CITY PLANNING

By

MOHAMMED IMTHIYAZ M.A(M.Tech Highway Technology, B.E Civil)

SYNOPSIS

A city is a group of people and a number of permanent structures within a limited

geographical area, so organized as to facilitate the interchange of goods and services

among its residents and with the outside world. Thus, the city is an artifact that predates

the industrial revolution.

In this presentation, an attempt is made to trace the history of origin of cities

during the periods of ancient, medieval and modern times. A brief description of a few

well-planned cities developed during the different periods of civilization is made.

Different theories of town planning proposed by some of the famous architects are

discussed, in brief.

The methods of modern town planning and the problems associated in

implementation of the plan are discussed.

Predictions made by a few architects about ‘The City of Tomorrow’ are

mentioned in the concluding part of this presentation.

CONTENTS

Sl. No. Page No.

1 Definition of a city

2 Origin of city

3 Ancient Towns

4 The Classic Towns

5 Pre Medieval and Medieval Towns

6 Renaissance Towns

7 Modern Cities

8 The City of Tomorrow

9 Conclusion

10 References

PLANNING OF CITIES

Then, Now & Tomorrow!

DEFINITION OF A CITY

Cities came into existence concurrently with the agriculture revolution of

Neolithic times 12,000 years ago. Thus the city is an artifact that predates the industrial

revolution.

A city is a group of people and a number of permanent structures within a limited

geographical area, so organized as to facilitate the interchange of goods and services

among its residents and with the outside world.

One conventional population definition is, the cordon that encloses the area in which the

density is 2500 people/ sq mile.

There is wide latitude for argument about various specific definitions of urban

agglomerations based on size.

In USA, a town is bigger than a village but smaller than a city; where as in England,

Town does not necessarily indicate a specific size at all; a group of buildings on a farm

could properly be called a town in Britain.

Thus we can say that there is no one definition of a city. One must adopt a definition

commonly accepted for the purpose to which he wishes to put it. Further, more, the user

must make very clear his precise definition if this plays a pivotal role in his argument.

ORIGIN OF CITIES

There are different views regarding the origin of cities.

‘Mumford’ argues that there were three reasons for establishing these first villages: first,

as sanctuaries and places rites of the dead; second, as ceremonial centers for magic,

religious practices and social enjoyment; and only thirdly as means for promoting the

safety of the tribe.

The Algonquin were a nomadic people and subsisted by hunting, fishing and gathering.

In general, we could say they were a Neolithic people who had passed through the

agricultural revolution. The Iroquois, on the other hand, had an agricultural economy.

They lived in comfortable, permanent lodges behind carefully constructed defensive

ramparts. For a distance as great as 5 miles out, their villages were surrounded with

maize fields and apple orchards. They had abundant stores of corn, beans, squash, and

fruit in storage by the time winter approached. This advanced agriculture was carried on

by the women and children, leaving the warriors free to engage in art forms such as the

dance and elaborate rituals to develop a complex political structure, and most of all, to

engage in offensive war. Whereas the Algonquin needed all their energy to maintain each

small wandering band through the cold winter, the Iroquois gathered, nation by nation, in

their warm lodges, supported their ample stocks of food and fiber, and planned their

raiding parties for the approaching spring.

The surplus human energy released by the agricultural revolution can be argued as it has

by Adams, to have triggered the rise of cities. Mumford would agree and go further,

pointing out that in turn this encouraged an attitude of special sanctity toward property

rights and indeed the invention of aggressive war. And Cornier connects the rise of

agriculture to the rise of the state.

A ‘Class A’ city was approximately 2 km. on a side and contained a maximum of

approximately 50000 persons.

‘Center of Empire’ could describe the first of three functions we will postulate as the

driving force behind the establishment of ‘Class B’ centers. These three functions are also

roughly sequential in time, although remnants of early Class B type centers still exist.

Most major cities of the world before 18th century were centers of empire. Because rapid

communication was impossible, the reins of government had to be gathered together in

the capital. A major portion of the army was stationed nearby, and the greater part of the

empire’s business was conducted near the capital city to swell beyond the limits of a

regional trading center to become a Class B city.

City may be grouped into two main divisions according as they evolved consciously or

unconsciously.

It cannot be definitely arrested in the history of any city that every stage of its growth

from the very foundation was due to deliberate efforts to improve and expand it. Neither

can the country proposition be seriously adducted, that at no period of a certain city did it

receive any trimming from human hands. The truth perhaps lies midway between these

extremes. Either it was first laid out by a certain King; then grew and grew until the

unseemly state of things called for a full- fledged city, there resided a patriarchal family

in days of hoary antiquity.

