Fifth-century landscapes

The desertion of Roman London around the end of the fourth century is contrasted with settlement continuity within its rural hinterland. The failure of the Roman administration resulted in the abandonment of most urban properties. Although some suburban villas may have suffered a similar fate, others saw continued occupation into the fifth century. The most compelling evidence for such continuity comes from the site of the likely villa at St Martin-in-the-Fields by Trafalgar Square. Other rural sites, some first occupied in the Iron Age, remained as focal points for later activities represented by sporadic finds of early Saxon material in Southwark and at sites along the Fleet valley. The contrast that these sites present with the evidence from the City suggests that the evacuation of the city had little immediate impact on the management of the surrounding rural landscape. Saxon settlement occurred at some remove from Roman retreat. Other suburban villas may have been abandoned, only to attract later church foundations because of their identity as late antique sites with potential Christian associations. London’s late Saxon revival was the consequence of later political choices.

SPATIAL SYNTAX AS A TOOL FOR STUDYING THE STRUCTURE AND CONFIGURATION OF PUBLIC SPACES

The author presents the theory of spatial syntax, which is a key tool for under-standing of the structure of public space and its configuration. Spatial decisions are determining factors influencing to the behavioral characteristics of people who use public space. The author traces the use of spatial syntax as a tool for choosing a de-sign solution for the reconstruction of Trafalgar Square in London. The main interest of spatial syntax is finding the relationship between human needs and spaces. It is believed that behavioral characteristics are already embedded in the structure of spa-tial systems. Spatial syntax calls this relative characteristic of space as a configura-tion and offers the idea that it is this characteristic that shapes human behavior and thus contains social knowledge. Bill Hiller described the method of analysis of the existing scheme of use of the space of Trafalgar Square and around it, which was taken into account later by the authors of the reconstruction project. The perfect spatial design was to contain three key elements: simple, straight routes for pedestrians, which should cross the space in the middle, not at its edges; the presence of points of perception in several visual areas; availability of facilities for eating, drinking or recreation, located near the main walking routes. The analysis of Trafalgar Square showed that none of these elements was pre-sent in the decision of the square. Spatial analysis helped to find optimal design solu-tions. Spatial analysis of Trafalgar Square has shown that, although the effects of people movement are important, but not as much as the impact of space configura-tion. As the analysis of the design solution of the public space of Trafalgar Square confirms, a successful project means, first of all, reasonable spatial solutions.

Space Syntax Applied in Urban Practice

In this chapter, we discuss the application of space syntax in consultancyforurbanplanningdesign and practice. First, we present the scientific challenges to tying general understandings and theoriesto urban planning and design practice. Some elementary principles for communicating results from research and theories to practitioners are demonstrated. We further explain the principles for successful master planning and the principles for designing vital and safe public realms related to the use of space syntax. This is followed by a discussion on how to avoid common errors when planning for vital neighbourhoods and cities. We present examples from practice where space syntax has played a major role. These include regenerating Trafalgar Square in London, evaluating various proposals for a new road link in the Dutch city of Leiden, developing strategies for the whole province of North Holland, and densification strategies in the Norwegian town of Bergen. In the conclusion, we discuss major pitfalls when applying space syntax to urban design and planning projects in practice. Exercises are provided at the end of the chapter.

CASE STUDY ON HOLISTIC ASSESSMENT OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CITY AND SQUARE

While the squares have been in the network of relations with the political, social and religious structure of the society since the early days of history, today, they have been associated with the cars, speed and technology in the process formed with the modernization movement. In some squares, there are tramways, public transportation routes and stops, and there are also motor vehicles. The squares have turned into places where there is a continuous flow with fast traffic except for waiting at the bus stops and railway station. With this change, our needs also changed, and with the introduction of motor vehicles in our lives, the squares remained as neglected urban spaces in an effort to create a transportation network. The use of the squares belongs to the period in which people have habit of being together, but now squares use belongs to a period in which we are not together even if we are side by side. Within the scope of this study, nowadays, approaches and practices for the squares that is an urban space in the world have been investigated. According to the results of sections, the criteria for evaluating the completeness of the city-square relationship in today’s conditions are set out in a table. The selected from the Trafalgar Square, Bryant Park and Taksim Square samples consecutively examined in the context of these criteria.

Curiosity

‘Curiosity’ explores the varied world of exhibitions in the West End. The district became home to a variety of popular exhibitions that stood side-by-side with sites of ‘official’ art and culture such as the new National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. The West End visitor could enjoy spectacular panoramas, which dazzled the eye, or poses plastiques where models made classical paintings come to life. There were also freak shows and events where non-white peoples were placed on exhibition. These included the Hottentot Venus and the Aztec Lilliputians. Exhibition-mania was particularly centred on Leicester Square but could also be found on Piccadilly, site of the Egyptian Hall, that offered curiosities, art works, popular lectures, dioramas, and automata. Pleasure districts abounded with what were seen as distorted bodies. This gave them the quality of what Michel Foucault terms ‘heterotopias’ which draw upon, but disturb, the culture at large.

Grand Hotel

Hotels were not new, but the later nineteenth century witnessed a major innovation which shaped the West End: the Grand Hotel. This was part of a global trend with hotels becoming ever larger; monumental landmarks in the urban scene. The chapter decodes the pleasures and significance of the hotel and explores why such elite institutions entered the cultural imagination. It looks in particular at the figures of Richard D’Oyly Carte who built the Ritz, and at César Ritz who then ran it. The hotel aimed to emulate the domestic and provide a home from home. Yet the atmosphere was really a transformation of the domestic. It also reflected the influence of American and Parisian hotels. The Strand and Trafalgar Square were characterized by a profusion of hotels, the product of London’s role as a world city. This chapter explores the domestic interior of the hotel and analyses its different functions

Admiral Nelson’s illnesses and injuries

Horatio Nelson is one of the greatest English heroes. His key exploits at the battles of the Nile and Trafalgar, which led to Britain’s maritime supremacy, are well known and celebrated in the 5.5m statue at the summit of Nelson’s column in Trafalgar Square, London. The statue also showcases his most famous injuries, the injury to his right eye and arm amputation. However, as well as these he had a number of other battle injuries and afflictions including recurrent malaria, yellow fever, scurvy, tuberculosis and dysentery, which, although he bore with stoicism, may have affected his professional performance at different times in his career. The exact cause of his death was probably a combination of blood loss, lung injury and spinal shock.