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AR 443A
Intro to Urban & Regional Planning

Humans in their Ecological Settings

(An Introduction)

Arch. Eduardo F. Bober, Jr.

Industry Lecturer, TIP-QC

Human Biological & Human Cultural

Evolutions

Human abilities remarkably evolved over
time – distinct advantage over many
other species.

These advantages have permitted humans
to colonize much of the world and
radically reshape the environment –
sometimes to humans detriment.

Changing our relationship with the
environment shifted away from
sustainability.

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3 Human Cultural Phases

Hunting and Gathering
people lived in harmony
with the Earth.

• primitive technology
• small population size
• nomadic lifestyle

* human impacts to the

environment are
sustainable

Hunting and Gathering

- Generally exploitive of their resources

- Environmental impact was generally small due to small population

- Live healthy lives, well fed, and experienced low disease rates

-Widespread use of fire may have caused significant environmental

damage

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Started as a “subsistence” Agriculture

activity (slash & burn or
‘swidden’ farming)

The invention of the plow &
other forms of technology
produce excess food

Displaced farm workers
specialized in crafts &
trades

Upsurge in human
population

Emergence of cities/towns
as center of commerce

Agriculture
• knowledgeable on
domestic crops & animals
• urban based farming
more damaging than
subsistence farming
• disease more common for
city dwellers
• poor practices resulted to
widespread environmental
damage

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Agriculture

Rise of Human Civilization

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Rise of Human Civilization

Neolithic farming settlements – Fertile

Crescent – Middle East (Modern day Iraq &
Palestine)

Meso-American, Maya, Olmecs, Aztecs Group –

great complexes

Chinese civilization – Haung Ho (Yellow River)

Indus Valley River System – Itarappa &

Mohenjo Dajo (Pakistan)

Egyptian Civilization – Nile River

Rise of Human Civilization

Types of sites along river:
1. Dry-point – areas slightly raised above the
surrounding to minimize flooding (Pathenon,Greece)
Concept of Structure:
Regular rectangle pattern, regard for symmetry, housing
integrated with cultural & defense (Agora)
Hippodamus of Miletus – ‘grid plan’ – order &
regularity
2. Wet-point – beside the river to enable access to
water
Medieval – revolves around a node usually a
castle
* Street arrangements narrow & irregular, center-
periphery use, bridging-point development,
confluence
Renaissance – route center LU development (concept
of road), nodal points, LU segregation

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Rise of Human Civilization

Societies grew and aspired

for dominance

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Industrial

Society driven by the use
of technology to enable
mass production,
supporting large
population with a high
capacity for division of
labor

Industry

Boost human civilization

Increased population size
& demand for resources

Environmentally
destructive (pollution)

Altered human-
environment interaction
= unsustainable
growth

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Industry
•New technologies, energy
intensive
•Tremendous inputs of
materials
•Reduced number of workers
•Mass production and
modern technology
•Highly exploitive
•Industrial age diseases
•Widespread environmental
damage

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Globalization
The process of
international
integration arising from
the interchange of
world views, products,
ideas, and other
aspects of culture.

Increasing interrelationship &

interdependence among
nations due to:

Travel & migration

World trade

International flows of capital

Importance of MNCs

Interaction b/w capital
markets in different nations

Amount of communication
of all sorts across national
boundaries

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Required Reading 1: Farmer Power from

Guns, Gems, & Steel by J. Diamond
• Trace the evolution of mankind in relation to their
source of food &/or food supply by placing
pertinent information (about how they obtained
food) in a tree-diagram timeline. Remember
timelines should show dates/eras, people & place/s,
and means/source of food.
• Reflect & analyze your timeline. How important do
you think based on the data in your timeline, is
farming? Why? Base your argument/supporting
discussion on the assigned reading.
• Min. of 2 pages, handwritten.

Thank you & Good day.

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