AR 413A: Fundamentals of Urban Design and Community Architecture

TIP Architecture

Arch. Eduardo F. Bober, Jr

The Neighborhood Unit

The concept of the neighborhood unit was developed by and American planner, Clarence Arthur Perry.
This had a huge impact on urban planning worldwide. Perry believed that cities should be built (or rebuilt)
to consist of an agglomeration of smaller units typically centered on and served by an elementary school
and bounded by major roads with shopping centers at intersections. Children of such units would be able to
walk to their local school without having to cross major roads; the limited size of the units (typically 610,000 inhabitants) would - encourage community spirit. The theory was first publicized in 1939 in Housing
for the Mechanic Age and gained rapid acceptance.
The neighborhood unit concept began as a means of combating the existing neighborhoods during this
period seen as islands locked amidst a burgeoning sea of vehicular traffic, a dangerous obstacle which
prevented children (and adults) from safely walking to nearby playgrounds and amenities.
The neighborhood unit concept evolved to serve a much broader purpose, of providing a discernible
identity for the concept of the "neighborhood", and of offering to designers a framework for disseminating
the city into smaller subareas (suburbs).
The Neighborhood unit defines the neighborhood as a component of a town and defines its size based
upon a five-minute walking radius.

the center holds the cultural

uses such as a school.
a
five-minute
walking
distance is approximately
160 acres.
Clarence Stein expanded the
definition of neighborhood
center (1942) by connecting
the neighborhoods together
to create towns. In the 1920s
and 1940s, the centers and
anchors of neighborhoods
were the schools.
More recently, the quartermile walking radius has been
expanded to a half mile with
the addition of a transit hub.

Traditional neighborhood size works well in the town, village, and urban city scales.

PRINCIPLES of Neighborhood Concept

Center the school - to encourage a child's walk to school, which was
only about one-quarter of a mile and no more than one half mile and
could be achieved without crossing a major arterial street.
Size the neighborhood to sufficiently support a school - between 5,000
to 9,000 residents, approximately 160 acres at a density of ten units per
acre.
Implement a wider use of the school facilities to serve neighborhood
meetings and activities, and constructing a large play area around the
building for use by the entire community.

Place arterial streets along the

perimeter - to define and distinguish
the place of the neighborhood and by
design eliminate unwanted through-traffic from the neighborhood. In this way, major arterials define the
neighborhood, rather than divide it through its heart.
Design internal streets using a hierarchy that easily distinguishes local streets from arterial streets, using
curvilinear street design for both safety and aesthetic purposes. Streets, by design, would discourage
unwanted through traffic and enhance the safety of pedestrians.
Restrict local shopping areas to the perimeter or perhaps to the main entrance of the neighborhood, thus
excluding non-local traffic destined for these commercial uses that might intrude on the neighborhood.
Dedicate at least 10 percent of the neighborhood land area to parks and open space

creating places for play and community interaction (community idealism)

protecting and promoting the public health and of considering the safety and welfare of citizens

RADBURN
The Radburn planning was conceived by Clarance Stein and Henry Wright which was influenced by the
following factors: rapid industrialization after WWI; migration to rural cities; dramatic growth of cities;
housing shortage; and the need to provide housing and protection from motorized traffic. The Radburn
planning was inspired by Henry Wrights Six Planks for a Housing Platform as follows:

1. Plan simply, but comprehensively. Don't stop at the individual property line. Adjust paving,
sidewalks, sewers and the like to the particular needs of the property dealt with - not to a
conventional pattern. Arrange buildings and grounds so as to give sunlight, air and a tolerable
outlook to even the smallest and cheapest house.
2. Provide ample sites in the right places for community use: i.e., playgrounds, school gardens,
schools, theatres, churches, public buildings and stores.
3. Put factories and other industrial buildings where they can be used without wasteful
transportation of goods or people.
4. Cars must be parked and stored, deliveries made, waste collected (Vehicular Movement) - plan
for such services with a minimum of danger, noise and confusion.
5. Relationship between buildings. Develop collectively such services as will add to the comfort of
the individual, at lower cost than is possible under individual operation.
6. Arrange for the occupancy of houses on a fair basis of cost and service, including the cost of
what needs to be done in organizing, building and maintaining the community.
THE RADBURN CONCEPT

SEPARATION of pedestrian and vehicular traffic

Super block - large block surrounded by main roads
houses grouped around small CUL DE SACS each
accessed from main road, Living, Bedroom faced gardens &
parks, service areas to ACCESS ROADS
remaining land PARK AREAS
WALKWAYS designed such that pedestrians can reach
social places without crossing automobile street.

Financial Planning

Parks without additional cost from Residents

Savings from minimizing roads - requires less road area
25% less area gave 12-15% of total park area

Clarance Steins Conception of the Neighborhood Unit

Walking distance radius is one mile.

