Paul Dodd & Rachel Jones - Urban Design London · Waltham Forest Mini Holland - East Ave,...

Building Frontages

Paul Dodd &

Rachel Jones

THE GOOD PLACE

Place Characteristics

• complementary mix of uses and activities

• fit for purpose, accommodating uses well

• encourage easy movement

• create high quality public realm

• adaptable to change

• be efficient in the way land and resources are used

• appealing appearance

• distinct identity and sense of place

Development Form

The physical elements that together create a building or place

• Layout

• Scale

• Density

• Materials

• Detail

• create high quality public realm

• create high quality public realm

So what is an active frontage?

2018 - Paradox of safety and fear: security in public space

Issues of fear, citizenship and trust

Place-value-wiki

The ladder of place qualities

Encourage human interaction through careful design of

open space, neighbourhood streets and buildings

Place Value wiki – evidence 1 - Connecting and strengthening communities

Encourage human interaction through careful design of

open space, neighbourhood streets and buildings

Place Value wiki – evidence 1 - Connecting and strengthening communities

Encourage human interaction – Clapham Old Town

Place Value wiki – evidence 1 - Connecting and strengthening communities

Place Value wiki – evidence 1 - Connecting and strengthening communities

if a place is perceived to be unsafe, it

will have little chance of success in

connecting people and creating

communities.

Place Value wiki – evidence 1 - Connecting and strengthening communities

perceptions of neighbourhood

characteristics are just as instrumental

in shaping behaviour as any objective

measure of built form

perceptions of neighbourhood

characteristics are just as instrumental

in shaping behaviour as any objective

measure of built form

Place Value wiki – evidence 1 - Connecting and strengthening communities

plot size, mix of uses & building typologies Waltham Forest Mini Holland - East Ave, Orford Rd

Place Value wiki – evidence 2 - Sociability of the street interface

Consider plot size, mix of uses & building typologies Clapham Old Town

Place Value wiki – evidence 2 - Sociability of the street interface

Place-value-wiki – evidence 3 - Older People and social support

Reference:

Brown, S., Mason, C., Perrino, T., Lombard, J., Martinez, F., Plater-Zyberk, E., Spokane, A. & Szapocznik, J.

(2008). Built environment and physical functioning in Hispanic elders: the role of "eyes on the street"

Place Value wiki – evidence 4 - Emotional responses to the build environment

Overwhelmingly positive feelings

were associated with spaces or

scenes in which the natural world

was present in some form

Place Value wiki – evidence 4 - Emotional responses to the build environment

Areas that are verdant and cared for,

offer natural views and show signs of

children’s play received the most

positive ratings

Areas featuring buildings perceived to be

ugly or that are otherwise dirty, unkempt,

uncared for, neglected, or abandoned

received the most negative ratings

Place Value wiki – evidence 4 - Emotional responses to the build environment

Imagery ©2014 BlueSky, DigitalGlobe, Sanborn; Map data: ©2014 Google

An experiment to discover the

neurological and physiological effects

of active vs inactive street edges

Marten Sims thehappycity.com

Imagery ©2014 BlueSky, DigitalGlobe, Sanborn; Map data: ©2014 Google

No seating > Keep people moving

No options > Discourage exploration

No door handles > Trapped and cornered

Seats > Places to stop, rest and gather

Lots of options + details > Food, drinks, ice cream, wifi!

Door handles > Can retreat if uncomfortable

Active edges

Seats

Options + details

Door handles

Greenery

Shelter

Inactive edges

No Seats

No options or details

No door handles

Lack of greenery

Lack of shelter

Paul Dodd

street frontages

Workshop

South Gardens, Elephant Park

Play

Design for Homes

Elephant Park film

Place-value-wiki

research evidence 4: Emotional responses to the build environment

Key findings People’s shared feelings about specific places are influenced by the particular physical properties and

characteristics of a given place

· Areas that are verdant and cared for, offer natural views and show signs of children’s play received the

most positive ratings

· Overwhelmingly positive feelings were associated with spaces or scenes in which the natural world

was present in some form but hung in balance with the built environment

· Areas featuring buildings perceived to be ugly or that are otherwise dirty, unkempt, uncared for,

neglected, or abandoned received the most negative ratings

Reference:

Rosenburg Weinreb, A, & Rofè, Y (2013) Mapping Feeling: An Approach to the Study of Emotional

Response to Built Environment and Landscape