by Maya Safira Hiroshima University

1. THEORY OF CITY FORM
Maya Safira (G170270)
Regional and Urban Engineering
Graduate School for International Development and Cooperation (IDEC)
Hiroshima University

2. OUTLINE
◉ Urban Patterns
◉ Urban Morphology
◉ Early Theories: Concentric Zones, Sector Theory, Multiple Nuclei
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3. Introduction
◉ A city is a group of people and a number of permanent structures
within a limited geographical area, so organized as to facilitate the
interchange of goods and services among its residents and with the
outside world.
◉ The settlements grew into villages, villages transformed into cities.
Cities created when large number of people live together, in a
specific geographic location leading to the Creation of urban areas.
◉ Cities exist for many reasons, and the diversity of urban forms
depends on the complex functions that cities perform.
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4. What is Urban Form…?
◉ Urban Form refers to the-
○ physical layout and design of the city
○ spatial imprint of an urban transport system
○ adjacent physical infrastructures.
○ Jointly, they confer a level of spatial arrangement to cities.
◉ Urban form or city form defined as- ‘ the spatial pattern of human
activities at a certain point in time’.
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5. Factors Influencing City Form
◉ Geography
◉ Impact of natural environment
◉ Social, political, and economic forces
◉ Trade practiced
◉ Period of development
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6. Urban Patterns
Urban patterns reflect the imprint of political economies, ethnic traditions, and
resource bases, among other factors. In particular, three ideal patterns assist in
understanding the location, size, and spacing of cities.
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7. Urban Pattern1
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8. Linear Patterns
◉ The Linear City: (Don Arturo Soria
Mata- 1882)
◉ A town for 30,000 people based
upon the principal transport route
which is 100 meter wide of infinite
length depending upon urban
growth.
◉ All services channeled along the
street -Other community facilities
group at regular intervals
◉ Residential area is limited to 200
meter either side beyond which
would lie the Countryside.
1.1.
Advantages
•High accessibility
•Adaptability to linear growth
•Useful along the limited edge
Disadvantages
•Very sensitive to blockage requires control of growth
•Lack focus

9. Cluster Pattern
◉ Cluster pattern of cities can occur where
specialized resources exist.
◉ Clusters: critical masses—in one place—of
unusual competitive success in particular fields.
Clusters are a striking feature of virtually every
national, regional, state, and even metropolitan
economy, especially in more economically
advanced nations.
○ Silicon Valley and Hollywood may be the
world’s best-known clusters.
◉ Clusters are not unique. They are highly
typical—and therein lies a paradox: the
enduring competitive advantages in a global
economy lie increasingly in local things—
knowledge, relationships, motivation—that
distant rivals cannot match.
1.2.
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10. Hierarchical Pattern
◉ The theory was first developed by the
German geographer Walter Christaller in
1933 Central place theory is a spatial theory
in urban geography that attempts to
explain the reasons behind the distribution
patterns, size, and number of cities and
towns around the world.
◉ A hierarchical pattern of city spacing the
size typically occurs in agricultural areas,
where the support base relies on the sale of
goods and services to the surrounding,
largely rural region. Cities providing this
function are called central place or service
centers.
1.3.
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11. Central Place Theory
◉ Developed by the German geographer
Walter Christaller in 1933
◉ It explains the reasons behind the
distribution patterns, size, and number of
cities and towns.
◉ Assumptions
○ humans will always purchase goods from
the closest place
○ unbounded all flat, homogeneous, limitless
surface
○ evenly distributed population
○ all settlements are equidistant and exist in a
triangular lattice pattern
○ evenly distributed resources
1.4.
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12. Urban morphology is the study of the city as human habitat. The city is the
accumulation and the integration of many individual and small group
action governed by cultural traditions and shaped by social and economic
forces over time. Buildings, gardens, street, parks, and monuments, are
among the main elements of morphological analysis.
Urban Morphology2
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13. Urban Morphology
◉ Principles of urban morphology
○Form.
Urban dorm is defined by three fundamental
physical elements: building and their related
open spaces, plots or lots, and streets.
○Resolution.
Urban form can be understood at four levels of
resolution, corresponding to the building/lot,
the street/block, the city, and the region.
○Time.
Urban form can only be understood historically
because the elements of which it is comprised
undergo continuous transformation and
replacement.
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14. City “Cells”
◉ The smallest cell of the city is recognized
as the combination of two elements:
the individual parcel of land its building
or buildings and open spaces.
◉ The characteristics of the cells define the
urban form’s shape and density, as well
as its actual and potential use over time.
◉ The attributes of the cell and its elements
reflects both a time period of history
and the socioeconomic conditions
present at the time of land development
and building.
◉ The form of an urban cell depends on
two main factors: topography and
transportation.
2.2
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15. Cell Function2.3
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16. Early Theory3
Concentric Zone
Sector Theory
Multiple Nuclei
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17. Concentric Zone
◉ Developed in 1925 by Ernest w. Burgess.
○ Cities grow radially outward away from a single center.
○ Different land uses are distributed like concentric rings around the
city center.
○ They are: CBD, zone in transition, low-class residential zone, middle-
class residential zone, high-class residential zone.
◉ Criticisms about concentric zone theory
○ Physical features - land may restrict growth of certain sectors
○ Commuter villages defy the theory, being in the commuter zone but
located far from the city
○ Decentralization of shops, manufacturing industry, and entertainment
○ It assumes an isotropic plain - an even, unchanging landscape
3.1
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18. Sector Theory
◉ Developed in 1939 by Homer Hoyt ,states that a city
develops in sectors, not rings.
○ All land uses except the CBD form sectors
around the city center.
○ The land use zones are influenced by radial
transport routes.
○ High-rental and low-rental areas repel one
another.
◉ Criticisms about sector model
○ Low cost housing is near industry and
transportation proving Hoyt’s model
○ Theory based on 20th century and does not take
into account cars which make commerce easier
○ With cars, people can live anywhere and further
from the city and still travel to the CBD using
their car. Not only do high-class residents have
cars, but also middle and lower class people may
have cars.
3.2
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19. 4.3. Multiple Nuclei
◉ A model of urban land use in which a city grows
from several independent points rather than from
one central business district.
◉ Apart from the CBD, there are several separated,
secondary centers.
◉ Certain functions require specialized facilities or
sites, e.g. a port district needs a suitable waterfront.
◉ Similar functions may group together for
agglomeration economies.
◉ Criticisms about the Multiple nuclei model
○ Negligence of height of buildings.
○ Non-existence of abrupt divisions between zones.
○ No consideration of influence of physical relief and
government policy.
○ The concepts may not be totally applicable to oriental
cities with different cultural, economic and political
backgrounds.
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20. Any questions ?
You can find me at
◉ G170270@hiroshima-u.jp.ac
◉ safira.msa@gmail.com
Thanks!
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