DESIGN REQUIREMENTS OF SPECIFIC

PLACES IN TOWNS AND CITIES:

BY COLINAYO, RC URANZA.

INTRODUCTION
PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT
(PUD) THIS TERM IS USED TO
DESCRIBE A TYPE OF
DEVELOPMENT AND THE
REGULATORY PROCESS THAT
PERMITS A DEVELOPER TO MEET
OVERALL COMMUNITY DENSITY
AND LAND USE GOALS WITHOUT
BEING BOUND BY EXISTING
ZONING REQUIREMENTS.
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CLUSTER HOUSING
IS A SUBDIVISON TECHNIQUE WHERE DWELINGS ARE GROUPED CLOSE TOGETHER WITH A COMMON AREALEFT FOR
RECREATION. IN EFFECT RESIDENTS HAVE EXTREMELY SMALL YARDS BUT CAN ENJOY THE LARGE COMMON SPACES.

MIXED- USE DEVELOPMENT AND COMMERCIAL CENTERS

IS A STYLE OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT, URBAN PLANNING AND/ OR A ZONING TYPE THAT BLENDS RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL,
CULTURAL, INSTITUTIONAL, OR ENTERTAINMENT USES INTO ONE SPACE, WHERE THOSE FUNCTIONS ARE TO SOME
PHYSICALLY AND FUNCTIONALLY INTEGRATED, AND THAT PROVIDES PEDESTRIAN CONNECTIONS.
BENEFITS OF MIXED USEDEVELOPMENT
INCREASED ECONOMIC VITALITY, INCREASED TAX REVENUE, LOWER INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS, BUDGET COST SAVINGS

AN INDUSTRIAL PARK (ALSO KNOWN AS INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, TRADING ESTATE)

IS AN AREA ZONED AND PLANNED FOR THE PURPOSE OF INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT.INDUSTRIAL PARKS ARE USUALLY
LACATED ON THE EDGES OF, OR OUTSIDE THE MAIN RESIDENTIAL AREA OF A CITY, AND ARE NORMALLY PROVIDED WITH
GOOD TRANSPORTATION ACCESS, INCLUDING ROADS AND RAILS.

CAMPUS PLANNING
OUTLINES THE LONGTERM DIRECTION OF A HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION’S PHYSICAL AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT. IT
ENSURES THE HIGHEST AND BEST USE OF LAND TO MEET A COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY’S ACADEMIC, RESEARCH, AND
OUTREACH MISSIONS.

GOVERNMENT CENTER AND PLAZA COMPLEZ

IS AN OPEN SPACE DESIGNED FOR PUBLIC USE AND DEFINED BY SURROUNDING BUILDINGS AND / OR STREETS.ITS PRIMARY
FUNCTIONS ARE TO ENCOURAGE A DIVERSITY OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOCIAL INTERACTION AND ACIVITIES, PROVIDE RELIEF

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AND RELAXATION, TO EXPAND AND REINFORCE THE PUBLIC REALM AND TO CONTRIUTE TO THE LIVABILITY AND GENERAL
AMENITY OF THE DOWNTOWN AND OTHER DEVELOPING PARTS OF THE CITY. PLAZAS HAVE BEEN CENTRAL TO THE
DEVELOPMENT OF URBAN CENTERS.

URBANIZATION OF COASTAL ZONES

HAS DIVIDED THEM ONTO TWO MAINMAIN CATEGORIES: COASTEALS CHARACTERIZED BY HIGH DENSITY OF LAND USES AND
THOSE WITH LOW BUILDING AND POPULATION DENSITY. THEIR MAIN DIFFERENCE LIES IN THEIR ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE.
A NEW URBAN SPRAWL IS NORMALY DEVELOPED, SPATIALLY FOLLOWING IN A LINEAR DIRECTION FROM THE COAST.THIS
PHENOMENON IS A DIRECT EFFECT OF THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE TRANSPORT SYSTEM, THE INCREASE OF LIVING
STANDARDS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF TOURIST ACTIVITIES AND HAS LED TO NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON COASTAL BIODIVERSITY,
A STEADY INCREASE ON DEMANDS FOR WATER RESOURCES AND AN INCREASE OF WASTE PRODUCTION AND POLLUTION.
URBAN SPRAWL HAS ALSO NEGATIVELY AFFECTED THE URBAN COAST’S QUALITY OF LIFE, CREATING A POPULATION DENSITY
THAT LEADS TO PROBLEMS CONCERNING EMPLOYMENT AND EXPLOITATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES.

