TECHNOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF THE PHILIPPINES

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE

DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE

Orientation and
AR 451

Identity of Urban
Design and Planning
Putting Into Context the Value of Urban Design

by Jasline A. Reyes, uap

Faculty Member, College of Engineering and Architecture

Contrast of New York City and it’s Central Park

LECTURE OUTLINE
This lecture will cover the following
topics:

1. Jane Jacobs’ Concept of Community

2. Signs & Symbols in Urban Design
3. Elements of Urban Design;
4. Space in Urban Design, Urban
Aesthetics, Urban Pattern

ARCH 451 - REYES

INTENDED LEARNING
OUTCOMES (ILOs)
1. Organize a working understanding-definition of
urban design.
2. Recognize the principles, elements, and project
examples of urban design
3. Distinguish applicable development controls
within the premise of urban design
4. Examine the values and benefits of urban design
by way of analyzing the application of good urban
design themes and principles into the urban
settings.
5. Appreciate and examine the how public spaces
work in cities.

ARCH 451 - REYES

 2

Signs & Symbols

in Urban Design
What are signs and symbols?
Signs are used to convey information in pictorial form.
Signs and symbols are commonly used in every situation
People who talk different languages can understand the same common signs

ARCH 451 - REYES

SEMIOTICS
the study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation.

ARCH 451 - REYES

 ENVIRONMENTAL GRAPHIC DESIGN
Environmental graphic design (EGD) is the use of graphic elements such as
typography, color, imagery, and textures to curate and enhance the experience
people have within a space.

New York’s Times Square in 1945 and 1983, in contrast with today’s Times Square. You can see the evolution of EGD over the
last century, in the signage, advertising, and placemaking ARCH 451 - REYES
New York’s Times Square in 1945 and 1983, in contrast with today’s Times Square. You can see the evolution of EGD over the
last century, in the signage, advertising, and placemaking ARCH 451 - REYES
WATCHPOINTS:

1 Symbols should be graphically distinct from each other

2 Symbols should be of a size that does not dominate or confuse the figure

Symbols need ‘breathing space’; they should not clash or overlap rather than crowd a single figure
3
with symbols,

Consider making points on several smaller figures with a common base so that the composite message
4
can be more easily read keeping the size, colour and line weights of symbols consistent aids legibility

Use symbols where shading or lines cannot convey the message effectively symbols can indicate
5
objects on a plan which are too small to show in detail symbols can signify commonly occurring
locations or activities (such as landmarks)

ARCH 451 - REYES

it’s just signs
What could go wrong?
1 Orientation difficulties resulting from
illegible directional signs, street names
and numbering and/or the lack of them.

Pedestrian accidents due to badly

2
positioned signs.

Hazards due to lack of warning and

3
traffic signals.

Non-identification of access routes and

4
accessible facilities Pedestrian accidents
due to badly positioned signs.
ARCH 451 - REYES
 DIFFERENT TYPES OF SIGNS

M RO
AN W
GN

S
GN S

S
DAT HIB AR N
ORY S I ITI O N SI NIN G S IG

SA DA
FETY SIG NS N G ER SIG NS
ARCH 451 - REYES
MANDATORY SIGNS
They give a positive instruction.
Road signs which are used to set the obligations of all traffic which use a specific area of road.
These signs tell traffic what it must do, rather than must not do.
Most mandatory road signs are circular, may use white symbols on a blue background with white
border or black symbols on a white background with a red border, although the latter is also associated
with prohibitory signs.

ARCH 451 - REYES

MANDATORY SIGNS
WHAT DOES THIS MEANS?
MANDATORY SIGNS
THE INTERNATIONAL SYMBOL OF ACCESS (ISA)
It is also known as the (International) Wheelchair
Symbol, denotes areas where access has been
improved, mostly for those with disabilities.

It consists of a usually blue square overlaid in white (or

in contrasting colours) with a stylized image of a
person in a wheelchair.

It is maintained as an international standard, ISO 7001

image of the International Commission on Technology
and Accessibility (ICTA), a committee of Rehabilitation
International (RI).
MANDATORY SIGNS
THE INTERNATIONAL SYMBOL OF ACCESS (ISA)
PROHIBITION SIGNS
This means a safety sign behaviour likely to cause a risk to health or safety.
Prohibition safety signs generally use a black safety symbol in a red circle with a diagonal cross
through.

