Site Planning and

Landscape Architecture
Asst. Prof. Josefina S. de Asis, M.Arch, DURP, RLA
What is Site Planning?
Site Planning (Kevin
Lynch)
The art of arranging The art of arranging
buildings and the external physical
structures on the environment to
land in harmony to support human
each other behaviour
Site Planning (Kevin
Lynch)
The art of arranging The art of arranging
buildings and the external physical
structures on the environment to
land in harmony to support human
each other behaviour

MUST NOT BE DONE AS AN AFTERTHOUGHT

 STRUCTURE

HUMAN
SITE
BEHAVIOR

SITE
PLANNING
TYPES OF SITE PLANNING

Organic Subconscious
Planning Planning

Formal Conscious
Planning Planning
 PROCESS OF SITE PLANNING

Identifying the Analysis of Site Form

Users Site Conditions Programming Planning
 SITE ANALYSIS
Oriented to human Oriented to the site itself
purpose as an ongoing system
 USAGE OF SITE ANALYSIS

SITE SELECTION PROCESS

• Selects a site that suits best the given use and
requirements of the project
DEVELOPMENT SUITABILITY PROCESS
• Selects the best use and development suited for a
given site
 PROCESS OF SITE ANALYSIS
• Aimlessly watching out for interesting features
PRELIMINARY • Includes history of the site to understand how it evolved
RECONAISSANCE

• No information shall be sought unless it later influence the design

• Use of base maps
SYSTEMATIC
ANALYSIS • Visits the site under varied circumstances

• Graphic written statement describing the essential nature of the site

for the purpose at hand
CONCEPT OF SITE
AS BASEIS FOR • Image of the site guides the design
DESIGN
 SITE ANALYSIS
involves the study of the site in terms of the
following:

NATURAL CULTURAL AESTHETIC

FACTORS FACTORS FACTORS
• Geology • Existing land use • Natural features
• Geomorphology • Traffic and transit • Spatial patterns
• Hydrology • Density and zoning • Visual resources
• Vegetation • Socio-economic
• Wildlife factors
• Climate • Utilities
• Historic factors
NATURAL Geology and
FACTORS Geomorphology

Geology Geomorphology

•Natural science •Branch of

that studies the Geology that
Earth deals with the
origin, nature,
and distribution
of landforms
 NATURAL Geology and
Soil Properties
FACTORS Geomorphology

ALLOWABLE
Composition CLASS MATERIAL BEARING
VALUE (psf)
• Mineral Particles 1 Massive crystalline bedrock (e.g. granite, gneiss) 200,000
2 ROCK Metamorphosed rock (e.g. schist, slate) 80,000
• Organic Matter 3 Sedimentary rock (e.g. shale, sandstone) 30,000

• Water 4 Well-compacted gravel and sand 20,000

5 Compact gravel; Sand-gravel mixture 12,000
• Air 6 Loose gravel; Compact coarse sand 8,000
Loose coarse sand; Loose sand-gravel mixture;
7 6,000
Compact fine sand; Wet coarse sand
SOIL
8 MATERIALS Loose fine sand; Wet fine sand 4,000
9 Stiff clay (dry) 8,000
10 Medium-stiff clay 4,000
11 Soft clay 2,000

Value as Value as 12 Fill; Organic material; Silt (fixed by field tests)

Engineering Plant SOURCE : Code Manual, New York State Building Code Commission
Material Medium
 NATURAL Geology and
Soil Properties
FACTORS Geomorphology

Texture

•Describes the
composite sizes
of particles in a
soil sample

Value as Value as
Engineering Plant
Material Medium
 NATURAL Geology and Topography
FACTORS Geomorphology and Slopes

ANGLE OF REPOSE
SLOPE MATERIAL
Basic Slope Forms (in degrees)
Loose Clay (Saturated) 15 – 25
Sand (Well-drained) 33
• Straight Boulders and Cobbles 35 – 45

