City planning

Lecture 8
 Medieval cities

Carcassone, France Noerdlingen, Germany

Naarden
Segovia
 Medieval cities

Cathedrals dominated the medieval towns.

 Medieval cities

Market place

Market
place

Castle

Market places and castles were the other structures of

importance and mostly found around the church.
Town halls and guildhalls were built on or adjacent to the market
place.
 Medieval cities

Cities were built on rugged terrain where movement is difficult.

Cities were protected by forts and ramparts.
Moats were also devices around the protective walls for additional
protection
 Medieval cities

Town roads and buildings were constructed to

suit the topography of the land.
 Medieval cities

Main roads radiated from the market square to the

external gates with secondary roads connecting them.
 Medieval cities

And few roads were used for vehicular traffic and rest of
them were used for pedestrian movement
 Medieval cities

Irregular pattern of the roads were deliberately derived to

perplex the enemy entering the town.
 Medieval cities

Houses were found along the narrow lanes and the

spaces behind the houses were used for domesticating
animals and cultivating gardens
 Medieval cities
Workshop, store and kitchen were located at the ground
level, living and sleeping areas located at the upper floor.
Windows were small and covered with the crude glass.
Streets were generally paved but no facility for waste
disposal.
Workers lived in the homes of the employer.
There was no distinction among different class of people.
Medieval cities
Medieval cities
 Renaissance cities

Renaissance was a
movement which
allowed people to
break away traditional
views, ideas, practices
into a new way to look
at the things and new
way of doing things.
Florence
Venice
Rome
Lombardy
Renaissance cities

Florence, Italy
 Renaissance cities
Florence

Cities retained the basic form of the medieval cities but the
structures were decorated with the facades of the classic elements.
 Renaissance cities
Venice
 Renaissance cities

Fortifications were extended,

heavy bastions and fortifications
were built.
Cities had monumental character
of classic cities.
Roman construction technique of Formal squares and piazzas
domes, vaults, order of column become vital element in
and arches was the base of new city planning.
style of architecture
 Renaissance cities
Symmetry and creation of balanced axial composition.
Long vistas and boulevards were common features in renaissance
cities
Great importance was given to the placement of monumental
buildings, obelisks and statues at the end of the long vistas and
straight streets.
Cities had 3 distinct urban spaces based on the transpiration
functions - main urban route, residential area, pedestrian space.
 Baroque cities
Versailles, France Karlsruhe, Germany

Palaces, Great gardens and avenues become the dominant feature of

the city.
High degree order was brought in the city layout.
In Versailles , avenues focused on the royal palace. In Karlsruhe and
Mannheim the whole city revolved around the palace and the gardens
of royalty.
 Baroque cities
Karlsruhe, Germany
 Baroque cities

Philadelphia
London
 Baroque cities

Savannah

Detroit
Baroque cities
Washington D.C

New York
Baroque cities
Washington D.C

New York
 Industrial cities
Industrial revolution
Till renaissance period goods were all processed and assembled by
hand. The number of employees was small and there was a close
relationship between worker and employer.
With the invention of steam engine mechanical power become
independent of hand operation and the machines replaced man for
the production of goods in 18th century.
As the production increased, trade expanded and the shops got
shifted from houses to separate quarters factories.
The distinction between employee and employer widened-
capitalism.
Transportation and communication system improved.
Measures for public health and safety implemented.