Urban scale

Urban Scale is a term that describes the sense of height, bulk, and architectural articulation of a place or individual building, often in relation to the size of a human body.

The urban scale of a “street room” has a major effect on how the street is perceived by motorists and pedestrians. Streets with high ratios of height to width feel urban and enclosed.

However, streets with very high urban scale – greater than 3:1 – can begin to feel like “concrete canyons” and can be claustrophobic, especially along narrower streets. Such streets can be cold and harsh in winter.

It is important to keep these point in mind as you design, as they will greatly dictate how motorists and pedestrians perceive the building and the surrounding areas.