22 Nisan 2008 Salı

CONTEXTS FOR URBAN DESIGN

CONTEXTS FOR URBAN DESIGN

In this article types of conrexts and their effects are mentioned in terms of urban design. These contexts for urban design are local, global, market and regulatory.
The main point is all of these contexts can be changed over time but they are relatively fived and typically outside the scope of the urban designer. Important point is that they have to be accepted as givens. On the other hand, although designer has an affect on relationship or boundaries between context and dimensions interms of form and visual appearance, local, global context and effect of market stays constant.

¨ LOCAL CONTEXT
Urban design action involves public realm and development of project. Site is part of the context. All projects of urban design contribute with their own site and their local context. In urban design, place’s unique quality can be design resource and it can be delicated with context. Context can be directed urban desihn projects succesfully. Low wnvironmental quality has greater opportunity for creation of new character. All sites has historic, aesthetic, cultural and social qualities and thes can be compose local context.
By the time people preferences and choices, economy, uniqueness of site, unified character, quality,place matters and also globalisation and developing technology can affect local context. In some cases the effects of these can be damage the local context. The important points is to embedded to time and technology not to transform.

¨ GLOBAL CONTEXT
The pressures that mentioned above have both local and global dimensions and provide link between local and global contexts. Local actions have global impacts and consequences, while global actions have local impacts and consequances. Local and global contexts have dialectical relationship. In this article especially the effect of global warming, changing climate, insufficient resources and their effects on urban design are mentioned in terms of sustainable development. However the concept of sustainable development includes not only environmental, but also economic and social sustainability.Urban designers need to have regard to social impacts and long term economic viability, as well as environmental impacts. But the problem is the tendency to privalege short term urgent needs at the expense of long term important ones. Environmental concerns are always seens as someone else’s problem. Because of this long terms solutions or impacts are not be concerned.



¨ THE MARKET & REGULATORY CONTEXT
The last two contexts represents different sides of the same state-market coin.Market context depends on forces of supply and demand. On this economy (market economy) the role of private sector and state is important. Private sector searchs for provit and interested in short term rebacks. Economic viability is important for both private and state. In private sector, viability is concerned in terms of the balance between risk and reward, with reward seen primarily in terms of profit. In the public sector viability is concerned both in terms of value for public money and in terms of the broader objective of achieving and maintaining a healty economy. We can summarize this process as in an urban public makes places and their needs attraction and well design. Investors should supply well designed environment to gain desired profit. In considering market state relations, distinction must be made between mixed and market-led economies. As both are, in a strict sense, mixed economies, the distinction is between the state playing a more, or a less, significant and direct role in the management of the economy. In mixed economies the state generally has a more executive role with direct action public agencies. In market economy privatism became a dominat relaation between private and state. So urban design operates in a real worl and also urban designers is constrained and bounded by forces of market and regulatory that are beyond its control or influence.

Gulnur VURUSKAN
152002002

CONTENTS of URBAN DESIGN

CONTENTS of URBAN DESIGN

Baykan GÜNAY-“Urban Design is a Public Policy”-

Scale: The macraform of a city is planned or designed at the macro scale. While Turkish towns are oil drop and concentrated on built-up areas,western towns are shaped as radially along corridors as extending infrastructure and transportation.

In urban design scale term can be thought as three level:
¨ Macro Scale:decision making processes and development strategies.
¨ Meso Scale: consists of image character and functional criteria
¨ Small Scale:3D expression of desicions

Urban design has multi dimensional sequences of actions these are clints, process, time and desicions.
Space – Place Dualism in Urban Design: space place dualism is taken different in this article. It is observed in terms of architecture and planning.
Architecture; is terminology based and consits of space mass relations
Planning; consits of place community integrity.

Succesfull urban space quality can be defined by those whom live in, perceive or observe it and inhabited an action or an activity.

Physical structure- Activity Structure: Urban form is the result of activities, adapted spaces and flows. The activities and flows among them build up the physical strucrure (adapted spaces and circulation) of cities and part of cities. If an new activity system is generating in a new development site it can be said that form follows function. How ever if the new activity system is to reside in an existing zone, a tension can be caused between form and function, hard areas, new functions, built up areas and new development zones.

