SITE SELECTION PROCESS

DEFINITION 1. Clarify project objectives and requirements

• Site planning is the art of arranging structures on the land and shap- 2. Determine the site selection criteria
ing the spaces between. 3. Identify potential sites
• Site planning is an art linked to architecture, engineering, landscape 4. Evaluate each site’s suitability
architecture, and city planning. 5. Rank the alternative sites and Select the best site and document the
• Site plans locate objects and activities in space and time. results
6. Test project feasibility

DETERMINE THE SITE SELECTION CRITERIA

SITE SELECTION
• Site selection criteria focus the task of choosing an appropriate
• Site selection is a process for identifying suitable parcels of land for and, ideally, the best site.
specific purposes.
• Site suitability is a function of site conditions, contextual factors,
and projected costs.
• A site’s location can have a fundamental influence on the complexity
and cost of a project’s planning and implementation. Sources of site data that are useful in identifying
Selecting the most suitable site available for a development or redevelop- potential sites include the following:
ment project has potential benefits that include the following: Multiple listing services (MLS) for property that is for
• Improved function of the proposed land uses sale or rent
• Greater convenience for the site’s users Maps of vacant, infill, and Redevelop-able land
• Enhanced aesthetics Street and highway maps.
• Fewer negative environmental impacts Applications of geographic information systems.
• Reduced construction, operation, and maintenance Local governments provide maps and data.
Costs
EVALUATE EACH SITE’S SUITABILITY
SITE SELECTION SCOPE • involves the analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data.
• Project Objectives • Site suitability ratings are summarized in a matrix as either numerical
• Project Requirements or graphical values for each selection criterion.
• A site evaluation report is often prepared to summarize the site selec-
tion process and the results .The objective, once the best site is
selected, is to secure the site and there is often an option to purchase PROGRAMMING METHODS
the land.
GOAL SETTING
▪ Initiate the project
▪ Develop the project mission and objectives
TEST PROJECT FEASIBILITY
Feasibility studies may include the following four parts:
▪ Determine the project’s operational and physical re-
quirements
• Market analysis (private sector projects)
• Assessment of site- and context-specific constraints and opportuni- ▪ Document and present the program to the client
ties (for example, risk assessment)
Data Collection
• Pro forma financial statements (private sector development), or capi-
▪ Interviews
tal budget/funding (public sector project)
• Design concepts (for example, concept plans and 3-D simulations)
▪ Surveys
▪ Document analysis
▪ Behavioral observation
PROGRAMMING ▪ Literature search
• Programming defines the project’s objectives and functional require- ▪ Other (for example, interactive group techniques such as char-
ments. rettes, workshops, and discussions)
• The program focuses the subsequent analysis and design activities. ▪ site and context
• Programming is an integral part of any site planning and design pro- ▪ user needs and preferences
ject. ▪ design precedents
• The programming process requires information about user needs, the ▪ Site visits
site and its context, and both successful and unsuccessful design prec- ▪ surveys, focus groups, Visual preference surveys and other means of
edents. Depending on project objectives and site conditions, pro- soliciting consumer preferences
grams may vary in specificity. ▪ Post-occupancy evaluations can improve site planning and design
• A project program may be simply a list of desired project elements, practice by identifying successful models that can be adapted to local
but the expected qualities of programmed uses are usually articu- circumstances. These analyses can also reveal design mistakes, or
lated—often in the form of design guidelines missed opportunities, that could be avoided in future projects.
Project objective
▪ the amount of space required for the proposed activities, the desired
adjacency relationships among the activities, and the phasing of fu-
ture implementation.
▪ the general types of land uses, activities, or facilities Site Inventory
▪ Open space The site inventory produces mapped data on the existing conditions of the site
Functional Relationships and its context.
▪ Adjacency is essential Site Analysis
▪ Adjacency is desirable but not essential The site analysis assesses the site’s opportunities and constraints - or design
▪ Adjacency is unimportant determinants - for a specific land use program.
▪ Adjacency should be avoided
The site opportunities and constraints map is a graphic representation of
Design Guidelines all of the positive and negative site characteristics analyzed in the site anal-
▪ text and numbers, but graphic representations are more effective. ysis that will influence the location of the elements of the Site Plan.
▪ site components
The need for explicit guidelines illustrates as follows:
▪ The designers need planning and design principles that respond to the
organization’s style and its culture.
SITE PLANNING
▪ This is especially important on large sites where development is Conceptual Design
phased and implemented by different designers and builders. Conceptual design means organizing or spatially arranging, on the site, the
▪ A visually unified built environment is achieved through the repetition project’s major components.
of individual design elements. Repeating similar colors, shapes, and
textures, for example, can create a harmonious, or visually unified, en- ▪ building zones
vironment. ▪ Open spaces
▪ The maintenance and replacement of damaged site furniture , for ex- ▪ circulation systems
ample, is more expensive if there is not consistency in the types and Functional diagrams
manufacturers of furniture installed on a site.
Building zones
Building location and orientation
SITE ANALYSIS ▪ Dimensional Factors
The site analysis is a diagnostic process that identifies the ▪ Environmental Factors
▪ Orientation Factors
opportunities and constraints for a specific land use
▪ Visual Factors
program.