scholarly journals Research of the Morphological Types of Blocks in the Old City of Nanjing

Author(s):  
Haiqian Liu

The block is one of the basic elements of urban space and its morphology is always changing due to the accumulation and substitution of constructions in different times. This dissertation has focused on the evolution and morphological types of blocks in the old city of Nanjing, in order to reveal the characteristics of blocks in Chinese cities, where top-down plans and practical constructions have been remaining conflicted in the long history of development. Extensive studies of relevant literature, quantitative researches and graphic analyses have been adopted to meet the research aims. This research has produced a number of key findings: at the scale of the whole city, the grid of roads tend to deviate from the boundaries of morphological homogeneous districts, or to say, plan-units; blocks in the old city of Nanjing usually contain all or part of several different plan-units, which can be divided according to construction times, geographical conditions and land-use types; the morphological difference of blocks can be presented by the different plan-units contained and the configuration pattern, so in this way a classification system for blocks has been established; some regularity has also been concluded regarding the transformation of block morphology, although there are various types of blocks in the city.

2021 ◽  
pp. 73-87
Author(s):  
Mohanad Kadhem Ali AL-Jabri

Many countries currently suffer from uneven development of urban areas. There are no requirements for integrated development. Land use in the cities varies depending on physical characteristics and material value. Spatial development is closely connected to socioeconomic arrangement of the city. The study is based on the analysis of urban construction, land use, economic development, and municipal policy. The historical approach allowed following the stages of functionality and development via determination of most notable historical incidents associated with urban aspects. The goal of this article consists in tracing the history of development of the city Amarah from the perspective of urban planning. The author examines the evolution of Amarah in the context of geography, politics and economy. The conducted research reveals the significant transformations and changes that that took place in the last 30 years, namely after 1980, in early 1991 and after 2003, which considerably affected the spatial structure of the city. It is clearly evident that the city Amarah have undergone five different stages: the first and second are the phases of evolution, the third is the phase of discovery, and the fourth and fifth are the phases of major expansion.


Author(s):  
Carlos Machado

This book analyses the physical, social, and cultural history of Rome in late antiquity. Between AD 270 and 535, the former capital of the Roman empire experienced a series of dramatic transformations in its size, appearance, political standing, and identity, as emperors moved to other cities and the Christian church slowly became its dominating institution. Urban Space and Aristocratic Power in Late Antique Rome provides a new picture of these developments, focusing on the extraordinary role played by members of the traditional elite, the senatorial aristocracy, in the redefinition of the city, its institutions, and spaces. During this period, Roman senators and their families became increasingly involved in the management of the city and its population, in building works, and in the performance of secular and religious ceremonies and rituals. As this study shows, for approximately three hundred years the houses of the Roman elite competed with imperial palaces and churches in shaping the political map and the social life of the city. Making use of modern theories of urban space, the book considers a vast array of archaeological, literary, and epigraphic documents to show how the former centre of the Mediterranean world was progressively redefined and controlled by its own elite.


2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-60
Author(s):  
Ahmad Berkah

Research in title “The impact of Sriwijaya Maritime Power toward the Entrance of Muslim Trade in Palembang in VII-IX Century” is based on the power of Sriwijaya maritime that dominated all of the International trade voyage path which was sailed by the foreign merchant including Arabic Muslim traders. The Arabic Muslim traders which sailed and traded to China must go across trade voyage paths of Sriwijaya, thus, the merchants stopped over in the Kingdom center of Sriwijaya located in Palembang. The objective of the study is to analyze the history of development of Sriwijaya’s maritime power, analyzing the sailing and trading path and the relationship of Sriwijaya and the foreign country, and the impact of Sriwijaya’s maritime power toward the entrance of Muslimtraders in Palembang in VII-IX century. This study is in the form of Qualitative research design which is library research., by analyzing thoroughly every single relevant literature. The approach of the research is by using historical method approach which are, heuristic, verification, interpretation, and historiograsion, and politicoligist and economologist scholarship. Moreover, the source of the data were primer and seconder data. Data collection technique as heuristic and verification. To analyze the data, it was used interpretation, then it was conducted the last step that was historyografy or a writing of history. This research concludes that the history of development of Sriwijaya appearing as the ruler of the largest maritime power in Nusantara was supported by their great army and a management of a strong and respected leader.Sriwijaya easily controlled strategic shipping paths, such as the Strait of Malacca, Bangka Strait, Sunda Strait, Karimata Strait, and all shipping lanes in the Nusantara.The condition of the shipping Routes initially frightened Muslim traders, because of the large number of pirates, having successfully controlled by Sriwijaya's maritime power, it became safe and comfortable to go through. And it was required to stop at the harbor or in the center of Sriwijaya Kingdom located in Palembang. In addition, Sriwijaya's relationships with foreign countries, namely Arab, India, China were carried out by Sriwijaya for the recognition of sovereignty and Sriwijaya's power strengthening in the trade shipping paths. Sriwijaya with its maritime power and cooperating with the Sea People to secure the cruise line to the center of Sriwijaya from pirates as well as increasing the confidence of Muslim traders both in trade and security guarantees on the way back from the center of Sriwijaya and access for Muslim traders in the process of Islamization through trade routes in the territory of Sriwijaya kingdom.


