Showing papers in "Urban Design International in 2016"

The science of urban design

Abstract: In a provocative paper Marshall (2012) suggests that a range of seminal urban design theories stemming from the 1960s – Jacobs, Alexander, Lynch and Cullen – can be construed as pseudo-science because they have not been tested empirically. Adding Sitte and Cerda, we take this provocation as a chance to raise some questions about the nature of urban design knowledge, theory and practice. We suggest that this work is not and cannot be empirical science but is based in the detailed observation of cities using multiple logics. While there is an emerging science of cities, urban design knowledge is much broader, spanning both natural and social sciences as well as the arts and humanities. We also argue that it is a particular form of diagrammatic socio-spatial knowledge that cannot be reduced to either words or numbers. These thinkers remain seminal more for the questions they open than the answers they provide.

‘What is space syntax not?’ Reflections on space syntax as sociospatial theory

Abstract: Few approaches have been quite so polemical and have stirred quite so many different responses as space syntax. This article is not an introduction to space syntax; rather it aims to discuss its substantive reach and epistemological status. To this end I make use of one of the simplest – though not necessarily the best or easiest – ways of understanding something: namely, defining what something is not. This negative path will lead us to a series of observations concerning the nature of the theory in order to highlight, on the one hand, its main contributions, such as the emphases on social reproduction, co-presence and the embodiment of practice; its hybrid epistemology; its relational concept of space; and the reaffirmation of space as a living dimension. On the other hand, it shall discuss the limits of the theory concerning society–space relations: the reduction of social practice to movement, human interaction to social interfaces and encounter, and the actor to bodily presence; the primacy of syntax over semantics; the problem of time in the structuring of space; and the difficulties of theoretical contribution. Finally I look to discuss the theory’s place regarding distinctions between urban and sociospatial theories, and dilemmas to be faced in its future development.

Aesthetic design thinking model for urban environments: A survey based on a review of the literature

Abstract: The primary aim of this qualitative grounded theory study is to unpack a method to understand the construction of aesthetic meaning, addressing the context differentiation. It is hypothesised in this study that the process of aesthetic cognition and the indicators thereof have different meanings in different urban contexts. In this regard, by conducting a systematic review of 140 qualitative studies that have been published since 1970s (in the 1970s, there was a movement towards the study of the aesthetic quality of the urban environment), this study proposes an aesthetic design thinking model to elucidate how built and non-built environmental factors of urban spatial configuration affect human perception. Our study demonstrates that every aesthetic response to the environment is derived from a communication between contemplative feeling, sensual desire and an immediate state of involvement. The findings contribute useful evidence to enhance our knowledge regarding to the role of formal and symbolic meanings of space configurations on aesthetic cognition of the urban environment.

Active centers – interactive edges: The rise and fall of ground floor frontages

Abstract: The ground floors of buildings are a key element of the urban experience, yet the dynamics that shape frontages are largely unknown. This article delves into the forces and patterns behind the transforming relationship between architecture and public space in Western urban cores over the past century. After defining a methodology for structurally measuring the interactivity of ground floor frontages over time, the study focuses on two case study urban cores of Detroit, Michigan and The Hague, Netherlands. Through a combination of narrative historiography, detailed mapping and statistical studies a set of recommendations is generated to help urban designers and planners better understand and counter frontage decline. The two seemingly disparate cities are demonstrated to have undergone remarkably similar patterns of frontage interactivity erosion, with outcomes diverging as a result of an often reinforcing set of forces. Only upon understanding frontages as social, economic, cultural, political and technological constructs with physical, functional and connotative effects on public space will the profession be able to effectively steer the future of the architecture of public life.

A typology of Urban Design theories and its application to the shared body of knowledge

Abstract: This article consists of two parts. The first part suggests a typology for urban design theories in order to provide a new way of understanding the nature and function of the, seemingly opposing, debates existing in the field. This typology is based on distinguishing between subjects, object and knowledge of urban design. In the second part, the typology is applied to the shared body of knowledge. In order to do so, this article attempts to give an overview of the current shared body of knowledge in the field of urban design. The reading lists of urban design theory courses, drawn from different universities in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia, are analysed to identify common texts. These texts are then considered to be one reading of what constitutes the shared body of knowledge. A comparison is made between this list of titles and those texts offered in various urban design readers to provide a better overall picture of the shared body of knowledge. Finally, a chronological analysis is made to illustrate the development of the three types of urban design theory.

