Urban Design Guidelines - Employment Areas - Town of Ajax

4.0 The Private Realm4.1 Site PlanningThe configuration of individual development sitesshall be driven by two urban design goals: firstly, toreinforce a positive streetscape image byappropriately addressing the public realm withbuildings and landscaping; and, secondly, to createan environment that provides comfort and amenity,is navigable, and is efficient for building andtransportation functions. A variety of siteconfigurations may be possible to accomplish thesegoals, and the following guidelines are meant to beflexibly interpreted for each specific situation. Forexample, function, topography, corporate image,aesthetics, road hierarchy and access may all affectthe layout of a site – whether a building is close tothe street, or set back; where parking and servicingareas are located; and how it is landscaped.The variety of contexts in which site planning occurs,imply that not all guidelines can be interpreted in thesame way for each situation. In general, buildingsare to be located close to the street, address thestreet with doors and windows, provide directpedestrian connections, and locate parking andservicing functions to the side or rear of the building.Where the streetscape is not supported in this wayby buildings and the visual absence of parking andservicing, then landscaping and the provision ofadditional amenity treatments must be utilized.4.1.1 GeneralBuilding groupings with a similar family of designdetails• Establish well-defined, visually appealingstreetscapes. Buildings and landscaping shouldcontribute to the larger streetscape image.• Buildings shall be sited, designed and organizedin such a manner that over a discrete area, allnew development appears and functions as anintegrated extension of all other adjacentemployment development. This may occur overtime, as later development follows the cuesestablished by earlier development. Examplesof discrete areas include:o street corridors, particularly arterialsand other through streets;o a cluster of buildings at the end of acul-de-sac;o a crescent streetscape;o sites relating to natural features;and,32