Author(s):  
Piotr Fereński

Город как одно из важнейших явлений современного глобализированного мира является предметом исследования различных научных дисциплин. Это важный феномен для изучения истории цивилизации, процессов урбанизации, развития архитектуры, взаимоотношений между пространственным планированием и религиозными и политическими идеями, для исследования социальных и экономических изменений, городского образа жизни, истории искусства, а также для критики современного искусства. Элементарный анализ города присутствует также в области литературоведения, исследований звука и перформанса, психологии (восприятие пространства и его свойств), педагогики, политологии (с интересом к теме прямой демократии или же городских движений). Вопросы оптимизации моделей функционирования города важны для департаментов, ориентированных на транспорт и инфраструктуру (водоснабжение, газ и т. д.), а также подземное строительство (автостоянки, гаражи, тоннели, метро). В проектировании «умного города» участвуют и информатика, занимающаяся процессом создания новых коммуникационных технологий, и факультеты биологии или охраны окружающей среды, которые ведут исследовательскую и дидактическую деятельность в области «прикладной экологии» – отношений, возникающих между средой, непосредственно окружающей человека, и природой. Сегодня технологические инновации и творческая сила культуры являются ключом к развитию города. Однако что это значит для представителей гуманитарных наук? Какую пользу они могут принести в этой области? Городское пространство может быть показано ими как неоднородное место, полное постоянной напряжённости, столкновений, круговорота значений, ценностей, представлений, а также как область значительных социальных экспериментов. Я воспринимаю человеческие практики и человеческое творчество как то, что постоянно подвергается трансформации и постоянно требует новых прочтений. В своих поисках я часто выхожу за стены Академии и пытаюсь ощутить характер города, ощутить его пространство всеми своими чувствами. Я непосредственно наблюдаю образ жизни жителей, их повседневные практики. Я слушаю, что они говорят, и читаю, что они выражают на стенах домов. Это своеобразное блуждание по городу имеет целью запечатлеть то, что видно, а также то, что остаётся для нас на первый взгляд недоступным. Это собрание заметок, попытка визуальной и аудиозаписи окружающего мира, которые я затем пытаюсь структурировать и интерпретировать. Однако нам, академикам, нужно как экспертам «выходить» в город и по-другому – мы должны выступать в общественных дебатах и влиять на решения различных муниципальных учреждений, оказывать влияние на местную политику. Такова и дискуссия о роли университета в формировании городского пространства и жизни в городе.The city as one of the most important phenomena of the modern globalized world is the subject of investigations of various scientific disciplines. It is important phenomena for studies on the history of civilization, on urbanization processes, on the development of architecture, on the relationships between spatial planning and religious and political ideas, for studies on social and economic changes, for studies on urban ways of life, studies on the history of art, as well as critique of contemporary art. There are also elementary analyzes of a city in the field of literary studies, sound studies, performance studies, psychology (the perception of space and its properties), pedagogy, political science (interested in direct democracy or even urban movements). The issues of optimization of models of the city’s functioning are important for departments oriented on transport and infrastructure (water, gas etc.), as well as underground construction (car parks, garages, tunnels, metro). Informatics dealing with the process of creation of new communication technologies is involved in the design of “smart city”. The faculties of biology or environmental protection conduct research and didactic activities in the field of “applied ecology” – relations that occurring between the human environment and nature. Today technological innovation and creative power of culture are the key to the development of the city. However, what does it mean for the representatives of humanities? What can they bring to it? The city space then appears as a heterogeneous place, full of constant tensions, collisions, circulation of meanings, values, representations, as well as the field of great social experiments. I perceive the human practices and creations as something that is a subject to constant transformation and that constantly requires new readings. In my search, I often go beyond the walls of the academy and try to sense the character of the city and experience its space with all my senses. I keenly observe the ways of life of the inhabitants, their daily practices. I listen to what they say and read what they manifest on the walls of buildings. This peculiar wandering around the city is aimed at capturing what is visible, but also at reaching what remains inaccessible to us at first glance. It is a collection of notes, it is an attempt at visual and audio recording of the surrounding world, which I then try to structure and interpret. However, as experts, we academics need to “go out” to the city also in a different way – we must take the floor in public debates and have an influence on the decisions of various municipal institutions, have an impact on local politics. There is a discussion about the role of the university in shaping urban space and life in the city.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 133-145
Author(s):  
Sema Tuba Özmen ◽  
Beyza Onur

