The Role of Urban Pattern Indicators in Achieving Sustainable Urban Forms in the Developed Countries - A Pragmatic Evaluation of Two Sustainable Urban Contexts

Abstract

Since cities are constantly changing, their new forms and activities are developed according to their patterns and physical arrangements. Sustainable urban forms are currently a widely discussed topic in the concept of urban sustainability. The physical forms of cities can be conceptualised as two interlocking planes. The first comprises the spatial distribution of activities and buildings. The second is made up of the pattern of streets, parks and the public realm. Sustainable integration between these layers leads to a compatibly built environment. This paper intends to formulate sustainable urban form indicators as a conceptual framework model that provides a comprehensive understanding of how sustainability can be evaluated and measured according to the pattern of any built environment. This framework consists of eight indicators: Accessibility, Connectivity, Compatibility, Diversity, Nodality, Density, Identity, and Adaptability. Accordingly, two of the most significant sustainable urban districts have been chosen for field study. The first is the Hammarby residential district in Stockholm, Sweden and the second is the Vauban residential district in Freiburg, Germany. The research concludes that good performance of urban pattern indicators in these developed communities may motivate, inform and improve design strategies for achieving a more sustainable urban context.