INTRODUCTION TO

URBAN DESIGN
 THE
HISTORY
OF
HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
ANCIENT TIMES
NOMADIC – CAVE DWELLER MAN
TIME PERIOD: UP TO 10,000 BC
 QUESTION!
WHO / WHAT ARE NOMADS?
 QUESTION!
WHO / WHAT ARE NOMADS?
• Ancient people without permanent homes
• Wandered from place to place
• Small groups of people (20 to 30) with herds
of animals
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
ANCIENT TIMES
NOMADIC – CAVE DWELLER MAN
TIME PERIOD: UP TO 10,000 BC
• Earliest man did not settle anywhere as they wandered
around in search of food
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
ANCIENT TIMES
NOMADIC – CAVE DWELLER MAN
TIME PERIOD: UP TO 10,000 BC
• Do not know how to construct buildings, they live in the open
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
ANCIENT TIMES
NOMADIC – CAVE DWELLER MAN
TIME PERIOD: UP TO 10,000 BC

• Occasionally took shelter on

top of trees to protect
themselves from wild animals
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
ANCIENT TIMES
NOMADIC – CAVE DWELLER MAN
TIME PERIOD: UP TO 10,000 BC
• Later, they lived in caves
by the side of rivers,
lakes and springs
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
ANCIENT TIMES
NOMADIC – CAVE DWELLER MAN
TIME PERIOD: UP TO 10,000 BC
• They preferred sites protected by
rivers, swamps or elevated terrains
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
ANCIENT TIMES
NOMADIC – CAVE DWELLER MAN
TIME PERIOD: UP TO 10,000 BC

• When food becomes

scarce or the gathering
becomes difficult, they
move to another location.
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
ANCIENT TIMES
TOWARDS SETTLED HABITATION
TIME PERIOD: UP TO 10,000 BC to 5,000 BC
• Man learned to practice
cultivation. They can
now stay at one place as
they can produce their
own food.
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
ANCIENT TIMES
TOWARDS SETTLED HABITATION
TIME PERIOD: UP TO 10,000 BC to 5,000 BC

• They began to settle down

near fields they have
cultivated. This is why they
preferred fertile lands and
areas where water is
plenty.
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
ANCIENT TIMES
TOWARDS SETTLED HABITATION
TIME PERIOD: UP TO 10,000 BC to 5,000 BC

• Man learned to build huts

and mud houses.
• Earliest settlements began to
take shape.
• These settlements consisted
of groups of houses built by
the side of agricultural fields,
shrines and burial grounds.
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS

What affected the development and growth of

urban areas?
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
ANCIENT TIMES

• Favorable environment for human existence

• Presence of fertile soil, bodies of water &
natural resources
• Slope / Terrain and other forms of natural
defenses
• Climate
 Why River Valleys?
• Land was fertile
• Water and food can be extracted from rivers
• Soft clay is good for constructing their huts
(homes)
• Later, river was also used as a means of
transportation.
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
ANCIENT TIMES

The Community Structure

• Division of labor
Since food is already abundant, not all the inhabitants were
required to work on the fields. Thus, others began to
practice various “occupations”.
Working population was divided.
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
ANCIENT TIMES

The Community Structure

• Barter
Those who were not farmers were
supplied food in exchange of goods
they produced.
Shepherds got grains in exchange for
milk, weavers for cloth, potters for
utensils, and craftsmen for tools and
implements.
Later as river and land routes developed for transportation, goods
began to be exchanged across communities.
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
ANCIENT TIMES

The Community Structure

• Trading
With transportation, reputation of
some of the goods produced by
craftsmen of particular villages
began to travel far and wide.
Traders emerged as a new class of
people, trading as a new
occupation and market place as a
new physical component of
settlements.
 QUESTION!
Which of the following statements holds
true for traders in the ancient history of
settlements?
A. Early traders most probably belonged to
the hunting tribe, since they are the
people already used to travelling.
B. Traders were recognized as leaders, as
they provided protection to the
community.
C. They have accumulated goods and
became wealthy.
D. They have accumulated knowledge as
they traveled long distances and met
many people.
 QUESTION!
Which of the following statements holds
true for traders in the ancient history of
settlements?
A. Early traders most probably belonged to
the hunting tribe, since they are the
people already used to travelling.
B. Traders were recognized as leaders, as
they provided protection to the
community.
ALL TRUE!
C. They have accumulated goods and
became wealthy.
D. They have accumulated knowledge as
they traveled long distances and met
many people.
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
ANCIENT TIMES

The Community Structure

• Social Stratification

Previous “traders” became a

chieftain.

