The City Analysis Diagram

The city analysis diagram. One effective means of understanding the city is to prepare a city analysis diagram. A print of the topographic survey furnished by the surveyor is taken into the field and, from actual city observation, all city features or factors that supplement or interpret the survey are plotted on it in the planner’s own symbols. Such addicitytional information might include:

1. Best views, poor views, objectionable views
2. Which trees of those plotted should be preserved, if possible, and which removed
3. Flood level from city evidence; undrained or swampy land
4. Off-city nuisances with their bearing and approximate distances

5. Logical building areas of the city, logical points of ingress or egress
6. Sectors where high or low points on the horizon give protection from or add force to sun and wind
7. Sun diagram

There is an area of the conceptual and forming process that is common to the four major physical planning disciplines and often others as well. This is the formulation of the basic plan concept by which in sketch or diagram the use- areas and plan forms are conceived in harmony with the natural and mancitymade forms, forces, and features of the total project city. Usually the plan concitycept is best arrived at through collaboracitytive effort in which all participants concitytribute freely of their experience and ideas.

City analysis diagram

8. Prevailing wind and breezes
9. Frost study; low-lying pockets of trapped air
10. Micro-climatic analysis of the area
11. Other natural features such as springs, an unusual shrub, well- knitted ground cover, depth or lack of topsoil, eroded ground, sunken areas — as over mined out coal — and the like
12. Any other factors of especial importance to the particular project proposed.

In addition to such information observed in the field, supplementary data gleaned from careful research may be plotted directly on the survey or included in the survey file. Such information might include:

1. Gas and water pressures, normal and guaranteed
2. Names of utility companies whose lines are shown, company addresses, phone numbers, engineers
3. Routes and data on projected utility lines
4. Power capacities
5. Projected approach roads

6. Approach patterns of existing roads, drives, and walks
7. Traffic counts
8. Easements, rights of way
9. Zoning restrictions, building lines
10. Mineral rights, depth of coal, mined out areas
11. Water analysis, if drilled wells are proposed
12. Core boring data and logs.

City-structure diagram

In developing a sound planning approach, the planner should analyze, through survey information, research, and actual city observation, all city factors and reduce these factors, by symbols, to a city analysis diagram. To this analysis can then be logically related all plan areas and elements.

City-structure study number two