About Urban Dimensions
A curated reference library of urban design measurements, built for quick access in practice.
What is Urban Dimensions?
Urban Dimensions is a curated reference library of typical measurements used in urban design practice. It brings together common dimensions for streets, blocks, buildings, public spaces, and more — so designers, planners, and students can quickly look up rule-of-thumb numbers without digging through multiple handbooks.
Who is it for?
Built for urban designers, architects, transport planners, and students who regularly work with spatial dimensions. Whether you're sketching a street section, sizing a public square, or checking parking stall widths, this is your go-to reference.
What's in the library?
The library currently contains 71 approved dimensions across 6 categories: Blocks & Plots, Buildings & Architecture, Human scale, Leisure & Sport, Parking & Access, and Streets & Public Realm. Each entry includes both metric and imperial values, a visual diagram, description, and source citation.
How to contribute?
Urban Dimensions is a community resource. If you know of a dimension that should be included — or spot an error — please share your feedback. All submissions are reviewed before being added to the library.
Sources & accuracy
Dimensions are drawn from established urban design standards, planning codes, and academic references including the Metric Handbook, NACTO Urban Street Design Guide, UK National Model Design Code, and others. Each entry includes a source reference. These are rule-of-thumb guides — always verify against local regulations and standards for your specific project.