Dundee the Urban Design Guide

7/31/2019 Dundee the Urban Design Guide

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DUNDEE

THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDE


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What is Urban Design? 2

IntroductionIntroductionIntroductionIntroductionIntroduction 3

Par t 1 The Evolution of Dundee 4

Par t 2 Urban Design Pr inciples 10

Context and Local Distinctiveness 11

Sustainabil i ty 13

New Buildings 15

Safe and Attractive Residential Streets 17

Public Ar t 19

Design Statements 21

To Reawaken Civic Pr ide 24

Further Reading 25

Co n t en t s


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What is Urban Design?

U r b a n D e s i g n i s d e f i n e d a s t h e

relationship between different building s:

the relationship between b uildings and the

streets, squares, parks, waterways and

other spaces which make up the public

domain; the nature and quali ty of the

public domain itself; the relationship of

one part of a vil lage, town or city with

other parts; a nd the patterns of mo vem ent

and a ctivity which are thereby established;

i n s h o r t , t h e c o m p l e x r e l a t i o n s h i p s

between al l the elements of bui l t and

unbuilt space.

A l l n e w d e v e l o p m e n t , n o t o n l yregeneration, requires a thoughtful d esign

app roach an d a n ap preciation of existing

buil t form .

URBAN DESIG N ALLIAN CE


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The urb an r ealm is the setting fo r civic life. Itcomprises our streets, parks monuments and

buildings as well as the events which happen

i n t h e m . C i v i c l i f e i s e n r i c h e d b y

developments which welcome a broad range

of p eople a nd is im poverished b y those which

exclude or discourage all but a na rrow ran ge

of users. The diversity of socio- econom ic

needs and multi-use activ it ies required to

sustain society gives a r ich vitality to the urba n

environment yet this balance of needs is a

fragile achievement.

In t r o duc t io n

Everybo dy sup po rts the idea of ha ving a hig h-qua lity environm ent but usually feels som eone

else is respo nsible for creating or m ain tainin g

it. The purpo se of this Urb an D esign G uide is

t o i n fo r m a n d e n c o u r a g e a l l t h o s e w h o

collectively shap e the ap peara nce of D und ee,

to share a vision fo r future developm ents which

will explore and enrich the grain of the city

and progress its unique character.

This guide wil l provide a common point ofreference for those involved with land use

p l a n n i n g a n d d e v e l o p m e n t , w i t h t r a f f i c

management strategies and with the design

and maintenance of public places.

This guide comprises two parts:This guide comprises two parts:This guide comprises two parts:This guide comprises two parts:This guide comprises two parts:

PPPPPart 1art 1art 1art 1art 1 looks at the history and evolution of

Du nd ee, m ore recent developm ent trends andalso describes current thinking on how to

achieve better la nd use patterns for the future.

PPPPPart 2ar t 2ar t 2ar t 2ar t 2 explains the purpose of the Urban

Des ign Guide and sets out the pr inc ipa l

ob jectives to be p ursued. This part also states

the Design Principles for develop ers an d their

agents to help in addressing the objectives of

the G uide. The Gu idelines are il lustrated by

reference to actual d evelopm ents in D und ee

which can offer practical solutions for wider

application.


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His tor ica l ly , towns were shaped by the i rlocation, their principal econom ic purpose and

their natural topo gra phy. Their hinterlands

were sma l l and d i f fe ren t towns took on

differen t identities qu ite na turally. In the case

of Dun dee the pattern of grow th from m edieval

burgh to major whal ing por t and then to

industr ia l c i ty wi th associated docks and

railyards rema ined spatially coherent until well

into this century. Pub lic bu ildin gs were obviousas such due to their prominence of site and

architectural style. O pen spa ces were edg ed

or sheltered by building s and had m uch lower

volum es of traff ic tha n tod ay, being also used

for markets or conducting business outdoors.

