Neighborhood Unit

Prepared By :Tesfu G
1.Introduction
Concept of Neighborhood Unit

The concept of the neighborhood unit, crystallized from

the prevailing social and intellectual attitudes of the
early 1900s by Clarence Arthur Perry (18721944).

It is an early diagrammatic planning

model for residential development in
metropolitan areas

It was designed by Perry to act as a

framework for urban planners attempting
to design functional, self-contained and
desirable neighborhoods in the early 20th
century in industrializing cities
Cont---

The model is an ideal layout for a neighborhood of a

specified population size to provide specific
guidelines for the spatial distribution of residences,
community services, streets and businesses

His concept of the neighborhood unit employed a

variety of institutional, social and physical design
principles, as the separation of vehicular and
pedestrian traffic,
and arterial boundaries demarcating the inwardly
focused neighborhood cell from the greater urban
lattice
 Six Major Principles
1. Institution

A child need not cross traffic streets on the way to

school.

A centrally located elementary school within easy

walking distance, no more than 1 mile (2.4 Km )
from the farthest dwelling and could be achieved
without crossing a major arterial street.

It need suitably grouped about a central point, or

common area.
Cont---
2. Size
Size the neighborhood to sufficiently support a school,
between 5,000 to 9,000 residents, approximately 160
acres ( 64) Hectare at a density of ten units per acre
nearly 40 units per hectare
1 Acre=0.404 Hectare
3. Open Spaces

Constructing a large play area around the building

for the entire community use.

Dedicate at least 10 percent of the neighborhood

land area to parks and open space, creating
places for play and community interaction
Cont---
4. Local Shops
A housewife can walk to a shopping centre to obtain
daily household gifts

Restrict local shopping areas to the perimeter or

perhaps to the main entrance of the neighborhood,
thus excluding nonlocal traffic destined for these
commercial uses that might intrude on the
neighborhood.

Convenient transportation to and from the

workplace
Cont---
5. Boundaries
The unit should be bounded on all sides by arterial
streets, sufficiently wide to facilitate its bypassing by
all through traffic

Major arterials define the neighborhood, rather than

divide it through its heart

6. Internal Street System

Design internal streets using a hierarchy that easily

distinguishes local streets from arterial streets, using
curvilinear street for both safety and aesthetic
purposes. It would discourage unwanted through
traffic and enhance the safety of pedestrians
The Original
Neighborhood concepts
RADBURN MODEL
Radburn, a planned community designed by Clarence
Stein and Henry Wright in 1929

Enclave
The design of the Radburn
Block
neighborhood model was in
essence a hierarchical one Superblock
comprising four levels
Neighborhood.
Radburn and its nested hierarchy

Separate pedestrian
paths run through the
green spaces b/n
the cul-de-sac and
through the central
green spine
Note: the shaded area was not built
 1. Enclave
The fundamental component was an enclave of
twenty or so houses

These houses were arrayed in a U-

formation about a short vehicular
street called a lane, really a cul
de-sac court with access to
individual garages.

While the back of each house

faced this court the front of the
house had a garden

Cul-De-Sac meaning Dead End

 2. Block
Three or more of these enclaves were lined together
to form a block. Enclaves within the block were
separated from one another by a pedestrian pathway
that ran between the front gardens of all the houses.

The blocks, usually four in number, were arranged

around the sides of a central parkway in such a
manner so as to enclose the open green space

SUPERBLOCK

The clustered 5 blocks together with

the central parkway comprised what
Stein and Wright termed a superblock.
Neighborhood
Four to six superblocks commonly formed a
neighborhood that was bounded by major roads or
natural features

At one end of the parkway there could be a small school with

community rooms. Roads in the neighborhood were to be
hierarchical - major through traffic roads to border each
neighborhood, distributor roads to surround each superblock,
and cul-de-sac to provide access to individual property lots.

Stein emphasized that the prime

goal was to design a town for
the automobile age. In fact the
title on the drawing of the town
plan was A town for the motor
age (Stein, 1928).
Overlapping Neighborhood

Although Stein and Wright considered neighborhoods

as each being relatively self-contained they
arranged them in an overlapping manner to support
joint use of facilities such as hospitals, high schools,
and theatres.

