This guidebook is an introduction to

some of the key concepts of urban design.

It is a beginner’s guide aimed at anyone

who wants to grasp the basics.

It will be a useful resource for people

whose city, town, village or estate is about

to undergo change through urban re-

generation. The guidebook is designed

to enable you to understand some of the

issues presented by urban designers and

planners and to give you the confidence

to talk their language and appreciate what

good urban design can be. This will help

you influence the design so that it

changes your community’s day-to-day life

for the better.

A Guidebook to Urban Design

By Deer Park Alpha

Introduction

i. What is Urban Design?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

ii. Why Should I Care About Urban Design? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

iii. What is in this Guidebook? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Dictionary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Place 10

i. Local Character & Pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

ii. Orientation, Landscape & Weather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

iii. Routes, Views & Vistas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

iv. Enclosure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Dictionary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Case Study – Blandford Forum, Dorset . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Making Good Spaces 24

i. How High, Wide & Far Apart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

ii. Building Lines & Corners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

iii. No Blank Walls Please . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Dictionary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Case Study – Silver Hill Development, Winchester . . . . . . . 35

Bringing it to Life 36

i. Connecting Buildings to the Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

ii. Urban Clutter & Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

iii. Public & Community Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Dictionary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Case Study – Weston Shore, Southampton . . . . . . . . . . . 45

An Invitation to Get Involved 46

Further Reading 47

Acknowledgements 48

7

Urban design means shaping villages, towns

and cities in ways that make them inspiring

and functional places to live. Urban design

applies equally to single buildings, streets

or entire neighbourhoods. It recognises that

any urban area is a complicated network of

building types, transport systems, people,

landscapes and spaces.

Urban design involves making decisions

to promote community spirit. A successful

place, whether developed over time or

through urban regeneration, allows people to

move freely through interesting surroundings.

It is these characteristics that inform this

guidebook which has people and places,

not buildings, at its heart.

What is Urban Design?

Good urban design changes people’s

lives for the better. It can make a journey

to school easier or a walk to the shops

safer and more enjoyable. Urban design is

relevant to large and small developments:

Whether it is a shopfront or an office

building, it affects the suburbs as much

as our historic city centres. Through

regeneration, urban design can help

communities that have spent years in

decline because of under-investment

and earlier unsuccessful design decisions.

The twentieth-century saw the adoption

of planning ideas that gave the car centre

stage. These ideas were often poorly

implemented; they favoured large roads

and high-rise buildings over historic

street patterns and buildings that related

to people. A look at before and after

photos demonstrates these changes.

Fortunately, we are learning from our

mistakes and things are changing. At

the centre of this change are two agendas:

New urban design principles, based on

tried and trusted ideas, and community

participation. These ‘new’ principles of

urban design learn from the great towns

and cities of civilisation, but do not seek

to copy or hark back to the past as a

better time.

Planners and urban designers have realised

that residents know their area better than

anyone else: they know the problems, have

dreams for the future and even have some

of the solutions. It is now common for

communities to be asked for their views

and experiences before any designs have

been drawn.

So why should you care about urban design?

Because through events like community

planning workshops, you can put forward

your ideas, make your communities better

and ensure that the professionals have your

desires at the top of their list.

We hope that this book will help you

have your say.

Why Should I Care About Urban Design?

What is in this Guidebook

This guidebook to urban design covers

some key aspects of urban development:

layout, landscape, scale and appearance.

Layout deals with the overall plan of

a place including routes, spaces and

urban blocks. Scale is the height, width

and shape of buildings in relation to their

surroundings. Appearance is how a place

looks and feels through materials and

architectural features.

Each of these aspects is loosely given its

own chapter where it is broken down into

easily understandable parts and explained

with the help of illustrations and a case

study. In addition, each chapter features

a dictionary that explains the highlighted

words and phrases.

Integral to each of these aspects of urban

development are a number of urban design

principles that successful places generally

have in common. Successful places tend to

have a character all of their own and have

streets and buildings that have defined

public and private spaces. In addition,

they are easy to move around in, feature

high quality public spaces and have clear

routes and landmarks. Great places are

sustainable, adaptable to change and have

a diverse mix of facilities that respond to

local needs.