Built-up Areas – New Development Zones: Built up areas are multi owner while new development zones are single owner. In built up areas, historic preservation lobby and politics make complicated and costly of new activity system adaptation process. On the other hand, in new development zones ımplementation process is easy. Design references are nature in new development zones but because of having post modern architecture and defined design skills in built up areas there is reference jam. Living spaces are definite and designed acoording to concern of sun and greenery.

Urban design – Civic Design: Especiallly these terms are used to define same thing. Civiv design covers the ceremonial or institutional aspects of the public realm, whereas urban design covers the whole city.

Public versus Private Sphere: In this article public and private terms are examined under the property relations. In this respect the meaning of private is clear and it refers to individuals and private corporations and their dominations over things. The meaning of public on the other hand, is more difficult and it ca be refers to common, communal, collective, social. Public requires the xistence of a political authority to regulate the private.

Design in one Property – Design for Many Property: Property is a basic task of urban transformations. It cause a distinction between architecture and urban deisgn. Architecture is defined by the demands of the owner and designers approach. Urban design takes the responsibility of the creation of urban context, design strategies for future development, ownership patterns and aesthetical considerations. Ownership patterns can be handled as a design variable which can be resolved in design process. Unification, subdivision of land and transforming the body of ownership should be considered in design action.

Object Design – Process Design: urban is the organizational matter rather than an object to be designed. Urban design is the process that guides the evaluation of urban environment which deals with the actor, finance, restrictions, time, strategy issues, on the other hand architecture of urban can be defined as a set of buildings/objects whether in large scale or not confronted for one client and in one property.


Gülnur VURuSKAN
152002002

Contexts of Urban Design

CONTEXTS FOR URBAN DESIGN

The purpose of the article is to maintain base contexts that constrain and inform all areas of urban design. These are; local, global, market and regulatory contexts. The most important point is that context works together with time but at any particular moment they are fixed and are typically outside the scope of the urban designer.

One of the contextual topic that urban design is effected mostly is the local context. “ Places matter most” quote can summarize the importance of the local context, that explains the unique quality of the spaces established with the cultural, social and individual properties. The contextual response to a space, in an urban design process is so defined by the character of that space which can be low or high as so needs respectful action or progressive action to a new character. As Lang explains the places as levels of terrestrial, animate, social and cultural environments. They have their own effect on the space to be respected. In this sense social and cultural environments are the mental part of the space which is created by the terrestrial and animate environments.

Global context by the way, has the dominant role in the world’s order. The relation between the local and global, urgents the concerns about the action in the design processes which should be more thoughtful not only with the specific area the design is projected but, also respectful or concerning the surrounding environment. Sometimes the short-term necessities or desires may challenge to the long-term decisions that mostly matters more important properties and qualities. Sustainability here, is the important point that the design process should concern.

Market and regulatory contexts are the topics which the design process is mostly effected. They mostly work together. The controller character of the market and governmental occasions, limit the design process, so that the designer could not reverse this conditions backwards or lead them to the advantage of the process. The design process destiny is sometimes defined by the conditions. The location choice, the economical strategy, the future demand and the choice of the individuals are the elements which effect the design process destiny and also which are effected from the regulatory and market conditions as well. As the competitive market strategies define the systems that how will the places work, in terms of economic, and with relation socially. The design of urban places will be effected directly from social structure and indirectly from the economic benefits of the market

The public side aims developments to make better places, and long-term strategies to sustain improvements. However private sector desires the process of production, which effects the every step of their economical strategies.

Urban design here, stucks in between many externatlities which can not be controlled or effected by the designer. The responsibilities to social character and the effect from the public due to economic and market conditions is a chaotic process, which designers had to solve this schema within their place-making, space defining solutions.

Murat CEVİKAYAK
152002001

Contents of Urban Design

CONTENTS of URBAN DESIGN
-“Urban Design is a Public Policy”- Baykan GÜNAY
In this article contents of urban design are mentioned under the sub titles as scale, space- place dualism, physical and activity structure, built up areas and new development zones, urban design –civic design, public versus private sphere, design in one property – design for many property and object design – process design.