In the figure, an elementary school is the center of the unit and
within a one half mile radius of all residents in the neighborhood,
local shopping centers located near the school.
Residential streets are suggested as CUL-DESACS to eliminate
through traffic and park space flows into the neighborhood

Traditional Neighborhood Design

(Guide to Community Planning in Wisconsin by Brian W. Ohm, http://www.lic.wisc.edu/shapingdane/resources/planning/library/book/chapter05/chap5_2.htm)

Community design issues and concepts also apply on a larger scale than the appearance of one building or
project. Communities around the state reflect a variety of different development patterns that reflect
evolving design concepts at different points of time -- e.g., the grid street patterns of the older sections of
some communities, the curvelinear street pattern of communities built in the 1950's and 1960's, and the cul
de sacs of the 1970's and 1980's and the dispersed development patterns of the 1990's.
Increasingly people are returning to the concepts of traditional neighborhood design, also sometimes
referred to as "new urbanism" or "neotraditional neighborhoods." The concepts focus on a number or
planning and design principles from the early 1900's and earlier. These principles attempt to mirror the type
of community found in the older parts of many
Wisconsin communities. These principles include a mixture of uses that integrate work places, commercial
areas (such as grocery stores), civic spaces (such as parks and town squares) and housing (mixing
housing types and sizes). The design concepts also follows street patterns based on grids or variations of
grids.
Lots sizes in such developments tend to be smaller than in most conventional subdivisions so they
consume less land for the same amount of dwelling units. They average five or more dwelling units per net
acre instead of the one to three houses per net acre that is common in many developing areas.
Walking is encouraged with sidewalks, trees along the streets, narrow roads that slow down cars, and
commercial, and parks that are located a short walk from most houses. Public transportation is also
encouraged.
Four Common Attributes of Traditional Neighborhood Development
1. Neighborhood Size-traditional neighborhoods are generally limited in size to encourage pedestrian
activity. The optimal size of a neighborhood is 1/4 to 1/3 of a mile from center to its edge, a
distance equal to a five to 10 minute walk at an easy pace. Its limited area gathers the population
within walking distance of many of its daily needs.
2. The Street Pattern- Streets in a traditional neighborhood district are designed to accommodate the
needs of all modes of transportation. The neighborhood consists of a interconnected network, like
grids, of small thoroughfares. An interconnected street pattern with smaller blocks provides multiple
routes, diffusing automobile traffic and shortening walking distances. This pattern keeps local traffic
off regional roads and through traffic off local streets. Neighborhood streets of varying types are
designed to provide equitably for pedestrian comfort and automobile movement. Sidewalks are
required.
3. Mix of Land Uses- A traditional neighborhood is structured to provide a balanced mix of
residences, shops, workplaces, civic uses, and recreation within the neighborhood. The integration
of multiple land uses allows residents to meet more of their daily needs through shorter trips.

4. Public Open Spaces- Formal and informal open space is located throughout a traditional
neighborhood. The design of the neighborhood gives priority to open space. These spaces
enhance community activity, identity, and civic pride. The neighborhood plan creates a hierarchy of
useful open spaces: a formal square in the neighborhood center, parks and playgrounds
throughout the neighborhood, and streets that promote walking and encourage informal meetings.
The existing zoning ordinances, subdivision regulations and other land use regulations of many
communities are designed for development patterns of the 1960's or 1970's. The requirements of these
regulations often prohibit the construction of traditional neighborhoods. Often existing zoning ordinances
disallow the densities that are necessary for traditional neighborhoods. The ordinances also generally
preclude the introduction of different uses in neighborhoods.
THE UPDATED NEIGHBORHOOD UNIT (Duany Plater-Zybeck,1994)

Compact in size
Mix of uses
Network of streets
Public Open Spaces
Building Typologies
Parking Strategies
Transit Opportunities
Compatibility & Predictability

AR 413A: Fundamentals of Urban Design and Community Architecture

TIP Architecture

Arch. Eduardo F. Bober, Jr

NEIGHBORHOODS
Neighborhoods have long been a focus within the planning field, and neighborhood-based planning is an
area that continues to grow. Among other purposes, such an approach is increasingly seen as an essential
part of a comprehensive planning process to inform citywide policy and to gain input, clarify priorities, and
gamer support for the neighborhood-level details of such plans (Martz 1995; Rohe and Gates 1985).
Defining neighborhood for programmatic ends in any given case is problematic, however, because
selecting and defining target neighborhoods is a highly political and negotiable process.
DEFINING NEIGHBORHOODS
There is no universal way of defining the neighborhood as a unit. When engaging in neighborhood
collaborative planning, the process of neighborhood identification and definition should be considered a
heuristic process, guided by programmatic aims, a theoretical understanding of neighborhood and
descriptive information on the ecological, demographic, social, institutional, economic, cultural and political
context in which area exists. There are three dimensions to this heuristic:

Program goals and strategies

Neighborhood characteristics
Contextual influences

Their consideration should be an iterative process, each stage of which is informed by the preceding
stage(s), and in the aggregate providing the basis for an informed choice of neighborhood boundaries and
an operational definition of neighborhood for given programmatic ends.
Framing the consideration of these dimensions is a set of general propositions that inform the process of
neighborhood definition in any programmatic context:

Match the place to the intervention.

Identify the relevant stakeholders.
Determine the appropriate change agent(s).
Determine the necessary capacity to foster and sustain change.

