Urban Landscape Elements

Urban Landscape Elements
By Dr Mohammad Hussaini bin Wahab

People value
landscape for many
different reasons, not
all of them related to
traditional concepts of
aesthetics and
beauty.
What is LANDSCAPE?

It encompasses much more than just
the landscape.
It is a collaboration of the landscape
and everything in it - buildings and
structures, people, streets and
walkways, open space, social
spaces, and functional spaces.

• They embody expressive relationships that
mirror changing cultural relationships
between nature and city.
• They are physical relationships with a
potentially powerful role in structuring the city.
• They are social relationships that
demonstrate the value of infrastructure in
making places.
What is URBAN LANDSCAPE?

• AESTHETICS
• Planting or
constructing for
visual pleasure as
well as spiritual
fulfillment
• FUNCTIONAL
• Planting or
constructing for
pragmatic reasons
such as shade,
boundary
statements, buffers,
etc
Functions of a landscape?

What is URBAN ENVIRONMENT?
It can be defined as the multidisciplinary activity of
shaping and managing the urban environment where
it is concerned with both the process of
 shaping the space and
 the effect of the space which is being shape within
the context of place ( Madanipour, 1996).

Tenerife Urban Landscape by Anne Chaffer

Three level of sustainable development within the urban context
Achieving a livable urban fabric is accomplished through the main overlapping
and interconnecting of three levels; the city structure, its urban spaces and local
design.
City structure : Roads, Areas
Urban spaces : Buildings , streets
Local places : Landscape of places /
urban environment
It takes great places to create
great cities
( Project for Public spaces)

A Sustainable Local Place: (Landscape of Places)
How to make such spaces attractive for human use? The sense of place at the local level
stems from its ability to support human activities, through shape and landscape elements.
1. Shape of Places
Shape of places is defined by space edges, facades. Buildings’
facades should offer an active frontage onto places, through adding
interests and vitality. It is better for facades’ openings to overlook places;
the more openings onto places the better for safety, security (Newman),
and liveability (Gehl), hence the space is considered socially sustainable.
Amenity and safety of spaces are accomplished through creating
a desirable view where buildings’ opening overlook to provide good
surveillance of the street and the activity within, thus producing a
safe space, (Newman)
It appears that a variety of land-uses stimulating many activities is a
necessity of a lively street, thus stimulating sustainable places
socially and economically, (Moughtin (street and squares) (2001)

A Sustainable Local Place: (Landscape of Places)
2. Landscape within Places
Landscape nourishes the aesthetic sense, improve air, and add human
scale to spaces between buildings thus altering spaces to places.
Landscape’s basic role in the urban form of cities is directed to create
physical continuity between buildings with different characteristics, and
produce a highly legible space that is easy to understand.
Nature and landscape in the city are significant for improving the quality
of life of life in urban areas and assist sustainable development in every
sense of the word: ecologically, socially and economically.

Landscape elements should primarily relate in its expression,
patterning, levels and visual qualities to the physical characteristics of
places, human scale and activities.
Landscape is mainly divided to three parts the soft, the hard and the
furniture.

Sustainable Urban
Development
City Structure Urban Spaces Local Spaces
Landscape Elements
Landscape Within
Spaces
Shape of Spaces
Hard ElementsSoft Elements
 Nature
Plants, trees etc
 Man-made
Streetscape

• Organic components of
landscape which require
time to mature or
effectual and dependent
on climatic factors.
SOFT LANDSCAPE?

• Non-organic
component of
landscape which is
effectual once it is
constructed and
non-dependent of
climatic factors
HARD LANDSCAPE?

What is street furniture?
• Element that are placed in landscape or streetscape for several purposes.
 Comfort and convenience : benches, kiosks, litter bins, public toilet
 Ornamentation : fountains, sculptures, planters, tree guard
 Communication : phone booth, post boxes, clocks
 Circulation and protection : signs and symbols, bus shelters, railing, bollards
• Street furniture constitute a very important part in any urban setting where it not
only provide aesthetic value, but also provide functional efficiency, create sense of
environmental clarify, as well as a sense of continuity and harmony of the total
urban environment.
• Street furniture can stengthen the link between a development and its surrounding
can personalize the setting, can enhance the positive aspect of the surrounding built
environment.

