The problem of urban design universals: modeling and planning of ensemble spaces

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to pose the problem of the universals of urban design and show schematic features of its solution in modeling and planning ensemble spaces of modern cities. An integral, correlatively universal model of urban design is yet to be created in the paradigm of sustainable development of “smart garden-cities” - as opposed to stochastic random development processes of urban territories following some quick-fix projects. Deductive and inductive methods are proposed as a basis. The general methodology is developed in the spectrum of transitions from generalized vision in the logic of universals, to particulars, revealing in the specifics of the unique. In a city that lives its own life, as a kind of faceted, multisided “Philosopher’s stone”, the universals are present everywhere and realized in the consistency of each and every element. Urban ensemble spaces that organically link the unique expressiveness of every historical chronotope gain their own algorithms in the process of urban design, supported by modeling and planning. The main results relating to the productivity in application of the universals as criteria for the estimation of architectural urban design were obtained in the design activities of the LLC “SynARChiya” and in the educational process in Nizhny Novgorod State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering.