Draft Urban Design Guidelines for Regional NSW

Street scene showing level footpath, shade treas, shade umbrella and lots of seatingRegional and rural areas of NSW have a higher percentage of older people, particularly in areas popular with older tree-changers and sea-changers. So the draft Urban Design Guidelines for Regional NSW should take this into account. The seven objectives in the draft guidelines are: Better Fit, Better Performance, Better for Community, Better for People, Better working, Better value, and Better look and feel. They are explained in detail and will typically apply to the public realm, town centres, infill developments, and greenfield developments. This 90 page guide also includes a useful profile of each region. The website has a FAQ sheet and a webinar on good urban design in the regions.  

Each of the design objectives would benefit from an overlay of universal design concepts. The document explains that “Design draws together many fields of expertise … [with] often competing requirements … that meets the needs of many and diverse groups”.  A universal design approach automatically draws these groups together. However, such an approach is left up to individual councils.

Note: These draft guidelines were open for public comment during 2018-2019, but they are still in draft form. 

Universal Design the Singapore way

Front cover of the Universal Design Guide for Singapore.The Singapore Government is committed to universal design throughout its building code. The Building and Construction Authority’s Universal Design Guide for Public Places was developed under Singapore’s Successful Ageing project. You can download each chapter separately from the website:

    1. Introduction to user needs
    2. Arriving at the building
    3. Access around and within the building
    4. Sanitary facilities
    5. Wayfinding and information systems
    6. Facilities and elements within the building
    7. Family-friendly facilities

Chapters cover public transport buildings, eating outlets, supermarkets and retail outlets, parks and open spaces, and community clubs. There is also the Code on Accessibility in the Built Environment.

The Universal Design Guidelines for commercial buildings is presented clearly with many illustrations and drawings. This is a comprehensive guide that goes beyond basic accessibility requirements of previous guidelines. Access consultants can compare this document with the Australian Access to Premises Standard. 

Singapore is keen to progress universal design, and the Building and Construction Authority heads up their webpage with an encouraging title – “Friendly Built Environment”. 

Guide to Universal Design index (UDi) 2022

The UDi guide assists architects, designers and building owners understand the framework, procedures and applicability of the UDi. The guide provides explanatory notes and photo examples to enhance awareness and understanding of the listed user-friendly features in the UDi checklist.

 

Health and wellbeing by design

A young man is in the middle of a residential street. He looks like he is jumping or dancing.We shape our building and thereon, they shape us is an oft quoted Churchill saying. I wonder if he knew how much they also shape our health and well-being. Koen Steemers’ article on this topic outlines the definition of wellbeing and health and the implications for architecture. He also provides “rules of thumb” for design based on extensive research. Steemers acknowledges there is no one-size-fits all for healthy design. So the aim is to optimise every aspect wherever possible. It is interesting to note that he puts accessible housing into the list as a must. Architecture for well-being and health is a very comprehensive and readable guide for the built environment professions. 

Sydney Ideas Festival also covered this topic, Room for improvement:cities housing and health

“Whether people are healthy or not, is determined by their circumstances and environment. To a large extent, factors such as where we live, the state of our environment, genetics, our income and education level, and our relationships with friends and family all have considerable impacts on health …” World Health Organization: The determinants of health.

 

Placemaking Toolkit

Children play with bubbles in urban area.Designing public space is not only for trained professionals. Because the Placemaking Toolkit shows how community groups and residents can do their own place make-over. The Toolkit is for community-driven, low-cost public space transformation. With the support of local government anyone can change a neglected space in their neighbourhood into a clean and safe play area or park.

This Guide is especially relevant for developing countries and remote communities in any country. The Guide is from the Public Space Network and includes case studies at the end. The introduction includes criteria for a good public space.

What makes a good public space?

1. Accessibility: Public spaces shall be well-connected to other places frequently used by people. They should be easy to get to, easy to enter, easy to move around, free and/or affordable for the vast majority.

2. Comfort: The place shall be kept clean and contain elements enhancing the comfort for its users. These can be seating facilities and dustbins painted in colours, and greenery (trees, loan, flowers) providing shade.

3. Safety: The space shall be well visible without any obstruction that could provide a hiding space for criminal activities. The space should be free of any illegal activities and the presence of motorized traffic shall be limited to avoid injuries.

4. Active use: Spaces become places when people use them. In an always empty space, people may not feel safe or comfortable. To encourage its social function, the place shall offer a wide variety of activities that can interest various types of users. The activities may include sport and leisure activities, such as space for boardgames and team sports, playground for children as well as a regular organization of community events – such as sports tournaments, concerts, fairs etc.

5. Walkability: Good public spaces provide opportunities for people to walk safely with minimal interruption from vehicles and other motorized transport.

Placemaking Europe

placemaking Europe logo. Yello background with a drawing of a hammer and nail.There’s another toolbox with extended resources from Placemaking Europe. It’s an open source collection of placemaking guides and manuals with lots of pictures. 