The transformation of public space in South Africa and the role of urban design

Abstract: Public spaces have changed significantly over the past 20 years in South Africa because of new urban conditions brought about by a range of political, economic and cultural changes. As urban design has the potential to play a key role in the transformation of public space, the article explores this role within the South African context as perceived by practising urban designers. Although it is pointed out that urban design has a significant role to play in terms of framing the vision for future spaces and improving their function, it also identifies a number of challenges related to opposing worldviews and contrasting ways of understanding space, as well as different claims for urban spaces from various groups. Given this duality between European and African visions of space, it requires a purposeful reconsideration of the meaning and nature of public space for various groups within the South African context.

Urban development process and creative clustering: The film industry in Soho and Beyoğlu

Abstract: The article focuses on the urban development process that contributes to creative clustering of the film industry in Soho and Beyoglu. It explains how different policy-led and organic development processes have shaped location patterns of creative clusters. It also discusses the role of urban design in the formation, growth and sustainability of creative clustering. The findings of this cross-national study suggest that the overall quality of place that attracts and retains creative clusters is related to place-making processes, including both policy-led interventions and organic dynamics of the places. The study strongly suggests that sustainability of creative clustering results from the successful integration of public policy with organic change and policy-led initiatives, if informed by, and backed by local community and business interests, which can counterbalance the negative effect of market forces on clusters. Although there is little that urban design itself can do to initiate clustering, once the conditions favouring clustering have developed organically, then urban design, stewardship and coordinated action between the urban actors all have a role in supporting the continued existence of co-location and economic prosperity of these clusters.

Shaping suburbia: A comparison of state-led and market-led suburbs in Seoul Metropolitan Area, South Korea

Abstract: The Seoul Metropolitan Area (SMA), South Korea, is a region where two distinct types of suburbs exist today, new towns developed by the public sector and suburban communities by the private. This article comparatively analyzes Bundang, a state-led new town, and Suji, a market-led community, in the SMA in terms of two key foci. The first is urban form characteristics, which include land use pattern, street pattern and circulation, public open space, built form pattern, and control. The other is residents’ livability and satisfaction, which include public transit service and use and neighborhood satisfaction. Findings suggest that Bundang outperforms Suji in all aspects, demonstrating the benefits and effectiveness of planning in shaping suburbia, while Suji shows many negative signs of sprawl.

Perceived legibility in relation to path choice of commuters in central business district

Abstract: Commuters are the major group of pedestrians who walk for daily transportation along the short pathways between the metro stations and their workplaces in the central business district (CBD) of Kuala Lumpur. Shorter walking times and shorter distances are significant criteria in commuter path choice; however, in the presence of multiple pathways of virtually the same length, the criteria of perceived time and perceived distance play the key role in path choice. In this regard, this study investigates perceived legibility (PL) as an alternative path choice criterion for commuters on the basis of its hypothesized correlation with perceived time. For commuters, a more legible pathway is a well-signed directional pathway, which generates a strong sense of direction toward the destinations along it. As Perceived legibility (PL) is assumed to be a positive factor for commuters’ choice of path, the main question of this research is whether the highest PL is taken into account by commuters as an important path choice criterion in the case of available alternative pathways of almost the same length. In this regard, the importance of the highest PL for commuters’ path choice was examined in comparison with other probable path choice criteria. In addition, the components of the highest PL were explored according to the perceptions of commuters. It was conducted in nine zones of the CBD of Kuala Lumpur. The zones were selected and finalized based on the design of the zone selection process. The collected data were processed using two consecutive survey questionnaires and an observational analysis. The highest PL showed moderate importance regarding commuter path choice. However, because of the significant correlation between PL and perceived time as well as sense of pleasance as two of the most important path choice criteria, highest PL or strongest sense of direction toward the destination is taken into account as one of the key factors for commuter path choice. Furthermore, factors such as the presence of buildings according to their height and facade, and commuters’ greater ability to see their destination point while walking, were found to be components of PL. Such relationships indicate the importance of these physical and visual factors for improving the path choice and walking rates of commuters in the CBD.

