OUTLINE OF REVIEW

1. TERMS & CONCEPTS

2. SETTLEMENTS
3. URBAN DESIGN
4. SITE PLANNING &
ANALYSIS
5. SITE PLANNING & LAND
USE
6. REFERENCES

Settlements, Urban Design

& Site Planning
EnP Review by Ces Orquina
April 30, 2012
Definition of Terms
HUMAN SETTLEMENTS:
‣ Settlement inhabited by man
‣ “Any group of people living in a particular place, a form of human habitation with
a social purpose, where man/woman lives in community, where he/she transforms
the natural environment into a man-made environment, composed of physical,
spatial, and organizational elements whose main purpose is the satisfaction of the
needs of the people… An ecosystem composed of natural and man-made elements
which interact in complex ways within their population dynamics, environmental
dimensions and spatial constraints and alternatives” –– UN Conference on Habitat,
Stockholm, 1972
EKISTICS: the science of human settlements
URBAN DESIGN: Design of the urban environment
CITY: An urban town of significant size and importance
SITE PLANNING
The art of arranging building or other structures in harmony with the landscape
‣ Linked to architecture, engineering, landscaping, and city planning
Ekistics
The science of human settlements
The theoretical pioneer of Area Development Planning
A holistic attempt to study human settlements in its five elements and the relationships
between these elements
Doxiadis
Dr. Konstantinos A. Doxiadis (1913-1975)
He started Ekistics as the science of human settlements
Coined the term “ecumenopolis” or world-wide city
“Ekistics grid” – system for recording planning data and ordering planning process
•Designed Islamabad (1959), Rawalpindi,
and Lahore, in Pakistan
Contribution: State problems of modern
urbanization with scientific clarity and
proposed a rational method of addressing
those problems
Approached town planning as a science
which would include contributions from
planner, urban designer, sociologist,
geographer, economist, demographer,
politician, sociologist, anthropologist,
ecologist, etc
Became Town Planning Chief of Greater
Athens and later Greek Minister of
Housing and Reconstruction
Hierarchy of Settlements
Ekistics_____________
NAMES OF UNITS - POPULATION SCALE
• A hamlet : a neighborhood, a
small village
• A community : a town
• A city : an urban area
• A metropolis
• A conurbation : a
composition of cities,
metropolises and urban areas
• A megalopolis : merging of
two or more metropolis with a
population of 10 million or
more, a 20th century
phenomenon
City_________________
• City
- as defined by RA 7160, a minimum
income of P20M, at least 10,000 has
in land area or minimum population of
150,000, a political or legal status
granted by the government
• Highly urbanized City
- at least 200,000 population and income
of P50M or more
• Component City
- population and income below those of
highly urbanized city
• Independent Component City
- a characterized city
• Urban Area
- as defined by NSO, in their entirety, all
cities and municipalities with a density
of at least 1000/sqkm
-exhibiting a street pattern or street
network
History
Human Settlements developed out of our earliest ancestors’ need to live in groups - for
protection from the elements, security against rival tribes, ease in gathering food, and
need for companionship.

Several factors influenced the choice for the settlement area and its growth. These are
natural factors and innovations.
‣ Natural factors included protection from natural calamities (fire, flood, volcano
eruptions, etc); presence of fertile soil, bodies of water, and other natural resources;
slope, terrain and other forms of natural defenses; and climate
‣ Innovations included the plow (agriculture), rectilinear town planning, circular and
radiocentric plans
Early Settlements
ANCIENT GREECE ANCIENT ROME
high places as sacred points, fortified political power and organization
hilltop streets were built first, for military
street as leftover space for circulation government, a sense of overpowering
grandeur; buildings came later;
agora: market, place of assembly
forum: open space or market place, the
buildings served as facade to form an administrative and corporate heart of Rome
enclosure
The Roman Forum by Vitruvius
Greek towns followed gridiron layout
neopolis: when a town reaches maximum
size, a “new town” is built
paleopolis: old town
Trends in Settlements
Types of Settlements
ORGANIC PLANNED
organismic, by natural accretion around purposely designed with identifiable core,
source of life nodes, transport network, and edges
dendritic, grows like a feeding fungus result of royal decree (colonial period), statute
(modern legislature), or thorough re-planning
human adaptation by professionals
unplanned addresses “concentration” or “dispersion”
informal process concerns
rural forms formal process
city forms
Principles of Human Settlements Planning
Present-Day Issues in Human Settlements
‣ deterioration of buildings/streets in older areas of large cities
‣ hastened by uncontrolled rural-to-urban migration, people flock to cities in search for better life
‣ results from economic polarization