PARKS AND OPEN SPACE PLANS

ARE INTENDED TO GUIDE A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH FOR COMMUNITIES TO PROVIDE AND PRESERVE PARKS, UNDEVELOPED
LANDS, AND RECREATION SERVICES FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD.

RESORT COMMUNITY
MEANS A COMMUNITY COMPRISED OF A MIX USES THAT MEET THE RECREATIONAL NEEDS OF RESORT OWNERS, RENTERS,
AND TRAVELING AND VACATIONING PUBLIC AND VISITORS ON A FOUR-SEASON BASIS AND IS DISTINCT IN PURPOSE, FORM
AND FUNCTION FROM A COMPLETE COMMUNITY IN A SETTLEMENT AREA. IT IS COMPRISED OF RESOURCE-BASED
RECREATIONAL RESORT RESIDENTIAL UNITS AND/ OR FRACTIONAL OWNERSHIP RESORT RESIDENTIAL UNITS AND RENTAL

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UNITS AVAILABLE TO VISITORS, TOGETHER WITH EXTENSIVE AND INTEGRATED RECREATIONAL AND TOURISM RELATED
AMENITIES, AND A PREDOMINANCE OF OPEN SPACE ALL ON LANDS.

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TYPES OF HOUSING
MAIN LESSON

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CONDOMINUMS
CONDOMINUMS ARE FORM OF OWNERSHIP THAT CAN APPLY
TO ALMOST ALL TYPES OF HOUSING

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DETACHED HOUSE
THIS IS A HOUSE THAT STANDS ON ITS OWN.
SEMI DETACHED HOUSE
IS A SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING HOUSE THAT SHARES ONE COMMON WALL WITH THE NEXT HOUSE.

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TOWNSHOUSE
A TOWN HOUSE IS A UNIT IN A ROW OF OTHER UNITS THAT
LOOK LIKE HOUSES, ATTACHED TO EACH OTHER.

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DUPLEX/TRIPLEX HOUSE
IS A PROPERTY DIVIDED INTO TWO APARTMENTS, WITH A SEPARATE ENTRACE FOR EACH.

Duplex: A home divided into two separate residences

Triplex: A home divided into three separate residences
Quadriplex: A home divided into four separate residences

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DESIGN REQUIREMENTS OF SPECIFIC PLACES IN TOWNS AND CITIES

LAND USES IS THE BASIC BUILDING BLOCK OF AN URBAN DESIGN PLAN. THE ORGANIZATION OF LAND
USES ESTABLISHES THE FRAMEWORK FOR THE PHYSICAL LOCATION AND FUNCTIONAL ROLE OF ALL
THE OTHER PLAN COMPONENTS. IN THE FOLLOWING SECTIONS,

HOUSING

THE LAND USE COMPONENT OF A PLAN IS RELATED TO A PLANS HOUSING ELEMENT IN THREE
IMPORTANT WAYS:
• IT HELP TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH LAND WILL BE SET ASIDE FOR HOUSING AND, THEREFORE,
HOW MUCH HOUSING WILL BE AVAILABLE IN A COMMUNITY.

• IT INFLUENCES WHAT TYPES OF HOUSING WILL BE CONSIDERED IN THE PLAN, SUCH AS HOW
MANY APARTMENTS VERSUS SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES MAY NEED TO BE ACCOMODATED

• IT HELPS DETERMINE THE BEST LOCATIONS FOR HOUSING IN RELATION TO OTHER IMPORTANT
ELEMENTS, LIKE TRANSPORTATION ROUTES AND SHOPPING AREAS.

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 TRANSPORTATION

COORDINATING TRANSPORTATION ROUTES AND SERVICE WITH A COMMUNITY’S OVERALL LAND USE PATTERN IS AN
IMPORTANT FUNCTION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, THE OVERALL PLAN MAY INTEND TO EXTEND OR IMPROVE
TRANSPORTATION IN AREAS THAT ARE DESIGNATED FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT.

