2022 Volume 26.1
Editorial comment
The need for change in the study of urban form
Articles
Exploring the substantive nature of urban morphology: managing the changing character of cities in China
K. Gu, S. Wang, J. Zhang and S. Chen {+}Abstract [Full paper, PDF, 11MB ]
ABSTRACT: The value of identifying and improving the distinctiveness of cultural landscapes as a means
of reinforcing place identity and supporting economic development has been widely recognised by
both academics and professionals. Despite increasing interest in urban design codes for guiding urban
change, their practice, in particular of those concerning the management of landscape forms at the city
or regional scale, has hitherto achieved limited success. The idea of urban morphological regions has
the potential to strengthen practical reasoning for achieving valued results in managing urban landscape
changes. In connection with an investigation of Zhengzhou, one of the most economically dynamic cities
in central China, this paper explores the conceptual and practical significance of urban morphological
regionalisation for establishing theoretically-informed and evidence-based urban design codes.
Reconsidering the morphological understanding of traditional Chinese cities: a study of the early spatial modernization of Suzhou, 1880–1949
S. Fu, J. Wang and G. Sun {+}Abstract [Full paper, PDF, 6MB ]
ABSTRACT: Based on the mapping of nine historical maps of the ancient capital of Suzhou from 1880 to 1949,
this paper examines the early spatial modernization of Suzhou in the late-Qing and Republican eras. The
mapping is interpreted as four periods to provide a coherent narrative for the spatial transformation of
Suzhou, following a discussion of its historico-geographical features and morphological influences that
define the course of the city’s modernity by extracting three key components: the modern road network,
public building utilizations of significant modernity, and the growth and fringe of built-up areas. To do so
the paper draws upon current debates on the feasibility of urban morphological study of Chinese cities
in early-modern times, particularly the idea that applications of typical urban morphological approaches
are more limited than those of comparable studies in Europe, to provide a new approach to observe the
morphological features and spatial cognition of Chinese traditional cities.
Mapping post-socialist changes in urban tissues: a comparative study of Belgrade and Krakow
A. A. Kantarek, K. Kwiatkowski, W. Korbel, V. Djokić, A. Djordjević, A. Niković and I. Samuels
{+}Abstract [Full paper, PDF, 17MB ]
ABSTRACT: This project on post-socialist urban form in Belgrade and Krakow was undertaken by the
University of Belgrade, Faculty of Architecture, Cracow University of Technology and the Institute
of Architecture and Urban and Spatial Planning of Serbia, involving field visits to both cities. A brief
historical review and discussion of planning contexts is followed by an analysis of urban tissues from
which five cases, characteristic of both cities, were selected for analysis. These range from peripheral
areas to major city-centre streets and typical modern developments. A GIS database was prepared for each
case and comparisons made of land use patterns, the year-by-year establishment of new plots, Floor Area
Ratio (FAR) and Building Area Ratio (BAR). Plot development is examined through the analysis of the
relationship between construction year, plot size, the number of buildings on each plot, and increases of
floor and building area ratio. The project highlights parallels between the impacts to which similar urban
tissues in the two countries have been exposed during the post-socialist period and reveals the variety of
problems and challenges of urban regulation, land ownership and housing investments in relation to post-
socialist urban form.
The study of urban form in Iran
M. Abaee {+}Abstract [Full paper, PDF, 1.8MB ]
ABSTRACT: The study of urban form in Iran has not produced a substantial body of knowledge. This paper
categorizes the works of Iranian researchers into two main groups. The first group comprises the efforts of
individual researchers, forming the origins of this field of study. This group includes studies on individual
cities or the history of urban form, explanations of the fundamental concepts of urban morphology, and
the use of urban form as a general term. The second group comprises the currently-emerging flow of
research. This relies on more precise explanations of urban morphological concepts, addressing urban
morphology and its varied methods, including space syntax. These publications are categorized by the
scale, methodological approach, elements examined, temporal dimension, cities studied, techniques used,
relation to other fields of knowledge, major field of study and reliance on a technical vocabulary of urban
morphology. This paper thus presents a critical review of the study of urban form in Iran to reveal gaps
of this field of research, and identifies the urban morphology domains that remain unexplored by Iranian
scholars.
Urban morphology and artificial intelligence
T. Stojanovski {+}Abstract [Full paper, PDF, 2MB ]
ABSTRACT: This commentary aims to concisely introduce artificial intelligence and urbantech for urban
morphologists. We are in a midst of a new revolution in machine learning with ‘neural nets’ capable of
understanding human speech and written language and analysing content on images and videos. The
neural nets can semantically parse scenes on images recognizing objects, creating scene graphs, and
describing content with text. However, specialized neural nets for urban morphology do not exist. Neural
nets can recognise artefacts from specific historical ages or learn about architectural styles only if they
are supervised by experts. To create urban morphological architectural intelligence that can help with
morphological research or morphologically-informed urban design practices, urban morphologists need
to translate their analytics and practices into software specifications. Creating specialized neural nets for
urban morphology requires expertise in software engineering and programming effort and seems far in the
future, but the International Seminar for Urban Form and Urban Morphology can play a profound role
in debating urbantech, needs for intelligent tools and reaching to computational science and technology.
Only through coordination and finding synergies the revolution of artificial intelligence will influence
urban morphology as urbantech.
Viewpoints
On the form and function of grid plans S. D. Ehrlich
Unmasking an urban morphologist I. Samuels
Field survey in Conzenian morphological regionalization C. Monteiro
Forma Quadrata Britanniae: the case of Londinium G. Cataldi, G. Cataldi, L. Visentin
[Viewpoints, PDF ]
Reports
President’s Report V. Oliveira
A multi-dimensional perspective to the study of urban form in Turkey E. Şevik, G. Okumuş, H. E. Efeoğlu and N. P. Temizel
[Reports, PDF ]
Book and Software reviews
Hélène Noizet and Anne-Sophie Clémençon (2021) Faire ville: entre planifié et impensé, la fabrique ordinaire des formes urbaines A. Vialard
Laura Anna Pezzetti (2020) Rewriting urban strata in China J. Zhang
Vítor Oliveira (2021) Morphological research in planning, urban design and architecture T. Marat-Mendes
Jan Nijman (2020) Amsterdam's canal district: origins, evolution, and future prospects P. J. Larkham
Townscaper (Software review) T.Stojanovski
[Book reviews, PDF ]
Book notes
[Book notes, PDF ]
Notes and notices
- J. W. R. Whitehand Thesis Prize
- ISUF 2022: Urban redevelopment and revitalization: a multidisciplinary perspective
- Morphology and urban design: new strategies for a changing society
- Acknowledgement of reviewers for 2021