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The City in Space and
Time
The Human Mosaic
Chapter 10
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Introduction
Imagine humankinds sojourn on Earth as a
24-hour day
Settlements of more than a hundred people
are only about a half-hour old Towns and cities emerged only a few minutes
ago
Large-scale urbanization began less than 60
seconds ago
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Introduction
Urbanization in the last 200 years hasstrengthened links between culture, society,and the city
Urban explosion has gone hand in hand withthe industrial revolution
Estimates demonstrate the worlds urban
population more than doubled since 1950
Urban population doubled again by 2000
Over 50 percent of Earths population live in
cities
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Urbanization: Sao Paulo, Brazil
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Urbanization: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Sao Paulo epitomizes thedynamics of urbanization,especially capitalism.Starting as a coffeeexporting center, it had less
than 32000 inhabitants by1872. Today metropolitanSao Paulo is a primate cityof more than 20 million.Economic development andflat land engendered
population increase andsprawl, rising land costs inthe center, and a boom inconstruction.
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Urbanization: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Economic success isdenoted by the high-riseswhich are a mix of industrial,commercial and professionaloffice blocks, as well asapartment complexes. Cityplanning is only a recentphenomenon. Rural tourban migration is a seriousproblem and the citys rapid
growth has outstripped itsability to provide jobs,housing and adequateservices.
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Culture regions
Urban Culture Region
Origin and Diffusion of the City
Evolution of Urban Landscapes
The Ecology of Urban Location
Cultural Integration in Urban Geography
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Problem of recognizing urban regions
Urbanizedpopulationpercentage of anations population living in towns and cities
Striking urbanization difference between
countries Some close to 90 percent
Others less than 20 percent
Culture regions can be based on varying
rates of urbanization We have a pattern of urban versus rural
countries
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Problem of recognizing urban regions
Within each nation, we can delimit formal andfunctional culture regions separating urban and ruraldomains
There is no agreed-upon international definition of
what constitutes a city India defines an urban center as 5,000 inhabitants,
with adult males employed primarily in nonagriculturalwork
The United States Census Bureau defines a city as a
densely populated area of 2,500 people or more South Africa counts as a city any settlement of 500 or
more people
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Problem of recognizing urban regions
Some countries revise definitions of urbansettlements to suit specific purposes
China revised its census definitions with
criteria that vary from province to provincecausing their urban population to swell by 13percent in 1983
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Generalizations
Generalizations made about the differencesin the worlds urbanized population
Highly industrialized countries have higher
rates of urbanized population than do less-developed countries
Developing countries are rapidly urbanizing
Caused by massive migration away from the
country People flock to the cities searching for a better
life
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Generalizations
Developing countries are rapidly urbanizing
City migration is often driven by desperation,as rural supply systems collapse
For newcomers to the cities, unemployment ratesare often over 50 percent
One of the worlds ongoing crises will be this
radical restructuring of population and culture
as people move into the cities
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Generalizations
Urban growth comes from two sources
Migration of people to the cities
Higher natural population growth rates for
recent migrants Because employment is unreliable, large families
construct a more extensive family support system
Increases the chances of someone getting work
Smaller families when a certain dimension of
security is ensured Smaller families often occur when women enter
the work force
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World cities
Cities over 5 million in population
Over half of the worlds 20 largest cities are in
the developing world
Thirty years ago, the list of world cities wasdominated by Western, industrialized cities
Now the list is even more dominated by the
developing world
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World cities
Mexico Citys growth is linked to Mexicos oil
industry
Some countries are trying to regulate urban
growth Problems with transportation, housing, and
employment
Failure or success of these policies willinfluence city size in the next ten to twentyyears
China closely regulates urban growth
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World cities
Accurate population projections are evasive becausethey depend on variables
Primate city asettlement city that dominates theeconomic, political, and cultural life of a country
The target for much urban migration Rapid growth expands its primacy, or dominance
Example of Mexico City far exceeds Guadalajara,the second-largest city in Mexico, in size andimportance
Many developing countries are dominated by a primatecity, which was often a former center of colonial power
Primate cities are also found in developed countries London and Paris
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Culture regions
Urban Culture Region
Origin and Diffusion of the City
Evolution of Urban Landscapes
The Ecology of Urban Location
Cultural Integration in Urban Geography
