TOWN PLANNING FROM ANCIENT

CIVILIZATION TO RENAISSANCE
IN
THE WESTERN WORLD

ASSO.PROF. PALLAVI MAHIDA

 • MESOPOTAMIAN TOWN PLANNING
• EGYPTIAN TOWN PLANNING
• GREEK TOWN PLANNING
• ROMAN TOWN PLANNING
• MEDIEVAL TOWN PLANNING
• RENAISSANCE TOWN PLANNING CONCEPTS

Principle Aspects for consideration in the development of Settlement

Planning Thought:
Geographical Factors: Earthquakes, Land Characteristics, Fertility, Water
Availability, Climate, weather etc, Other Resourses.
Economic Aspects: The productive system, agriculture, industry, trade
and commerce,
Political Aspects: Defence Consideration, Administration.
Socio- Cultural Aspects: Caste and Class Distinctions,
Technological Progress: Influence in Industrial Progress, Constructions
progress, Transportation, Utilities and Services
.
A Sumerian City was protective, compact, development was horizontal, adapted well to climate.... market was near
the center, residents all around, river was the central axis, transportation bwas by waterways,and hoses were
predominantly by timber and mud.
Examples :City of Ur Babylon, Khafage and Eshnunna.
City of Ur babylon existed on a flat plain of 1400 acres, the shape was a suare and was cut half by a river, houses
were three to four storeyes and the city was protected by a great wall. the Royal Palace existed on one bank and a
8 storey Ziggurat Existed in the center of the town.
Primary Communication by water ways and secondary communication by roads was done.
There existed an administrative hierarchy and the town followed an organization based on villagers or townsmen,
then the civil servicemen the then the Religious Priests.
The Pyramids and temples were the most important part of the settlement,
and the settlements were located on the banks of the river Nile which was
almost straight in these areas and were subject to floods..major construction
activities were by stone.
Transportation within the settlement was on foot and intersettlement was
done by waterways..changing flood plain required some protection wall on
the side of the river.
Examples: Tel-El- Amorna, Kahun,
Tel-El- Amorna:
the city was along the river Nile and 6 miles long. Residential Districts
grouped around imperial and sacred buildings, the sacred and imperial
buildings wee connected by broad avenues and geometrically plannned
streets, Temple complexes were huge plazzas, Courts and administrative
buildings were on both sides of the thoroughfare, the buildings were
surrounded by pools for summer and the palaces on both sides of the
avenues were connected by brick bridges.

Tel-El- Amorna
Tel-El- Amorna
The Town was divided into three parts: God, Administration and Dwelling houses, the town must satisfy the requirements Hygiene ,
defense and Circulation, the city was meant to serve three classes of people: Craftsmen, workers and soldiers. the meeting place was
near the heart of the town which was the temple, and nearly 5% of the town was given to the temple, the assembly hall- Legislature,
the Judiciary, the Agora and the Market Place. AGORA was the central open space which accommodated all the public buildings and
all the public functions and ceremonies happened there. Roads were at right angles in the direction of the prevailing winds, Roads
gave acces to houses without interferences with the assembly or central areas,houses were nof the same size 50 fee by 50 feet and
the variations occured within that.

Examples: the City of Miletus, Selinus and the city of Priene. 700 to 500 BC
City of Priene

City of Miletus
• The Roman Emperors established
towns on three occasions: when the
town became a colonial center, when
it was made a local capital, when it
became an imperial residence.
• the Towns shall comply with fulfilling
religious auspices, defense
requirements, technical
considerations.
• The two major sets of roads running
E-W and N-S were called Decamanus
and Cards Respectively.
• Sun God was the God of the Solders,
The FORUM as to be developed at the
cross roads. The rest of the town shall
be divided into rectangular plots of
one side 120 feet . for the defense
purpose the town must be quick and
simple to layout, easy to police and
defend, roads must be at least 8 feet
wide and a set back of 2and a half
feet from the boundaries should be
given. Drainage was elaborately
prescribed, and water was brought to
town by aqueducts.
• In the layout
through roads,
triumphal arches
and rigidity and
formality in
expression was
the main
character of the
Roman town.
• The City usually
occupied aa
strategically
important site
with enormous
scale and
impressive
stylistic quality.
Excellent quality
building stones
were used for
civic buildings
and the
Aqueducts,
Sanitation, and
Pubic health
considerations
were of very high
order for the
Nobel areas.
• Examples: Rome,
Timgad and Citra
in North Africa
and Silchester in
Europe.
Fall of the Roman Empire and the Beginning of the
Medieval period or the Dark Ages. Western
Civilization Declined, The strategic location of the
Byzantium helped it grow as the center of the world
trade.
Meanwhile for the other parts of Europe the Trade
got disintegrated and the cities shrank in size and
importance. the towns were developed due to
political and economic reasons. the cities were
found on irregular plains occupying hilltops or
islands, they were built by merchants and craftsmen
against feudalism, towns were fortified wit irregular
road patterns to confuse the invaders, and the most
commanding position of the town was occupied by
the Church.
The physical size of the towns was restricted due to
fortification, facilities of roads were cumbersome,
no sewage disposal and the towns were very
conjested.

Example of Medieval Town: City of Carcassome.

City of Carcassome
From the Medieval to Renaissance period the Commerce increased and the military aggression decreased, the power of
feudal lords decreased, due to the invention of Gun Powder the town had to increase its boundaries of fortifications,
new strategies of defense came up, the social strata was divided into two the nobels and the poor. there were two type
of town planning manifestations

In which the kings and nobels were very important and there glory was expressed through royal gardens, monumental
vistas, and dominating buildings with the religion becoming subservient.
Example: Versallie France, Karlsruhe Germany, London England.
Karlsruhe Germany,
Versallie France.
London England.
City of Palmanova Itlay
St. Petersburg Amsterdam Vienna
Saint Marks Piazza Piazza Of St. Peter Plazza Del Popolo Rome

In the other manifestation Squares and Piazzas were carved out around Religious buildings as formal
congregational spaces of Medieval Towns which were cramped with old fortified walls.