The family grew into village; the village, a possibly because of containing a market-

center, out grew its rural dimensions and significance until it came to be a city and was at

some stage or other, altered and improved according to the best town planning traditions.

After the industrial revolution and the growth of the factory system, new pressures for

agglomerations developed. Thousands of employees were needed in the newly developed

large mills, and in addition many independent suppliers chose to locate in the factory

cities. Thus centers for industrialization sprang up.

Evolution of names of Indian cities:

A close study of the synonyms below will reveal the history and explain the origin and

characteristics of the Indo-Aryan cities.

The ‘Savdakalpadruma’ gives the following synonyms of ‘PURAM’, the Sanskrit

equivalent of a city; a house (geha); a place containing a market and the like (hattadi-

visishta-sttanam); a place of palaces or royal residence (puri); a town (Nagara); an

emporium (pattanam); a local fastness (sthaniyam); a camp (katakam); a crossing of great

highways (pattam); a commercial center (nigama); a place on a river side

(putabhedanam).

ANCIENT TOWNS

Towns like Memphis, Thebes, Urs, Babylon, Persepolis, Mohenjo-Doro and Peking in

the ancient period, in the fertile valleys of Egypt, Mesopotamia, India and China. Later

on, Greek and Roman towns like Athens, Miletus, Priene, Syracuse, and Rome were

founded and the colonial expansion of the Roman Empire, Baalbek Lebanon, Timgad

(North Africa) and many other towns came into existence. The populations of the ancient

towns ranged between 5000 to 200000 inhabitants.

1. Babylon towns

The city was along the Euphrates River and was surrounded by walls and moats. The

processional avenues lead to the Ishtar Gate. The temple, great walls and hanging gardens

of Nebuchadenzzar’s palace were the vivid spectacle of Babylon in the sixth and fifth

centuries BC. The town had narrow streets lined with three to four storied dwellings of

populace. Behind the avenues, laid in regular pattern at right angles to each other, were

the crowded houses of the people. Of more concern to the vanity of rulers was the

monumental spectacle of the great edifices with which they adored their cities.

2. Egyptian towns

In the third millennium B.C cells and compartments of sun- dried bricks were crowded

about common courtyards like huge barracks. Narrow lanes served as open drainage

sewers as well as passageways to the dwellings. Walls surrounded the towns. Because the

kingdom was broad and mighty, they were probably built primarily for protection from

seasonal floods rather than the armies of invading enemies.

In the second millennium B.C, Egyptians built temple cities on the banks of river Nile.

Monumental avenues, colossal temple plazas and rock–cut tombs remain mute testimony

on the luxurious life of the nobility in the history of city of the people.

3. Mohenjo-Daro

Its unique urban characteristics ensure it a place in the annals of world architecture,

which had its epicenter in the plains of the Indus. The main cities are Mohenjo-daro and

Harappa. Both are in modern-day Pakistan.

If by 'urban' we mean the tendency to form society, found in cities with all those

attendant rules, then the Harappan people succeeded admirably. Excavations show a

degree of urban planning which the Romans achieved only later, after a gap of 2500

years.

Both cities were a mile square, with defensive outer walls. An orthogonal street layout

was oriented toward the cardinal directions. It is also evident that major roads ran in the

north – south direction (first street) and east west directions (cross roads). The street

layout shows an understanding of the basic principles of traffic, with rounded corners to

allow the turning of carts easily. The house was planned as a series of rooms opening on

to a central courtyard. This courtyard served the multiple functions of lighting the rooms,

acting as a heat absorber in summer and radiator in winter, as well as providing an open

space inside for community activities. There were no openings toward the main street,

thus ensuring privacy for the residents’ individual house. Houses ranged from two rooms

to mansions with numerous rooms. An advanced drainage system is also in evidence.

Drains started from the bathrooms of the houses and joined the main sewer in the street,

which was covered by brick slabs or corbelled brick arches, depending on its width. The

principle buildings excavated are a public bath and a monastery.

4. Peking, China

The city is in the form of a grid, oriented according to cardinal points, the form finalized

during the 15th century. Straight streets and avenues were laid out around the central

palace known as the ‘Forbidden City’. The Forbidden city (Imperial palace) reflects the

power and energy of the ancient authorities. A great museum of historical structures and

artifacts, it stands at the head of Tien An Men Square surrounded by public buildings.

5. Lukang, Taiwan

The ancient town divided the north-south and east- west streets, which controlled the

function of social control. Walls that formed a self- contained area surrounded each

block. In conventional Chinese architecture, people and space should be in harmony. This

concept is crucial to understanding the Chinese city. Crooked streets mark the town. It is

an easily workable community. Large farmhouses and small factories are located outside

the town. The linear commercial area is located along the main street as are the two major

temples. Beyond the residential section are the agricultural area and the fishponds.

