Site Planning

What is site planning?

The compositional organization of landforms, buildings, circulation, plantings, land uses, and
utilities

Site planning is the art of arranging structures on the land and shaping the spaces
between Its aim is moral and esthetic: to make places which enhance everyday life
which liberate their inhabitants and give them a sense of the world they live in.
-Kevin Lynch and Gary Hack, Site Planning

Related Practices / Terms

context sensitive design

ecological design / planning
environmental design / planning
integrated design / planning
sustainable design / planning
traditional neighborhood design
whole systems design

Typical Site Development Practices

Clearing vegetation and grading
Installation of utilities, roads, and parking areas
Building construction
Landscape installation

Impacts of Typical Site Development

Loss of native vegetation
Soil compaction from heavy equipment
Increased soil erosion, runoff, and flooding risks
Sedimentation and pollution of streams, rivers, lakes, and marine waters

Roots of Typical Site Development

Architecture and site design have reflected cultural values such as the relationship of
humans and nature, religious beliefs, socioeconomic hierarchies, and political power

Historical Precedent
Many sites have been planned as if they were a blank slate, with little or no regard for
topography, vegetation, natural drainage patterns, or cultural meanings of landscapes to
local communities

19th Century Context

Pragmatism, Manifest Destiny, and Industrialism drove settlement patterns and town
planning in the United States
Nature was perceived as a resource to be mined or exploited

20th Century Context

Modernist architectural theory and practice rooted in noncontextual utopianism
Widespread suburbanization after World War II
Urban Renewal projects
Interstate expansion disintegrating intact neighborhoods

Roots of Site Sensitive Planning

19th Century Transcendentalism celebrated nature in art and literature
Early 1900s Arts and Crafts movement focused on vernacular materials and site specificity
Environmental movement of the 1960s and 1970s raised awareness of the need for
improved design and planning

Early Examples of Site Sensitive Planning

Numerous landscape architects have been advocates for site design and interdisciplinary
planning in balance with natural processes and environmental integrity

Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903)

Was influenced by the Transcendentalist movement
A neighborhood plan for Riverside, IL (1869) preserved flood plain open space
The plans for the Boston Park system (1878) incorporated an engineered estuary and salt
marsh for the Charles River

Jens Jensen (1860-1951)

Designed numerous Prairie Style Midwest parks and gardens
Design work was associated with native plants and local materials
Advocated for the preservation of natural areas
Often collaborated with architect Frank Lloyd Wright

Lawrence Halprin (1916-2009)

Practiced environmental design and a holistic approach to spatial planning
A master plan for a residential development in Sea Ranch, CA incorporated cutting edge site
evaluation, which influenced building layout and architectural style

Ian McHarg (1920-2001)

Published Design with Nature in 1969, which pioneered the concept of ecological planning and
natural systems
Emphasized site-specific analysis and design
Influenced the development of geographic information systems (GIS)

How Historical Precedents Inform Site Planning for

LID Projects
Successful project planning incorporating LID depends upon:
Collaboration between site designers, planners, environmental consultants, landscape
architect, architects, developers, and clients
Thorough site analysis
Integration of site planning and stormwater management at the initial design phase

The Site Planning Process (Very!) Simplified

site analysis
conceptual / schematic design
master site plan

Site Analysis: Learning the Landscape

context
existing structures / utilities
circulation / access
geology / soils

topography
drainage patterns
vegetation
prevailing winds

solar exposure
views
site history
current use

Conceptual / Schematic Design

Identify constraints and opportunities steep slopes, views, etc
Identify how the site be used residential development, recreation, habitat restoration, etc
Identify who will inhabit the site homeowners, wildlife, etc
Identify buildable areas, circulation, open space, drainage, experiential qualities, etc

Master Plan

Develop the master plan and / or site plan

Initial site planning is generally followed by:
Revisions based on stakeholder feedback
Project phasing, if applicable
Developing construction documents
Permitting
Issuing an RFP
Construction
Post-construction evaluation

