Principles and practice of urban design: Towards an integrated project assessment model for city planning.

摘要

This thesis explores the theoretical and practical influences on contemporary urban design planning in order to develop a workable methodology and evaluation model for design review. It recognizes that the diverse nature of the urban design field has made it increasingly difficult to find meaningful parameters of design-related impact that relate development policy to specific physical design projects, while at the same time, connecting urban design theory and practice. On the basis of an extensive literature review, the thesis argues that both formal and informal review procedures should have as their basis a set of measurable design attributes which can be related to larger dimensions of planning performance.;The Project Assessment Model (PAM) presented in the final section consists of 45 review criteria grouped into seven design elements. These design elements are further grouped into three performance dimensions that are intended to approximate transpatial qualities which contribute to the liveability of all urban environments. These performance dimensions are: Character and Interest, Contextual Integrity, and Environmental Liveability. A weighting system is also developed so that the PAM can be calibrated to reflect local priorities and interests. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).