Landscape Elements / Features:
• Street Planting
• Paths : Bikeway, Pedestrian Way, Five-foot Corridor
• Signage System
• Outdoor Lighting
• Street Furniture : Phone Booth , Seating, Bollard
• Shelter : Kiosk, Bus Pavilion
• Structure: Clock Tower, Observatory Tower
• Sculpture
• Paving
• Landscape Planting
• Pocket Space, Pocket Park
• etc

It is necessary to recognize the interactive relationship between people and
landscaped areas and to connect both elements in a way that optimize each.
a. Encourage people’s use of spaces:
Landscape design should be achieved where increasing community
interaction, hence decreasing social isolation and encouraging various
types of interactions.
b. Support different patterns of activities:
Landscape elements should be designed to be functional thus allowing
easy accomplishment of essential activities with different forms and patterns
to occur.
c. Improve the visual aspects of space:
Landscape act as a screen for objectionable undesired views. Trees and
vegetation are often important in the perceptual image of spaces. The
trunks and branches create screen.
d. Enhance legibility:
Produce a highly legible space that is easy to understand through
landmark, signs and space disposition. Improving the quality and
attractiveness of movement routes as well as reinforcing community identity
through well designed landscape elements as signage and street furniture.

e. A sense of wellbeing:
Produce a safe place protected from various types of pollution,
landscape elements should be safe for human use. The existence of the
soft landscape can help to visually counteract the stress experienced in
cities as a result of traffic, pollution and noise.
f. Provision of high quality imaginable places:
Landscape plays an important role in improving the image of public
transportation through well position, location and designed stops.
g. Enhance human scale:
Landscape elements influence scale of outdoor spaces through
pattern and size.
h. Self belongingness:
Landscape elements that enhance the identity of space: London
telephone box.

The benefits that high quality urban landscape element can
bring include:
• Helping to build a sense of community.
• Reducing crime and anti-social behaviour.
• Promoting tourism.
• Attracting new businesses and help existing businesses.
• Promoting walking and cycling.
• Promoting access to public transport.
• Boosting the morale of communities and individuals.
• Building a sense of ownership and pride in our street
environment.
• Improving accessibility for all.
• Improving levels of highway safety.
• Enhancing the overall townscape.

“Streetscape design in the broadest sense refers to the design
of street, including roadbed, sidewalks, landscape planting and
character of the adjacent building façade or setback”
Source: American Planning Association

Most of the streetscape amenities are located in the curb zone of the
sidewalk. Some intersections points, streetscape is enlarged such as
paving area, planting, public arts, benches, etc

Identify dimension and character

What Makes a Great Place?
PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES
sociability uses & activities
access & linkages comfort & image
Welcoming
evening use
volunteerism
street life
transit usage
parking usage patterns
pedestrian activity
Walkable
Convenient
Accessible
Charm Clean
Attractive
Historic
Safe
building conditions
environmental data
sanitation rating
crime stats
Cooperative
Neighborly
property values
land-use patterns
retail sales
business ownership
Special Real
Fun
Active Vital
Connected
Key Attributes
Intangibles
Measurements
PLACE

The form of the _good city_ should
offer its inhabitants:  
A variety of activities &
experiences.
The best of urban places offer a
mixture of uses: living, working,
shopping & playing all gain from
being linked as opposed to being
zoned & separated, even if narrow
sectoral rules of optimal efficiency
are transgressed.
å 

Access to different activities,
resources, information & places
for all sectors of the
population.
The city should be permeable
to all, regardless of age, ability
or income. It should offer
choices in terms of mobility &
be appropriate to pedestrians &
cyclists as well as car drivers.

Protection & security, together
with shelter &
comfort.
The gains in public health must
be maintained, but new
considerations of surveillance &
safety have also to be
considered.

The opportunity for people to
personalise their
own surroundings.
An environment should
provide private spaces offering
the opportunity for
personal expression & public
spaces robust enough
to accommodate changes by
their users.

Clarity of perception &
stimulation to its users.
Additionally, the city form must
be responsive to the
distribution of activities &
patterns of movement.

When you design your community around people and places
… you get more people and places.

