The Concept

of housing on
New
Urbanism

Data Collection
 CONTENTS

 Project Title 1
 Project Introduction 1
 Background 1
 Urban Design 1
 New Urbanism 1
 The Urban Habitat 2
 Universal Cultural Needs 2
 Housing and its types 3-4
 Housing in New Urbanism, w. r .t our Cultural Needs 4
 Urban Spatial Systems 4-5
o Pedestrian Movement 5
o Vehicular Movement 6-7
 Mixed Land Usage 7
o Commercial 7-8
o Residential 8
o Recreational 8-9
 Human Scaled Building Designs 9-10
 Flexibility of Units 10
 Planned Public Spaces 10-11
 Sustainability 11
 Sense of Neighborhood 11-12
 Sense of Place 12
 Sense of Identity 12-13
 Sense of Security 13

 Bibliography 14
 1

Project Title
The Concept of Housing on New Urbanism

Project Introduction
The New Urbanism concept came into existence in 1980’s, and it continues to reform many
aspects of real estate development and urban planning.

Background

Early 20th century urban development/city planning was based on compact planning that created
neighbourhoods with mixed land use. The trend started changing with the emergence of modern
architecture, ascent of automobiles and introduction of zoning in the city planning practice. This
new trend was firmly in place after the WW2 and is known as sprawl or conventional suburban
development (CSD
CSD is criticized for its lacking of town centre and pedestrian scale. CSD spreads out to large
areas of countryside regardless of population growth rate. It pushes higher percentage of
automobile ownership in the absence of any plausible public transport system
New urbanism is a reaction to sprawl. It is based on the principles of architecture and planning
that work together to create human scale, walkable communities, walkable streets and walkable
blocks.

Urban Design

 Urban design is the process of determining and shaping the physical setting for life in
cities, towns and villages.
 It is the art of creating places.
 It includes the design of buildings, spaces and landscapes, and establishing the processes
that make successful development possible.

New Urbanism

 The New Urbanism is a movement that seeks to re-establish a civil realm to urban
planning and a sense of place to our communities.
 It is a substantial response to the unsuccessful Modernist planning that has resulted in
unchecked suburban slump, slavish dependence on the automobile, and the abandonment
and decay of our cities.

Giving people choices for living an urban lifestyle in sustainable, convenient and enjoyable
places, while providing the solutions to overcome oil, global warming, and climate change”
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The Urban Habitat

The process of planning and designing of urban spaces should straightforwardly aim towards
making enabling the environment. Certainly this demands a progression based on people-driven
dynamics , in other terminology, based on the perceptions of the users of urban space.

Universal Cultural Needs

If given the correct stress, cultural needs can impel the urban design process to more fruitful
environments. In qualitative aspects ,and as they offer planning direction to architects and urban
designers.
Generally, the cultural needs in an urban space include;

 Aesthetic qualities of the urban space

 The social encounter in the urban setting,
 The provisions for interaction and social networking of the inhabitants.
 A feeling of self-identity ,Sense of Community or Sense of Belonging
 A feeling of identity of the place, expressed through uniqueness of design nature
 Sense of Privacy
 A sense of Security and reassurance towards health aspects and the system by which
physical arrangements counter to these needs
 The familiarity and the territorial bonding with a place
 The capacity of the built environment to function effectively as a peaceful place for
residential, social, commercial and recreational parts.
 Provision for creating a satisfying arrangement for formal and informal events.
 Recreational opportunities
 Commercial opportunities
 Closeness to nature

Self-
Actualization

Esteem
Needs

Social Needs

Safety Needs

Physiological Needs
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Housing And Its Types

 Detached Single-family Dwelling Unit.

Description. A detached dwelling unit with useable front and rear yards and oriented to
the street. containing porch, patio or portal.
All sides are exposed to the outdoors.

 Sideyard
Description. A detached dwelling with a zero side lot line or
a side yard use easement, with parking in the rear portion At
least three sides exposed to the outdoors.
.

 Rowhouse, and Courtyard Rowhouse.

Description. One of a group of attached dwelling units
divided from each other by at least one common wall, each
having a separate entrance leading directly to the outdoors at
ground level, having a necessary courtyard

 Accessory Unit / Carriage House.

An accessory unit is a building type consisting of a stacked
dwelling unit or work space which may or may not be over a
garage

 Duplex, Triplex & Fourplex.

Description. Duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes are
multiple dwelling units that are architecturally presented
as single-family houses compatible with the surrounding
neighborhood.
Atleast two sides are exposed to the outdoors.
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 Stacked Flats.

Description. Stacked Flats are a multiple dwelling type in which the

Principal Entry to building is common. Access to individual units is
via interior circulation.

 Terrace Apartment.

