Good City Form Book Review

 

B O O K R E V I E W

SUBMITTED TO: AR.SUNAKSHI SHOKEEN

SUBMITTED BY BY:: TANYA KUKREJ KUKREJA A  NEERAJ VASHISHT 3RD YR 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION •

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SUMMARY

The spatial city, made up of things and activities. Whether the form of that city really makes any difference and how we can analyze such differences.

In this book initially he examine three existing normative theories, those which see the city as a model of the cosmos, as a machine, and as a living organism. These theories finally shown to be

Many people would say that this is impossible to answer.. For one thing, they would assert that answer the things around us are not what matter, but rather our relations to other people. These are the key to our happiness and our welfare. But that both act together, that our relations to each other as human beings are also influenced by the physical environment. In that sense the physical environment is indeed critical to our welfare.  Another general criticism may be made to raising this question. When one tries to generalize and to speak for everyone, then one speaks nonsense, since one cannot generalize across cultures. What makes a good city depends on who you are and what your interests are. It is impossible to cross all these

inadequate and unable to hold up under sustained analysis. The aim of these theories is simply to describe how settlements work rather than to evaluate how they ought to work. These theories are models of cities as ecological systems, as fields of force, as systems of linked decisions, or as areas of class conflict. Lynch puts his own theory t heory of good city form, which can produce good settlements, qualities that allow "development, within continuity, continuity, via

lines.

openness and connection." He presented five dimensions of performance vitality, sense, fit, access, and control. He also presented two "meta-criteria" efficiency and justice. These two meta-criteria Efficiency and justice are operate on the all other five dimensions.

 

THE FORM OF O F A CITY, CITY, AND HOW ITS MADE

Planning theory

Functional theory

Normative theory

 

THE THREE NORMATIVE THEORIES

CITIES AS COSMOS THE TWO BEST DEVELOPED BRANCES OF COSMIC THEORY ARE THOSE OF CHINA AND INDIA. IN CHINESE MODEL CITY WAS TO BE DIVIDED, SUBDIVIDED BY PROGRESSIVE FINGER GRIDS OF STREETS STRE ETS AND WA WAYS: BOXES WITHIN BOXEX. B OXEX. ALSO SPACES WERE SYMMETRICALLY INTO LEFT LEF T AND RIGHT,AND THIS WAS DIVIDED MIRRORED IN THE ORGANISATION OF GOVERNMENT.

THE TYPICAL TYPIC AL FORM WAS A MANDALA, A SET OF ENCLOSING RINGS DIVIDED INTO SQUARES, IN WHICH THE MOST POWERFUL POINT IS AT THE CENTER. ENCLOSURE AND PRO-TECTION REINFORCES HOLINESS, AND THE KEY MOVEMENTS ARE FROM THE OUTSIDE IN, OR CIRCLING THE SACRED ENCLO-SURE IN A CLOCKWISE DIRECTION.* THE EARTH IS SACRED AND SAFE TO INHABIT, ONCE THESE RITES AND SP SPA ATIAL DIVISIONS DIVI SIONS ARE ACCOMPLISHED. THE YEARLY RELIGIOUS PROCESSIONS FOLLOW THE SAME ENCIRCLING ROUTES, AND RESIDENTS ORGANIZE THE CITY IN THEIR MINDS IN I N THE SAME WAY. MADUR MADURA' A' IN INDIA IS A STRIKING EXAMPLE OF THIS MODEL

 

CITIES AS MACHINE

THINKING OF THE CITY AS A PRACTICAL MACHINE, ON THE OTHER HAND, IS AN UTTERLY DIFFERENT CONCEPTION. A MACHINE ALSO HAS PERMANENT PARTS, BUT THOSE PARTS MOVE AND MOVE EACH OTHER.

The regular plan of the Roman military camp is well known. Cardo and decumanus cross between four gates set in a regular square. It could be thrown up for a single night's halt, and yet serve for the layout of a  permanent town. town. The plan underlies the the layout of of the centers of many European European cities

The machine model is not simply the application of a layout (indeed, grids were also essential features of the magical Chinese model), but rather a characteristic view about parts and wholes and their function. It underlies Le Corbusier's Radiant City, which at first appears to be so different in its form. A city, this model says, is made up of small, autonomous, undifferentiated parts, linked up into a great machine.

 

CITIES AS ORGANISMS •

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If a city is an organism, then it has some characteristic features that distinguish distinguish living creatures from machines. An organism is an autonomous individual with a definite boundary boundary and of a defi-nite size. It does not change its size by simple extension or limitless adding of parts, but reorganizes its form as it changes size, and reaches limits, where the change in form is a radical one. It does have differentiated differentiated  parts, but these these parts are in close close contact with with each other and may not be sharply bounded.

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Form and function are indissolubly linked, and the function of the whole is complex, not to be understood simply simply by knowing the nature of the  parts, since the the parts working working together are are quite different from the mere collection of them. The whole organism is dynamic, self-regulating. It is also self-organizing. It repairs itself, produces new individuals, and goes through a cycle of birth, growth, maturity, and death. Rhythmic, cyclical action is normal, from the life cycle itself down to heartbeat, respiration, and nerve pulsation. Organisms are purposeful. They can be sick or well or undergo stress. They must be understood as dynamic wholes. Emotional feelings of wonder and affection accompany our observation of these entities

 

A THEORY OF GOOD CITY FORM PERFORMANCE DIMENSIONS

VITALITY

SENSE

The degree to which the settlement can be clearly perceived The degree to which the form of the settlement supports the vital functions,biological functions,biological requirements and mentally differentiated and structured in time and space and capabilities capabilities of human beings- above all, how it by its residents and the degree to which that mental structure connects with their values and concepts - the match between between protects the survival of the species. environment, our sensory and mental capabilities, and our 3 principal features of vitality : sustenance, safety, cultural constructs. consonance 5 characteristics of sense are : Identity Sructure Congruence Transparency Legibility

FIT The degree to which the form and capacity of spaces, channels, and equipment in a settlement match the pattern and quantity of actions that people customarily engage in, or want to engage in that is, the adequacy of the behaviour  settings, including their

GOOD FIT

Old cathedral in Barcelona BAD FIT

Gamle By open open air museum

empty business district after hours

adaptability to future actions.

traffic jam  

ACCESS

CONTROL

The ability to reach other persons,activities,resources,services,i nformation, or places, including the quantity and diversity of the elements which can be reached. A good environment is a place which affords obvious and easy access to a moderate variety of people, goods and settings, while this variety can be expanded if a person wishes to expand further energy. energy.

The degree to which the use and access to spaces and activities, and their creation, repair, modification, and management are controlled by those who use, work or reside in them. 3 characteristics of control are: congruence congr uence,, responsibi responsibiliy liy and certainty

The finger plan for Copenhagen, Denmark Denma rk - developme development nt along FINGER PLAN, COPENHAGEN arterial roads (parallel train and bike routes), interspersed with green arms that reach very close to the city - Christopher Alexander's "lacework

Meta-criteria : Efficiency and justice EFFICIENCY A balancing criteria that relates the level of achievement in some performance to loss in some other, so they help resolve interdimensional conflicts"

Miao Village, Xijiang, China

JUSTICE The way in which environmental benefits and costs are distributed among persons, according to some particular principle such as equity, need, intrinsic worth, ability to pay, effort expended, potential

contribution, or power.