SITE PLANNING 1

WHAT IS SITE PLANNING?

• BUILDINGS
• ROADS
• WALKWAYS
• TREES, GARDEN, POOL (LANDSCAPE)
• WATER
• PLAZA
• PIER
• ENVIRONMENT
• ETC.

Site planning is the art and science of arranging the structures on the land and shaping the spaces between, an arts of arranging USES of land
linked to architecture, engineering, landscape architecture, and city planning. Site plans locate objects and activities in SPACE and TIME. These
plans may concern a small cluster of houses, a single building, and its grounds, or something as extensive as a small community built in a single
operation.

Kevin Lynch, Gary Hack; Site Planning, MIT press, Cambridge 1996

No matter whether sites are large or small, they must be viewed as part of the total environment.

Site Planners designate the uses of land in detail by selecting and analyzing sites, forming land use plans, organizing vehicular and pedestrian
circulation, designing the visual form and materials concepts, readjusting the existing landforms by design grading, providing proper drainage, and
finally developing the construction details necessary to carry out their projects. No matter whether sites are large or small, they must be viewed as
part of the total environment.

RELATED PROFESSIONS

• Site planning is professionally exercised directly by landscape architects, but there are related professions involved which are architects,
urban and regional planners, AND engineers.

• On larger commissions, the landscape architect often serves as a member of a closely coordinated professional team, which includes
architects, engineers, planners, and scientist-advisors.

ENVIRONMENT AND QUALITY OF LIFE

Site planning is the organization of the external physical environment to accommodate human behavior. It deals with the qualities and locations of
structures, land, activities and living things. It creates a pattern of those elements in space and time, which will be subject to continuous future
management and change.

• SPIRIT OF PLACE
• CHARACTER OF THE PLACE
• NATURE OF THE PROJECT
• BEHAVIORAL STUDIES

BRIEF HISTORY

FOUR BASIC MODELS OF SITE PLANNING IN HISTORY

1.FIXING THE PLACE

2.DEFINING THE ENCLOSURE

3.SENSE OF ORDER

4.FORM OF AXIAL

• The image and form of THE OBJECT Building ARE CAPABLE OF FIXING A PLACE
• A collection of INDEPENDENT STRUCTURES, WHICH ALTHOUGH UNATTACHED, CREATE A COHERENT IMAGE OF PLACE
• The form OF A BUILDING CAN BE SUCH THAT A PLACE MAY BE FIXED BY THE ENCLOSURE OF THE FACADES
• ALTHOUGH THE KINETIC IMPLICATIONS OF THE WORD "PATH" ARE SOMEWHAT CONTRADICTORY, PATHS ARE NONETHELESS
CAPABLE OF FORMING COHERENT, MEANINGFUL IMAGES.
•

THE PLANNING STAGES

SITE SELECTION

• FOR EVERY SITE THERE IS AN IDEAL USE.

• FOR EVERY USE THERE IS AN IDEAL SITE.
FACTORS AFFECTING/ INFLUENCING SITE PLANNING:

• NATURAL FACTORS – GEOLOGY AND SOIL, TOPOGRAPHY, HABITAT, MICROCLIMATE, HYDROLOGY.

• MAN-MADE FACTORS- EXISTING BUILDING/ USE, MAN-MADE FEATURES, LEGAL REGULATIONS AND HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS.
• AESTHETIC FACTORS – VISUAL QUALITIES AND RELATIONSHIPS.
• METEOROLOGICAL- CLIMATE, NATURAL DISASTERS, ETC.

STAGE 1: SITE ANALYSIS

• CONSULTATION WITH THE CLIENT

• SIMPLE SITE VISIT
• ROUGH SKETCH PLAN AND CONCEPT PLAN
• DRAWINGS AND VISUAL GRAPHICS ARE GENERALLY ABSTRACT FOR FURTHER REVIEW AND REVISION THRU CONSULTANT AND CLIENT
MEETINGS

COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS OF EXISTING SITE INFORMATION

• LOCATE AND COLLECT ANY INFORMATION NOT FOUND IN EXISTING PLANS - NATURAL FACTORS
• REMOTE SENSING
• Remote sensing is the process of detecting and monitoring the physical characteristics of an area by measuring its reflected and
emitted radiation at a distance. This is typically done using satellites or aircraft-based sensor technologies. Remote sensing is used to
collect data about the Earth's surface and atmosphere, and it has many applications in fields such as agriculture, forestry, geology,
oceanography, meteorology, and urban planning. For example, remote sensing can be used to monitor crop health, detect forest fires,
map land use and land cover, and track weather patterns.

