The Use of Patterns as an Urban Design Approach

Abstract

Urban design is a complex problem-solving activity that commonly requires the aid of a variety of methods to support the process and enhance the quality of the outcomes. How to help designers with suitable methods to deal with ill-defined urban problems constitutes a major challenge in the urban design domain. In this regard, the use of urban design patterns is considered as a method that can contribute to urban design problem-solving. However, this tool was never investigated to understand its role in the task-related activities that take place during the design process by designers working in a team, and its influence on the creativity of the final design outcome as perceived by urban designers and students. Therefore, an empirical research based on a controlled experiment was carried out to explore the aid provided by design patterns during the conceptual stages of the process. Sixty-three master students working in teams of three were assigned a set of patterns to solve an urban design task. They were requested to use this material to produce as many creative conceptual solutions as possible. At the end of the sessions, they evaluated the creativity of their outcomes, and they completed a questionnaire about the aid afforded by the patterns. The solutions were also assessed by two independent urban designers. The study contributed to gain a better insight into the main design activities derived from the use of patterns as problem-solving tools and to unveil their contribution to urban design. The aid provided by the urban patterns was mainly concerned with task-related activities, and thereafter with team interactions. Overall, the use of patterns was seen to enhance the functionality of the design. Implications for design practice and design education are discussed.

Revisiting Urban Resilience: A Systematic Review of Multiple-Scale Urban Form Indicators in Flood Resilience Assessment

“…Urban form describes the physical layout, design, and spatial organization [10,38]. It encompasses the arrangement of buildings, streets, open spaces, infrastructure, and land uses within a city, as well as the patterns of connectivity and urban density.…”

“…Additionally, spatial planning can promote resilient building designs, facilitate the coordination among flood risk management strategies across different scales, and foster community engagement [25,36]. Urban form, a non-structural spatial planning tool, is one of the main paths that help planners efficiently intervene and change undesirable trajectories in the city system [37][38][39]. It creates a synergistically interconnected and protective tissue that facilitates effective emergency response in the disaster aftermath [40][41][42][43].…”

Integrating Observation and Network Analysis to Identify Patterns of Use in the Public Space: A Gender Perspective

“…The relationship between functionality and urban design was explored by Alexander (1977 , 1979) , who defined a pattern language as a way to analyze prototypical ill-structured urban design problems. He suggested a comprehensive list of standardized solutions to recurring urban uses and design situations that have influenced the way urban spaces are analyzed and designed today ( Casakin, 2018 ). Gehl (1987) investigated environmental patterns and identified three types of human activities in urban places, including the necessary, optional, and social activities.…”