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University of Salahaddin
College Of Engineering
Architectural Department
COURSE BOOK
URBAN DESIGN 2017-2018
4th year staff
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: 0770 306 8893
0750 745 0664
Mobile: 0750 445 8238
Mobile: 0750 4490742
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Academic Year
2017-2018
Objectives:
The primary objective of this course is to introduce students to prevailing ideas in
the field of (Urban Design-UD) and to the anticipated challenges that will likely
affect the evolution of cities. By the end of the courses students will expect to gain
the following:
1. Introduce new models and theories which involve the latest literatures in urban
design sciences such as hybrid urban space, the DNA of urban space, a new theory
of space syntax and sustainable form of urban design.
2. Direct experience in understanding, interpreting and applying theories of urban
design.
3. A basic capacity to critique urban design and the normative doctrines that
produce them.
4. An understanding of urban design as a dynamic force integral to the evolution of
cities.
5. An introduction to the language and terminology of land use and urban design.
6. A heightened awareness of the details of the built environment to foster lifelong
design learning.
7. To familiarize the students with the movement structure of a city and (UD)
concepts, standards, methods, procedures for sustainable mobility system.
8. To provide students with skills and knowledge how to treat with the design of
public spaces, knowing the relation between urban design and architectural design,
appreciating the factors that are to be considered in (UD) and the open spaces
requirements and aesthetics.
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9. To examine the elements, concepts and methods of (UD), with emphasis given
to the visual and spatial problems. Emphasis is placed on methods of analyzing
urban form, organizational and structural concepts, human, natural and physical
elements of (UD) and methods of implementation.
Forms of Teaching
The courses include two parallel streams of activity; design action and design
thinking. Both semesters deal with a physical model of a real urban area, which
students make changes, additions and modifications. And the studio includes
presentations and interactive discussions about readings in (UD). Each week all
teams of students make design changes to the model based on the previous week’s
discussions and present those changes to the class. Students are additionally
required to make presentations demonstrating an understanding and critical
engagement of course readings and will write critiques of other students’ designs.
Curricular Context The syllabus is designed to apply the contemporary thinking in urban design theory
and methods to a real community setting. The class integrates the models of
community based learning and problem based learning to foster a dynamic learning
environment.
DESIGN STUDIO The (UD) studio is where the synthesis of theoretical and practical aspects of urban
analysis and design takes place. Using (UD) projects of different scales that deal
with programming, planning, and design, the studio encourages the integration of
political, social, economic, environmental, and physical concerns in the design of
urban spaces. Through the exercises which will focus on CBD &inner city
regeneration in the city and examining issues related to critical program
development, urban conservation, the studio tutorial will assist the students in the
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methodology of conducting an urban design city study, techniques of surveys,
analysis of information and presentation. Typological studies and designs.
Practical Projects:
1-1st course: The study of public spaces in Erbil city
This project involves five commercial streets to be studied and analyzed at six
levels:
1-The social dimension.
2- The morphological dimension.
3- The perceptual dimension.
4- The visual dimension.
5- The functional dimension.
6- The temporal dimension.
The study includes three main steps:
1- Data collection
2- Data Analysis
3- Strategies for urban development.
The main objective of the project is to develop Erbil corridors to guide the
urban development in order to achieve:
1- The sustainable urban development of the corridor taking into consideration
social, economical, ecological and cultural aspects.
2- Propose a land use and transportation framework for future urban development,
and identify requirements for the provision of public facilities and utilities by
developing the main corridors to achieved high connectivity and integrity with
zones of city.
3- Extend the growth of big city along the corridor as new pole especially with
variation facilities for creating attractive corridor to gather modern urban context
by high rise building and unique towers as the land marks.
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2- 2nd
course: Urban Renewal Project: Urban renewal and conservation are critical to revival of city center and inner
areas, the objective of the course is to equip the students to deal with developments
in existing cities, The lecturers staff will choose a suitable site in the city where the
students will individually map, evaluate and analyze the site from the knowledge
imparted in the theory classes
Main subjects: 1- Historic overview of urban renewal.
2- Development strategies for regeneration of city center areas, recycling, renewal,
etc.
3- Introduction to conservation, heritage, concepts of historic zones and world
heritage sites.
4- Principles of conservation and successful practices in conservation in local
level, world level.
5- Importance of Charters, Archaeological Acts, Conservation Acts and
Legislation.
6- Heritage tourism and conservation.
7- Institutional framework for urban conservation and renewal strategies in
Kurdistan’s cities.
Grading
* Final exam 50% (theoretical exam 30%, practical Exam 20 %)
* Total annual mark 50%
Course material
Required book:
1-Donald Watson “Time-Saver Standards for Urban Design”, February 21,
2003.
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2- Lynch, Kevin “ A Theory of Good City Form “, Cambridge, Massachusetts,
The MIT Press, London 1981.
3- Lynch, Kevin. , “ The Image of the City “ , Cambridge , Massachusetts , The
MIT Press , London 1960 .
4-Pijet , J. “ The Mechanisms of Perception “ , Routledge & Kegan , London
1969 .