INFRASTRUCTURE AND PUBLIC

SEVICES
THE LAND USE COMPONENT OF A PLAN AND PLANNING FOR INFRASTRUCTURE AND PUBLIC SERVICES HAVE A BACK-AND-
FORTH RELATIONSHIP.TYPICALLY, A LAND USE PLAN IS USED TO DETERMINE THE PARTS OF THE CITY THAT REQUIRE SERVICES
SUCH AS SEWER SYSTEMS OR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

EXAMINING LAND USE CLASSIFICATIONS

A LAND USE PLAN TYPICALLY CLASIFIES ALL THE DIFFERENT LAND USES IN A CITY USING METHODS THAT BLEND LOCAL NEEDS
WITH VARIOUS PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL STANDARDS. LAND CLASSIFICATION STANDARDS VARY FROM PLACE TO PLACE
BECAUSE ALL PLACES ARE DIFFERENT FROM EACH OTHER.
LAND USE PLANS ALSO INCLUDE ADDITIONAL CLASSES OR SUBCLASSES DEPENDING ON WHAT ACTIVITIES ARE PRESENT IN
THE COMMUNITY, SUCH AS RECREATIONAL AREAS, AIRPORTS, OR HOSPITALS.

• RESIDENTIAL
• COMMERCIAL

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 • INDUSTRIAL
• AGRICULTURAL AREAS AND OPEN SPACE
• MIXED LAND USE
• PUBLIC AND INSTITUTIONAL USES

STREETS
DESIGNING CITY STREETS IS A CHALLENGING TASK BECAUSE STREETS SERVE FUNCTIONS THAT ARE SOMETIMES AT ODDS
WITH EACH OTHER. STREET DESIGN CONSIDERS SOME DIVERSE ELEMENTS, INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING:
• TRAFFIC FLOW AND LAYOUT
• APPEARANCE
• STREETSCAPE ELEMENTS

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 CITIES AND REGIONS

MOST URBAN PLANNERS AND DESIGNERS DON’T GET THE CHANCE TO DESIGN ENTIRELY NEW CITIES FROM SCRATCH. BUT
SOME APPROACHES TO URBAN DESIGN SUGGEST WAYS THE CITIES AND METROPOLITAN AREAS CAN BENEFIT FROM A
COORDINATED PATTERN OF DEVELOPMENT. THE TRANSECT PLANNING APPROACH POPULARIZED BY THE NEW URBANIST
ARCHITECT ANDRES DUANY AND URBAN PLANNING ROFESSOR EMILY TALEN ILLUSTRATES HOW DIFFERENT URBAN DESIGN
PATTERNS CAN BE USED IN DIFFERENT PARTS
OF A METROPOLITAN AREA.

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OPEN SPACE

WELL-LANDSCAPED OPEN SPACES WITH A BALANCE MIX OF HARD AND SOFT LANDSCAPE SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED
TO MEET THE FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR ACTIVE AND PASSIVE RECREATIONAL USES. DETAILED MICRO-SCALE
LANDSCAPE DESIGN SHOULD BE SITE SPECIFIC TO MAXIMIZE LEGIBILITY, TO CREATE A COMFORTABLE ENVIRONMENT AND TO
GREEN THE CITY.

LANDSCAPED GREEN AREAS, TREE PLANTING AND AMENITY STRIPS ALONG STREETS, MAJORTRANSPORT CORRIDORSAND
WALKWAYS SHOULD BE PROVIDED TO SOFTEN THE MAN-MADE ENVIRONMENT. OPEN SPACE AT FRIDGE LOCATION WHERE IT
WOULD BE RELATIVELT UNUSED SHOULD BE AVOIDED. PUBLIC ACCESSIBILITY TO OPEN SPACES SHOULD BE MAXIMIZED.

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 BUILDING HEIGHT AND BUILDING FORM

TALLER BUILDINGS SHOULD BE LOCATED INLAND, WITH LOWER DEVELOPMENTS ON THE WATERFRONT, TO AVOID
DOMINATING THE HARBOR AND INCREASE PERMEABILITY TO THE WATERBODY. WATERFRONT BUILDINGS SHOULD BE OF
APPROPRIATE SCALE AND FAÇADE TREATMENT TO AVOID CREATING AN IMPERABLE “WALL” ALONG WATERFRONTS.

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