Comprehensive Urban Planning: City Components and Residential District Design

Introduction to Urban Planning and the City Concept

  • Course and Faculty Information

    • University: Assiut University, Faculty of Engineering.
    • Department: Department of Architectural Engineering.
    • Instructors:
    • Dr. Essam El-Din Mohamed Ali: Professor of Architecture and Urban Planning.
    • Dr. Reem A. Wa’eth Amjad: Lecturer in the Architecture Department.
    • Subject: Urban Planning Course (22) – Planning a Residential District.
    • Lecture Title: Introduction to the City and its Components (Lecture 22).

  • Definition of the City

    • The city represents a "container" that holds various human activities for its inhabitants.
    • It is formed as a result of continuous and reciprocal interaction between humans and their surrounding urban environment.
    • Living Organism Analogy: Planners view the city as a living organism that is born, grows, matures, and may eventually age or deteriorate. It undergoes organic life stages similar to a human being.

  • Basic Elements of a City

    • Based on human activities and needs, the city consists of the following elements:
    • Residential Areas: Defined as the zones allocated for housing.
    • Service Centers: Public services provided to the population.
    • Transport Network: The road and path systems (Transport Net–Work).
    • Recreational and Green Areas: Parks and open spaces.
    • Work Zones: Categorized as Administrative, Industrial, etc.

Hierarchical Levels of City Planning and Services

  • The Gradation of Planning Units

    • Residential planning units have emerged in a hierarchy of sizes. Smaller units aggregate to form larger units.
    • Each hierarchical level or planning level has a corresponding level of services.
    • Purpose of Hierarchy: This system achieves "Residential Gradation" and "Service Gradation" across the city, facilitating better administrative control.

  • The Residential Gradation (From Smallest to Largest)

    • Residential Room: Defined by the occupancy rate (nn persons per room).
    • Residential Unit: Typically for a family (4−54-5 individuals, representing the average family size).
    • Residential Building: Houses approximately 40−6040-60 individuals (in medium-sized apartment buildings).
    • Residential Cluster / Block: Houses approximately 180−200180-200 individuals.
    • Residential Site (Site): Houses 500−1000500-1000 individuals.
    • Residential Neighborhood (Majaura): Houses between 3,0003,000 and 10,00010,000 individuals.
    • Residential District (Al-Hayy): Houses between 25,00025,000 and 40,00040,000 individuals.
    • Residential Sector (Sector): Found in large cities, comprising multiple districts.
    • The City: The final aggregate level.

Detailed Planning Units and Standards

  • The Residential Sector

    • Not necessarily required in every city; usually found in large cities with a population exceeding half a million (500,000500,000) people.
    • It consists of several residential districts.
    • Houses large-scale services that districts cannot accommodate alone, such as technical institutes, specialized secondary schools, and seasonal services.

  • The Residential District (Al-Hayy)

    • The city or sector is divided into a group of residential districts.
    • Composition: Each district consists of a group of neighborhoods, services, and main streets connecting them.
    • Population Standard: The standard size is between 25,00025,000 and 40,00040,000 people.
    • Optimal Size: Some planners consider 30,00030,000 as ideal. It can reach as low as 15,00015,000 in specific cases.

  • The Residential Neighborhood (Majaura)

    • The smallest planning unit with a minimum level of self-sufficiency and daily self-reliance.
    • Designed to evoke a sense of neighborliness and safety, where through-traffic is discouraged.
    • Population Standard: Ranges from 3,0003,000 to 10,00010,000 people, with an optimal population of 5,0005,000.

  • The Residential Site (Site)

    • Formed of small groups of residential buildings.
    • Features services requiring maximum safety and proximity to housing, such as:
    • Local Mosque.
    • Nursery / Kindergarten.
    • Children’s playground.
    • A neighborhood is composed of several aggregated sites.

  • Clusters and Residential Blocks

    • Cluster: A small group of buildings gathered around a garden or open residential space. This is known as "Free Distribution/Free Layout."
    • Residential Block: A large piece of land surrounded by streets on all sides, divided into construction plots. This is the "Land Subdivision" method.

Preliminary Studies for Residential District Sites

  • Site Analysis Components

    • Initial studies must include:
    • Physical Characteristics: Site constraints, accessibility, and environmental aspects.
    • Basic Requirements: Public utilities, transportation networks, and economic infrastructure.
    • Demographics: Social composition and economic activities.
    • Urban Characteristics: Housing levels and service availability.
    • Other factors: Pollution sources, natural hazards, and development policies.

  • Physical and Natural Characteristics

    1. Constraints in Master Plans: Determining the site based on the city's local structural plan, including the district’s position within the city, main connecting roads, area, and population capacity.
    2. Boundaries:
      • Natural: Rivers, canals, mountains, and valleys.
      • Urban: Existing and proposed transportation routes, and surrounding uses (recreational, industrial, etc.).
      • Boundaries must not obstruct development or visually/physically isolate parts of the district.
    3. Topography and Surface Features:
      • Studied via contour lines to understand elevations, slopes, and directions.
      • Impact on planning: Aims for minimum excavation (cut) and filling (fill) to remain economical.
      • Influence on blocks: Blocks can be planned parallel or perpendicular to contours depending on slope intervals.
      • Steep slopes are avoided as they hinder water and sewage network implementation and increase road construction costs.
    4. Soil Studies:
      • Soil layers are studied (e.g., every meter down to 15 m15\,m depth).
      • Determines: Land leveling feasibility, suitability for agriculture, soil bearing capacity (kg/cm2kg/cm^2), and foundation depth.
      • Differences in foundation: Ground with high bearing capacity allows for shallow foundations/pads; weak soils require deep piles (piling) to reach stable strata.
    5. Groundwater:
      • Determining groundwater and seepage levels.
      • High levels may make basement construction impossible or uneconomical and can interfere with sewage networks.
    6. Natural Hazards: Assessing risks of floods, heavy rains, or high tides. Proper drainage systems must be professional and pre-studied if the site is near flood-prone paths.
    7. Climatic Characteristics: Studying temperature, humidity, wind patterns (especially dust-bearing winds), solar radiation, and rainfall at regional and local levels.

Social and Economic Characteristics

  • Social Composition

    • Population totals and family structures (nuclear vs. extended) dictate the types of housing and services needed.
    • District profiles (e.g., high child populations) prioritize primary and preparatory schools within the district.
    • Data is gathered from national, regional, and local databases as well as reconnaissance studies.

  • Demographic and Socio-Economic Metrics

    • Includes education levels, income/expenditure rates, and car ownership rates.
    • Example Metric for Economic/Middle Class: 55 cars per 10001000 people.
    • Area Standards:
    • District Area: Approximately 450450 feddans.
    • Neighborhood Area: Between 5050 and 8080 feddans.

Urban Characteristics and Service Standards

  • Land Use Allocation Percentages

    • Residential Area: 50%−65%50\% - 65\%
    • Services Area: 10%−15%10\% - 15\%
    • Green Spaces: 10%−15%10\% - 15\%
    • Roads/Infrastructure: 20%−25%20\% - 25\%

  • Housing Levels and Plot Sizes

    • Excellence/Premium (Moyameen): Plot size 300−500 m2300-500\,m^2. Density: 90−12090-120 persons/feddan.
    • Villas (22 floors): Plot size 600−700 m2600-700\,m^2.
    • Upper-Middle Class: Plot size 400−600 m2400-600\,m^2 (buildings with 55 floors, 22 apartments per floor). Density: 120−160120-160 persons/feddan.
    • Middle Class: Plot size 250−400 m2250-400\,m^2 (buildings with 55 floors, 22 apartments per floor). Density: 170−210170-210 persons/feddan.
    • Economic/Low Income:
    • Plot size 100−140 m2100-140\,m^2 (buildings with 33 floors, 22 apartments per floor).
    • Plot size 180−220 m2180-220\,m^2 (buildings with 33 floors, 22 apartments per floor).
    • Density: 210−250210-250 persons/feddan.

  • Service Center Areas

    • City Center: 6060 feddans.
    • District Center: 3030 feddans.
    • Large Neighborhood Center: 1414 feddans.
    • Medium Neighborhood Center: 1111 feddans.
    • Small Neighborhood Center: 88 feddans.
    • Residential Site Group Center: 0.60.6 feddans.

Road Network Hierarchy and Design

  • Road Categories and Widths

    • Ring Road: Width of 100 m100\,m. Includes multiple lanes, medians, and wide sidewalks.
    • Arterial Road: Width of 60 m60\,m. Includes several lanes and medians.
    • Collector Roads: Width of 30−40 m30-40\,m. Includes parking lanes, medians, and traffic lanes.
    • Local Roads: Width of 12−20 m12-20\,m. Includes lanes with parking and sidewalks (2.5 m2.5\,m wide).
    • Feeding/Service Roads: Width of 6−12 m6-12\,m. Features narrow vehicle lanes (3.5 m3.5\,m) and small sidewalks (1.25 m1.25\,m).

  • Road Section Components

    • Standard widths include components like sidewalks, waiting/parking lanes, travel lanes, and central islands (medians) of varying widths (e.g., 2.5 m2.5\,m islands, 7 m7\,m lanes, etc.).