URBAN DESIGN EVOLUTION

EVOLUTION OF URBAN DESIGN

Origins and Development Settlement design has existed since prehistorical times…what times…what has changed is: •  Needs of the epoch • Consciousness in approach • Development of settlement design as a professional discipline with its own tools and concepts

Origins and Development Settlement design has existed since prehistorical times…what times…what has changed is: •  Needs of the epoch • Consciousness in approach • Development of settlement design as a professional discipline with its own tools and concepts

PreInd!strial vs PostInd!strial (Unself-conscious (Unself-conscious vs (self-conscious (self-conscious • !he histor" of ur#an design can #roadl" #e categori$ed into preind!strial and post ind!strial …with ind!strial …with the Renaissance period Renaissance  period forming the interphase% • Un-self-conscious approach: !his is created #" people who do not thin& of themselves as designers' #ut who do affect the form of the ur#an environment% Such a design is #ased upon intuitions that are not clearl" stated … e.g response to cosmic order or spontaneity  • Self-conscious Approach: !his is created #" people who thin& of themselves as designers% !heir interest is in using their design s&ills to create a pleasing ur#an setting%  self-conscious approach is usuall" #ased upon a set of clearl" stated design ideas or principles% principles%

)re-*ndustrial (Unconscious (Period prior to the 19th Century)

• +ost of the ur#an development conse,uences were not considered in detail • Cities were structured in a comprehensi#le and legi#le manner…%reflecting the cultures that created them • a"out of cities was mainl" #ased on ritual and cosmological s"m#ols…%% ordered around ceremonial procession routes' or militar"' religious' and civic landmar&s%

PreInd!strial "Un#ons#io!s$ % #ont&d • *nha#itants adapted to wider social' ph"sical' and spiritual order  • Communication was face-to-face • )u#lic life too& place in pu#lic places (ref. classical Forum)

Pre-Industrial (Unconscious) – cont’d  P!'li# realm included: • )u#lic thoroughfares • Commercial avenues and mar&et places (ref. islamic suqs) • Social promenades • +eeting places (ref. agoras) A traditional Islamic town

Pre-Industrial (Unconscious) – cont’d  • Cities as centres of civili$ation were alwa"s complex and d"namic' of larger cultural dimensions and housing grand pu#lic ceremonies% • +ost towns did not follow predetermined plans #ut intuitivel" responded to ecological choice' land ownership structures and evolution of road and ur#an infrastructure%

Pre-Industrial (Unconscious) – cont’d

The axis and the point had sacred connotations in settlement design

PreInd!strial "Un#ons#io!s$ % #ont&d

Articulation of the

Design (eat!res o( di((erent preind!strial #ivili)ations • Pre*istori#al "+,,, B-$. the concept of the centre' the cardinal orientation' scale' the axis' and the wall

• -lassi#al "/0,, B-$. scale' proportion' lines of movement' focal points' and visual lin&age%

• Islami# "1,, AD$. clusters' cul-de-sacs' #uilding heights' visual lin&age' privac"' la#"rinth street form (including the cul-de-sac' and focal points (nodes

• 2edieval "3,, AD$. .ierach" of #uildings' visual lin&' perimeter wall design

Renaissan#e -ivili)ation "40,, AD$ • -osmi# (or#es 5ere displa#ed '6 s#ienti(i# t*eories and o'servations • !r'an design #eased to 'e a nat!ral e7pression o( #omm!nit6 li(e and 'e#ame a m!#* more #ons#io!s artisti# sel(e7pression • renaissan#e !r'an design 5as mainl6 on aest*eti#s as per#eived '6 t*e !ser o( p!'li# pla#es • T*!s8 it *as 'een arg!ed t*at mainstream !r'an design 5as 'orn in t*e renaissan#e age

Design (eat!res o( t*e Renaissan#e •

reg!lar geometri# spa#es (entire cities or parts of

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t*e primar6 streets

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t*e p!'li# pla#es 9 s:!ares9pia))as 5it* s#!lpt!res and (o!ntains

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se:!en#e and perspe#tive;

Ideal cities of regular geometry

Design features of the /enaissance (cont0d

Pulic places and primary streets showing se!uence and perspecti"e

Ind!strial2odern "-ons#io!s$ Age "43,, AD$ • *ndustrial ge was characteri$ed #" capitalism and rapid ur#ani$ation that #ro&e down pre-industrial order  • 1ith introduction of machiner" and factor" s"stem' the great mass of wor&force was separated from the land' nature' and social life •  s a living environment' the 23th centur" cit" was conspicuous in its omissions. …………%its gross under-provision of pu#lic open space' educational facilities' communit" #uildings' and all those aspects that did not attract economic profit' #ut which were central to good citi$en life%

• !hus' it has #een argued that “urban design was murdered in the industrial age”. • .owever' the dar& side of industrial cities was enough to trigger a whole s"stem of reforms #ased on pu#lic responsi#ilit" and enterprises% •   +inimal standards of all &inds (roads' housing' gardens' #uilding heights' e%t%c were slowl" evolved leading to improved living standards%

• 2ainstream Ur'an design  originated in t*e late 43t* #ent!r6 at t*e *eart o( #it6 planning8 as #ivi# or to5n design in a so#ial #onte7t •

T*ese 5ere attempts "o( planners and engineers8 ar#*ite#ts8 and so#ial re(ormers$ to #ome to grips 5it* t*e pro'lems #reated '6 rapid ind!striali)ation and !r'ani)ation o( t*e late 43t* #ent!r6

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5*en planning (irst 'e#ame instit!tionali)ed in t*e 5est in t*e earl6