Dun dees transform ation over the last century

has been phenom enal. A variety of factors

were at play, such as the drive to clear the

Victoria n slums, the need to q uickly bu ild newhousing a nd the desire to a ccom mo date m uch

high er volum es of traffic on new an d im pro ved

roa ds. After World Wa r II, the ethos of the

free standing buildin g surround ed by parkland

a l l o w i n g u n i m p e d e d t r a f f i c f l o w s w a s

pr om oted as the ideal. In city centres the old

tenements and wor ksho ps were systema tically

d e m o l i s h e d . T h e c o m p r e h e n s i v e

redevelopm ents of the 196 0s liberated ma nypeople from crowded and unhealthy l iv ing

cond i t i ons , des t royed much o f the p re -

Victorian Dundee and in doing so left many

awkward sites, particularly in the city centre

where earl ier development and ownership

pa tterns were mo re comp licated.

Par t 1THE EVOLUTION OF DUNDEE

O vergate/ Tally Street; late 19th century view. A backdro p of mod est

mixed use structures formed the counterfoil to the classical public

buildings and contributed to a lively streetscape.

High Street at the turn of the century. The Trad es Hall and Town

House are dom inant and the entire space is available for a multi tude

of uses. The Pil lars arcade and num erous awnings offer additional

shelter for pedestrians.

The High Street and the O vergate in the 195 0s. No te the architecturalform of the lodging house to the centre right albeit in a poor state of

repair.


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Until recently many roads were designedprimarily to accommodate ever increasing car

numbers, with pedestrians given a lower status.

On the busiest roads this has led to a complete

segregation of pedestrians and vehicles.

Modern roads have become much more

divisive than the streets of the past, with wide

roads creating difficulties for pedestrians and

vehicles to safely coexist.

The 20th Century has brought great changes

to the appearance of our city and to the lifestyle

of city dwellers, but the wisdom of land use

patterns which generate more and more traffic

is now being questioned. Since the 1960s the

practice of zoning or segregating different uses

of land from each other and the rates of

personal car ownership have both greatly

increased and are interdependent to a large

extent.

While the initial spur to distance the tenements

from the mills for public health reasons gave

us industrial and housing estates we now have

other such single-use areas as the shopping

centre, the retail park, the leisure park, even

the business park.

A development pattern of zones or estates may

be acceptable to those with cars but it isacknowledged as being difficult to service with

public transport and it leads to the isolation of

large sections of the community such as the

very young and the very old, the disabled and

the underprivileged.

The attractions and health of historic urban

quarters are being looked at afresh with

informed clarity and vision.

The Inner Ring Road effectively divides Dundee from its waterfront

and the priority given to keeping vehicular traffic moving has resulted

in inconvenience to pedestrians.

The creation of the West Marketgait left many awkward sites that

have only recently been developed. The junction between the

Marketgait and the Nethergate should be redressed to re-establish

the continuity of the city centre to the Perth Road.

A flat in Menzieshill was a dream come true for those who left theovercrowded and insanitary slums of the city centre.


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In architectural terms, a mono tony and sam enessin buildings across the whole country has becom e

the accepted practice. It is po ssib le to find

sizeable housing estates where all the homes

are alike creating a pla celessness which of fers

little in the way of d istinctive chara cter, long term

sustainab ility and valued amenity. The result is

a series of discrete estates for separate uses tha t

often become impenetrable, no-go areas for

anyone not living or working in the area andqua lity of the urban environm ent is dim inished.

In the last ten years, follo wing the com pletion

of th e Inner Ring Roa d, i t has been p ossible to

repla ce scenes of traffic cong estion in the city

centre with pedestr ianised streets of high

am enity value pa ved in natural ma terials of

quality and of an attractive detailed design

which accommodates street furni ture and

sculpture unique in design to Dundee.

O ne m easure of the success of th e recent

im provem ents is that it is no w po ssible to enjo y

a m eal or a dr ink outdoo rs as mo re and mo re

caterers are ut i l is ing th is opt ion for their

custom ers an d pr ovidin g a lively an d transient

streetscape with in m an y parts of the city. The

recent redevelopm ent of the O vergate Centre

also adds a high ly successful an d p op ular retail

centre to the city draw ing shop pers from afar.

