Urban Morphology and

Structure
Aplann 2 : Week 10 - 11
- The appearance or outward form of a city influenced by:
Its location ( in flat or raised, by a river or harbour, in a crossroad, hill,
etc.)
- The plane (Radiuscenter, checkerboard, labyrinth, star, irregular)
- The layout of buildings (Block open or closed), height and
construction materials (brivk , tone, tile, slate, painted buildings or not)
- The land use, that depend on functions having the city: commercial,
residential, industrial, community facilities, cultural….
- Its called urban structure to the division of the city in areas with
morphology (appearance) and characteristic function as
- Old town, center or downtown
- New town
- Outskirts
Urban Morphology and Structure
 Parts Background Features Functions / uses

Narrow streets, little blocks, Residential, commercial,

Old town / city centre Roman or medieval historical monuments administration
(Town Hall)

Squared map, regular and Residential (upper class),

New town / urban extension Industrialisation bigger blocks, railway stations Commercial, Central Business
District (banks, firms..)

Residential (workers, and upper

Open spaces, irregular blocksm class – semidetached houses),
roads, industrial estates, sports services (hospital), industry,
Outskirts / suburbs From 1970’s til now and green areas communications, commercial
centres

Urban Morphology and Structure

Urban Land Use Model |
Urban Forms
Aplann 2 : Week 10 - 11
 •Application of Von Thunen’s theory of agricultural location
Circular city growth eases the burden of intra-urban communication

The central business district is located in the center, with the outer
circles (concentric circles) making up the other zones of contrasting
land use.

Any city extends radially from its center, to form concentric zones and
that as distance from the center increases, there would be a reduction
in accessibility, rent and densities

Theories of Urban Development

Concentric Circle Growth Pattern
(Ernest W. Burgess)

Source: www.s-cool.co.uk/.../2007-10-15_162143.gif
 •Growth along a particular transport route way takes the form of land
uses already prevailing and that each sector of relatively homogenous
use extends outwards from the center

Compatible land uses lay adjacent to each other; incompatible land

uses repelled

Relates accessibility, land use and values

The growth of the central business district tends to follow the direction
of the high-priced residential neighborhood

Theories of Urban Development

Sector Pattern of Urban Growth
(Homer Hoyt)

Source: www.s-cool.co.uk/.../2007-10-15_162143.gif
 •Based on the assumption that urban growth takes place around
several distinct nuclei

Emphasizes that many phenomena of city life occur in cluster

Initially related to cities within US where the gridiron road patterns

separated land uses geometrically

Theories of Urban Development

Multiple Nuclei Theory
(Edward L. Ullman and
Chauncey D. Harris)

Source: www.s-cool.co.uk/.../2007-10-15_162143.gif
•New growth allowed to occur at the periphery at very low density
with substantial interstices of open lands kept in reserve.

Developments spread evenly over wide continuous tract; circulation

carried out by individual vehicles

Very high accessibility to open land; outdoor recreational possibilities

plentiful.

Transport network a continuous grid designed for even movement in

all directions. No road hierarchy, no major nodal points, no major
terminals.

Urban Forms
Dispersed Sheet
Difficulty in establishing a transport network due to evenly Spread out activity
areas.

Activity areas evenly distributed.

Maximum flexibility, personal comfort, independence, local participation

highly possible.

No traffic congestions, no multi-purpose trips, only single-purpose trips.

No vivid or memorable image of the city.

Public service provision is expensive.

Urban Forms
Dispersed Sheet
Development clustered into relatively small units, each with an internal peak of
density and separated from the next zone of low or zero density

Each cluster is equal to the next in importance, although specialization

(financial center, cultural center, etc.) is possible.

Each unit is self-sufficient, and thereby independent of the other (All basic
social services are present. Lack of regular transportation to other units is due
to the self-sufficiency of the units)

Circulation mainly by private vehicle, but supplementary public transport is

possible.

Urban Forms
Galaxy of Settlement
All advantages on the dispersed sheet except flexibility are present

If clusters are not too specialized, need for commuting is reduced.

Access to open country is assured if interstitial open spaces are

maintained

Visual image of local communities improved but not of the whole town

Local centers may develop monotonous similarity unless deliberately

made unique and different

Urban Forms
Galaxy of Settlement
Development is packed into one continuous body due, & maximized land use
is employed due to limited land area. Growth will be vertical. Strong visual
image for the whole town.

This form is seen to be beneficial for social equity (same type of high-rise
housing, large range of services & facilities present in the community).

Very few or no private vehicles - movement of pedestrians is either on foot or

on mechanical devices (escalators, etc.)

Most fuel efficient and energy saving (eliminates car-dependency). Significant

reduction in vehicular traffic.

Urban Forms
The Core City
Presence of transport system makes accessibility higher to both activity
centers and to open country at the edge of the city.

Initial investments in the core city are quite high but running costs may
be low.

Must be well-planned, relying heavily on high-rise buildings & well-laid

out transportation system. Initial cost is expensive, but returns will be
most beneficial in the long term.

Highly rigid and inflexible; change /rearrangement is very expensive

Urban Forms
The Core City
Hierarchy of Urban Open
Spaces Cities
Aplann 2 : Week 10 - 11
 City – Wide Park: large, flat and open expanses of land that accommodate
events and celebrations that attract people living in all parts of the city

Linear Greenways: characterized by pathways that provide recreational,

health and social oppurtunities, as well as transportation linkages, they are the
“lungs” of the city and serve to connect people to nature

Downtown Neighbourhood Parks: family-focused, with playgrounds, pick nick

area, swimming, tennis or basketball, as well as un-programmed open space
area which provide recreational opportunities for a neighbourhood.