Social Classes starts to be

established.
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
ANCIENT TIMES
The PHYSICAL Structure
• New Physical Features
The “chieftain” built for himself a castle which towered over the
other buildings and was built at the highest point in the village.
The rich traders and wealthy farmers built their houses near the
“castle”. The location became new distinguishing feature and a
status symbol, as relatively poor artisans and peasants occupied
quarters on the periphery.
The community was divided between the rich and the poor as
the two social classes occupied different sections of the
settlements.
Cahokia (Central Mexico)
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
ANCIENT TIMES
The PHYSICAL Structure
• New Physical Features
The rich and the poor gradually grew antagonistic to each other
as the former became more obsessed with their property and
power.
There are now walls around the settlements.
Man who was originally warding himself from beasts and wild
animals is now afraid of being attacked by fellow human
beings.
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
ANCIENT TIMES
The PHYSICAL Structure
• The walled settlements
Wall around the settlement was built in addition to the one
already existing around the “castle”.
These effectively curbed the physical spread of settlements.
People living outside moved in.
The density of the people began to rise.
Los Millares (Bronze Age - Spain)
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
ANCIENT TIMES
The NEW COMMUNITY Structure
• Subjugation of Peasants
The external threat brought forth the necessity of internal unity,
as the people needed to defend themselves from the outsiders.

However, the new organization of the community resulted in

the subjugation and exploitation of a large majority of peasants
by a small minority of the rich (called the “nobles”)
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
ANCIENT TIMES
The NEW COMMUNITY Structure
• The role of the “priests”
Since the use of physical power was not enough to ensure
obedience, religious sensibilities of the people were exploited.

“Chieftains” were also identified as the “Priests”

Thus they became ALL POWERFUL as the people willingly
obeyed whatever he commanded.
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
ANCIENT TIMES
The NEW PHYSICAL Structure
• The Emergence of Kings
The “chieftains” elevated himself to the status of the king, one
who commanded a territory recognized as his kingdom.
The “castle” grew into a fort, and the shrine into a temple.
Carcassone (France)
 DID YOU NOTICE?
How Human Settlement developed:

1. Man’s Needs / Necessities

2. Interactions / Trades
3. Social / Community Structure = Physical Structure
 Labor specialization
1. Man’s Needs /
Necessities
New occupation groups
2. Interactions / Trades
such as engineers,
3. Social / Community
construction laborers,
Structure = Physical
carpenters, soldiers --- to
Structure
answer for the needs of
the king.
1. Man’s Needs /
Necessities Advance in Civilization
2. Interactions / Trades
3. Social / Community Man developed new skills,
Structure = Physical developed a kind of
Structure common language, learned
use of new materials.
1. Man’s Needs /
Necessities RESTRUCTURING OF THE
2. Interactions / Trades COMMUNITY.
3. Social / Community
Structure = Physical New structures were built.
Structure Bigger houses, bigger
temples and tombs.
IT’S AN UNENDING CYCLE!
HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
NEOLITHIC CITIES
(7000 – 9000 BC)

JERICHO (9000 BC)

• Early settlement in Israel
• A well-organized community of
about 3000 people
• Built around a reliable source of
freshwater
• Only 3 hectares and enclose
with a circular stone wall
• Overrun in about 6500 BC
HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
NEOLITHIC CITIES
(7000 – 9000 BC)
HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
NEOLITHIC CITIES
(7000 – 9000 BC)

KHIROKITIA (5500 BC)

• Early settlement in Cyprus
• First documented city without
streets.
• Basic architectural unit was a
circular structure with a flat roof
• Main street heading uphill was
narrow but had a wider
terminal, which may have been
a social spot
• Grew because of migration
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
NEOLITHIC CITIES
(7000 – 9000 BC)

CATALHOYUK (7000 BC)

• Early settlement in Turkey
• Largest Neolithic City of 10,000 people in about 13 hectares of land.
• An intricately assembled complex without streets
• Included shrines and quarters for specialized crafts, production of
paintings, textiles, metal, etc.
• Rested on a new rationale for the city at that time: TRADE
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
ANCIENT TIMES
(2000 – 4000 BC)

At the Fertile Crescent: cities were formed by the Tigris & Euphrates
river valleys of Mesopotamia.

