Urban Form and Function PDF

URBAN FORM & FUNCTION The spatial arrangement of cities due to: FUNCTION OF A CITY 1. Physical layout and design of a city 2. Spatial imprint of an urban transport system Economic...

URBAN FORM & FUNCTION The spatial arrangement of cities due to: FUNCTION OF A CITY 1. Physical layout and design of a city 2. Spatial imprint of an urban transport system Economic 3. Adjacent physical infrastructures  A basic, continuing function  Cities act as producers & marketplaces FACTORS INFLUENCING A CITY FORM  Locating cities at strategic points is Geography important for exchange of goods Impact of Natural Environment Social, Political & Economic Forces Defense & Protection Trade Practices  Historic urban function of the city Period of Development  Arguably, obsolete at present  Cities were once built to withstand sieges RECTILINEAR from migrating tribes, or frequent raids from Usually with two corridors enemies of intense development crossing Worship & Government the center; usually  The prime function of the city throughout found in small cities history rather that in large  Cities were built around temples, shrines ones and pyramids Example: Intramuros, Manila  Composed of straight street crossing at right  Medieval cathedral was the center of the angles to create many regular blocks city, as were renaissance palaces and  Typical of cities built after the industrial castles revolution - when cities placed such importance on economic activity Transportation  This plan facilities the movement of people  Greatly influences the location of cities since and product throughout of the city they are dependent on geography  New means of transportation have enabled Chandigarh - The primary module of the city’s people to live in much larger more spread design is a sector, a neighborhood unit of size out cities 800mx1200m. Education & Culture Positive:  Cities as seat of academy and scholarship  High accessibility  A continuing function  Minimum disruption flow  Cities as educator - due to the diversity of  Expansion flexibility people, ideas, jobs, etc.  Excellent psychological orientation -  Cities as a reflection of cultural pride - adaptability to level or moderately rolling ancient theatre, religious festivals, city, terrain beautiful. Etc. Negative: Housing  Requires flow hierarchies The largest & simplest function of a city  Limited in its adaptability to the terrain Housing functions of the inner city have shifted to  Potentially monotonous outlying areas RADIOCENTRIC What is URBAN FORM? A large circle with radial corridors of intense The spatial pattern of human activities at a development emanating from the center certain point in time. “Radiate outwards from a common centre” Example: Moscow 1893 The city grew in a pattern of rings and radials that  Constellation marked Moscow’s growth from ancient time to  Articulated sheet modern layout. The center is Moscow Kremlin and the famous IMAGES OF THE CITY (Kevin Lynch) Red Square  Paths  Edges  Geographical possibility of spreading in all  Districts directions  Nodes  Inner outer ring roads linked by radiating  Landmarks roads  Core has business area PATH  Industrial area interspersed within the  Channels along which the observer moves residential area - Periphery has green belt  Predominant element for many person’s image Positive:  Other elements are arranges and related  A direct line of travel for centrally directed through paths flows  Economics of a single-centralised terminal or Strong paths are: origin point  Easily identifiable  Have continuity and directional quality Negative:  Are aligned with a larger system  Central congestion  Local flow problems EDGES  Difficult building sites Can be disruptive to city form. LINEAR Strong edges are: Usually the result of natural topography which  Visually prominent resticts growth; May also be a transportation  Continuous spine.  And impenetrable to cross movement Example: Mumbai - Land available for development is limited DISTRICTS - The growth of Mumbai is constrained by the sea  Medium to large sections of a city, conceived at the south, east and west. As a result total land of as two-dimensional. area available for development is limited.  Observer can mentally enter “inside of”  Recognizable as having some common, Positive: identifying character  High accessibility  Dominance depends upon the individual and  Adaptability to linear growth the given district  Useful along the limited edge Physical characteristics have a variety of Negative: components:  Very sensitive to blockage  Activity and use  Requires control of growth  Building types and detail  Lacks focus  Inhabitants(ethnic or class)  The choice of connection or of direction of  Physical characteristics (topography, movement are much less boundaries, age, etc.) SHAPE OF THE CITY NODES Linear span with connecting arms  Points, strategic spots by which an observer  Star can enter  Branch  Intensive foci (center of activity) from which In some cases, nosed are the centers, of the observer is travelling district that they are in.  Junctions and Concentrations  Directly related to the concept of paths and LANDMARKS the concept of districts Point references considered to be external to the observer. Application: Physical elements that may vary widely in scale Is Cubao a “District” or a “Node”? Unique and special in place of the continuities Answer: Node used earlier Sequential series of landmarks as traveling Differences guides District  Medium to large sections of a city,, conceived RESPONSIVE ENVIRONMENTS (Ian Bentley) of as two-dimensional  Observer can mentally enter “inside of” 1. Permeability  Recognizable as having some common, identifying character - Places must be accessible to people to offer  Dominance depends upon the individual and them choice the given district - Public and private access must be complementary Node - Physical and visual permeability depends on  Points, strategic spots by which an observer how the network of public space divides the can enter environment into blocks  Intensive foci from which observer is - There is a decline in public permeability travelling because of current design trends  Junctions and concentrations  Scale of development  Directly related to the concept of paths and  Hierarchical layout the concept of districts  Segregation