Urban Design

Lecture no.2
Historical Background
 The law of human
history

that mankind first of all…

must eat, drink, have
shelter and clothing,
before it can pursue
politics, science, art,
.’religion etc

The first cities obviously were built when

humankind had got beyond the struggle for
.mere existence
Ancient urban settlements
Ancient urban settlements

: Two examples of the first cities

.The earliest known city, Jericho “Ariha” (c. 7000 BC) was an oasis near the River Jordan.1

Catal Huyuk in Turkey (c. 6500 BC) .2

.Both depended on agriculture, and the rearing of livestock

 Ancient urban settlements

:The first built cities were

Jericho “Ariha” (c. 7000 BC) was *

an oasis near the River Jordan
 Ancient urban settlements

Security was very important factor affects the city design :

* The city was built over a hill

* Surrounded by two walls
* With narrow street

Jericho “Ariha” (c. 7000 BC)

* Outside the walls of the city there was a trench for protecting the city

Jericho “Ariha” (c. 7000 BC)

Jericho “Ariha” (c. 7000 BC)
Ancient urban settlements

Catal Huyuk in Turkey c. 6500 BC

 Ancient urban settlements

Urban characteristics :

1.Houses were built touching

against each other.

2.They did not have doors

3. Houses were entered through

hatches in roofs.

Catal Huyuk in Turkey c. 6500 BC

 Catal Huyuk in Turkey c. 6500 BC

Since houses were built touching

each other, the roofs must have
acted as streets! People must have
walked across them.
They thought if they are having entrances in the roofs was safer
than having them in the walls
 • There were only holes in the
roofs to let out smoke.
• People slept on platforms.

Catal Huyuk in Turkey c. 6500 BC

Catal Huyuk in Turkey c. 6500 BC
So, three things in the first place, made the city
:possible

1. the separation of the built-up area from the

surrounding countryside, by defensive walls.

2. the development of irrigation systems for

agriculture.

3. the development of craft- specialties to serve not

only the needs of the population but also as bases
for trade.
Urban Settlements

Classical times
Throughout the history of urban settlements There
:were two ways of cities growth

:The first
: natural way
.in which people simply start building

:The second
: artificial way
in which a master plan is prepared; streets laid out,
squares and urban blocks on to which buildings are
then placed according to some planners’ sense of
order. Regular Planning
 Regular Planning

There were many examples of regular planning throughout the history with different styles

1. Linear Planning:
Which means Straight streets, meeting at right angles, this style was found in Iraq in Babylon the city of
.Nebuchadnezzar between 1126 and 1105BC
 Regular Planning

There were many examples of regular planning throughout the history with different styles

1. Linear Planning:
Which means Straight streets, meeting at right angles, this style was found in
Ancient Egypt village of workers
 Regular planning
2.Check board planning

Which means a grid of perpendicular intersected straight streets creating square or

rectangular blocks between them
.Such planning was found in Miletus. Turkey about (479 BC)
 Miletus. Turkey

Urban and Architectural features:

1. Agora:

A central open space in the city and gathering place where people can meet and do several
activities
 Miletus. Turkey

Urban and Architectural features:

2. Theater
 Miletus. Turkey

Urban and Architectural features:

3. Temples
 Miletus. Turkey

Urban and Architectural features:

4. Delphinium
a popular garden plant of the buttercup family that bears tall spikes of blue flowers.
 Regular planning
2.Check board planning

Which means a grid of perpendicular intersected straight streets creating square or

rectangular blocks between them
Such planning was found in Priene, an ancient Greek city

Priene built on steeply sloping

ground with the main streets
running along the contours
and the (stepped) minor
streets crossing them
The labor was laying out the city, using very simple tools that is why they built their cities in
straight and linear grids.
Classical planning

The typical Roman city had a rectangular plan and resembled a

Roman military camp with two major roads, the
decumanus (east-west) and the cardo (north-south)

a grid of smaller streets dividing the town into blocks, and a

wall circuit with gates
 The typical Roman city

This Plan too is evidence indeed that geometric instruments were used by the Roman surveyors, not just
.straight edges and squares but also compasses
Triumphal arches

Triumphal arches are one of the most influential and

distinctive types of architecture associated with
ancient Rome
The triumphal arch was used to commemorate victorious
generals or significant public events such as the founding of
new colonies, the construction of a road or bridge, or the
. death of a member of the imperial family
.. … Thank you