Urban Development: From Ancient Times to the Present
ITEM 11 I: Cities and Growth
The Concept of a City
* Quantitative or statistical criteria: These are based on figures. They view the entire settlement that exceeds a certain number of inhabitants. This number, however, varies across countries.
* Qualitative criteria: Consider cities to be villages that meet certain characteristics. These include physical appearance, marked by high population density and building, with plenty of apartment buildings and height, the predominance of industrial economic activities and services, a lifestyle characterized by individualism, anonymity, stress, and increased in the field, and influence their environment sore due to political and administrative functions, economic and cultural play, and the provision of equipment and services. The consideration of these criteria to define the city as a large population center, with high population density and building; dominance of industrial and tertiary urban lifestyle, and ability to influence their environment.
Pre-industrial Cities
– The first cities emerged in Mesopotamia 7,500 years ago, on the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Others were born shortly after on the banks of the Nile and Indus. Nearly all adopted a flat and organized irregular enthroned great temples and palaces.
– Classic Period: During the first millennium BC, cities spread throughout the Mediterranean by Greek colonization and the Roman Empire. The Greeks and Romans created new towns, with a regular plane into a grid and endowed important buildings and public places, like the Greek agora or the Roman Forum. The crisis of the Roman Empire from the third century marked the decline of European cities.
– Middle Ages: European Christian cities reemerged from the 11th century, thanks to booming trade, and Muslim cities also reached a remarkable development. Both were surrounded by walls, took a plane generally irregular, raised religious buildings such as cathedrals and mosques, and allocated space to the craft and commercial activities such as market squares and souks, Christian and Muslim.
– Modern Age: During the 15th and 16th centuries, geographical discoveries spread urbanization in Africa and America. In the 17th century, absolutist kings, to show their power, embellished the cities, especially the capital, opening wide fairways, squares, and gardens. In the 18th century, the monarchy improved urban sanitation, sewerage works, and paving, and built many public buildings.
Industrial Cities
– Cities grew rapidly: To implant in them modern industry, attracted a large rural population, the old walls were demolished, and the city was extended.
– Emerged new urban spaces: Bourgeois, well-planned neighborhoods with large homes and quality of urban services gifted and unorganized working-class neighborhoods with small houses, bad materials, and lack of public services.
– Urban Appearance changed: With the introduction of factories, railways, trams, and later, with gas street lighting and electricity.
Current City
– In developed countries: In Europe and North America, urban growth has increased since the late 18th century. The cause was the rural exodus, motivated by the development of industry and services in cities. At present, urban growth has stabilized and even declined in some large cities. This is due to people moving and part of the economic activities average city or nearby rural areas.
– In underdeveloped countries: In Latin America, Asia, and Africa, urban growth began in the early to mid-20th century but has since become so intense that to speak of “urban explosion.” The cause of this growth has been the rural exodus, motivated by the poverty of the countryside and high population growth. At present, urban growth is very high and has led to extensive slums in urban neighborhoods, where immigrants are crowded.
ITEM 11 II: Construction and Land Use
* Plot: The arrangement of buildings within the city. In the open frame, the buildings are separated from each other by means of clearances so-called “garden cities.” In the scheme closed, the buildings are arranged side by side over large areas. In many cases, houses are grouped around a central courtyard, forming even apples.
* Building: Can be individual, low-rise, in the case of single-family homes, or collectively in height. The building style has varied over time. Thus, in the historic city, the buildings are less tall and respond to past styles. In the industrial cities and present dominate the blocks and towers of greater height, due to the use of concrete and iron structure. In addition, buildings are more homogeneous. In urban neighborhoods, the neighborhood of manufactured homes and shanties made of scrap materials are also frequent.
The land uses are the various uses of urban space. They can be residential, industrial, or service sectors.