Remember: This guidebook is only the tip

of the iceberg! It does not cover every area

of urban design. However, it will hopefully

lead you to wanting to explore the subject

further. To this end, there is a list of further

reading material at the back of the book.

The books and publications listed are

appropriate to developing a more advanced

understanding of where we live.

Urban design

Making a place. Urban design involves

the design and planning of spaces, routes

and groups of buildings in villages, towns

and cities. Good urban design makes

successful developments.

Urban designer

A professional person who specialises

in shaping urban environments. They may

come from a background in architecture,

landscape architecture or planning.

Urban Design Principles

Guiding rules for making the best spaces

in a town or city. ‘By Design’ (See further

reading) suggests seven objectives of

Urban Design:

1. Character

2. Continuity and enclosure

3. Quality of the public realm

4. Ease of movement

5. Legibility

6. Adaptability

7. Diversity.

Aspects of Development Form

‘By Design’ refers to eight Aspects of

Development Form. ‘Urban design objectives

are, by themselves, abstract. They have an

impact on people’s lives only by being

translated into development. The form

of buildings, structures and spaces is the

physical expression of urban design.

The most important characteristics of

the physical form of development are:

Layout: urban structure;

Layout: urban grain;

Landscape;

Density and mix;

Scale: height;

Scale: massing;

Appearance: details;

Appearance: materials.

The structure of this guidebook uses

these eight aspects of development form to

demonstrate the objectives of urban design.

Urban block

An ‘island’ of buildings surrounded by

intersecting streets. Many blocks make

up a town or city.

Introduction Dictionary

Built environment

All the man-made spaces, buildings and

infrastructure in towns and cities.

Functional

A building or space that is usable,

sometimes at the expense of decoration

or other aesthetic considerations.

Landscape

The form and character of land and

external space.

Layout

How buildings, streets and open spaces

are placed in relation to each other.

Neighbourhood

An area within a city or town that has

some distinctive features (especially one

forming a community).

Planner

A professional person who implements or

advises on strategic changes in the built

environment. This includes engaging

communities to have a say in how their

local area is developed and making towns

and cities that include attractive buildings.

Regeneration

Renewing and revitalising an area.

Urban Regeneration was defined by

English Partnerships in 2003 as ‘the

holistic process of reversing economic,

social and physical decay in areas where

it has reached a stage when market forces

alone will not suffice’.

Scale

The impression of a building’s size and

shape compared to its surroundings,

especially in relation to the size of a person.

Space

An area set aside for a particular purpose.

It is often enclosed by physical things such

as walls and buildings.

Suburbs

The blocks and neighbourhoods at the

edge of a town or city. There is less of a

concentration of buildings and people

than in towns.

Sustainability

“Meeting the needs of the present without

compromising the ability of future generations

to meet their own needs.” Bruntland, 1987

It is often said that urban design is about

the space between buildings and not

about the buildings themselves. Buildings

can be seen as a backdrop to the drama of

public life which plays out in the squares

and streets of our towns and cities.

Good urban design interprets and builds

upon the historic character, the existing

landscape and the aspirations of the local

communities, and arrives at a vision of

what a place might become.

Often, it is the quality and layout of public

spaces, such as squares, parks and streets

that give a place its identity. Think of your

local area. What are the places that come

to mind? They may have a variety of spaces

that are clearly defined and enclosed

by carefully positioned buildings or trees.

They may present views of local landmarks

and destinations, which helps you to

orientate yourself and makes a place

easy to understand.

Introduction

Character is the combination of qualities and features that distinguish

one place from another. We all love places that have character. If we think

of our favourite place, it will have a distinctive flavour all of its own that is

easily recognisable and describable.

People describe places they enjoy with words like “fun”, “safe”, “charming”,

“pretty”, “friendly” and “welcoming”. These words and phrases describe the

intangible qualities of a place. They describe the whole of that place rather

than any specific buildings or other physical things.

We can design and build new developments that allow people to talk

about their place with pride. This can be achieved by understanding what

makes or has made a place unique and then enhancing these to make the

most of them. Urban designers need to listen to the local community to

gain this understanding; it is hard to make a successful place without

this help.