A range of criteria is available that might be used to define particular neighborhoods for given programmatic
ends. The process of neighborhood definition proposed here involves attention to these criteria through an
iterative series of deliberations, beginning with an articulation and clarification of programmatic goals.
These goals reflect assumptions about what needs changing. Program strategies reflect hypotheses about
how such change might be brought about.
NEIGHBORHOOD SIZE
Consideration of neighborhood size should be related to the strategic intervention, operational focus, and
desire impact of a given initiative. Three types of possible neighborhood constructions most useful for
guiding neighborhood definition are the face-block, the residential neighborhood, and the institutional

neighborhood. These units are nested constructions, each of which provides certain possibilities and
constraints for fostering certain kinds of change.
Face-Block
The neighborhood as a face-block is defined as the two sides of one street between intersecting streets. As
a planning unit, the face-block focuses on the interpersonal and provides a high level of opportunity for
individual participation. Block-level planning will necessarily focus on a small-scale change, because
individual blocks command limited resources and are too small in themselves to wield much influence in the
broader community.
Residential Neighborhood
This construction focuses on neighborhoods as places to live. As a planning unit, the residential
neighborhood provides an opportunity to engage residents in planning through different kinds of local
governance mechanisms that can incorporate direct participation and potentiality operate as a link to the
larger local community. Planning at this level is likely to focus on local issues pertaining to quality of life,
including houses, parks, commercial amenities, and transportation access. By itself, the residential
neighborhood is less likely to be an appropriate unit of planning targeting broader system change, seeking
to foster institutional collaboration, or attempting to support economic development.
Institutional Neighborhood
The institutional neighborhood is a larger unit that has some official status as a subarea of the city. The
institutional neighborhood provides the opportunity to focus on organizational and institutional collaboration
and may require the construction of formal mechanisms for citizen participation if individual residents are to
be directly represented.

NEIGHBORHOOD ELEMENTS AND CHARACTERISTICS

The consideration of scale of operation has implications for whether particular kinds of neighborhood
elements are to be incorporated within the boundaries of a target neighborhood. It is clear that some such
characteristics may be more important for the accomplishment of some programmatic goals than others.
Informal Networks of Association
While the existence of or potential for informal networks is clearly central to initiatives seeking to develop or
strengthen the social organization of a neighborhood, they are also of implied importance in any
neighborhood-based endeavor. The informal social organization of a neighborhood, including neighbor
relations, activity patterns, and informal service provision, differs across neighborhoods and for different
populations (Lee, Campbell, and Miller 1991; Wellman and Wortley 1990) and may provide mechanisms for
agency and social support overlooked in more formal approaches to neighborhood.
Formal Organizations
The availability of neighborhood organizational resources and their use also differs across contexts
(Furstenberg 1993). The inclusion of formal organization is especially important when initiative goals focus
on system change, service provision, or economic development. Because one assumption behind
neighborhood-based work is that it provides the opportunity for greater access by and accountability to
residents, neighborhood definition should take into account relationships among organizations and between
organizations and residents.

Functional Attributes
Functional attribute include those elements necessary for day-to-day living, such as the existence of
commercial activities, employment opportunities, recreational facilities, educational opportunities, and
health and social services (Warren 1978). The existence of each of these elements represents a portion of
the neighborhoods capacity to sustain certain kinds of activities and promote certain kinds of change
(Chaskin et al. 2001).
Population Diversity
The relative importance of population diversity of homogeneity depends greatly on an initiatives particular
goals. From an organizing perspective, homogeneity is likely to be beneficial, because it provides a clear
basis for identity construction and mobilization of residents-particularly in smaller, residential
neighborhoods. In larger neighborhoods and where fostering links to the larger community is desired,
diversity may be valuable. This is in part a political issue, offering an opportunity to build coalitions across a
broader range of constituencies. It may also be an ideological issue, in which promoting diversity is seen as
a virtue in its own right.

NEIGHBORHOOD CONTEXT
Neighborhoods exist in specific contexts, and grounded information about these contexts is essential to any
planning process. In addition to socioeconomic and demographic data, other tools such as community
assessments, community inventories, and techniques for mapping neighborhood assets can provide
valuable information on organizations, available facilities, and resident skills and priorities (Kretzman and
McKnight 1993; Bruner et al. 1993). While much information is available through the U.S. Census and
various administrative sources, a great deal of (often qualitative) data may not be readily available.
The relational dynamics among these elements within the neighborhood, for example, and with actors
beyond the neighborhood may be important for both the definition of the neighborhood in given
programmatic cases and for ongoing planning and implementation. Identifying and determining the most
useful boundaries of particular target neighborhoods for programmatic purposes is much enhanced by the
ability to map such relationships, and the ability to inform an interpretation of the impact of such
relationships through a qualitative understanding of their dynamics.

BOUNDARY IDENTIFICATION
The criteria for boundary selection should reflect the goals and strategies of a given initiative, consider
contextual influences, and examine the sets of choices made regarding appropriate neighborhood scale
and the relative importance of various neighborhood elements. The typology of possible neighborhood
definitions implies certain guidelines regarding boundary identification: the face-block is bounded by the
first streets that separate a residents home from the aggregation of homes beyond; the residential
neighborhood implies some consensus regarding boundaries on the part of residents; and the boundaries
of an institutional neighborhood have been in some way made official, codified and recognized by certain
organizations and institutions.
Recognized Boundaries
Consistent with the assumption behind the residential neighborhood, recognized boundaries imply the
existence of some degree of neighborhood identity and provide the basis for fostering a sense of