Description. Terrace Apartments have access to individual units from

an exterior circulation point which may be common or individual to
each unit. Each unit shall have an exterior balcony.

 Courtyard Apartments.

Description. Courtyard Apartments are a building type consisting of

dwelling units arrayed next to each other to form a shared court that is
partly or wholly open to the street. Fences and gates separating the court
from the street and/or parking courts shall comply with the general
standards section.

Housing in New Urbanism w. r .t our Cultural Needs

Urban Spatial Systems

It is a basic principle of New Urbanism that the Street or Transportation framework is considered
as a network to development, So as to create the greatest number of alternative routes from one
part of the neighborhood to another. A hierarchical transportation route is the key to the
structuring and growth of the urban environment. Such a pattern of road networks enable
walkability and Connectivity

Spatial Systems

 Linear Configurations;
A primary organizing part catering for cars, cycles, people and services.
Not confined to a straight line, but could be slow or tight curvilinear or segmented .
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 Grid Systems;
Create nodes at regular intersections, and yield square or rectangular fields of space.

 Network Configurations;
A core of random system linking certain vital nodal points in urban space.

 Radial Systems;
Provide well-organized circulation.
Supplemented by concentric circulation, depending on factors.

 Spiral Configurations;
Unbroken systems originating from a midpoint and become gradually more distant from
it.
Unless designed to make a definite spatial experience such a system is dictated by
topography

 Composite Configurations;
More ordinary than the previous pure forms.
The movement systems of most towns have evolved organically from active growth of
social and economical growth. Consequently many types of spatial variety can be
provided at the intersections of a composite configuration.

Pedestrian Movement.
New Urbanism Principles Encourage pedestrian travel by ensuring shortest, most direct routes
are provided to nearby existing or planned commercial services, schools, parks and other
neighborhood destinations

Objectives;
 Adopt appropriate standards for pedestrian access, safety, and comfort.
 To provide a safe, hurdle free network to pedestrians
 A close proximity to commercial areas from the residential Areas
 High quality pedestrian network and public realm makes walking pleasurable
 Pedestrian Density in Public areas to be controlled due to controlled pathways.
 When Pedestrian pathways are separated and highlighted, it provides a sense
of visual security.
 The width of the pedestrian movement zone must be appropriate to the level of pedestrian
traffic involved
 Provision of a pollution free environment to pedestrians.
Conclusions
 The physical organization of the region should be
supported by a framework of transportation
alternatives. Transit, pedestrian, and bicycle
systems should maximize access and
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Pedestrian facilities in a typical

urban environment.

Vehicular Movement

Objectives
 A gridded street plan doesn’t have to look like a graph paper, streets should curve to fit
the natural landscape or please the eye. But planners should avoid loopy layouts that
confuses ones sense of direction
 Provision of A hierarchy of narrow streets, boulevards, and alleys.
 An interconnected street network distributes traffic evenly and makes walking easy by
offering direct routes between points
 Ensure local residents have access to existing or planner commercial services
 Parking is concentrated alongside curbs, in lots behind shops, and in garages
Off rear alleys.
 Connected streets ease traffic by providing drivers with alternate routes ,streets can be
narrower, making them safer to cross and less intensive
 Each street follows one general direction-north south for example –allowing for easier
 navigation and better orientation
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Conclusions
 Such designed streets discourage overspeeding in residential areas.
 Interconnected street grid network disperses traffic & eases walking.
 High quality pedestrian network and public realm makes walking pleasurable
 Alleys allow residential garages and driveways , garbage and utility lines to be behind
backyards, resulting in street front designed around people, not cars.
 Parking Behind, rather than in front of shops allows building to be at or near the
sidewalks edge-more welcoming and pedestrian friendly .
 Placing Garages and driveways behind houses allows the houses to be broght closer
 To the sidewalk , enlarging backyards and adding interst and a feeling of enclosure
to the street .

 On street parkings insulates pedestriansfrom traffic, encourages street life by requiring

drivers to walk the final steps to their destinations and lessens the need for parking lots
and garages.

 Anticipate opportunities to extend and connect local streets over time”

 Allow local street systems to serve a mix of development types within a continuous street
pattern”

Mixed Land Usage

Background

 Throughout most of human history, the majority of human settlements developed as

mixed-use environments. Most people dwelt in buildings that were places of work as well
as domestic life. Most buildings were not divided into discrete functions on a room by
room basis, and most neighborhoods contained a diversity of uses.
Description

 The integration of mixed land uses into communities as a critical component of achieving
better places to live. Mixed land uses also provide a more diverse and sizable population
and commercial base for supporting viable public transit. It can enhance the vitality and
perceived security of an area by increasing the number and attitude of people in the
society.

Commerical

 Mixed use land provides guidelines, which often result in residential buildings with street
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front commercial space. Retailers have the assurance that they will always have
customers living right above and around them.