Existing and historic patterns of streets and squares, along with the buildings,

form what is called the urban structure. Picking up on these existing

patterns and connecting new development to it, will make a place

interesting and rich with atmospheric qualities. It will also make a place

easy to move around, as new streets run into existing streets rather than

dead ends. Destroying the established urban grain with a new building

or development is rarely successful.

Local Character & Patterns

The wind can work for and against us. Cool breezes in summer provide

‘natural air conditioning’, but turbulence and the significant cooling effect

of wind on buildings and spaces is not so welcome in winter. The human

desire to huddle together applies to the layout of buildings, and by placing

low buildings close together the wind can be deflected over the urban area.

There are a number of ways that design can be used to make the most of

the fundamental characteristics of any site. These include using slopes to

provide views and ponds to cool the summer air which blows across them.

Additionally, the positioning of deciduous trees in front of buildings

blocks the sun in summer, whilst allowing it through in the winter. Not

only do these principles help make a unique and interesting place, but

they are sustainable and at the root of good simple ‘green’ design.

It is no coincidence that 250-year old cottages often face south, have few

windows facing north, are built in hollows, sheltered from the wind,

and are made from local materials. We can learn much from history

and nature. The trick is not simply to copy them, but to apply what

is learnt from them appropriately.

Good urban design exploits the natural elements such as the sun, wind,

water and the natural dips and rises of the land to enhance the quality

and uniqueness of a place.

Understanding how a development can work with the natural world is at

the heart of sustainability. The sun always rises in the east, always sets in

the west and is at its highest in the sky at midday. In the winter when the

days are short, the sun is low and penetrates further into buildings, casting

long shadows. Come the summer, the sun is high in the sky and the long

days allow us to spend more time outside.

The landscape and its topography shape the way we inhabit a place. When

the shape of the land is used, it can provide shelter, create viewing points

and locations for prominent buildings. Trees and other vegetation not only

make a pleasant place, but also provide shelter and natural privacy.

Orientation, Landscape & Weather

A simple but interesting layout of streets enables people to easily orientate

themselves and navigate to their destination. Clearly defined and accessible

routes that connect with each other are therefore important to the success

of a place.

A mixture of large and small streets forming a network of routes gives

choice and priority to pedestrians and cyclists. However, a balance needs to

be found between pedestrians and vehicles, as they are both critical to the

day-to-day business of any successful town or city. The best parts of most

towns and cities are where pedestrians and cars are given equal priority.

A network of routes works best when the main streets are full of shops,

offices, public buildings and housing. Routes are also successful when

they are connected with each other to provide alternative ways of getting

around. Smaller, less important routes form a fine grain of walkable streets

that divide the city up into interesting and revealing public and private

spaces.

Creating vistas rather than blocked views allows people to move around

easily by visually linking their current location to a destination. Vistas

that end in or give prominence to landmarks are most successful. This is

because people use landmarks to find their way around a place whether it

is familiar or not. This is often referred to as legibility.

From the town, distant views of the wider landscape remind you of where

you are in relation to the countryside or other towns. Also, strong landmarks

such as a church spire can enhance distant views towards a town or city.

Routes, Landmarks, Views & Vistas

To create enclosure, buildings should be placed around the edges of

the site to create public and private areas between them that are

enclosed, sunny and secure.

However, enclosed space should not be confused with a closed space.

Closed spaces do not offer easy routes out, whereas enclosed spaces

lead you along well-defined streets and paths. Successful urban design

is a series of interlinked enclosed spaces that are easy and safe to find

your way around.

Enclosure is most successful when buildings are organised together to

create positive space rather than positioned randomly without regard for

one another, resulting in areas that are uninhabited, sometimes unsafe

and generally unpleasant.

The need to protect ourselves from wind, rain, cold and heat is a basic

human instinct and enclosure in urban design is of great importance.

Enclosed spaces shelter us from the sun, wind and rain.

Enclosure occurs when streets and squares are contained by buildings and

to a lesser extent by walls, fences and planting. There are varying degrees

of enclosure, and this variety makes a place interesting and pleasant.

Stand-alone buildings such as large blocks of flats rarely create a sense of

enclosure and often fail to create pleasant places to live. They are usually

positioned in the middle of a site surrounded by car parking, perhaps

a playground and other grass or tarmac areas that nobody uses

or cares about.