community. To the extent that the larger local community also recognizes such neighborhood definition, it
may help residents and neighborhood groups to advocate their causes with government and other extralocal entities.
Administrative and Political Boundaries
Administrative or political boundaries tend to define larger areas. Given a more system-oriented or
institutionally based approach, the use of such boundaries to define the target neighborhood may be
appropriate. However, rarely do administrative and political boundaries coincide with each other, nor do
they reflect the social organization aspects of neighborhoods. The choice of a set of administrative
boundaries to define neighborhood may be most useful for sector-bound, institutionally based interventions.
Created Boundaries
Institutional neighborhoods may be officially defined without functioning as an administrative unit. However,
because such neighborhoods have no single administrative structure and are rarely recognized as political
units, issues of management and long term representation should be examined. The creation of a
neighborhood governance structure that can coordinate constituent neighborhood priorities and activities,
as well as represent the neighborhood to the larger community, may help to increase the long-term impact
and sustainability of neighborhood based work.
CONCLUSION
While these guidelines can help direct a process of neighborhood definition, they do not constitute a
definitive blueprint for action. The act of defining a neighborhood is a product of both the social and spatial
context of the area and subject to several factors including the purpose for defining the neighborhood, the
function that the neighborhood is expected to perform, and the presence of existing neighborhood
organizations. Further, the delineation of boundaries is a negotiated process; it is a product of individual
cognition, collective perceptions, and organized attempts to codify boundaries to serve political or
instrumental aims. The attempt to define neighborhood boundaries for any given program or initiative is
thus often a highly political process. These and other factors have to be considered during the planning
process, which will be conditioned by the existence of enduring tensions between strategic choices that
must be made and by the need for meaningful participation, sound information, and the mechanisms and
tools to use them both.

REFERENCE: Steiner, Frederick and Butler, Kent (2007). Planning and Urban Design Standards, Student
Edition, APA, J.Wiley and Sons, Inc., NJ., USA

(Urban) REVITALIZATION

EDUARDO F. BOBER, JR
Industry Lecturer

Revitalization

Revitalization planning simply means

organizing efforts to bring vitality back to
a declining area. The term "revitalization
planning" encompasses a host of other
terms used for this effort, such as
redevelopment and intensification, and
may include such planning tools as a
specific plan or redevelopment plan.

Revitalization

Urban revitalization means to put new life into

cities and to upgrade areas for higher social and
economic uses. Involves investment to remodel or
rebuild a portion of urban environment to
accommodate more profitable activities & expand
opportunities for consumption, particularly retail
and housing for middle and upper income
households.

According to Cowan (2005) revitalization is used

to refer to ways of bringing a place to life (e.g.
finding new uses for old buildings, promoting
cultural activities) that, unlike regeneration do not
necessarily involve significant buildings.

The general steps of a revitalization

plan are to:

Recognize that an area has lost its vitality

Analyze reasons why this has occurred

Create a strategy to bring life back to the

area

Develop a common future "vision" for this

area

Put in place plans that identify and direct

tasks toward that end

Create the tools that implement those tasks

Monitor & correct implementation progress

8 Key Elements of Successful

Revitalization Programs
1. Community Initiated: Revitalization programs
must evolve from key community stakeholders
desire to affect positive change. Key stakeholders
include residents, merchants & property owners
supported by community-based organizations, local
government & others important to the
revitalization process.
2. Comprehensive: Truly effective urban
neighborhood business district revitalization
programs must be comprehensive in their design &
implementation, addressing a wide array of social,
economic, physical and political issues.

8 Key Elements of Successful

Revitalization Programs
3. Collaborative: Creating an effective collaborative
process is extremely important to the revitalization
effort for two primary reasons: It allows
stakeholder voices to be heard and brings together
the collective resources of the community.
4. Diverse: Based on current demographic trends,
urban neighborhoods are becoming increasingly
culturally, racially, & economically diverse places to
live, work and recreate. The best revitalization
programs embrace this diversity and incorporate it
as a community asset.

8 Key Elements of Successful

Revitalization Programs
5.Vision Directed: The agreed upon vision should
focus on the future and lead to specific, realistic and
achievable activities directed toward changesboth
large and smallwithin a certain timeframe.
6. Capital Intensive: Involve significant new capital
investment in commercial and residential real estate
development, interior and storefront renovations,
infrastructure and streetscape improvements. The
revitalization plan must ensure the availability of
adequate capital to support these types of activities.

8 Key Elements of Successful

Revitalization Programs
7. Market Oriented: Understanding their markets
and will lead to the development of realistic
strategies for economic growth.

8. Sustainable: Revitalization of urban neighborhood

business districts requires a long-term approach.
Stakeholders must continuously identify resources,
both financial and human, to sustain the
revitalization effort as well as build new institutional
and systemic change mechanisms to manage the
business district as a community asset over the
course of many years.

Downtown Revitalization
Downtown revitalization is the process of
improving the economic, physical and social well being
of a community's traditional town centre by:

Strengthening local business and encouraging investment

by building and property owners

Creating enjoyable public streets and spaces animated by

a variety of creative and civic activities

Providing work and living opportunities that respond to

people's needs across a spectrum of ages and interests.

Downtown Revitalization
Concept

Pedestrian
Friendly
Sidewalk

Mixed Used
bldg

Open Space

Alfresco
Dinning

Redevelopment

Redevelopment is any new construction on a site

that has pre-existing uses.

Redevelopment projects can be small or large ranging

from a single building to entire new neighborhoods or
"new town in town" projects

Variations on redevelopment
include:
Urban infill on vacant parcels that have no
existing activity but were previously
developed, especially on Brownfield land,
such as the redevelopment of an industrial
site into a mixed-use development.
Constructing with a denser land usage, such
as the redevelopment of a block of
townhouses into a large apartment building.
Adaptive reuse, where older structures
which have outlive their uses are converted
into new ones, such as an industrial mill into
housing lofts.

