Urban Design

Urban Design Works

The Urban Design Department delivers services across multiple scales, ranging from a single street to entire cities, ensuring cohesive, context-sensitive urban environments.

1. Visioning & Master Planning

This strategic, high-level capability guides long-term urban development and district planning.

Developing comprehensive, long-term frameworks for large areas, new districts, or complex sites (Urban Design for small areas, City Planning, Rural Planning, Strategic Planning).

Preparing policy documents, zoning overlays (e.g., Form-Based Codes), and design manuals that establish standards for building form, regulations, and development quality for both the private sector and municipal agencies.

Defining high-level objectives for city growth, quality of life, economic development, and sustainable urban outcomes.

Utilizing GIS and urban analytics to develop comprehensive geospatial databases encompassing all required data and analyses.

Using Civil 3D to produce detailed 3D representations of all project elements.

2. Urban Redevelopment & Renewal

Managing change and growth within existing urban areas:

Steering the transformation of underutilized areas while preserving historical character and accommodating contemporary requirements.

Designing dense, mixed-use, and walkable districts centered around public transit hubs.

Analyzing the physical, economic, and regulatory potential of specific development sites.

3. Sustainability & Resilience

Embedding environmental responsibility and climate resilience into urban design:

Integrating green infrastructure, energy-efficient building principles, and prioritizing non-motorized transport.

Managing stormwater runoff through natural systems such as rain gardens and permeable paving.

Designing urban environments for resilience against extreme weather, sea-level rise, and urban heat island effects.

4. Interdisciplinary Integration & Design Review

Acting as a bridge across professional disciplines:

Assessing private development proposals against citywide design guidelines to ensure quality, context-appropriateness, and policy compliance.

Facilitating participatory design processes (e.g., workshops and meetings) to gather public input and build consensus on key projects.

Utilizing urban analytics (GIS mapping, social and economic datasets) to inform design decisions and assess potential project impacts.

Urban Design Process

The urban design process is a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach that shapes the physical environment of cities, towns, and neighborhoods. Depending on project scale and complexity, the process typically follows a sequence of structured phases.
Upon finalization of the Concept Design and receipt of client approval, the Landscape Design process progresses into the following subsequent phases: