The Promenade of the Street: A Spatio-temporal Framework for Design

This paper begins with an outline of an ongoing study of the spatial and temporal structure of streets in Urbino, Italy. As part of an architectural study abroad program, twelve credit hours of coursework - including urban theory, analytical drawing, and a research studio - are brought together to focus on an archaeological study of place. The paper presents the method and findings of the urban analysis, and the process that has shaped a deeper and more complex understanding of the identity of place. The inquiry began with the integration of high definition video cameras and their digital environments for the purpose of examining movement and the spatial passage of the street. The digital tools illuminated both elements and structure – describing a matrix that is at once an organizing armature of the street and a key to understanding its identity as an urban artifact. This paper proposes that the matrix and digital-video processes can provide a framework for the design process itself.

keywords: Architecture, Street, Place, Urban Analysis, Design Education