Urban Blight ‣ slums and shantytowns usually surround old industrial districts
‣ when taxes are not paid by inner city residents, LGUs do not have resources to improve urban cores

‣ visual pollution that undermine overall beauty & architecture of the city
‣ oversized billboards, superfluous signages, political banners, disorderly utility lines
Visual Blight ‣ pose serious hazards to life, limb and property especially during natural hazards
‣ distracting the attention of motorists

‣ scattered development, low-density fragmented use of land for consumptive urban purposes at a scale
Amorphic expanded faster than what population growth requires and occurring along margins of existing
metropolitan areas in a generally amorphic (formless) manner
Sprawl ‣ distances become too great for walking, forcing dependence on cars

‣ process of suburbanizing, population movement from cities to suburbs

‣ represents a desire to escape perceived ills and problems in the central city
Sub- ‣ companies moved out of inner cities together with their employees and educated middle class
‣ consumes more land resources and expands human ecological footprint what what is necessary
urbanization

‣ discontinuous pattern of urbanization, with patches of developed lands that are widely separated from
Leapfrog or each other and from the boundaries of recognized urbanized areas
Chekerboard ‣ costliest development with respect to providing urban services (power, water)

Development
 LEAPFROG
DEVELOPMENT
VISUAL
BLIGHT

SUBURBANIZATION &
AMORPHIC SPRAWL

URBAN
BLIGHT
Urban Design
Is concerned with the arrangement, appearance, and
functionality of whole towns and cities
‣ shape and form of city blocks
‣ uses of urban public space
‣ articulation of physical features in four dimensions

Creates places for people while

respecting/enhancing natural environment and use
of resources efficiently

In between planning and architecture; a disciplinary

subset of landscape architecture and urban ecology

Articulation of urban plans in 4 dimensions

Elements & Principles of Urban Design
Image of the City by Kevin Lynch
a collective image map of a city, a collective picture of what people extract from the physical
reality of a city.

Five (5) basic elements which people use to construct their mental image of a city:

1.Paths: connectors; channels along which the observer moves

2.Edges: elements that delineate; linear elements not considered as paths
•Districts:
medium to large sections of a city; recognizable as having some common, identifying character;
areas which have uniformity
•Nodes: points, strategic spots which an observer can enter; junctions and concentrations; highlighted points
of space (e.g. pocketparks, intersections)
•Landmarks: point references considered to be external to the observer; physical elements that may vary
widely in scale; e.g. monuments & gateways
Urban Design & Image of the City
Sense of Place
• Place has distinctive and distinguishing physical and human
characteristics of locale

• Place is characterized by unique site and situational

endowments (a material setting that is located somewhere)

• The key elements of Sense of place are

• Distinct identity
• Recognition of Subjective Meaning
• Connection or Emotional Attachment to the Area
• Place is imbued with subjective meanings and attachments, it is
the context of IDENTITY. Place is a social and symbolic setting
that has meaning and value for individuals.

• Place is a node within the web of flows

• Places are interdependent, tied into wider regional and global
processes.

• Places exhibit variability -- evolve over time as people create

and modify them
Types/Forms of Urban Design
‣ Emphasizes “form” over “function”
‣ Baroque urban design
Formal ‣ Beaux Arts Tradition or City Beautiful Movement
‣ Aesthetics/beauty

‣ Deals with the management of public space and the way public spaces are experienced and
used
‣ Public spaces and public assembly areas as “anchors”; some aspects of privately-owned spaces
(building facades or domestic gardens) are considered in urban design
Civic- ‣ Form has to meet function
Centered ‣ Open air environments
‣ New Urbanism
‣ Smart Growth USA

‣ Post-industrial urban design

‣ Focuses on the convenience and comfort of the end-users
Customer- ‣ Emphasizes on direct access by costumers
‣ Mixed-used environments
Centered
‣ Transit-Oriented Development (TOD)