The num ber of p eople choosing to live in the

city centre is increasing which sug gests a g oo d

ba lance is growing between the convenience

and privacy standards for residents and the

c o n t i n u i n g p r o m o t i o n o f c o m m e r c i a l

enterprise with the provision o f a wide ra nge

of leisure activities.

Edge of town retail parks cater primarily to car owners.

The old Wellgate had a diversity of uses and gave direct access to

and fro m the Hil l town at a l l times.

Toda y Reform Street offers op por tunities for cafe society.


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Suburbs evolved to accommodate the nuclearfamily, but families are changing and

households are becoming smaller. The trend

nowadays is for many people to marry late

after living alone or in short-term partnerships.

Families tend to have fewer children than

before and a large proportion of marriages

end in divorce, leaving the partners single

again or as lone parents. People live long

after their children have left home, as couplesor alone.

A truly sustainable development is one that

can accommodate the changing

circumstances of people throughout their lives

whether they are breaking up or settling down,

growing up or growing old. But most

contemporary housing estates offer little

choice of house type and may be quite

unsuited to the householders of the future.

For environmental and social reasons as well

as concerns about poor standards of urban

design, there is now a greater resistance to

the tendency for cities, towns, villages and the

countryside to be co me sh ap el es sl y

suburban. It is now policy at all levels of

government to encourage environmentally

sustainable and socially inclusive patterns of

development and the recommendations of theUrban Task Force have recently given impetus

and direction to these objectives.

To promote the principles of sustainability and

social inclusion, it is important that we ensure

that all developments make the best possible

use of the natural resources of the site and

that, where appropriate, a mix of uses and

tenures is incorporated into the package.

When catering to traffic is the principal design influence on the layout

of housing estates, it is not surprising that roads and hardstandings

come to dominate the overall environment.

Cul-de-sac developments result in a less permeable settlement. In

the diagram there is little choice of route across the area and high

traffic flows would be generated on the through routes. By contrastthe street pattern layout of Craigiebank allows multiple choices of

route for both vehicles and pedestrians.


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We also n eed to integrate transportation andland use plann ing to ensure new developm ents

are located so as to reinforce the viability of

existing centres an d pu blic transpo rt services.

Adh erence to these prin ciples can red uce the

need for people to travel and reduce the

environm ental impa ct of traffic by encouraging

wa lking an d cycling in stead o f the use of cars.

U l t imate ly the c reat ion o f a t t rac t ive and

success fu l p laces and the p romot ion o f

sustainable patterns of l iving, working and

travelling are wholly compatible objectives.

The t rad i t i ona l pa t te rn o f u rban g rowth

g e n er a te d r e l a t i v e l y d e n s e

neighbourhoods by todays s tandards but

where they survive, such areas remain very

po pula r. M any areas like the West End or

central Broughty Ferry have a very distinct

character by virtue of their mixed use nature,

and possess a real sense of place.

Ana lysis of such areas reveal com m on q ualities

such as ;

! a well ba lanced m ix of uses

! catering for the private car without

encouraging its use and being safe

for wa lking an d cycling

! having a strong identity usually by

h a v i n g w e l l - k n o w n l a n d m a r k

buildings, busy outdoor focal points

or interesting views out to the wider

area.

Although planning practice since the 1960s

ha s m itigated aga inst m ixed-u se developm ent

patterns, there is evidence that things are

beginn ing to com e full circle with the benefitsThe Hilltown clock is instantly recognised and functions as a locallandmark for the area.

A bustling High Street.


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of m ixed-use, m ixed- tenure communi t iesbeing increasingly recognised.

Prop onents of m ixed-use developm ent argu e

that s ince we al l need to work, shop, be

educated, and enjoy some recreation, the

closer and m ore integra ted these functions are,

the m ore contented we are likely to be. The

case is also well supported by environmental

considerations.

A better environment for pedestr ians and

cyclists an d the redu ced use of the priva te car

can help m ake pla ces bo th safer an d h ealthier.

