The lecture this week discussed how to analyse a city by looking at the following information:
Historical growth - Analysing various historical maps of the city
Mobility maps - Identifying railway, roads and paths used in the city
Functional aspects - Locating land types and buildings and discovering their function
Morpho- typological - Form determined by buildings and spaces
The above analysis methods show how a city works, you can discover simple and effective information such as desirable locations and the most effective method of transportation to reach them. These analysis techniques work well when combining the information into a single map, providing a deeper understanding to the positioning of certain city elements.
City styles were also discussed in detail covering French, English and Italian urban planning techniques. And finally a discussion on the architectural elements of a city and how they might be described:
Type - Model =
- Stereotype (reproduction or a copy)
- Archetype (original model or first of its kind)
- Prototype (developing, original but not the 1st)
Urban Analysis Workshop
The tutorial today involved analysing the Brisbane, Howard Smith Wharves district and representing it in various mapping methods. These methods included a historical analysis, a mobility analysis, a functional analysis and a morphology analysis.
Historical Analysis:
The historical analysis was achieved by analysing information from various maps of Brisbane's development and combining it into a single historical representation. The above diagrams show (from darkest to lightest shades) the original Brisbane city layout before it gradually expended over the last 155 years. According to Whitehand (1987), a townscape, especially a well-established one, provides a strong visual experience of the history of an area as demonstrated in the city of Brisbane .
Mobility Analysis:
The mobility analysis was also achieved by combining information from various maps of the Brisbane City transport system. The above diagram shows the routes for roads, railways, ferry's and the inner city loop bus as well as the Brisbane River and parklands. This information shows us where the busier parts of the city are located and the transport access options that are available to us.
Functional Analysis:
The functional analysis is a combined analysis of various Brisbane City maps that focus on the function of various structures and open spaces, such as a tourism map or land use map. The above diagram shows the functional aspects of the buildings and spaces located directly above the Howard Smith Wharves. From this functional analysis we can observe the connections between various structures and the streets. For example, the roads thin out towards the industrial area meaning less congestion in this part of the city.
Morphology Analysis:
A detailed morphology analysis would require an accurate Nolli map to show sufficient information on Brisbane City, but for the purpose of this exercise analysing the areas structures through maps was sufficient enough. The above diagrams show both the scale of the structures and the age of the structures in specific areas. The first diagram represents the size of the buildings and suggests a rough timeline as to their production while the bottom diagram shows the age of the buildings and the growth of the city.
Project #2
This week our group received our options for project #3 and we decided to go with Kabul, the capital city of Afghanistan. Kabul is a war torn city with much destruction to its infrastructure and large areas of poverty and ruin. This week we agreed to do a thorough research of the city of Kabul and reconvene next tutorial to begin site selection and delegation of tasks.
Reflections
This week has glued together a lot of the concepts discussed over the previous few weeks, finally completing our palette of city analysis tools. The various city analysis techniques have taught me how to analyse the most important features of a city such as time, travel, style and function. Using the historical analysis, you can learn how the city developed in the past and consider how it will continue to develop in the future. For example in Brisbane we have developed so quickly and consumed so much land we are starting to continue development within already densely developed areas.
The mobility analysis shows clearly how people travel across the urban environment, and where the main areas of interest are located. For example in Brisbane, the main railway lines and major roads aren't in the center of the city, they circle around the edges, however the loop bus accesses all the important sites in the heart of Brisbane. A transport system can show a cities dedication to sustainable living.
The morphology analysis shows the various architecture styles within a city, in Brisbane an analysis of scale will show you that the highest structures are located in the central area and the smaller residential areas are located on the outskirts of the city.
And lastly the functional analysis, which shows how a city comes together, what elements are important and how they are connected. Brisbane's central area is thick with congestion as all the office blocks and shopping areas are located here while the outer industrial area is generally only populated by workers and not the general public.
