Urban design

Urban design involves the arrangement and design of buildings, public spaces, transport systems and services. Urban design is the process of giving form and character to groups of buildings, to whole neighborhoods, and the city. It is a framework that orders the elements into a network of streets, squares, and blocks. Urban design blends architecture, landscape architecture, and city planning together to make urban areas functional and attractive.

Urban design includes the following elements:

1. Buildings are the most pronounced elements of urban design - they shape and articulate space by forming the street walls of the city.

2. Great public spaces are the places where people come together to enjoy the city and each other. Public spaces make possible high quality life in the city.

3. Streets are the connections between spaces and places, and are spaces themselves. They are defined by their physical dimension and character as well as the size, scale, and character of the buildings that line them.

4. Transport systems connect the parts of cities, help to shape them, and enable movement throughout the city. They include road, rail, bicycle, and pedestrian networks, and form the total movement system of a city. The best cities are the ones that elevate the experience of the pedestrian minimizing the dominance of the private automobile.

5. The landscape is the green part of the city that weaves throughout - in the form of urban parks, street trees, plants, flowers, and water in many forms. The landscape defines the character and beauty of a city and creates soft or contrasting spaces and elements.

Vocabulary:

arrangement [q'reInGmqnt] n.– расположение

articulate [±'tIkjuleIt] v.– соединять

neighbo(u)rhood ['neIbq"hud] n.– микрорайон

order ['²dq] v.– располагать в определенном порядке, упорядочивать

pronounced [prq'naunst] a.– резко выраженный, заметный

service ['s´vIs] n.– коммуникации

weave [w°v] v.– виться

Answer the following questions:

1. What does urban design involve?

2. What parts does urban design blend?

3. What elements does urban design include?