PLANNING 2 REVIEWER
HISTORY OF PLANNING AND URBAN DESIGN
Natural factors that affect the selection, development,
and growth of urban areas:
 presence of fertile soil, bodies of water, and
other natural resources
 potential for natural calamities (fire, flood,
volcano eruptions, etc.)
 slope and terrain and other forms of natural
defenses
 climate: temperate, tropical , dessert, polar
regions
ANCIENT TIMES
*Nomads had no permanent homes, only cave
dwellings and tents.
Innovations that affected the development
patterns of early villages:
 The plow and rectilinear farming
 Circular fencing and radio-centric planning.
 Neolithic Cities
 Jericho: early settlement in Israel -9000b.c.
- A well-organized community of about
3000 people
-  Built around a reliable source of
freshwater
- 3 hectares - enclosed with a circular
stone wall for defensive purposes
 Catalhoyuk: early settlement in Turkey
(Asia Minor)
- Largest neolithic city
- 13 hectares; 10,000 people
- An intricately assembled complex without
streets
- Included shrines and quarters for
specialized crafts, production of paintings,
textile, metal, etc.
*Cities in the Fertile Crescent were formed by the
Tigris and Euphrates river valleys of
Mesopotamia.
 Eridu- acknowledged as the oldest city.
-  the very first village of Mesopotamia (and
the World) that grew into a city as a result of
effective irrigation for agriculture.
-  These were planned cities, each was built
around 100-foot0high pyramid shaped
building called ziggurat < which was both a
temple and an astronomical observatory.
 Damascus- oldest continually inhabited city
- Growth and continued existence was due
to its important political role in the region.
 Babylon- the largest city with 100,000
inhabitants
- It was rebuilt during 6th Century B.C
and followed a regular street plan, the
temple and the tower remained at the
center, and the famous hanging Garden
Palace was on the Euphrates River by
the north wall
- Built by Nebuchadnezzar (Nabu-
kudurri-usur II), ruler of Babylon for 45
years.
 Cities of Thebes and Memphis along the Nile
Valley - characterized by monumental
architecture Ancient Times 3000 B.C.
- Egyptian civilization depended on Nile
River
- Egyptians built reservoirs to store water
and dug canals to carry it to the fields.
- Organized labor of large number of
workers
- Workers’ camps surrounded construction
sites.
 Indus Valley (present day Pakistan) Cities of
Mohenjo – Daro and Harrapa:
Ancient Times 2500 B.C.
- Administrative-religious centers with
40,000 inhabitants; and an imposing
citadel and lower city
- Civic buildings: Granaries,
administrative offices, assembly hall,
great baths.
 Yellow River Valley of China; the “land within
the passes” - Precursor of the Linear City.
 *Anyang- largest city of the Yellow River
Valley.
* Beijing- founded in approximately same location
it’s in today.
 Elaborate network of cities in Mesoamerica
were built by the Zapotecs, Mextecs, and
Aztecs in rough rugged land. Ancient
Times 100 B.C. to 250 A.D.
 Teotijuacan and Dzibilchatun were the
largest cities.
 Teotihuacán’s influence in Mesoamerica
was of three principal types: political-
military, economic, and ideological-
religious.
GREEK CITIES
 “polis” : defined as a “city-state”. The ideal
size for a polis was a population of about
5000 male citizens.
 Neopolis: new town
 Paleopolis: old town
 Most famous Polis is the Acropolis
- a religious and defensive structure up on the
hills, with no definite geometrical plan
 Sparta and Athens : the largest cities (100-
150T)
•  Compact
•  Never planned as a whole
•  Integration of social and civic life
 Components
- Acropolis
- Main Harbors
- Agora Complex
- Cultural and leisure facilities
 ODEION - similar to theater used solely for
musical presentations or contests.
 Hippodamus - The first noted urban
planner. Introduced the grid system
 Miletus:
- 3 sections: for artisans, farmers, and the
military, with the Agora at the center.
ROMAN CITIES
* During the Etruscans’ reign, Rome grew into a
great city built on seven hills.
* Romans as engineers
- built aqueducts (serving 200 cities), elaborate
plumbing systems for public baths, network of
paved roads (covering 50,000 miles), drainage
systems, large open interiors for public gatherings
Roman.
 Roman Forums
-symbol of power
-center of activities
The two most famous forums were the: Republican
Forum and the Imperial Forum.
MEDIEVAL AGES
* Sienna and Constantinople: signified the rise of
the Church.
 Feudalism affected the urban design of
many towns and cities.
 Birth of Mercantilism
Development of coastal areas
Development of ports.
Growth of retail outlets
Growth of major population centers
Congestion and Slums
RENAISSANCE AND BAROQUE PERIODS
* Rebirth of classical towns
- Piazza planning in Venice
* “Ideal city” plans were prepared and proposed
 Vienna emerged as the city of culture and
the arts
- The first “university town”, also the “town
of musicians”
SETTLEMENTS IN THE AMERICAS
 Medieval Organic City - taken after the
“boug” (military town) and “fauborg”
(citizen’s town) of the medieval ages.
 Medieval Bastide - taken from the French
bastide (“new towns”) - came in the form of
grids or radial plans reflecting flexibility.
The Spanish “Laws of the Indies” town King Philip
II’s city guidelines that produced 3 types of towns-
the pueblo, presidio, and mission.

 The English Renaissance

- Today, Savannah is the world’s largest
officially recognized historical district.
 The Speculator’s Town
developments were driven by
speculation
 Philadelphia– designed by William
Penn.
THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
•  Assembly line, product standardization, mass
production
•  Railway system
•  High-density settlements
•  Blight
•  Suburbia
•  Automobiles and highways

THE PATTERN OF CITY PLANNING

•  The physical base of the city is the visible
manifestation of buildings, roads, parks and other
features to give it form.
•  The economic base of the city provides a reason
from its existence.
•  The political base of the city is essential for its
order.
•  The social base is essential for city meaning.