Trees and Planting
Trees enhance our environment. Adding living color, cover and beauty. Bringing
nature to every heart of our cities.
Soft landscape / urban trees planting assists the ecological health of the
environment through the following:
a. Enhancing the microclimate:
1. Noise Abatement
Landscape elements absorb noise. Plants diffract and break up sound
waves, changing their direction and reducing their intensity when sufficiently
massed. To be effective in controlling noise, plants should be used with
masonry walls or similar noise buffering structures.
2. Temperature Modification
Plants raise local humidity by absorbing rainwater and/or delaying it
entering the drainage system, make the ambient temperature more temperate.
Direct radiation from the sun creates uncomfortably high
temperatures.Locating densely foliated trees and shrubs can reduce heat
gain.

3. Wind Control
Plants can modify wind speed on the ground. Dense masses of large
evergreen trees planted can influence energy efficiency of facilities and
increase the livability of outside spaces.
b. Reducing pollution:
Intake of CO2, release of oxygen, filtering of toxins and dust (foliage acts
as an impingement filter, trapping airborne particles until they are washed
away by rain (Borcke, C. (2003)).
c. Glare Control:
Trees, shrubs and other vegetation can effectively reduce glare and
reflection when placed between the light source and the observer.
d. Surface Erosion Control
Wind and water can erode valuable top soil. Plants especially grasses,
can prevent or control erosion by stabilizing the soil through their root
structure. Exposed soil on cut banks and steep slopes should be
immediately planted with grasses and / or native low-growing shrubs and
spreading groundcovers.

Trees and Planting
Plant the largest trees you can afford, with secure stakes
and guards, and grilles to allow water to reach the roots.
Take guidance from specialists on appropriate species
and always keep them well maintained. For town
centres, avoid using 'shrubs in tubs' and planters that
cause obstruction to pedestrians. Hanging baskets
provide an almost instant splash of colour and it is
relatively easy to get sponsorship for their provision. Use
brackets off walls and existing columns as supports.


Signage

Strategies for signage should be included at an early stage in the design
process, as the design of a layout can inﬂuence the need for signage.
Make a place legible
Signage can be a major clutter problem and can often be misleading. Not
infrequently, the only signage provided is for vehicles, so that the stranger on
foot can find himself circulating around one-way systems. The answer
lies in:
 Consistent and coordinated design of these elements over a wide area.
 Making the structure of the place legible so as to minimise the need for signs,
especially those concerned with traffic direction and control.
 Concentrating pedestrian signage in a designed locality at specific nodal points.
 Signage can also be used to enhance place identity.

Signage

Lighting
Lighting columns should be located so that they are not obtrusive or cause
difficulties for people with disabilities. For example, in denser or courtyard
developments wall mounted lighting can be effective.
The location of lights should also
ensure a sufficient spread of light
over the footway, as well as the
street.
The shape and colour of light can
also generate three-dimensional
sculpture, transforming the perception
of a place and dramatically painting its
night landscape.The more light-the more
encouragement of night - time activities.
Civic Center
Englewood,Colorado
Decorative Wall
Sconce
Hanging light
gateway
Street Light
Ottawa
Source:www.pps.org
battery park city lighting
fixture
Quality lighting has
helped bring the
Melaka to life.

Lighting
• Energy usage: quantity and
quality of light
• The visual impact of the
equipment
• Light pollution
• Location of the equipment

Urban Landscape ElementsUrban Design: Streetscape

Lighting

Litter bins
The size, setting and maintenance of litter bins is
important in an effective street cleansing policy. In busy
areas, bins should have a capacity between 80 and 200
litres. They should be sited close to fast food outlets and
where pedestrian traffic is greatest, but not too close to
seats and not directly on pedestrian thoroughfares. Large
bins should be set against the building line, leaving
sufficient sweeping space. A minimum clearance of 1.5
metres is required to allow wheelchair users free
movement.

Bollards
Select a design consistent with other similar items,
such as bases of finger posts (pedestrian direction
signs), supports for railings and traffic signs. They
should not dominate the pedestrian environment but
will need to be around 900mm high in areas where
vehicles are permitted. They can be painted in black
or muted colours, and can have integral or fitted
town plaques.

