2007 Volume 11.2
Editorial comment
Urban morphology and policy: bridging the gap
Articles
The application of geospatial technology to urban morphological research
C.P. Lo {+}Abstract [Full paper, PDF, 4MB]
ABSTRACT: This paper reviews the development of geospatial technology in recent years and its use and potential use in urban morphology. Such technology has been enabled by the rapid advancement in computer technology in both hardware and software. Remote sensing, photogrammetry and GIS are particularly important and suitable for use in urban morphological research. The availability of geospatial data in digital form has facilitated town-plan analysis and metrological analysis. Three-dimensional GIS allows the form and function of a town or city to be realistically visualized. Urban simulation is also possible with geospatial data, thus enhancing understanding of the processes of growth of a city and the associated built forms.
Extending the compass of plan analysis: a Chinese exploration
J.W.R. Whitehand and K. Gu {+}Abstract [Full paper, PDF, 7MB]
ABSTRACT: Research on Chinese urban form has hitherto been descriptive rather than analytical and it is handicapped by the lack of major sources of information used in the West. This paper explores M. R. G. Conzen's method of plan analysis, as developed by him largely in Europe, in the very different cultural conditions existing in China. Components and stages in the genesis of the layout of the ancient city of Pingyao are established or inferred using Conzen's method and concepts. Most components in the street plan of Pingyao and many of those in its plot pattern are products of a series of planned schemes. The historico-geographical structure of the city's plan can be understood in terms of fixation lines (mainly lines of former and extant city fortifications), consequent and occupation streets, fringe belts, present and former axial streets, the recurrence of an ancient street-grid module, rectilinear street systems in areas created since the fourteenth century, the influence of fengshui (especially on plot orientations), varying degrees of plot metamorphosis and repletion, and the incidence of communal residential work units. Because of the limited historical record, especially in the form of true plans, some findings are more tentative than those of comparable studies in Europe. However, the successful application of the method in an environment so different from that of its previous, largely Euro-American, testing grounds justifies confidence in its worldwide applicability, with major implications for urban landscape management.
The morphological basis of urban design: experiments in Giudecca, Venice
F. Gygax {+}Abstract [Full paper, PDF, 108MB]
ABSTRACT: Reconciling progress, on the one hand, and conservation of a rich legacy of physical forms from the past on the other, is a major challenge. In the case of Venice significant change is only possible in its outlying districts, such as Giudecca, since only measures preserving the fabric of the buildings are permitted in the Centro Storico. Giudecca island is used as a case study to explore ways of integrating new ideas in an area which is very much shaped by its historical development. Analysis of the present urban fabric and comparison of different recent design strategies offer solutions to future development of the island.
Transitions in the forms of Midwestern county seats on the American frontier
T. Schmiedeler {+}Abstract [Full paper, PDF, 7MB]
ABSTRACT: In the American Midwest three classes of town forms - central squares, linear and railroad plans - evolved from town planning traditions established on the Eastern Seaboard. The geography of these classes, based on street- and land-use patterns, is identified and interpreted for county seats in two key Midwestern states - Iowa and Minnesota - to determine their origins and the processes by which they were implemented. Planning traditions, physical geography, local government and railroads, all operating within the context of the timing of settlement, shaped the patterns of the forms. Several county seats, representing the three classes, are discussed to evaluate how these factors influenced the forms of the towns. The patterns represent a temporal and spatial shift in the control over Midwestern urbanization from local governments and individuals to corporate entities in the form of town companies, railroads, and land and extractive companies.
Viewpoints
Comparing metropolitan regions P. Hess
GPS and historical maps on hand-held computers P. Jones
The potential for Chinese urban morphology P. Gaubatz
[Viewpoints, PDF]
Reports
ISUF President’s report G.L. Maffei
Urban morphology in the 'City by the Bay' M. Novak
[Reports, PDF]
Book reviews
B. Gauthiez et al. (2003) Village et ville au Moyen Age K. Lilley
G.A. Boyd (2006) Dublin 1745-1922 J. Prunty
B.A. Sandalack and A. Nicolai (2006) The Calgary project M. Novak
[Book reviews, PDF]
Book notes
[Book notes, PDF]
Notes and notices
- International conference on urban history
- Urban morphological research at SCUT
- Society of Architectural Historians
- Journal of Urbanism
- Jacqueline Tatom
- Approaches in urban morphology
- Relevance of traditional architecture
- Ville Recherche Diffusion