Urban design is the creation and use of public space in cities and towns. Urban planners consider current and future needs to design residential, commercial, industrial, and recreational areas. Incorporating historic landmarks and accommodating all residents’ needs are important considerations. Architects and engineers construct buildings after urban design planning.
Urban design refers to the way public space is created and used in cities and towns. Urban planners work to create the best way of using city space for the usability and enjoyment of all residents. They design projects for residential, commercial, industrial and recreational areas taking into account current public needs and anticipated growth. Urban design can make a big difference in how people use public space.
A public park, for example, is often included in urban design because it adds natural green space to an array of otherwise concrete, metal and glass buildings. However, service park offerings vary widely. While most public parks have playgrounds for children and space for field sporting activities, some may include a skateboarding area to provide a place for youth skateboarding activity. Other parks may feature a pond with a circular path around it to provide walking or running space for a wide range of people. There are many ways to offer the use of park space to the public, and good urban design takes into account the needs and desires of the community.
For example, if space permits, an urban designer could include a dog park so city dog owners have an area in which to exercise their dogs. In larger parks, an outdoor stage or band shell may be part of the urban design to allow space for outdoor community concerts and performances. Urban design is not the same as urban planning. Urban planners decide where the industrial, recreational and residential zones will be located, while urban planners take each zone and plan its design.
An important consideration in urban design is incorporating historic landmarks or buildings into modern structures. Information plaques can be added to landscaped areas outside buildings in areas once known as important historic places. Modern buildings need to blend well with older ones to give the city a cohesive feel, but the needs of all residents including children, the elderly and disabled need to be taken into account. Safety and ease of movement for all through city services must be at the heart of urban space design.
Urban designers need to be creative when designing urban space to serve multiple purposes. For example, apartments located on commercial space are popular in urban areas as more people get housing on the same amount of land. After urban design planning is completed, architects design individual buildings and engineers construct them.
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