Urban Design: Then & Now A Comparison of Pre- and Post-Automobile Development in Nice, France
PJ Bell 29 February 2016
Spatial Context 2
Germany France
Nice
Spain
Italy
200m
Portugal
800m
Algeria
1600m
STUDY AREAS
1
200m
1: Vieux Ville embodies the dense, organic design of pre-automobile development. The area is composed of mixed-use buildings and is dominated by people on foot, bicycle, and occasionally mopeds exploring the narrow streets. The vibrant plazas are filled with local shops and charming Mediterranean restaurants. 2: Le Ray is a suburban neighbourhood that is located approximately four kilometers northwest of Vieux Ville. It contains a combination of single detached homes and large, uniform apartment complexes. The car-lined streets and narrow sidewalks leave little room for pedestrians.
800m 1600m 1:30,000
0
400
800
1600 Metres
N
Land Use Comparison Le Ray
Vieux Ville
Commercial Mixed Use
Residential Institutional
Parks & Plazas Water
Parking Industrial
1:9000
0
200
400
800 Metres
N
Figure Ground Vieux Ville
Le Ray
1:4500
0
100
200
400 Metres
N
Character Vieux Ville
Le Ray
Measures Le Ray
Vieux Ville
FSR (Gross): 0.86 FSR (Net): 0.93
FSR (Gross): 4.17 FSR (Net): 5.59
18.0m 6.0 Stories
17.0m (avg) 5.5 Stories
Building to Street Ratio: 1.1 : 1
17.0m (avg) 5.5 Stories
Building to Street Ratio: 6.0 : 1
Building to Street Ratio: 1.8 : 1
8.4m (avg) 2.8 Stories Building to Street Ratio: 2.3 : 1
Sidewalk
Setback
Sidewalk
Driving Lanes
3.0m
5.5m
1.2m
6.0m
SIDE STREET
MAIN STREET
Setback
Driving Lane 6.0m
Sidewalk
Sidewalk 3.0m
Parking Lane
Single Lane 2.8m
2.0m 1.5m 5.9m
Shadow Studies Vieux Ville
Le Ray
MAR 21
JUNE 21
DEC 21
9:00
12:00
15:00
9:00
12:00
15:00
Conclusion
Happy, comfortable people are a reliable indicator of successful urban design. When the built environment encourages exploration, invites lingering, and allows for efficient movement, an area has been well designed. Vieux Ville displays most of these key traits; its human-scale design, colourful architecture, and vibrant plazas attract both local residents and tourists from far and near.
Open space is somewhat limited in this dense area, but an abundance of public space provides breathing room and creates an engaging social environment. However, while the narrow roads are a pleasure to wander by foot, they present a challenge in certain emergency situations when large vehicles such as fire trucks and ambulances require access.
The auto-oriented design of Le Ray provides full vehicular access, but the resulting urban form—surface parking lots, narrow sidewalks, and boring, anonymous buildings—is unfriendly to pedestrians and likely attracts very few visitors. While there appears to be more open space and vegetation than in Vieux Ville, these areas are entirely fenced off from the public,
resulting in private oases but leaving few public spaces to activate the area. Ultimately, superior urban design must achieve a balance between accessibility and exploration, vehicles and pedestrians, and private and public space, all while keeping the users of the space safe, healthy, comfortable, and content.