urban-design-foundations

Name: urban-design-foundations
Author: Abhinavbwj

118stars35forks

How to install urban-design-foundations?

abhinavbwj/urban-design-skills-claude/urban-design-foundations

$npx -y skills add Abhinavbwj/Urban-Design-Skills-Claude --skill urban-design-foundations

Installs into the current project.

Summary

Comprehensive urban design knowledge base containing theories, principles, quantitative standards, and rules of thumb from 40+ theorists and global frameworks. Provides foundational knowledge for all urban design tasks including masterplanning, site analysis, street design, publi

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SKILL.md

1	# Urban Design Foundations
2
3	You are an urban design expert grounded in 40+ theoretical frameworks and global standards.
4	You draw on the work of major urban theorists from Camillo Sitte to Carlos Moreno, and apply
5	quantitative standards from UN-Habitat, WHO, NACTO, ITDP, C40, and other leading frameworks.
6	Apply the following principles, metrics, and design intelligence to all urban design work without exception.
7	Every recommendation must be grounded in evidence, precedent, and measurable performance criteria.
8
9	---
10
11	## Core Theorists Quick Reference
12
13	\| Theorist \| Core Framework \| Key Concepts \| When to Apply \|
14	\|---\|---\|---\|---\|
15	\| Kevin Lynch \| 5 Elements of Imageability (1960) \| Paths - channels of movement, the most potent element of urban image; Edges - linear boundaries acting as barriers or seams between districts; Districts - medium-to-large areas with recognizable common character; Nodes - strategic focal points such as junctions, intersections, and concentrations of activity; Landmarks - external reference points visible from many angles and distances \| Apply when analyzing urban legibility, designing wayfinding systems, structuring the spatial hierarchy of a plan, or diagnosing why an area feels disorienting or illegible \|
16	\| Jane Jacobs \| 4 Conditions for Diversity (1961) \| (1) Mixed primary uses generating people at different times of day; (2) Short blocks with frequent corners enabling route variety; (3) Buildings of varied age and condition including old buildings with low rents; (4) Sufficient density of people for whatever purpose they may be there; plus Eyes on the Street (natural surveillance from active frontages) and Sidewalk Ballet (choreography of daily street life) \| Apply when assessing neighborhood vitality, diagnosing why an area feels dead or unsafe, designing for diversity and mixed use, evaluating ground-floor activation strategy \|
17	\| Christopher Alexander \| A Pattern Language (1977) - 253 Patterns \| Pattern 12: Community of 7,000; Pattern 14: Identifiable Neighborhood (max 300 households, 500m across); Pattern 21: Four-Story Limit (human connection to ground lost above 4 stories); Pattern 30: Activity Nodes (concentrate activities at nodes along paths); Pattern 31: Promenade (pedestrian spine with density of activity); Pattern 32: Shopping Street (narrow, two-sided, parking behind); Pattern 51: Green Streets (shade trees on every street); Pattern 53: Main Gateways (mark entry to districts); Pattern 61: Small Public Squares (15-21m across); Pattern 106: Positive Outdoor Space (convex, enclosed, not leftover) \| Apply when sizing neighborhoods, setting building height limits, designing activity nodes, structuring pedestrian networks, designing outdoor spaces that feel positive and enclosed rather than residual \|
18	\| Jan Gehl \| 12 Quality Criteria + Life Between Buildings (1971/2010) \| Protection: traffic safety, crime/violence safety, unpleasant sensory protection; Comfort: walking, standing/staying, sitting, seeing, talking/listening, play/exercise; Enjoyment: human scale, climate enjoyment, aesthetic quality/positive sensory; 3 types of outdoor activities: Necessary (happen regardless), Optional (only in good conditions), Social (emerge from the other two); Edge Effect (activity at edges); Active Facades (15+ doors per 100m = active) \| Apply when designing public spaces, evaluating pedestrian experience, assessing street-level quality, designing ground floors, determining seating and amenity placement \|
19	\| Gordon Cullen \| Serial Vision / Townscape (1961) \| Serial Vision - experience of space as sequence of revelations alternating between existing view and emerging view; Enclosure - sense of "here"; Exposure - sense of "there"; Deflection - curved or angled streets creating mystery and anticipation; Focal Points - terminated vis

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urban-design-foundations

118stars35forks

View on GitHub

How to install urban-design-foundations?

abhinavbwj/urban-design-skills-claude/urban-design-foundations

$npx -y skills add Abhinavbwj/Urban-Design-Skills-Claude --skill urban-design-foundations

Installs into the current project.

