Urban Design Proposals Research Articles

Emerging technologies in urban design pedagogy: augmented reality applications

In the contemporary era of urban design, the advent of big data and digital technologies has ushered in innovative approaches to exploring urban spaces. This study focuses on the application of Augmented Reality (AR) and Extended Reality (XR) technologies in the metropolitan areas of Houston and Amsterdam. These technologies create immersive 'Phygital Installations' that blend physical and digital elements, effectively capturing people's perceptions and enhancing urban design proposals. By fostering human-centered planning, AR and XR technologies make urban design more interactive and accessible to the public. Houston, with its rapid industrial growth and diverse socio-economic landscape, provides a unique setting to examine the impacts of these technologies on urban form and socio-environmental dynamics. In contrast, Amsterdam, with its rich historical layers and socio-cultural diversity, offers insights into the integration of AR/XR technologies in urban planning, particularly in the realm of historical preservation and contemporary urban development. This research contributes to the emerging field of AR/XR in urban design by highlighting the transformative potential of these technologies in enhancing the understanding and engagement in urban design and spatial planning.

Effectiveness of Evidence-Based Design Approaches for Built Environment Professional Education: A Case Study on an Urban Design Studio

Urban built environment professions are facing challenges due to the less predictable future of cities, as well as the increasing expectations from clients and the general public. It is crucial to support and inform these professions with sound evidence in order to promote the sustainability of cities. However, there have been few efforts to introduce evidence-based design (EBD) theories and frameworks into built environment professional education. This study presents an EBD framework for an undergraduate urban design studio. The effectiveness and long-term impact of EBD approaches and the framework presented were examined via learning outcomes, student reflections, and guest comments across two rounds of studio delivery. The reflections and comments were coded and analyzed using NVivo 11. The effectiveness of the EBD approach is confirmed for the premises, development, and effectiveness of urban design proposals that align with the concerns and expectations of professional guests. The wide range of evidence and techniques also fosters cross-disciplinary collaborations. This study sheds light on education in the built environment disciplines, which would further enhance the strength of relevant professions, ultimately contributing to the sustainability of society.

Shifting urban design paradigms in the development of two New York projects: Battery Park City and Hudson Yards

Two major property developments in Manhattan, New York City illustrate the evolution of urban design paradigms since World War Two. Both projects evolved over time beginning in the mid-1950s. The first, Battery Park City in Lower Manhattan, was finally built according to a 1979 master plan prepared for and controlled by a public benefit corporation while the second, Hudson Yards, is following a 2008 master plan prepared for a public agency but controlled by a private company. The first was built out by 2012 while the first phase of the second was completed in 2019. The former was a public sector project strongly promoted by private interests; the latter was and remains the largest private development in the history of the United States. Both schemes were beset with political and financial travails that are manifested in the series of urban design proposals made for their sites. The implemented schemes represent two diametrically radically different urban design paradigms. Battery Park City is a neo-traditional urban design that set out to be New York in character; Hudson Yards is an international hypermodern design that reflects the global neo-liberal competitive spirit of the early twenty-first century. The two paradigms represent different socio-economic attitudes and ideas of what makes a good inner-city environment.

도시공원 경계부의 연계성 강화를 위한 입체적 도시 설계(안) 제안 - 부산시민공원을 사례로

도시공원 경계부의 연계성 강화를 위한 입체적 도시 설계(안) 제안 - 부산시민공원을 사례로

Comparative Spatial Vitality Evaluation of Traditional Settlements Based on SUF: Taking Anren Ancient Town’s Urban Design as an Example

Sustainable urban forms (SUF) guide spatial creation, significantly revitalise the development of traditional settlements, and are an essential theoretical support for urban design. At the same time, the emergence of quantitative spatial analysis technology further promotes the visualised evaluation of the performance of spatial vitality in urban design. However, current research rarely studies the spatial vitality of traditional settlements with quantitative spatial analysis from the SUF perspective. Therefore, this research takes Anren Ancient Town in Chengdu, Western China, as an example to propose a design based on sustainable urban form theory to raise local spatial vitality. Then, it introduces the vitality evaluation system based on the urban form index (UFI) with three measurement methods: Space Syntax, Spacemate, and MXI, and conducts a comparative spatial vitality evaluation of Anren Ancient Town’s status quo to explain the process of how the design scheme came about. The results found that urban design proposals based on the principles of compactness, mixed land use and diversity in SUF design guidelines can effectively improve the vitality of traditional settlements. The high vitality of an urban settlement could be achieved by combining SUF-based design guidelines and UFI-based evaluation systems. The spatial vitality evaluation system based on the SUF could assist and optimise decision-making in design and act as a paradigm for urban design or urban regeneration in traditional towns.

Urban Design Solutions for the Environmental Requalification of Informal Neighbourhoods: The George Dimitrov Neighbourhood, Maputo

The current dimension of informal settlements in Maputo requires the definition of action models framed by empirical evidence, taking advantage of pre-existing socio-spatial and environmental conditions to define physical interventions through sustainable urban design strategies, with a view to their physical (and socio-economic) upgrading. Thus, this paper highlights the potential of urban design in the environmentally sustainable upgrading of Maputo’s informal neighbourhoods. This article aimed to develop sustainable and resilient urban design proposals and identify strategies capable of guiding the future process of physical territorial transformation towards a more sustainable model. Methodologically, a literature review was undertaken for the purpose of understanding the issues related to the theme and the general characteristics of informal neighbourhoods, as well as for exploring a case study: the George Dimitrov Neighbourhood. It was concluded that the current fabric of informal settlements possesses physical characteristics which facilitate the application of sustainable and responsive urban design strategies for the requalification of these deprived areas. Despite the marked difference between the spatial configurations of informal neighbourhoods and those of formal cities, it is possible to increase the level of resilience and sustainability of informal settlements through surgical and deep solutions, anchored on the particularities of the existing fabric.

Carpet Art As A Source of Inspiration in Urban Landscape Design

One of the sources of inspiration used to increase the aesthetic value of a design product is the traditional arts owned by that culture. When the Turkish traditional art is examined, it is seen that the oldest art is the art of carpet. For this reason, Turkish carpet art was used as a means of inspiration in urban landscape designs. The aim of the research is to emphasize the importance of using local and cultural values as inspiration in urban landscape designs and to provide urban landscape design proposals for the preservation and transfer of these values to future generations. In this context, "Dösemealti" carpets belonging to the Antalya region, which have a significant place in terms of traditional carpet art in Turkey, are considered as a source of inspiration in urban landscape design. Thus, the characteristic features of Dösemealti carpets in traditional Turkish carpets are reflected in urban landscape designs.

A Parametric Framework to Assess Generative Urban Design Proposals for Transit-Oriented Development

Urban design has been valuable in bringing the principles of transit-oriented development (TOD) into reality. However, a majority of recommendations summarized by scholars for promoting TODs through urban design have failed to promote the progress of the urban design. The main reason for this issue is the long-standing tradition of design decision-making based on designers’ experience and the lack of quantitative assessment feedback on design schemes. With the development of big data and artificial intelligence, optimisation-based generative design has been explored to overcome the limitations of experience-based urban design approaches. However, the techniques and workflows are still not mature enough for designers to adopt. In response to these challenges, this study proposes a framework that integrates the generative design method and data-driven decision-making approach for urban design solutions that better implement the basic principles of TODs. Based on the urban design intelligence for TODs, this framework uses parametric tools and models to evaluate the generative urban design proposals, providing timely feedback to support the design decisions. The framework is applied to a case study to examine the feasibility. It is demonstrated that this approach succeeds in selecting optimal TOD design solutions. The role of designers’ decision-making in generative urban design, as well as the importance of quantitative and qualitative assessment in experience-based decision-making, are highlighted.