• SITE VISIT
• A site visit is an official visit to a location or place, usually by professionals, for the purpose of conducting an inspection,
assessment, evaluation, audit, or investigation. Site visits are often conducted by clients, architects, and other stakeholders before
the project is complete. Site visits can be done in person or virtually using 3D models or video. Site visits are often used to review
construction progress, identify potential risks and hazards, and confirm that the work is being done according to the design
specifications.

NATURAL FACTORS

A. SLOPE AND TOPOGRAPHY

- THE SHAPE AND RELIEF OF LAND
B. TOPOGRAPHY
-IS A MEASUREMENT OF ELEVATION AND RELIEF OF THE LAND. TOPOGRAPHY IS MEASURED WITH THE CONTOURS THAT CONNECT
POINTS REPRESENTING THE SAME ELEVATION.
C. SLOPE
-IS THE DIFFERENCE IN ELEVATION FROM ONE POINT TO ANOTHER DIVIDED BY THE LATERAL DISTANCE BETWEEN POINTS.
TOPOGRAPHIC MAP

• Locations
• Natural features
• Man-made features
• Elevation and relief
• Vegetation hydrographic, water body
• Roads, buildings
D. SLOPE ANALYSIS
• used to measure the suitability of the gradient of the terrain for each type of development.

Slope is a measure of the steepness of a surface and may be expressed in either degrees or percent of slope.
Typical questions to ask:

• Contour interval, pattern of landform

• Unique features
• Slope analysis and percent of slope
• Site dangers: landslide potential, sink holes, etc.

HYDROLOGICAL MAP
Hydrological map, chart showing such hydrologic features as rivers and streams;
- the purpose and content of these maps vary according to the country of their origin.
E. SOIL AND SOIL ANALYSIS

Soil classification /types

“soil” is a very broad term and refers to the loose layer of earth that covers the surface of the planet.

SOIL AND SOIL ANALYSIS

Soil classification:

• general soil type based on soil texture. The triangle indicates the relative proportions of three particle sizes -- sand, silt and clay.

Key words for soil characteristics—Soil texture, soil porosity, Soil chemistry, soil moisture

TYPES OF SOIL

1. SANDY SOIL
• The first type of soil is sand. It consists of small particles of weathered rock. Sandy soils are one of the poorest types of soil for
growing plants because it has very low nutrients and poor water holding capacity, which makes it hard for the plant's roots to absorb
water. This type of soil is very good for the drainage system. Sandy soil is usually formed by the breakdown or fragmentation of rocks like
granite, limestone and quartz.
2. SLIT SOIL
• Silt, which is known to have much smaller particles compared to sandy soil and is made up of rock and other mineral particles, which
are smaller than sand and larger than clay. It is the smooth and fine quality of the soil that holds water better than sand. Silt is easily
transported by moving currents and it is mainly found near the river, lakes and other water bodies. The silt soil is more fertile compared to
the other three types of soil. Therefore, it is also used in agricultural practices to improve soil fertility.
3. CLAY SOIL
• Clay is the smallest particle among the other two types of soil. The particles in this soil are tightly packed together with each other
with very little or no airspace. This soil has very good water storage qualities and makes it hard for moisture and air to penetrate into it. It
is very sticky to the touch when wet but smooth when dried. Clay is the densest and heaviest type of soil which does not drain well or
provide space for plant roots to flourish.
4. LOAMY SOIL
• Loam is the fourth type of soil. It is a combination of sand, silt and clay such that the beneficial properties of each are included. For
instance, it has the ability to retain moisture and nutrients; hence, it is more suitable for farming. This soil is also referred to as
agricultural soil as it includes an equilibrium of all three types of soil materials, being sandy, clay, and silt, and it also happens to have
humus. Apart from these, it also has higher calcium and pH levels because of its inorganic origins.

F. SOIL INFORMATION
- crucial in engineering because it helps engineers understand the properties of the soil and how it will react to different conditions.
This information is then used to design structures that are safe and stable. For example, soil information is used to determine the bearing
capacity of the soil, which is the maximum load that the soil can support without failure. Soil information is also used to determine the
soil’s shear strength, which is the soil’s ability to resist deformation under stress.
- This information is important in designing foundations for buildings, bridges, and other structures. Soil information is also used to
determine the soil’s permeability, which is the soil’s ability to allow water to flow through it. This information is important in designing
drainage systems and preventing soil erosion. Soil information is also used to determine the soil’s compaction characteristics, which is
the soil’s ability to resist deformation under load. This information is important in designing roads, embankments, and other structures.
Soil information is also used to determine the soil’s corrosivity, which is the soil’s ability to corrode metals. This information is important
in designing pipelines and other underground structures.
G. METEOROLOGICAL FACTORS
- Temperature- measure of the degree of hotness or coldness of a body or an environment.
- It is measured using a thermometer and is expressed in units such as Celsius, Fahrenheit, and Kelvin.
- Microclimate - localized climate that differs from the surrounding area. It is defined as the climate of a very small or restricted area,
especially when this differs from the climate of the surrounding area.
- Microclimates can be found in various places around the world and are influenced by factors such as temperature, humidity, aspect, and
slope.