5-Rapoport, Amos. , “ Human Aspects of Urban Form – Towards a Man
Environment approach to urban form and design “ , Pergamon Press , U.K
1977 .
6-Salingaros, Nikos A,” Theory of the Urban Web “, Journal of urban design,
Vol. 3 – Division of Mathematics, University of Texas at San Antonio, USA 1998.
7- Salingaros, Nikos A,” Urban Space and its Information Field “ , Journal of
urban design , Vol. 4 – Division of Mathematics , University of Texas at San
Antonio , USA 1999 .
8- Schulz, N. “ Existence Space & Architecture “, Studio Vista, London 1971.
9- Seamon, David, “ The Life of the Place “, Journal of Architectural research,
Nordisk Arkitektur forskning 1994. [Available electronically ]
< http://www.arch.ksu.edu/seamon/hillier93.html >
10- Smith, Peter. , “ The Syntax of Cities “, London, Melbourne Sydney
Auckland 1977.
11- Spreiregen, P.D. “ Urban Design: The Architecture of Towns and Cities “,
Mc- Graw Hill,N.Y. 1965 .
12-Gorden Cullen , the concise town scape ,1973.
13-Hillier, Bill & Hanson “ The Social Logic of Space “, Cambridge, Cambridge
University Press 1984.
14-Cluskey, Jim. “ Road Form and Townscape “ Architecture Press, London
1979.
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Course programe
FIRST SEMESTER (15 week) + SECOND SEMESTER (13WEEK)
2 hour for theoretical study /week
4 hours for practical study / week
First Semester
Week Theoretical Practical
Week 1
1-Introduction:
- The concept of urban design.
- Urban design position within
Planning and Architecture.
2- Urban design framework.
- Urban studies reviews.
*Kevin Lynch.
*Cordon Cullen.
*Donald Appleyard.
* Amos Rapoport.
* Bill Hillier & Julienne Hanson.
-Each student has to draw 2 dimensional plan
of a selected town from the library
(homework &studio work).
Week 2
1- Elements of urban design.
1- Key aspects of urban design.
2-Values and Benefits of Urban
Design.
-Checking the homework of 1st project.
- Requesting the 2nd
homework:
- The study of relationship between space
and mass.
- Team Work
* Each group has to create 3D boxes (50-60
boxes with 4*4cm) to be configured and
created virtual built environment in relation
with space and mass.
Week 3
1- Comprehensive Planning Process:
-Urban Design Process
-Urban Design As Technique
-Urban Design As Process.
2- Rational Decision Making:
- How to evaluate the alternatives.
*Goals Achievement Matrix (GAM).
-Checking the home work of 2nd
week and
promoting process.
- The main questions are:
How can we create urban spaces by using
architectural masses?
- How city elements can play essential role
in urban design?
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* Cost and Benefits Analysis (CBA).
* Urban elements include:
-Paths, Edges, Nodes, Landmarks.
Week 4
1-The study of Urban space: Re-
Defining urban space; main
concepts and definitions
- Urban space.
*Quality of urban space
- Public space.
*PlaceMaking.
- Hybrid space.
*Spatial hybrid.
*Programmatic hybrid.
*Operational hybrid.
- Emerging Hybrid open space
typologies.
-Checking the home work of 2nd
week and
checking project elements in term of paths,
nodes, and landmarks, to be final
presentation.
Week 5
The traditional open spaces in old cities
(Routes and enclosure).
Image of Cities-Kevin Lynch Understanding Neighborhoods Through Mental Mapping Legibility of a City
Open Space
Starting Main Project of First Semester
- The study of public spaces in Erbil City
- First stage: Stating goals & Identify
issues:
-Determination of main corridors with high
degree of urban activity.
-This will involve 5-6 commercial streets.
- Asking students to prepare maps and
satellite images for the selected corridors.
Week 6
* Morphological Studies:
- Introduction
- The morphological Dimension of
urban design (HARDWARE).
- Density.
- Accessibility.
- Connectivity.
- Legibility.
- Flexibility.
- Final determination of corridors to start
observation study.
* Stages of field Survey:
Stage-1: Identify the Focus of the Study.
Stage-2: Determining the project Schedule.
Stage-3: Establishing an information Base.
Stage-4: Determining the Sample Frame.
Stage-5: Designing the Survey Instrument.
Stage-6: Selecting and Training Interviewers.
Stage-7: Implementation the Survey.
Stage-8: Coding and Computerizing the Data.
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* Observation Period.
Week 7
1- The dimensions of Urban Design:
- Introduction:
-The social dimension.
- The morphological Dimension.
- The perceptual dimension.
- The visual dimension.
- The functional dimension.
- The temporal dimension.
* The Social Production of Space
(SOFTWARE).
-People & Place
-Jan Gehl studies.
- The public realm.
-Neighbourhood (size, boundaries,
Social relevance and meaning).
-Fundamental process of human
behavior.
* The Perceptual Dimension of
Urban Design.
-Environmental Perception.
-Beyond the image of the city.
-Sense of Place.
Second Stage: Data Collection Techniques:
1- Information about people's on the street.