People with a disability
Groups of people with a disability must always be consulted
regarding the choice of materials and construction in urban
design, as there can be conflicts of interest. Dropped kerbs
for wheelchair users can cause problems for the blind and
partially sighted, who rely on a normal kerb.

Seating
Every seat must be comfortable, robust, vandal-proof
and easy to maintain, in materials sympathetic to
other street furniture. Do not position seats directly
beneath trees or too close to litter bins and ensure
that ground fixings are secure without being visually
intrusive.

Toilets
Public toilets should be available at most hours and
kept properly maintained. Some single, self cleansing
toilets include advertising to subsidise their cost.

Cycle racks
To help reduce pollution in town centres we need to
encourage cyclists and provide racks where cycles
can be secured. There are some good modern
designs available.

Public Arts and Entertainment
Public art, such as sculpture, fountains, murals,
distinctive lighting or other forms, plays a major role in
making a town centre or street distinctive and
memorable. Competitions for art will raise awareness
and many towns have annual street festivals. A good
idea is to identify areas in the town centre that can
provide regular performing art attractions.

WHAT IS ART IN URBAN LANDSCAPE?
 Means of communication
 Commemorating
 Place making
 Landmarks
 Revitalization
 Unifying/coordinating
 Functional/utilitarian
An inscription of identity in an urban
landscape.

Public Arts

Public Arts
Street furniture in Tokyo
One of the most eye-catching aspects of
roppongi hills is its incorporation of public art
and design into the urban landscape.
11 designers contributed to roppongi hills
streetscape project: andrea ranzi, ettore sottsas,
droog design, ron arad, jasper morrison, tokujin
yoshioka, thomas sandell, karim rashid, shigeru
uchida, toyo ito, katsuhiko hibino. the designers
were approached to develop an idea for street
furniture :
'a resting place exploring the images of forest
in urban life'.their works represent a wide variety of
styles, they are thought provoking, highly
interactive and provide visitors with opportunities
for thought and relaxation’.

Bus shelters
The installation of shelters, to protect waiting
passengers from weather and splashing from
vehicles, can be subsidised or wholly paid for by
advertising. They ought to include bus timetable
information, seating and lighting. The new designs
even incorporate facilities such as telephones

Bus Shelter as a Public Art

Paving materials

Paving materials
Significant identity: symbol and
motif
Kuching Riverfront Sarawak

Shibaura Island

IMPLEMENTING A SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPE
To achieve the maximum social, economic and environmental benefit from the use of
landscape elements in urban spaces.

CONCLUSION:
Urban design of cities should attain the three qualities of utility, durability and
ability to bring to the user a sense of well-being and emotional satisfaction.
For places to be well-used & well-loved, they must be safe, comfortable, varied
& attractive. They also need to be distinctive, & offer variety, choice & fun.
Vibrant places offer opportunities for meeting people, playing in the street &
watching the world go by
Support should be given to create public places that are friendly to a variety of
users. Providing footpaths, cycle-ways, street parking and attractive landscape
elements encourages opportunities for spontaneous community interaction.
In the people’s experience of a place, the physical elements, activities and
meanings combined together to form the sense of place and character of a city
( Montgomery, 1998)

REFERENCES:
1. Kevin Lynch’s (1960) ‘Image of the City’ , MIT Press
2. Gordon Cullen’s (1961) ‘Townscape’ ,
3. RELPH E, (1976) : ‘Place and Placelessness’ , Pion Limited (USA)
4. ALEXANDER, C (1977), ‘A Pattern Language’ , Oxford University Press
5. RAPOPORT, A. (1974), ‘Human Aspect of Urban Form’ , Pegamon Press
6. ROWE, C. (1980), ‘Urban Space’ , Academy Editions, London
7. KRIER, R, (1979), ‘On Street’ , Academy Editions, London
8. BORCKE, CHRISTINA VON (2003), “Landscape and nature in the city”,
in Sustainable Urban Design: an environmental approach, Randall
Thomas, editor.
9. CARMONA M. , HEATH T. , TIESDELL S. (2003), “Public Places, Urban
Spaces: The Dimensions of Urban Design”, Architecture Press
10. MOUGHTIN C. , TIESDELL S. (1999), “Urban Design, ornament and
decoration”, Architectural Press, second edition.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION

Urban Landscape Elements

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