JOMO KENYATTA UNIVERSITY OF

AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE

ABA 2402 :URBAN STUDIES

LECTURE 04
URBANISM
URBANISM- DEFINITION
• Urbanism is the study of how inhabitants of
urban areas, such as towns and cities, interact
with the built environment. It is a direct
component of disciplines such as urban
planning, which is the profession focusing on
the physical design and management of urban
structures and urban sociology which is the
academic field the study of urban life and
culture
• The urbanization of
the early 20th
century was
associated with a
rise in central
industrialization,
mixed-use
neighbourhoods,
social organizations
and networks, and
what was described
as the “convergence
of political, social
and economic
citizenship.
• Urbanism can be understood
as placemaking and the creation of place
identity at a citywide level, however as early
as 1938 Louis Wirth wrote that it is necessary
to stop 'identify[ing] urbanism with the
physical entity of the city', go 'beyond an
arbitrary boundary line' and consider how
'technological developments
in transportation and communication have
enormously extended the urban mode of
living beyond the confines of the city itself.
• The city and its citizens are continuously generating data
through smart phones, social networks, apps, and sensors that
measure any aspect imaginable. How can this vast amount of
data be useful in shaping our cities? What patterns does it
uncover? How interconnected is the data we collect and
archive? How do these technologies change how people use
space? What are the unwanted consequences?
 PRINCIPLES OF URBANISM
• The principles of urbanism can be applied
increasingly to projects at the full range of
scales from a single building to an entire
community.
1. Walkability

-Pedestrian friendly street design (buildings close to street; porches, windows &
doors; tree-lined streets; on street parking; hidden parking lots; garages in rear lane;
narrow, slow speed streets)
-Pedestrian streets free of cars in special cases
-Most things within a 10-minute walk of home and work
2. Connectivity

-Interconnected street
grid network disperses
traffic & eases walking
-A hierarchy of narrow
streets, boulevards, and
alleys
-High quality pedestrian
network and public realm
makes walking
pleasurable
3. Mixed-Use & Diversity
-A mix of shops, offices,
apartments, and
homes on site. Mixed-
use within
neighborhoods, within
blocks, and within
buildings
-Diversity of people - of
ages, income levels,
cultures, and races
4. Mixed Housing
A range of types, sizes and
prices in closer proximity
5. Quality Architecture & Urban
Design
Emphasis on beauty,
aesthetics, human
comfort, and creating a
sense of place; Special
placement of civic uses
and sites within
community. Human
scale architecture &
beautiful surroundings
nourish the human
spirit
 6. Traditional Neighbourhood
Structure
-Discernable centre and edge
-Public space at centre
-Importance of quality public realm; public open space designed as civic art
-Contains a range of uses and densities within 10-minute walk
-Transect planning: Highest densities at town centre; progressively less dense
towards the edge.
7. Increased Density
-More buildings,
residences, shops, and
services closer
together for ease of
walking, to enable a
more efficient use of
services and resources,
and to create a more
convenient, enjoyable
place to live.
-New Urbanism design
principles are applied
at the full range of
densities from small
towns, to large cities
8. Green
Transportation
-A network of high-
quality trains
connecting cities,
towns, and
neighbourhoods
together
-Pedestrian-friendly
design that encourages
a greater use of
bicycles, rollerblades,
scooters, and walking
as daily transportation
9. Sustainability
-Minimal environmental impact of development
and its operations
-Eco-friendly technologies, respect for ecology
and value of natural systems
-Energy efficiency
-Less use of finite fuels
-More local production
-More walking, less driving
10. Quality of Life
Taken together these add up to a high quality of
life well worth living, and create places that
enrich, uplift, and inspire the human spirit
 BENEFITS OF URBANISM
1. BENEFITS TO RESIDENTS

Higher quality of life;

• Better places to live, work, & play;
• Higher, more stable property values;
• Less traffic congestion & less driving;
• Healthier lifestyle with more walking, and less
stress;
• Close proximity to main street retail & services;
2. BENEFITS TO BUSINESSES

• Increased sales due to more foot traffic & people

spending less on cars and gas;
• More profits due to spending less on advertising and
large signs; Better lifestyle by living above shop in live-
work units - saves the stressful & costly commute;
• Economies of scale in marketing due to close proximity
and cooperation with other local businesses;
• Smaller spaces promote small local business
incubation;
• Lower rents due to smaller spaces & smaller parking
lots;
3. BENEFITS TO DEVELOPERS
• More income potential from higher density mixed-use projects due
to more leasable square footage, more sales per square foot, and
higher property values and selling prices;
• Faster approvals in communities that have adopted smart growth
principles resulting in cost / time savings;
• Cost savings in parking facilities in mixed-use properties due to
sharing of spaces throughout the day and night, resulting in less
duplication in providing parking;
• Less need for parking facilities due to mix of residences and
commercial uses within walking distance of each other;
• Less impact on roads / traffic, which can result in lower impact fees;
• Lower cost of utilities due to compact nature of New Urbanist
design;
• Greater acceptance by the public and less resistance from NIMBYS;
• Faster sell out due to greater acceptance by consumers from a
wider product range resulting in wider market share
• 4. BENEFITS TO MUNICIPALITIES
Stable, appreciating tax base;
• Less spent per capita on infrastructure and utilities than typical
suburban development due to compact, high-density nature of
projects;
• Increased tax base due to more buildings packed into a tighter area;
• Less traffic congestion due to walkability of design;
• Less crime and less spent on policing due to the presence of more
people day and night;
• Less resistance from community;
• Better overall community image and sense of place;
• Less incentive to sprawl when urban core area is desirable;
• Easy to install transit where it's not, and improve it where it is;
• Greater civic involvement of population leads to better governance
WAYS TO IMPLEMENT NEW
URBANISM
• The most effective way to implement New Urbanism is to
plan for it, and write it into zoning and development codes.
This directs all future development into this form.
• New Urbanism is best planned at all levels of
development:
-The single building
-Groups of buildings
-The urban block
-The neighborhood
-Networks of neighborhoods
-Towns
-Cities
-Regions
 "Only when humans are again permitted to
build authentic urbanism — those cities, towns,
and villages that nurture us by their comforts
and delights — will we cease the despoiling of
Nature by escaping to sprawl" -Andres Duany