Downtown designed to function as the center of the city itself reflects the city's diversity and complexity due to the population density in downtown area. As the improvement of the city's public service and symbolism helps increase its competitivenes...
Downtown designed to function as the center of the city itself reflects the city's diversity and complexity due to the population density in downtown area. As the improvement of the city's public service and symbolism helps increase its competitiveness, the importance of the plans, formation and management of the city's landscape has increased. America which has a similar urban planning system operates advanced landscape control methods, recognizing the importance of downtown landscape.
This study identifies the city's codes in San Francisco, America and examines and analyzes the downtown scenery management method seperated by the city's codes. In addition, landscape plans and policies which can be applied to Korea was attempted to be deduced by analyzing exemplary cases in San Francisco.
The system of city's codes in San Francisco consists of "general plan," equivalent to a master plan which suggests a vision for the city as a whole and a subordinate plan including "elements of the plan" and "area plan" and "downtown area plan" for downtown in an area plan is included.
The downtown area plan provides space and services for the public while having city's key functions and the symbolism of downtown. The characteristics deduced from analysis are followings;
Firstly, in order to strengthen the characteristics of downtown as the economic center for the city, compact office-centered districts are guaranteed and various mixed purposes of downtown based on zoning systems are induced to encourage activities in downtown by recommending resident development.
Secondly, open space which provides the public service as downtown is provided and the network of resting space is being established by conducting continuous researches on the zones with insufficient open space in downtown.
Thirdly, downtown landscape is carefully managed by providing a detailed guideline about working environment, building design, historical zone development, the types of open space, and etc.
Design-review system to complete the downtown area plan consists of the building permit process, the approval for historical structures and conservation districts, environmental review , civic design review. Independent approval process is conducted for all constructions and environmental development.
Landscape review system has usually a couple of steps rather than one decision and people are allowed to suggest their opinions in each step because all reviews are open to the public. In addition, the construction development in downtown is processed by the consultation from various review processes in each department in charge of the development.
Although Korea has entered a new situation in urban development as landscape codes are established and interests in urban landscape and environment increase, the effectiveness is still questionable due to the poor performance the policies urban landscape.
Implications by analyzing downtown landscape control methods in San Francisco include establishing a master plan as a superior plan which has a vision for the city as a whole, segmenting existing infrastructure cost system according to various purposes for public services of the city, introducing conservation control methods such as TDR method, introducing preliminary environmental review, and segmenting civic design review, and downtown which has public services and competitiveness can be established by improving inspection control methods.