Urban Design I : Arch 4192

Addis College Department of Architecture and

Urban Planning
Arch Tsega B. (MSc)
March 2023
Structure of the Lecture

Principle and Elements of Design Applied to Architecture

Visual Design Elements

Visual Design Principle

Types And patten of Urban Design

Urban Morphology

Categories of a city
Principles and Elements of
Design
Applied to Architecture
Visual Design Elements
Six integral components used in the creation of a
design:

➢ Line ➢ Space

➢ Color ➢ Texture

➢ Form and Shape ➢ Value

Visual Design Elements
Six integral components used in the creation of a
design:

➢ Line ➢ Space

➢ Color ➢ Texture

➢ Form and Shape ➢ Value

 Line

Types
Vertical – Represents dignity, formality, stability, and strength
Horizontal – Represents calm, peace, and relaxation
Diagonal – Represents action, activity, excitement, and movement
Curved – Represents freedom, the natural, having the
appearance of softness, and creates a soothing feeling or mood
Vertical Lines

Skyscraper
Microsoft Office clipart
Madrid, Spain
The Empire State Brandenburg Gate
Building Berlin
Architect: Shreve, Lamb,
and Harmon
Horizontal Lines

Wikimedia.org

Community Christian Church

Kansas City, MO
Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright, 1940
Diagonal Lines
Microsoft Office clipart

©iStockphoto.com
Curved Lines

©iStockphoto.com

Sydney Opera House

Jorn Utzon
Color
Color has an immediate and profound
effect on a design.

©iStockphoto.com

Microsoft Office clipart

Saint Basil’s Cathedral

Microsoft Office clipart Moscow
 Color….
Basic Colors ©iStockphoto.com

Red, blue, yellows

Warm Colors
©iStockphoto.com

Reds, oranges, yellows

Cool Colors
Blues, purples, greens
Color

©iStockphoto.com

Colors can affect how humans feel and act

 Form and Shape
❑ Shape and form define objects in
space.
❖ Shape:
➢ have two dimensions (2D)
➢ height and width
➢ are usually defined by lines.

❖ Form:
➢ Exist in three dimensions,
➢ with height, width, and depth
Form and Shape
©iStockphoto.com
Microsoft Office clipart

Marie-Elisabeth-Lüders-Haus
Berlin, Germany

Oriental Pearl Tower

Shanghai
Architect: Jiang Huan Cheng,
Shanghai Modern Architectural
Design, Co.
 Space
➢ Space is the boundless three-dimensional
extent in which objects and events have
relative position and direction.
➢ By incorporating the use of space in your
design, you can enlarge or reduce the visual
space.
Types

•Unused space
good use of space
• Open, uncluttered spaces •Cramped, busy spaces •Unused vs. good use of space
Texture

The surface look or feel of something

Smooth Surface – Reflects more light and therefore is a more

intense color.
Rough Surface – Absorbs more light and therefore appears
darker.
Smooth Texture

©iStockphoto.com

Glass façade of a high

rise office building Exterior metal façade of Disney Concert Hall
Los Angeles
Rough Texture

Park Guell – Barcelona, Spain

Architect: Antonio Gaudí

©iStockphoto.com
Value
The relative lightness or darkness of a color

Methods
Shade – Degree of darkness of a color
Tint – A pale or faint variation of a color
Value
©iStockphoto.com

Downtown buildings in Bangalore, India

Visual Design Principles
Visual Design Principles
Seven principles encompass an interesting design.

1. Balance 5. Movement
2. Rhythm 6. Contrast
3. Emphasis 7. Unity
4. Proportion and scale
Balance
➢ Parts of the design are equally distributed to create a
sense of stability.
➢ Both physical and visual balance.

Types
➢ Symmetrical or formal balance
➢ Asymmetrical or informal balance
➢ Radial balance
➢ Vertical balance
➢ Horizontal balance
 Balance
❑ Symmetrical or Formal Balance
➢ The elements within the design are identical in relation to a centerline or axis.

AXIS OR
➢ It is the balance of equal visual weight placed at equal CENTERLINE

distance from the axis.

➢ Referred as formal balance

The Taj Mahal Mausoleum

Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India
 Balance….
❖ Asymmetrical or Informal Balance
➢ Parts of the design are not identical but are equal in visual
weight.
➢ Is the balance of un equal visual weight, the heavier one being
nearer the axis and the lighter one farther

Chateau de Chaumont
Saone-et-Loire, France
Balance……
❑ Radial Balance

➢ Design elements radiate outward from the center.