Under the scale title, scales that urban design consits of are defined. These are macro scale that consits of desicion making process and development strategies. Meso scale that consists of image character and functional criteria and small scale that consits 3D aspects of desicions. Space place dualism is thought in terms of planning and architecture. According to this distinction while architecture is terminology based and consists of space mass relations, planning consists of community and place relation.

Under physical and activity structure, urban form is thought as an outcome of the bonds between activities, adapted spaces and flows –channels. The activities and flows among them build up the physical strucrure (adapted spaces and circulation) of cities and part of cities. On the other hand, the problems of designing a new activites system on a existing built up area and designing new developmet zone is examined. While this process is hard and complicated in a built up area because of historic presevation and politics, it is more easy to develop a new activity system in an new development zone.

Baykan Günay explains the terms of civic design and urban design that both of them can be used to define same thing. But the differnce is while urban design covers the whole city, civic design covers the ceremonial or institutional aspects of the public realm. Designing in a public or private sphere is different. He choose to define public and private terms under the analysis of property relations.In this respect the meaning of private is clear and it refers to individuals and private corporations and their dominations over things. The meaning of public on the other hand, is more difficult and it ca be refers to common, communal, collective, social. Public requires the existence of a political authority to regulate the private. After examing the design for new development zones or built up areas and defining public and private in terms of property. He mentioned about designing an activity on existing zone that have many property or new development zone taht have on property. Property is taken as a basic component of urban transformations.He thinks that the ownership pattern of both urban land and potential land open to urban growth, constitute one of the most significant challenges of urban design. Because while architecture is defined by the demands of the owner and designers approach, urban design takes the responsibility of the creation of urban context, design strategies for future development, ownership patterns and aesthetical considerations.

Under the last title object design and process design, it is pointed out that urban is visualized as an object in architecture. But urban design consits of process. Rapoport (1980) says that it is spatial organization rather than the objects which counted.
Contents of urban design field can be changed as how a designer defines it. In this article especially dualisms between public and private sphere in terms of scale, property and the area that design will be occured are mentioned.

Murat CEVİKAYAK
152002001

20 Nisan 2008 Pazar

7th week submission

Onur MENGI
UD 514 Spring’08 IYTE
7th Week Summary Submission

Contents of Urban Design

This article written by Baykan Günay, presents contents of urban design or what an urban designer deals with within 8 contradictions, in some place comparing with urban planning and also architecture.

Scale; planning is general is defined as the description of processes generating a city, determination of alternative development strategies, making of decisions, implementation and also allocation of resources. On the other hand, design is the part of the process too, covering the necessary sequence of actions to put planning. Macro scale where image and character are developed at, further consolidate at the meso scale and becomes important inputs in the design of the environment besides functional criteria. In this connection, districts, center, green systems, development corridors, regeneration in built-up areas are all matters of urban design at the meso scale. Moreover, aesthetical, visual or symbolic values do not consider worth designing are all basic issues of urban design.

Space-Place Dualism; architecture biased preferred terminology based on space-mass relations, while planners approached it from the place-community integrity. A very simple definition of urban space concentrates on its physical three-dimensional quality, while place is described as a space inhabiting a function or an activity, or a setting which has meaning for those who live, observe or perceive it. According to the author Trancik, lost space is leftover, unstructed or a landscape, but as regards to Auge idetifies non-place with space of flows (M. Castells) ; traveller’s space, gated communities, theme parks, shopping malls.

Physical Structure-Activity Structure; urban form is an outcome of the bonds between activities-adapted spaces and flows-channels. The activities and flows among them, build up the physical structure of cities and parts of cities. In this relationship activity system is generating physical structure in a new development zone. In modern era; this refers to “form follows function”. But new activity in existing function causes tension emerging between form and function since activity is dynamic but physical structure is static and hard to change.

