PLAN 2

FUNDAMENTALS OF URBAN DESIGN &

COMMUNITY ARCHITECTURE

Ar/EnP/RMP Demie M. Verde

CUAP, PIEP, NAMPAP, Green ADP+AA
Urban design is the process of designing and
shaping cities, towns and villages. ... Urban
design is an inter-disciplinary subject that utilizes
elements of many built environment professions,
including landscape architecture, urban planning,
architecture, civil and municipal engineering.
Urban planning is a technical and political
process concerned with the development and use
of land, planning permission, protection and use
of the environment, public welfare, and
the design of the urban environment, including air,
water, and the infrastructure passing into and out
of urban areas, such
as transportation, communications,
and distribution networks.[1] Urban planning is
also referred to as urban and regional
planning, regional planning, town planning, city
planning, rural planning or some combination in
various areas worldwide. It takes many forms and
it can share perspectives and practices with urban
design.
 SOCIO-CULTURAL BASIS OF DESIGN IN
COMMUNITIES
A. PROBLEMS WITH MOST OF TODAYS COMMUNITY
DESIGNS
 Are designers preoccupied with making artistic
statements rather than spaces where people would
actually want to be?
 Community Architecture can be simply defined as,
“architecture carried out with the active participation
of the end-users”.(Wates, Handbook 184)
 But a lot of people do a lot of complaining about the
architecture profession; particularly its alleged
preoccupation with making artistic statements rather
than, the charge goes, serving people. The issue at
hand is not simply the “modern box” aesthetic.
 SOCIO-CULTURAL BASIS OF DESIGN IN
COMMUNITIES
 The problem is also that, these structures lack an
authentic connection to nature and the very cultures in
which they exist. This, in turn, leaves people feeling
disconnected, isolated and longing for true connections
to each other and to their communities. (Benfield, 2013)
While the problem is complex, the solution is simple:
We must bring nature back into architecture.
According to Architect Travis Price, “We are made
from nature in nature. We miss the rhythms. We miss
the hot, cold. The lack of isolation by fossil fuels, the
human being needs that, just like it needs smell and
taste.” (Gray, 2014
 B.HUMAN-CENTERED DESIGN (HCD)
Human-centered design(HCD) is a design and
management framework that develops solutions to
problems by involving the human perspective in all steps of
the problem-solving process. Human involvement typically
takes place in observing the problem within context,
brainstorming, conceptualizing, developing, and
implementing the solution. Human-centered design is an
approach to interactive systems development that aims to
make systems usable and useful by focusing on the users,
their needs and requirements, and by applying human
factors/ergonomics, usability knowledge, and techniques.
This approach enhances effectiveness and efficiency,
improves human well-being, user satisfaction, accessibility
and sustainability; and counteracts possible adverse effects
of use on human health, safety and performance.
 C. SOCIOCULTURAL SYSTEM The term
"sociocultural system" embraces three concepts:
society, culture, and system.
 SOCIETY- is a number of interdependent
organisms of the same species.
 CULTURE- is the learned behaviors that are
shared by the members of a society, together
with the material products of such behaviors.
SYSTEM- is a collection of parts which interact
with each other to function as a whole.
(Kauffman, 1980)
 II. SOCIO-CULCTURAL FACTORS IN
COMMUNITY DESIGNS

1.GEOGRAPHY AND ECOLOGY

2. ANTHROPOLOGY
3.CULTURAL LANDSCAPE
 A. GEOGRAPHY AND ECOLOGY
 Geography is the study of the physical features
of the earth and its atmosphere, and of human
activity as it affects and is affected by these,
including the distribution of populations and
resources, land use, and industries.
 Ecology is the branch of biology that deals with
the relations of organisms to one another and
to their physical surroundings. Basically these
two are the important factors in studying the
“concept of the community and its relationship
to the environment.” (Morgan and Moss, 1965)
 So how this influences the design?

 1. AVAILABILITY OF LOCAL MATERIALS

 2.ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
 3.DISASTER PRONE AREAS
 4. DIVERSE LAND
HISTORY of SETTLEMENTS
 HISTORY of SETTLEMENTS
Ancient Times
Natural factors that affect the
development and growth of urban areas:

potential for natural calamities (fire, flood, volcano

eruptions, etc.)
presence of fertile soil, bodies of water, and other
natural resources
slope and terrain and other forms of natural defenses
climate
 HISTORY of SETTLEMENTS
Ancient Times
Innovations that influenced the development of
the earliest cities
- The plow and rectilinear farming.

