INTRODUCTION TO SITE PLANNING

Sustainability and Site Design

The activities of human beings have had and will continue to have a significant impact
on the earth’s environment. It has been said that 60 percent of the earth’s land surface is under
the management of people, but 100 percent of the earth’s surface is impacted by the practices
of that management.

The impacts of development and land use patterns have been well documented during
the last half of the twentieth century. Impacts range from a loss of water quality, a loss of wildlife
habitat, a decrease in human health, the loss of native plants caused by the spread of invasive
exotic plants, the loss of bio-diversity, an increase in the cost of infrastructure maintenance, a
decrease in groundwater tables, and more. In addition to these local impacts, human activities
are having significant impacts on global climate. People around the world have become more
aware of general environmental degradation, and they are turning to action.

The various parties to a development project all have interests that they bring to the
process, and all of them assess the development differently—how will the site fit into the
community, will it be a financial success, does the plan meet codes and ordinances, and so on.
It is the job of the designer to synthesize all of these, often adversarial views. It is also the
designer who has the greatest opportunity to innovate and introduce alternatives to the planning
and design of sites and landscape. As a professional, with a duty and responsibility for the
health and safety of the public, it is the designer that has the burden to make the site “work.”
With the realization of the environmental impacts of a site’s development, the introduction of
innovative, more sustainable practices to a site’s development can best be done by the site
design professionals.

Population and Demographics

Trends in population and demographics have important implications for planners. With the
anticipated increase in population, the need for water and energy conservation and planned
growth becomes even more important. Issues of “smart growth” will become more critical. The
community consideration of the standards to be used for that future growth should be
undertaken as soon as possible, in accordance with the community’s vision for its future.

Anticipated Effects of Global Climate Change

Global climate change models anticipate a broad range of impacts. These impacts are believed
to be underway already, and we are to expect that many will begin to manifest significant
impacts on the environment within the next 25 to 100 years. Many of these changes and
impacts have direct implications for the development of land.

Most climate change models are based on the following:

a. doubling of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere,

b. great deal of variability in the climate and weather,
 c. temperature change,
d. world’s oceans are warming as well and the temperature of the
e. world’s oceans are expected to rise and such an increase has significant implications for
coastal communities, rising sea levels will complicate floods of tidal-influenced rivers and
streams.
f. sea is expected to rise and influence the weather,
g. increased storm surges may back up streams and change flood-plain characteristics.
h. Changes in precipitation patterns,
i. paradoxically with an increase in precipitation there is expected to be an increase in the
number and severity of droughts,
j. coastal communities may experience an increase in flooding and beach erosion,
k. flood-prone areas may increase in size as the sea levels rise,
l. public health officials and communities may become more sensitive to areas of standing
water as subtropical and tropical diseases expand their range.

Roles of site planners and designers

Site planners and designers will have to respond to these climate changes by retrofitting
existing facilities and designing new projects. Clearly, in their designs and planning, site
planners will have to account for the life cycle and habitat preferences of the mosquitoes that
transmit such diseases. Anticipated warming in most places will result in increasing cooling
costs for all buildings, including homes. Properly locating a building and plantings on a given
site so as to lower energy costs will become even more important.

As temperatures increase, plants growing in the extremes of their southern range may
be subject to significant heat- and drought-related stresses. Some places may see a shift in
species considered to be “native,” particularly those living at the margins of their tolerance.