• S-shaped Compact Clay (Well-drained) 45 – 60

Bedrock (Consolidated) 65 – 90
• Concave Loam (Well-drained) 35 – 45
• Convex Loess (Well-drained) 50 – 90
Sand or Loam (Forested) 35 - 50
 NATURAL Geology and Topography
FACTORS Geomorphology and Slopes

Pattern of Contour Circulation Visibility Unique

Landforms Analysis Analysis Analysis Features
 NATURAL Geology and Topography
FACTORS Geomorphology and Slopes

LAND USE MAXIMUM MINIMUM OPTIMUM

Housing Sites 20% - 25% 0% 2%
Playgrounds 2% - 3% 0.05% 1%
Public Stairs 50% - 25%
Lawns (mowed) 25% - 2% - 3%
Septic Drainfields
15% 0% 0.05%
(special designs are required at slopes above 10-12%)
Parking Lots 3% 0.05% 1%
Sidewalks 10% 0% 1%
20mph 12% - 1%
30mph 10% - 1%
Paved Surfaces
Streets and Roads 40mph 8% - 1%
(15% - 17%) 50mph 7% - 1%
60mph 5% - 1%
70mph 4% - 1%
Factories 3% - 4% 0% 2%
Industrial Sites Lay Down Storage 3% 0.05% 1%
Parking 3% 0.05% 1%
 NATURAL Geology and
Soil Erosion
FACTORS Geomorphology

Factors

•Vegetation
•Soil type
•Slope size and inclination
•Frequency and intensity of rainfall
 NATURAL
Hydrology
FACTORS

Existing Water Bodies Natural and Man-made Surface Drainage Pattern

(location, variation, Drainage Channel (amount, blockages, and
and purity) (flow capacity and purity) undrained depressions)
 NATURAL
Hydrology Drainage
FACTORS

Good Drainage Poor Drainage

• Ability of soil to transfer • Condition of soil that is
gravity water frequently or
downwards permanently saturated
• Non-conduciveness of and may often have
soil to long periods of standing water on it
saturation
• Local accumulation of
• Infiltration surface water
• Permeability • Rise in the level of
• Rates are measured at cm or inches
per hour groundwater
 Vegetation
NATURAL and
FACTORS Wildlife
Wildlife

• Relates closely to the habitats provided by plant communities

Vegetation

ENVIRONMENTAL ARCHITECTURAL AND

CLIMATIC CONTROL
• Reduces solar radiation
• Buffers wind
• Intercepts precipitation
ENGINEERING
• Assists in air purification
• Absorbs noise
• Reduces glare and reflection
• Helps in erosion control
AESTHETIC USE
• Assists in defining space
• Efficient in view control
• Affects people’s moods

Dominant
Plant/Animal Dependence to Mapping of Plant List of Trees to
Communities Existing Factors Cover be Retained
(location)
NATURAL
FACTORS Climate

COLD TEMPERATE HOT ARID HOT HUMID

Sound Level, Smell,

Regional Data Local Microclimates Atmospheric
Quality
NATURAL
FACTORS Climate

SOLAR BEST-FACING WIND FLOWS

ORIENTATION SLOPES

Sound Level, Smell,

Regional Data Local Microclimates Atmospheric
Quality
 SITE ANALYSIS
involves the study of the site in terms of the
following:

NATURAL CULTURAL AESTHETIC

FACTORS FACTORS FACTORS
• Geology • Existing land use • Natural features
• Geomorphology • Traffic and transit • Spatial patterns
• Hydrology • Density and zoning • Visual resources
• Vegetation • Socio-economic
• Wildlife factors
• Climate • Utilities
• Historic factors
 Existing Land
CULTURAL Use Plan,
FACTORS Density &
Zoning

Existing Land Use Plan

• Most rational use of land in relation to the natural and socio-economic factors,
and in accordance with compatibility with adjacent land uses

Density

• Population per unit land area

• Determines whether existing utilities and land areas will be sufficient to
sustain additional future developments
• Influences the privacy, social contact among people, and freedom of movement
of an individual or group of people