Microsoft Office clipart

Dresden Frauenkirche Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

Deresden, Germay Milan, Italy
Architect: Giuseppe Mengoni
 Balance….
❑ Vertical Balance
➢ The top and bottom parts are equal.

• Achieved by the reflection of

the building in the water
 Balance
Horizontal Balance
The parts on the left and right sides are
equal.

Chi Lin Buddhist Temple and Nunnery Hearst Castle

Kowloon City, Hong Kong San Simeon, CA Building façade
Architect: Julia Morgan Limberg, Germany
 Rhythm
➢ Is regular, uniform, or related visual movement made through
repetition of units or motif.
➢ It is the basis of almost all performing arts, (b/s it is a principle
which is more quickly felt)
➢ Repeated use of line, shape, color, texture or pattern
Types
➢ Regular rhythm
➢ Graduated rhythm
➢ Random rhythm
➢ Gradated rhythm
 Rhythm
Regular Rhythm
➢ An element is repeated at the same repetition/interval
each time.

Microsoft Office clipart

Cube house design

Rotterdam, Netherlands
Rhythm…..

Random Rhythm

➢ The beats of the element are random

or are at irregular intervals.
Rhythm….
Gradated Rhythm

The repeated element is identical with the exception of one

detail increasing or decreasing gradually with each
repetition.

Left: Stack of rocks used as focal

point in landscaping
 Emphasis
➢ Use to make certain parts of their art work standout and grab
your attention.

➢ It may be the outline, form, color, texture, size, idea or value of

an object/ artwork.
Emphasis
➢ The feature in a design that attracts one’s eye –
the focal point
➢ Emphasis can be achieved through size,
placement, shape, color, and/or use of lines

Ceiling mosaic in Park Gruell

Microsoft Office clipart

Mosque - Egypt
Proportion and Scale
➢ A quality of art which shows pleasing relationships b/n
a whole and its part and b/n the parts themselves
➢ Comparative relationships between elements in a
design with respect to size
➢ 3:5 ratio is known as the Golden Mean
Movement
Flow or feeling of action
Contrast
Noticeably different ©iStockphoto.com

➢ Can be created with

•Color
•Proportion and scale
•Shape
•Texture
•Etc.
Unity
Unity is achieved by the consistent use of lines, color,
material, and/or texture within a design.
Unity….

Microsoft Office clipart

 Elements of Urban Design in the city image

• Among the urban design precedents are projects that do

not directly correlate to the Terrace as a whole, but offer
interesting ideas and components that could be integrated
into the development.
1. Paths.
2. Edges.
3. Districts.
4. Nodes.
5. Landmarks.
6. Signage.
7. Lighting.
8. Transportation.
9. Building.
10. Landscaping.
 1. Paths.
Paths are the channels along which the observer customarily,
occasionally, or potentially moves. They may be streets, walkways,
transit lines, canals, railroads. For many people, these are the
predominant elements in their image. People observe the city while
moving through it, and along these paths the other environmental
elements are arranged and related.
2. Edges.
Edges are the linear elements not used or considered as paths by the
observer. They are the boundaries between two phases, linear breaks in
continuity: shores, railroad cuts, edges of development, walls.

They are lateral references rather than coordinate axes. Such edges may be
barriers, more or less penetrable, which close one region off from another; or
they may be seams, lines along which two regions are related and joined
together.
3. Districts.

Districts are the medium-to-Iarge sections of the city, conceived of as

having two-dimensional extent, which the observer mentally enters
"inside of," and which are recognizable as having some common,
identifying character. Always identifiable from the inside, they are also
used for exterior reference if visible from the outside.
Cont…

Most people structure their city to

some extent in this way, with
individual differences as to whether
paths or districts are the dominant
elements. It seems to depend not
only upon the individual but also
upon the given city.
4. Nodes.
Nodes are points, the strategic spots in a city into which an observer can
enter, and which are the intensive foci to and from which he is traveling.
They may be primarily junctions, places of a break in transportation, a
crossing or convergence of paths, moments of shift from one structure to
another.
Cont…
The concept of node is related to the
concept of path, since junctions are
typically the convergence of paths, events
on the journey. It is similarly related to
the concept of district, since cores are
typically the intensive foci of districts,
their polarizing center.
5. Landmarks.
Landmarks are another type of point-reference, but in this case the observer
does not enter within them, they are external. They are usually a rather
simply defined physical object: building, sign, store, or mountain. Their use
involves the singling out of one element from a host of possibilities.
Cont…
6. Signage.
When choosing a sign one must consider several aspects such as the
desired size, type and placement of a sign. The first question that
you should ask is how much space do you have to construct a sign?