Green Site Planning and Design Guidelines

1. Minimize cooling loads through careful building location and landscaping.

2. Utilize renewable energy resources to meet site energy demand for lighting.
3. Install energy-efficient lighting.
4. Use existing buildings and infrastructure instead of developing in “greenfields.”
5. Design should create or contribute to a sense of community.
6. Design to reduce dependence on the automobile.
7. Reduce material use or increase the efficiency of material use.
8. Protect and preserve local ecosystem. Maintain the environmental function of the
site.
9. Specify low-impact or green materials.
10. Site and buildings should be designed for longevity and to be recycled.
11. Design to minimize the use and runoff of water. Treat stormwater as a resource
not a problem.
12. Minimize waste.
SITE DESIGN AND PLANNING

The site is a piece of real estate on which a development program will be implemented,
affords a special set of resources and opportunities for project design. Each site is unique and
requires an understanding of and appreciation for the specific characteristics to elicit a tailored
design response. Consideration should be inclusive of both surface and subsurface
characteristics, as well as the dynamics associated with the natural and cultural processes
which it makes unique. Attributes of a site normally considered relevant to land development
activity include those that bear on the land’s ability to absorb specific development program
elements. These include both on-site and off-site considerations. Site considerations brought to
the design table range from site configuration to adjacent land uses

While site design is a continuous process, it can be broken down into at least five distinct
steps (or stages), each one producing a specific deliverable documenting the migration through
the design process.

S T E P 1 : Feasibility/programming
S T E P 2 : Site analysis
S T E P 3 : Conceptual design
S T E P 4 : Schematic design/preliminary site layout
S T E P 5 : Final design

1. Feasibility and Programming

This initial step in the process requires an understanding of the proposed development
program and an overview of the site characteristics and surrounding area. The base objective of
the feasibility and programming stage is to become familiar with existing site conditions, the
jurisdiction’s comprehensive plan recommendations, and local zoning ordinances and other
regulatory and/or physical elements of the property that may influence the initial proposed
development program.

The feasibility effort requires investigation and documentation along three main avenues.
These include confirmation of micro and macro site characteristics, program components and
development intent, and applicable planning and regulatory controls. Once this information base
has been established for a specific site, the formulation of a design response can proceed.
Usually the designer is charged with several important tasks that will assist in initial
development discussions.

These includes:

1. Preparation of the base map

2. A contextual reference of the site and its surrounding area
3. The assembly of secondary source information that will assist in determining site use
potential
4. The completion of an overall site analysis that focuses on the identification of
development opportunities and constraints associated with the subject site
 Base Map
For site design, a base map (see Figure) that details the property configuration and
terrain is a fundamental requirement.
 Ideally, a property survey (see figure below) and topographic map will be available from
the client. If not provided by the client, boundary information available through local property tax
map sources and topographic mapping, which may have been compiled by local jurisdictions.
Property limits or boundaries together with topographic information constitute the primary
elements of the base map.

Example of a Sketch Plan that could be used as base map since it show property limits.

This information should be augmented with secondary information including such items
as road rights of ways/pavement widths, existing structures, vegetation, bodies of water,
streams, adjacent property boundaries and surrounding parcels, and utility rights of ways and
easements.

In addition to the information provided on the base map, another important aspect of
project design is an awareness of existing and future conditions/uses of a given property.
Current land use plans, zoning maps, road and utility plans, and public facility plans are
important and should be analyzed during the feasibility and programming step.

2. Site Analysis
A site analysis is conducted to provide the designer and the entire design team with a
complete understanding of the opportunities and constraints associated with a property. A field
visit is the best means of ensuring site familiarity. This should be done with a base map in hand
on which appropriate annotations can be made in the field. The visit should ideally be completed
after a review of previously available site data to provide the designer with a sense of what to
expect on site as well as allow for field verification of previously compiled information.

Ideally, the site analysis notes should be on a base map that is at the same scale as the
ultimate conceptual design studies. a site analysis is conducted following the establishment of
the proposed development program and parameters that allow for realistic assessment of the
property

The checklist of site characteristics that may pose potential consequence to later site design
may include the following characteristics and associated considerations.

Topography, slope, soils:

▫ Is the topography fairly uniform throughout the site?
▫ Are there areas where the existing topography is not conducive to the proposed
program?

▫ Are there problem soils or soil/slope relationships that reflect potential instability,
unusual construction practices or excessive costs, or development restrictions imposed
by local government?
▫ Do soils indicate the potential for wetlands or other unique surface characteristics?
▫ What implications does the topography have on utility and drainage consideration?
Confirm the location of major and minor ridge lines or drainage divides.