Zoning Regulations, Laws, and Codes

• Regulates the type of development

 Existing Land
CULTURAL Use Plan,
FACTORS Density &
Zoning
 Existing Land
CULTURAL Use Plan,
FACTORS Density &
Zoning
 Existing Land
CULTURAL Use Plan,
FACTORS Density &
Zoning

DENSITY FORMULA: number of inhabitants with respect to

physical size
• Number of people per sqkm or hectare
• Number of families per block
• Number of houses per sqkm or hectare
• Amount of building floor area per section
• Automobile population, Floor Area Ratio (FAR), etc.
 Existing Land
CULTURAL Use Plan,
FACTORS Density &
Zoning

FLOOR AREA RATIO: proportion between the built area and

the lot area
 Traffic and
CULTURAL Transit,
FACTORS Utilities and
Services

Traffic and Transit Systems

• Study on the relationship of the traffic pattern to each other and to the site
for adequacy of access and efficiency in circulation within and outside of the
site

Utilities / Services

• Determining the existing availability of utilities on site in terms of adequacy

and efficiency
• Includes:
• sanitary/sewage system
• Electric power supply
• Water supply
• Drainage
• Telecommunication
 Traffic and
CULTURAL Flow and
Transit,
Channel
FACTORS Utilities and
Types
Services

People

Goods
MOVEMENT
VIA: Foot,
Wheeled
Vehicles, Rails,
Wastes Air, Pipes,
Wires, etc

Identify the
Identify the medium used
various items and the pattern
Information being moved or flow of
movement
 Traffic and
CULTURAL Flow and
Transit,
Channel
FACTORS Utilities and
Types
Services

POINTS TO CONSIDER

•Most critical channel is the vehicular rights-of-way

because other channels tend to follow this pattern

•Among the utilities, the water supply is likely to be

the most critical at the community scale

•Circulation systems must be considered not only for

the way in which they handle their assigned flows but
for their influence on surrounding activities
 Traffic and

GUIDES IN PLANNING
CULTURAL Transit, Channel
FACTORS Utilities and Patterns
Services

LINEAR PATTERNS

• (+) Useful where major flows run between 2 points

• (+) Used when road costs are relatively high
• (-) In danger of lacking in focus and overcrowding of the
channel

Modifications:

• Spinal main street bordered or intersected by minor ways (may end in cul-de-sac)
• Minor loops on alternate sides for continuous paths for both major and local path
• Closing the line to form a loop by giving 2 choices of directions
 Traffic and

GUIDES IN PLANNING
CULTURAL Transit, Channel
FACTORS Utilities and Patterns
Services

RADIAL PATTERNS

• (+) Appropriate for flows with common origin, interchange,

or destination since channels spread out from a center
• (+) Most direct line of travel
• (-) Problematic central terminus due to high traffic volume

Modifications:

• May add rings for a radiocentric net; large-scale net acts like triangular grids
• Allow branchings at other points than the center to mimic classic pattern in
nature (e.g. snowflake, leaves, human veins, etc.)
• (+) allows specialization of major and minor arteries
• (-) difficult in emergency since it is very sensitive to interruption of main line
 Traffic and

GUIDES IN PLANNING
CULTURAL Transit, Channel
FACTORS Utilities and Patterns
Services

GRID PATTERNS

• (+) Useful where flows are shifting and broadly distributed

• (+/-) Visual monotony and lack of differentiation between
heavily and lightly travelled ways
• (-) Disregard of topography
• (-) Vulnerability to through traffic
Modifications:

• May be curved to fit topography

• Variation in buildings and landscape patterns to avoid monotony
• Variation in road width provides hierarchy
• Control in traffic flow to minimize through traffic (e.g. use of 1-way traffic)
 Traffic and

GUIDES IN PLANNING
CULTURAL Transit, Channel
FACTORS Utilities and Patterns
Services

DISORDER PATTERNS

• (+) Discourage through movements to adjust to topography

• (+) More interesting
• (-) Difficult in terms of wayfinding

Modifications:

• Better if used in small areas enclosed within a more rational layout

 Traffic and

GUIDES IN PLANNING
CULTURAL Transit,
Characteristics
of Defined
FACTORS Utilities and
Services
Channel