The term urban vi l lage is now commonly

und erstood as a concept which aim s to bring

together the vibrancy, culture and variety of

the city, yet retaining the intimacy, ease of

access and human scale which create strong

and lasting comm unities. It is a pla ce wherethe elements of design which o ften characterise

s u c c e s s fu l h i s t o r i c n e i g h b o u r h o o d s a r e

rediscovered and where home and work,

le i su re and re ta i l oppor tun i t i es a re we l l

integrated.

This type of d evelop m ent can b ring social and

economic benefits to our area and may be

well suited to accomm odating a wide range

of household types in the future.

O n street parking b etween pavement buildouts

Wider frontage housing can accept frontage parking whilst sti l l

al lowing a reasonab le area for soft landscaping

Frontage parking with shared drives - useful where it is desirable to

limit pa vement crossovers e.g. fro nting m ain ro ads or to avoid existing

trees.

Parking to the side can allow the housing to be set forward containing

the street.

A shared drive to garag ing at the rear al lows the housing to b e set

forward and closely spaced maintaining street enclosure.

Thoughtful Car Parking Layouts1

1Birming ham City Council - Places for Living 2 001


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The Urban Design Principles have a dualpurp ose -

Firstly, b y setting the criteria for develop ers and

designers about to embark on new projects,

t h e p r i n c i p l e s a r e i n t e n d e d t o s e t t h e

framework for urba n design in D undee.

By reference to developm ents in D und ee, they

aim to ra ise design expectations generally an d

dem onstrate that achieving go od d evelopm entis a thoughtfu l rather than an onerous or

expensive task.

The prin ciples have been developed a s a d irect

response to encourage and foster the good

design ethos of NPPG 1 and 3 and are in

accordance wi th the Scott ish Execut ives

aspirations of A Policy on Architecture for

Scot land , and Design ing Places . The

principles also augment the standards laiddo wn in Policy H1 0 of the Local Plan which set

a m inimum safeguard of satisfactory standa rds

of p rivacy, ga rden g roun d, p arking spa ces etc.

in new developm ents.

T h e U r b a n D e s i g n p r i n c i p l e s c r e a t e a

f r a m e w o r k a g a i n s t w h i c h a q u a l i t a t i v e

assessm ent of developm ent pro po sals can b e

m ad e. G oo d design control requires such an

approach.

Par t 2Th e Ur ban Des ign Pr inc ipl es

The Urban Design Principles outline the CityCouncils design expectations at a city-wide

level. Inevitab ly, the principles, from time to

t i m e , w i l l n e e d t o b e a u g m e n t e d b y

D evelop m ent Briefs fo r specifi c sites. Past

experience suggests that Development Briefs

can ha ve a significant influence on the qua lity

o f proposa ls submi t ted for approva l and

henceforth Briefs will be a means to further

promote and il lustrate the objectives of theUrba n Design G uide.

The prin ciples are a rrang ed into six topic a reas

11111 Co ntext and LCon text and LCo ntext and LCon text and LCo ntext and Loca l D istinctivenessocal Di stinctivenessoca l D istinctivenessocal Di stinctivenessoca l D istinctiveness

22222 SustainabilitySustainabilitySustainabilitySustainabilitySustainability

33333 N ew BuildingsN ew BuildingsN ew BuildingsN ew BuildingsN ew Buildings

44444 Safe and Attractive Residential StreetsSafe and Attractive Residential StreetsSafe and Attractive Residential StreetsSafe and Attractive Residential StreetsSafe and Attractive Residential Streets

55555 Pub lic ArtPub lic ArtPub lic ArtPub lic ArtPub lic Art

66666 Design statements.Design statements.Design statements.Design statements.Design statements.

Each of these topics is dealt with individually

on the accom pa nying p ag es. In time these six

p r inc ip les may be supp lemented by the

inclusion of others.


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Con

text&

Local

Distin

ctiven

ess

Co ntext is crucial. It is form ed by the chara cter and lo cation within wh ich a

project is to be developed, drawing on the existing built form, open space,

infra structure an d existing com m unity. If the aim o f high q uality places is to

be a chieved the design m ust be info rm ed from the context in a cohesive and

inclusive approach to reinforce and develop the character of its locality and

to ensure that the unique identity of a place is not ha rm ed.