H. IMPORTANT SITE FEATURES

- Sun orientation refers to the direction of the sun throughout the day. It is the direction of the sun's path across the sky as the Earth
rotates and orbits the sun. Sun orientation is important in determining the amount of daylight received along a certain latitude during a
given season. It is also a major factor in the heat gain of buildings and in the performance of solar energy systems. Accurate location-
specific knowledge of sun orientation and climatic conditions is essential for economic decisions about solar collector area, orientation,
landscaping, summer shading, and the cost-effective use of solar trackers.
-

5 KEY ELEMENTS OF SITE PLANNING

1. PATHS

- Paths in a development are the channels of movement, like streets, sidewalks, and walkways. Lynch stressed the significance of well-
connected, legible paths for easy navigation.

2. EDGES

- Edges in a site are boundaries or barriers that define and separate different areas. They can be physical features like rivers, coastlines,
walls, or man-made elements. Edges shape the site’s visual and spatial character.

3. DISTRICTS/ZONES

- Districts or zones are distinct areas within a site that share common characteristics, functions, or identities. Lynch emphasized their
significance in aiding wayfinding and providing a sense of place and community identity.
4. NODES

- Nodes are vibrant hubs of activity in a site, serving as meeting places, focal points, and landmarks. Examples include plazas, squares,
intersections, and gazebos. They enhance the sense of centrality and liveliness in site environments.

5.LANDMARKS

- Landmarks are easily recognizable features that aid navigation, hold cultural significance, and can be natural or human-made.

SITE SELECTION

• For every site there is an ideal use

For every use there is an ideal site

There are two methods of establishing a SITE :

1. SITE SELECTION PROCESS
This process selects from a list of potential sites one that suits best the given use and requirements of the project .
2. DEVELOPMENT SUITABILITY PROCESS
This process selects the best possible use and development suited for a given site .
Describes the process of identifying the optimal location for the project.

Selection process:

• needs to be rigorous
• needs professional advice
• needs to balance the numerous opportunities and risks associated with each site and/or building looked at.

There are a large number of factors that are important considerations to site selection. Some are:

1. Population of the Region

2. Climate
3. Accessibility
4. Visibility
5. Traffic counts/congestions
6. Physical barriers
7. Psychological barriers
8. Character of surrounding properties
9. Character of surrounding community
10. Site Size and Shape
11. Topography
12. Infrastructure improvements
13. Drainage
14. Site orientation
15. Environmental requirements
16. Competition
17. Zoning
18. Patterns of Travel
19. Cost and Time Frame

SITE SELECTION CRITERIA

- based on other building types

1. Accessibility - should be easily accessible by transportation and pedestrians.

2. Image/Visual Quality - quality of the existing neighborhood surrounding the project needs to complement rather than detract from it.
• should be located in an area with a strong positive identity and image.
• should also be compatible with surrounding land uses, both existing and proposed.

3. Visibility - a prominent location is required to attract a large number of people to the proposed building.
• high visibility along a major street with easy accessibility is ideal.
• if the site (or surrounding sites) involves other buildings, the building project should be able to be oriented in the portion of the site with highest
visibility.

4. Demographic Patterns - site should be located where people can easily reach it and conduct other activities during the same trip.
place where people naturally converge.
• should be where the largest percentage of all people to be served will have access frequently in the normal pursuit of their activities.

5. Site Capacity - the site should be large enough to provide sufficient area “footprint” required for the following:
• parking for users (transient and permanent)
• future expansion
• necessary allowances for setbacks and other zoning requirements
 • suitable landscaping

The resulting building should look as if it belongs on the site, not forced on a plot of ground that is too small.
Ex. Library – 4 times larger than the building

6. Neighborhood Compatibility
7. Legal Matters
8. Utilities Availability - To avoid extra costs, the presence of electrical, water, gas, sewer, and other services should be in place now, or by the
time construction is scheduled to start.

