JOMO KENYATTA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND

TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE

URBAN STUDIES
LECTURE 11
URBAN SPACE DESIGN
• Urban Design - Urban design is the art of
creating and shaping cities and towns.
– It involves the arrangement and design of
buildings, public spaces, transport systems,
services, and amenities.
– It is the process of giving form, shape, and
character to groups of buildings, to whole
neighbourhoods, and the city.
– It is a framework that orders the elements into a
network of streets, squares, and blocks.
– Urban design blends architecture, landscape
architecture, and city planning together to make
urban areas functional and attractive
• Urban space- space within a city or town that is
external, bound by various elevations, and
usually open and unobstructed with public, semi-
public, and private realms

• Urban form - It refers to the shape or spatial

configuration and appearance of an urban area.
Urban form affects: travel/mobility, social, &
economic behaviour; service infrastructure costs.

• City morphology- It is the study of form and

structures of cities.
• Urban open spaces are: All types of spaces
between buildings in the town which include
paths- squares- gardens – parks
• Importance of Urban Open Spaces
– They give form and shape to the city.
– They provide space needed for recreation.
– They Create chances for interaction between
people.
– They Preserve natural beauty .
– They provide places for economic activities.
– Types of Urban Open Spaces
• Therefore ,Urban Space Design : refers to the
process of planning and organizing public open
spaces within cities and towns .
PUBLIC URBAN SPACE DESIGN
• Among city buildings, there is a network of
spaces that create a strengthen connections
at different levels of influence.
• Public spaces, which fill the urban gaps with
life, are directly associated with the
construction of what we call a city and
influence the relationships that are created
within them.
• Public spaces have the power to connect people and cities. Image from Car Free NYC on Earth Day
2017. Photo by New York City Department of Transportation / Flickr
• Public areas shape community ties in
neighbourhoods.
– They are places of encounter and can facilitate
political mobilization, stimulate actions and help
prevent crime.
– They are environments for interaction and
exchange of ideas that impact the quality of the
urban environment.
– Public spaces also present health benefits, both
physical and mental: people feel better and tend
to be more active in attractive, public spaces.
10 PRINCIPLES FOR CONNECTING
PEOPLE AND THE STREETS
• Below, are ten principles that should be
considered for a high-quality public space.
• The elements relate with each other – active
facades and constructions on the human
scale, for example, are directly related to the
promotion of the local economy. It is the
combination between them that will ensure
accessible, equitable and safe spaces for
people
• 1. Diversity of uses: Blending residential, office
and commercial areas, such as bars, restaurants,
cafes and local commerce, attracts people and
makes the environment safer and friendlier. The
diversity of uses generates external activities that
contribute to the safety of spaces: more people
on the streets helps to inhibit crime. This
diversity, however, needs to cover all times of
day. If the spaces are inviting and only busy
during the day, they will still be unsafe places at
night. Planning public spaces in a way that
encourages the coexistence and the permanence
of people is also a way of investing in security.
• 2. Active facades: Connection between the
ground level of the buildings, the sidewalk and
the street contributes to safety and the
attractiveness of urban design. Visually more
interesting streets are used more often by
people. In addition, this relationship
influences people’s perception of the city and
how they are to use it: Jane Jacobs says that it
is mainly streets and sidewalks that indicate
how public space is perceived and used.
• 3. Social dimension and urban vitality: As an
aggregator of people, public space has influence
over the social dimension. Wide, accessible
streets, squares, parks, sidewalks, bike paths and
urban furniture stimulate interaction between
people and the environment, generate a positive
use of space and increase urban vitality. In
addition to focusing on high-denisty, urban areas,
it is crucial to consider the peripheries,
guaranteeing quality public spaces to the
population that does not live in the city center.
• 4. Human scale: High-scale, high-denisty
construction can negatively affect people’s
health. In his field studies, Jan Gehl noted that
people tend to walk faster when passing
empty or inactive areas, in contrast to the
slower, quieter pace of walking in livelier,
more active environments. Human-scale
constructions have a positive effect on
people’s perceptions of public spaces: they
feel that they were considered in the planning
process of that space.
• Active neighborhoods and buildings encourage the use of public spaces.
Photo by WRI Brasil Cidades Sustentáveis / Flickr
• 5. Lighting: Efficient and people-oriented lighting
facilitates the occupancy of public spaces at night,
enhancing safety. When installed on the pedestrian
and cyclist scale, public lighting creates the necessary
conditions to move more safely when there is no
natural light.
• 6. Stimulating the local
economy: Quality public spaces not only
benefit people by offering leisure and living
areas, but they also have the potential to
boost the local economy. The safe and
attractive conditions foster walking and
cycling, leading to easy access of local
commerce.
• 7. Local identity: Public spaces should be planned
for the small businesses that characterize the
neighbourhood. Large enterprises (such as
supermarkets or other chain companies) can
contribute to the economy in general, but they
have little participation in the scale of the
neighbourhood. Small businesses and ventures
have significant long-term impacts, as well as add
to the personality and identity of the place. When
planning a public space it is necessary to take into
account the social dynamics and cultural
specificities of the area, in order to generate a
strong relationship between people and place.
• Considering local identity is important for
people to take ownership of public spaces.
• 8. Complete streets: Wherever possible,
public areas should be thought of following
the principles of Complete Streets and
“shared spaces.” The Complete Streets
concept defines streets designed to ensure
the safe circulation of all users—pedestrians,
cyclists, drivers and users of public
transport. Sidewalks in good condition,
infrastructure for bicycles, street furniture and
signage for all users are among
the elements that can compose a complete
street.
• 9. Green areas: In addition to contributing to air
quality and helping to ease temperatures in the
summer, vegetation has the power to humanize
cities by attracting people to outdoor activities.
• As cities become denser, access to green public
spaces will become even more important as
urban forestation can lower people’s stress
levels and enhance well-being in cities.
• In addition, trees, plants and flowerbeds are
strategic for urban drainage and maintenance of
biodiversity.
• 10. Social participation: Involving residents in the
design, planning and administration of urban
public spaces or the neighbourhoods in which
they live is essential to maintain the quality of
these spaces. Public spaces have different uses
and meanings in each neighbourhood and
community. Resident involvement ensures that
the nature and use of public space will meet the
community’s distinct needs. If a space does not
reflect the demands and desires of the local
population, it will not be used or
maintained. Social participation is a central
element for the construction of safer, equitable
public areas.
• The way we live in cities is reconfigured every
day, through the transformation of society and
the emergence of new policies, technologies and
alternative transportation options. Urbanization,
densification and high motorization rates create
planning challenges and instigate cities to think
about new development models. In the midst of
constant transformation, however, the
importance of public spaces for quality of life
remains constant. They continue to be spaces for
exchange, coexistence and meetings. They
continue to be vital for urban well-being. Beyond
the walls that surround us, on the street is where
life happens.