CHINA• Early cradles of Chinese

civilization:– Wei River Valley (Wèi Hé)– Yellow River (Huang He)

• WHY civilization materialize along river?– Continuous river supply– Fertile soil (due to floods)– Stable food supply

• Matured farming village? For agriculture.

• Matured farming village? For agriculture.

• Town? Intermediate between matured farming village + walled urban centre.

• Walled urban centre? housing, trade, commerce, transport, manufacturing, politics, religion, culture and art and service centre.

• How most cities were designed?

– Under the emperor’s command.– Discussion among scholars, philosophers,

builders– Combination of heaven, earth and

humankind.– Feng Shui (maintain harmony), Ying guo

(system of urban design and mgt), Feng li (neighborhood design).

• The use of open space, the merging of agrarian and commercial facilities, integration of commercial and residential needs, and aesthetic consideration.

• Courtyards were used as common public space, gardening and natural landscape combined with bodies of water to enrich the environment.

• Within the city, market on first floor and residential on the second floor.

• Unity was reflected at all levels-the neighborhood faced a common internal courtyard- each created a nesting pattern.

“well-field system” basic geometric and legal module of urban-regional planning.

DESIGN PRINCIPLES

• Who construct? Local people / farmers.• Example:– Forbidden City, Beijing

(walled urban centre)

– Great Wall of China- First Emperor,Qin Shi Huangorder : protect against northern nomads

- the Wall extended by Han Dynasty due to Silk Road.

• The city was designed to integrate moral values and natural forces.

• Population?– The ancient Chinese cities : 1 million early

throughout their Evolutionary process– the West : ½ million residence during Renaissance.

• What is city?– The Chinese : centre for agricultural marketing and

administration – The West : basis for expansion into other territories.

• There’s no eternal monuments and city was built at the emperor’s request. The city itself was a monument to the Chinese.

• When examined historically, many of the cities now thought to be most beautiful are the result of dense, long lasting systems of prohibitions and guidance about building sizes, uses and features.

• These allowed substantial freedoms, yet enforce styles, safety, and often materials in practical ways

Summary

• Why do cities exist?

• What are the functions of early cities?

• How do cities thriveand why do cities die?