Low Impact Design Guidelines

Cluster development sensitive to site topography and/or natural drainage patterns
Decrease frontage and setback distances
Encourage multistory building design to minimize structural footprint

Low Impact Design Guidelines

Utilize alternative street layouts to reduce roadway lengths and widths
Design efficient parking configurations and/or tuck parking underneath structures
Adjust parking area requirements
Incorporate permeable driving and parking surfaces

Low Impact Design Guidelines

Direct runoff to bioretention areas
Limit areas of clearing and grading
Preserve mature vegetation, recharge areas, buffer zones, and natural site drainage
Amend soils after construction

Economic Benefits

Reduces loss of land allocated to large stormwater detention ponds

Decreases construction costs of stormwater detention ponds
Increases buildable areas
Enables builders to add value-enhancing features to properties
Allows flexibility in adapting LID techniques appropriate to a site and/or project
Increases property values

Environmental Benefits

Preserves open space

Protects environmentally sensitive areas
Conserves wildlife habitat
Preserves and / or recreates natural drainage patterns
Minimizes hazards of polluted runoff, erosion, and flooding

Social Benefits

Enhances neighborhood aesthetics and community character

Preserves cultural and natural site histories - genius loci or sense of place
Encourages community-based planning
Increases ecological literacy the understanding and appreciation of natural processes such
as seasonal changes, interaction of plants and wildlife, and rainwater flows

Cost Comparisons: Puget Sound Area Projects

Costs are site specific: every project is unique based on the site's soil conditions,
topography, existing vegetation, land availability, the creativity of the designer, etc

Challenges

Code barriers and /or inflexible regulatory constraints

Inexperienced design, planning, construction, and maintenance professionals
Owner resistance to upfront investments of time and money for professional consultants
feasibility studies, environmental analysis, etc
Many LID techniques are emerging technologies and require experimentation
Risk-taking is not financially attractive to stakeholders

Case Study: The Highlands at Langley

52-unit mixed-use residential community on a 14-acre site on Whidbey Island
First development built according to LID Technical Guidance Manual standards
Incorporates woodland preservation, pervious pavement, rain gardens, walking trail
connectivity to downtown Langley, and Built Green construction

The Highlands at Langley Site Plan

Case Study: One Drop at a Time New

Resourceful Paradigms at 168 Elm Ave
Elmhurst, IL residential retrofit with a green roof, rainwater catchment, porous
pavement, and rain gardens
Pilot project demonstrating the feasibility of and confidence in sustainable landscape
solutions

Case Study:168 Elm Ave

Website features interactive Google Sketchup model of LID features and informational
fact sheets

Print Resources

Professional Resources

Bainbridge Graduate Institute Certificate in Sustainable Built Environment

Congress for the New Urbanism
Landscape Architecture Foundations Landscape Performance Series
Smart Growth Online
Sustainable Sites Initiative
US Green Building Council LEED for Neighborhood Development guidelines
WSU Extension LID Technical Workshop Series

References

Benotto, Catherine. Fairhaven Highlands, Bellingham, WA: A Case Study in Sustainable Master Planning. Seattle: Weber Thompson, August 2009.
The Center for Neighborhood Technology. The Value of Green Infrastructure: A Guide to Recognizing its Economic, Environmental, and Social Benefits. Chicago: Center
for Neighborhood Technology, 2010.
The Cultural Landscape Foundation.
Francis, Mark. Village Homes: A Community by Design. Washington, DC: Island Press, 2003.
Hinman, Curtis. Low Impact Development: Technical Guidance Manual for Puget Sound. Olympia: Puget Sound Action Team, January 2005.
Hopper, Leonard J. Landscape Architectural Graphic Standards: Student Edition. 2nd Ed. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2007.

McHarg, Ian L. Design with Nature. Garden City, New York: The Natural History Press, 1969.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Reducing Stormwater Costs through Low Impact Development (LID) Strategies and Practices.

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Acknowledgements

This project has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental
Protection Agency under assistance agreement PO-00J08601 to Jefferson County
Department of Community Development. The contents of this document do not
necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency, nor does
mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or
recommendation for use.