Popular places are often familiar and distinctive in type and detail, it is this

distinctiveness that gives an area its character and helps people to find their

way about the city, to read the urban environment as a series of distinct, not

separa te, com m unity areas.

Desig n Prin cip le Elem ents :

Character the a im is to bu i ld on loca l character, not necessar ily copy i t.

Iden ti ty a development should respect the constra in ts o f a si te and the

detailing should d raw strength from local identity to a void the

placelessness formed when standardised design solutions

are used.

Landscape an a ttracti ve and wel l deta i led landscape p lan shou ld be

developed in conjunct ion wi th the bui l t form design, not

second ary to it.

Infrastructure the existing site and surroun din g infrastructures m ust be

enhanced to p rovide a valid network of p ermeab le streets and

attract ive open amenity spaces to s trengthen the local

community facilities.



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The Georgian elegance of form and

mater ia l imp lementa t ion se ts the

grandeur and formality of South Tay

Street.

The Hillcrest Housing Association building

in Dock Street responds to the local context

in the use of materials, detail and height to

result in a new building which sits hap pily inand contributes to the 19th century terrace.

The retention, restoration and reuse of the existing building in its landscape setting

allows the design agenda of new buildings to be of a practical form dom inated by

the landscape plan .

The character of C raigiebank is determined by the flowing l ines of

the original m asterplan a nd land scape design resulting in an alm ost

Arcadian neighbourhood.

Dundee High School of formal urban classicism

form ing the visual term ination to Reform Street and

comm anding and d efining Euclid Crescent.

c o n t ext & l o cal d is t in c t iv en es s


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The objective of good urban design is to develop environmental and social

sustain ab ility whilst achieving econo m ic viability.

At each key stage of the design process decisions are made regarding the

constraints of cost, materials, construction techniques and the overall design.

Each of these decisions must be tempered by selecting the sustainable option

offering the m ost benefit in ord er that the vision o f a hea lthy, rob ust and stim ulating

society constantly aspiring for imp rovement can be a ttained.


Environment

In fra structu re co nsid era tio n of new co nstra in ts p la ced u po n th e

existing networks.

Sp ace Use site la yo ut to ma xim ise so la r g ain b y o rienta tio n and

the relationship to the existing built fabric.

M ateria ls retentio n a nd reuse o f a lrea dy b uilt structures where

pra ctical with the know ledgeab le im plementation of

new construction materials.

U til ities the thoughtful accom m odation o f car parking with

go od land scaping, the pro vision o f the waste recycling

centres onsite or on adjacent sites and innovative

ap pro aches to waste an d wa ter recycling w ithin each

building.

Social

Design form ation of an attractive developm ent for the greater

enhancement of the city as a primary catalyst of the

Local Ag end a 2 1 , and as a future legacy for the city.

Sp ace Use crea tio n of p ractica l p ub lic and private rea lm s with in

a site.

Space provide m inim um room size/ minim um num ber o f

Standards room s/ m inim um externa l space.

G o vern ment D un dee Lo ca l Pla n/ H 1 0 / Build in g Sta nd ard s/ So cia l

Po licy Inclusion.

Economic

M ateria ls Eva luate the long term im plica tions o f a quick -

fixso lution .

Energy the use o f technica l advances of active and passive

strategies to a lleviate the strain .Q uality good design is not necessarily expensive design

Su

stainability



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Replacement Scottish oak windows at Powrie

Place, Dundee, using oak grown near

Inverness, converted to lumber at

Newtonmore and manufactured into

windows at Kirkmichael. The windows were

then installed in Dundee benefiting the

economy and promoting social inclusion by

supporting employment and contributing to

the reduction of global warming.

The re-use of an existing listed mill to create city centre accessible homes

whilst retaining the historic built form and street pattern, transport

infrastructures and aiming to build upon the community of the Lochee

area.

The 1980s car-orientated proposals for the North East Arterial. This has been replaced by traffic management and

realignment proposals promoting sustainable transportation policies that will conserve the Albert Street area, save substantial

acquisition and construction costs and avoid creating physical barriers between residents and their amenity.


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Ne

wBui

lding

s

New buildings, extensions and infil l developments should be well designed,

flexible and o utward ly expressive as to their pur po se. An ag enda o f ima gina tive

and innovative contemp orary architecture is soug ht to discoura ge off-the-peg

design a nd deb ased version s of historica l styles.


D esig n n ew bu ild in gs a nd d evelo pm en ts m u st p resen t a d esig nsolution ap pro priate to the site and context and be constructed

in m aterials consistent with the design app roa ch ad op ted.

Reg en er atio n e x i st i n g b u i l d i n g s sh o u l d a l w a y s b e c o n si d e r e d f o r

regenerat ion rather than demol i t ion and replacement to

sustain a built form representing em bo died energy, a n existing

infrastructure and o n occasion a n urba n m icroclima te.

D eta il th e d esig n elem en ts o f eleva tio ns, r oo f lin es, do o rs, win d ow s,

m aterials and floorscap e should draw from the site context toretain and create valued places.

Fa ca d e th e a b ility o f a desig n to tu rn a co rn er to a d evelo p m en t,

and not present a blank ga ble, has an im portan t contribution

to make in planning the urban form .

Innovation new bui ld ing solutions are to be encouraged, especial ly wi th

residential pro po sals, to accomm od ate a m od ern lifestyle and

be flexible enou gh to a ccom m od ate future lifestyle changes

and needs.

Inclusive the key to producing good build ings is simply thoughtful design

Approach and deta i ling , the use o f good construction mater ia ls w ith a

particular attention being paid to the interface relationship

between the building and the street.



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Dundee Contemporary Arts - a sophist icated modern bui ld ing

enclosing a series of ar ts spaces that has instantly become a p opu larcity centre venue.

The glass facade of the University of Abertay Library uses the solar gain of a southerly aspect to induce air

circulation by natura l convection throu gho ut the building. The libra ry continues the set piece design ethos of

the Victorian buildings in the area.

Innovative archi tectural form, materia ls and detai l

expressed in harmony.

The bo ld and contemporary m odern d esign o f the facade a nd the reuse of the existing structure greatlyenliven this forgotten corner of Union Street and add to the vital night-time scene.

new bu il d ing s


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To estab lish a safe a nd attractive street a tra ffic ma na gem ent hiera rchy is soug ht.

An efficient and attractive hiera rchy of b oulevar ds, avenues, streets an d la nes can

feed local traffic onto main roads and yet actively discourage the presence of

no n-lo cal traffic a nd restrict vehicle speeds in residential a reas.

Streets must do more than just accommodate traffic.


Defin ition the bu il t fo rm of new developments shou ld reinforce and def ine

streets and spaces and follow a clear building line, usually set

from the context.

Streetscape the built form m ust be as active as possible, especially at ground

level, in layout and specification to provide attractive and well

designed facades contributing to form a valid streetscape.

Boundar ies boundar ies of wal ls, hedges and rai l ings, and level changes,

define what is perceived as the public realm of the street and

the private realm of the gard en to generate feelings of belong ing

and personal space, yet can provide privacy without being

perceived as a defensive ba rrier.

Permeabil i ty new roads and streets should l ink up with the surrounding road s

and se rv i ces in f ras t ruc tu re to p rov ide a h igh degree o f

perm eab ility for p edestrian s, cyclists, cars an d p ub lic tran spo rt.

Surveillance the design of new streets m ust incorporate a high d egree of

appropriate landscaping and accommodate parked vehicles in

a way that does not break up the street frontages and restricts

gen eral security surveillance.

Manag ement a m anagement and maintenance agreement wi ll be sought for

shared areas not adopted by the City Council as long term

success is only achieved by good management.

