2012 Volume 16.1
Editorial comment
Making connections
Articles
The creation of modern urban form in the Philippines
I. Morley {+}Abstract [Full paper, PDF, 56MB]
ABSTRACT: This paper explores the creation of city plans in the Philippines during the early-twentieth century. It considers how urban planning was employed to strengthen an embryonic sense of national character as defined by American colonial administrators, and how the employment of a particular urban morphological model helped to convey this identity. The implementation of ‘modern urban form’ as part of a governmental process to dissociate the Philippines from its past as an ‘uncivilized’ place is examined. Political and cultural transition after the Spanish-American War of 1898 is related to the manifestation of American visions of nationhood in environmental form. The alliance between urban form, colonial governance, the Philippine landscape, and identity production is explored, and new light is shone on how cultural, political, artistic, and environmental forces affected each other.
On the discovery of urban typologies: data mining the many dimensions of urban form
J. Gil, J. N. Beirão, N. Montenegro and J. P. Duarte {+}Abstract [Full paper, PDF, 11MB]
ABSTRACT: The use of typomorphology as a means of understanding urban areas has a long tradition amongst academics but the reach of these methods into urban design practice has been limited. In this paper we present a method to support the description and prescription of urban form that is contextsensitive, multi-dimensional, systematic, exploratory, and quantitative, thus facilitating the application of urban typomorphology to planning practice. At the core of the proposed method is the k-means statistical clustering technique to produce objective classifications from the large complex data sets typical of urban environments. Block and street types were studied as a test case and a context-sensitive sample of types that correspond to two different neighbourhoods were identified. This method is suitable to support the identification, understanding and description of emerging urban forms that do not fall into standard classifications. The method can support larger urban form studies through consistent application of the procedures to different sites. The quantitative nature of its output lends itself to integration with other systematic procedures related to the research, analysis, planning and design of urban areas.
The ecological significance of urban fringe belts
M. I. W. Hopkins {+}Abstract [Full paper, PDF, 3MB]
ABSTRACT: Fringe belts form at the edge of urban areas during periods of slow urban growth. They become embedded within the urban fabric when expansion resumes. One of their characteristics is the co-location of a number of different, low-intensity land uses (for example, parks, cemeteries and institutions). This paper investigates the ecological characteristics of fringe belts. Focusing on the Edwardian fringe belt of Birmingham, UK, research shows that habitat patches within the fringe belt are different from those elsewhere in the city in at least two respects: first, in the demographic structure of their tree population, which suggests that many of the habitats have been subject to less major disturbance than those elsewhere in the city; and secondly, in their much larger average number of species recorded per patch, even after taking patch size into account.
Issues in urban morphology
J. W. R. Whitehand {+}Abstract [Full paper, PDF, 0.1MB]
ABSTRACT: A number of challenges facing urban morphology are examined. Several of these relate to the multidisciplinary character of research on urban form and the tendency for relevant disciplines to be poorly connected. The issues discussed, a number of which are prominent more widely within the social sciences and humanities, include poor communication between different linguistic areas; underrepresentation of research on non-Western cities; the tendency for studies to be place specific; and the poor relationship between research and practice. ISUF is having some success in leading attempts to meet these challenges.
Viewpoints
Anglophone squint and transatlantic myopia I. Samuels
What is an urban morphologist? K. Ley
Urban morphology in planning practice V. Oliveira and S. Sousa
Typomorphological ideas and the development of public places J. W. He and M. Henwood
Models for replacing the urban village in Chinese cities J. Zacharias
[Viewpoints, PDF]
Reports
Eighteenth International Seminar on Urban Form, Montréal, 2011 V. Oliveira
ISUF President’s Report M. P. Conzen
ISUF Business Meetings, Montréal, 2011 S. M. Whitehand
Urban morphology in Portugal, Porto, 2011 T. Marat-Mendes
Urban morphology and conservation, Birmingham, 2011 M. Barke
Eighth International Space Syntax Symposium, Santiago, 2012 S. Griffiths
Exploring post-war reconstruction, London, 2012 P. J. Larkham
[Reports, PDF]
Book reviews
I. Bākule and A. Siksna (2009) Riga beyond the walls G. Enhörning
X. Ren (2011) Building globalization F. Chen
A. Gupta (2011) Dominion geometries J. Sharma
S. Hamnett and D. Forbes (eds) (2011) Planning Asian cities J. Zhu
M. Miller (2010) English Garden Cities H. Gillette Jr
M. B. Pont and P. Haupt (2010) Spacematrix E. Trusiani
[Book reviews, PDF]
Book notes
[Book notes, PDF]
Notes and notices
- Nineteenth International Seminar on Urban Form
- Meeting of the Council of ISUF
- PNUM 2012: Urban morphology in Portuguese-speaking countries
- Anthony Sutcliffe (1942-2011)
- Urban morphology and design
- Twentieth International Seminar on Urban Form
- ISUF Task Force on Research and Practice
- Teaching urban form: call for papers
