TABLE OF CONTENTS When a parcel of land is being developed, feasibility and site analysis seemingly go hand in hand. Typically, the client (developer) will request both simultaneously or in near concurrence to one another. While the book's format groups these steps together, they are addressed separately in the following brief introduction to delineate their differences and indicate how each step serves a distinct purpose in land design.
The feasibility effort requires investigation and documentation along two main avenues: (1) evaluation of existing site resources including confirmation of micro and macro site characteristics and (2) establishment of project goals and intent in terms of program components and specific design priorities such as green building certification requirements or other client-driven criteria. Once this information base has been established for a specific site, the formulation of a design response can proceed.
Usually the designer is charged with several important tasks that will assist in initial development discussions. These include:
Preparation of a rough base map for initial field investigations. Ideally, a property survey and topographic map will be available from the client. If not provided by the client, boundary information available through local property tax map sources (often online) and topographic mapping, which may have been compiled by local jurisdictions (typically 1 inch:200 feet with 5-foot contour intervals) or the U.S. Geologic Survey (typically 1 inch:2000 feet with 10-foot contour intervals), should be obtained. The...