6. Priene

Here, the agora occupies the approximate geographical center of the town. About it are

the temple shrines, public buildings and shops. The dwelling blocks are planned to

provide the appropriate orientation of houses. Recreation and entertainment facilities are

provided in the gymnasiums, stadiums and theater. The contours of the site indicate that

some of the streets were very steep, steps being frequently required, but the main streets

connecting the gates and the agora were generally placed so that beasts of burden and

carts traverse them readily.

7. Pompeii, Italy*

On August 23, 79 AD, Pompeii looked like any other busy, prosperous city. People were

moving about, trading goods, news, and friendly talk. Three days later, on August 26, all

of these sounds had fallen silent, and the place itself had vanished. Almost nothing was

seen of Pompeii for more than 1500 years. 79 August 24 and 25--Vesuvius erupts,

burying Pompeii in ash and cinders and covering Herculaneum in mud as hard as rock.

Ash, rock and cinders fall over a large area, damaging houses in many faraway places

and blackening the sky over what is now known as Naples for three days.

8. Timgad, Rome

The city was almost square in plan with the roads meeting at right angles to each other.

This Roman colonial town in North Africa is the present day Algeria.

THE CLASSIC CITY

1. Miletus

The expanding affairs of government required appropriate facilities. The agora or market

place, was the center of business and political life, and about it were lined the shops and

market booths. Accessible from the agora square, but not facing upon it, were the

assembly hall, council hall and council chamber. The agora was geometrical in form. The

streets generally terminated at the agora rather than crossing it, the open space being

reserved primarily for pedestrian traffic and circulation. Olive groves flourished outside

the walls and here the philosophers founded the academy. In these quite groves they met

their pupils and set the pattern for later institutions of higher learning. From these

academics came the first university, the museum of Alexandria.

2.Acropolis, Athens

The temple rather than the palace of rulers dominated the ancient Hellenic city and a

meeting place for political assembly of the people- the pnyx- was added to the urban

pattern. As the power of kings diminished and democracy expanded, the houses of the

people and community facilities established for their use assumed greater importance in

the city plan.

PRE MEDIEVAL AND MEDIEVAL TOWNS

This period is considered from 1000 AD onwards. The towns of this period had walls

around them for protection and defense, and were very crowded as a result. The field and

pasture lands were outside the ramparts. Some of these towns became centers of wider

and wider activities on a regional, national and continental basis, whereas, others

dwindled in their size and importance.

1. Elburg

The Dutch walled town Elburg was founded in 14 th century. The walls date from the end

of 16th century. The church is situated in extreme north- east corner of the city.

2. Noerdlingen

The plan of this city shows the radial and lateral pattern of irregular roadways with the

church plaza as the principal focal point of the town. The city of Middle Ages grew

within the confines of the walls. While the population was small, there was space in the

town, but when it increased, the buildings were pocketed more closely and the open

spaces filled. Sanitation and water supply remained same. The result was intolerable

congestion, lack of hygiene and pestilence.

3. Montpazier

The city was founded basically to protect the trade and provide military security. They

were plotted for allocation of sites to settlers and the regular plan is a distinct contrast to

the informal development of the normal medieval town.

4. Carcassonne

Carcassonne was resorted by Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th century. In it, the castle with its

own moat and walls, the market place and the church can be seen.

RENAISSANCE TOWNS

The era of renaissance was ushered in, in Europe in the 15 th century. The new renaissance

style of town planning was used for town extensions and reconstructions; but the guiding

principles of the style were defence of the town against artillery. In this period of city

plans, the basic concept was vista forming straight streets. The new chessboard pattern of

street layout was adopted to create gardens and fountains with new types of public

squares or groups of squares.

1.Vienna

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries long- range artillery was greatly improved and the

old systems of walls, moats and ramparts were reduced in effectiveness for military

defence and the form of the city underwent drastic alterations. The walls and ramparts

were leveled, the moats were filled in and boulevards were built in the open space as in

the famous Ringstrasse encircling the original town of Vienna. These spaces separated

the old town from the surrounding suburbs but, as in Paris, they were gradually built up

in response to the ruthless speculation of the late 19th century and open space disappeared

from the city.

2. Jaipur city

Jaipur is an example of a medieval city in India. The plan follows the gridiron pattern, so

popular everywhere in the early days. This is one of the few examples of the types to be

followed even today.

3. Peking

Tien An Men square in Peking, China represents one of the largest plazas in the world. It

originally covered 27 acres but in 1958 was enlarged to include 98 acres. Huge public

buildings that appear small against the background of the open space surround it.

