Neighbourhood Character

Analysis as a technique to assist with neighbourhood planning.

Neighbourhood character encompasses the elements which give a neighbourhood its particular physical identity, including:

• Building groupings
• Streets
• Public spaces
• Particular landscapes - natural and artificial
• Specific areas such as a community area, local shopping centre or an important public building

The following checklist will help analyse and reinforce local neighbourhood character and give an understanding of the ways in which urban design can help with neighbourhood planning.

Checklist

1. Neighbourhood boundaries

• Identify whether boundaries consist of natural features, open space, major thoroughfares, major infrastructure.
• Identify any change in uses which interrupts the predominant pattern.
• Note the walking distance from the centre of the neighbourhood to its edges - is the distance a five-minute walk or less?

2. Natural environment

• Look at the topography or landform in relation to the layout of the neighbourhood - locate cliffs, ridgelines, gullies, steep or sloping land, flat land; have these affected the layout of streets, the location of open spaces, the way land is subdivided?
• Map watercourses or drainage patterns and see whether these have affected the location of open space.
• Identify the significant features of the natural environment which contribute to the neighbourhood's character eg remnant bushland, significant stands of trees, rock outcrops and foreshores.

3. Community facilities

• Map all the public facilities in the area - include schools, churches, public transport facilities such as railway stations, bus stops, parks, post offices, community centres. Are they concentrated in one place or evenly spread across the neighbourhood?
• Check these facilities are within a comfortable walking distance - five to ten minutes walk for most of the community ie within 400-800 m? Are there too few facilities, necessitating trips out of the neighbourhood for basic services?
• Note what is distinctive about the form and placement of these public facilities - are they located at the heart of the neighbourhood? Are they set in parkland, on the main street or on the top of a hill as landmarks?

4. Street layout

• Map the existing structure of streets - it is often useful to study historic maps of the area to understand how it has evolved. What were the main influences on the street layout eg topography, street functions, historic uses?
• Identify the predominant street pattern - is the pattern a rectilinear grid, a topographical or linear layout, a combination of these?
• Identify anomalies in the street pattern - why have they occurred? Are they street patterns which could be further developed or do they detract from the original layout?
• Identify the effect of street pattern on access through the neighbourhood - does it help or hinder ease of access? Does the layout allow for safe and convenient vehicular and pedestrian movement without encouraging through traffic? Does the layout provide for viable bus routes and pedestrian and cycle networks through the neighbourhood? Can these be improved?

5. Street hierarchy

• Identify the main street in the neighbourhood - the main street should be accessible from anywhere in the neighbourhood, often in a central location. It will generally be wider and have a mix of uses - retail, community, public open space. It may carry more traffic and public transport.
• Identify the secondary streets in the neighbourhood - secondary streets generally are narrower, carry local traffic and are primarily residential, although some mix of uses may occur.
• Identify the lanes and pathways - These may connect to and support the primary street network. Lanes may provide more pedestrian-friendly shortcuts through a neighbourhood.
• Identify patterns in the neighbourhood which could be extended and opportunities that could be developed eg could little midblock streets be introduced to improve access and provide scope for other uses?
• Use a table to catalogue the range of characteristics of the various street types in the neighbourhood.

6. Subdivision: blocks

• Identify the predominant block pattern - regular shaped and sized blocks, irregular shaped and sized blocks, a combination of these? What were the main influences on block layout and how these influences affect neighbourhood character eg topography, predominant uses, historic uses, building types?
• Identify anomalies in the block pattern - why have they occurred? Are they a response to a change in use? Are they patterns which could be further developed?
• Does the existing block pattern function well - does it accommodate the range of existing and potential uses and building types desired in the future?
• Can the existing block pattern be improved?

7. Subdivision: building lots

• Identify how the subdivision pattern has changed over time - how does it differ from the original sub division plan? Why did it change?
• Identify the characteristic lot types in the neighbourhood - if there are different types, what has shaped them - topography, different land uses or building types, site amalgamations, a combination of these?
• Do the characteristic lot types work well? Are they adequate in size, shape, orientation to accommodate the range of existing and potential uses and building types desired in the future?
• Identify atypical building lots - why have they occurred? Are they patterns which could be further developed?
• Are site amalgamations or subdivisions necessary to accommodate growth and change? If so, consider the impact on the streetscape of changing the characteristic rhythm of typical lots and buildings in a block.

8. Built environment

• Map all the buildings in the neighbourhood on a base plan.
• Identify the characteristic building types in the neighbourhood - if there are different types, what has shaped them - lot size and shape, different land use or building types.
• Identify special use buildings eg schools, shops, churches - where are they located, how are they sited? How do these buildings differ in form and scale from the rest of the neighbourhood?
• Identify atypical building types - why have they occurred? Are they patterns which could be further developed or discouraged?
• Identify building types which detract from the neighbourhood character - how do these buildings affect the character of the neighbourhood? Note the negative characteristics of these to ensure mistakes are not repeated in the future.

9. Building types

• Identify the characteristic housing types in the neighbourhood - if there are different types, what has shaped them, for example, lot size and shape, topography, different building materials, site density, a combination of these?
• Identify new housing types - are they patterns which could be further developed or discouraged?
• Identify building types which detract from the neighbourhood character - how do these buildings affect the character of the neighbourhood? Note the negative characteristics of these to ensure they are not repeated in the future.
• Use a table to catalogue the characteristics of the various building types in the neighbourhood.

10. Trees

• Map all the significant trees in the neighbourhood on a base plan - aerial photos are most useful for comparing sequential change in an area; how has the environment changed over time?
• Identify remnant bush, if any - has it been retained as part of a parkland or reserve? Does it help to give the area a special character?
• Identify the street trees in the neighbourhood - are they continuous? Could the planting be extended to provide better amenity?
• Identify parkland trees and the pattern of planting - are there any improvements that could be made to enhance the neighbourhood character?
• Identify midblock trees and the pattern of backyard planting - are there any significant exceptions to this pattern? Is there loss of trees due to new development with higher site coverage?
• Ensure the significant trees and landscapes which give the area its identity are maintained in future plans - ensure future planting reinforces the existing patterns.

General Conclusions

Below are some desired outcomes which can be highlighted by urban design analyses.

• Houses should face the street rather than garages to provide surveillance, a safe pedestrian environment and opportunities for landscaping.
• Buildings should be developed which face parks and open spaces rather than turn their back on them. By improving access to and surveillance of these areas, they will be safer and more likely to be used.
• Driveways should be limited in width to ensure continuous street tree planting can be accommodated and pedestrian amenity maintained.
• Street setbacks should be stipulated to ensure new buildings complement their neighbours.
• Building form and height shape the appearance of a building, streets and the neighbourhood - clear guidelines for future development need to be prepared to maintain consistency.
• Buildings should suit the scale of the street so that smaller buildings are located on narrow streets and taller buildings line wider streets - this will protect the amenity of the street.
• Site coverage should be limited to ensure quality private open space can be provided.

Reproduced from Neighbourhood Character, with permission, Urban Design Advisory Service, planningNSW. Full publication including further analyses and case studies available for sale ($44.00).

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Contact	:	NSW Dept of Planning
Address	:	23-33 Bridge Street Sydney NSW 2000
Phone	:	02 9228 6111
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