Sierra Shamburg: Urban Design

Module 5: Urban Design and Urban Development Urban development has many affects on urban design, some positive, and some have the ability to be negative. There are three different types of Urban development that have changed how designers interact with sites and how they plan out their designs. The first development tactic that has shaped urban design is the Plug-in Method.  The Plug-in method consists of linear design elements that are introduced to the existing area that provide systems of infrastructure acting as connections to surrounding buildings. An example of Plug-in urban development is the design and construction of the National Mall in Washington D.C. The mall is a pedestrian only area that allows people to interact with the area and brings them into the surrounding museums and other facilities surrounding the large pedestrian mall. The mall's design has been altered many times since Pierre L'Enfant first presented the design to President George Washington. Since...

Module 4: Representation of Space, Information, and Design Interventions Representation in media is useful in all design fields as a way to get your point across when showing your design. There are many different ways that projects can be represented using different media techniques to showcase the diverse elements of the design. A few examples of techniques that can be used are perspectives, section drawings, stereo-graphic imagery, panodrop imagery, Utopian or urban acupuncture, and urban systems Geographic Information Systems spatial analysis. Each different technique requires knowledge an practice in order to successfully represent the project.  The Arc De Triomphe in Paris, France, I felt was a good example of an urban design site to choose because there are a lot of different types of analysis and imagery that has already been created due to the drastic nature of how the site cuts through Paris and how the rest of the city was laid out because of it. It's...

Module 3: Influential Urban Design Thinkers-Kevin Lynch Kevin Lynch is a name that every urban designer has heard at least once in their lifetime. For landscape architects, he is seen as one of the most influential urban planner that we have the privilege to following in his footsteps. With his ideologies and understanding of historic design, he was one of the best in the business. Luckily for us, he decided to write down his thoughts and his design processes in multiple books so that we could learn from him and be successful urban planners and designers.  He was born in Chicago, IL in 1918. He started his design career studying at Yale University under the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright, who designed many famous residential structures such as Falling Water, and finished his schooling in City Planning at MIT. After graduating from MIT, He was soon brought on as staff and began teaching, and next got his tenure. Kevin Lynch wrote a published many books wh...

Module 2: Contemporary Urban Design Theories- The social interactions that take place in urban, designed areas are one of the most important reasons why, we as designers, are able to be successful in the design field. How people perceive a space and how they feel in a space is critical knowledge for present designers and future designers as well. Being conscious of human behavior in the public setting will aid in design techniques and create a pleasant space that people will want to be in.  There are many forms of social spaces that I think are well planned and it is noticeable that people like to be in these areas in the cities. For instance, adding a large w ater feature not only draws people to the area on warm days, but the sound of the fountain adds aesthetics and creates a more comfortable space. There is a large fountain and splash pad located in downtown Portland, OR that draws a lot of attention from locals and visitors. The "Teacher's Fountain" provides an...

Module 1: Background of the "Field"- Urban Design is what many large cities are "centered" around. By beautifying public space and allowing the people who these areas were designed for, to interact with the sites and give them a sense of comfort in the big cities is the reason that we, as designers, put a lot of importance on urban design. More often, cities are trying to become more of a haven for the residents and it has made urban design more significant. The cleaning up of urban areas has made the cities a more desirable place to live and it is apparent with rising numbers of population. Overall, urban design has made living in cities a lot more pleasing and comfortable with the added greenery. The added features such as vegetation, paving variations, and water features how made the cities more aesthetically pleasing and it is also helping the cities get away from the concrete jungle vibe.  A city that has had a lot of success with urban design is San Die...

My name is Sierra Shamburg and I'm a grad student in Landscape Architecture. I graduated with a BS from the University of Idaho in May of 2017 and I will be graduating with my MLA in May 2018. My career goals are to work in other countries and develop my skills in foreign relations. I want to be able to make changes in other countries in order to beautify them and create a better lifestyle for the people.