drylands has led to the desertification of 3.6 billion hectares, disproportionately affecting poor communities.

While 15 percent of land is protected, biodiversity is still at risk. Nearly 7,000 species of animals and plants have been illegally traded. Wildlife trafficking not only erodes biodiversity, but creates insecurity, fuels conflict, and feeds corruption.

Urgent action must be taken to reduce the loss of natural habitats and biodiversity which are part of our common heritage and support global food and water security, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and peace and security.

Resources This section prepared with Creative Cities Network and UNDP Sustainable Development Goals.

Also you can see Smart Cities Council