 Mixed land use reduces the travel time and costs between users and producers, which
attract large number of customers.

 Reduces auto dependency, roadway congestion.

 Encourages economic investment and it promotes efficient use of land and infrastructure.

 Expansion of "market opportunities," and more "customer traffic"

Residential

 A mixed use of land will most commonly be the downtown of a Residential society,
which will ideally connect with public transit, walk to a short distance to get groceries
and household items.

 It provides more housing opportunities and choices, which may increase affordable
housing opportunities for public.
 Enhances an area’s unique identity and development potential
 Preserve open space, particularly areas with high ecological and recreational value.
Channel development into areas that are already disturbed.
 Reduced air pollution and water pollution.
Recreation

Recreation is the process by which run-down parts of cities, towns or rural neighborhoods
and areas improve their social, environmental and economic well-being. Its objective is to
reverse the cycle of exclusion suffered by people in disadvantaged areas by providing decent
homes, good transport links, new jobs and safe, comfortable surroundings. These activities, when
taken together, contribute to the growth of sustainable communities and the renewal of the built
environment.

Conclusion

 Mixing these land uses creates vibrant, sustainable communities. Putting homes Stores,
offices, schools, and other uses close to one another makes it easier for Residents to walk
to their daily destinations

 The mix land uses can utilize existing infrastructure more efficiently with the same
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sidewalks, streets, and utility systems serving homes , commercial centers and civic
places.

 The diverse use in the same neighborhood generates vibrancy from active pedestrian-
friendly streets, sidewalks and public spaces.

 Mixed-use development brings Independence of movement, especially for the young and
the elderly who can conveniently walk, cycle, or ride transit.

 Safety through around-the-clock presence of people.

 Reduction in auto use, especially for shorter trip.
 Support for those who work at home, through nearby services and amenities.
 •A variety of housing choices, so that the young and old, singles and families,
 and those of varying economic ability may find places to live.

Shape and Size Criteria

 In New Urbanism, the Human scale sets the standard for proportion in buildings.
 Buildings must be disciplined in how they relate to their lots if public space is to be
successfully demarcated.
 Because the street is the paramount form of public space, buildings are generally
expected to honor and embellish the street

Human Scaled Building Design

Objectives:

 To Design buildings to a human scale for aesthetic appeal, pedestrian comfort, and
compatibility with other land uses.
 Contrary to the largeness of the world, we perceive it piece by piece while designing.
That is because things look different close up walking at slow speed than they do from
within a car at high speed.
 Everything seen and experienced from the sidewalk from building fronts, signs lighting,
to open space should be designed for human interaction at a pedestrian’s perspective.
 The view of main street from the windshield should be designed for 20 mph or less.
 Parking lots surrounding buildings and highly car oriented uses like gas stations or drive-
ins distort the human scale of the street by making things too far apart.
 The pedestrian wishes for attractive things to look at close at hand, such as windows,
display cases, sidewalk cafes, and mainly, other people.
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Conclusions:
 With no human scale, the pedestrian will feel unwelcome and go elsewhere
 If an approval on a community basis is needed for a compact mixed use space,
o then the design should reflect the effect of its surroundings.
 Or it can have its own distinct identity
 The key elements to consider are;
o the continuity of the building sizes,
o how the street-level and upper-level architectural detailing is treated,
o These may include roof forms, rhythm of windows and doors,
o General relationship of buildings to public spaces such as streets, plazas, other open
space, and public parking.
 Human scaled design is critical to the success of built places for pedestrians,
 Variations or articulation of a building façade help in creating human cyclists and
motorists alike.

Flexibility Of Units

 The Housing schemes according to New Urbanism are tend to be design in such a manner
so that they have a capacity of future extension and modification.

 Such a provision takes the residents into their trusts, that is the safety that they are
investingin a property which may be allowed and may have the capacity to be modified
in the future according to their desires.
Planned Public Spaces

 Public space is commonly shared and created for open usage throughout the community.
The area is built for a range of various recreation and entertainment.

 Parks and Square may encourage neighborhood harmony by offering place where people
of different class might meet on an equal footing.

 Monument and Town Square: The attachment to an area can influence people and their
feelings for that place or area.
 Social Inclusion: Different group of people can interact with large number of other
groups and can create a vibrant atmosphere.

 There is clear evidence of the importance of public spaces in successful regeneration

policies and for creating sustainable communities.
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 Successful public spaces are inclusive, provide opportunities for social interaction and
give users the ability to shape what happens there
 It is important that local people are consulted about what they want from the public
spaces in their communities if these places are to deliver their full promise

Sustainability

 When improvement to the social, environmental and economic activities are provided,
these activities, when taken together, contribute to the growth of sustainable communities
and the renewal of the built environment.
 -Minimal environmental impact of development and its operations
-Eco-friendly technologies, respect for ecology and value of natural systems
 Preservation of natural features
 Green principles
 Energy efficiency or Energy Conservation Designs
 Less use of finite fuels
 More local production
 Encouragement of more walking, less driving, pollution free environment.