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The first cities
In seeking explanation for the origin of cities,we find a relationship between:
Areas of early agriculture
Permanent village settlement The development of new social forms
Urban life
Early people were nomadic hunters andgatherers who constantly moved
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The first cities
As they became increasingly efficient in gatheringresources, their campsites became semi-permanent
As quantities of domesticated plants and animalsincreased settlement became more permanent
The first cities appeared in the Middle East
Developed about ten thousand years ago
Farming villages modest in size, rarely with more than200 people
Probably organized on a kinship basis
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The first cities
The first cities appeared in the Middle East
Probably organized on a kinship basis
Jarmo, one of the earliest villages
Located in present-day Iraq
Had 25 permanent dwellings clustered near grainstorage facilities
Lacked plows, but cultivated local grains wheat andbarley
Domestic dogs, goats, and sheep may have beenused for meat
Food supplies augmented by hunting and gathering
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The first cities
In agricultural villages, all inhabitants wereinvolved in some way in food procurement
Cities were more removed, physically and
psychologically, from everyday agriculturalactivities
Food was supplied to the city
Not all city dwellers were involved in actual
farming Another class of city dwellers supplied
services such as technical skills, andreligious interpretation
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The first cities
Two elements were crucial to this social change
Generation of agricultural surplus prerequisite forsupporting nonfarmers
Stratified social system
Meaning the existence of distinct elite and lowerclasses
Facilitates the collection, storage, and distribution ofresources
Well-defined channels of authority that exercisecontrol over goods and people
These two set the stage for urbanization
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Models for the rise of cities
Technical
The hydraulic civilizationmodel, developed byKarl Wittfogel Large-scale irrigation systems as prime mover
behind urbanization
Higher crop yields resulted
Food surplus supported development of a largenonfarming population
Strong, centralized government, backed by anurban-based military
Farmers who resisted new authority were deniedwater
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Models for the rise of cities
Technical
The hydraulic civilizationmodel, developed by KarlWittfogel
Power elite needed for organizational coordination to
ensure continued operation of the irrigation system Labor specialization developed
The hydraulic model cannot be applied to all urbanhearths
Urban civilization blossomed without irrigation in partsof Mesoamerica
The question of how or why a culture might firstdevelop irrigation
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Models for the rise of cities
Religious Paul Wheatley suggests religion was the motivating
factor behind urbanization Knowledge of meteorological and climatic conditions
was considered to be within the domain of religion Religious leaders decided when and how to plant crops Successful harvests led to more support for this
priestly class Priestly class exercised political and social control that
held the city together
In this scenario, cities are religious spaces functioningas ceremonial centers
First urban clusters and fortification seen as defensesagainst spiritual demons or souls of the dead
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Models for the rise of cities
Multiple factors
Distinction between economic, religious, and politicalfunctions were not always clear
A king may have functioned as priest, healer,
astronomer, and scribe In some ways secular and spiritual power was fused
Attempting to isolate one trigger to urbanization isdifficult, if not impossible
It would be wiser to accept the role of multiple factors
behind the changes leading to urban life Technical, religious, and political forces were often
interlinked
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Urban hearth areas
Where the first cities appeared, for example:
Mesopotamia
The Nile Valley
Pakistans Indus River Valley The Yellow River valley (or Huang Ho) in
China
Mesoamerica
Next slide gives general dates of urban lifeemergence for each region
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Urban hearth areas
Generally agreed first cities arose in Mesopotamia
River valley of the Tigris and Euphrates in what is nowIraq
Cities, small by current standards, covered one-half to
two square miles
Populations rarely exceeded 30,000
Densities could reach 10,000 per square mile comparable to todays cities
Early cities, also called cosmomagicalcities,exhibited three spatial characteristics
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Urban hearth areas
Early cities, also called cosmomagicalcities,exhibited three spatial characteristics
Great importance accorded the symbolic center of thecity, which was thought to be the center of the known
world Often demarcated by a vertical structure of
monumental scale representing the point on Earthclosest to the heavens
This symbolic center, or axis mundi, took differentforms The ziggurat in Mesopotamia
The palace or temple in China
The pyramid in Egypt and Mesoamerica
The Stupa in the Indus Valley
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Cosmomagical City: Beijing, China
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Cosmomagical City: Beijing, China
This is the Hall of SupremeHarmony, the most importantceremonial building inBeijings Forbidden City.The hall is set upon an
auspicious number of threetiers. From the Gate ofSupreme Harmony, theemperor would be carried onhis palanquin above thedragon pavement, carved
with his dragon and otherauspicious symbols such aswaves, mountains andclouds.