Enclosure

Deciduous trees

Trees that shed all their leaves annually

at the end of the growing season. Trees

species such as oak, maple and beech are

deciduous. Evergreen trees such a pine

retain their leaves all year round.

Interlinked

Connected. Interlinked spaces form

an interesting progression of streets

and squares.

Landmarks

A building, structure or natural feature that

stands out from its background by virtue of

height, size or some other aspect of design.

Legibility

The degree to which a place can be easily

understood and interpreted.

Massing

Shape, height and volume of a building

or group of buildings.

Orientate

To find one’s way around, or to refer to

the direction a building faces in relation

to the points of a compass.

Place Dictionary

Architecture

The art and science of design and

construction of buildings. It can also

refer to the style of a building e.g.

‘Victorian Architecture’.

Character

The combination of traits and qualities

distinguishing the individual nature of

a person or thing.

Enclosure

To create defined urban spaces by the

position of builidngs, structures,

vegetation or landform.

Intangible

Incapable of being perceived by touch,

sight or smell. An intangible quality of

a space is what it feels like emotionally

e.g. ‘welcoming’.

Landscape Architecture

The art and science of designing spaces

using natural and built materials in the

urban and rural environment.

Place Dictionary

Place

A particular point or part of a space

that is occupied by a person or thing.

Norwegian architect Christian

Norberg-Schulz has said that ‘A place

is a space that has a distinct character’.

Positive Space

Considered and well designed urban

space: somewhere that is pleasant to be.

Square

An urban space that is enclosed by

buildings. A square in this sense can

be an irregular shape such as a triangle!

Squares are important breathing spaces

in cities and provide areas for sitting,

socialising, playing, eating and

admiring buildings.

Street

A public space usually lined with

buildings that is used by vehicles or

pedestrians or a mixture of both.

It differs from a road which is more

vehicle-focused and is less likely to be

lined with buildings.

Secure

A place that is safe. ‘Secured by Design’

is a police supported initiative that gives

a design a stamp of approval if it has

considered safety.

Topography

The shape and study of the land and

its man-made or natural features.

Urban structure

The framework of routes and spaces that

connect locally and more widely, and the

way developments, routes and open spaces

relate to one another.

View

What is seen from a certain place.

Vista

An enclosed view, usually long and narrow

framed on a landmark or along a street.

Walkable

A term that describes a place that is easy

and safe to walk around. A walkable city

is one where homes, workplaces and shops

are close together and connected so that

the need to use a car is reduced.

Blandford Forum, Dorset

Blandford Forum is one of the finest Georgian towns in

England. It was rebuilt following its near destruction by a

great fire in 1731. The town is next to the River Stour and

was recorded in the Doomsday Book.

Even though it was regenerated 270 years ago, important

lessons can be learnt about successfully redeveloping a

place to enhance what already exists.

Blandford Forum was rebuilt using the street layout

that existed before the fire. This pattern of streets had

developed over centuries because it was at the crossroads

of established trading routes from other significant towns

including Salisbury and Dorchester. By using the historic

pattern of the streets and squares, its local identity was

retained and enhanced.

Case Study ::

At the centre of the town is the Market Place that is wide

and enclosed by tall important buildings. This contrasts

with the narrow streets with low buildings that link into

the Market Place. A journey through the town is a good

example of different degrees of enclosure and interlinked

spaces.

Public buildings such as a hotel, town hall and church

are used as landmarks within an otherwise consistent and

nearly continuous line of local brick and stone buildings.

The church is a key landmark within the central Market

Place. It is the only tall building in the town, is therefore

visible from a distance and provides an identity for the

town. The town sits on a slight hill and with its curving

streets creates vistas of the carefully positioned landmark

buildings and of the countryside beyond.

Blandford Forum was rebuilt using historic patterns

using tried and tested urban design principles, but in the

contemporary architecture of the day. It is important that

our towns and cities learn from the past, represent the

present and look to the future.

Introduction

Buildings are defining pieces of the built environment.

Their size, shape and position in relation to one another

have a big impact on us.

This chapter explains how the space between buildings

is important and how buildings meet the street and their

surroundings. The best places have a variety of different

spaces: wide or narrow, sunny or shaded and open or

enclosed. Public spaces need to be positively designed,

they are places where the city comes to life and where

local culture can be expressed.