They visualized the neighborhood as forming the

building block of the city whereas previously the lot
and the city were the basis for town design.
Character of district. The plan shown in previous slide is based
upon an actual tract of land in the outskirts of the Borough of
Queens.
Population and housing. The lot subdivision provides 822 Single
family houses, 236 double houses, 36 row houses and 147
apartment suites, accommodations for a total of 1,241 families. At
the rate of 4.93 persons per family, this would mean a population of
6,125 and a school enrollment of 1,021 pupils. For the whole tract
the average density would be 7.75 families per gross acre.
Open spaces. The parks, playgrounds, small greens and
circles in the tract total 17 acres, or 10.6 percent of the
total area.
Community center. The pivotal feature of the layout is the
common, with the group of buildings that face upon it.
These consist of the schoolhouse and two lateral
structures facing a small central plaza. One of these
buildings might be devoted to a public library and the
other to any suitable neighborhood purpose. Sites are
provided for two churches, one adjoining the school
playground and the other at a prominent street
intersection.
Shopping district. Small shopping districts are located at each of
the four corners of the development. The streets furnishing access
to the stores are widened to provide for parking, and at the two
more important points there are small market squares, which
afford additional parking space and more opportunity for
unloading space in the rear of the stores. The total area devoted to
business blocks and market plazas amounts to 7.7 acres.
Street system. In carrying out the unit principle, the boundary
streets have been made sufficiently wide to serve as main traffic
arteries. One of the bounding streets is 160 feet wide, and the other
three have widths of 120 feet. Each of these arterial highways is
provided with a central roadway for through traffic and two
service roadways for local traffic separated by planting strips.
Thank You
 Harari National Regional State

Aboker Local Development Plan

Urban Design Proposal

Prepared By :Prime Consultants Plc.

May, 2007
Definition:
New Urbanism is an approach to designing
cities, towns, and neighborhoods emerged during
the late 1980s and early 1990sto reduce traffic and
eliminate sprawl.

It is an international movement to reform the design

of the built environment by raising the quality of
life & standard of living by creating better places to
live.

New Urbanism is the re-ordering of the built

environment into the form of complete cities, towns,
villages, and neighborhoods by fixing and infilling
cities, as well as the creation of compact new
towns and villages.
Overall Mission
The overall mission of Aboker Local development
plan ( LDP) is:
Guidlines
The following guiding principles are considered in the
urban form design of the Aboker district:
Overall Mission
The principles of New Urbanism can be applied at the
full range of scales from a single building to an entire
community

1. Walk ability

Most things within a 10-minute walk of home and work

Pedestrian streets free of cars in special cases

Design (buildings close to street

Tree-lined streets; on street parking; hidden parking lots;

garages in rear lane; narrow, slow speed streets
2. Connectivity

Interconnected street grid network disperses

traffic &eases walking
A hierarchy of narrow streets, boulevards, and alleys
Highquality pedestrian network and public
realm makes walking pleasurable

From light gray to dark, streets become less permeable to an

increasing number of transport means such as trucks, busses, cars
and bikes until only pedestrians have access to the narrowest,
steep or stepped streets.
3. Mixed-Use & Diversity
Legibility: A clear and simple development pattern
within to enable residents and visitors t understand how
an area is organized and to make their way around by
providing
Diversity: provide for diversity and choice through a mix
of compatible housing and building types and land
uses 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
 6. Traditional Neighborhood Structure
Public realm
Public space at center
Importance of quality public realm; public open
space designed as civic art
Contains a range of uses and densities within 10-
minute walk
Cont
Transect planning:
Highest densities at town center; progressively less
dense towards the edge.
The transect is an analytical system that conceptualizes
mutually reinforcing elements, creating a series of
specific natural habitats and/or urban lifestyle settings.
The Transect integrates environment & habitat with
zoning methodology for community design.
The professional boundary between the natural and
man-made disappears, enabling environmentalists to
assess the design of the human habitat to support the
viability of nature.
This urban-to-rural transect hierarchy has appropriate
building and street types for each area along the
continuum.
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. Smart Transportation
A network of high-quality trains connecting cities,
towns, and neighborhoods together
Pedestrian-friendly design that encourages a
greater use of bicycles,rollerblades,scooters, and
walking as daily transportation
 9.Sustainability

Minimal environmental impact, Eco-friendly

technologies, 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.
Hammarby Sjostad
BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT
Hammarby Sjostad is a district in Stockholm, Sweden
adjacent to the downtown
It was a Brownfield site that developed to a
sustainable neighborhood from 1996 to 2012
It accommodates approximately 20,000 people in
9000 Housing units in 200 Hectare plots of land
It provide 200,000 square meters of commercial
space in addition to the wide range of educational,
Cultural and recreational programs
Cont
The Hammarby Model
is a balanced, closed-loop urban metabolism,
accounts for the unified infrastructure of energy,
water and waste. The presence of urban-scaled
density, access to multiple modes of transit with an
emphasis on natural systems

41 persons/ hectare 133 persons/hectare

Hammarby Sjostad Site
It is situated along the lake (Sjo) Hammarby, and its
name literally means Hammarby Waterfront Town
 Design Approach
Overall Mission

The overall mission of Hammarby Sjostad is to

create an urban district which would be twice as
good in terms of reduced environmental impact, and
which would use half of the amount of energy used in
a typical development

In achieving its mission as an international model of

sustainable development, its main goal includes:
Decontaminating Brownfield land,
provisions for public transit,
recycling programs for water and waste, and
Zero impact energy consumption for its residents
 Design Approach
Main Design theme idea

This objective provides a framework for promoting

socially and environmentally sustainable
developments.

