7(b) Downtown Plan Update - Discussion

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devoted largely to automobiles) provided space for social interaction.The orientation of the homes towards the public realm increased security. Mobility for pedestrians was enhanced by the connectivity of the grid. Most importantly,the grid provided a platform that could grow over time as the community matured. The social space of the public realm was created by a design that emphasized the value of that space.The layout and spacing of the buildings created what has been called a "sense-of-place".This is a design technique that also goes back to ancient times. Sense-of-place is easy to understand and identify.A room has a sense-of-place.When you are in a room,it is clear that you a�e in a place.The feature that gives the room this feeling is the walls.Without walls,the room would not exist and there would be no"place". So it is with the public realm.When the buildings on either side of the public space line up and form walls,the public space feels like a room and there is a sense-of-place.The primary design element is to make sure that buildings are properly spaced. If the public space is too narrow because the buildings are too close,the space will feel cramped and the sense-of-place will be lost. If the public space is too vast because the buildings that bound it are too far apart,the effect of the walls will be gone and there will be no sense-of-place. There is a standard design ratio to obtaining sense-of-place.That ratio of the width of the public realm to the height of the buildings must fall between 3:1 and 6:1.This is how that looks in a predominantly residential neighborhood. Public Realm Residential Section The ratio of width should not be less than�3 nor greater than 6� height to maintain a strong sense of place within the public realm. � � � ------�— I i n.�.�� , I � , , ; ___ _ _ � � ---__---- Ll Y°�'��D 2