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11.328 Urban Design Skills: Observing, Interpreting, and Representing the City

Department of Urban Studies and Planning Fall 1999 Department of Architecture Instructors: Eran Ben-Joseph (ebj@mit.edu) Office: 10-485   URBAN DESIGN SKILLS: OBSERVING, INTERPRETING & REPRESENTING THE CITY 11.328 4.240 COURSE DESCRIPTION An introduction to the methods of recording, evaluating, and communicating about the urban environment, and building the skills needed for urban design interventions. Through visual observation, field analysis, measuring, reading plans and drawing, students will learn to rely on their senses and develop the ability to deduce, question, and test conclusions about how the built environment is designed, used and valued. Field trips and short exercises are used as a mechanism for studying about the form, spatial pattern and function of the city's districts, blocks, and streets as both a physical and cultural phenomenon. Through the use of various presentation tools students will communicate what they observe as well as their impressions and ideas - building the basic skills needed for further work in urban design. Meeting Times Tuesday 9:00 - 12:00 RM. 10-485 or at specified locations.   Text Handouts.   Materials Sketch book Drawing tools and mediums   Objectives and Approach This course is an introduction to methods of analyzing, evaluating and recording the urban environment first hand. Its aim is to supplement existing courses which cover theory and history of city design and planning, and to better prepare students without prior design background for the studio sequence. This course is about learning through one's own personal experience of the environment through observation, field surveys and interviews. Students will learn to draw on their own senses as much as on their ability to deduct, conclude, question and verify. The course will be concerned with measuring and testing various urban environments in relation to physical planning and design as well as personal values and use. This course will help students to understand and use various techniques to record and interpret the built environment as well as to envision and test possible urban design interventions.   Themes: Observing and interpreting the urban environment. Methods of studying a place by walking and observing. How to best observes, diagnose, understand and gather clues from the built environment. How to piece together clues that tell the history and dynamics of a place, when it was built and for whom. We will also study what are the physical and sensory indicators of economic and social change, trends, problems, the notion of vulnerability, and policy and guideline issues. Ways to evaluate the plurality of the built environment in relation to the perception, values, and actions of planning and design professionals, public officials, clients, media, and various users. Understanding the physical structure of the city - the scale, pattern and form of blocks, streets, districts, public spaces, infrastructure, and nature. Techniques of recording, representing, and communicating what is observed. Learning the basic graphic language of analysis and design through the use of tools such as: drawing, measuring, diagramming, reading maps and plans, photographing, computer modeling, etc.   Topics: Visual Inquiry- Elements of the City The Image of the City ­ Landform and Nature ­ Climate ­ Shape -- Size and Density --Pattern -- Grain and Texture -- Built Space and Open Space -- Routes and Paths The Pluralistic City ­ Visible Roots -- Informativeness ­ Explorability -- Diversity and Access --Manipulability and Responsiveness -- Social Identification Physical Inquiry Measuring -- Mapping (Physical, Natural, Behavioral/Cultural, etc.) ­ Diagramming ­ Abstracting ­ Projecting --Simulating Control and Design Rules and Regulations Design Controls Teaching Methods & Requirements The course will be set in a workshop/field trip environment through which a series of discussions and case studies are carried out. Each student will engage in an environment that they will observe, record, analyze and evaluate. The case study will emphasize one's own ability to draw on her or his senses, as much as on the ability to record, deduct, conclude, question, and verify.   The following topics will be studied through the cases: Site and natural systems Public spaces and place making. Infrastructure transportation and circulation. Built-up typologies - single and mixed use - infill   Participants will be required to keep a sketch/note book, which will be handed in periodically during the semester. A short paper (±5000 words) on a related topic will be required. Possible topics for short paper-   Environmental clues Perceived and measured density Street systems Livable (and memorable) streets Enclosure and sense of place The Human scale Urban nature Topography and sense of place Light, color, sound   Due dates Week 3. Tue Sept. 28 --- Field Observation and Diagnosis Week 5. Tue. Oct. 12 --- Site and natural systems Week 7. Tue. Oct. 26 --- Paper Due Week 8. Tue. Nov. 2 --- Public spaces and place making Week 10. Tue. Nov. 16 --- Infrastructure transportation and circulation Week 13. Tue. Dec. 7 --- Built -up typologies -single and mixed use- Infill Final presentation Exercises: -SCALE -HIERARCHY-TRANSPARENCY -PROGRAM -GOVERNMENTAL -MONUMENTAL -COMMERCIAL-INDUSTRIAL -AGRICULTURAL -CIRCULATION -RELIGION -RESIDENTIAL -PUBLIC-PRIVATE -RECREATION -EDUCATION -HISTORICAL -LIVING -SKYLINE -ROOF-ENTRY -WINDOW -FLOOR -GROUND -WALL -FACADE -STRUCTURE -FACILITIES-FINISH -DECORATION -OTHERS -- ANTHROPOLOGICAL -SOCIOLOGICAL -HISTORICAL-PHILOSOPHICAL -POLITICAL -GOVERNMENTAL -ECONOMICAL -SCIENTIFIC-RELIGIOUS -METHODS -MATERIAL -SITE -CLIMATE

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