‣ Centers on the experience of Nature and the experience of humankind as part of Nature; co-
existence
‣ The natural environment is the basis of all human activities
Eco-Centric ‣ Urban design safeguards natural systems and uses resources efficiently
‣ Environmentally-responsive developments or Green Buildings
‣ Plantation Bay Cebu, Marikina River Park
Formal Urban Design
BAROQUE URBAN DESIGN CITY BEAUTIFUL MOVEMENT
1600-1800 1890-1930
symmetry, cohesiveness, grandeur, Golden Age of urban design
monumentality, exuberance
began during the Renaissance
energetic, theatrical, flowing lines
beauty, form & function combined
Civic-Centered Urban Design
Principles
NEW URBANISM SMART GROWTH USA
1. Walkability
Principles
2. Connectivity 1. Mix land uses
2. Take advantage of compact building design
3. Mixed-Use and Diversity
3. Create a range of housing opportunities and choices
4. Mixed Housing 4. Create walkable neighborhoods
5. Quality Architecture and Urban Design
5. Foster distinctive, attractive communities with a strong
sense of place
• Traditional Neighborhood Structure 6. Preserve open space, farmland, natural beauty, and
critical environmental areas
Increased Density
7. Strengthen and direct development towards existing
1. Smart Transportation communities
8. Provide a variety of transportation choices
2. Sustainability
9. Make development decisions predictable, fair, & cost
3. Quality of Life effective
4.OrNeo-Traditionalism 10. Encourage community and stakeholder collaboration in
5.Andres Duany & Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk
development decisions
Customer-Centered Urban Design
TRANSIT-ORIENTED
DEVELOPMENT (TOD)
A mixed-use residential or commercial area
designed to maximize access to public
transport, incorporates features to encourage
transit ridership
Typically has a center with a transit station
or stop (train station, metro station, tram
stop, or bus stop)
In Metro Manila, examples include Trinoma
North EDSA and Gateway Mall Cubao
Eco-Centric Urban Design
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTS OR
GREEN BUILDINGS
A green building is an environmentally sustainable
building, designed, constructed and operated to
minimize the total environmental impacts.
In the Philippines, examples include Marikina
River Park and Plantation Bay in Cebu
Plantation Bay “green” features
‣ locally-sourced/indigenous materials (e.g. bamboo,
banig, Mactan marble, plants, etc.)
‣ avoiding use of plastics
‣ asphalt and gravel for roads to allow water absorption
and generate groundwater
‣ instead of extracting sand, readily available limestone
was used
‣ seaweeds are placed on top of plants to reduce re-
watering
used tea bags/coffee are scattered on ground to drive
away ants/pests
Area Development Planning (ADP)
provides an important link between the Physical Framework Plan and Site Planning for
the individual projects
provides a detailed framework for decisions on Proposals contained in the Long Range
Plan for functional areas of the territory.
was originally focused on ‘economic development’ but now encompasses
‘environmental sustainability,’ ‘social viability,’ ‘cultural vitality,’ and
‘design/architecture’.
Area
Ecological
Profile
Area
Ecological
Profile
Site Planning
“The art of arranging structures on the land and shaping the
spaces between; an art linked to architecture, engineering,
landscape architecture and city planning.” (Site Planning by Kevin
Lynch)

“The art and science of arranging the uses of portions of land.

These uses are designated in detail by selecting and analyzing
sites, forming land use plans, organizing vehicular and pedestrian
circulation, developing visual form and material concepts,
readjusting the existing landforms by design grading, providing
proper drainage, and developing the construction details
necessary to carry out the projects”. (A Guide to Site and Environmental
Planning, 1980 by Harvey Rubenstein)

Physical Planning is the art and science of ordering the use of

land and siting of buildings and communication routes to secure
the maximum practicable degree of economy, social amenities,
convenience and aesthetics. It involves the following
components: physical, social, and economic/administrative. (UAP
Document 203-d Physical Planning Services)
Site Planning Process
FROM DEFINITION
Data-Gathering
Site Selection & Analysis
‣ Site Selection Process: selects a site that suits best the given use and requirements of the project;
based on an established criteria
‣ Development Suitability Process: selects the best use and development suited for a given site;
site analysis using various tools and procedures
‣ Site analysis involves studying the site in terms of various factors, namely: (1) natural; (2)
cultural; (3) aesthetic
‣ In site analysis, it is important to gather existing data about the site and its immediate environs.
This involves site reconnaissance, data-gathering/research, and even surveys.
Organizing Circulation
•Developing Visual Form and Material Concepts
Image of a City
Readjusting landforms
‣ Site Characteristics and Engineering Principles
Data Requirements and Possible Sources
Factors involved in Site Analysis
Natural
a. Geology
b. Geomorphology (origin, nature & distribution of landforms) - physiography (description of
landforms), landforms (irregularities on the earth’s surface), soil, drainage, topography &
slopes, soil erosion (when rocks are broken down into small fragments and carried by wind,
water, ice and gravity)
c. Hydrology - surface and groundwater
d. Vegetation - plant ecology
e. Wildlife - habitats
f. Climate - solar orientation, wind, and humidity

