Urban Design and City Government.

What is urban design?

• The art of giving shape, form, and character to buildings and neighborhoods.

• The art of choosing the color and layout of buildings.

• The amount of money a building costs.

• The study of historical buildings

Urban designers include professions such as:

• Architects

• Planners

• Landscape Architects

• Engineers

The Purpose of urban design is too:

• Satisfy people with good design and color choices

• Facilitate better social interaction within city spaces and satisfy cultural, economic, and ecological needs.

• Make building look pretty and nice.

• Make towns look more nice and clean.

Good urban deign offers:

• Benefits to the community in terms of well-being, productivity, and efficiency.

• Satisfying cultural economic, and ecological needs.

• Long term cost savings and healthy benefits by encouraging physical exercise.

• Community safety through designs that make places more secure.

Other principles of design include:

• Legibility

• Adaptability

• Accessibility

• Diversity

• Safety

The origins of urban design trace back to:

• 17th century

• 12th century

• 19th century

• 14th century

What is urban grain?

• The size of a building or structure compared to its surroundings.

• The color and shape of a building or wall

• The formation of plots and blocks in a region.

• The intensity and amount of development in a region for residential, commercial, institutional, or recreational purposes.

What is density?

• The intensity and amount of development in a region for residential, commercial, institutional, or recreational purposes.

• Formation of blocks and plots in a region

• The color and shape of a building

• The amount of resources used.

What is scale?

• The color and shape of a building.

• The size of a building of structure compared to surroundings.

• Refers to a buildings general structure and size.

• The size of a building compared to others.

What is a massing?

• Refers to a buildings general structure and size

• The Materials used

• The size of a building or structure compared to surroundings

• The color and shade of a building