Study Guide Ch. 6 Site Design Process

Question 1

Site design

Answer 1

Means of implementing broader sustainable design principles

Site design should always balance social/cultural, environmental, and economic considerations

Question 2

Site design should look to accomplish the following objectives whenever possible

Answer 2

- protect the environment from unnecessary impacts (e.g., soil, air, water)
- restore environmentally degraded areas (e.g., habitats, soil, air, water)
- reuse already developed sites (e.g., shopping centers and brownfields)
- build compact, distinctive, walkable places (e.g., smart growth)
- conserve resources (e.g., use of energy, water, building materials)

Question 3

Form-based code

Answer 3

Type of land development regulation that uses the physical form of the built environment as its primary organizing principle.

Used to promote high-quality urban design and - unlike zoning - are not oriented around controlled allowed uses within a given area

Question 4

Floor Area Ratio

Answer 4

FAR
Establishes the ratio between the gross square footage of a building and the size of a lot

1-story bldg covering 50% of a site would have FAR of 0.5
2-story bldg 50% FAR 1.0
1-story 100% FAR 1.0
4-story 50% FAR 2.0

Question 5

Mixed-Use Development

Answer 5

Health, safety, welfare above all else

Question 6

Benefits of Mixed-Use Developments

Answer 6

- provide a distinct sense of place
- encourage sustainability via efficient, high-density development
- mixed uses caters to a diverse public
- density encourages pedestrian activity and use of public transit
- create active public spaces
- greater public safety due to increase in site usage
- conducive to urban in-fill redevelopment and re-use of historic structures

Question 7

Challenges to Mixed-Use Development

Answer 7

- zoning ordinances typically discourage mixed uses
- require complex financing when compared to traditional development
- increased project complexity
- require extensive interdisciplinary coordination
- may entail a more extended or complex development approval process

Question 8

Transit Oriented Development

Answer 8

TOD
Encourages mixed-use, high-density development in areas surrounding multi-modal transportation hubs.

TOD principles state this developments should be located within 1/8 mile of transit hubs in downtown areas, and a 1/2 mile radius around mass transit stations in all other conditions

Note that the area within 1/4-mile of a transit hub are considered to be the “primary” area for TOD developments, with areas between 1/4 to 1/2 mike considered to be a “secondary” area for development.

Question 9

TOD principles

Answer 9

- encourage high-density development
- mitigate urban sprawl
- mix commercial/office and residential areas
- provide housing for all price ranges
- reduce parking requirements
- encourage use of public transit
- create walkable communities and active public spaces

Question 10

TOD complexities

Answer 10

Require significant planning and coordination to execute

Initial research conducted by the design team should establish how the TOD can be integrated into an existing community, the partnerships necessary to create the TOD (e.g., public-private partnership between a property developer and a public transit agency), as well as how the project will be financed

Because TODs are a non-standard form of development they often necessitate the use of design guidelines. These are used to dictate the character of key design elements, thereby helping to foster a sense of place and leading to safe and active public spaces

Question 11

Cluster Development

Answer 11

Do not increase development density on a site
Take the total number of development units allowed on a site and group these units into clusters of greater density, thereby preserving open space
Cluster developments will sometimes be awarded a density bonus to encourage cluster-style development

Question 12

Benefits of cluster development include

Answer 12

- preservation of open space and site character
- protection of critical natural and cultural/historic resources on a site
- reduction of impervious surfaces across the site
- lowered construction costs for streets, utilities and other infrastructure
- reduction in site disturbance/grading
- reduced visual impact of existing communities

Question 13

Conservation Development

Answer 13

Analogous to cluster developments

Focuses development on each parcel as it is being planned so at least 50 percent of the buildable land is set aside as open space. The same number of homes can be built in a less land-consumptive manner, allowing the balance of the property to be permanently protected and added to an interconnected network of community green spaces. This “density-neutral” approach provides a fair and equitable way to balance conservation and development objectives

“Conservation subdivision”

Question 14

Characteristics unique to conservation developments

Answer 14

- begin by identifying primary and secondary conservation areas on a given site
- primary conservation areas comprise lands where development is not typically permitted (e.g., wetlands, floodplains, and slopes exceeding 25 percent)
- secondary conservation areas comprise any other significant cultural and natural features located on site that should be preserved
- the process of identifying primary and secondary conservation areas is known as “conservation mapping”
- after identifying areas for conservation, the remaining part of the property becomes the potential development area