A Vision of Sustainable Design Concepts for Upgrading Vulnerable Coastal Areas in Light of Climate Change Impacts: A Case Study from Beirut, Lebanon

Rapid urbanization combined with the effects of climate change has increased the vulnerability of poor urban communities to natural hazards, particularly to informal settlements located in coastal areas. Apart from socio-economic challenges, the effects of climate change threaten the very existence of these settlements. They are particularly vulnerable due to their poor structural quality and lack of adequate infrastructure to mitigate the consequences of any natural event. The article highlights an informal settlement belt, located on the coastline of the southern suburb of the capital Beirut. This area is an example of a complex urban, social, and economic structure. As a result, this research speculates on the possible sustainable design solutions and tested development strategies through urban, architecture, and landscape design proposals, derived from interventions that succeed in facing similar challenges compatible with the studied context. The aim is to advocate for comprehensive consideration and transformation of coastal informal settlements that can be used to encourage neutralizing the obvious challenges of climate change in urban settings. Therefore, planning specifications and quality aspects for future coastal informal settlements are proposed and extracted. The research involves analysis of qualitative data rather than quantitative data, as there is not much definite information available in terms of statistics, such as review of publications and grey literature. The scope of the study ranges from microscale improvement to providing usable and accessible city-wide ecological urban settings and sustainable spaces with new standards for coastal informal settlements as a potential backbone.

Towards fossil free cities – Emission assessment of food and resources consumption with the FEWprint carbon accounting platform

Current urbanization rates concentrate the ever growing demand for food, energy and water (FEW) resources particularly in cities, making them one of the main drivers of greenhouse gas emissions. The FEW nexus integrative approach offers a potential framework for sustainable resource management in cities. However, existing nexus evaluation tools are limited in application and often inadequate. This is primarily due to the FEW nexus intricacy, the tools’ operational complexity and/or the need to input comprehensive data that is often unavailable to users. Having outlined these current gaps, this paper introduces the FEWprint, an integrated carbon accounting platform that provides an accessible process for FEW nexus-based evaluations of urban areas. This spreadsheet-based framework is employed to calculate a consumption-based footprint derived from food consumption, thermal/electrical energy use, car fuel demand, water management, and domestic waste processing. A comparative assessment between six different communities reveals significant differences in total annual emissions. The food sector impact shows emissions ranging between 993Kg/cap∗yr and 1366Kg/cap∗yr in Amsterdam and Tokyo respectively, but is also the least deviating from all considered resource sectors. This holistic carbon footprint and considered food inventory will serve as a baseline for future integrated urban farming strategies and urban design proposals to be tested.

Autonomous Mobility: A Potential Opportunity to Reclaim Public Spaces for People

The advent of autonomous vehicles (AVs) has the potential to drastically change society and the way we understand, plan and design cities and regions, just as automobiles did a century ago. In the current context of climate change, sustainable urban environments based on active mobility (walking and cycling), urban proximity and green spaces, are increasingly in demand, leading to the emergence of new interventions and urban models. Although these trends may be affected by the arrival of AVs, most decision-makers and planners still do not address these issues in their current planning. This is because of the confusion associated with the diversity of impacts of AVs, but also by the lack of design recommendations and planning tools. To shed light on these aspects, this paper reviews the relationship between mobility and urban public space, the impacts of AVs on urban space and design proposals and strategies aimed at configuring driverless cities, with special focus on street design. The results of the review show that the implementation of AVs can be a great opportunity to liberate urban space and reclaim it for people, in line with new urban models such as the superblocks (Barcelona), the 15-minute city (Paris), or tactical urbanism interventions against COVID-19. However, it may also entail risks such as a reduction in active mobility or public transport use. The magnitude and direction of these impacts will depend on crucial decisions that need to be taken now, such as encouraging shared used over ownership, and establishing citizen-centred urban planning and design objectives and strategies to make AV deployment the most beneficial for all.