If you have limited space you should consider constructing a wall,

canopy or awning sign. If the site is large enough to construct a
monument sign you should do so in addition to wall, canopy or
awning signs.
Cont…
7. Lighting.
Lighting is an important element in Urban Design. When considering a
lighting design, one must take into account the type of light needed for the
specific purpose of the site. Is the light designed to enhance security to the
property, provide ambiance, aid drivers by increasing visibility on roadways,
or used simply to illuminate a sign?
8. Transportation.
When planning a new development one should make transportation a
foremost concern. You should incorporate into your development a sidewalk
system with walkways with large enough surface area to allow at least two
people to walk side by side.
9. Building.
Building refers to the three dimensional modeling of a building and its
surfaces, giving emphasis to architectural elements (windows, balconies,
porches, entries, etc.) that create a complementary pattern or rhythm,
dividing large buildings into smaller identifiable pieces.
10. Landscaping.
The enhancement of an area’s aesthetic beauty is directly related to that
area’s landscaping. All efforts should be made to enrich the visual landscape
of Baton Rouge. Each parcel of land should be landscaped thereby
reinforcing the area’s sense of place.

Not only does landscaping add to the visual appeal and contiguity of a site,
it also preforms important and invaluable function relating to the reduction
of pollutants and Storm water treatment.
Urban Design Frameworks
▪ Urban Design Frameworks involve the generation of ideas and the
preparation of realistic design concepts based on consultation, research and
analysis.

An urban design framework is the bridge between policy and

implementation.
 Scope
• State the context, issues and objectives, and vision
• Define the area
• Explain how the framework will fit into the planning system, and what status it
will have
• Explain how the framework will relate to other plans and initiatives, and in
particular its role in coordinating them
• Identify the main stakeholders
• Set out the contents of the framework
• Set out the process to be followed in preparing the framework
• List the outputs that the framework is to achieve
Stages in the preparation process
• Refine the brief
• Gather information
• Undertake appraisal/ judgments/
• Involve local communities
• Formulate options
• Carry out technical and financial testing
• Select the preferred option
• Refine the preferred option
• Prepare final outputs
What to include

• Appreciating the context

• Creating the structure
• Making the connections
Appreciating the context

• Archaeology and heritage

A study of past uses of the land may reveal patterns which can inform frameworks and
master plans today
• Public realm and the open space network
Review what is required of the network of streets and squares
• National, regional and local policy
Creating the structure

• Neighborhood structure and centers

• Land use and mix
• Character areas /materials, building typologies/
• Energy, resources and waste
• Density and mix
• Retained landscape & New landscape
• Surface drainage strategy
• Habitat conservation and creation
• Aspect and prospect
• Legibility
Making the connections

• Access strategy
• Route structure and place hierarchy
• Walking and cycling
DEVELOPMENT PATTERN

• The road and rail network forms basis for the development of urban pattern and
structure
• Trends of past city growth determine direction of high, medium and low density
development
• Very difficult to reverse major development trends unless with strong and deliberate
govt. initiatives
TYPES OF URBAN PATTERNS

• LINEAR
• GRID
• LOOPED & CUL DE SAC
• RADIAL
• BRANCHED
• POLYCENTRIC
LINEAR PATTERN
• Flow primarily between two points, Linear Pattern
typically found along railroads,
canals and highways, transit
supportive
• Lack of focus
GRID PATTERN
• Simplicity, regularity, ease of layout, • Grid Pattern
convenient access, good orientation, good
on level land, complex dist. flow, can be
of human scale
• Visual monotony, disregard of
topography, vulnerability to through
traffic, lack of differentiation heavy/light
 Grid Plan: The grid plan is a type of city plan in which streets run at right angles
to each other, forming a grid.
LOOPED AND CUL DE SAC