MODERN CITIES

Town forms, physical planning and layouts:

Mankind has been living in towns, big and small, from times immemorial and the pattern

of the town plan has generally been influenced by various factors such as situation of the

site, the nature of the terrain, the period of development, the economic structure, the

nature of industry and trade practiced.

1. Circular towns

Towns with geographical possibility of spreading in all directions on a relatively level

site have usually tended to grow in a roughly circular form with inner and outer ring

roads, linked together by radiating roads emanating from the center. The residential areas

in such towns are located around the core, between the ring and radial roads. The core

itself forms the main business area and the early industry is usually mixed up with

residential localities. As the town grows, new ring and radial roads come into existence

simultaneously with peripheral growth.

2. Star – shaped towns

A star shaped plan having green wedges of agricultural fields, fruit orchards, forests and

parks radiates from the center of the town. These wedges alternate with compact

residential localities served by commuter rail lines having populations of 25000 to 75000,

depending upon the size of the town. At their outer edges, the green wedges merge into

the countryside, which serve the purpose of the green belt without any of its

disadvantages.

Copenhagen, capital of Denmark, has a plan based on the same principle, but

with water on three sides, its development can take place only in one direction. Due to

this, the shape of the plan looks like the fingers of the hand and hence its development

plan is called the ‘fingers plan’ of Copenhagen.

3. Superblock towns

Another variety of town form is based on the principle of the superblock, of which

Chandigarh is an example. A town on this principle consists of a number of blocks, or

sectors as they are called in India, in the form of rectangular tracts of land,

approximately3/4 th of a mile long and half a mile wide. They accommodate populations

ranging from 15000 to 25000 depending upon the exact area of the block and the density

of development adopted. There are usually 3 to 4 neighborhood units in each block. A

central continuous greenway passes through the unit and is picked up in the next and so

on. This is repeated in the next block, which enables the inhabitants to walk practically

from one end of the town to another in perfect safety from vehicular traffic and in

cheerful surroundings. The sector contains schools, shops, clinics, clubs, social centers,

places of worship etc. and is virtually self- contained. The larger public buildings are well

distributed in the town in suitable locations and some of them are placed in the town

center.

4. Self- Contained new towns

In large towns and in cases where employment is widely dispersed throughout the

metropolitan region, the growing population can be channeled into new self- contained

towns having large populations of 1 to 2.5 lakhs. Such towns can be separated by strips of

open country from the parent town, so that they have their own identity, yet they can

draw upon the benefits, the parent town has to offer.

5. Town plan evolved by the MARS group

Its basic concept for replanning of London (during the world war II, when the question of

replanning of London was being considered) was in the form of a series of strip- like

communities which were connected by a network of rail lines to commercial and

industrial areas that stretched out at right angles to an elongated core at the center of the

plan, but it was not implemented.

6. Linear towns

Geographical features often dictate the town form and a linear town sometimes results

there from. Such elongated towns are not convenient to live, more particularly if the

population exceeds 2 to 3 lakhs, because the distances to be covered to reach the town

center where the major amenities are located are too long and the journey thereto causes

fatigue.

A well-known town of this type is Stalingard in Russia. The new town of

Cumbernauld in Scotland is also an elongated town, but since its population is limited to

70000, difficulties cannot crop up there.

7. Victor Gruen’s Metropolis

Victor Gruen’s in his book ‘The Heart Of Our Cities’ has discussed in considerable detail

his concept of the cellular Metropolis of tomorrow having a population of 33,00,000. He

visualizes a metropolitan organism in which cells, each one consisting of a nucleus and

protoplasm are combined into clusters to form organs like towns, which in turn are

grouped to form cities and finally into highly developed organism which should be the

Metropolis of tomorrow.

There is another form of town plan, which was mainly intended for the capitals of

countries. It was generally monumental in character to impress the visitors. At the

beginning of the 20th century, plans for such capital towns were impressive to look at, but

not much by way of livability. Traffic conditions are generally poor for today’s

automobile traffic because of too many junctions, the neighbourhood concept of living is

absent as a result of large plots for individual houses, shopping facilities are few and

main shopping center is away from residential areas. New Delhi is an example of this

type of plan.

CITY PLANNING CONCEPTS OF MODERN DAY ARCHITECTS:

1. E Howard’s garden city concept

In 1898 E Howard suggested the idea of a garden city with a radial concentric plan

structure. Branching out from the city center with a design population of 30000 are 6

radial avenues linking a park in the center with the outer boundaries of the city. The plan

provides for a walk way encircling the park beyond which is the residential area

comprising 5500 sites for dwellings with gardens. In the middle of this area is a green

boulevard; industries are located beyond the city limits.