Architecture, which is associated with the practice of producing space, has always rendered the powers and ideologies visible. This study investigates the government houses in the 19th century Ottoman State with regard to the notions of power and ideology and focuses on the Government House of Safranbolu. It is known that, in the specified period, government houses were important ideological interventions to urban space. This study aims to address the ideological context of the Safranbolu Government House, which is positioned with the ideal of the state. Based on this, first, the urban history of Safranbolu was examined. The importance of Safranbolu Government House in the history of the city, its relationship with the city, its ideological message to the city-dwellers and its architectural style were analyzed through a method based on archival research. All government houses of the period are the artifacts of urban-spatial structures and their architectural style as well as a shared ideology. Safranbolu Government House, which is one of the structures symbolizing the Ottoman State, was also built with a similar ideological consideration. Thus, the readability of the dominant ideology through the production style of Safranbolu Government House, one of the final period architectural artifacts of the Ottoman State, was verified.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Mine Kuset Bolkaner ◽  
Selda İnançoğlu ◽  
Buket Asilsoy

Urban furniture can be defined as aesthetics and comfort elements that reflect the identity of a city and enable the urban space to become livable. Urban furniture is an important element of the city in order to improve the quality of urban life, to create a comfortable and reliable environment and to meet the needs of the users in the best way. For designing these elements, the social, economic, cultural and architectural structure of the city should be considered and evaluated. It is important to adapt the urban furniture to the urban texture and to the cultural structure achieving an urban identity, in order to ensure the survival and sustainability of the historical environments. In this study, a study was carried out in the context of urban furniture in Nicosia Walled City, which has many architectural cultures with its historical texture. In this context, firstly the concept of urban identity and urban furniture was explained and then, information about urban furniture was given in historical circles with urban furniture samples from different countries. As a field study, a main axis was determined and the streets and squares on this axis were discussed. These areas have been explored starting from Kyrenia Gate in North Nicosia; İnönü Square, Girne Street, Atatürk Square, Arasta Square, Lokmacı Barricade and on the south side Ledra Street and Eleftherias Square. In this context, the existing furniture in the North and South were determined and evaluated in terms of urban identity accordingly. As a result, it can be suggested that the existing street furniture equipments, especially on the north side, do not have any characteristic to emphasize the urban identity. According to the findings, it was determined that the urban furniture in the streets and squares on the north side is generally older and neglected, and does not provide a unity with the environment, whereas on the south side, these elements on the street and square are relatively new, functional and environmentally compatible.Key words: urban furniture, historical environment, urban identity, Nicosia Old City