The program areas include:

Providing adequate shelter for all,
improving human settlement management,
promoting sustainable land-use planning and
management,
promoting the integrated provision of environmental
infrastructure: water, sanitation, drainage and solid-waste
management,
promoting sustainable energy and transport systems in human
settlements, promoting human settlement
 Urban Design Theory

To realize it mission the professionals involved in the

development Hammarby Sjostad has adapted the
urban design theories of New Urbanism, Transit
Oriented Development, and Smart Growth into its core.

1. New Urbanism principals

New Urbanism principals are found in the projects

approaches towards achieving sustainability. These
strategies are:
minimum impact development, eco-friendly
technologies, and value of natural systems,
energy efficiency, less use of finite fuels, more local
production, and increase walking and reduced
automobile dependency
 Cont
2. Transit Oriented Development (TOD)
Theory is applied in the transportation infrastructure
dimension of the project. This is an urban design theory
which focuses on sustainable urban living as based on
a medium density living being connected to public
transport systems.

3. Smart Growth Theory

The Theory is applied to the project by focusing on
concentrating urban growth in city centers by
planning and transportation systems to avoid urban
sprawl. The theory advocates for compact urban
development, TOD, walk ability, and mixed
development land use planning
Social Goals

The creation of a more sustainable urban

metabolism has the potential to greatly increase
short and long term economic efficiency for both
government and the private sector.

Equity
Although the target goal of Hammarby Sjostad is to
achieve a desired ratio of 50:50 percent rentals to
owner-occupied apartments, it has not been achieved
to date. Instead, social critics point to the fact that
Hammarby Sjostad is not proactively addressing the
existing problems of socio-economic segregation in
the city of Stockholm
Approaches to Architecture
and Site Design
 Architectural Design Approach
Hammarby Sjstad is a modern, semi-open, block-
based city, with a combination of a closed and
traditional inner city with more modern planning.
Density mix is integrated with openness, waterfront
views, parks and sunlight.
The design is intentionally urban rather than suburban,
and follows standards for Stockholms inner city in terms
of :
street width 18meters
Block sizes 70x100m, density, and land use.
The scale of development varies from 4 to 5
storey buildings along Sickla canal and 6 to 8
storey buildings along the main corridors
Cont..
a new architectural style that responds to its specific
waterside context, promotes the best of contemporary
technology and follows modern architectural
principles of maximizing light, and views of the water
and green spaces

Limited building depths, recessed penthouse flats,

large balconies and terraces, big windows, flat roofs
and light colors on water-facing faades are examples
of the different applications of this modernistic
architectural

apartments with balconies provide for overlooking

onto the streets, waterfront walkways and open
spaces. Many of these apartments also follow a
semi-open block form, thus providing open access to
the designed courtyards of the residential blocks
Cont..

The main spine of this new district is a 37.5m wide

boulevard and transport corridor, which connects key
transport nodes and public focal points, creating a
natural focus for activity and commerce

The ground floors of nearly all the buildings along this

stretch have been designed as flexible spaces, suitable
for retail, leisure or community use. To enable retail use,
these buildings have high floor to ceiling heights
Additional opportunities for commercial uses are also
provided through the intermittent placing of two-storey
pavilions along the canal.

Businesses that have located in this neighborhood

have included fashion, electrical, interior, health and
beauty, book and flower shops, cafs, restaurants and
bars.
 Landscape
A network of varied parks, green spaces and
walkways runs through the district to provide a
counterbalance to the dense urban landscape. Green
surfaces and trees that have been planted help to
collect rain water locally instead of having it drain
into the sewage system. The vegetation will also filter
the pollutants from this storm water runoff and ensure
cleaner air.
Cont.
Approaches to the Environment
Energy
The total energy supply for the community that will serve
30,000 people living and working in Hammarby
Sjostad will be based only on renewable sources.
The electricity content will be based on
solar cells,
hydropower and
Bio fuel technology.
Approaches to Transport
Hammarby Sjostad has a diverse system of
transportation to serve its residents.
The light rail link (Tram) infrastructure has been
developed with four stops in the heart of Hammarby,
which connects directly to the underground network of
Stockholm.
Approaches Public Realm
Hammarby Sjostad has provided its residents with the
necessary Institutional spaces.
Preschool and elementary school facilities.
a retirement home on the banks of Sickla Kanal,
Health care facilities are provided in the area.
A boat-based vaccination facility permanently
moored.
wide commercial and retail offering, in addition to
the usual convenience goods outlets
There are around 100 mooring places for small boats
along the Sickla canal.
A sports hall .
Cont
library and a new culture and theatre centre is being
built in.
the lake is used for swimming, while in the winter,
educational courses and cultural activities, mainly
for children and youth, which houses theatrical venues,
Thank You