- Circular and radiocentric planning

- for herding and eventually for defense
 HISTORY of SETTLEMENTS
Ancient Times
Innovations that influenced the development of
the earliest cities
- The plow and rectilinear farming.

- Circular and radiocentric planning

- for herding and eventually for defense
 HISTORY of SETTLEMENTS
7000 – 9000 b.c.
Neolithic cities
- Jericho: early settlement in Israel -9000b.c.
- A well-organized community of about 3000 people
- Built around a reliable source of freshwater
- Only 3 hectares and enclosed with a circular stone wall
- Overrun in about 6500 b.c., rectangular layouts followed
 HISTORY of SETTLEMENTS
7000 – 9000 b.c.
Neolithic cities

- Khirokitia: early settlement in Cyprus - 5500 b.c

-First documented settlement
with streets
-The main street heading uphill
was narrow but had a wider terminal,
which may have been a social spot
 HISTORY of SETTLEMENTS

-Catalhoyuk: early settlement in Turkey (Asia Minor)

-Circa 7000 b.c.

-Largest neolithic city-

13 hectares; 10,000 people
-An intricately assembled
complex without streets
-Included shrines and quarters
for specialized crafts, production
of paintings, textile, metal, etc.

-Rested on a new rationale for the

city at that time- trade
 HISTORY of SETTLEMENTS

-Catalhoyuk: early settlement in Turkey (Asia Minor)

-Circa 7000 b.c.

-Largest neolithic city-

13 hectares; 10,000 people
-An intricately assembled
complex without streets
-Included shrines and quarters
for specialized crafts, production
of paintings, textile, metal, etc.

-Rested on a new rationale for the

city at that time- trade
 HISTORY of SETTLEMENTS
2000 – 4000 b.c.
- Cities in the Fertile Crescent were formed by the Tigris
and Euphrates river valleys of Mesopotamia
- Eridu- acknowledged as the oldest city.
- Damascus- oldest continually inhabited city
- Babylon: the largest city with 80,000 inhabitants
HISTORY of SETTLEMENTS
 HISTORY of SETTLEMENTS
3000 b.c.
-Cities of Thebes and Memphis along the Nile Valley
- characterized by monumental architecture
-cities had monumental avenues, colossal temple
plazas and tombs cut from rock

-worker’s communities
were built in cells along
narrow roads
 HISTORY of SETTLEMENTS
3000 b.c.
-Cities of Thebes and Memphis along the Nile Valley
Ancient Thebes, Egypt

Memphis Egypt
 HISTORY of SETTLEMENTS

- Tel-el-Amarna

- An example of a typical
Egyptian city with the
following:
(1) central area
(2) north suburb
(3) south city
(4) custom’s house
(5) worker’s village
 HISTORY of SETTLEMENTS

- Tel-el-Amarna

- An example of a typical
Egyptian city with the
following:
(1) central area
(2) north suburb
(3) south city
(4) custom’s house
(5) worker’s village
 HISTORY of SETTLEMENTS
2500 b.c.
- Indus Valley (present day Pakistan)
-Cities of Mohenjo – Daro and Harrapa:
-administrative-religious centers with 40,000 inhabitants
-archeological evidence indicates an advanced civilization
lived here as there were housing variations, sanitary and
sewage systems, etc.
1900 b.c.
-Yellow River Valley of China-
“land within the passes”. Precursor of Linear City.
- Anyang- largest city of the Yellow River Valley
800 b.c.
- Beijing- founded in approximately same location it’s in today
-present form originated in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)
 HISTORY of SETTLEMENTS
b.c. to a.d
- Elaborate network of cities in Mesoamerica were built by
the Zapotecs, Mextecs, and Aztecs in rough rugged land.

