Urban Form in the Arab World

Past and present
Erscheinungsjahr 2000
ISBN: 978-3-7281-1972-8
Verlag: vdf Hochschulverlag

Buch, Englisch, Band 46, 348 Seiten, Format (B × H): 200 mm x 240 mm, Gewicht: 960 g

Reihe: Schriften zur Orts-, Regional- und Landesplanung

Urban Form in the Arab World aims to raise awareness and understanding of traditional urban structures in the Arab-Islamic World, and provides a realistic insight into the problems that historic cities have faced since being confronted with modern development concepts and Western planning technologies.

Stefano Bianca, an architectural historian and practising urban designer, discusses a wide range of philosophical and technical issues, bridging past and present and basing his approach on a thorough knowledge of the field. In contrast to the plethora of books on Islamic architecture describing isolated historic monuments, Urban Form in the Arab World focuses on the morphology of the complete urban fabric, with its houses, mosques, public facilities, streets and markets. In Part I of the book, basic architectural forms are explained in relation to how they are used, as well as in terms of their general cultural background, and pre-Islamic precedents. Part II explores the conflicts between traditional Islamic models and Western planning methods. Finally in Part III, case studies covering Mecca, Baghdad, Fez, and Aleppo explain how practical solutions can be found to the problems faced by architects in the Middle East who want to keep a sense of local cultural identity intact and preserve the historic patterns of cities. These case studies deal with a range of contemporary issues from conservation to new developments. The author's argument is richly illustrated with maps, plans and photographs, with much of this material published for the first time.

Inspirational reading for architects and planners, this practical, informative book will appeal to anyone interested in the preservation of historic Middle Eastern cities.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Bianca, Stefano

Fachgebiete

• Geowissenschaften Geographie | Raumplanung Regional- & Raumplanung Stadtplanung, Kommunale Planung
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Geschichte einzelner Länder Naher & Mittlerer Osten
• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Spezielle Soziologie Stadt- und Regionalsoziologie

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Preface
1. Introduction: The Subject and the Approach

Part I
The Historic Arab-Islamic City
2. Basic Priciples of Islam and their Social, Spatial and Artistic Implications
3. Environmental, Cultural and Historic Shaping Factors of Islamic Architecture
4. Components of Urban Form I: The Residential Unit
5. Components of Urban Form II: The Mosque and Related Welfare Buildings
6. Components of Urban Form III: Trade and Production Structures
7. The Deep Strructure of the Traditional Urban Fabric

Part II
The Clash between Tradition and Modernity
8. The Impact of Western Models on the Contemporary Development Patterns of Historic Muslim Cities
9. Structural Conflicts between Traditional Islamic Concepts and Modern Western Planning Methods

Part III
Case Studies: Interventions in the Historic Fabric
10. Case Study I: The Holy Cities of Islam - The Impact of Mss Transportation and Rapid Urban Change
11. Case Study II: Baghdad - an Arab Metropolis between Conservation and Redevelopment
12. Case Study III: Fez - Protecting the Integrity of the Historic Fabric
13. Case Study IV: Aleppo - Urban Repair of a Destroyed Historic District
14. Conclusion - Towards the Rehabilitation of Historic Muslim Cities

Appendix: Sources of Illustrations - Bibliographical Notes