ALIGNMENT

GRAIN
•Specialization of Flow

USE OF SUPERBLOCKS
•The downside of superblocks is that if it is not
properly planned, it becomes impenetrable

HIERARCHIES OF CHANNEL
•Loop, Cul-de-Sac, Minor Street – Collector Street
– Major Arterial Road – Freeway

CAPACITY OF THE CHANNEL TO

AVOID BOTTLENECKS
 Traffic and

GUIDES IN PLANNING
CULTURAL Techniques for
Transit,
Streets and
FACTORS Utilities and
Ways
Services

CROSS SECTION OF RROW

•Vary RROW width to emphasize hierarchy of roads

 Traffic and

GUIDES IN PLANNING
CULTURAL Techniques for
Transit,
Streets and
FACTORS Utilities and
Ways
Services

HORIZONTAL CURVES

•Provide treatments at corners, intersections, and

deadends to control traffic flow
 Traffic and

GUIDES IN PLANNING
CULTURAL Techniques for
Transit,
Streets and
FACTORS Utilities and
Ways
Services

PARKING LOT

•The location and treatment done in parking lots greatly

affect the mood or ambiance of a place
 Traffic and

GUIDES IN PLANNING
CULTURAL Techniques for
Transit,
Streets and
FACTORS Utilities and
Ways
Services

TRAFFIC FLOW

•Use of traffic signals, channelization, rotaries, grade

separation, cloverleaf, etc.
 Traffic and

GUIDES IN PLANNING
CULTURAL Techniques for
Transit,
Streets and
FACTORS Utilities and
Ways
Services

VERTICAL TREATMENT

• Treatment of inclines for vehicles

 Socio-
CULTURAL Economic and
FACTORS Historic
Factors

Socio-Economic Factors

• Considerations on whether there is a need, an interest, or any objections on

the project
• Any project must be compatible with the economy of the particular
community
• The social structure of the community must be taken into consideration to
ensure than the proposed development will not result in any displaced
families, and any major disruption in their businesses and other activities

Historic Factors

• Legal considerations when planning in historically-related setting or

structures
 Socio-
CULTURAL Economic and Behavior
FACTORS Historic Analysis
Factors

BEHAVIOR DIAGRAMS

• Activity occurring in a given space at a given time

Description
Preferred
of the
nature of
behaviour
the setting
expected

Purpose of the
actors

• Allow for multiple behaviour settings in 1 venue occurring at

different times
 SITE ANALYSIS
involves the study of the site in terms of the
following:

NATURAL CULTURAL AESTHETIC

FACTORS FACTORS FACTORS
• Geology • Existing land use • Natural features
• Geomorphology • Traffic and transit • Spatial patterns
• Hydrology • Density and zoning • Visual resources
• Vegetation • Socio-economic
• Wildlife factors
• Climate • Utilities
• Historic factors
 AESTHETIC Natural
FACTORS Features

When sites are characterized by outstanding natural features of earth, rock,

water, or plant material, these may be incorporated in the site development
as natural assets of the land
 AESTHETIC Spatial
FACTORS Patterns
The way an open space of a given site is configured according to an
arrangement of elements that evoke activity or flow, both physically or
visually
 AESTHETIC Visual
FACTORS Resources

VIEW VISTA

• A scene observed from a vantage • A confined view, usually directed

point
• Can be a theme that may suggest
and add meaning to buildings
• The full view is not always the
best view
towards a terminal or dominant
feature
• Comprised of (1) a viewing station,
(2) a view, (3) a foreground
• A view is usually better if seen
through an appropriate screen
 SITE ANALYSIS
involves the study of the site in terms of the
following:

NATURAL CULTURAL AESTHETIC

FACTORS FACTORS FACTORS
• Geology • Existing land use • Natural features
• Geomorphology • Traffic and transit • Spatial patterns
• Hydrology • Density and zoning • Visual resources
• Vegetation • Socio-economic
• Wildlife factors
• Climate • Utilities
• Historic factors