Urban form
Why the city has the shape it has. Layout, density, height and the legacy of decisions taken a century ago.
No city has the shape it has by accident. The layout of its streets, the height of its buildings, the density of its neighbourhoods and the size of its blocks are decisions — sometimes a century old — that still govern how people live today.
Here are the analyses on urban form and morphology: the grid against the historic centre, the planned extension, the zoning that separates uses, the low-density suburb, the skyscraper and its logic, and the plans that shaped modern cities. And the urban history that explains them: the first cities, the industrial city, the utopias that were attempted and what remains of them.
- Urban history
City as Tool of Power Through Memory
A historic square keeps old facades, but their images now appear in shops, advertisements and screens.
Christine Boyer 3 min read - Urban form
Cultures Mix and Belonging Emerges
Urban culture blends tradition, modernity, and globalization, creating hybrid identities. Discover how cities shape…
3 min read - Urban form
Five Elements Make a City Legible and Accessible
Understanding how five elements make a city legible and accessible. A legible city allows people to navigate and…
Kevin Lynch 3 min read - Urban form
Small Rules Shape City Order
How minor rules and regulations create urban order through everyday governance. Keywords: city, rules, governance.
Michel Foucault 3 min read - Urban form
Rem Koolhaas Delirious New York City
Rem Koolhaas explores New York City's evolution as a delirious city shaped by density and urban experimentation.
2 min read - Urban history
Patrick Geddes: Urban Planning and Regionalism
Patrick Geddes pioneered urban planning and regionalism, emphasizing natural environment integration. His ideas…
Patrick Geddes 3 min read - Urban history
Aldo Rossi: The City as a Historical Artifact
Aldo Rossi's work explores the city as a historical artifact, emphasizing its cultural and temporal significance.
Aldo Rossi 2 min read - Urban history
Friedrich Engels: Urban Justice and Industrial Conditions
Friedrich Engels, German philosopher and activist, is best known for his collaboration with Karl Marx in the…
Friedrich Engels 2 min read - Urban history
Lewis Mumford: five thousand years of city in one book
From Mesopotamia to the industrial city, Mumford shows each era built the city it deserved, and judges the…
Lewis Mumford 3 min read - Urban form
Michael Hibbard: Regional Planning for Social Justice
Michael Hibbard focuses on regional planning models that promote equitable growth. His work emphasizes community…
Michael Hibbard 2 min read - Urban form
Michael Dear Postmodernism Urban Planning
Michael Dear, an American urbanist and academic, has made significant contributions to the study of postmodernism…
Michael Dear 2 min read - Urban form
John Forester: Participatory Planning for Equitable Cities
John Forester advocates for inclusive urban planning through community dialogue and conflict resolution. His work…
John Forester 2 min read - Urban form
Vertical Cities: Understanding Urban Space Transformation
The book “Vertical: The City from Satellites to Bunkers” (2016) by Stephen Graham offers a unique approach to…
Stephen Graham 2 min read - Urban history
Peter Hall Urban Planning Evolution
Cities of Tomorrow explores urban planning's evolution from the 19th century to today, focusing on its social,…
Ebenezer Howard 2 min read - Urban form
Jaime Lerner: the urban acupuncture of Curitiba
Lerner argues that one small, well-placed intervention transforms a whole neighbourhood. He proved it as mayor of…
Jaime Lerner 2 min read - Urban history
Christine Boyer Collective Memory Urban Planning
Christine Boyer explores how collective memory shapes urban planning and city identity. Urban memory influences…
Christine Boyer 2 min read - Urban history
Berlin Divided: Cold War History
Berlin: Divided City by Philip Broadbent offers a detailed examination of Berlin’s history during its division in…
2 min read - Urban history
Mexico City Citizenship Identity
This article explores how urbanization in Mexico City has shaped citizenship and identity over time. Mexico City:…
3 min read - Urban history
Barcelona Class Struggles
Barcelona's history of class conflict and social movements shaped its urban development. Discover how class…
2 min read - Urban history
Robert Moses: The Controversial Legacy of Urban Planning
The Power Broker explores how Robert Moses transformed New York while causing displacement and inequality. Read more.
Robert Moses 2 min read - Urban form
Peter Calthorpe Sustainable American Metropolis
Peter Calthorpe outlines a sustainable urban model for American cities. Focus on ecology and community. Ends with a…
2 min read - Urban history
Peter Ackroyd: London's History Explored
London: The Biography, written by Peter Ackroyd, is an extensive and detailed work that explores the rich history…
2 min read - Urban history
Cairo History Transformation
Explore Cairo's evolution through history, architecture, and politics. Discover its transformation into a key Arab…
2 min read - Urban form
Patsy Healey Strategic Urban Planning
Strategic urban planning balances economic, social, and environmental goals. Patsy Healey's inclusive approach…
Patsy Healey 2 min read - Urban history
Paris and Capitalist Modernization
This article explores how Paris's modernization under Haussmann reflected capitalist urban development and social…
David Harvey 2 min read - Urban history
David Foster: Buenos Aires as Cultural and Political Stage
In Buenos Aires: Perspectives on the City and Cultural Production, David Foster analyzes Buenos Aires through a…
3 min read - Urban form
David Rusk: Metropolitan Fragmentation and Its Challenges
Metropolitan fragmentation, a phenomenon extensively studied by urbanist **David Rusk**
2 min read - Urban history
Decolonizing Urban Heritage: Transforming Spaces with History
**Urban heritage in the postcolonial context** presents complex challenges for cities seeking to confront and…
3 min read - Urban form
Reurbanization and Urban Renewal: Opportunities and Challenges
Reurbanization and urban renewal have been central processes in transforming many cities over recent decades
Neil Smith 3 min read - Urban form
New Urbanism: Redefining Cities for a Sustainable Future
New Urbanism is a movement in urban planning that emerged in the 1980s as a critical response to cities built…
2 min read - Urban form
15-Minute Cities: Transforming the Future of Urban Living
The concept of the “15-minute city” has gained popularity as an innovative urban planning strategy designed to…
Carlos Moreno 3 min read - Urban form
Horizontal City: Challenges and Opportunities
The “Horizontal City” refers to an urban phenomenon characterized by outward expansion toward the periphery rather…
3 min read - Urban form
Learning From Las Vegas: A New Vision Of Architecture
Learning from Las Vegas (1972) is a foundational work in the field of architecture written by Robert Venturi,…
3 min read
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Shorts
Is this a real city… or just a spectacle?
Cities for People: Redesigning Our Cities According to Jan Gehl
How Should Our Cities Work? Jane Jacobs and the Urban Planning Revolution
Space Syntax. Streets obey mathematical equations
When a single structure is bigger than the neighborhood around it
Was the a Myth? The Dark Side of ’s Tower Boom
Viral Architecture. Cities built for likes, not just life
Master plans that change everything on paper… and nothing in reality
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