What is Urban Design?

Urban design improves the experience, attractiveness, and identity of neighborhoods through their design. Rather than focusing on the design of a specific place, urban design considers how different elements throughout a neighborhood come together to create memorable places.

Elements of Urban Design (8.5" x 11" PDF)

Draft Guiding Urban Design Principles (February 27, 2025)

The neighborhood area planning process uses an urban design framework to better understand what community’s priorities are for accessing and improving neighborhood public places. The framework includes: 1) events and activities to understand and establish urban design priorities; and 2) maps and narrative to document and visualize where new urban design opportunities may be.

	Urban design can help...	Examples of places
Community Gathering Spaces	Foster a sense of belonging and community within these spaces Emphasize these areas as the “heart” of the neighborhood, including for special events	Schools, libraries, community centers, community parks
Parks and Plazas	Offer opportunities for leisure, people- and nature-watching, and exercise Gives people from all backgrounds a place to meet, socialize, and build relationships	Neighborhood parks, pocket parks, playgrounds, sportsfields, gardens
Streets	Enhance a street’s usability and visual appeal Invite more people to hang out on the sidewalk and interact with their neighborhood	Boulevards, local streets, sidewalks, transit stops
Trails and Natural Areas	Highlight wildlife habitat, streams, and other ecological resources Gives people more physical and visual access to nature	Greenways, nature trails, wildlife corridors, wetlands
Neighborhood Art and Identity	Make a neighborhood more memorable and unique Reflect the neighborhood’s community, heritage, and history	Murals, sculptures, signage, gateways