Chapters 1 to 11 Combined - Century City

STRUCTURING ELEMENTSIn Century City there are distinctiveelements that give structure to thesite. Some are public environmentcomponents and others are private.The GridThe street and block system (grid) isadopted as the primary structuringdevice for the urban fabric.Place Making ElementsBuildings and open spaces overlay thegrid to add variety and richness tothis basic structure.Linkage SystemStreets perform a greater role thanjust functional corridors for movingvehicles. They are also urban spacesfor people, and primary componentsof the public realm.Pedestrian Oriented EnvironmentPlaces within Century City should bepedestrian oriented to encouragepeople to walk instead of drive. Urbanspaces need to accommodateelements such as sidewalks, canopies,entrances and landscaping to makewalking attractive.PUBLIC ENVIRONMENTCOMPONENTSThe main components of the publicenvironment are the street, squareand park. These can have a variety ofroles, forms, and characteristics.The StreetThe street is a linear urban space, orcorridor, related to both movementand activity. The buildings that facethe street (interface area) create itsenclosure.Streets are organized hierarchicallyaccording to factors such as scale,character and the degree ofconnectivity they provide.The SquareThe square is a multi-dimensionalurban space, or urban “room”.Squares can adopt a variety of sizesand scales and are primarily gatheringplaces for people. Squares have wallsand a floor since the buildings thatsurround the squares create theirenclosure. Squares are also organisedhierarchically, from major urbansquares to small urban courtyards.The ParkThe park is a “green” open space,which fulfils amongst other things, therole of an “urban lung”, providingpassive recreation and psychologicalwell being for people in urban areas.The park also has an important role tosustain flora and fauna. The wetlandand Ratanga island are two majorparks in Century City.STREET AS LINEAR URBAN SPACESQUAREGHANDI SQUARESTREETPARKPLANNING PARTNERS: CENTURY CITY URBAN DESIGN FRAMEWORK October 2005 9 REVISION 1