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Cosmomagical City: Beijing, China
The Forbidden City markedthe inner sanctum of theImperial city, a model ofharmony and moral orderexpressing the Will of
Heaven.
Ritual and cosmiccorrectness was imbued incity form through divinationand orientation; cardinal
axiality and concentricity;and, square configurationdefined by walls and gates.
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Urban hearth areas
Early cities, also called cosmomagicalcities,exhibited three spatial characteristics
In Mesopotamia, this area was known as the
citadel and housed the elite who lived inrelative luxury
Streets were paved, drains and running waterwere provided
Private sleeping quarters, bathtubs, and waterclosets were provided
Privileges did not extend to the city as a whole
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Urban hearth areas
Early cities, also called cosmomagicalcities,exhibited three spatial characteristics
The city was oriented toward the four cardinaldirections
Geometric form of city would reflect the order of theuniverse
Walls around the city delimited the known and orderedworld from the outside chaos
Attempt to shape the form of the city according to the
form of the universe Thought essential to maintain harmony between
human and spiritual worlds
Example of Ankor Thorn in India
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Urban hearth areas
Life in Mesopotamias early cities from archaeological
evidence
Dense housing, located just outside the citadel, wasone or two stories tall composed of clay brick, and
contained three or four rooms Narrow unsurfaced streets had no drainage, and
served as the community dump
At Ur, excavations show that garbage levels rose so
high, new entrances were cut into second stories of thehouses
Just inside the city wall, huts of mud and reed housedthe lower classes
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Urban hearth areas
Early cities of the Nile were not walled, suggesting aregional power structure kept cities from warring witheach other
In the Indus Valley, Mohenjo-Daro was laid out in agrid that consisted of 16 large blocks
The most important variations in living conditionsoccurred in Mesoamerica Cities were less dense and covered large areas Cities arose without benefit of the wheel, plow,
metallurgy, and draft animals Domestication of maize compensated for technological
shortcomings Maize yields several crops a year without irrigation in
tropical climates
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The diffusion of the city from hearth
areas
The two hypotheses of how cities spread inprehistoric times
Cities evolved spontaneously as native peoplescreated new technologies and social institutions
Preconditions for urban life are too specific for mostcultures to invent without contact with other urbanareas
People must have learned these traits through contactwith city dwellers
This scenario emphasized the diffusion of ideas andtechniques
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The diffusion of the city from hearth
areas
Diffusionists believe ideas and techniques fromMesopotamia were shared with people in the Nileand the Indus River valley
Archaeological evidence documents trade ties between
the three regions Soapstone objects made in Tepe Yahy, 500 miles
east of Mesopotamia, have been found in ruins of bothMesopotamia and Indus Valley cities
Indus Valley writing and seals have been found in
Mesopotamian urban sites An alternate view is that trading took place only after
these cities were well established
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The diffusion of the city from hearth
areas
There is evidence of contacts across theoceans between early urban dwellers of theNew World and those of Asia and Africa
Unclear if this means urbanization wasdiffused to Mesoamerica
Maybe some trade routes existed betweenthese peoples
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The diffusion of the city from hearth
areas
Little doubt diffusion is responsible for the dispersalof the city in historical times City used as vehicle for imperial expansion Urban life is carried outward in waves of conquest as
empires expand Initially, military controls newly won lands and sets up
collection points for local resources As collection points lose some military atmosphere
they begin to show the social diversity of a city Native people are slowly assimilated into the
settlement as workers and may eventually control thecity The process repeats itself as the empire pushes
outward
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The diffusion of the city from hearth
areas
Imposition of a foreign civilization on native peoples was oftenmet with resistance
Examples of imperial city building dot history
Alexander the Great established at least 70 cities
The Roman Empire built literally thousand of cities, changing
the face of Europe, North Africa, and Asia minor The Persians, the Maurya Empire of India, the Han
civilization of China, and the Greeks performed the samecity-spreading task
In more recent times, European empires have used city
resources to expand and consolidate their power in coloniesin the Americas, Africa, and Asia
Expansion diffusion has been critical in dispersing urban lifeover the surface of the Earth
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Culture regions
Urban Culture Region
Origin and Diffusion of the City
Evolution of Urban Landscapes
The Ecology of Urban Location
Cultural Integration in Urban Geography