The extended home: Dividual space and liminal domesticity in Tokyo and Seoul

Abstract: In Tokyo and Seoul a new type of space has emerged: dividual space. This space consists of commercial venues offering easy access to a surplus of contents and experiences with the private comforts and convenience associated with domesticity. These venues proliferate in Japanese and Korean cities as, for example, the Karaoke Box (small Karaoke rooms) and DVD Bang (rooms for watching DVDs). Anonymous multi-tenant buildings encapsulating dividual space facilitate its accessibility and infiltration of the city. More than ordinary entertainment or compensation for deficient homes, dividual space has become an integral part of everyday life and expanded the possibilities of city dwelling. Dividual space challenges accepted theoretical categories for understanding the city: It blurs distinctions between the home and the city into gradations of domesticity in urban space. Modes of socialization occurring in dividual space cannot be understood as private or public, but instead as intermediate liminal zones where individuals behave in a private mode in public settings. Domesticity and liminality characterize dividual space not only as an East-Asian phenomenon, but also as a broadly urban condition of density and mobility. An examination of dividual space therefore contributes to the literatures of Architecture and Urban Studies seeking to understand cities undergoing similar processes.

Courtyard housing in North America: Chinese design for health and happiness

Abstract: Health and happiness are fundamental to human quality of life. The Healthy Cities or Happy Cities movement has been endorsed by the WHO since 1986, and a Healthy House or Happy Home is a critical component of a healthy city or a happy city. Nevertheless, the concept has not been fully explored. Existing literature on the healthy house has often focused on the technical, economic, environmental or biochemical aspects, while current scholarship on the happy home commonly centers on interior decoration. Using both qualitative and quantitative evidence gathered from ethnic Chinese living in the United States and Canada, this article proposes that the Courtyard is a central element to promote social and cultural health and happiness of residents. It further presents four courtyard garden house design models that combine a sense of privacy with a feeling of community as represented in courtyard housing. The schemes may have universal implications.

Open-ended urbanisms: Space-making processes in the protest encampment of the Indignados movement in Barcelona

Abstract: This article studies the spontaneous and organic processes involved in the physical planning of protest encampments. Drawing from ethnographic work in the context of the Indignados Movement in Barcelona, it analyzes the spatial evolution and transformation of the Plaza Catalunya encampment in 2011. The encampments evolved in parallel to the conversations and questions that originated them online and off-line. Thus, it particularly examines the notions of open planning (that is, open-source and open-ended decision-making processes) and urban laboratories that the fieldwork indicates were tested in the space of the encampment. The objective is to understand how urban space can be planned through non-hierarchical space-making processes and without a homogeneous overarching structure. This article situates in a larger discussion about alternative space-making processes such as insurgent, tactical planning, as well as in the recent conversations about open-source cities.

The pedestrian bridge as everyday place in high-density cities: An urban reference for necessity and sufficiency of placemaking

Abstract: This article explores the pedestrian bridges in Hong Kong and the idea of pedestrian bridges as everyday places in a high-density city. On the basis of a physical survey of pedestrian bridges and intensive observations of people’s everyday use of such bridges, this study reveals people’s everyday bridge use, the multiple roles of pedestrian bridges in high-density cities and the process of everyday placemaking. More importantly, taking the concept of ‘pedestrian bridge as everyday place’, the frameworks of necessity and sufficiency for placemaking, and then for place-led development, are summarised and discussed. This article contributes to generate an elaborative framework of everyday placemaking with respect to the dynamic relationship between micro-scale spatial characteristics and people’s everyday behaviour. Built on the framework of placemaking, a performance-based actionable placemaking strategy is then proposed, to clarify the roles of designer, planner, regulator and ordinary everyday users in the process of placemaking.

Modularity and sustainability: Eindhoven as an example of pragmatic sustainable design

Abstract: Sustainability has become the transdisciplinary buzzword of urbanism. Sustainability can be leveraged as an integrated tool that can fortify design and redesign of urban forms that are deemed ‘unsustainable’. For this study, sustainability is given criteria, following the methodology of Frey, and applied to the redesign of an actual existing city. This methodology reorganizes cities or districts into ‘urban quarters’, which are modular units within the city. In this manner, the city of Eindhoven, The Netherlands was taken as a case study and the sustainability criteria given by Frey’s method were used to analyse and identify the levels of sustainability in urban quarters in Woensel, a district of Eindhoven. The results indicate that a grand part of the evaluated areas as unsustainable possess characteristics that diagnose a loss of modularity principally in the quarters in the north of Woensel. A redesign proposal is presented, to modularly restructure the district Woensel. The development of a large urban unit is carried out as example, through the union of sustainable and unsustainable areas.