Property configuration:
▫ Are there constrictions or dimensions that may inhibit the utility or usability of the site
for the intended program?

Existing vegetation:
▫ Confirm the location and character of existing vegetation.
▫ Does the vegetation type vary within the site?
▫ Does the quality and distribution of existing vegetation afford opportunities to enhance
the intended use(s) by incorporating the existing vegetation in the design?
▫ Do the prevalent species indicate probability of poor or wet soils?
▫ Does the existing vegetation afford natural opportunities for screening or buffering of
internal or external views within the site?

Hydrology, drainage, water, wetland, floodplains:

▫ Do the size, location, distribution, or quality of water-related site elements provide
opportunities or constraints in regard to the intended use program?
▫ Confirm general condition of site runoff. Are there indications of erosion or intermittent
ponding?
▫ Is stormwater detention/retention required onsite? If so, what type and size facility will
be required and will its location serve as a site constraint or opportunity?

Views, visual characteristics:

▫ Document and qualify the existence of internal and external viewsheds.
 ▫ Evaluate the potential for openness or enclosure associated with development
opportunities.
▫ Will the removal of existing vegetation extend viewsheds or detract from site visual
quality?
▫ Will it be possible to screen undesirable views?

Climate, site orientation, and exposure:

▫ What are the prevailing wind directions/patterns?
▫ Are there on-site conditions that prompt microclimate nuances particular to the subject
property?
▫ Are there on-site opportunities to promote passive solar techniques?

Adjacent land uses:

▫ Are the adjacent land uses compatible with the program considerations for the subject
site?
▫ Is there a need or opportunity to extend existing or planned community systems into
the site, such as parks or pedestrian trails?
▫ Are there visual or acoustical conflicts associated with surrounding uses/activities?
traffic noise? airport flight patterns? conflicts that will require mitigation strategies
focusing on the provision of additional setback and buffers, or unique building design or
site layout concessions?

Access, potential, circulation patterns:

▫ Does the property have existing public street frontage?
▫ Where are opportunities to access the community vehicular (and pedestrian)
circulation systems?
▫ Will potential connections meet applicable standards?
▫ Does the site terrain suggest or mandate desirable alignments for internal circulation
systems?

Utility locations, existing easements:

▫ Are existing utilities available in the vicinity to serve the development program? How
and where would these systems access the site? Is the topography conducive to these
routings?
▫ Would some utilities require individual systems on-site (i.e., well and/or septic)?
▫ Are areas of the site more suitable for on-site utilities?
▫ Will additional easements be required to route utilities to the site?
▫ What are the cost implications in getting the utilities to the site?

Existing development encumbrances on-site:

▫ Are there additional design or development criteria that will govern the site design
response, such as deed restrictions, covenants, and design guidelines?

Other regulatory requirements:

▫ BP 344 Accessibility Law have significant consequences on layouts. These and similar
issues should be reviewed as part of the site analysis step.

Following the assessment of the site characteristics listed above, the results are
generally presented in a series of exhibits and/or a single summary site analysis which
documents the site’s development opportunities and constraints. This information may be
summarized in composite maps, diagrams, or other exhibits to depict development opportunities
and constraints graphically.

The figures below provides examples of the various site analysis maps that could be
developed to show various site characteristics.

Site contour/elevation analysis map

Soil analysis map
Drainage analysis map
Slope analysis map
Resource analysis map
Utilities analysis map
 The figure below is an example of a composite map showing opportunities and
constraints analysis.

In conclusion, the site analysis should provide an over view and initial delineation of
those portions of the site that are capable or not capable of supporting various elements of the
development program. This assessment should result in an ability to quantify areas of the site
deemed ‘‘usable’’ for program development. Often this quantification is referred to as the net
buildable area of the site. It represents that portion of the entire gross acreage of the site that
the designer and other members of the design team have determined can reasonably be used
in the proposed development program.