Brownfield Land are abandoned or

underused industrial and commercial
facilities available for re-use. Expansion or
redevelopment of such a facility may be
complicated by real or perceived
environmental contaminations.

Greyfield land is a term used in the United

States and Canada to describe economically
obsolescent, outdated, failing, moribund
and/or underused real estate assets or land.

Examples of Brownfield
redevelopment

Examples of Brownfield
redevelopment

The Bankside Power Station in London was converted

for use as the Tate Gallery. Shown is the former turbine
hall, converted to house exhibits.

Urban renewal

Urban renewal is a program of land

redevelopment in areas of moderate to high
density urban land use.

Urban renewal may involve relocation of

businesses, the demolition of structures, the
relocation of people (slum or informal
settlements clearance), and the use of
eminent domain (government purchase of
property for public use) as a legal instrument
to take private property for city-initiated
development projects.

Urban Renewal

scheme to redress a complex of urban

problems, including unsanitary, deficient,
or obsolete housing; inadequate
transportation, sanitation, and other
services and facilities; haphazard land use;
traffic congestion; and the sociological
correlates of urban decay, such as crime.

Processes in Urban Renewal

Enlargement of pedestrian zones, mostly in the

centers of cities

Renewal of historic tradition housing, industrial

units, open spaces, green areas, parks, specific
milieus

New construction interpolations or renovations

of the whole part of a city

The creation of new construction zones

Construction of new housing and business

buildings

Processes in Urban Renewal

Beautification, refurbishing usually of central

parts of cities new lights, new pavements,
new urban furniture

Rehabilitation of old and organization of new

green & recreation areas

Restrictions of the extension of private traffic,

especially into central zones

Better organization, expansion, and

multiplication of types & means of public
transportation

Examples of Urban Renewal

Cheonggyecheon Seoul, South Korea
Cheonggyecheon is an 8.4 km long, modern
public recreation space in downtown Seoul,
South Korea. The massive urban renewal
project is on the site of a stream that flowed
before the rapid post-war economic
development required it to be covered by
transportation infrastructure. It is a $900M
project that attracted many criticisms.

Cheonggyecheon BEFORE
During first half of 20th century

Cheonggyecheon BEFORE
During Restoration in 2003

Cheonggyecheon TODAY

Cheonggyecheon TODAY

Cheonggyecheon TODAY

RESULTS of the Cheonggyecheon

Renewal

Lauded as a major success in urban renewal and

beautification in 2005.

Created an environment with clean water and natural

habitats. Species of fish, birds, and insects have increased
significantly as a result of the stream excavation. The
stream helps to cool down the temperature on the
nearby areas by 3.6 C on average versus other parts of
Seoul.

Decrease of vehicles entering downtown Seoul by 2.3%,

with an increasing number of users of buses (by 1.4%) and
subways (by 4.3% - daily average of 430,000 people) as a
result of the demolition of the two heavily used roads. This
has a positive influence by improving the atmospheric
environment in the region.

RESULTS of the Cheonggyecheon

Renewal

Promoted the urban economy through

amplifying urban infrastructure for a
competitive city within the existing business
and industrial area centered on the stream.

The Urban renewal project was the catalyst

of revitalization in downtown Seoul.
Cheonggyecheon became a centre for
cultural and economic activities.

Rockwell Center, Makati, Phils.

Transformation of an unused thermal
power plant in 1995 into a thriving, selfcontained community.
Now known as the Rockwell Center, this
flagship development was the first of
several exceptional communities which
now serve as the benchmark for living,
leisure, and business.

Rockwell Center BEFORE

Meralco Thermal Power Plant in 1995

Rockwell Center TODAY

RESULTS of the Renewal

Rockwell Center sets a standard in urban

regeneration projects within a city where the
highest levels and most progressive visions of
urban life must be taken into consideration.

Strategically links residential, commercial,

institutional, recreational, leisure, office, and
religious spaces to minimize the need for
transportation, providing a safe and
convenient pedestrian & vehicular circulation
system

Rockwell Center TODAY

Thank you.

Transit -Oriented
Development (TOD)

Eduardo F. Bober, Jr.

Industry Lecturer

TOD
- development that is located within a 10
10-minute walk,
walk, or approximately 0.5 mile from a light
rail, heavy rail, or commuter rail station. Also
includes development along heavily used bus and
bus rapid transit (BRT) corridors.

TOD
- a type of community development that
includes a mixture of housing, office, retail and /or
walkable
other
amenities
integrated
into
a
neighborhood and located within a half
half--mile of
quality public transportation
transportation..

