Urbanism and planning 1
The rise of cities 1: The urban revolution
‘Reading’ a city means that we can decipher knowledge from what we observe
in (a part of) the city.
→ ‘read’ how shifts in priorities, power structures, societal values, beliefs and
technological advantages shaped the city.
- This is not limited to old cities or archaeologic sites, the neighbourhoods and
CBD’s we built today will say just as much about our contemporary societies.
‘Writing’ a city hints at possibilities to shape and transform urban spaces
through deliberate action
→ The organisation and regulation of present and future urban spaces to
address collective concerns around spatial issues and the quality of local and
regional environments and by involving multiple scales, actors and dimensions
→ Mainly from a public planning point of view
The ‘language’ of cities:
Architectural styles
Layout and design of the buildings
Layout and design of the city
Large-scale interventions in the urban fabric
Shifts in use of land and buildings
The power wielded over the city
→ Most attention is paid to palaces and military installations; how the ‘common
people’ live(d) tells us much more about the society at large
agricultural revolution → tribes of hunter gatherers gradually settled
permanently on fertile soil
→ due to food surplus and food security communities could grow to become
societies
Urbanism and planning 1 1
, → Population growth and animal husbandry (food and physical power)
→ this needed to be industrialized to maintain
First urban settlement: Göbekli Tepe
Vere gordon childe (1892-1957)
mostly known for proposing to view human history in terms of revolutions
(agricultural (neolithic)- urban - industrial) instead of three age theory
(bronze silver stone)
He argued that true cities only appear once writing and administrative
systems develop, especially in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Indus Valley.
Conditions of urban according to Childe
1. Larger and denser population than ever before
2. Full-time specialist craftsmen, transporters, workers, merchants, officials,
priests: Merchants→ living of buying and selling further away
3. Taxation of surplus
4. Monumental public buildings
5. A ruling class living off of the surplus
6. Extensive use of writing (at least for administration)
7. Exact and predictive sciences (arithmetic, geometry, astronomy)
8. Sophisticated artisanship: advanced craftsmanship and refined skills in
creating artistic or functional objects
9. Long-distance trade networks
10. Citizenship based on residence instead of KINSHIP: the relationship
between members of the same family
‘What defines an urban environment?’
Urban economy = certain specialties, being able to do multiple specialities and
some are more profound
Urbanism and planning 1 2
, Urban society people specialized often in one thing, quality evolved
→ urban society = social stratification, a structured layered society
→ urban civilization = cities also start to specialize, needed for a specific
surplus → leads to trade and gives control
terpen (in dutch context: house mountains)
interdependency (Roman Empire)
The rise of cities 2: ancient cities
Detachment from real people to shareholders → how does that influence the
ones that own the city → people living or owning
Kingsley Davis (1908-1996)
→ lived in a time when city’s where growing faster than ever
→ didn’t like the city (bevooroordeeld of niet)
→ we should not plan for the population growth, but plan the population growth
itself
→ ‘urbanisation’ is a process of change in population distribution, wherein
relatively more people live in ‘urban’ areas as opposed to ‘rural’ areas
→ book: “The Urbanization of the Human Population”
#1 urban vs rural might be a false dichotomy
#2 what is the basis for the (statistical) distinction between the two?
#3 when the cities grow into huge metropolises, to what extend are they still
‘urban’?
→ urbanization is a process of change in population distribution
→ city can’t de-urbanisch because is always the city (Urbanization of Rome →
kan niet want zou 100% zijn)
Urbanism and planning 1 3
, CURVE (van Davis) KOMT IN
TENTAMEN urbanization
→ how do you know what is correct
City and rural but grows → so city
was growing earlier but not % wise
Growth Netherlands cities when importing food
Industrial Revolution worldwide: 80years
Agricultural surplus → specialization
1. rise in agricultural output per 3. a large incentive of
capita → population specialisation towards securing
growth, longevity and food surplus (predictability,
specialisation storage, infrastructure)
2. requires more food → more 4. increase agricultural surplus per
people will capita (repeat)
work in agriculture 5. larger % of the population will
3. requires expansion of the be able to become specialists in
agricultural land + other disciplines than agriculture
improvement in productivity and administration
Increasing and securing
We don’t know what comes first city or agricultural surplus
Try till right → skill up rise
Beautification of stuf → very wealthy
What are drivers behind urbanisation
→ surplus and predictability of increasingly complex (food) supply chains
Urbanism and planning 1 4
The rise of cities 1: The urban revolution
‘Reading’ a city means that we can decipher knowledge from what we observe
in (a part of) the city.