Urban Open Space Typologies

 Public sitting area in a pedestrian walkway: sitting areas on a sidewalk
of a pedestrian oriented street

Non-permanent green spaces: unused streets and public rights of way

that are quickly and inexpensively turned into new public plazas and
parks for a temporarily period of time in order to provide some open
space and often additional outdoor seating

Plaza: they are primarily hard-surface spaces which often provide retail
space, often food service, in a portion of the area, and function as a
place to gather sit outside.

Urban Open Space Typologies

Open Spaces
Aplann 2 : Week 10 - 11
 Surface water
Marshes
Flood plains
Aquifers
Aquifers recharge areas
Steep lands
Prime agricultural land
Urban forest and wood lands.

Open Spaces | 8 important types of open spaces

Ian McHarg (1967)

Utility Open Spaces

Resource lands – for production and extraction. Eg. Forests, grazing

areas, lakes and rivers for water supply.

Urban utility space – dam sites, reservoir, land fills, waste disposal area,
treatment facilities

Flood Control and drainage – flood plains, flood banks, watershed,

drainages ways, etc.

Reserves and Preserves – forest, area for wildlife, lands for future
expansion, etc.

Open Spaces | Types of Open Space

General Open Spaces

Wilderness areas – scenic & ecological values, etc

Protected areas – controlled for development, coastline and shore
areas etc.

Natural parks – national parks, forests, city parks etc.

Urban parks – zoos, botanical garden, urban forest, water bodies,
amphitheatre etc.

Recreational areas – golf courses, play grounds, swimming pools,

picnic area etc.

Urban development open spaces – green belts, setbacks and open

spaces around buildings etc.
Open Spaces | Types of Open Space
Corridor Open Spaces – right of way spaces of highways,
streets etc.

Multi use Open Spaces – campuses, private clubs with

recreation facilities, cemeteries & garden areas etc.

Open Spaces | Types of Open Space

Functional open space – an important element for the CLUP

Functional open spaces are lands that are deliberately kept in

their open character for their contribution towards maintaining
the amenity value of the environment

Local open spaces (LGUs are responsible to manage)

Communal forest, river banks, prime agricultural lands, historical

sites, environmentally critical and hazardous areas could form
part of open space.

Open space planning in the Philippines

Protected areas are part of the open space system.
NIPAS protected areas area:

Strict nature reserve

Natural park
Natural environment
Wildlife sanctuary
Protected landscape or seascape
Resource reserve
Natural biotic area
Other categories established by national and international
agreements

Open space planning in the Philippines

PUBLIC REALM as
Sustainable Design
Aplann 2 : Week 10 - 11
Any place, space or facility accessible to all members of
the community whether publicly or privately owned

It includes parks, public plazas, civic buildings, sporting

venues, town squares and roads and streets

Public Realm
Between the 1860’s and 1930’s public open space became
integral to city planning as a reaction to the squalor of cities of
the era

Foundations laid in America by Olmstead and other landscape

architects after the Civil War

Public open space was seen as “hygienic” and available to all;

not just the wealthy

Practicality and beauty were key considerations

It was a social and democratic ideal founded on social reform

Public Realm | Historical Perspective

Sustainable design is

Socially stable
Economically successful
Environmentally responsible

Public Realm
 Essentially the Public Realm is a place for individuals to
come together as a community and experience

This can occur in such a way where the user of the public
realm is either directly or indirectly participating in the
public life.

Public Realm | Aim of a Public Realm

Public space is integral to the concept of liveability and
the social, economic and environmental viability of
communities

Planning and design of the public realm often excludes

the end user thereby creating inappropriate and
meaningless spaces.

Streets, parks and plazas, art in public space,

Public Realm | Rationale for selection of Public Realm

URBAN GRAIN
Aplann 2 : Week 10 - 11
– the combined pattern of blocks and streets, taking into
account the character of street blocks and building height
and size, and how they all work together in an interrelated
manner to creat and enable movement and access
(Tonsley, n.d.:8)

Coarse urban grain is characteristic of larger blocks which

isolate users of the space from others around them. This
gives the city dweller very little opportunity to interact with
the space through access linkage.

URBAN GRAIN
Public Realm | New York , San Francisco, Toronto
Public Realm | New York
Public Realm | San Francisco
Public Realm |Toronto
A fine urban grain typically features smaller city blocks,
usually more organic than its coarse counterparts –
because it grows according to the dynamic and changing
needs of the city

URBAN GRAIN
Public Realm | London, Barcelona and Copenhagen
Public Realm | London
Public Realm | Barcelona
Public Realm |Copenhagen
URBAN SPACES Geography and History Department I.E.S. FRAY PEDRO DE URBINA
Miranda de Ebro

Hierarchy of UrbanOpenSpaces in Cities Project Guide- Ar. Puneet Sharma Ravtej Singh
12641, 7th Sem

Prakash Aryal, Spring Programme 2013/2014, SURP, University of the Philippines, Quezon
City

Public Realm asSustainable Design HMD Design . www.hmddesign-china.com . 12 April

2012

Public Realm In Cities UDAY YADAV

Urban Dictionary: Urban Grain Nompumelelo Majola 681019 ARPL3003: Contemporary

Issues Within Archutecture 13 May 2014

Reference