Cultural
a. Existing land use - ownership of adjacent property, off-site nuisances
b. Traffic and transit - vehicular and pedestrian circulation
c. Density & Zoning - legal and regulatory controls
d. Socio-economic factors
e. Utilities - sanitary, storm-water, water supply, power supply, and
communications
f. Historic factors - historic buildings, landmarks, archeology, past & future

Aesthetic
a. Natural features
b. Spatial patterns - spaces and sequences
c. Visual resources - views, vistas
Soil Types and Drainage
“Good drainage”
refers to the soil’s
ability to transfer
gravity water
downward, and that
the soil is not
conducive to
prolonged periods of
saturation.

‣ Infiltration capacity: rate at which water penetrates the soil

surface (cm/hr or inches/hr)
‣ Permeability: rate at which water within the soil moves
through a given volume of material (cm/hr or inches/hr)
‣ Percolation: rate at which water is absorbed back by soil
‣ Porosity: capacity of soil or rock to hold water; ratio of the
volume of void spaces in a rock or sediment to the total volume
of the rock or sediment.

“Poor Drainage” is when the soil is frequently or permanently saturated and may have
water standing on it. This maybe caused by local accumulation of surface water, or
rise in the level of groundwater within the soil because because the soil particles are
too small to transmit infiltration
Hydrology

Hydrology: the science that studies the

waters of the earth, their occurrence,
circulation and distribution, their
chemical and physical properties, and
their reaction to the living environment

•Intense rainfalls promote highest rate of

soil erosion
•Aquifer: permeable geological
stratum/formation that can both store and
transmit groundwater in significant
quantities
•Watershed: geographic area of land
bounded by topographic features and
height of land that captures precipitation,
filters & stores waters to a shared
destination; this is important in water
quality and stormwater management

?????
Climate
Four types: cold, temperate, hot arid & hot humid.
Topography, surface materials, plant cover, location of
structures, and presence/absence of water have striking
impact on the microclimate
Solar orientation
Best-facing slopes
Wind flows
Albedo: characteristic of a surface; fraction of total
radiant energy of a given wavelength incident on a
surface reflected back by that surface
Passive Cooling: technology of cooling spaces
through proper siting of structure and use of energy-
efficient materials, with the overall objective of energy
conservaton
Climate and Green Building
Slope
Relatively Flat/ Level to Nearly Level 0-3%
Easy Grades 4-6%

Moderately Undulating to Steeply Sloping 7-14%

Steep 14-18%
Not alienable and disposable > 18%

Rolling to Hilly 18-30%

Hilly to Mountainous 30-50%

Mountainous & Excessively Steep 50% & up

Slope & Structures
Slope and Angle of Repose

Angle of Repose: the maximum angle at which any

earth material can be safely inclined and beyond
which it wall fall.

Soil Stabilization Techniques

Slope Analysis
An analytical process made on a topographic
map that produces an overall pattern of
slopes, to help the planner determine the
best uses for various portions of the site,
along with the feasibility of construction.

Slope Requirements* for various Land Uses

LAND USE MIN MAX OPTIMUM
Housing Sites 0% 20-25% 2%
Playgrounds 0.05% 2-3% 1%
Public Stairs - 50% 25%
Lawns (Mowed) - 25% 2-3%
Septic Drainfields 0% 15%
Paved Surfaces
Parking Lots 0.05% 3% 1%
Sidewalks 0% 10% 1%
Streets and Roads - 15-17% 1%
20 mph - 12%
70 mph - 4%
Industrial Sites
Factories 0% 3-4%
Parking 0.05% 3%
* Requirements vary
Maps
A map is a graphical representation of a place or particular phenomena or themes in an
area
General Map shows a complex of physical and cultural features
‣ Base Map: shows the legal lines (boundaries, easements), utilities, roads, paths,
‣ Vicinity Map: study area in relation to the province/region or important reference points/radius of influence
‣ Aspect Map: shows a particular information needed for analysis purposes; derived from original thematic
maps and is a translation/interpretation of base data into customized categories such as severe flooding, severe
erosion, steep slopes, etc.