TOD
Concept
Transportation
(rail or bus
systems)

High--Density
High

Low--Density
Low

0.5
mile
radius

TOD Types
RURAL TOD

TOD Types
SUBURBAN
TOD

TOD Types
URBAN CENTER TOD

FACTORS DRIVING THE

TREND TOWARD TOD
-Rapidly growing, mindmind-numbing
traffic congestion nationnation-wide
-Growing distaste for suburbia
and fryfry-pit strip development
-Growing desire for urban quality
urban
-Growing desire for more
walkable lifestyles away from
traffic
-Changes in family structures:
more singles, emptyempty-nesters, etc
-Growing national support for
Smart Growth

Land areas within the half-mile radius

have already been developed

Transit is not yet an available option

Potential development sites are not

suitable for TOD
TOD projects contain at least 100,000 sq.ft. for
60-80 housing units

Factors that limit

opportunities for TOD

COMPONENTS OF TOD
Walkable design with pedestrian as the
highest priority
Train station/bus station as prominent
feature of town center
A regional node containing a mixture of uses
in close proximity including office,
residential, retail, and civic uses
High density, highhigh-quality development
within 1010-minute walk circle surrounding
train station
Collector support transit systems including
trolleys, streetcars, light rail, and buses, etc
Designed to include the easy use of bicycles,
scooters, and rollerblades as daily support
transportation systems

Reduced and managed

parking inside 1010minute walk circle
around town center /
train station

FOUR PRINCIPLES FOR TOD SITE

PROGRAM
BUILD DENSELY
Reduced auto dependency
Efficient use of TOD sites
Support pedestrianpedestrian-friendly shop
Create lively, people filled environment

MIX USES
Create dynamic & enliven sidewalks
and public spaces
MIX HOUSING TYPES AND PRICES
Increase diversity in housing
REDUCE PARKING REQUIREMENT
Feasible to construct structured
parking or belowbelow-grade parking

DESIGN FEATURES (Site Planning

Process)
PEDESTRIAN ACCESS
Link pedestrian access

PUBLIC SPACES
Create NEW public spaces

SENSE OF PLACE
Identity for the development

PEDESTRIAN EXPERIENCE
Foster an increased pedestrian
experience

CHARACTER AND QUALITY

Emphasize placeplace-making

ARCHITECTURE
Encourage design that convey a
sense of quality, permanence, &
community--enriching character
community

SUSTAINABILITY
Green site and building designs

BENEFITS OF TOD
QUALITY OF LIFE
Enhance community living

PUBLIC HEALTH
Improve air quality

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Access to jobs, broaden tax base

PEDESTRIAN EXPERIENCE
Foster an increased pedestrian
experience

COMMUNITY CHARACTER
Creates public spaces, gives vitality

ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
Design Alternative to sprawl
Encourages green urbanism

TRANSIT USE
Increased ridership

PHILIPPINES
A R A N E T A

C E N T E R

VANCOUVER
A R L I N G T O N

AR 413A: Fundamentals of Urban Design and Community Architecture

TIP Architecture

Arch. Eduardo F. Bober, Jr

PARTICIPATION
Role of Participation
Community participation is the involvement of people in the creation and management of their built and
natural environments. Its strength is that it cuts across traditional professional boundaries and cultures. The
activity of community participation is based on the principle that the built and natural environments work
better if citizens are active and involved in its creation and management instead of being treated as passive
consumers (Sanoff 2000).
The main purposes of participation are:

to involve citizens in planning and design decision-making processes and, as a result, make it
more likely they will work within established systems when seeking solutions to problems;
to provide citizens with a voice in planning and decisions, service delivery, and overall quality of the
environment, and
to promote a sense of community by bringing together people who share common goals.

Participation should be active and directed; those who become involved should experience a sense of
achievement. Traditional planning procedures should be reexamined to ensure that participation achieves
more than simply affirmation of the designers or planners intentions.
Characteristics of Participation
Although any given participation process does not automatically ensure success, it can be claimed that the
process will minimize failure. Four essential characteristics of participation can be identified:

Participation is inherently good.

It is a source of wisdom and information about local conditions, needs, and attitudes, and thus
improves the effectiveness of decision making.
It is an inclusive and pluralistic approach by which fundamental human needs are fulfilled and
user values reflected.
It is a means of defending the interest of groups of people and of individuals, and a tool for
satisfying their needs, which are often ignored and dominated by large organizations,
institutions, and their bureaucracies.

Experiences in the participation process show that the main source of user satisfaction is not the degree to
which a persons needs have been met, but the feeling of having influenced the decisions.

Categories of Participation
Participation can be classified into four categories, or Experiences with the goal of achieving agreement
about what the future should bring (Burns 1979)
The ladder of citizen participation presents a typology of eight levels of participation. Each rung of the
ladder corresponds to the degree to which stakeholders had power in determining the outcome. The
gradations represented go from nonparticipation to token participation to various degrees of citizen power.
While the ladder was conceived in the context of federal programs of the late 1960s, planners and urban
designers today still should strive to ensure that they are working near the top of the ladder in their public
participation activities.

LADDER OF CITIZEN PARTICIPATION

Awareness; this experience involves discovering or rediscovering the realities of a given situation
so that everyone who takes part in the process speaks the same language, which is based on
experiences in the field where change is proposed.
Perception; this entails going from awareness of the situation to understanding it and its physical,
social, cultural, and economic ramifications. It means sharing with each other so that the
understanding, goals, and expectations of all participants.
Decision making; this experience concentrates on working from awareness and perception to a
plan for the situation under consideration. Here participants propose plans, based on their
priorities, for professionals to use as resources to synthesize alternative and final plans.
Implementations; many community-based planning processes stop with awareness, perception,
and decision making. This can have significant detrimental effects on a project because it ends
peoples responsibilities when the how-to, where-to, when-to, and who-will-do-it must be added to
what people want and how it will look. People must stay involved throughout the processes and
take responsibility with their professionals to see that there are results (Hurwitz 1975)

DETERMINATION OF GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The planning that accompanies the design of any participation program should first include a determination
of participation goals and objectives. Participation goals will differ from time to time and from issue to issue.
In addition, participation is likely to be perceived differently depending on the type of issue, people involved
and political setting in which it takes place. If differences in xpectations and perception are not made clear,
the expectations of those involved in the participation program will likely not be met, and people will
become disenchanted.
Related to this, to address participation effectively, the task should conceptualize what the objective is for
involving citizens. For example, is the participation intended to:

generate ideas
identify attitudes
disseminate information
revolve some identified conflict
measure opinions
review a proposal; or
provide a forum to express general feeling

PLANNING FOR PARTICIPATION

Once planners have identified the overall goals and objectives for the participation process, planning for
participation requires the following steps (Rosner 1978)

Identify the individuals or groups that should be involved in the participation activity being planned.
Decide where in the process the participants should be involved, from development to
implementation to evaluation.
Articulate the participation objectives in relation to all participants who will be involved.
Identify and match alternative participation methods to objectives in terms of the resources
available.
Select an appropriate method to be used to achieve specific objectives.
Implement chosen participation activities.
Evaluate the implemented methods to see to what extent they achieved the desired goals and
objectives.

THEORY AND PRACTICE

The theories and practices of participation can be synthesized into the following five statements:
There is no best solution to design and planning problems.
Each problem can have a number of solutions, based traditionally on two sets of criteria:

Facts; the empirical data concerning material strengths, economics, building codes, and so forth.
Attitudes; interpretation of the facts, the state of the art in any particular area, traditional and
customary approaches, and value judgements.
Expert decisions are not necessarily better than lay decisions

Given the facts with which to make decisions, citizens can examine the available alternatives and choose
among them. In a participation process, planners and designers should work along with citizens to identify
possible alternatives, discuss consequences of various alternatives, and state opinions about the
alternatives (not decide among them)

A planning task can be made transparent

Professionals often consider alternatives that are frameworks in their minds. They should be presented for
users to discuss. After understanding the components of planning decisions and exploring alternatives,
citizens in effect can generate their own plan rather than to react to one provided for them. The product is
more likely to succeed because it is more responsive to the needs of the people who will use it.
All individuals and interest groups should come together in an open forum.
In this setting, people can openly express their opinions, make necessary compromises, and arrive at
decisions acceptable to all concerned. By involving as many interests as possible, the product is
strengthened by the wealth of input. In turn, learning more about itself strengthens the citizens group.
The process is continuous and ever changing.
The product is not the end of the process. It must be managed, reevaluated, and adapted to changing
needs. Those most directly involved with the product, the users, are best able to assume those tasks.
The professionals role is to facilitate the citizen groups ability to reach decisions through an easily
understood process. Most often this will take the form of making people aware of alternatives. This role also
includes helping people develop their resources in ways that will benefit themselves and others.

INDICATORS OF THE VALUE OF PARTICIPATION

A review of the public literature, conducted by Lach and Hixson (1998), revealed that participants valued
such issues as public acceptability, accessibility, good decision making, education and learning, time
commitment, and trust. To identify value and cost indicators of public involvement. They conducted
interviews with people who had been involved in participatory projects. Combining the lit review, interviews,
and expert judgement, they identified these key indicators of the value of the participation.

Opening the process to stakeholders

Diversity of viewpoints
Meaningful participation
Integration stakeholder concerns
Information exchange
Saving time
Saving and avoiding cost
Enhanced project acceptability
Mutual learning
Mutual respect

Lach and Hixson also developed direct and indirect cost indicators of the public involvement effort. Certain
costs can be linked to traditional accounting practice, such as preparation and participation time, facilities,
materials, and services. Other indirect costs, such as participants time commitment, lack of opportunity to
participate in other projects, and heavy emotional demands on participation, cannot be easily measured.
The intent of their research was to develop prototype indicators to be tested in ongoing and completed
public involvement programs. Results from project participants indicated that the positive aspects of their
involvement were twofold: (1) a diversity of viewpoints in the participation process was valuable; (2) project
savings occurred in the form of saving and avoiding cost.

GLOSSARY OF PARTICIPATION PROCESSES AND TECHNIQUES

Most development projects employ a wide range of participatory processes and techniques. They require
different resources and respond to different objectives identified by the community group. Each technique is
briefly defined in the following list, and its deployment is noted at the beginning of each project.

Charrette: A process that convenes interest groups in intensive, interactive meetings

lasting several days
Community action planning: A process that empowers communities to design,
implement, and manage their own community programs.
Focus groups: A structured interview consisting of several individuals, permitting
discussion of ideas.
Game simulation: A technique of abstracting the essential elements of a problem without
the normal constraints.
Group interaction: A process in which interpersonal techniques are used to facilitate
discussion and problem solving.
Participatory action research: An empowerment process that involves participants in
research and decision making.
Public forum: An open meeting held by an organization or agency to present information
about a project at any time during the process.
Strategic planning: A process for developing strategies and action plans to identify and
resolve issues.
Visioning: A process to think about how the community should be and find ways to
identify, strengthen, and work toward the end.
Workshop: Working sessions to discuss issues in order to reach an understanding of their
importance.

Green Cities?
Growing Cities?
Just Cities?
Urban Planning and the
Contradictions of Sustainable Development
EDUARDO F. BOBER JR
Industry Lecturer
Presentation from:
www.slideshare.net/zheggss

protecting the

green city ?

SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
economically
growing city?

promoting the

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
advocating

social justice?

