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.
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