ERIDU
• Acknowledged as the oldest city

DAMASCUS
• Oldest continually inhabited city

BABYLON
• Largest city with 80,000
inhabitants
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
ANCIENT TIMES
(3000 BC)
CITIES OF THEBES AND MEMPHIS
• Along the Nile River
• Characterized by monumental architecture
• Had monumental avenues, colossal temple plazas and tombs cut
from rock
Egyptian Civilization
• Dependence on the Nile
• Built reservoirs to store water
• Dug canals for irrigation
• Organized labor of large number
of workers
• Methods of safekeeping when
floods occur
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
ANCIENT TIMES
(3000 BC)
Tel-el-Amarna
• Example of a typical Egyptian City
• Comprised of the following:
1) Central Area
2) North Suburb
3) South City
4) Custom’s House
5) Worker’s Village
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
ANCIENT TIMES
(2500 BC)
INDUS VALLEY (Pakistan)
Cities of Mohenjo – Daro and Harrapa
• Administrative – religious centers with
40,000 inhabitants
• Imposing citadel and lower city
• Grid-iron layout with continuous
modifications
• Archeological evidence indicates an
advance civilization lived here as there
were housing variations, sanitary and
sewage systems
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
ANCIENT TIMES
(2500 BC)
INDUS VALLEY (Pakistan)
Cities of Mohenjo – Daro and Harrapa
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
ANCIENT TIMES
(1900 BC)
Yellow River Valley (China)
• “Land within the passes”
• Precursor of the linear city

Anyang
- largest city of the Yellow River Valley
HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
ANCIENT TIMES
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
ANCIENT TIMES
(800 BC)
Beijing (China)
• Founded in approximately the same location it’s in today.
• Present form originated in the Ming Dynasty
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
ANCIENT TIMES
(BC to AD)
MESOAMERICA CITIES
• Elaborate networks of cities were built by the Zapotecs, Mextecs and
Aztecs in rough, rugged lands
Teotijuacan and Dzibilchatun - largest cities
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
ANCIENT TIMES
(BC to AD)
MESOAMERICA CITIES
Teotijuacan
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
GREEK CLASSICAL CITIES
(700 BC)
• Greek Cities spread through the Aegean Region westward to France
and Spain
Polis
• The “city-state”
• An ideal population
of about 5,000 male
citizens
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
GREEK CLASSICAL CITIES
(700 BC)

Sparta and Athens

• Largest cities
• Compact urban form
• Never planned as a whole
• Integration of social and civic life
• Components: Acropolis, Main
harbors, Agora Complex, Cultural &
Leisure Facilities
Acropolis
• A religious and defensive structure up on the hills with no definite
geometric plan
• The center of Greek Community life
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
GREEK CLASSICAL CITIES
(400 BC)
Hippodamus
• The first noted urban planner
• Introduced the grid system and the
Agora
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
GREEK CLASSICAL CITIES
(400 BC)

Miletus
Home of several famous
philosophers and scientists such as
Thales, Anaximander, Anaximenes,
Hippodamus, and Hecataeus.

• Three Sections:
1. For Artisans
2. For Farmers
3. For the Military
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
ROMAN CLASSICAL CITIES
(400 BC)
Roman Cities
• Adopted Greek forms, but with monumental scale that had a social
hierarchy

Roman Forums
• Symbol of Power
• Center of Activities
• Most famous Roman Forums:
 Republican Forum
 Imperial Forum
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
ROMAN CLASSICAL CITIES
(400 BC)
Republican Forum
• Architectural Masses as
Character
• Full of Odd Orders
• Layout is Informal
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
ROMAN CLASSICAL CITIES
(400 BC)
Imperial Forum
• Urban Space as
Character
• Spacious and Open
• Layout is Orderly
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
ROMAN CLASSICAL CITIES
(400 BC)
Romans as:
ENGINEERS
• Built Aqueducts, public baths,
drainage systems and large open
interiors for public gatherings

CONQUERORS
• Built forum after forum
• Cities were not defensive as they
opted for river crossings over
isolation
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
ROMAN CLASSICAL CITIES
(400 BC)
Romans as:
PLANNERS
• They developed housing variations and other spaces
• Incorporated public works and arts into the design of their Cities
Basilica
• Covered markets, Law courts
Curia
• Local Meeting Hall, Capitol
Domus
• Traditional House with Atrium
Insulae
• Three to Six Storey
apartments with storefronts
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
ROMAN CLASSICAL CITIES
(400 BC)