Built-up Areas-New Development Zones; design strategy aims at sun, space and greeny in development zones and slum clearence in built-up areas. When public policies turn their focus on built-up areas tax revenues which declines due to slum formations, urban ideologies starts to change and concepts like identity, place, space and association are introduced. Besides, new development zones are soft spaces while built-up areas are hard spaces.
Urban Design-Civic Design; civic design covers the ceremonial or institutional aspects of the public realm, whereas urban design covers the whole city. Early in the 20th century in United State, civic design is living its golden age within City Beautiful Movement. Today we are discussing the design problems of all parts of the city to include production areas, transition zones so policies, methods, groups involved, finance and maintenance will differ and alternative contents will evolve when there is a determined state power acting in the urban area, or more modest control of the city and its prts by public bodies.

Public Versus-Private Sphere; according to author, in many cases the word public is incorrectly used since a mystical is attributed to the concept. When they analysed as a part of property relation they become more meaningful. Private is more clear. It refers to individuals and private corporations and their domination over things. On the other hand, meaning of public is more diffucult to define; common, commonual, public, collective, social have often been used to refer to the different types of domination of the non-private sphere. It is believed that urban design is a public policy which requires special attention to study this vast topic.

Design in One Property- Design For Many Property; this subject indicates the problem of land subdivison. This is one of the more critical planning decisio. Once established, the pattern essentially remains forever andcan only be changed at great cost, effort nad political will. While architetural products are shaped towards demands of owners or clients and design approach, urban planning is surrounded with land subdivisons sometimes transcend architectural or easthetical considerations. Patterns of ownership effect both the process of space production and form of the city.

Object Design-Process Design; amongst many author, there is a contradiction between object design and process design. According to Brown, when one is confronted with client in one property or set of a object, this is architectural design. But one is dealing with multitude of actors, their preferences, restricted financial sources, indefinite tima, then urban designer has to instently stay in the process to continuously guide the evolution of the urban environment.




5 Nisan 2008 Cumartesi

CITYSHAPE

CITYSHAPE
Communicating and evaluating community design

Sherwin Grene gives a framework or taxonomy for community planners and designers to help citizens understamd and evaluate community designs. This taxonomy contains clear words for citizens, basic human needs and a broad range of concets from litherature and practice of urban design, pllanning and building arts. This method elicits creative community response and to make easy more informed discussions.

İn spite of the various research in the field, sorely lacking is understandable and coherence terminology in a framework that both designers and citizens can use the communicate ideas about community design.An understandable therminolgy would encourge public participation in the design process and promote more productive dialogue between designers and designed-for community.

Designers and planners still have problems, however, dealing with evaluations of the quality of community design. Too often prefossional evaluations of designs are nothing more than subjective reactions based on sophisticated. Against the subjective reactions, Grene explains framework with four basic principles of community design such as function, order, identity and appeal.And except these principles, taxanomy includes four each qualities and some guides.

Community design emphasizes that people percieve their surroundings in three dimensons, overtime, and mainly from the perspective of the pedestrian.And it is an interdisiplinary process that draws upon and responds to a complex interplay of physical, social, economic, and political foces.Taxanomy includes important criterias:
-to compass broad design consderations
-to avoid jargon
-to creat versatile format

The framework of taxonomy is composed of elements.First of all is the environment and user and describes this with three elements such as mass, paths and spaces.Another one is aesthetic considerations that defines community design a visual experiance. Third element is principles of community that has four principles:
Function requires that the design work effectively fort he convenience and comfort of all its users.
Order assures that users can became oriented to the enviroment and understand it.
İdentity donets a visiual image of the enviroment that reflects special or unique quality.
Appeal characterizes a design that gives pleasure to its users overtime.

Evaluateion guide draws out qualitative responses about well a design responds to the principles.And it includes evaluators to decide on the relevance of a wide variety of community design considerations and to organize their responses.

Evaluation guide consists of four notes such as data, firs impressions, detailed project evaluation and project relation to context. Part of first impressions icludes principles and evoluator must note this quickly. the third part includes principles and relatives them with 16 elements. The last part requires two evaluations that are response tonatural environment and compatibility with built enviroment . A five-point rating scale allows for comparisons between participants observations in the assessment process.The five point check off rating system allows the various evaluations to be easily organized and compared.

Community design must translate utility into art and simultaneously respond to both public and private interests while enduring political, economic and administrative challenges.

İn this paper taxanomy presented attempts to resolve confusions. And generates clearly defined and focused dialogues about community design.