WHAT IS UD

8/12/2019 WHAT IS UD

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WHAT IS URBAN DESIGN?

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AimsAims of the Protocol

URBAN DESIGN

Urban design is concerned with the arrangement, appearance and function of our suburbs,towns and cities. It is both a process and an outcome of creating localities in which peoplelive, engage with each other, and engage with the physical place around them.

Urban design involves many different disciplines including planning, development,architecture, landscape architecture, engineering, economics, law and finance, amongothers.

Urban design operates at many scales, from the macro scale of the urban structure(planning, zoning, transport and infrastructure networks) to the micro scale of street furnitureand lighting. When fully integrated into policy and planning systems, urban design can beused to inform land use planning, infrastructure, built form and even the socio-demographicmix of a place.

Urban design can significantly influence the economic, environmental, social and culturaloutcomes of a place:

Urban design can influence the economic success and socio-economic compositionof a locality whether it encourages local businesses and entrepreneurship; whetherit attracts people to live there; whether the costs of housing and travel are affordable;and whether access to job opportunities, facilities and services are equitable.

Urban design determines the physical scale, space and ambience of a place andestablishes the built and natural forms within which individual buildings andinfrastructure are sited. As such, it affects the balance between natural ecosystemsand built environments,and their sustainability outcomes.

Urban design can influence health and the social and cultural impacts of a locality:how people interact with each other, how they move around, and how they use aplace.

Although urban design is often delivered as a specific project, it is in fact a long -termprocess that continues to evolve over time. It is this layering of building and infrastructuretypes, natural ecosystems, communities and cultures that gives places their uniquecharacteristics and identities.

ELEMENTS OF URBAN DESIGN

This diagramshows the approximate hierarchical relationship between the elements of urbandesign, followed by a brief definition of each of the elements. The section below providesbasic explanations for terms that are commonly used for urban design in the Australiancontext.
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Elements of urban form macro to micro

URBAN STRUCTURE

The overall framework of a region, town or precinct, showing relationships between zones ofbuilt forms, land forms, natural environments, activities and open spaces. It encompassesbroader systems including transport and infrastructure networks.

URBAN GRAIN

The balance of open space to built form, and the nature and extent of subdividing an areainto smaller parcels or blocks. For example a fine urban grain might constitute a network ofsmall or detailed streetscapes. It takes into consideration the hierarchy of street types, thephysical linkages and movement between locations, and modes of transport.

DENSITY + MIX

The intensity of development and the range of different uses (such as residential,commercial, institutional or recreational uses).

HEIGHT + MASSING
http://www.urbandesign.gov.au/images/ud_macro-micro.png


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The scale of buildings in relation to height and floor area, and how they relate to surroundingland forms, buildings and streets. It also incorporates building envelope, site coverage andsolar orientation. Height and massing create the sense of openness or enclosure, and affectthe amenity of streets, spaces and other buildings.

STREETSCAPE + LANDSCAPE

The design of public spaces such as streets, open spaces and pathways, and includeslandscaping, microclimate, shading and planting.

FACADE + INTERFACE

The relationship of buildings to the site, street and neighbouring buildings (alignment,setbacks, boundary treatment) and the architectural expression of their facades (projections,openings, patterns and materials).

DETAILS + MATERIALS

The close-up appearance of objects and surfaces and the selection of materials in terms ofdetail, craftsmanship, texture, colour, durability, sustainability and treatment. It includesstreet furniture, paving, lighting and signage. It contributes to human comfort, safety andenjoyment of the public domain.

PUBLIC REALM

Much of urban design is concerned with the design and management of publicly used space(also referred to as the public realm or public domain) and the way this is experienced andused.

The public realm includes the natural and built environment used by the general public on aday-to-day basis such as streets, plazas, parks, and public infrastructure. Some aspects ofprivately owned space such as the bulk and scale of buildings, or gardens that are visiblefrom the public realm, can also contribute to the overall result.

At times, there is a blurring of public and private realms, particularly where privately owned

space is publicly used.

TOPOGRAPHY, LANDSCAPE AND ENVIRONMENT

The natural environment includes the topography of landforms, water courses, flora andfauna whether natural or introduced. It may be in the form of rivers and creeks, lakes,bushland, parks and recreational facilities, streetscapes or private gardens, and is oftenreferred to as green infrastructure.

SOCIAL + ECONOMIC FABRIC


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The non-physical aspects of the urban form which include social factors (culture,participation, health and well-being) as well as the productive capacity and economicprosperity of a community. It incorporates aspects such as demographics and life stages,social interaction and support networks.

SCALE

The size, bulk and perception of a buildings and spaces. Bulk refers to the height, width anddepth of a building in relation to other surrounding buildings, the street, setbacks andsurrounding open space. For example, a large building set amongst other smaller buildingsmay seem out of scale.

URBAN FORM

The arrangement of a built up area. This arrangement is made up of many components

including how close buildings and uses are together; what uses are located where; and howmuch of the natural environment is a part of the built up area.

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WHAT IS UD