CityScope Platform for Real-Time Analysis and Decision-Support in Urban Design Competitions

This paper presents a digital online tool and interaction process that supplies algorithmic analysis and predictive simulation for early-stage urban design proposals within the framework of public competitions. Specifically, the system supports the decision-making of two user groups: 1) planners in the process of developing urban designs proposals, 2) competition juries in evaluating those proposals. The system provides instant assessment of the design solutions’ environmental and spatial impact regarding selected target criteria such as noise propagation or pedestrian accessibility. Enabling the easy testing of functional programs and the identification of feasible trade-offs between multiple design targets, the system supports rapid design iterations as well as the objective evaluation of proposals. Applied for the first time within an innovative tender format for a new residential and business district in Hamburg, Germany, the new toolset paves the way towards a more holistic and interactive form of sustainable urban design.

Tools for the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in the Design of an Urban Environmental and Healthy Proposal. A Case Study

This article presents a methodological proposal to address the urban issue from the perspective of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Different tools have been developed for this purpose: the Aura Method and the Aura Matrix. The Aura Matrix of relationships built from the SDGs, along with the conceptual proposals to which the project must respond, allows for the definition of a methodological framework of action, defined as the Aura Method, applicable to any project that aims to respond to the urban scale from a more sustainable and healthy approach and within the framework of the above-mentioned goals. Two proposals for the Solar Decathlon Latin America of the Aura Team from the University of Seville (2015 and 2019) in Cali, Colombia, and their comparison, are presented as case studies. The scope of the 2019 proposal based on the use of these tools is more rigorous and bold with respect to the requirements defined by the SDGs than the 2015 proposal, based on the millennium goals. This reinforces to a great extent the resilience of the urban scope under study and its capacity to face serious situations in terms of citizens’ health, such as the pandemic we are currently suffering, and improves life quality. The main findings lay on the defined Aura Matrix and Aura Method tools as pragmatic opportunities to translate conceptual approaches such as G3: ‘Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages’ into practical decisions and urban design proposals to improve the quality of life and health of citizens.

CityScope Platform for Real-Time Analysis and Decision-Support in Urban Design Competitions

This paper presents a digital online tool and interaction process that supplies algorithmic analysis and predictive simulation for early-stage urban design proposals within the framework of public competitions. Specifically, the system supports the decision-making of two user groups: 1) planners in the process of developing urban designs proposals and 2) competition juries in evaluating those proposals. The system provides instant assessment of the design solutions' environmental and spatial impact regarding selected target criteria such as noise propagation or pedestrian accessibility. Enabling the easy testing of functional programs and the identification of feasible trade-offs between multiple design targets, the system supports rapid design iterations as well as the objective evaluation of proposals. Applied for the first time within an innovative tender format for a new residential and business district in Hamburg, Germany, the new toolset paves the way towards a more holistic and interactive form of sustainable urban design.

Kültürel Peyzaj Planlaması Kapsamında Tarihi Çevrelere Yönelik Kentsel Tasarım Önerileri: Tarihi İspir Kalesi ve İspir Evleri

Günümüzdeki koruma anlayışı geçmiş yıllara göre çağdaş, yenilikçi ve amacına daha uygun bir yaklaşımdır. Koruma anlayışı dünyada ve ülkemizde artık anıtsal yapı ölçeğinden, çevresel ögeleri de kapsayan bütünsel bir koruma anlayışına evrilmiştir. Ne yazık ki yasalardaki eksiklikler, kamuoyunun hala koruma konusunda bilinçsiz olması, devlet kurumlarının yetersizliği gibi durumlardan dolayı, tarihi çevreler ve kültürel peyzajlar tam anlamı ile korunamamakta, tahribata uğramaya devam etmektedirler. Bu çalışmasının amacı kültürel peyzaj alanlarının içerisinde bulunan tarihi sokak dokusunun bir bütün olarak ele alınarak, bu alanların tahribatını önlemek amacıyla korunmasına ve yaşatılmasına yönelik kentsel tasarım önerileri geliştirmektir. Bu bağlamda kültürel peyzaj özelliklerine ve özgün yöresel mimari ögelere sahip olan İspir ilçesi araştırma alanı olarak seçilmiştir. Araştırmanın kuramsal temellerini tespit etmek amacıyla, kültürel peyzajlar, tarihi çevreler, Türk kent ve sokak dokusu konuları başta olmak üzere tarihi çevrelerde kentsel planlama konularında yapılan çalışmalar incelenmiştir. Araştırma yöntemi kapsamında etüt, veri toplama, analiz ve sentez çalışmaları yapılmıştır. İspir ilçesinin kentsel dokusu detaylı bir şekilde incelenmiş ve elde edilen veriler bilgisayar ortamına aktarılarak haritalar oluşturulmuştur. Araştırma sonucunda, kültürel peyzaj alanlarının koruma kullanma dengesi içerisinde korunmasına, onarılmasına, yaşatılmasına ve yönetilmesine yönelik politikaların oluşturulmasının, ayrıca yerel yönetimler, yerel halk ve ilgili meslek gruplarından oluşan bir komiteyle söz konusu alanların ve çevresinin bütünleşik bir şekilde planlanmasının gerekli olduğu görülmüştür.