Buildings have an effect on the street or square that they

face. This can be both positive and negative. A long blank

wall facing a busy street can create an unattractive place.

On the other hand a street with shops on both sides

creates a lively environment. Corner buildings should be

seen as key features in our towns and cities because they

can act as landmarks to help us orientate ourselves.

The number and type of buildings affects the economic

viability of a place and is referred to as density. Higher

density developments enable more people to live in one

location and provide more customers to sustain local

shops and businesses. In addition, higher densities

help to support public transport and create vitality.

To achieve higher densities, care needs to be taken to

position buildings to create spaces around them that

are pleasant and can allow for change.

enclosed. It is interesting to note that many

of the much loved medieval cities have

ratios of three to one, i.e. the buildings are

three times as tall as the width of the street.

In urban locations, buildings that are four

to eight-storeys (medium-rise) can provide a

good mix of density, flexibility, building

cost and energy use. In addition, streets

and squares with continuous medium-rise

buildings along their edges will highlight

and enhance public buildings, which can

be taller, wider and made from contrasting

materials. Of course, suburban areas and

villages (which are lower-rise and less

dense) have different requirements in

terms of building height and shape, where

single-storey, detached buildings might

be appropriate. It is therefore important

that the design of new buildings and

developments considers carefully the

existing context.

How High, Wide & Far Apart

The height of buildings surrounding streets

or squares affects the experience a person

has of that place. Think of the extremes:

tall buildings along narrow streets and low

buildings along wide streets. Both can have

a sense of enclosure but the amount of

light, the sound of traffic and the different

kinds of views and vistas will be very

different. A well thought-out mixture of

wide and narrow streets with tall and low

buildings will make a place interesting.

Urban designers use a street-to-building

height ratio to express different types of

enclosure. A one to one ratio means the

street is as wide as the buildings are tall.

A common ratio is one to three, where the

street is three-times as wide as the height

of the typical buildings along it. This width

of street can incorporate wide pavements,

parking on both sides and two lanes of

traffic. Squares and boulevards can have

a ratio of up to one to six and still feel

Corner buildings are special. They have two fronts and are often important

landmarks at the junction of streets. They can be taller than the buildings

that adjoin them and sit forward of the building line. Corner buildings

are an opportunity to give distinctive character to a place and should be

specifically designed for a corner site. It is a shame that in many residential

areas, house builders use a standard design regardless of whether it is a

corner or not.

Building Lines & Corners

The building line is the boundary of the building with the streets and

squares. Dependent on location and building use, there are several ways

a building can be positioned in relation to the building line.

In the centre of towns and cities, the main buildings are best built right

up to the building line. This gives a clear definition of private and public

space and ensures that there are no left-over areas or recesses.

Set-backs of two or three metres can work well as areas for shops and cafés

to have seating or for houses to have a buffer to the pavement and to store

bikes and bins. Smaller set-backs of around half a metre rarely work as

the space is too small to use successfully. These smaller dead spaces often

become places for litter to gather.

In suburban areas where there might be more detached properties, the

building line can move much further back from the street. However, it

still needs to be consistent. Garages should not be positioned between

the boundary and the building line as they degrade the importance of

the building’s entrance and relationship to the street.

No Blank Walls Please

A street with a continuous blank façade

offers little idea of what is behind it.

Consequently, the street may feel unsafe

and give the passer-by little to look at.

By contrast, a street with lots of windows

and doors opening onto it, will encourage

street life, feel safe and draw attention

to the activity within. This is called an

‘active frontage’ and adds interest and

vitality to a place.

Views into buildings provide interest,

whilst views out contribute to safety

by making a place feel overlooked.

The number of doors and entrances

generating activity on a street is a good

indicator of the likelihood for street life:

the more, the better.

Large buildings tend to have one main

entrance rather than the multiple

entrances of a street of small shops

or houses. This can have the effect of

creating blank façades and deaden a

street. The rhythm of the narrow buildings

that form a traditional terrace provides

a good example of how a successful

street can work.

Within some residential developments,

garages dominate the front of houses.

This creates dead frontage. Garages

and parking can be placed to the rear,

leaving the front of the house for the front

door, porch and windows which can look

directly onto the street.