“The Placemaking Europe Toolbox is a collection of curated placemaking resources for all to access, learn from, and practice.”

 

Smart Cities for All Toolkit

cover of Smart Cities for All Toolkit.How smart can a smart city be? ‘Smart’ is everything from the footpath to the website. So not so smart if it doesn’t include everyone and join the dots between all the factors that make a city a city.  With digital transformations happening worldwide, the aim of the Smart Cities for All Toolkit is to eliminate the digital divide and improve urban environments for everyone. 

The main part of the toolkit, the Inclusive Innovation Playbook, is detailed and aimed at a policy and planning level. Stakeholder participation and inclusion is an essential theme. Case studies assist with understanding. There is a helpful checklist at the end of the Playbook.

There’s a lot to digest, but this means it isn’t a cursory overview with simplistic solutions. It goes much deeper than a digital accessibility checklist. This is about joining the dots across city assets and leveraging them for everyone’s benefit. Other sections of the toolkit cover: 

    • Toolkit Overview
    • Guide to adopting an ICT accessibility procurement policy
    • Implementing priority ICT accessibility standards
    • Communicating the case for stronger commitment to digital inclusion in cities
    • Database of solutions for digital inclusion in cities

“The toolkit supports a range of organizations and roles related to Smart Cities, including government managers, policy makers, IT professionals, disability advocates, procurement officials, technology suppliers, and developers who design Smart City apps and solutions.

Each of the tools addresses a priority challenge identified by global experts as a barrier to the digital inclusion of persons with disabilities and older persons in Smart Cities.”  See also Smart Cities for All: A Vision

James Thurston of 3Gict came to Sydney in 2019 and discussed the issues and solutions in his keynote presentation in the video below.

5 Pillars of a Smart City

Head and shoulders of James Thurston. He is wearing a light blue shirt and glasses and smiling to the camera.James Thurston is G3ict’s Vice President for Global Strategy and Development. He previously worked for Microsoft, so he knows the territory well. His keynote presentation at UD2021 Conference showed that technology is improving but it’s not inclusive. Cities have to do a lot more if we are to meet the challenges of the digital world.

He lists the five pillars as:

      1. Strategic Intent: inclusion strategy and leadership
      2. Culture: citizen engagement and transparency
      3. Governance & Process: procurement and partnerships
      4. Technology: Global standards and solution development
      5. Data: Data divide and solutions

Six Feelings Framework for Autism

A sense of belonging is an aspect of universal design not often discussed. However, when it comes to including people with autism in plans and designs, it’s a very important element. But what’s the best way to include people with autism/autistic people in the planning process? An article in the American Planning Association magazine provides some answers based on the Six Feelings Framework   

When Every Day Is Sensory Overload

Six Feelings Framework

1. Feel connected – because they are easily reached, entered, and/or lead to destinations.
2. Feel free – because they offer relative autonomy and the desired spectrum of independence.
3. Feel clear – because they make sense and do not confuse.
4. Feel private – because they offer boundaries and provides retreat.
5. Feel safe – because they diminish the risk of being injured.
6. Feel calm – because they mitigate physical sensory issues associated with autism.

The  Autism Planning Design Guidelines covers urban design, retail, parks, campuses and more. It’s by the American Planning Association and it’s got everything in detail. There’s a webinar on the topic too (see below). The guide is underpinned with the Six Feelings Framework.   

The guide is based on extensive research and it is recommended that:

    • City and regional planners activity accommodates people with autism in their public involvement process.
    • City and regional planners implement autism standards building on this 1.0 attempt into their zoning and design guidelines, and consider policy changes.
    • Professionals in affiliated fields who have concern over the public realm test, retest, and improve the ideas in this toolkit.
    • Civil engineers retrofit infrastructure around the Six Feelings Framework.
    • Real estate developers who are designing master planned communities consider the Six Feelings Framework in their plans. 
  • Planning with people with autism

An American Planning Association magazine has an article about planning with people with autism/autistic people. The first part of the article describes some of the everyday things that can cause anxiety. For example waiting for a bus that doesn’t arrive on time, or two come at once. This can result in confusion followed by poor decision-making for a short time afterwards.

The article tells the story of a group of planners, researchers and community stakeholders working with people with autism/autistic people. People on the autism spectrum aren’t all alike so the group had to find a way to include as many people as possible.

Preparing and facilitating the event

The first step is to think carefully about how to facilitate more inclusive public meetings and workshops and hear the voices of this overlooked group. Many people with autism process information differently to the neurotypical population and have different ways of expressing their thoughts. 