Safe

&AttractiveR

esident

ialStre

ets



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The regeneration plans for Ardler haveclear urban design objectives and beginan a mb itious progra mm e to pro vide over1,3 00 n ew hom es. The propo sals are thef ru i t o f a Par tne rsh ip /Mas te rp lann ingexerc ise by the C i ty Counc i l and thedevelopers rather than the outcome ofs u c c e s s i v e e s ta te d e v e l o p m e n ts b yind ividual housebuilders. The City Co uncilhas worked w i th Sanc tua ry Sco t landHo using Association, W imp ey Ho m es andthe local residen ts to consider the prob lem sand potent ia ls o f the ent i re area andthrough a combination of refurbishmentand new-bu i ld a ims to c rea te a new Urban Vi llage .

The street pattern follows a simple andelega nt hiera rchy. A concentric tree-lineda v e n u e p a s s e s t h r o u g h t h e e n t i r edevelopment whi le l ink ing streets g ivedirect access inward s to the villag e centreand outwards to the surrounding areas.Lower in the hierarchy are Local Streets,Lanes and Co urts. Each type of roa d ha sspecific chara cteristics an d d im ensions andtaken together, they bring a clear identityto the new Ardler. The develop m ent also

implements the principles of sustainableurban draininge systems.

s af e & at t r ac t ive r es id en t ial s t r eet s


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Pu

blic

A

rt

Public Art is a means by which artists and their patrons can enrich the

environm ent of built form s, op en spa ce and contribute to the cultural heritage

of the city. Artworks can take the form of stand a lone pieces or be functionin g

elements on b uildings or in pub lic spa ces. Buildin gs are enriched by the inclusion

of individually designed and crafted m etalwork, stonewo rk, stained glass etc.

In the streets, the design of bollards, seats, banner columns and boundaries

can all benefit by artists involvement in m anufa cture and construction. N ew

developm ents offer excellent o pp ortunities for the inclusion of contem po rary

arts and crafts.

To set an agenda of nurturing and sustaining a high quality cultural base in

Dun dee the City council has continually com m issioned uniq ue artworks at ma ny

locations which a re functiona l on a da ily basis yet have enorm ous value in the

form ation o f streetscape, landscap e, mo num ents and land m arks.

N ew ma jor buildin gs in prom inent locations and large ho using p rojects will be

sub ject to a future Percent for Art po licy, whereb y a percentage o f the pro jectcosts will b e used to em plo y artists to enh an ce the p roject.

Wh ere new developm ents are to incorp ora te artworks :

Architects, designers and developers must involve artists and

craftsm en fro m the outset of the design p rocess to g ive valid ity an d

direction to the commission

In the case of free stand ing artwo rks they m ust act as local land m arks

and bring a sense of identity to their location through the beauty of

proportion and quality of finish.



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The bronze sculptures around the

exterior of the O vergate Centre

were part of the overall building

project.

O n the Wing on Riverside Drive ma kes

reference to both the Tay Estuary Nature

Reserve and Dundee Airport.

The dragon by refers to the local legend of

the N i ne Ma i dens . I t i s an i mpo r tan tlandm ark fo r p edestrians in the City Centre.

The Compass Mosaic brings a richness ofdetail to D iscovery Point.

Traditional drystone dyking used in a lively

and contempora ry manner to give emphasis

to just a stone wall.

TonyandSusieMorrow

TonyMorrowandAlistairSmart

D

ianeMaclean

MaggieHowarth

DC Thomsons Desperate Dan and Minnie

the Minx are a new addition ot the High

Street.

The intricate gates to Doigs Court contributeto the charm and variety of Castle Street.

PhilJohnston&Co

D

avidWilson

DavidWilson

pu bl ic ar t


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De

sign

Statements

Design statements are needed to demonstrate that the local context has been

ap preciated a nd fully ap pra ised an d that the developm ent prop osals are based

on consistent design p rinciples.

Planning Applications or Listed Building Applications for new buildings or

extensions to existing buildings on significant sites must be accompanied by aDesign Statemen t. Sign ificant sites will b e identified in the Local Plan allo cations

for Develop m ent Sites an d in these cases Design Statem ents sho uld explo re an d

illustrate :

" The environmental impact on the site and the surrounding area a

new developm ent will have.