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Introduction
Patterns seen in the city today are acomposite of past and present cultures
Two concepts underlie our examination of
urban landscapes Urban morphology physical form of the city,
which consists of street patterns, buildingsizes and shapes, architecture, and density
Functional zonation refers to the pattern ofland uses within a city, or existence of areaswith differing functions
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The Greek city
Western civilization and Western cities trace theirroots to ancient Greece
By 600 B.C.,over five hundred towns and citiesexisted on the Greek mainland and surrounding
islands
With expansion, cities spread throughout theMediterranean to the north shore of Africa, toSpain, southern France, and Italy
Cities rarely had more than 5,000 inhabitants
Athens may have reached 300,000 in the fifth centuryB.C.,including perhaps 100,000 slaves
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The Greek city
Cities had two distinctive functional zones the acropolisand the agora
The acropolis was similar in many ways to the
citadel of Mesopotamian cities Had the temples of worship, storehouse of
valuables, and seat of power
Served as a place of retreat in time of siege
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The Greek city
The agora was the province of the citizens
A place for public meetings, education, socialinteraction, and judicial matters
It was the civic center, the hub of democraticlife for Greek men
Later, after the classical period, it became thecitys major marketplace without losing its
atmosphere of a social club
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The Greek city
Physical separation of religious from secularfunctions implies the religious domain was nolonger the only source of authority
Temples were located on sacred sites chosento please the gods
Temples were also sited and designed toplease the human eye and harmonize with the
natural landscape
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The Greek city
Tension created between the religious andsecular created what many consider to beone of the greatest achievements of Westernarchitecture
Earlier Greek cities probably grewspontaneously without formal guidelines
Some think many ceremonial areas weredesigned to be seen according to prescribed
lines of vision The human aesthetic was given a degree of
authority not given in cosmomagical cities
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The Greek city
In later Greek cities a more formalized city designand plan are apparent example of Miletus in Ioma(present-day Turkey)
Laid out in a rigid grid system imposing its geometry on
the physical site conditions Layout indicates an abstracted and highly rational
notion of urban life
Seems to fit well with the functional needs of a colonial
city Grid system shows religious and aesthetic needs had
taken a secondary role to pressing demands ofcontrolling an empire
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Roman cities
Romans adopted many urban traits from theGreeks and the Etruscans, whom theRomans had conquered and absorbed in
northern Italy As the empire expanded, city life diffused into
areas that had not previously experiencedurbanization
France, Germany, England, interior Spain, theAlpine countries, and parts of eastern Europe
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Roman cities
As the empire expanded, city life diffused into areasthat had not previously experienced urbanization
Most cities were established as military (castra) andtrading outposts
Focal points for collection of local agricultural products Supply centers for the military
Service centers for long-distance trading network
In England, the trail of city building can be found by
looking for the suffixes -casterand -chesterindicatingcities founded as Roman camps
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Roman cities
Roman city landscapes Gridiron street pattern was used in later Greek
cities example of Pavia, Italy
The forum a zone combining elements ofthe Greek acropolis and agora Placed at the intersection of a citys two major
thoroughfares
Temples of worship, administrative buildings ,
and warehouses Also libraries, schools, and marketplaces serving
the common people
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Roman cities
Roman city landscapes Clustered around the forum were the palaces of the
power elite Sanitary, well heated in winter, and spacious Not until the twentieth century did such luxury again
exist Roman masses lived in shoddy apartment houses
Often four or five stories high, called insula System of aqueducts and underground sewers did not
extend to the poor
Garbage of perhaps a million Romans was thrown intoopen pits Even in its best days, Romes population was always
at the mercy of plagues
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Roman cities
Romes most important legacy was the Romanmethod for choosing city sites
Remains applicable today
Consistently chose sites with transportation in mind
Empire held together by a complicated system of roadsand highways
In choosing a new site for settlement Romans firstconsidered access while other cultures placed
emphasis on defensive locations Numerous old Roman town sites were refounded
centuries later Paris, London, and Vienna
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Roman cities
The Roman Empire was in major decline byA.D. 400
Cities and the highway system that linked
them fell into disrepair The administrative structure collapsed