Integrating urban analysis, generative design, and evolutionary optimization for solving urban design problems

To better support urban designers in planning sustainable, resilient, and livable urban environments, new methods and tools are needed. A variety of computational approaches have been proposed, including different forms of spatial analysis to evaluate the performance of design proposals, or the automated generation of urban design proposals based on specific parameters. However, most of these propositions have produced separate tools and disconnected workflows. In the context of urban design optimization procedures, one of the main challenges of integrating urban analytics and generative methods is a suitable computational representation of the urban design problem. To overcome this difficulty, we present a holistic data representation for urban fabrics, including the layout of street networks, parcels, and buildings, which can be used efficiently with evolutionary optimization algorithms. We demonstrate the use of the data structure implemented for the software Grasshopper for Rhino3D as part of a flexible, modular, and extensible optimization system that can be used for a variety of urban design problems and is able to reconcile potentially contradicting design goals in a semi-automated design process. The proposed optimization system aims to assist a designer by populating the design space with options for more detailed exploration. We demonstrate the functionality of our system using the example of an urban master-design project for the city of Weimar.

Creative Street Regeneration in the Context of Socio-Spatial Sustainability: A Case Study of a Traditional City Centre in Podgorica, Montenegro

The physical structure of Podgorica was predominantly developed with a traditional planning concept, whereby public open spaces of the city are as important as the city’s architectural objects. The focus of this paper is the perception of a traditional street in the context of sustainable urban regeneration. The aim of this study is to submit a proposal, through the Urban Design course at the Faculty of Architecture in Podgorica, for the physical regeneration of twelve traditional streets (eight street directions) that define the central core of Podgorica, known as Mirkova Varoš. These streets are the sites of social processes, interpreters of cultural and identity values of the society, and primary keepers of collective memory. It was detected that the attractiveness of the case study streets is weakening due to inadequate social and professional engagement in the processes of preservation and regeneration over time and also due to new users’ needs. Global requirements reflect the weakened role of public open spaces as places of social interaction, in favour of primarily closed shopping centres that are the new urban artefacts of the 21st century city. The first phase of this study is related to the theoretical interpretation of regeneration and the role of public space in the context of socio-spatial sustainability. The second phase of the study is directed toward estimating the perception of the current state of the street area in Mirova Varoš, as seen by the case study area users and architecture students, using (1) visual, (2) tactile, and (3) auditory criteria. The obtained results serve as a platform for concrete urban design proposals for sustainable street regeneration that will reflect a stronger socio-spatial interaction between (1) user–place, (2) the place–city system, and (3) local processes–global flows.

A sustainable urban design framework for the suburbanisation of coastal southeaster Australia.