Question 15

Planned Unit Development

Answer 15

PUD
Although sometimes included as part of zoning regulations, planned unit developments are often framed as a variation of traditional zoning practices or “rezoned” special districts

A tract of land that is controlled by one entity and planned and developed as a single development (at once or in stages) over a relatively long period of time (generally between 5-15 years).
Allow the consolidation of multiple parcels into a single master-planned project, often for mixed-use development.
Provide the greater flexibility in meeting the density and land use requirements for the site as a whole and - as such - allow for the protection of environmentally sensitive areas and the creation of walkable neighborhoods, among other benefits

Question 16

Greenfield Sites

Answer 16

Sites that have not been previously developed or extensively graded, or land that is currently being used for agriculture.
Typically provide a variety of ecosystem services, including reduction of stormwater flows, improvements to air and water quality, food production, habitat, and cultural and natural preservation.

Development on greenfield sites should be discouraged whenever possible.

Examples include agricultural fields, pastureland, park lands, and conservation areas.

Question 17

Brownfield Sites

Answer 17

Any previously developed land that is not currently in use, with any redevelopment complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant produced by past site users.

Estimated over 450,000 brownfields in US.

All brownfield sites require a Phase 1 environmental assessment (prior to sale of the property) to determine the past and current site ownership and to identify if any activities took place that would have resulted in site contamination.
Phase 2 study is required to determine the location and remediation of contaminants on site and to establish if future land use restrictions are required.
Development of a brownfield site is therefor a (potentially) complicated process.

Question 18

Benefits of brownfield development

Answer 18

- ecosystem restoration
- protecting and improving public health (via contaminant reduction)
- economic development and job growth
- increasing property values
- creating community amenities and services
- reuse of existing infrastructure
- reduced urban sprawl
- often located adjacent to public transit routes

Question 19

Challenges to Brownfield Development

Answer 19

- extent and location of contamination
- unclear costs and risks to the public and to the property developer
- condition of existing structures on site
- potential lack of access to public infrastructure
- lack of clear ownership/title to land in question
- property market conditions (i.e., many brownfields are located in economically depressed regions)

Question 20

Greyfield Sites

Answer 20

Underutilized or abandoned retail and commercial properties located in urban and suburban areas, and they are typically characterized by large commercial buildings surrounded by parking lots and little or no vegetation.

Although development on greyfield sites can be more costly than greenfield sites, greyfield as are associated with numerous environmental and economic benefits

Question 21

Greyfield development benefits

Answer 21

- ecosystem restoration
- economic development and job growth
- increasing property values
- creating community amenities and services
- reuse of existing infrastructure
- reduced urban sprawl
- often located adjacent to public transit routes
- highly adaptable to accommodating new uses

Question 22

Urban Infill

Answer 22

The practice of developing vacant or underutilized properties within an existing community or urban area, and it is typically more complex and costly than developing a greenfield site.

Note that urban infill projects are most successful when they respect the context of their surrounding neighborhood. As such, infill projects should attempt to match the massing, scale, proportion, or other design attributes of nearby buildings to the greatest extent possible.

Question 23

Benefits of Urban Infill Development

Answer 23

- neighborhood revitalization
- greater sense of community
- economic development and job growth
- providing housing near jobs and services
- adjacent to existing infrastructure, including public transit
- increase the provision of community services and amenities
- decreasing automobile use (i.e., less traffic, pollution, carbon emission reduction)
- transit-oriented development and walkable neighborhoods
- increasing property values
- reduced urban sprawl
- remove/mitigate potential safety hazards

Question 24

Challenges to Urban Infill Development

Answer 24

- restrictive zoning practices that conflict with mixed-use or other redevelopment strategies
- expensive infrastructure upgrades may be required
- parking requirements may be difficult to meet due to existing development patterns
- community opposition to development impacts (e.g., increased traffic from new site users)
- financing may be more difficult to obtain if a project is complex or unique

Question 25

Residential lot types

Answer 25

LARE notes that residential developments benefit from smaller lots with less restrictive setbacks and lot width requirements that allow for an increase allowable lot coverage

Question 26

Deep, narrow lots
Residential

Answer 26

This lot configuration typically results in the garage and front of the house facing the street in order to maximize space behind the house.
This tends to produce unattractive views from the street, and deep, narrow lots provide minimal privacy, as adjacent houses with more than one floor can look into an otherwise private rear yard area.