Sense of Neighborhood

Objective
The sense of neighborhood creates a bond and a social network, which help group of people to
coordinate and reach decisions about important issues affecting their common interests.

 Heavy traffic: A neighborhood can only have a strong identity if it is protect from heavy
traffic and major roads as it creates disturbance and destroys the potential for bonding.

 Population: people identify and interact with other group of people, when the number of
people in the group is not very large. As the number of people will increase the level of
interaction and bonding will dramatically, drop down
 Common Land: The common interests do bring sense of neighborhood. It helps people
coming from different and various backgrounds to communicate and interact with other
group of people in the society.
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 Health and Safety: The optimum physical area for sense of neighborhood is essential to
be found from 1 up to 3 blocks of buildings. The security measures are important to make
people feel free to move and interact with other without any fear.

Sense of Place

 The relationship between people and the environment is transactional: people take
something (positive or negative) from and give or do things to the environment
 These acts might alter the environment and influence people.
 The flat or rolling or precipitous topography or the vegetation of a site should be
permitted to lend character to a development.
 The concept of place is actually the psychological or interactional impact, not just
physical.
 The environment is made up of a combination of physical and social features
 Sense of place is an experience created by the setting combined with what a persons
brings to it. In other words, to some degree we create our own places they do not exist
independent of us.
 There are however, certain settings that have such a strong spirit of place that they will
tend to have similar impact on many different people.
 Settings obviously have an impact on people, both short term and long term, and there are
some patterns to this impact.
 Thus a Sense of Place, a sense of belonging to a place, its ownership comes into the
people of a certain topographical area, if it is preserved or designed in a right manner.
Sense of Identity
It is a psychological desire of a typical city dweller to have a sense of identity with him, and that
sense of community is thought to have been derived in a Physical form within the geographical
boundaries of the urban environment .If their residence, or shops are found within close
proximity to an important, different or outstanding location, for eg;

 A good front façade;

o An invitation to neighborly interaction
o A Street facing aesthetically pleasant face can provide a sociable space between public
and private realms.
 Civic buildings (town halls, religious buildings, schools, libraries, museums) belong on
preferred sites such as squares or neighborhood centers, or where the view down a street
terminates. Such placement helps turn civic buildings into landmarks and reinforces their
symbolic and cultural importance, thus creating a sense of identity and uniqueness to the
users residences near that place.
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 Saving hills and trees from bulldozers and using lakes for public use can enhance a
neighborhoods sense of identity, provide more gathering spaces and even raise property
values.

Sense of Security

Objectives: Apply planning and design solutions that minimize opportunities for
crime and increase public safety.

 Public safety professionals and most planners recognize that land use planning
and design are important tools for crime prevention.

 However, citizens can be doubtful of any new housing typology if they perceive that
increased density or “crowding” will increase crime and nuisances

Conclusions

• Territoriality is the division of private space from semipublic spaces, creating a sense of
ownership and stewardship.
• Natural Surveillance occurs where there is plenty of opportunity for people engaged in
legitimate behavior to observe the space around them for their own safety and the protection of
others.
• Access Control means that appropriate public accesses emphasized and encouraged, and
access control is clearly delineated with design features.
• Activity Support is the presence of activity planned for the space.
• Maintenance. Materials selection and installation should consider the need for proper
maintenance. For example, landscaping, lighting, and other features can support crime
prevention if they are maintained, but may actually facilitate crime if they are not maintained
properly.

-
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Bibliography
Books;

o Architecture and the Urban Environment

o Charter of New Urbanism
o Urban Design Methods and Techniques
o Mixed Land Use
o Suburban Nation
o The Death and Life of Great American Cities

o The New Urbanism: Toward an Architecture of Community

o Home from Nowhere: Remaking Our Everyday World for the Twenty-First Century

Websites;
o http://www.newurbanism.org/newurbanism/principles.html

o http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-new-urbanism.htm

o http://architecture.about.com/od/communitydesign/a/urbanismcharter.html

o http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm24.htm

o http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/00/earthpulse/sprawl/index_flash.html

o http://www.dreamhomedesignusa.com/Not%20so%20Big.htm

o http://luciensteil.tripod.com/katarxis02-1/id41.html

o http://architecture.about.com/od/communitydesign/g/newurban.htm

o http://newurbannetwork.com/about-new-urbanism

o http://www.newurbanism.org/

o http://newurbanismblog.com/

o http://www.examiner.com/architecture-design-in-national/what-is-new-urbanism-part-4