Density

The number of buildings or people in

a certain area. Similar densities can be

achieved with different building types

e.g. a terrace of houses can have the same

density as a block of flats but have a

different atmosphere.

Façade

The face or front of a building.

Flexibility

The ability of a building or space to be

changed to suit various needs. For example,

a building could be designed to have many

internal walls which do not support the

floor above and can therefore be rearranged

relatively easily to allow a different use.

Medium-rise

Generally refers to buildings that are

between four and eight-storeys in height.

However, this can vary depending on

the surrounding context. For example,

amongst the tall buildings of New York

City ‘medium-rise’ would have a

different meaning than in a British

market town.

Making Good Space Dictionary

Active frontage

A building whose use is directly accessible

from the street or space which it faces.

The opposite effect to a blank wall.

Boulevards

A wide street lined with trees.

Building use

What goes on in a building e.g. retail

(‘selling’), residential (‘living’), office

(‘working’), museum etc. Planning

permission is normally required to

change a building from one use

to another.

Context

The setting of a site or area, including

factors such as traffic, activities and land

uses as well as the physical landscape.

Dead frontage

A façade that is blank and offers no life

or activity to the street. The opposite of

active frontage.

Public buildings

Buildings that are open to the public.

They can be municipal buildings such as

libraries, galleries, museums, community

and civic centres, or pubs and shops.

Ratio

A measure of the relative size of two

numbers which is expressible as a

proportion, i.e. the ratio of boys to

girls is two to one.

Set-backs

When a building is not built right up

to the building line, it creates a space

between it and the street edge. Set-back

can also refer to the upper storeys of

a building, where stepping back the

external walls can reduce the impact

of taller buildings.

Viability

Whether a place has the right mix of

buildings and population to attract

and sustain financial investment.

Vitality

How busy a place is at different times.

Making Good Space Dictionary

Silver Hill Development, Winchester

The Silver Hill site is an area of historic Winchester

bounded by Friarsgate, Eastgate Street and the Broadway.

It has over a period of time become disconnected from the

historic City Centre and sits in the only part of the historic

city which does not respect the medieval street pattern

of building.

A proposed development by Thornfield Properties with

Allies and Morrison Architects plans to inject new life

and stimulate economic activity by integrating a mixed

use development carefully into the existing heritage

of Winchester.

A traditional pattern of streets, a public square and

opened up waterways will be created. Through the

centuries, Winchester has developed a particular pattern

of building. Each period has its own preoccupations, but

is influenced and guided by what exists around it.

Appropriately scaled buildings on either side of the street

will frame the view of the cathedral tower.

A new Square will be created beside the refurbished and

restored Woolstaplers warehouse surrounded by shops

restaurants and cafés, with apartments above.

The proposed architecture respects the familiar pattern of

streets and buildings and adopts the range of local facing

materials: brick, timber, stucco, flint, clay tiles, slate, lead.

Case Study ::

Introduction

Pretty and beautifully positioned parks

will never make up for poor quality and

badly chosen or positioned materials

and street furniture. Streets cluttered

with signs and lighting undermine the

quality of a space.

This chapter shows how the small things

in urban areas have a big impact on how

places look and function. It looks at how

the design of buildings and their relationship

to the street can influence the quality of

a place. It also explains that distinctive

public art is a great opportunity to involve

the community. When residents participate

in a public art project, the art can become

a focal point for the area and is often safe

from vandalism.

The entrance to a building is an important aspect of both

architecture and urban design. Clearly defined entrances

can show whether a building is public or private. Elements

such as porches and canopies provide interest to a street

and offer shelter to passers-by. The covered colonnade

or arcade brings the building out over the pavement.

It provides shelter and shade from the weather and can

offer spaces for seating, market stalls and other activities.

An awning can have a similar effect.

Balconies provide a means of seeing and being seen which

can make a place feel safer and more vibrant. They also

give the occupants outside space, views, light and air.

Balconies can enliven a building’s façade and encourage

life to spill out, bringing vitality to a street.

A very useful way of solving a number of issues is to step

up to a building’s ground floor level. A step up of half

a metre raises the window sills of the building above eye

level and promotes a feeling of being overlooked, making a

place feel safer. Raised or distinctive terraces for cafés, bars,

pubs and restaurants create a better experience for those

sitting, as people can look down on the street or park.