ARCH 451 - REYES

WARNING SIGNS
It is a type of sign which indicates a potential
hazard, obstacle or condition requiring special
attention.

Some are traffic signs that indicate roads that

may not be readily apparent to a driver.

While warning traffic sign designs vary, they

usually take the shape of an equilateral
triangle with a white background and thick
red border.

ARCH 451 - REYES

SAFETY SIGNS
It is medium of communication that convey information or instructions regarding the physical safety of people.
Signs in workplaces may be posted in variety of areas in order to draw attention to them, such as on walls, on
doors, on machinery and products, or as floor makings.
They usually have a symbol and text, although there are safety signs that have only one of the two.

ARCH 451 - REYES

DANGER SIGNS

Danger signs warn of a particular hazard or hazardous

condition that is likely to be life threatening.

Its symbolic shape is the word DANGER in white on a

red oval, which is surrounded by a black rectangle.

This usually forms a heading for a white background

on the sign.

ARCH 451 - REYES

additional information:
Road signs in the
Philippines
(para sa mga balak kumuha ng driver’s license, or
reminder para sa mga kamoteng driver)
ROAD SIGNS IN THE
PHILIPPINES
Road signs in the Philippines are
regulated and standardized by the
Department of Public Works and
Highways (DPWH).

Most of the signs reflect minor

influences from US and Australian
signs but keep a design closer to
the Vienna Convention on Road
Signs and Signals, to which the
Philippines is an original signatory.

ARCH 451 - REYES

REGULATORY
SIGNS
REGULATORY SIGNS

ARCH 451 - REYES

DIRECTIONAL SIGNS

ARCH 451 - REYES

RESTRICTIVE SIGNS

ARCH 451 - REYES

SPEED SIGNS

ARCH 451 - REYES

PARKING SIGNS

ARCH 451 - REYES

MISCELLANEOUS SIGNS

ARCH 451 - REYES

WARNING
SIGNS
WARNING SIGNS

ARCH 451 - REYES

ADVANCE WARNING OF
TRAFFIC CONTROL
DEVICES SIGNS

ARCH 451 - REYES

ROAD OBSTACLE SIGNS

ARCH 451 - REYES

PEDESTRIAN SIGNS

ARCH 451 - REYES

 GUIDE OR
INFORMATION
SIGNS
INFORMATIVE SIGNS

ARCH 451 - REYES

ADVANCE DIRECTION SIGNS

ARCH 451 - REYES

INTERSECTION DIRECTION SIGNS

ARCH 451 - REYES

REASSURANCE DIRECTION SIGNS

ARCH 451 - REYES

 FINGER BOARD AND DIRECTION
SIGNS FOR LESS IMPORTANT ROADS

ARCH 451 - REYES

TOWN NAMES AND GEOGRAPHICAL
FEATURE SIGNS

ARCH 451 - REYES

SERVICE SIGNS

ARCH 451 - REYES

 TOURIST INFORMATION AND
TOURIST DESTINATION SIGNS

ARCH 451 - REYES

ROUTE MARKER SIGNS

ARCH 451 - REYES

ASIAN HIGHWAY ROUTE
MARKER SIGNS

ARCH 451 - REYES

EXPRESSWAY
SIGNS
EXPRESSWAY APPROACH SIGNS

ARCH 451 - REYES

EXPRESSWAY INFORMATION SIGNS

ARCH 451 - REYES

ADVANCE EXIT SIGNS

ARCH 451 - REYES

EXIT DIRECTION SIGNS

ARCH 451 - REYES

EXPRESSWAY SERVICE SIGNS

ARCH 451 - REYES

END OF EXPRESSWAY SIGNS

ARCH 451 - REYES

TOLL SIGNS

ARCH 451 - REYES

EXPRESSWAY TRAFFIC INSTRUCTION
AND REGULATORY SIGNS

ARCH 451 - REYES

 TRAFFIC
INSTRUCTION SIGNS
SUPPLEMENTARY SIGNS

ARCH 451 - REYES

 MOVEMENT
INSTRUCTION SIGNS

ARCH 451 - REYES

HAZARD
MARKERS
HAZARD MARKERS

ARCH 451 - REYES

3

Elements of
Urban Design
 URBAN DESIGN ELEMENTS
Urban Design involves the design and coordination of all that makes up cities and towns:

PU
BUI
LDIN GS B LIC S P A CE STREETS

TRA LA N
NSP ORT D SCAPE
ARCH 451 - REYES
BUILDINGS

Buildings are the most pronounced elements of

urban design - they shape and articulate space
by forming the streetwalls of the city.