Thematic Map depicts a single feature, represents a single them or subject

‣ Topography Map
‣ Climate
‣ Hydrogeology
‣ Slope
‣ Soil
‣ Land Classification
‣ Infrastructure
‣ Cadastral
‣ Land Values
‣ Population Density

Analytical Map is a synthesis of two or more variables/thematic maps

‣ Erosion Potential
‣ Flooding Hazard
‣ Land Capability
‣ Soil Suitability
‣ Development Constraints
Checklist
SURROUNDING AREAS
Checklist
THE SITE
Site Evaluation Criteria
Circulation
Movement of people and vehicles within the site
Information on existing circulation patterns is
critical in order to minimize, if not eliminate,
potential increase in the level of congestion, traffic
hazards, and other inconveniences related to the
proposed development
Traffic hazards are associated with high speed,
heavy circulation and dangerous roads and
intersections
Vehicular Circulation should have adequate width
and slope to accommodate anticipated number and
types of vehicles
Pedestrians should be wide enough to
accommodate two-way traffic
Road hierarchy helps define zones
‣ Road Right-of-Way (RROW): carriageway + sidewalk/s
Traffic Impact Analysis
Site Planning & Land Use Plans
“Site Planning” involves planning for a smaller urban area already defined for
commercial, residential, industrial, recreational, or mixed use development.
While land use planning deals with broad policy areas on land use utilization, site
planning focuses more on the intimate relationship between man and space and
between building and space.
Site planning determines the detailed layout of an area so that it functions effectively
in relation to a given range of land uses on the site and others around it.
Site planning is working out the detail of:
1) what should happen on a given area of land;
2) how it should happen;
3) what it will cost to implement and manage proposed developments on the area of land
Site Planning References include PD 957, BP 220, HLURB Guidelines, National
Building Code, LGU Ordinances and CLUP Handbooks
Density: the intensity of development; Floor-Area-Ratio is one measure/control of
density; FAR= total building GFA/lot area
Easement: building setback
Building Height
Clustered vs Planned Unit Development (PUD)
CLUSTERED DEVELOPMENT
masterplan that integrates commercial,
residential & other compatible mixed uses
characteristics
‣quality exterior design; architecturally compatible structures
‣located along an arterial roadway and transit corridor and near
commercial center, community, or employment centers
‣minimal negative impact on surrounding properties
‣separation and screening between buildings so that residents will
enjoy privacy in their living units
‣building heights, noise, traffic and other development-related impacts
are adequately mitigated to protect adjacent property development
‣also provide for non-motorized and pedestrian circulation, access and
facilities.
substantial ground level landscaping and buffering, preservation of
natural areas, substantial stands of trees. Landscaping should be a
substantial element of the total exterior appearance, creates an
interesting and inviting environment for residents, and softens the
appearance of concrete structures.
Has a variety of recreational facilities
•mostly
new residential developments on
suburban fringes are developed as
complete neighborhoods by private
developers
PUD
integrated development scheme wherein a
project site is comprehensively planned as a
unitary entity such that innovations in site and building
design merit flexibility in zoning category, usually
suspension of standard zoning and its replacement by
negotiated agreements with the LGU
•requires a comprehensive development plan
for the entire area, usually including residences,
roads, schools, recreational facilities and service
areas, plus commercial, office and industrial areas,
building siting, complementarity of building types
and land uses, usable open spaces and the
preservation of significant natural land features
designed within the context of balance ecology.”
density bonuses
purpose of PUD is to provide
property owners the flexibility to plan
for the development of their land in a manner
that clusters new homes onto small lots while
preserving large areas for agricultural use or as
undeveloped open space.
PUD Provisions

•PUD provisions can specify the percentage of land that should be set aside (not subdivided into building lots or
developed).
•The minimum set aside is typically 40% or more of the original parcel.
•PUD standards may include requirements for easements and/or deed restrictions to prevent additional
development.
•Municipalities can require a management plan for open spaces or natural areas to be held in some form of
common ownership.

PUD Density Bonuses

 PUD Projects

Clustered Developments
Site Planning
Temple
FOR A SAMPLE
RESIDENTIAL
DEVELOPMENT
Site Planning
Temple
FOR A SAMPLE
RESIDENTIAL
DEVELOPMENT
References
Site Planning by Kevin Lynch

CLUP Guidebook Volume 1

2011 EnP Review Powerpoint presentations

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