Outposts were either actively destroyed orsimply left to decay
Within 200 years, many of the cities hadwithered away
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Roman cities
Some Roman cities in the Mediterraneanarea managed to survive
Established trade with the Byzantine Empire
After the eighth century, cities in Spain wereinfused with new vigor by the Moorish Empire
Cities in northern regions became smallvillages
Urban decline occurred only in areas that hadbeen under Roman rule
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The medieval city
Medieval period lasted roughly from A.D.1000 to 1500
Time of renewed urban expansion in Europe
Urban life spread north and east in Europe Germanic and Slavic people expanded their
empires
In only four centuries, 2,500 new German
cities were founded
Most cities of present-day Europe werefounded during this period
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The medieval city
Revival of local and long-distance trade resulted froma combination of factors
Population increase
Political stability and unification
Agricultural expansion through new land reclamations
New Agricultural technologies
Trading networks required protected markets andsupply centers, functions that renewed life in cities
Long-distance trading led to the development of anew class of people the merchant class
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Medieval Town:
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Medieval Town:
Hirschhorn am Neckar, Germany
This town reveals threeimportant features ofurban morphology:castle, wall, and
cathedral. Hirschhorncastle caps the summitof a fortified spur in thebend of the NeckarRiver, affording a clearview of the river andforested valley.
Medieval Town:
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Medieval Town:
Hirschhorn am Neckar, Germany
Site factors have alsolimited expansionforcing people to buildonto the walls.
Half-timbering is evidentin a number ofbuildings.
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The medieval city
The major functions of the medieval city aredepicted in five symbols
The fortress
Usually cities were clustered around a fortifiedplace
Reflected in place names German -burg,French -bourg, English
-burghall meaning a fortified castle
The terms burgherand bourgeoisie, originallyreferred to a citizen of the medieval city
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The medieval city
The major functions of the medieval city aredepicted in five symbols
The fortress
Usually cities were clustered around a fortifiedplace
Reflected in place names German -burg,French -bourg, English
-burghall meaning a fortified castle
The terms burgherand bourgeoisie, originallyreferred to a citizen of the medieval city
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The medieval city
The major functions of the medieval city aredepicted in five symbols
The charter
Governmental decree from a regional power
granting political autonomy to the town Freed the population from feudal restrictions
Made the city responsible for its own defense andgovernment
Allowed cities to coin their own money These freedoms contributed to development of
urban social, economic, and intellectual life
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The medieval city
The major functions of the medieval city aredepicted in five symbols
The wall
Symbol of the sharp distinction between countryand city
Within the wall most inhabitants were free;outside most were serfs
People inside were able to move about with littlerestriction
Goods entering the gates were inspected andtaxed
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The medieval city
The major functions of the medieval city aredepicted in five symbols
The wall
Nonresidents were issued permits for entry, butoften required to leave by sundown when thegates were shut
Suburbs called faubourgssprang up, and in timedemanded to be included into the city
If the suburbs were allowed to be part of the city,
the wall was extended to include them
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The medieval city
The major functions of the medieval city aredepicted in five symbols
The marketplace
Symbolized role of economic activities in the city City depended on the countryside for food and
produce was traded in the market
Center for long-distance trade linking city to city
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The medieval city
The major functions of the medieval city are depictedin five symbols
The marketplace
At one end stood the fairly tall town hail Meeting space for citys political leaders
Market hail for storage and display of finer goods
Brugge, Belgium, had two distinct complexes ofbuildings at it center Town hall and castle formed an enclosed square
Next to this was the wasserho.lle, so named because the
building straddled a canal where goods could be directlybrought directly in from barges
On adjacent edge of marketplace was the great ball thatserved as meeting spot for merchant class
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Th di l i
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The medieval city
The major functions of the medieval city aredepicted in five symbols
The cathedral
Usually the towns crowning glory Symbol of the important role of the church
Often close to the marketplace and town ball,indicating close ties between religion, commerce,and politics
Church was often prevailing political force
Th di l i
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The medieval city
