discussion

PUP 420: Theory of Urban Design

Unit 1: What is Urban Design?

What is Urban Design? “Urban design is an art and not a science … a social and public

art rather than a personal or fine art.” Douglas Kelbaugh, FAIA

“Urban design is only possible when people from various disciplines and professions, and arts and sciences, agree to work together.”

Robert Geddes, FAIA

Urban design is the art and science of three dimensional arrangement of buildings and space so that:

•  Functions are resolved efficiently, •  A satisfactory aesthetic is attained,

and •  The land is used to its best advantage. Urban design is a process of change

that: •  Expresses the common values of the

city’s inhabitants (what do they value in their city?), and

•  Continuously recreates the city as buildings and spaces are designed and redesigned.

Seoul, S. Korea

What is Urban Design?

Urban design concerns the public realm, but what is the public realm? Is the public realm…. • All open spaces outside the private domain? • Everything that can be perceived from areas the public can access? • What about publicly owned buildings? • What about privately owned property to which the public has access?

There is no clear answer about what constitutes the public realm. Melbourne, Australia

What is the Public Realm?

Urban design can also be viewed as civic structure, which is the framework of major roads, pedestrian and bicycle routes, open space corridors, and public spaces.

Looking at urban design in this way, we first plan for how we want to use our open space.

We then use buildings and other structures to reinforce and define the open space system.

The Ohio State University campus

The Public Realm as Civic Structure

The public realm can be seen as consisting of…

Outdoor spaces:

•  Streets •  Squares •  Parks •  Plazas •  Pedestrian Walkways

Indoor spaces:

•  Arcades •  Transportation Halls •  Public Buildings •  Shopping Malls (Perhaps. What do you think?)

Annapolis, Maryland

Definitions of the Public Realm:

We’ve been concerned about public space for centuries.

As far back as 1748, Giambattista Nolli mapped the public space in Rome, Italy, including the interior spaces and courtyards.

• How much public space is there in cities today?

• What would a Nolli plan of Tempe look like?

Detail of Nolli Plan of Rome

Definitions of the Public Realm:

Another function of the public realm is financial investment.

•  Buildings represent an investment on which property owners (usually) hope to make a profit.

Melbourne, Australia

Definitions of the Public Realm:

•  Owners may use their own funds to improve aspects of the public realm that their developments affect, or that affect their developments.

•  Additionally, tax income is used by municipalities to improve the public realm, which in turn improves property values (and creates greater tax revenues).

That’s it for Unit 1!