- Teotijuacan and Dzibilchatun were the largest cities

 HISTORY of SETTLEMENTS
700 b.c. Greek Classical Cities
- Greek cities spread through the Aegean Region –
westward to France and Spain

-“polis” : defined as a “city-state”. Most famous is the

Acropolis- a religious and defensive structure up on the
hills, with no definite geometrical plan
 HISTORY of SETTLEMENTS
700 b.c.
- Sparta and Athens : the largest cities (100-150T)
- Neopolis and Paleopolis (new and old cities)
400 b.c.
-Hippodamus- the first noted urban planner. Introduced
the grid system and the Agora (public marketplace)

-Miletus
- 3 sections:
for artisans, farmers,
and the military
 HISTORY of SETTLEMENTS
Roman Classical Cities
-Roman Cities : adopted Greek forms but with different
scale- monumental, had a social hierarchy
- Roman Forums
 HISTORY of SETTLEMENTS
- Romans as engineers- built aqueducts, public
baths, utility systems, fountains, etc.

- Developed housing variations and other spaces:

Basilica- covered markets; later, law courts
Curia- the local meeting hall; later, the capitol
Domus- traditional Roman house; with a central
atrium
Insulae- 3 to 6- storey apartments with storefronts
- Romans incorporated public works and arts
into city designs
- Romans as conquerors- built forum after forum
 HISTORY of SETTLEMENTS
Medieval Ages
- Decline of Roman power left many outposts all over
Europe where growth revolved around
- Feudalism affected the urban design of most towns

- Sienna and
Constantinople:
signified the
rise of the
Church

-Towns were fine and intimate with winding roads and

sequenced views of cathedrals or military fortifications
 HISTORY of SETTLEMENTS

- 11th century towns in Europe: Coastal port towns

- many of these coastal

towns grew from military
fortifications, but expansion
was limited to what the city
could support

- Mercantilist cities : continuous increase in size

- World trade and travel created major population
concentrations like Florence, Paris, and Venice
- Growth eventually led to congestion and slums
 HISTORY of SETTLEMENTS
The Renaissance and Baroque periods
- 15th Century France: display of power
- Arts and architecture became a major element of
town planning and urban design
- Geometrical forms of cities were proposed
 HISTORY of SETTLEMENTS
- Vienna emerged as the city of culture and the
arts- the first “university town”
- Landscape architecture showcased palaces
and gardens

karlsruhe (Germany) Versailles (France)

 HISTORY of SETTLEMENTS
Settlements in the Americas
1. Medieval Organic City - taken after the “boug”
(military town) and “fauborg” (citizen’s town) of
the medieval ages
2. Medieval Bastide - taken from the French bastide
(eventually referred to as “new towns”)
- came in the form of grids or radial plans
reflecting flexibility

3. The Spanish “Laws of the Indies” town - King

Philip II’s city guidelines that produced 3 types
of towns- the pueblo (civil), the presidio
(military), and the mission (religious)
 HISTORY of SETTLEMENTS
4. The English Renaissance - “the European
Planned City” – ex. Savannah (designed
by James Oglethorpe), Charleston, Annapolis,
and Williamsburg (Col. Francis Nicholson)

- Today, Savannah is the world’s largest officially

recognized historical district
 Annapolis Williamsburg
– government bldgs were – plan was anchored by
focal points of the plan, the Governor’s palace,
though a civic square the state capitol, and
was also provided the College of William
and Mary
 HISTORY of SETTLEMENTS
5. The Speculators Town - developments were
driven by speculation
- Philadelphia– designed by William Penn

- Built between the Delaware and Scool Kill

 HISTORY of SETTLEMENTS
The Industrial Revolution
- The “Machine Age” - change from manpower
to assembly lines
- 2 schools of thought- the “reform movements”
and the “specialists”
 HISTORY of SETTLEMENTS
The Industrial Revolution
- the reform movements:
- Robert Owens (New Lanark Mills,
Manchester, England)
-Designed for 800 to 1200 persons
-With agricultural, light industrial,
educational, and recreational facilities
- the “Owenite Communities”:
- New Harmony, Indiana, USA by Owens, Jr.
- Brook Farm, Massachusetts, by a group of
New England Planners
- Icarus, Red River, Texas, by Cabet
(eventually, Cabet joined the Mormons in laying out
Salt-lake City, Utah)
 HISTORY of SETTLEMENTS
- Tony Garnier (Une Cite Industrielle )

Locational features
may have been a
precursor to modern
zoning

Ideas and theories

adopted by Dutch
Architect JJP Oud
in the design of
Rotterdam