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B.Arch Programme, IX Semester Theory of Urban Design ARCH503

The document is about urban form and its determinants from the Amity School of Architecture and Planning. It discusses natural determinants like topography, climate, resources and building materials that influence urban form. It also discusses man-made determinants like political, religious and economic factors. The document includes examples of organic and grid-oriented urban forms from different cities around the world. It also includes a glossary of key terms in urban design like urban morphology, urban fabric, urban block and density.

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Vanshika Dogra
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17 views

B.Arch Programme, IX Semester Theory of Urban Design ARCH503

The document is about urban form and its determinants from the Amity School of Architecture and Planning. It discusses natural determinants like topography, climate, resources and building materials that influence urban form. It also discusses man-made determinants like political, religious and economic factors. The document includes examples of organic and grid-oriented urban forms from different cities around the world. It also includes a glossary of key terms in urban design like urban morphology, urban fabric, urban block and density.

Uploaded by

Vanshika Dogra
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Amity School of Architecture and Planning

B.Arch Programme, IX Semester

Theory of Urban Design


ARCH503
Amity School of Architecture and Planning

Determinants or Urban Form

Glossary for Urban Design

Contents
Contents
Amity School of Architecture and Planning

Learning Objectives

By end of this session you will be able to read an


urban form and the parameters which shaped the
built environment.

Learning Objectives
Amity School of Architecture and Planning

Urban Form

Grid Oriented
Organic (Planned/structured)
Amity School of Architecture and Planning

Organic
Patan
Gujarat
Amity School of Architecture and Planning

Mixed
Barcelona
Spain
Amity School of Architecture and Planning

Natural Determinants Man-made determinants


• Topography • Economic
• Climate • Political
• Resources Govern • Religious
• Building materials and technology • Defense

Urban Form

Organic Grid Oriented


(Planned/structured)
Natural Determinant Amity School of Architecture and Planning

Topography

Typography

Building with terrain


Gangtok
Sikkim
Natural Determinant Amity School of Architecture and Planning

Topography

How does typography effects


settlement on plains?

Patan

These are farmlands near Patan

Can you find any similarities?


Natural Determinant Amity School of Architecture and Planning

Topography

Can you find any similarities? They also follow the terrain, city for its drainage, farmlands
for water circulation.
Natural Determinant Amity School of Architecture and Planning

Climate
• Temperatures: implications of seasonal
temperatures and humidity; averages and
extremes; comfort zones and periods;
amelioration of extremes and discomfort
• Light: implications of clear and cloudy days
• Precipitation: rain and snow
• Sun: angles of the sun (solar altitude) at
different seasons affects viewing
conditions…long and short sunny days
• Winds: direction and intensity of seasonal
winds; cold and hot winds

A street in Cario, Egypt


Natural Determinant Amity School of Architecture and Planning

Resources

Case of water in the city of


Fathepur Sikri

Resources shapes city also


effect development of the
settlement.

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Natural Determinant Amity School of Architecture and Planning

Building Materials depending on availability

Timbuktu, Mali

Built environment
Material – adobe, thatch
Amity School of Architecture and Planning

Man-Made Determinant
Man-Made Determinant Amity School of Architecture and Planning
Political Influence

Washington DC
Man-Made Determinant Amity School of Architecture and Planning

Religious

City of Madurai
Developed around Meenakshi Sundaram Temple
Streets articulated around the temple for procession
Amity School of Architecture and Planning

Glossary for Urban Design


Amity School of Architecture and Planning

Urban Design Glossary

Urban morphology

Study of the form of human settlements and the process of their


formation and transformation.

Urban form

Physical characteristics that make up built-up areas, including


the shape, size, density and configuration of settlements.
It can be considered at different scales: regional, urban,
neighbourhood, block and street
Amity School of Architecture and Planning

Urban Design Glossary

Urban Fabric

The physical aspect of urbanism, emphasizing building types,


thoroughfares, open space, frontages, and streetscapes but
excluding environmental, functional, economic and
sociocultural aspects.

Urban Tissue

Tissue comprises coherent neighborhood morphology (open


spaces, building) and functions (human activity).
Amity School of Architecture and Planning

Urban Design Glossary

Urban Block:

This is an area bounded by streets and occupied by buildings.


Sometimes called a perimeter block, the buildings face outwards
onto the streets often with a private courtyard in the centre.
Amity School of Architecture and Planning

Urban
Block
Amity School of Architecture and Planning

Urban Design Glossary

Public Realm:

The public spaces of an urban area. This includes streets,


squares and parks where people are free to walk. It does not
include private gardens or courtyards or shopping malls.
Amity School of Architecture and Planning

Urban Design Glossary

Grain

The combined pattern of blocks and streets, taking into account


the character of street blocks and building height and size, and
how they work together in an interrelated manner to create and
enable movement and access.

The complexity and coarseness of an urban area. Fine grained


areas have a large number of different buildings and closely
spaces streets.
Course grained areas have large blocks and building.
Amity School of Architecture and Planning

Course
Grain

Fine
Grain
Amity School of Architecture and Planning

Urban Design Glossary

Texture:

the degree of mixture of fine and course elements of urban form


Amity School of Architecture and Planning

Urban Design Glossary

Building line:

The primary front face of buildings along a street.


Where all of the buildings share a common building
line (which can be curved) there is continuous
enclosure along the street.
Amity School of Architecture and Planning

Urban Design Glossary

Façade:
The front wall of a building.

Frontage:
Similar to facade - the front face of a building
where it has its main door windows.
Amity School of Architecture and Planning

Urban Design Glossary

Density:

A measure of the amount of housing in a particular area


(acre or a hectare).
The simplest measure of density is the number of
residential units per hectare
Amity School of Architecture and Planning

Urban Design Glossary

Identity:

The memorability or sense of place on an urban area.


An area with identity is recognisable and has a distinctive
character created by the size, shape or design of the
buildings.
Amity School of Architecture and Planning

Urban Design Glossary

Massing:

The size and height of a building.


Amity School of Architecture and Planning

References;
1. Local Planning: Contemporary Principles and Practice Edited by Gary Hack, et al. (2009)
2. The American City: What Works and What Doesn't
by Alexander Garvin (1995)
3. Cuthbert Alexander R, 2006, The form of Cities Political Economy and Urban Design,
Blackwell, Oxford
Amity School of Architecture and Planning

Thank You

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