Quality of an urban community: a framework for understanding the relationship between quality and physical form

Abstract

Community quality is an extremely complex concept which involves the physical environment providing opportunities for humans to meet their needs and desires. Both researchers and designers must concern themselves with raising the standard of the designed environment from the present level, to one which successfully meets the complex levels of human needs. To reach this goal, it is necessary to bridge the gap between research and design and to link the two into a comprehensive framework. This research project is an investigation of the physical elements that contribute to the quality of a community. A quality community is one which meets the needs and desires of its visitors and inhabitants. The methods involve descriptive research, matrix development and case study applications. Six categories and 28 sub-categories of community quality and needs criteria were developed through the research of community quality, and human social and psychological needs theories. The six main categories of the quality principles are livability, character, connection, mobility, personal freedom, and diversity. Approximately, two hundred community physical form criteria were developed through the summary of professional community design literature and guidelines. The physical form criteria were categorized under community, urban block, buildings, streets, pedestrian ways, open space, vegetation, and feature areas. A matrix relating social needs with physical form, illustrates how community quality can be better understood through physical design. Case study applications of three communities in Toronto, the Beaches, High Park, and Parkdale, illustrate how the matrices can be used to analyze a community. The result is a framework for understanding the relationship between the quality of an urban environment and physical form. Matrix analysis showed that connection and character scored the highest with respect to physical form, and the top physical form criteria are, a walkable community, outdoor amenities, lots of seating, barrier free, and open space areas in residential areas.