" The site and surroun ding infrastructure, local com m unities and how

the development will affect them

" The area contex t and how i t has in formed the des ign o f the

development

" The sustainability of the development and the implementation of

m ana gem ent plans to ensure future m aintenance.

Developm ent pro po sals must always consider the far greater extent of the locality

rather than the constraints of the site boundary.



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In response to the Dundee City Council Development

Design Briefs for the Railyards Site, the Design Statement

for redevelopment makes a long term vision for the future

of the property all the more essential.

Linking the City

Framework Connections

In this situation a Design Statement can explain the fundamental

approach of the developer, clarify what is and what is not open to

negotiation and identify the impacts in the wider area. A good Design

Statement can help a consensus to be reached about the broad

principles of the development, take the contention out of subsequentdiscussions on matters of detail and may allow a variety of equally

acceptable development options to be identified.

The Design Statement submitted by the owner of the Seabraes Mill

arrives at the framework for development based on an objective

analysis of the surrounding area. The framework is loose enough to

allow a high degree of flexibility for the future but strong enough to

ensure a pattern of ad-hoc developments is avoided.

Design Development Brief illustration - Railyards Site West Design Development Brief illustration - Railyards Site East

design statements


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To explore and m aximise the potential for goodurban design the guide has focused upon the

important pa ram eters relating to the substance

of Dundees built form to nurture an excellent

end product of quality urban buildings, places

and l i fe. With the advent of the Scott ish

Executives Policy on Architecture for Scotland,

D esigning Places a nd the aspira tions of good

design and the environment expressed in the

National Planning Policy Guidelines 1 and 3,

Dundee City Council are well placed to lead and

manage this urban renaissance within the city.

The quality of the built environment is critical to

the wa y Dundee functions as a city as we seek to

encourage a mix of activities, services, tenures

and incomes within neighbourhood areas. In

the promotion of sustainable improvements in

urba n quality, and citywide image, we will raise

the quality of urba n design by producing detaileddevelopment briefs for important sites and the

use of the Urban Design Guide as a material

consideration for Development Q uality plann ing

app l i ca t ion assessment . Deve lopers a re

encouraged to liaise with the Planning and

Transportation D epartm ent at an ea rly stage of

the development to enable a swift decision

m aking process.

The talents of skilled architects and designers

must be engaged by developers to provide the

best solution for each pa rticular context and to

take a ho l is t ic approach to deve lopment

considering design details at an early stage.

Good design will ultimately contribute to the

m arketability of a development though how it is

looked after and managed will determine the

quality of the urban environment inherited by

forthcoming generations.

To Reawaken Civ ic Pr ide


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Fu r t h er Read in g

Birmingha m City Council

PLACES FOR LIVING (2001)

DETR / Co m m ission for Architecture an d the Built Environ m ent

By Design / Urba n Desig n in the Planning System : Toward s Better Practice

Urban Task Force

Toward s an Ur ba n Rena issan ce (1999)

Dundee City Council

Dund ee Local Pla n (1998)

Enfield Council

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN AN D CON STRUCTION GUIDE (2000)

English Partnerships

Urban Design Compendium (2001)

SUSTAINABLE URBAN EXTENSIONS : Planned Through Design (2001)

Essex Cou nty Co uncil Plan ning O fficers Associatio nTHE ESSEX DESIGN GUIDE for Residential and Mixed Use Areas (1997)

Peter Katz

THE NEW URBANISM - Towards an Architecture of Community

McGraw-Hill, Inc. 1994

Scottish Executive

A POLICY ON ARCHITECTURE FOR SCOTLAN D (2001)

DESIGN IN G PLACES (2001)

Urban Design Group

THE URBAN DESIGN SOURCEBOOK (1994)

URBAN DESIGN GUIDANCE (2002)


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Dundee the Urban Design Guide

Documents

Transcript of Dundee the Urban Design Guide