Author(s):  
Paulo Cruz Terra ◽  
Marcelo de Souza Magalhães

The city of Rio de Janeiro underwent profound changes between 1870 and the early 20th century. Its population grew dramatically, attracting migrants not only from abroad but also from other regions of Brazil. It also expanded significantly in size, as the construction of trolley and railway lines and the introduction of real estate capital powered the occupation of new areas. Meanwhile, urban reforms aimed at modernization transformed the social ways in which urban space was used. During this period, Rio de Janeiro went from being the capital of the Brazilian Empire to being the capital of the Brazilian Republic. It nevertheless maintained its position as the cultural, political-administrative, commercial, and financial center of the country. Against this backdrop of change, the city was an important arena for the political struggles that marked the period, including demonstrations in favor of abolition and the republic. Rio de Janeiro’s citizens were not inert during this period of transformation, and they found various ways to take action and fight for what they understood to be their rights. Protests, demands, petitions, and a vibrant life organized around social and political associations are examples of the broad repertoire used by the city’s inhabitants to gain a voice in municipal affairs. Citizens’ use of public demands and petitions as a channel to communicate with the authorities, and especially with city officials, shows that while they did not necessarily shun formal politics, they understood politics to be a sphere for dialogue and dispute. The sociocultural history of Rio de Janeiro during this period was therefore built precisely through confrontations and negotiations in which the common people played an active role.


Author(s):  
Samuel Medayese ◽  
Hangwelani Hope Magidimisha-Chipungu ◽  
Ayobami Abayomi Popoola ◽  
Lovemore Chipungu ◽  
Bamiji Michael Adeleye

This study followed a chronological review of literature over the past 20 years. This was able to show relationship between inclusivity and physical development. A variety of discussions were looked into including dimension of inclusivity, definition of inclusivity, scales for measurement of inclusivity, methodology for appraising inclusivity, protagonists of inclusivity, and antagonists of inclusivity. The intricacy of the correlations between inclusive physical development and life expectations of residents are improved upon so as to show the similarities of these parameters. The analysis of the relevant literature indicated the process of enhancing the urban space and ensuring that all interest and strata of groups in the human composition are adequately cared for by employing the best parameters from the conceptualization of the city development, all the indicators of inclusiveness are well thought out.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 3417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bertrand Nero ◽  
Nana Kwapong ◽  
Raymond Jatta ◽  
Oluwole Fatunbi

Urban and peri-urban forestry has emerged as a complementary measure to contribute towards eliminating urban hunger and improved nutritional security. However, there is scanty knowledge about the composition, diversity, and socioeconomic contributions of urban food trees in African cities. This paper examines the diversity and composition of the urban forest and food trees of Accra and sheds light on perceptions of urbanites regarding food tree cultivation and availability in the city. Using a mixed methods approach, 105 respondents in six neighborhoods of Accra were interviewed while over 200 plots (100-m2 each) were surveyed across five land use types. Twenty-two out of the 70 woody species in Accra have edible parts (leaves, fruits, flowers, etc.). The food-tree abundance in the city is about half of the total number of trees enumerated. The species richness and abundance of the food trees and all trees in the city were significantly different among land use types (p < 0.0001) and neighborhood types (p < 0.0001). The diversity of food-bearing tree species was much higher in the poorer neighborhoods than in the wealthier neighborhoods. Respondents in wealthier neighborhoods indicated that tree and food-tree cover of the city was generally low and showed greater interest in cultivating food (fruit) trees and expanding urban forest cover than poorer neighborhoods. These findings demonstrate the need for urban food policy reforms that integrate urban-grown tree foods in the urban food system/culture.


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alba Bernini ◽  
Amadou Lamine Toure ◽  
Renato Casagrandi

AbstractIn a metropolis, people movements design intricate patterns that change on very short temporal scales. Population mobility obviously is not random, but driven by the land uses of the city. Such an urban ecosystem can interestingly be explored by integrating the spatial analysis of land uses (through ecological indicators commonly used to characterize natural environments) with the temporal analysis of human mobility (reconstructed from anonymized mobile phone data). Considering the city of Milan (Italy) as a case study, here we aimed to identify the complex relations occurring between the land-use composition of its neighborhoods and the spatio-temporal patterns of occupation made by citizens. We generated two spatially explicit networks, one static and the other temporal, based on the analysis of land uses and mobile phone data, respectively. The comparison between the results of community detection performed on both networks revealed that neighborhoods that are similar in terms of land-use composition are not necessarily characterized by analogous temporal fluctuations of human activities. In particular, the historical concentric urban structure of Milan is still under play. Our big data driven approach to characterize urban diversity provides outcomes that could be important (i) to better understand how and when urban spaces are actually used, and (ii) to allow policy makers improving strategic development plans that account for the needs of metropolis-like permanently changing cities.


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