Liveable Cities
BACKGROUND
NOTES:
DEFINITION
OF KEY TERMS:
village - cluster of families whose primary focus
of the group is survival and the production of food.
settlement - permanent collection of permanent buildings and
inhabitants.
trading centers - settlements where the primary focus of the
inhabitants and the ability to distribute scarce resources(these resources do
not necessarily have to be from that settlement -- but rather could be just a
central location for resources to be brought and traded).
agricultural centers - settlements whose the primary focus is to house
and distribution of food (the production of the food takes place at the
settlement).
manufacturing centers - settlements whose focus is the production of
tools, weapons and other services.
clustered rural settlements - rural settlement where houses and
buildings are situated around each other and the fields surround the
settlement.
dispersed rural settlements - settlement where farms are isolated.
circular rural settlements-German model - houses in a circle and
fields surround the settlement.
linear rural settlements-French or longlot model - homes are on the
main water source with long lots so each inhabitant has access to the water
source.
transport network - road, sea or river connections between
settlements.
Humans are social animals. They tend to gather in central locations for a
variety of reasons. Sociologists have constantly looked at the need for humans
to gather and so do human geographers. According to human geographers, there
are three levels of human organization. The Folk Society which is the least
complex. This would be the village settlement pattern. They are pre-urban,
preliterate, small, homogeneous and centered around food production. The
Civilized Pre-industrial or Feudal Society led to the formation of a true urban
settlement or city. These were settlements where there was a surplus of food,
specialization of labor, creating a class structure. The third is the modern
industrial city where you find mass literacy, a fluid class system and
technological breakthroughs in the sources of inanimate energy.
Anthropological reports earliest settlements were around 8,000 years ago. They
were classified as villages and had no governmental authority, no public control,
no public buildings and no workshops. It was an egalitarian society and its
primary function was geared toward the survival of the group. Economic activity
was completely tied to agriculture.
Although cities have their roots in the village tradition, they are NOT merely
enlarged villages. They developed when certain categories of work were no
longer carried out by the people who worked the land, but by others who were
freed from this obligation and who were supported by the surplus produced by
the cultivators. This distinction created a stratified society of the ruling
elite and subordinates. This new class of people focused their energies on
making tools (for the new farming methods that developed out of the
agricultural revolution), weapons and gathering wood for shelter/heat. These
jobs were not associated with the survival of the group but were created
BECAUSE of the settlement.
URBAN SETTLEMENTS - although the majority of the world's population is rural,
the importance of URBAN settlements is paramount. The "urban"
revolution began in the vast, crescent-shaped plain that stretches from the
There are several models that discuss why people turned these very successful
villages into what we now classify as "cities". The
CULTURAL/RELIGIOUS model suggests that nomadic agriculturists picked a central
location to bury their dead. They left priests behind to care for the souls and
bodies. Buildings were erected for various religious ceremonies which
encouraged periodic visits. These people needed services and the first
non-agricultural jobs began to emerge. This theory can be substantiated when
you look at many of the ancient cities and the temple is the main structure
located in the center of the city.
Another idea coming from the CULTURAL theory is that it was a place where
families could be nurtured and permanently located. By leaving the women and
children behind, men could cover much more territory and do it quicker. With
the women and children safe in a permanent location, the men were freed from
worrying about their welfare. Women were the instrumental force behind
religious structures and educational systems. These created a need for
structures to be build and additional, non-agricultural jobs to be created.
The ECONOMICAL MODEL suggests that cities were begun when food was
"warehoused" in a central location to be used during hard times.
Under this model, there are certain elements that are required for the location
to be chosen.
* water - flowing or underground water source.
* good farmland nearby - cities formed after the agricultural revolution.
* easily protected - either by resting on/in hillsides or having building
materials handy to build walls or fortresses.
* trade routes - later cities sprang up between established trade routes of
primary cities.
Under the ECONOMIC model, there are three categories that each settlement could
fall into; the
AGRICULTURAL Centers were focused around the production of foodstuff. It can be
further divided into CLUSTERED or DISPERSED RURAL SETTLEMENTS. Clustered
Settlements are identified by families living in a central location working in
surrounding fields. Rubenstein discusses the German or Circular model and the
French or Linear (Longlot) model. The Dispersed Rural Settlement is considered
more efficient. Each family lives on isolated farms. This model became
preferred after the Industrial Revolution and the creation of farm equipment.
Large parcels of land are easier to farm and farmers saved time and energy
because they did not have to go from one piece of land to another. Displaced
farmers went to the cities to work in industry.
REFERENCES:
From Dianne C. Beck,
www.macalester.edu
Benevolo, L. (1981) The History of the City, translated by Geoffrey
Culverwell, MIT Press Edition.
Cities Their Origin, Growth and Human Impact (1973) Introduction by
Kinglsey Davis, Scientific American, Inc.
De Blij, H.J. (1996), Human Geography: Culture, Society, and Space ,
5th edition.
Rubenstein, J.M. (1996) An Introduction to Human Geography , 5th
Edition.
What Makes Cities Livable?
Is usually a response to the implied question, “ Do you like living here.” Looking at livable cities three factors dominate:
1. Maintaining a high population density.
2. Preserving a heterogeneity of residences, businesses, stores and shops.
3. Keeping layouts on a human dimension; where people can meet, stroll etc.
During the past 50 years the emphasis however, has been on accommodating automobile traffic. Some cities have devoted up to 2/3rds of their land area to automobiles.
The most common type of suburban development has property divided into equal lots and the building of single family homes on each lot. Alternatively, clustered (attached) housing is frequently used to allow more space that is open for living.
Many of the same factors that make cities livable also make them sustainable. The reduction of auto traffic and greater reliance on food and public transportation reduces noise and pollution. Increasing open space can also help to moderate climate.
The Assignment:
Your teams task is to review, identify those factors which you believe answer the question:
“Would you live here?”
1 Write a one page position paper that outlines and explains the requirements and components of your livable city.
2 Prepare a map that indicates how your city will be planned out. Please provide a Key e.g. 4 lane road vs. toll road, etc.