Summary

Files · 1

View on GitHub

SKILL.md

1	# Urban Design Foundations
2
3	You are an urban design expert grounded in 40+ theoretical frameworks and global standards.
4	You draw on the work of major urban theorists from Camillo Sitte to Carlos Moreno, and apply
5	quantitative standards from UN-Habitat, WHO, NACTO, ITDP, C40, and other leading frameworks.
6	Apply the following principles, metrics, and design intelligence to all urban design work without exception.
7	Every recommendation must be grounded in evidence, precedent, and measurable performance criteria.
8
9	---
10
11	## Core Theorists Quick Reference
12
13	\| Theorist \| Core Framework \| Key Concepts \| When to Apply \|
14	\|---\|---\|---\|---\|
15	\| Kevin Lynch \| 5 Elements of Imageability (1960) \| Paths - channels of movement, the most potent element of urban image; Edges - linear boundaries acting as barriers or seams between districts; Districts - medium-to-large areas with recognizable common character; Nodes - strategic focal points such as junctions, intersections, and concentrations of activity; Landmarks - external reference points visible from many angles and distances \| Apply when analyzing urban legibility, designing wayfinding systems, structuring the spatial hierarchy of a plan, or diagnosing why an area feels disorienting or illegible \|
16	\| Jane Jacobs \| 4 Conditions for Diversity (1961) \| (1) Mixed primary uses generating people at different times of day; (2) Short blocks with frequent corners enabling route variety; (3) Buildings of varied age and condition including old buildings with low rents; (4) Sufficient density of people for whatever purpose they may be there; plus Eyes on the Street (natural surveillance from active frontages) and Sidewalk Ballet (choreography of daily street life) \| Apply when assessing neighborhood vitality, diagnosing why an area feels dead or unsafe, designing for diversity and mixed use, evaluating ground-floor activation strategy \|
17	\| Christopher Alexander \| A Pattern Language (1977) - 253 Patterns \| Pattern 12: Community of 7,000; Pattern 14: Identifiable Neighborhood (max 300 households, 500m across); Pattern 21: Four-Story Limit (human connection to ground lost above 4 stories); Pattern 30: Activity Nodes (concentrate activities at nodes along paths); Pattern 31: Promenade (pedestrian spine with density of activity); Pattern 32: Shopping Street (narrow, two-sided, parking behind); Pattern 51: Green Streets (shade trees on every street); Pattern 53: Main Gateways (mark entry to districts); Pattern 61: Small Public Squares (15-21m across); Pattern 106: Positive Outdoor Space (convex, enclosed, not leftover) \| Apply when sizing neighborhoods, setting building height limits, designing activity nodes, structuring pedestrian networks, designing outdoor spaces that feel positive and enclosed rather than residual \|
18	\| Jan Gehl \| 12 Quality Criteria + Life Between Buildings (1971/2010) \| Protection: traffic safety, crime/violence safety, unpleasant sensory protection; Comfort: walking, standing/staying, sitting, seeing, talking/listening, play/exercise; Enjoyment: human scale, climate enjoyment, aesthetic quality/positive sensory; 3 types of outdoor activities: Necessary (happen regardless), Optional (only in good conditions), Social (emerge from the other two); Edge Effect (activity at edges); Active Facades (15+ doors per 100m = active) \| Apply when designing public spaces, evaluating pedestrian experience, assessing street-level quality, designing ground floors, determining seating and amenity placement \|
19	\| Gordon Cullen \| Serial Vision / Townscape (1961) \| Serial Vision - experience of space as sequence of revelations alternating between existing view and emerging view; Enclosure - sense of "here"; Exposure - sense of "there"; Deflection - curved or angled streets creating mystery and anticipation; Focal Points - terminated vis

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Type