9. Physiography - - suitability of the soil, the topography of the site and orientation. are considered.

10. Tie breaker criteria/Site related cost

- Site-Related Costs
If several sites are ranked equally, or nearly so, in all of the criteria, then site-related costs should serve as a “tie-breaker” to finalize the
selection of the proposed building site.
should be compared on the basis of the following factors:
• Acquisition costs
• Demolition costs of any existing facilities on the site.
• Relocation costs of any existing business or residents currently on the site

Any unusual site development costs that may occur - such as from a site with underground utilities and/or water, extra construction costs that will
occur due to such things as poor soil conditions, limitations of the site such as underground versus above grade parking, or site configuration resulting
in a more expensive building solution.

COST OF PROVIDING SUFFICIENT UTILITY SERVICE TO THE SITE

I. Economic Criteria
determined by a feasibility and market study.
• Accessible location
• Acceptable land costs
• Manageable development costs
• Ability to support all project components (i.e. - development, recreation, regulatory constraints, circulation and infrastructure)

II. Physiographical Criteria

- includes study of the natural opportunities and/or constraints of the site.

• Topography
• Soils
• Water
• Vegetation
• Wildlife
• Site drainage

III. Site Governance criteria:

• Regulatory restrictions
• Property size and shape
• Existing utilities and structures

IV. Off-Site Issues criteria:

factors into an acceptable site as well.

1. Air traffic 3. Views

2. Noise 4. Odors

SITE CRITERIA FOR MUSEUMS

• Availability
• Timeliness
• Cost of acquisition

1. Size
2. Disincentives to success
3. Concerns of major funders
4. Strong physical constraints – flooded area, polluted areas, unsafe location
5. Other threats to collection care
 Museological Issues:

1. Security
2. Environment
3. Conservation
4. Room for expansion
5. Loading area
6. Outdoor space

Example: Site Criteria for Libraries

- Location of a library will be determined by its service area, the zone a majority of patrons most likely will come from. (This concept is similar
to the retailers’ “catchment area.”

Catchment area is the area and population from which a shopping center, store, hospital, school or other premises attracts/draws its customers,
patrons, or visitors. For example, a school catchment area is the geographic area from which students are eligible to attend a local school.

Factors determining centrality differ by criteria of measurement

- Centrality can be measured by distance, by accessibility (the hub of a regional transportation system), by relative density, by population
distribution, or by proximity to other land uses such as schools.
- Siting libraries close to schools can provide students enhanced access to books, computers, and special learning programs.
- But centrality is also perceptual and there may not be an overwhelming consensus on where the center is in a large city or metropolitan
- Infrastructure refers to the provision of services including but not limited to power for equipment, heating and cooling, water, data and
telephone lines and the elimination of waste and storm runoff from the site.
- Ideally, a potential site will have basic services provided up to the edge of the property line or along a public right-of-way.

Site Topography

1. LEVEL
2. SLOPING
3. HILLY
4. CUT+FILL

• Building program areas and potential building footprints

• Land utilization and parking alternatives for a site
• Setbacks, easements and dedications
• Height restriction and building envelope
• Parking in front yard vs. rear yard
• Site orientation factors

GIS

GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEM

HISTORY OF GIS

• 1832 - Charles Picquet

Color Gradient Map

“ France ”

deaths by cholera per 1,000 inhabitants

• 1854 - John Snow

“ London”

Geographic methodology in epidemiology

• 1960 - Roger Tomlinson

Ottawa , Canada

History of GIS

• Water
• Vegetation
• Elevation
• Structures

1. Plastic film

Geographic information system ( G.I.S )

Geographic information system (GIS) is a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present all types of spatial
or geographical data.
 The acronym GIS is sometimes used for geographical information science or geospatial information studies to refer to the academic discipline
or career of working with geographic information systems and is a large domain within the broader academic discipline of Geoinformatics.,

GIS PROCESS

• Capture
• Analyze
• Manage
• Present

GEOGRAPHICAL DATA

• LOCATION/POSITION
• SIZE/DIMENSION
• SHAPE
• THE NAME OF THE RESIDENTS
• NUMBER OF INHABITANTS
• FLOORS/ROOMS

Generally speaking, spatial data represents the location, size and shape of an object on planet Earth.

Spatial data may also include attributes that provide more information about the entity that is being represented.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) or other specialized software applications can be used to access, visualize, manipulate and analyze geospatial
data.

GIS PROCESS

Step 1 : Capture

Photogrammetric Techniques

Step 2 : Analyze

• Slope and aspect

• Address geocoding

Step 2 : Analyze

Examples :

• ArcGis
• Quantum GIS
• MapInfo

Step 3 : Manage

• DataBases

Examples :

• PostGis
• MySql
• Oracle

Step 4 : Present

• Printed Maps
• Dynamic or Interactive

GIS APPLICATIONS

1. Crime mapping
2. Hydrology
3. Health Services