Basilica
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
MEDIEVAL AGES
Decline of Roman power left many outposts all over Europe
• Growth revolved around fortifications and monasteries
• The Christian church developed a strong organization that took
powers that were usually the responsibility of governments.
• Towns were fine and intimate with winding roads and sequenced
views of cathedrals and military fortifications

Sienna and Constantinople

• Signified the rise of the church as a main urban design element
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
MEDIEVAL AGES
The rise of two privileged classes:
1. The Nobles
2. The Clergy
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
MEDIEVAL AGES

FEUDALISM
• Affected the urban design of most
towns
• Society centered on lands help by
local lord and on manors
• Many towns with small populations,
as people fled to country estates
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
MEDIEVAL AGES
FEUDALISM
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
MEDIEVAL AGES
MERCANTILISM
• Became prevalent while power of
feudal lords declined
• Relatively fragmented social
organization
• Loose physical boundaries
• Development of ports and coastal
areas
• Growth of retail outlets
• Growth of major population centers
such as Europe, Paris and Venice
• Resulted to congestion and slums
and eventually, the decline of cities
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
THE RENAISSANCE AND BAROQUE PERIODS
(15th Century)
DISPLAY OF POWER
• Kings achieved unity and display of their affluence and power by
improving and beautifying their cities
• Arts and architecture became major elements of town planning and
urban design
• Geometric forms of cities were proposed
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
THE RENAISSANCE AND BAROQUE PERIODS
(15th Century)
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
THE RENAISSANCE AND BAROQUE PERIODS
(15th Century)
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
THE RENAISSANCE AND BAROQUE PERIODS
(15th Century)
VIENNA
• Emerged as the city of culture and the arts
• The first “University Town” and the “Town of Musicians”
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
THE RENAISSANCE AND BAROQUE PERIODS
(15th Century)
ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF EARLY REANAISSANCE
• Public Works
• Civil Improvement Projects
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
THE RENAISSANCE AND BAROQUE PERIODS
(15th Century)
LEON BATTISTA ALBERTI
• De Architectura
• Treats architecture and Town Design as a single theme (Just like
Vitruvis)
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
THE RENAISSANCE AND BAROQUE PERIODS
(15th Century)
DEVELOPMENT OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTUERE
FRENCH
• Regarded natural landscape as barbaric
• Man-made, preferably geometric creations
• “Absolute command of nature”

ENGLISH
• Characterized by an attitude of sympathy with nature
• “tames the nature”

ITALIAN
• Terraced Garden is the best model of gardening in limited space
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
SETTLEMENTS IN THE AMERICAS

MEDIEVAL ORGANIC CITY

• Taken after the “boug” (military town) and “fauborg” (citizen’s town)
of the medieval ages
• Did not have any regular street form
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
SETTLEMENTS IN THE AMERICAS

MEDIEVAL BASTIDE
• Taken from the French Bastide
• Eventually referred to as “new towns”
• Came in the form of grids or radial plans
• Reflects flexibility
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
SETTLEMENTS IN THE AMERICAS

THE SPANISH “LAWS OF THE INDIES” TOWN

• King Philip’s City Guideline
• Produced three types of towns:
1. Pueblo (Civil)
2. Presidio (Military)
3. Mission (Religious)
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
SETTLEMENTS IN THE AMERICAS

THE ENGLISH RENAISSANCE

• The European planned City
• Examples:
• Savannah, designed by James Oglethorpe
• Charleston, Annapolis and Williamsburg,
designed by Col. Francis Nicholson
Today, Savannah is the world’s largest
officially recognized historical district.
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
SETTLEMENTS IN THE AMERICAS

THE ENGLISH RENAISSANCE

Annapolis

Government buildings were focal points of the plan,

though a civic square was also provided
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
SETTLEMENTS IN THE AMERICAS

THE ENGLISH RENAISSANCE

Williamsburg

Plan was anchored by the Governor’s palace, the state

capitol and the College of William and Mary
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
SETTLEMENTS IN THE AMERICAS

THE ENGLISH RENAISSANCE

Savannah
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
SETTLEMENTS IN THE AMERICAS

THE SPECULATOR’S TOWN

• Developments were driven by speculation (guesswork)

Philadelphia
• Designed by
William Penn
 HISTORY OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

THE “MACHINE AGE”

• Change of manpower to assembly lines

SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT:
1. The REFORM Movements
2. The SPECIALISTS