Morphological logic in historical settlements: Space syntax analyses of residential districts at Mohenjo-Daro, Kahun and Ur

Abstract: The degree of ‘planning’ in historical sites has been always dominated by measures of geometry and has, therefore, always oscillated between geometric, as ‘planned’, and organic, as ‘unplanned’. In this article, the spatial formation of four residential districts in three contemporaneous historical settlements, Mohenjo-Daro, Kahun and Ur, is examined to show that their patterns were governed not only by geometrical possibilities, but rather by certain needs of access and visibility. The article considers the application of Space Syntax methods to provide an evidence for the correspondences between the geometrical properties and certain considerations in each society, coming to the conclusion that the organic patterns of the site of Ur do not necessarily refer to lack of planning, but were possibly intended to meet certain defensive, social or climatic considerations.

A proposal for landscape design process based on scenario writing phases in cinema and its application in the Darabad route, Tehran, Iran

Abstract: Many urban design experts consider a landscape to be a network of urban spaces in which a viewer can perceive sequential events and spaces while in motion. As the experience of time and movement in a landscape is evinced by consecutive views, sequence classification of these events can be beneficial for defining perceived experience. Nevertheless, very limited studies have been conducted on the correlation between temporal experiences of a moving viewer and a narrative of landscape in urban landscape design. Appleyard et al look at this subject in their book The View from the Road in 1964, and implicitly point to a process of landscape design that is comparable with the art of scenario writing. In a continuation of Appleyard et al’s study about motion in landscape, the purpose of this study is to investigate the possibility of a relationship between time-related experiences while moving through a landscape and the structure of scenario making in cinema and dramatic narratives. Consideration of narrative, spatial dimensions, time and motion are the common aspects of scenario writing and landscape design. These similarities also appear in the corresponding terminologies of design and cinema (discussed below), with shared terms such as scenario, frames, plans, events, turning points and climax. The method of this research employs a comparative analysis between the process of writing a scenario in cinema and the process of designing an urban landscape in a pathway. An inference model is then proposed that provides landscape designers with a scenario of movement in a landscape that encompasses stories of place. Finally, the proposed design process is applied in a recreational pathway as a case study in northern Tehran.

Exploring the impact of urban neighbourhood environment on satisfaction with life in public housing in Nigeria

Abstract: The physical, social and economic aspects of urban neighbourhood environment are known to influence the well-being of residents. However, there is a paucity of empirical evidence on which aspects of urban neighbourhood environment has the most significant impact on satisfaction with life (SwL). This study investigated the influence of urban neighbourhood environment on SwL using data derived from a questionnaire survey of 517 resident of public housing in Ogun State southwest Nigeria. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, factor and regression analyses. Difference in satisfaction with neighbourhood environment and SwL was observed and this was because of differences in the income and tenure status of the residents. Although, the result also indicates that security, socio-economic environment and levels of noise and privacy in the neighbourhoods have a significant influence on residents’ SwL, the aspect of urban neighbourhood environment that needs more attention to enhance residents’ SwL in the residential setting is security of lives and property. This implies that architects and urban designers must pay adequate attention to security issues in mass housing projects in Nigeria and other developing countries.

Tall buildings and lessons for Colombo, Sri Lanka

Abstract: Tall buildings have always been a subject of controversy. Under post-war construction programs, the Government of Sri Lanka, through its development arm, the Urban Development Authority, has designed and launched large-scale development projects that include the construction of highways, hotels, shipping ports and international airports. Development initiatives in urban areas include a series of high-rise hotels and residences within the city of Colombo, many on public lands overlooking the Indian Ocean, Beira Lake, and other environmentally sensitive areas. This article explores whether the planning and development regime in the City of Colombo is prepared for this unprecedented growth in tall buildings. Using best practices from Toronto, Vancouver, London, Hong Kong and Abu Dhabi, which have experienced similar developments, coupled with the analysis of five high-rise projects in Colombo, this article analyzes and compares the state of urban design in Colombo. Along with a few suggestions about overall urban development process, it proposes appropriate urban design and planning measures in the Colombo context to identify where tall buildings should be located, how high they should be, and how they should fit with each other and the public streets and spaces around them. It argues that the new tall developments should be transit oriented and environmentally friendly.