→ ‘read’ how shifts in priorities, power structures, societal values, beliefs and
technological advantages shaped the city.
- This is not limited to old cities or archaeologic sites, the neighbourhoods and
CBD’s we built today will say just as much about our contemporary societies.
‘Writing’ a city hints at possibilities to shape and transform urban spaces
through deliberate action
→ The organisation and regulation of present and future urban spaces to
address collective concerns around spatial issues and the quality of local and
regional environments and by involving multiple scales, actors and dimensions
→ Mainly from a public planning point of view
The ‘language’ of cities:
Architectural styles
Layout and design of the buildings
Layout and design of the city
Large-scale interventions in the urban fabric
Shifts in use of land and buildings
The power wielded over the city
→ Most attention is paid to palaces and military installations; how the ‘common
people’ live(d) tells us much more about the society at large
agricultural revolution → tribes of hunter gatherers gradually settled
permanently on fertile soil
→ due to food surplus and food security communities could grow to become
societies
Urbanism and planning 1 1
, → Population growth and animal husbandry (food and physical power)
→ this needed to be industrialized to maintain
First urban settlement: Göbekli Tepe
Vere gordon childe (1892-1957)
mostly known for proposing to view human history in terms of revolutions
(agricultural (neolithic)- urban - industrial) instead of three age theory
(bronze silver stone)
He argued that true cities only appear once writing and administrative
systems develop, especially in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Indus Valley.
Conditions of urban according to Childe
1. Larger and denser population than ever before
2. Full-time specialist craftsmen, transporters, workers, merchants, officials,
priests: Merchants→ living of buying and selling further away
3. Taxation of surplus
4. Monumental public buildings
5. A ruling class living off of the surplus
6. Extensive use of writing (at least for administration)
7. Exact and predictive sciences (arithmetic, geometry, astronomy)
8. Sophisticated artisanship: advanced craftsmanship and refined skills in
creating artistic or functional objects
9. Long-distance trade networks
10. Citizenship based on residence instead of KINSHIP: the relationship
between members of the same family
‘What defines an urban environment?’
Urban economy = certain specialties, being able to do multiple specialities and
some are more profound
Urbanism and planning 1 2
, Urban society people specialized often in one thing, quality evolved
→ urban society = social stratification, a structured layered society
→ urban civilization = cities also start to specialize, needed for a specific
surplus → leads to trade and gives control
terpen (in dutch context: house mountains)
interdependency (Roman Empire)
The rise of cities 2: ancient cities
Detachment from real people to shareholders → how does that influence the
ones that own the city → people living or owning
Kingsley Davis (1908-1996)
→ lived in a time when city’s where growing faster than ever
→ didn’t like the city (bevooroordeeld of niet)
→ we should not plan for the population growth, but plan the population growth
itself
→ ‘urbanisation’ is a process of change in population distribution, wherein
relatively more people live in ‘urban’ areas as opposed to ‘rural’ areas
→ book: “The Urbanization of the Human Population”
#1 urban vs rural might be a false dichotomy
#2 what is the basis for the (statistical) distinction between the two?
#3 when the cities grow into huge metropolises, to what extend are they still
‘urban’?
→ urbanization is a process of change in population distribution
→ city can’t de-urbanisch because is always the city (Urbanization of Rome →
kan niet want zou 100% zijn)
Urbanism and planning 1 3
, CURVE (van Davis) KOMT IN
TENTAMEN urbanization
→ how do you know what is correct
City and rural but grows → so city
was growing earlier but not % wise
Growth Netherlands cities when importing food
Industrial Revolution worldwide: 80years
Agricultural surplus → specialization
1. rise in agricultural output per 3. a large incentive of
capita → population specialisation towards securing
growth, longevity and food surplus (predictability,
specialisation storage, infrastructure)
2. requires more food → more 4. increase agricultural surplus per
people will capita (repeat)
work in agriculture 5. larger % of the population will
3. requires expansion of the be able to become specialists in
agricultural land + other disciplines than agriculture
improvement in productivity and administration
Increasing and securing
We don’t know what comes first city or agricultural surplus
Try till right → skill up rise
Beautification of stuf → very wealthy
What are drivers behind urbanisation
→ surplus and predictability of increasingly complex (food) supply chains
Urbanism and planning 1 4