Question 27

Shallow, wide lots
Residential

Answer 27

Appear large and provide more space between houses because the longest dimensions are parallel to street frontage.
Development costs of shallow, wide lots tend to be higher because there are fewer units per linear foot of road and utilities.
In general, these lots are not considered to be as desirable as deep, narrow lots because they lack any useful yard space.

Question 28

Alley Houses
Residential

Answer 28

Place the garage at the rear of property, facing an alley. Because of this, garages and driveways are absent from the streetscape, resulting in aesthetically pleasing neighborhoods.
Although alleys increase development costs, alley houses can introduce narrower streets and lots to offset the additional cost of the alley.
Note that alley houses are most often found in older neighborhoods.

Question 29

Z-lots
Residential

Answer 29

Refers to a zero lot-line layout in which the house is placed at or near to one property line. Such lots are said to resemble a “z”, hence its name. The z-lot is often slanted relative to the street to increase the appearance of lot width.

Question 30

Conceptual Design Phase

Answer 30

Follows and is directly informed by the process of site inventory and analysis

Question 31

Conceptual Design Process

Answer 31

The first time in a project where a designer begins to determine “what goes where” on the site

Initial phase of the design process

Ideal time to explore, evaluate, and compare various design solutions for a project and site

Relatively basic in nature (exploring alternative design concepts does not require a substantial time investment during the concept design phase)

Adaptation and revision are inherent part of adjusting program to site and in response to client and other stakeholder’s feedback as well as any zoning and development/regulatory standards

Although the concept design process may initially focus on the development of alternatives, it is ultimately one that proceeds towards more specific or detailed decisions

Question 32

Concept Evaluation and Refinement

Answer 32

Begin to adjust large-scale gestures across the site in response to numerous criteria

Transition from site analysis to concept design requires the LA to determine the relevance of site features and their spatial relationships to the proposed program and the project goals and objectives

Site design requires one to understand how arranging and articulating project components (e.g., new buildings, primary circulation paths) will affect the site’s resources and character both now and in the future

Question 33

On-site determinants

Answer 33

- physical conditions (e.g., lot size and shape, steep slopes, microclimatic factors such as wind direction and sun/shade patterns)
- regulations and standards (e.g., zoning codes, building codes and design guidelines)
- open space (to protect natural resources and/or buffer developed areas from hazards such as floods and landslides)
- boundary interface with off-site properties and public infrastructure

Question 34

Off-site Determinants

Answer 34

- neighborhood, community, and regional character
- nuisances (e.g., adjacent highway that produces noise, odors, and undesirable views)
- number and location of site entrances (adjacent streets or transit stops suggest preferred locations for providing access to the site)
- presence of significant views)

Question 35

Concept Plans

Answer 35

First design drawings produced by the landscape architect that are specific to the site

Sometimes preceded by a functional use diagram

Organize the project’s proposed elements approximately where they are to be located on the site, and they tend to identify three key site elements

Question 36

Functional Use Diagram

Answer 36

A drawing that illustrates the relationship between project elements (often site program) without being drawn to scale or in relationship to the site.

Note that functional use diagrams are sometimes referred to as a “spatial relationship diagram”

Question 37

Concept plans identify three key site elements

Answer 37

- open space
- circulation
- development pods/activity zones


Note these elements are drawn in a relatively diagrammatic fashion. Circulation pathways are often portrayed as arrows and/or lines and both open space and development pods are shown as bubbles.

Question 38

Drawn to scale

Answer 38

Detailed info such as specific building information are not addressed at this stage in the design process

Note that the scale of the concept plan determines the amount of detail that can be shown effectively, with the plan’s levels of detail being a function of the size of the project site

Question 39

As a general rule, the following elements appear on concept plans regardless of scale:

Answer 39

Open space: active and passive recreation areas, conservation areas

Buildings

Landmarks: including specimen trees

Vehicle Circulation: streets and site entrances, passenger drop-off areas, parking, loading /service areas

Pedestrian Circulation: walkways, crosswalks, site and building entrances, meeting areas/nodes

Other Circulation: bike paths, public transit stations, lines and stops

Utilities: including easements

Views: prominent/notable views to and from the site

Question 40

Schematic Design

Answer 40

Defines elements of the concept plan - not only through articulating the buildings, walls, parking lots, pathways, and other “hard” and “soft” spaces within each of the general land use areas established in the concept plan - but also through introducing new drawing types such as sections, elevations, and three-dimensional perspectives that may not have been produced during the concept design phase