Care needs to be taken when using steps and raised areas

to ensure that access is inclusive to all.

Connecting Buildings to the Street

How buildings meet the street is an important part of urban design.

The quality, feel and safety of streets and other public places is

influenced by the appearance of buildings. The design of porches,

balconies, colonnades and bay windows can make a place distinctive.

All of these architectural details help to create street activity that enable

people to meet and interact.

People like to personalise the places they inhabit by painting their door

or planting a window box. It communicates their tastes to the wider

community and contributes towards making a varied and more pleasant

place to live. It is important that buildings can be adaptable to allow

personalisation whilst maintaining a consistent look and feel.

Soft landscape can provide a contrast to the stone, metal

and glass building materials found in towns and cities.

Trees and other plants express the changing season and can

screen and shelter buildings and public spaces. Planting

can also provide natural habitats for wildlife to develop

within urban areas.

Urban Clutter & Materials

Our towns and cities can be overwhelmed by clutter:

traffic lights, endless signs, railings and benches in the

wrong place. The reason behind much of this clutter is

the motor vehicle, which has been allowed to determine

how our towns look and feel, in the name of safety

and traffic flow.

Other than the buildings, the ground is the most visible

area of public space and the material that it is made

from has a big effect on a place. Hard landscape materials

such as cobbles, brick and stone link to local traditions

and tend to be long lasting. Making patterns on the floor,

or using texture, can break down large spaces into smaller

more people-friendly areas.

Signs, benches, bus stops and other street furniture

should be designed and accessible to all members of

the community. When linked together by a common

style, colour or material, they can help to make a place

distinctive and attractive.

Our towns and cities change at night. Lighting can be

used creatively to make spaces that are functional and

interesting. There is a balance to be struck between

providing enough lighting for safety reasons and having

too much light: more light than necessary can annoy

residents and pollute the night sky.

Art is one of the very few parts of a

development that the community can

actually be involved in making. With

the community taking ownership, the

art becomes a source of pride and is

respected and consequently looked after.

Using an internationally acclaimed

artist can put a place on the map.

This kind of art is best suited to city or

town centre locations rather than within

residential areas. It is art that is designed

to attract people to a place, as much as

for the residents.

Public art does not have to be a bronze

statue in the centre of a square. There are

opportunities to use technology such as

‘texting’ to make it interactive and fun.

Alternative energy such as wind and solar

can be also promoted through public art.

Art should be a focal point of urban

design, not a ‘stick-on-goodie’ provided by

a developer at the end of a project because

the planners require it.

Public & Community Art

Public art is most successful when it is considered

from the very beginning of a development. This enables

it to become an integral part of towns and cities. For

a relatively small investment, good quality public art

can have an enormous effect. It can help to give a

place identity and character.

Finishing Touches Dictionary

Access is inclusive

English Partnerships define Inclusive Design

as ‘...a way of designing environments so that

they are usable and appealing to everyone

regardless of age, ability or circumstance.’

Alternative energy

Covers methods of creating energy

such as electricity without using fossil

fuels. Common methods include using

the sun (i.e with solar panels), wind

(i.e with wind turbines), and waves

(i.e with wave turbines).

Balcony

A projection from a building that

provides external space.

Colonnade

An area covered by the floor above

projecting over the pavement and

supported on columns.

Clutter

The uncoordinated arrangement of street

furniture, signs and other features.

Clutter can make a place feel untidy

and unwelcome.

Hard landscape

The materials used when making outdoor

space such as brick, stone, paving, street

furniture and artistic features.

Public art

A work of art on view to the general

public. It can be part of a building or

stand on its own. Examples include

sculpture, murals, lighting effects, street

furniture, paving, railings and signs.

Soft landscape

Grass, plants, flowerbeds, trees, hedges

that have been designed into a place.

Street furniture

Structures which contribute to the street

scene, such as bus shelters, litter bins,

seating, lighting, railings and signs.