The suburbanisation of modern cities has forced many people in locations that are far less accessible than their prior residences, requiring motorised massive transport. Sustainable suburban development characteristics proposed to be relevant to transit-oriented development (TOD) are defined, including walking and cycling, population density, employment opportunities, urban form, open space and mixed-use land. In the study, an urban design proposal of Reedy Creek Town Centre is intended to guide the sustainable development of the outlying community as an integrated and dense urban centre based around the new rail station. Moreover, a range of residential development choices and commercial office uses supported by convenience retailing and associated services are providing for a diverse range of people having varying incomes and social interests who live and work in suburban area. This paper, which builds on the work of transit-oriented community proposal by dissecting the principles and approaches of TOD, establishes an urban design framework for suburban development to reveal the key sustainability strategies. The result concludes that transit-oriented development holds considerable promise for placing rapidly suburbanising cities on more comprehensive sustainable strategies, which give a basis to guide appropriate growth, change and development, and to prevent development inconsistency.

Community Engagement for Environmental Lighting and Acoustics in the Manila’s University Belt

Environmental lighting and acoustics is highly compromised in developing countries such as the Philippines. In urban centers such as the City of Manila, the night time population which compromises mostly the younger generation experience difficulty in mobility. Furthermore the exposure to too much noise may render the population indifferent to their surroundings.España Boulevard is a main thoroughfare connecting the city of Manila’s University Belt to the eastern metropolis. The study focuses on examining the current situation of pedestrian infrastructure in the City of Manila where community and pedestrian wellbeing should be a primordial concern in one of the densest cities in the world. Universal design is a basic consideration to support the pressing need for safety and mobility of residents and transients travelling to and from the City of Manila.This initiative is in consonance with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Number 3 on Good Health and Wellbeing as a part of the third UN’s SDGs of 2015-2030. This serves as a foundation for programs and projects that concern the general public, specifically pedestrians and communities.A foot-survey was conducted using downloadable apps on lighting and sound intensity to assess whether they are in compliance with prescribed international standards. Photomontage on urban design proposals are presented as possible imagery of green urbanism solutions in attaining ideal metrics for both environmental lighting and acoustics.

Potential of Recycling Urban Territories

Urbanisation process is dynamic and should respond to the current needs of the society. Most of the urban fabrics of the mass housing estates in the former socialist countries, which have undergone major socio-economic changes, currently need a transformation of their spatial structure. As a result of demographic and urban changes, as well as the former non-complex strategic urban solutions, there are a number of empty spaces in the built-up structures – unused, under-utilized, less functional or dysfunctional. Research points to the potential of unused space for future urban development, with efforts to identify and find the appropriate use for these “dormant urban potentials”, which could be utilized for social, economic and environmental benefits; however, it is necessary to examine and to understand the structure of the premises in detail and in the context of differentiated hierarchy and position within the city. The aim of the article is to point to the empty, abandoned spaces in the urban structure of Bratislava, in Bratislava - Ružinov and Bratislava - Nové Mesto city districts and indicate the potential of their transformation to the new functional uses, with an emphasis on the limits of the territory and environmental sustainability. The ambition of the investigated pilot urban studies is to find an innovative town-planning model and possibilities for regeneration of the empty spaces in the fragmented structure of the prefabricated mass housing estate. Urban design proposals for non-functioning premises, undefined and often circumvented territories, forgotten “crevices” in urban fabric, try to seek relevant answers on their transformation in the form of corresponding urban solutions, complementing the existing residential structure with new features, meeting the current needs of the citizens, adding infrastructure for the activities of the local community, promoting a system of green spaces, “free” pedestrian urban landscapes, open to new interpretations of the use of space. The possibilities of recycling the unused territories have been tested through proposals valorising urban structure in order to ensure optimal social and urban development, support the hierarchy and complexity of core areas, prevent the conversion of unused sites in the lucrative areas solely for the achievement of economic gains for investors and gentrification, promote the eco-friendly development with a focus on climate change and protection of ecosystems, and ensure the optimal economic land use. The lessons learned should contribute to the sustainability of the urban structure, the revitalization of abandoned and neglected areas, and support the hierarchical system of the main nodes of the model urban area. The transformation of unused territories, the public semipublic and private spaces, brings compactness and at the same time the diversity to the urban environment, strengthens the system of green infrastructure and the variety of social interactions, which contributes to the increase of the viability, and attractiveness of the entire urban neighbourhood.