NOTION OF URBANISM

CONNECTIVITY AND PERMEABILITY

IMPORTANCE
This notion of urbanism can be applied increasingly to projects at
the full range of scales from a single building to an entire
community.

-Interconnected street grid network disperses traffic & eases

walking

-A hierarchy of narrow streets, boulevards, and alleys

-High quality pedestrian network and public realm makes walking

pleasurable
Connectivity and Permeability

Connectivity is about the structure of the street network.

The streets emerging in the spatial analysis as most accessible at the local level are indicated in the analysis of
connectivity as “main streets”.
These main streets are almost always connected to each other, thus forming the main streets network.
Connectivity and Permeability

The diagram below shows a ten minute (800 metre) pedestrian catchment (often referred to as a ped-shed) in an area
with a connected street network (left), compared with an area with a less connected street network (right).
The diagram indicates the dramatic difference in catchment area between the two neighborhood types.
Connectivity and Permeability

Connectivity analysis of the urban texture: left, the current situation; right, the proposed design scheme improves the
overall connectivity by introducing a new central district and reducing the number of cul-de-sacs.
Connectivity and Permeability

Land use permeability samples showing different conditions through the transect from the city Centre to the periphery.
Connectivity and Permeability
Connectivity and Permeability
Connectivity and Permeability
Street networks can make
pedestrian movement easier than
car movement.

Increased connectivity (combined with increased density, mixed use planning and good urban design) = increased
walkability = better health
Connectivity and Permeability

The city of continuously The collection of disconnected

Connected centers developments
Connectivity and Permeability
Connectivity and Permeability

A street or road may pass through a number of different contexts along its route.
As context changes, the design of streets and roads will need to change accordingly.
Connectivity and Permeability

The Newcastle LAP (South Dublin County Council) illustrates how movement within the village is structured by
connecting major Focal Points, which are also used to slow/discourage through traffi c.
Connectivity and Permeability
A diagrammatic illustration of the distinction between
connectivity and permeability: From light gray to dark,
streets become less permeable to an increasing number
of transport means such as trucks, busses, cars and bikes
until only pedestrians have access to the narrowest,
steep or stepped streets.

Connectivity remains identical.

Connectivity and Permeability
A diagrammatic depiction of the
transportation network in Vauban,
Freiburg, Germany.

It shows the departure from the traditional

simple grid and the adoption of a complex
combination grid.
This network exemplifies the distinction
between connectivity and permeability.

The drawing shows the three types of

connectors: roads in red, local streets in
orange and pedestrian bicycle paths in
green
Connectivity and Permeability
Extremely permeable and Bereft
of pedestrians.
Bibliography
BOOKS REFERED
• A Pattern Language -Book by Christopher Alexander, Murray Silverstein, and Sara Ishikawa
• A Theory of Good City Form - Book by Kevin A. Lynch
• Fundamentals of Urban Design -Book by Andrew Jaszewski and Richard He-man

LINKS
• https://planning.org/events/course/9007019/
• http://www.sv-s.nl/principles/connectivity/
• https://timstonor.wordpress.com/2016/01/05/permeability-connectivity-a-tale-of-two-cities/
• https://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/migrated-
files/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHousing/Planning/FileDownLoad%2C32673%2Cen.pdf
THANK YOU