Weston Shorescapes, Southampton

Weston Shore is a 2.2km stretch of shoreline and is one of

the most beautiful places in Southampton: a Site of Special

Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a place of community, history,

nature, work and leisure. Artist Abigail Downer has drawn

inspiration from the people and place and from the way

residents, young and old, continue to shape the character

of the landscape.

The project has restored four 1930’s beach shelters,

enhanced wildlife habitats, provided new seating, path

and terraces, and created a unique interpretation trail

that explores the shore’s hidden histories. Local residents,

children, young people and schools took part in a year long

programme of activities and events.

The artist worked with the community and led people

to discover and recreate the microscopic world of the

mudflats, unearth some exciting treasures from the past

and explore the diversity of the wildlife habitats. The ‘Big

Land Draw’ involved ninety people working together to

create a huge drawing of a diatom – a single cell organism

found in the mudflats which is a source of food for wading

birds. The diatom has become the symbol of Weston

Shorescapes.

Walking along the shore you discover five large, white

stone seats embedded into the landscape. Each one is

handmade to an original pattern using traditional artisan

skills. Words, personal memories or community histories

are inscribed into the smooth surface.

The project includes new soft landscaping that creates a

unifying pattern of high points or platforms from which

to enjoy the views. On a smaller scale, they act as informal

seating and way markers in the landscape. The landforms

are planted with wild flower mix and marine grass to

enhance insect habitats.

Case Study ::

Further Reading

English Partnerships and the Housing

Corporation (2000) Urban Design

Compendium 1.

English Partnerships and the Housing

Corporation (2007) Urban Design

Compendium 2.

By Design (2000) DETR and CABE.

Cowan, R (2005) The Dictionary of Urbanism.

The Prince’s Foundation (2000)

Planning by Design not Default.

Urban Task Force (1999)

Towards an Urban Renaissance, DETR.

Lynch, K. (1990) The Image of the City,

Massachusetts, MIT Press.

Secured by Design

www.securedbydesign.com

Carmona, M; Heath, T; Oc, T; Tiesdell, S

(2003) Public Places, Urban Spaces –

The Dimensions of Urban Design.

Cullen, G. (1961) The Concise Townscape.

An Invitation to Get Involved

We hope that you understand why good

urban design is important. Your input is

vital to changing your towns and cities for

the better. You know your area, what works

and what does not and it is important that

you and your community have your say.

We hope that having read this book, you

understand more about urban design

and can use your knowledge to improve

where you live.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the following people for their input and support

in the production of this book: Paul Bulkeley for his expert advice during

the project and the referral at the beginning. Mark Drury at the Solent

Centre for Architecture + Design for having the idea of such a book in the

first place and for making sure it all happened. The South East England

Development Agency (Miranda and Alex) for supporting and funding

the project. Sifer! Jon Skipper for feedback on the early draft and his

‘quality’ photography. Elizabeth Smith at Southampton City Council for

allowing us to use her Weston Shorescape text. Allies and Morrison for

giving us permission to use the Silver Hill masterplan. Peter Wainwright

for his positive and constructive feedback. Oliver Merkin for editing and

smoothing it out! And to Nathalie and Capucine for putting up with six

months of urban design.

Picture Credits

p. 4-5 Neil Marshall, Portsmouth City Council; p. 18 Jon Skipper; p.20 Monika Kostera, Toby Forage; p.21

Monika Kostera, Kevin Ritchie, Michael Thompson; p.23 John Lamper; p.26 Deer Park Alpha; p.28 Deer Park

Alpha; p.29 Wendy Fuller; p.30 Alan Stanton; p.31 Dahon; p.32 Alan Stanton; Alan Light; p.33 Monika Kostera;

p.34 Monika Kostera, Alan Stanton; p.35 Allies and Morrisons; p.38 Christine Olson; p.40 Dewet Diener, Angela

Sevin, Josh Swannack, Tanakawho; p.42 Jo DeSyllas; p.43 Jon Skipper, Alison Jackson-Bass; p.44 Hans Kylberg,

Stuart Murdoch. p.45 Solent Centre for Architecture + Design, Matthew Dunkinson.

Published by Solent Centre for Architecture + Design

30A High Street, Lyndhurst, Hampshire SO43 7BG UK

Copyright © Solent Centre for Architecture + Design

and South East England Development Agency

This project received funding from SEEDA

through South East Excellence.