Precedent Documentation & Registration - Precedent's Context

Example precedent (o013). Public realm in the centre of Amsterdam (Holland). Depth and integration of this street called 'Rokin' is very high. So clearly this is an example of our first model below.

 
   

Context's characteristics - six models

The context of a precedent, in other words, the urban environment of its site can be characterized by our parameters 'depth' (D) and 'integration' (I).
High depth of the urban structure (that is, the pattern of streets and roads - all represented as single lines), means that the number of streets/roads to be crossed to reach the site of the precedent is relatively high. Low depth of course means the opposite. Then the site is merely on the next corner.
High integration means that the site is directly connected to a high number of streets/roads in its environment. And again, low means the opposite. Then the site of the precedent is rather isolated.

Depth and Integration are important conditions for safety. Depth plus Integration determine the characteristics of the precedent's site which can be represented in the next, six models.
(+ = high, - = low, o = neutral)

  
   


D+ I+; model 1: centre/downtown ('city'); node with high urban reach.


D0 I+; model 2: local centre ('mall'); like model 1, however less important node with less urban reach.



D- I+; model 3: boulevard ('boardwalk'); well connected (comparable to model 1 and 2), but along low depth linear structure.


D+ I-; model 4: island ('enclave'); isolated autonomous urban structure with high depth.


D0 I-; model 5: neighbourhood ('suburbia'); no nodes, but sprawl.



D- I-; model 6: rural ('country'); like previous model, but much lower depth.