• Typically internal residential streets low

volume traffic flow, automobile oriented
• Discourages through traffic, promotes
slower traffic
• Safe and calm
RADIAL PATTERN

• Good direct line of travel, transit • Radial Pattern

supportive, rail
• Not good when neither origin nor
destination are related to centre,
difficult for service, causes
problems in local flow, difficult
building sites
 In this pattern, the circular or ring roads are connected to radial roads. It
also called “ spider’s wave system“. Example Vena, Austria

Division of the town into

quarters.
• The principle which we have
followed in the general
composition of the plans has been
the division into quarters, each
having its peculiar characteristics
according to the class of
occupation of its inhabitants.
• In each of these quarters will be
found, naturally, according to the
demand, all the necessary
elements of social life - Churches,
Schools, Markets, Police Stations,
Gardens, Playgrounds, Theaters,
The Governor's and Judges’ plan of Detroit
Museums, Libraries, etc. E.g.. City
of Canberra
 Composite
• In practice combination of
rectangular and radial systems
can be adopted if the
topographical features are
favorable to suite the local
requirements of each place. It
has both the advantages of
rectangular and radial
FINGER OR BRANCHED PATTERN

• Favors the specialization of major vs.

Minor arteries, makes the intersection
problem manageable by distributing
instead of concentrating on the centre,
transit supportive
• Very sensitive to interruptions at single
point
POLYCENTRIC PATTERN
• Dominant center and sub centers, with
green belts between radial corridors,
connected by ring roads as bypass
• Good for public transit
• Sub centers need not necessarily play
supporting role to the center
 Organic pattern
• It is also called as Topographical and
Informal street system. The name “Organic” is
applied because the pan resembles to a
microscope slide, presenting the cell structure
of animal or vegetable tissues.
• Here the street system is entirely unplanned
with all irregularities and hence the name
“Studied Irregularities”.
• The streets are covering sometimes Plan of Carcassonne, France
discontinuous, with variable width and
irregular open spaces at some intervals.

the sample of image showing the organic

growth of Addis Ababa
 The correction of
mistakes

Plan of Strand to Holborn Improvement, London

Plan of Pittsburgh “ Hump” Removal Full-line hatching shows existing street on which grades were changed;
bracken-line hatching shows new or widened streets
Basic objective/required elements to be incorporate/ in urban
design

There are about seven objective of urban design

▪ Character
▪ Continuity and enclosure
▪ Quality of the public realm
▪ Ease of movement
▪ Legibility
▪ Adaptability
▪ Diversity
 Cont…

• Character
✓Creating a place with its
own identity.
✓To promote character in
townscape and landscape by
responding to and
reinforcing locally distinctive
patterns of development,
landscape and culture.
 Cont…

Continuity and enclosure

• A place where public and
private spaces are clearly
distinguished
• To promote the continuity of
street frontages and the
enclosure of space by
development which clearly
defines private and public
areas.
 Cont…

Quality of the public realm

✓A place with attractive
and successful outdoor
areas.
✓To promote public
spaces and routes that
are attractive, safe,
uncluttered and work
effectively for all in
society, including disabled
and elderly people.
 Cont…

Ease of movement
✓A place that is easy to get
to and move through
✓To promote accessibility
and local permeability by
making places that connect
with each other and are
easy to move through,
putting people before traffic
and integrating land uses
and transport
Cont…

Legibility
✓A place that has a clear
image and is easy to
understand
✓To promote legibility
through development that
provides recognizable
routes, intersections and
landmarks to help people
find their way around.
 Cont…

Adaptability
✓A place that can change
easily
✓To promote adaptability
through development that
can respond to changing
social, technological and
economic conditions.
Cont…

Diversity
✓A place with variety and choice

✓To promote diversity and choice

through a mix of compatible
developments and uses that work
together to create viable places
that respond to local needs
THANK YOU
Project exercise 1
• Site Selection
• Existing base map
• Identify the elements of the city / path, edge, node district etc../ in your selected site
• Identify the urban pattern in the selected site
• Considering the existing factor of the selected site study the over all site character and incorporated elements in
the urban environment
/Character ,Continuity and enclosure, Quality of the public realm, Ease of movement, Legibility, Adaptability
,Diversity /

For Tuesday selected site/plan of google earth view/,photos of the elements in the city
Printed layout.