2- Information about urban space values.
3- Information about traffic volume.
Week 8
* The Visual Dimension of Urban
Design.
- Aesthetic References.
- Patterns and Aesthetic Order.
- Positive and Negative Space.
-The Street.
-Townscape.
1st level- The Social dimension of the
streets:
- Students will be asked to collect data about
social life on the street. In other word:
* How people use urban space in Erbil city?
* What is the impression of people on the
public spaces in Erbil?
Checking data collection about social life on
the streets.
Week 9
* The Functional Dimension of
Urban Design (ORGWARE).
-Public Space and the Public/Private
Interface.
-The social use of space.
- Privacy (visual and aural privacy)
- Checking visual observation for each
student to reach final stage.
2nd
level- The morphological & functional
dimension of the streets:
- Checking data about morphological
dimension of the streets, including:
1- Urban block size.
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2- Spatial configuration of the zone.
3- Spatial variety.
4- Continuity & Active Frontage.
Week 10
* The Temporal Dimension of
Urban Design.
- Time Cycles.
-The time management of urban space.
- The continuity of place.
- Checking all data for each student to reach
final stage.
3rd
level- The Perceptual dimension of the
streets:
- Checking data about perceptual dimension
of the streets, including:
- Degree of Sensory Permeability &
Tangibility.
- Degree of Attractability &Personalization of
urban activities.
Week 11
1- Urban Form studies &Town
plans:
- The city formation patterns.
- Theories of internal composition of
the city.
-City Centre (CBD) & General
description of the urban dynamics of
CBD.
- Checking all data for each student to reach
final stage.
4th
level- The Physical dimension of the
streets:
- Street furniture and objects.
- Sidewalks width.
Week 12 1- Sustainable urban mobility in
term of urban design:
-Transportation system and urban
form.
-Urban form dimensions.
- The Compact & Sprawl urban form.
- Urban Form & urban mobility
system.
- Accessibility in City & Sustainable
urban form.
- Checking all data for each student to reach
final stage.
- Urban activity analysis:
- Basic activities.
- Optional & Social activities (Third
places).
- Hawkers.
Week 13
1- Sustainable Urban Form:
-Urban Ecology and its Scale.
- Urban Effects on the Environment.
- Urban form &Carbon Emissions in
Cities.
- Urban spatial structure and Gasoline
Consumption.
- Checking all data for each student to reach
final stage.
- Third Stage: Data analysis
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- Urban form and urban activity
system.
Week 14
1- The spatial organization of urban
structure.
- City components.
- Relationship between components.
2- Theory of territory and proximity.
- Data analysis finalization.
- Fourth Stage: Strategy (urban development
process).
Week 15
Final Presentation
Second semester
Week 16
-Site Analysis.
* Goal of site analysis.
* Factors which determine a sites
character include:
- Natural factor.
- Man –made factor.
Starting Main Project of Second Semester
Start Urban Renewal Project
-Exercise 1: Students will be asked to study
examples about urban renewal project at the
local and global level.
Week 17
1- The Spatial configuration of
urban structure:
- Space Syntax Theory:
*Introduction
- Traditional space syntax (basic
concepts).
-Space syntax parameters
(connectivity, Control, integration).
- Discussing students’ examples to put them in
the final stage.
-Exercise 2: Preparing report of urban infill
Policy.
Week 18
- Space syntax analysis:
* Convex Articulation.
* Grid Convexity.
* Axial Articulation.
* Axial Integration of Convex
Spaces.
* Grid Axiality.
- Integration Core.
- Map Depth 10 (software
application).
- Discussing students’ reports to put them in the
final stage.
- Starting main project:
* start urban renewal project.
* Determine the zone of study (Historical
sites).
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Week 19
1- Urban Development Process:
-Time frames of change.
-Resilience and robustness.
-The management of change.
- Obsolescence.
-Urban Renewal Strategies.
-site visiting.
- Preparing maps and satellite images.
Week 20
-Conservation, Rehabilitation, and
Redevelopment.
- Preparing the scenario of design: the students
will try to design and renew their projects
according to the following scenarios:
- Urban activity proposals.
- Urban network proposals.
- Pedestrian system.
- Spatial organization of the zone (spacesyntax)
Week 21
-Urban infill Policy.
-Development Roles and Actors.
-Urban activity study of the zone; including
maps, data and analysis.
Week 22 - Articulation of Urban space & its
characteristics.
- Urban network analysis of the zone.
Week 23
- The traditional open spaces in old
cities (routes and enclosures).
-Pedestrian system.
Week 24
-Physical and visual integration
principles+ Local and international
sample of urban renewal.
- Space Syntax analysis.
Week 25
1- Sustainable design of new city
master plan.
- Improvement Plan Concepts
- Starting Strategies for development.
Week 26 - Towards an ecosystem model of
cities.
- Discussion main strategies
Week 27
- Quality of Life in the built
environment.
- Walkabile City.
-Studio work
Week 28
final presentation
Final exam will be determined by the exam board.
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Note: This syllabus may be subject to changes, i.e, we may take either longer or
shorter time to finish a topic.