Revising the Position of a City Block Within the Morphological Frame of a Traditional City: Contemporary Perspectives
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View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by RAUmPlan - Repository of Architecture, Urbanism and Planning SPATIUM International Review UDC 711.42 No. 31, July 2014, pp. 1-6-7 Original scientific paper DOI: 10.2298/SPAT1431001N REVISING THE POSITION OF A CITY BLOCK WITHIN THE MORPHOLOGICAL FRAME OF A TRADITIONAL CITY: CONTEMPORARY PERSPECTIVES Ana Niković1, Institute of Architecture and Spatial & Urban Planning of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia Vladan Đokić, University of Belgrade, Faculty of Architecture, Belgrade, Serbia Igor Marić, Institute of Architecture and Spatial & Urban Planning of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia This paper investigates the basic theoretical concepts of urban morphology related to the phenomena of a traditional city and its constitutive elements, including the city block. The traditional city is not considered an absolute model, but a subject of morphological analysis, by which its characteristics are detected, classified and described, becoming a base for new synthetic models in the context of contemporary designing and planning. The paper provides theoretical support to further studies dealing with the practical application of theoretical knowledge and concepts of urban morphology in designing and planning. It points out that the key characteristics of a traditional city identified by morphological analysis are contained within the architectural and urban entity of a city block, which can, therefore, be considered a generative element of its urban structure. Given that the scale of a city block allows for morphological analysis, as well as providing recommendations for future urban development, these research results can be applied to the contemporary context of designing and planning. The paper fits into contemporary studies that link the fields of urban morphology and urban design. Key words: traditional city, morphological frame, city block, urban morphology, urban design. special interest has arisen in investigating a interventions at different scales provides some 1 INTRODUCTION form of the traditional city in response to kind of a central focus contributing to the more Urban morphology is a wide field of study with an problems identified in the built environment purposeful application of urban morphology in international and interdisciplinary framework that emerged during the Modern movement. An practice (Kropf, 2011). important challenge for urban morphology is to comprising different theoretical and methodo- This paper investigates the position of a city investigate the possibilities of using the current logical approaches. Recent studies underline the block within the morphological frame of a and new theoretical concepts in the context of importance of urban morphological knowledge in traditional city under the assumption that the city contemporary planning and design. the application of theoretical concepts in the block represents a key morphological concept. practice of architectural and urban designing However, a well-established attitude among The research subject placed in such way further and urban planning. The physical entity and urban designers according to which urban implies that previous urban morphological urban form is a common focus of various urban morphology is oriented towards historical research and concepts related to the traditional morphology approaches and studies. analyses and reification of traditional city- city, out of which the Conzenian concept of the A traditional city has an outstanding place building types, as well as that its application in morphological frame stands out as a relevant within various urban morphology approaches, urban design can be seen primarily in the field and comprehensive one with which other primarily as the backbone within the of urban quality management based on relevant concepts can be connected, will be the comparative analysis of spontaneous and traditional values, and not in a conceptual and main theoretical support in the present paper. planned forms of settlements, which was the experimental design, is one of the important Primary source material for researchers includes main theme of the earliest urban morphology constraints in the application of urban studies appearing in the late 19th century and morphology research in the context of This paper has originated within the framework of the th contemporary architectural and urban practice scientific project „Spatial, environmental, energy and early 20 century. Since the 1960s, in the social aspects of developing settlements and climate theory of architecture and urban planning, (Nasser, 2013). It can be assumed that the change – mutual impacts“ (TR 36035), financed by the existence of the key concept in terms of Ministry of Education, Science and Technological defining the basic unit of urban growth and Development of the Republic of Serbia. 1Bulevar kralja Aleksandra 73/II, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia [email protected] transformation which links professional spatium 1 Niković A. et al.: Revising the position of a city block within the morphological frame of a traditional city: Contemporary perspectives texts in the field of urban morphology, particularly Seminar on Urban Form (ISUF) is especially He analyzes the town plan of Alnwick at the urban morphological discourse within the concerned with the topic of connecting different urban levels to individual plots and International Seminar on Urban Form (ISUF), theoretical research with the practice of buildings, using maps showing how the town available online as web pages, and in Urban planning, designing and building. In this plan developed, how it changed and how the Morphology journal issues published online. In regard, instead of classifying researchers relationship between different components of addition, sources include scientific and according to which school and tradition they the plan was established. According to Conzen, professional literature in the field of the theory of belong, the researchers strive to consolidate the main parts of the plan are: town plan or architecture and urbanism dealing with the knowledge about urban forms and to identify ground plan (including locations, streets, plots introduction of the concept of form in urban those areas where different morphological and blocks), the building fabric (its 3D form) planning. The first section of the paper presents concepts, terms and texts overlap, which has and land and building utilization. As main the phenomenon of the traditional city from the resulted in the development of different attributes of a complex urban form, Conzen aspect of urban morphology. The second section systems for mapping individual contributions mentions the resistance to change, which can describes the position of a city block in the to the study of urban form and synoptic charts also be called flexibility, adaptability; then, morphological frame of a traditional city. The of key terms (Gauthier, 2006). The Glossary of historico-morphological characteristics; and, final section investigates the possibility of International Seminar on Urban Form compiled thirdly, contribution to the hierarchy of units using the singled out concepts in designing by Peter Larkham and Andrew Jones is a (Whitehand, 2007). and planning, namely the possibility of special contribution to this research aim2. It The term ‘morphological frame’ defined by connecting theory and practice. was developed on the basis of Conzen’s own Conzen in his analysis of medieval settlements glossary and extended with terms found in represents an ‘antecedent plan feature... other publications and theses. For each term, it MORPHOLOGICAL FRAME OF exerting a morphological influence on is indicated to which group of terms it belongs A TRADITIONAL CITY subsequent plan development’. The pattern of - architectural style, planning, etc. In addition, development forming the kernel of a town is often The term ‘traditional city’ refers to a form of a group of terms that belongs to the Conzenian a constraint to the formation of future urban settlement which grew spontaneously in terminology particularly stands out. In the development. Constraints can include natural the period before planned forms of settlements context of connecting the theory of urban structures – topographic elements, and/or built emerged. The traditional city is a complex morphology and the practice of designing and structures – plot and street patterns. ‘Inherited urban form which has affirmed itself as an planning, the Conzenian terminology gives a outline’ is a term equivalent to morphological important topic of research both for urban key contribution which stems from his frame, thus implying that elements of urban and morphology and for the theory of architecture approach whose characteristics include physical structure are constants in development and urbanism. The urban morphological morphogenetic method, cartographic with high resistance to change. Insisting on approach in the study of the form of a representation and terminological precision constants in development indicates an important traditional city provides results in terms of key (Whitehand, 2007). characteristics, concepts and terms typical for feature of the morphological frame as a concept this morphological entity. Within the urban morphological discourse, the which connects urban forms with processes. term ‘traditional city’ is closely related to Conzen defines the term ‘morphological For a long time, urban morphology has been several terms defined in the Glossary.