The Planner's Triangle

Three Priorities
Three Conflicts

Equity

Economy

The resource
conflict

Environment

Perspective 1
Social Justice
Economic Opportunity

Income Equality

Overall
Economic
Growth and
Efficiency

Environmental
Protection

production

consumption

innovation

distribution

Perspective 2
Social Justice
Economic Opportunity

Income Equality

Overall Economic
Growth and Efficiency

Environmental
Protection

consumer of resources

a producer of wastes

Perspective 3
Social Justice
Economic
Opportunity
Income Equality

Overall Economic
Growth and
Efficiency

Environmental
Protection

DISTRIBUTION of
* resources
* services
* opportunities

Triangle axis 1:THE PROPERTY CONFLICT

Social Justice

Economic
Growth

ARISES from:
competing claims on
and
uses of property
TENSION is between :
private sector
&
social intervention

Triangle axis 1: THE PROPERTY CONFLICT

private interest
the public good

Triangle axis 2: THE RESOURCE CONFLICT

Environmental
Protection

ARISES from:
Exploitation of nature
and
Conservation of resources
for present and future demands

Economic
Growth

Tension is between :
economic utility
in industrial society

&
ecological utility
in the natural environment

ecological utility
in the natural environment

VS

economic utility
in industrial society

Triangle axis 2:THE PROPERTY CONFLICT

Developed City

Undeveloped Wilderness

Triangle axis 3: THE DEVELOPMENT CONFLICT

Social Justice

ARISES from:
Social Equity
and
Environmental Preservation
TENSION is between :

Environmental
Protection

Inequitable development
&
protection of the
environment

Triangle axis 3: THE DEVELOPMENT CONFLICT

How to
increase social equity
haves
and protect the environment simultaneously, whether in a
steady-state economy or not ?

have-nots

How could
those at the bottom of society
find greater economic opportunity
if environmental protection
mandates diminished economic growth?

Equity

Green, Profitable and Fair

(Sustainable Development)

Economy

The resource
conflict

Environment

The Path Towards

Sustainable Development
How are you going to get there?
What are the negative consequences?

The Task Ahead for Planners:

Seeking Sustainable Development
within the Triangle of Planning Conflicts
Equity

Green, Profitable and Fair

(Sustainable Development)
Economy

Environment

Procedural Paths :
Conflict Negotiation
understand
opponent's interests
and values
express fundamental
conflicts of interest
Imbalance of power

Procedural Paths:
Redefine the Language of Conflict
Assisting to understand
others priorities and
reasoning
One language will
dominate the debate

Procedural Paths:
Redefine the Language of Conflict
Conceptual level
Words to be understandable by others

Social
word

Empirical level
data collection
Integrate different analysis scales

Other Procedural Paths

Political pluralism
Develop market mechanisms

Merging the Substantive and

Procedural
Combining strategies
Caution!
Not In My Back Yard (NIMBY)
"My side will win, so why compromise?
"I don't care"

Planners: Leaders or Followers?

TAKE THE LEAD in resolving such conflicts
IF NOT, must EXPLOIT those areas of conflict
where they have the greatest leverage and
expertise
SEEK to resolve both environmental and
economic equity issues at once

Planners Decision?
Planners will have to decide whether they
want to remain outside the conflict and
act as MEDIATORS, or jump into the fray
and PROMOTE their OWN visions of
ecological-economic development,
sustainable or otherwise.

Both planning behaviors are needed.

THANKS FOR LISTENING AND

WELCOME YOUR COMMENTS!

10

Principles of
Livable Towns
and Cities
Eduardo F. Bober, Jr.
Industry Lecturer

Source: RDP_4A_NEDA Report

Design on a Human Scale

Compact,
pedestrian-friendly
communities allow
residents to walk to
shops, services,
cultural resources,
and jobs, and can
reduce traffic
congestion and
benefit peoples
health.

Provide Choices
People prefer variety
in housing, shopping,
recreation,
transportation and
employment. Variety
creates lively
neighborhoods and
accommodates
residents in different
stages of their lives.

Encourage Mixed-Use Development

Integrating land uses ,
neighborhood of
varying social classes,
and varied building
types create vibrant,
pedestrian-friendly,
diverse communities

Preserve Urban Centers

Restoring, revitalizing, and in-filling urban

centers take advantage of existing streets,
services, and buildings, and avoid the need for
new infrastructure. This helps curb sprawl and
promote stability for city neighborhoods.

Vary Transportation Options

Giving people the
option of walking,
biking, and using
public transit in
addition to driving,
reduces traffic
congestion, protects
the environment and
encourages physical
activity.

Build Vibrant Public Spaces

Citizens need
welcoming, well-defined
public spaces to
stimulate face-to-face
interaction, collectively
celebrate and mourn,
encourage civic
participation, admire
public art, and gather
for public events.

Create a Neighborhood Identity

A sense of place gives neighborhoods,

barangays and communities a unique
character, enhances the walking environment,
and creating pride within the community.

Protect Environmental Resources

A well-designed balance of nature and
development
preserves
ecological
systems, protects waterways from
contamination, reduces air pollution
and protects property values.

Conserve Landscapes

Open space, farms, and wildlife habitat are

essential for environmental, recreational, and
cultural reasons

10

Design Matters

Design excellence is
the foundation of
attractive, successful,
and healthy
communities. The
urban and landscape
design will also define
what communities
value.

Thank you for listening.