Urban Design Terminology

• Place: locus, distinctive site, localized entity characterized by visual

image which can express its specific identity and transmit meanings,
defined part of space with individual informative and pictorial
qualities
• Place: pattern of space recognizable by its identity and structure,
Kevin Lynch
• Placing and spacing: method of founding a place, foundation of
place as location of things which are belonging to each other, each in
its place and starting from that place, Martin Heidegger
• Spacing: formation of urban space by distancing of architectural
objects
• Identity: the expression of difference and uniqueness simplest form
of sense, extent to which a person can recognize or recall a place as
being distinct from other places, Kevin Lynch
• Genius loci: spirit of place, capacity of the place, urban or landscape
form to allow the transition of one identity to another during the
time, concept of place that presupposes that the place conserve their
identity during the time
• Phenomenology: study of essences and all problems amount to the
finding essences, M. Merleau-Ponty
• sense of place: means to determine the identity of the place and to
interpret it in ever new ways, Ch. Norberg Schulz
• Perceptual space: a collection of emotional encounters with natural
environment and any built or created space, N. Lipovac
• Urban gathering: interpretation of the local spirit of place(genius
loci)
• Meaning of site: expression of formal properties and of a system of
relationships related to the natural or man-made place,
• Legibility of space: visual quality allowing orientation and
identification of space
• Imageability of space: quality in a physical object evoking a strong
image in any given observer, Kevin Lynch
• Character of space: feature determined by material and formal
construction of place articulating its individual identity, concept of
existential place, Ch.Norberg.Schulz
• To pattern: structuring and identifying the environment, Kevin
Lynch
• Pattern: description of the solution related to particular problems of
spatial arrangement and construction, Christopher Alexander
ordering arrangement of parts or particles
• Pattern language: ordered set of explanations problems and its
solutions, subsequently organized index of concepts ( patterns) for
gradual implementation, structure of core instructions adaptive to be
applied in specific conditions, Christopher Alexander
• Gestalt: a pattern of phenomena so integrated as to constitute a
functional unit with properties not derivable by summation of its
parts, Clifford Pickover 1996
 • Gestalt: predominant compositional paradigm of 20th century
Modernism which depends upon the association of abstract objects or
figures contrasted with empty background, K., Rhowbotham, 1999

Urban design: method of management of the physical form of cities,

buildings and the open spaces, management of the processes of land
assembly and building procurement, integrated approach to the
understanding and planning of urban form, operative method of site
production, strategic approach to making proposals for maintenance and
innovation, completion and change of existing site condition.

Urban design: connecting diverse elements into a tree-dimensional

network, Judith Kinnard

Historical city: coherent structure of the built fabric and non-built space
of streets, squares and parks in ordered relationship, fabric of thematic
and non-thematic tissues, system of places

Contemporary city: multiple space, structure of autonomous,

independent parts, mosaic of fragments, without any regular pattern

Maintaining historical city: modifying the historical structure for the

new functions utilizing different tactics of urban regeneration and renewal:
additive transformations, restoration, reactivating, reclaiming,

Compact city redevelopment: strategy which assumes incremental

method of urban reoccupation and consolidation: urban acupuncture is
operative technique, presuming punctual intervention and induction of
fragments

Dispersed city development: generative transformations which are

supporting potentials and creating differences, modification of the city by
acceleration of the dynamic processes of change, ordering processes of
spatial self-organization

Fragmentary approach: fragment and increment as instruments of

plan: architectural project is utilizing as a catalyst, local interventions
transforming larger urban structure in the space-time scale

Pro-active planning strategy: real planning, stimulating changes by

provoking instabilities, discontinuities and collisions as the generators of
further transformation