Ch. 2: Reading Urban Form Sociologically

  • Observing forms around

    • What does that design convey/communicate

  • How does the built environment set up “normal” practices?

  • Some indicators

    • Direction of the road signs

    • Stillness of water

    • Lanes

    • Roofs, doors, windows

      • Determine if its a private or public space

  • Habitual: Repeat normalcy and in doing so refit the pattern

  • Strategic: Finding ways to challenge the normalcy through disruption

  • Flanders Model:

  • Conceptual Framework:

    • Thinking and acting

    • Spatially as good and valuable

    • Privileges

    • What do we focus on?

  • City forms: Retail, streets, art, political, work spaces, residential, sacred, advertising/marketing

  • Umbilicus: The centre or the Belly button

  • Pomoerium: The sacred wall

  • Insula: Lower class households

    • Similar to apartments

  • Quarters= neighborhoods

    • Specialized areas of business

  • Forum: Practical and symbolic centre of the city

    • Like a city or times square

    • Marketplaces, shops, admin, temples, money exchanges, parades, festivals

  • Water in Rome was used as an indicator of sacred spaces

  • Statuary: Focus on poets, philosophers, heroes and gods

  • Ancient City: Oriented their citizens as something larger than themselves

    • Connection to the gods

  • Freed slaves and conquered, leading to citizens having protection, the right to vote and paid taxes

  • Upwards of 1 million citizens

  • Agora: Meeting

  • Greek ver. Forum