Well designed buildings and groups of buildings

work together to create a sense of place.

Nyhavn harbour, Copenhagen

ARCH 451 - REYES
PUBLIC SPACES
Great public spaces are the living room of the
city - the place where people come together to
enjoy the city and each other.

Public spaces make high quality life in the city

possible - they form the stage and backdrop to
the drama of life.

Public spaces range from grand central plazas

and squares, to small, local neighborhood parks.

Tokyo's Ueno Park is famous for its cherry

blossoms in spring. ARCH 451 - REYES
STREETS
Streets are the connections between spaces and
places, as well as being spaces themselves.

They are defined by their physical dimension and

character as well as the size, scale, and character
of the buildings that line them.

Streets range from grand avenues such as the

Champs-Elysees in Paris to small, intimate
pedestrian streets.

The pattern of the street network is part of what

defines a city and what makes each city unique.
Copenhagen’s Street Life
ARCH 451 - REYES
TRANSPORT
Transport systems connect the parts of cities and
help shape them, and enable movement
throughout the city.
They include road, rail, bicycle, and pedestrian
networks, and together form the total movement
system of a city.
The balance of these various transport systems
is what helps define the quality and character of
cities, and makes them either friendly or hostile
to pedestrians.
The best cities are the ones that elevate the
experience of the pedestrian while minimizing
the dominance of the private automobile.
Public Transportation in Berlin, one of the
best in the world. ARCH 451 - REYES
TOKYO SUBWAY ROUTE MAP
JAPAN RAIL ROUTE MAP
NEW YORK SUBWAY ROUTE MAP ARCH 451 - REYES
SINGAPORE RAIL ROUTE MAP ARCH 451 - REYES
PHILIPPINES (MANILA) LRT, MRT,
AND PNR ROUTE MAP

ARCH 451 - REYES

LANDSCAPE
The landscape is the green part of the city that
weaves throughout - in the form of urban parks,
street trees, plants, flowers, and water in many
forms.

The landscape helps define the character and

beauty of a city and creates soft, contrasting
spaces and elements.

Green spaces in cities range from grand parks

such as Central Park in New York City and the
Washington DC Mall, to small intimate pocket
parks.
central Park, New York
ARCH 451 - REYES
 Urban Design weaves together these elements
into a coherent, organized design structure

Paris Aerial View

ARCH 451 - REYES
 The urban design structure defines the urban
form and the building form

Barcelona, Spain
ARCH 451 - REYES
REFERENCES
1. https://archive.unescwa.org/mandatory-sign#:~:text=Definition%20English%3A,rather%20than%20must%20not%20do.
2. https://www.autodeal.com.ph/articles/car-features/how-well-do-you-know-ph-road-signs
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_signs_in_the_Philippines
4. https://www.worksafe.act.gov.au/health-and-safety-portal/managing-
safety/signage#:~:text=Danger%20signs%20warn%20of%20a,white%20background%20on%20the%20sign.
5. The Highway Safety Design Standards Manual of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH):
6. Part 1: Road Safety Design Manual. Department of Public Works and Highways. May 2012.
7. Part 2: Road Signs and Pavement Markings Manual. Department of Public Works and Highways. May 2012.
8. ^ Consunji, Robby (August 18, 2018). "How to contest a violation because of a hidden 'No Entry' sign". Top Gear Philippines. Retrieved
February 26, 2021.
9. ^ "Presidential Decree No. 207 – Ratifying the 1968 Vienna Conventions of the United Nations on Road Traffic and Road Signs and
Signals, Respectively". Official Gazette. President of the Philippines. June 6, 1973. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
10. ^ Hermoso, Tito F. (November 6, 2018). "Built against the odds (3)". The Manila Times. Archived from the original on November 19, 2021.
Retrieved February 26, 2021.
11. https://info.hillpartners.com/blog/what-is-environmental-graphic-
design#:~:text=Environmental%20graphic%20design%20(EGD)%20is,people%20have%20within%20a%20space.
12. http://www.urbandesign.org/elements.html

ARCH 451 - REYES