2019 Volume 23.1
Editorial comment
Historical geography, urban morphology and green space
Articles
Green space in urban morphology: a historico-geographical approach
J. W. R. Whitehand {+}Abstract [Full paper, PDF, 11MB ]
ABSTRACT: Despite the large areas occupied by green spaces in most cities,
and the increased recognition of their importance, they have received little
consideration by urban morphologists. A sizeable proportion of urban
green space occurs in fringe belts. Continuous fringe belts have generally
originated adjacent to present or former physical limitations on urban
growth, most strikingly next to city walls. Discontinuous fringe belts have
much more often come into existence during other hiatuses in urban growth,
particularly related to slumps in housebuilding. The findings of research on
green spaces in both types of belts are considered in this paper. Attention is
drawn to the fact that the significance of these belts for planning, particularly
in the case of those not related to physical limits on urban growth, has not
hitherto been given the attention it merits. The integration of green-space
development into historico-geographical thinking is pursued and its value in
research and practice is underlined.
A spatio-temporal study of fringe belts and urban green spaces in Birmingham, UK
Y. Zhang {+}Abstract [Full paper, PDF, 6MB ]
ABSTRACT: This paper examines the historical land-use development of part
of an Edwardian fringe belt with particular reference to green space. It is
based on detailed research on fluctuations in urban development patterns
within a small area in Birmingham, UK. Comparisons are made between
fringe-belt sites and residential areas over the past 100 years. The main
findings are about changes over time in types of surface, especially in the
relative amounts of hard and soft surface.
Morphological characteristics of green spaces in fortified towns and cities
M. O. Šćitaroci and M. Marić {+}Abstract [Full paper, PDF, 6MB ]
ABSTRACT: This research focuses on morphological aspects of green spaces
in 26 fortified European towns and cities. Such spaces are insufficiently
acknowledged for the identities they confer and the advantages they provide
for inhabitants. They are integral parts of inner urban fringe belts, and they
are important both functionally and as attributes of heritage. Important
aspects of these green spaces include their place within the system of
defences, their various types of past and present utilization, their significance
within the urban tissue and the need for their careful conservation.
An end to Spain’s urban morphological isolation?
M. Barke {+}Abstract [Full paper, PDF, 2MB ]
ABSTRACT: In comparison with North America and other large European
countries, Spain has historically had a limited international presence in
academic urban morphology. This is remarkable in light of the striking
character of Spain’s urban heritage and the large volume of Spanish writing
on the country’s urban history and urban form. Possible reasons for this
relative international isolation are suggested and the Spanish literature
relating to urban morphological themes is reviewed. This literature
contains a wide variety of themes, but no distinctive Spanish ‘school’ of
urban morphology has emerged. However, the ISUF Conference in 2017
in Valencia signalled a stronger presence of Spanish urban morphologists
on the international stage. An analysis of the Spanish contributions at
this conference and other recent studies suggests a growing interest in the
practical applications of urban morphological research. Spanish urban
morphologists may be an integral part of a wider movement to use urban
morphology as a ‘tool’ rather than as an end in itself.
Standing on the shoulders of giants: a critique of Haslam (2018)
T. R. Slater {+}Abstract [Full paper, PDF, 2MB ]
ABSTRACT: Town-plan analysis has evolved through detailed research in
the course of well over half a century. Previous scholarship has provided
a carefully defined, nested hierarchical terminology which has served the
subject well. In this journal Jeremy Haslam has attempted to introduce a
new term. His examples, which are meant to elucidate his new concept of
‘ensemble’ are marked by a failure to understand what large-scale maps do
and do not show and a less than careful attitude to documentary sources. This
paper provides a critique of Haslam’s paper and suggests that ‘ensemble’,
as he defines it, does not add anything to the methodologies and concepts of
town-plan analysis.
The study of urban form in Cyprus
N. Charalambous, N. Z. Cömert and I. Geddes {+}Abstract [Full paper, PDF, 3MB ]
ABSTRACT: The history of Cypriot cities, in particular the capital, Nicosia
and the main historical port of Famagusta, has been the subject of a wide
variety of publications. However, the study of their urban form is relatively
recent and, until the establishment of architectural schools within Cypriot
universities, it has been carried out within research establishments outside
of Cyprus. Consequently, urban morphological research in Cyprus is highly
influenced by international schools of thought that were prevalent where
researchers carried out their studies – most of them within Britain. The
application of different morphological approaches is now being continued
within Cypriot universities. This paper discusses how different approaches
to urban morphological research have been deployed in the context of urban
form studies of Cypriot cities. It reviews existing morphological studies, which
date back to the 1980s, and also presents key research in related disciplines,
such as planning. There is a strong focus in Cyprus on two approaches:
the historico-geographical and the configurational, although typological
studies also exist. Certain themes, especially relating to physical divisions
and social interactions, also feature quite prominently in the literature.
Viewpoints
Point clouds and the measurement of the physical form of cities L. Díaz-Vilariño and V. Oliveira
Plots, formalism and the limits of the minimal K. Kropf
Urban morphology and architectural design: a contemporary condition G. Strappa
[Viewpoints, PDF ]
Reports
Second Hispanic International Seminar on Urban Form (ISUF-H), Saragossa, Spain, 2018
Fourth ISUFitaly Conference, Bari, Italy, 2018
Second Conference of the Turkish Network of Urban Morphology, Istanbul, Turkey, 2018
Fourth PNUM Workshop, Maringá, Brazil, 2018
Fourteenth European Urban History Conference, Rome, Italy, 2018
[Reports, PDF ]
Book reviews
M. Ben-Hamouche (2018) L’architecture et l’urbanisme au Maghreb aux XIX-XX siècles: Cas d’Alger (1800–2000) B. Maya
V. Oliveira (2018) Teaching urban morphology W. McClure
G. L. Maffei and M. Maffei (2018) Interpreting specialised buildings V. Oliveira
C. R. Wolfe (2017) Seeing the better city: how to explore and improve urban space P. Sanders
[Book reviews, PDF ]
Book notes
[Book notes, PDF ]
Notes and notices
- ISUF 2020: Cities in the twenty-first century
- Revista de Morfologia Urbana
- ISUF 2019: Cities as assemblages
- International conference on Chinese cities in globalization, Shanghai, 2019
- Elections to the Council of ISUF
- International conference on Cities and change: three decades of post-socialist transition, Darmstadt, Germany, 2019
- Urban Design International
- Thirteenth AESOP Young Academics Conference, 2019
- Meeting of the Council of ISUF