Large public events can be loud, distracting with overlapping conversation and too many ideas to take in at once. Smaller focus groups are a better way to go with. The key points in the American Planning Association article, When Every Day is Sensory Overload are:

Preparation

    • Learn about autism – ask professionals in the field
    • Choose the right venue – no flickering lights or unusual colour
    • Familiarise participants with the space before the event – photos, floor plans, directions, quiet spaces
    • Establish quiet rooms – signage to quiet rooms from the main meeting place

At the meeting

    • Keep visuals ready – photos help focus participants
    • Encourage a range of sharing methods – let participants share they ideas in their own way

After the meeting

It is likely that some participants won’t be able to participate as much as they would like. Or they might come up with ideas after the event. Participants should be encouraged to connect with facilitators by email.

The article concludes with the Six Feelings Framework and a link to the Autism Planning and Design Guidelines from the American Planning Association. Or you can link to a copy from the Ohio State University. There is also a webinar on the guidelines.

There are more articles on designing with autism in mind on this website. Use the search facility on the left hand menu.

Systems audit for wayfinding

wayfinding-design-guidelines-department-of-housing-and-public-The Wayfinding Systems and Audit checklist provides guidance for designing wayfinding systems. Included is the application of tactile ground surface indicators (TGSI), signage and graphic communication, auditory communication, maps and more. Although it was published in 2007, most of the information remains relevant. While emerging considerations for people with dementia are not included, it is a good guide for getting started. There is a mix of Australian Standards, thoughtful design, and end user convenience. Wayfinding is often considered as just signage instead of site or building legibility. So it’s often afterthought applied to designs instead of being integrated into the design process in the early stages. 

Published by the CRC for Construction Innovation, supported by the Queensland Government. The CRC came to an end in 2009. The Australian Standard for Wayfinding (AS1428.4.2) was updated in 2019.

The Victorian Department of Health also has a useful wayfinding checklist for hospitals and health facilities. 

Universally designed leisure facilities

A walkway entrance at a universally designed leisure facility has a big green sign that has icons showing lots of different user groups. Universally designed leisure facilities.What does washroom and change room design have to do with social justice? Darryl Condon answers this question in a Pools and Leisure Magazine article. He has a good grasp of all the relevant design issues across the diversity and inclusion spectrum for universally designed leisure facilities.

The advice and information is explained using a universal design approach, which makes it relevant to other public facilities. Condon lists five design strategies that designers can take away. At the end of the article he advises that with any new facility, a diverse group of users should be consulted. A very thoughtful article in this international magazine published via issuu. It has other articles of interest to designers and architects.

The article, Designing for Inclusivity: Strategies for universal washrooms and change rooms in community sport and recreation facilities, is on page 48. Pictures and graphics are a nice addition.

The article begins: “What does washroom and change room design have to do with social justice? A great deal. As architects, we must consider the social impact resulting from all aspects of our work. Universal washrooms and change rooms are increasingly crucial in the design of recreation and sport facilities and are one element in our approach to more impactful design”.

This article is also on Linked In and probably easier to read than the issuu version. The picture is from the Linked In version. The social inclusion aspect is also discussed by Katherine Webber in Toilets, Taboos and Design Principles.  

Landscaping with universal design

A garden with water features and lots of plantings around a curving footway. In the background a woman is being pushed in a wheelchair.Compliance with legal requirements in public spaces is rarely enough to guarantee access for everyone. People with invisible disabilities are often left out of designs. A focus on technical aspects often results in spaces that are still challenging for many. The American Society of Landscape Architects has a Universal Design page where they list some of the disabilities and impairments regularly overlooked. For example, dementia, deafness, vision loss, and autism. The classic 7 Principles of Universal Design are re-jigged to suit landscape design: 

      • Accessible
      • Comfortable
      • Participatory
      • Ecological
      • Legible
      • Multi-sensory
      • Predictable
      • Walkable/Traversable.

More detail on the above list is on their web page.You can also find more resources on their website including one specifically on Universal Design: Parks and Plazas with some nice case studies too. 

Universal design approach to internal environments

Front cover of the publication - a universal design approach to internal environments.Floor finishes, lighting, acoustics, hearing systems, signage and alarm systems are all included in a guide to taking a universal design approach to internal environments and services

Building for Everyone covers each of the features in detail. Of course, they also have to be considered within the overall design of the building.

There is also a section at the end on human abilities and design. It covers walking, balance, handling, strength and endurance, lifting, reaching, speech, hearing, sight, touch and more.

Universal design approach to fitouts

Front cover of the guideAll you ever wanted to know about reception desks, waiting areas, storage, coin operated machines, kitchen sinks and ticket dispensers? These and other related topics are covered in a guide to taking a universal design approach to facilities in buildings. This is a companion to the internal environments booklet. One of the key issues in creating universally designed places and spaces is that the details are often left until last and not integrated into the whole of design. 

Published by the Centre for Excellence in Universal Design in Ireland, these guides are is very detailed. Checklists help guide the reader through the material. The guides links with others in the series.

Accessibility Toolbar