Problems created for contemporary urban lifeby medieval city morphology and landscape
Streets were narrow, wandering lanes, rarelymore than 15 feet wide
Today, in 141 German cities, 77 percent ofstreets are too narrow for two- way traffic
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Th di l i
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The medieval city
Functional zonation of medieval cities differedfrom that of modern cities
Divided into small quarters, or districts, eachcontaining its own cent that served as its focalpoint
Within each district lived people engaged insimilar occupations
Th di l i
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The medieval city
Functional zonation of medieval cities differed from that ofmodern cities
Example of coopers people who made and repairedwooden barrels
Attended the same church, and belonged to the same guild
Church and guildhall were in the small center area of theirdistrict
Surrounding the center were their houses and workshops
Many worked in the first story of their home and lived above theshop
Apprentices lived above the shop owner
More prestigious groups lived in occupational districts nearthe city center
Those involved in noxious activities lived closer to city walls
Th di l it
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The medieval city
Some districts were defined by ethnicity Jews were forced to live in their own district in
most medieval cities
In Frankfurt am Main, they lived on theJudengasse, a street formed from the dried-upmoat that had run along the old wall to the city
This area was enclosed by walls with only one
guarded gate
The area was not allowed to expand, leading by1610 to a population of 3,000 people and one ofthe densest districts in the city
Th R i d b i d
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The Renaissance and baroque periods
Form and function of the city changed significantlyduring the Renaissance (1500 1600) and baroque(1600-1800) periods
Absolute monarchs arose to preside over a unifiednation-state
Rising middle class slowly gave up their freedoms tojoin with the king in pursuit of economic gain
City size grew rapidly because bureaucracies ofregional power structures came to dominate them
Trade patterns expanded with the beginning ofEuropean imperial conquest
City planning and military technology acted to remoldand constrain the physical form of the city
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The Renaissance and baroque periods
A national capital city rose to prominence inmost countries
Provincial cities were subjected to its tastes
Power was centralized in its precincts First office buildings were built to house a
growing bureaucracy
Most important, it was restructured to reflect
the power of the central government andinsure control over urban masses
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Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amsterdam has always beena commercial city. Situatedwhere dike crossed theAmstel, its harbor was easilyaccessed from the sea.
Essentially at sea level, itsquays and streets wereflanked by canals.
It flourished as a tradingcenter and by the 17th
century, had an extensivecollection of warehouses andthe largest public bank innorthern Europe.
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Amsterdam, Netherlands
As the city prospered, thewalls were expanded andnew canals dug to lineresidential streetsdesignated for a prestigious,residential neighborhood
with 30 foot (9.1 meter) lots. These 17th century merchant
homes are only 20 feet (6.1meters) wide becausespeculators purchased two30 foot lots and sold them asthree 20 foot lots. The upperstory was used for storage ofgoods.
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The Renaissance and baroque periods
Height of baroque planning between 1600and 1800
During the 1800s, Napoleon III carried out a
building plan in Paris Cobblestone streets carefully paved to prevent
loose ammunition for rioting Parisians
Streets were straightened and widened, and
cul-de-sacs broken down to give army spaceto maneuver
Baroq e Planning: Paris France
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Baroque Planning: Paris, France
Parisians were alwaysconscious of the beauty ofthe Seine and exploited it inthe 16h and 17th centurieswith bridges and
promenades along its banks.These highlights aside, in1840 the city remained awarren of narrow, filthy andcrowded streets.
But under the direction ofNapoleon III and BaronHaussman, much of the citywas transformed.
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Baroque Planning: Paris, France
Masses of people weredisplaced as boulevards andavenues, squares and parks,bazaars and arcades, andluxurious housing blocks wereinstalled.
The 19th century was also an
era of exhibitions where nationsshowed off their art andtechnology to the world.
In 1889, Paris displayedGustave Eiffels tower, theworlds highest structure,testament to the age of iron and
steel. The photo is taken from Ile de la
Cite, Parish original island sitein the Seine River.
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The Renaissance and baroque periods
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The Renaissance and baroque periods
Thousands were displaced as apartment buildingswere demolished
Many ended up in congested working-class sections of
east and north Paris The east and north sections are still crowded today
In these developments, we see the coming moderncity
Washington, D.C., originally designed by a Frenchplanner
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