THE FUNCTIONAL OF DIMENSION

IN URBAN DESIGN

ASSIGNMENT 1
LAR 5600
GROUP MEMBER:

 ATHIQAH FATENAH GS36320

 ROSA MALINDA GS35757
 SITI AISHAH GS35845

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WHAT IS FUNCTIONAL DIMENSION IN URBAN DESIGN CONTEXT?
•Functional dimension involves how places work and how urban
designers can make better places.
•Increase the potential for urban designers to develop.
•It’s about visual - aesthetic & the social usage, they were
interpreted differently
i. Visual – Aesthetic - considered day lighting, overshadowing,
traffic flow, access & circulation
ii. The social usage – concern was for how the design of the
environment supported its use by people.
• Functional Considerations:
 Movement
 Designing for public spaces
 Designing Healthier Environment
 Environmental design
 Aspects of the capital web
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1. Movement
• fundamental to understanding how places function.
• Pedestrian movement is important by connection between places and
successful integrated within local movement system
• Pedestrian flow through public space at the heart of the urban experience &
important in generating life and activity.

• Over the past several decades there

has been a movement across the country
aimed at transforming run down, crime
ridden urban areas into aesthetically
pleasing and environmentally conscious
green space .

Cologne's Schildergasse (street) at

German

Klyde Warren Park, Dallas

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2. Designing for Public Spaces @ People spaces
• The design of urban spaces should be informed by awareness of how people
use them , usually through spontaneous, everyday and informal use.

• Successful Public places should be designed and managed to serve the

needs of their users

Public spaces should be:

Meaningful : Allow to build connection

Democratic : Freedom of action and access
Responsive : Should serve the needs

A sense of Place is reflected by:

Comfort
Relaxation
Passive engagement
Active engagement
Discovery

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1. Comfort - prerequisite of successful public
spaces.The length of time people stay & spend in a
public spaces
A sense of comfort is reflected by the:
• Environmental factors such as sun, wind and water
• Physical comfort – comfortable and sufficient seating
• Social and psychological comfort – security and
awareness

2. Relaxation -

A sense of psychological comfort is reflect body & mind at

ease.
• Trees & greenery prevent noise,
• Water features can soothing the area and
separation from vehicular traffic make it easier to be
relaxed.

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3. Passive engagement

The environment can lead to A sense of relaxation

• The need for an encounter with the setting, without
becoming actively involved.
People watching: watch people while avoiding eye
contact.
• Whyte 1980: found what attracts people is other people, the life and activity they
bring. Fountain, Public art and etc

4. Active engagement - It involves more direct

experience with a place and the people within.
• Triangulation: The process by which some
external stimulus provides a linkage between
people and promote strangers to talk to other
strangers as if they knew each other.

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5. Discovery - People desire new discovery and pleasurable experiences.
• It depends on variety and change. These may come with the cycle of
seasons, and they may also result from the management and animation of
public space.
Example : Cultural animation programmes involving Lunch-time concerts, art
exhibitions, street theater, festivals, markets, society events, etc.

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• Designing for Sun and Shade

• Create pleasant places

• The issues
• Orientation
• Overshadowing and shading

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1. Enliven the public realm by sitting
buildings, so they interact with
the sidewalk and the street
2. Contribute to a sense of human
scale
3. Support ease of accessibility to
buildings

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Dense urban environments provide a
complex environment, where self-shading
and overshadowing by adjacent buildings
can dominate solar energy potential and
daylight availability

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 Straight
and
parallel
• Air Movement streets
improve
airflow
into and
• Provide comfort within a
city

“Streets as considerable parts

of urban open spaces have a
significant role in creating the Narrow
and
urban microclimates. As
winding
street geometry and streets
orientation influence the make
amount of solar radiation airflow
received by street surfaces slow
and also airflow in urban
canyons”- Nastaran Shishegar

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• Form and function of public space at night is determined by
artificial light.
• It illuminates dark corners and facilitates the safe
passage of pedestrians.
• It highlights architecturally significant structures,
defines space and can transform background buildings into
canvases for shadow, colour and motion.
• It also allows public spaces to be enjoyed at night,
altering our landscapes to allow for new and unique evening
experiences.
• Similarly, light serves as a way finding tool, reinforcing
neighbourhood boundaries and identities, and influencing how
we perceive and move through space.
 Amenity lighting Statutory Lighting

Citygarden project in St. Louis, Shipyards Promenade, Southeast

Missouri / USA. False Creek.

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ur lifelong health and wellbeing and chronic disease rates are a
affected by the design of the built environment”
• 1. Walking, cycling and public transport – Provide an
integrated, accessible network of walking and cycling routes
and footpaths for safe, convenient and pleasant connection to
open space, public transport, shops, local destinations and
points of interest.
• 2. Streets – Create functional and attractive street networks
that prioritise safe and convenient travel for pedestrians and
cyclists, and maximise opportunities to engage in planned
and incidental activities.
• 3. Local destinations – Provided local destinations to
support lively, walkable and cycle friendly neighbourhoods.
• 4. Open space – Provide a range of quality public open
spaces within walking and cycling distance from dwellings.
Open spaces should be accessible to a wide range of people
with diverse needs and should foster community spirit.
• 5. Supporting infrastructure – Install supporting
infrastructure that provides for comfort, amenity, social
interaction, safety and convenience.
• 6. Urban food – Plan and design cities, towns and suburbs to
ensure a more secure, resilient, healthy and sustainable food
supply. 15
“Many of the factors that influence health lie
in the complex social, economic and
physical environments in which people live”

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The following characteristics are all identified as impacting on
population health outcomes:
•Loss of agricultural land to urban development
•Limited availability and accessibility of
• public transport
• fruit and vegetable retailers
• public open space and its features and facilities
•Housing location, design and affordability
•Noise and air emissions, particularly from exposure to busy
roads and traffic
•Prevalence of fast food outlets
•Crime and perceptions of safety
•Lack of vegetation and a predominance of hard surfaces, which
results in increased air and surface temperatures.

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Impact on the healthiness of the local built environment, protection against
communicable diseases requires a safe :
•Water supply
•Sanitary sewerage
•Waste disposal
•Good drainage of surface water
•Provision of facilities for personal hygiene
•Safe food preparation

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Impact on the healthiness of the local built environment, protection against
communicable diseases requires a safe :
•Water supply
•Sanitary sewerage
•Waste disposal
•Good drainage of surface water
•Provision of facilities for personal hygiene
•Safe food preparation

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THE CAPITAL WEB
Web is made up of the above and below ground elements of the CITY’S
INFRASTRUCTURE.
Considerations in urban design are the provision of public open space:
•Road & footpath design
•Parking & servicing
•Other infrastructure

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External Public Open Space
Offer recreational opportunities, wildlife habitats, venues for special events
& the opportunity for city to breathe
• Larger scale area of public open space – link into a network
•Smaller scale – often set by public authorities to ensure a minimum
provision

Road & Footpath Design

•….

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CONCLUSION

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