2. I Leonidov’s city planning concept

Architect I Leonidov’s desire to find a harmonious relationship between the main parts of

the city in the process of its development is expressed in his design. Here the city

develops along the highway leading to the industrial area with cultural, sports, medical

and other public buildings and facilities located parallel to the housing complexes on the

highway.

3. N Milyutin’s planning concept

Developing Leonidov’s idea, N Milyutin proposed his own plan for urban development,

placing industry parallel to the residential area and other functional zones. This scheme

was the basis for the general plans of a number of Soviet new cities.

4. N Ladvosky’s concept of planning a city

In the late 20’s, N Ladvosky, another Soviet city planner after making a study of the

radial-concentric and linear-type plans, developed a new parabolic flexible plan structure

making possible, even development of all parts of the city without impeding the

development of the existing centers. The structure may be regarded as the linear type city

proposed by Milyutin and built around an old center.

5. Le Corbusier’s la-ville contemporaine

In 1922, Le Corbusier suggested a design for a modern city of 3 million with high-rise

tower buildings in the center. The city itself would have a population of 1 to 2 million

living in suburbs. Forming the basic compositional axes of the centric plan of this city are

its avenues built up with tall buildings. 60 storied public and administrative buildings,

cruciform in the plan are located in the center of the city. Surrounding the center are

residential districts with 60 storied residential buildings of an irregular form in plan.

Parks and rest and recreational spaces will occupy the remaining territory. The main

streets of residential districts are 50 m wide and spaced 400 m from each other.

Located in the center of the city is an airport with under-ground traffic crossings and

under them at 3 levels are the vestibules and stations of the public transportation system.

6. Le Corbusier’s Radiant City

Even better known is the design ‘Radiant City’ suggested by Le Corbusier in 1933. This

design is a development of the idea of the city for 3 million with an open linear structure

and having growth perspectives. Although the plan retains elements of a geometric

pattern, it is characterized by a parallel layout of functional zones perpendicular to a

transverse axis-an idea that repeats to a certain extent the design for a ‘Socialist City’ by

N Milyutin.

7. Le Corbusier’s Chandigarh city plan

In 1950 Le Corbusier realized his city-planning concept for a modern city, collaborating

with Indian architects in planning and building the city of Chandigarh. The city of urban

greenery taking into account hot climate provides for green open spaces penetrating

through the housing zones. Located in landscape areas stretching along pedestrian

walkways are cultural, educational buildings and shopping centers. The street network

pattern is regular. The city is divided into equal rectangular sectors 800-1200 m in size,

each one differing in layout, character and building density, types of communal services

to meet the particular needs of the various social groups of the population. The centers

are clearly defined: The government center of the capital (The Assembly Hall, The

Secretariat, The High Court, The Governor’s Palace) in the north; in the Northwest – the

cultural centers with the university in a park; in the center of the residential area – the

civic center. The industrial zone occupies a small area, the city being largely regarded as

the administrative, cultural center and the capital of the states.

8. Doxiadas’s Existensia

In 1953, the concept of existensia, a city as developed by the Greek urbanist

C A Doxiadas became well known not only in Greece but also in a number of other

countries. Doxiadas formulated the theoretical basis of the city of the future and a new

branch of science-‘Existensia’ (the science of human habitation) embracing the

organization of global space in the broad meaning of the town to meet the vital needs of

man. He advanced the theory of the future form of population distribution as and

Oikoumenopolis’ –the fusing of cities into giant agglomerations.

In 1959 he had an opportunity to realize some of his ideas in the design of the general

plan for the city of Islamabad, now the capital of Pakistan. Islamabad developed as a

metropolis together with the old town of Rawalpindi on the highway between Karachi

and Peshawar.

9. B Malish’s Threshold Theory

The Polish architect B Malish advanced another well-known concept, the so-called

‘threshold’ theory. According to his theory, there are a number of obstacles or thresholds

connected with future urban development, viz., Physical–Geographical conditions

configuration and topography, Existing level of infrastructure, Functional

interdependence of urban structures. This theory provides for two paths of urban

development – the overcoming of the threshold, the decentralization of population

distribution by creating Conurbations.

10. L Kibil’s concept of planning an ‘Ideal City’

L Kibil, an adherent of ‘Ideal Cities’ with a radial concentric structure advanced by the

19th century urbanisms favors satellite towns for 60000 inhabitants. In the main satellite

town, single-family houses are provided with garden plots. The town is divided into

narrow radial belts for sports grounds, schools and pre school buildings. In the center of

the town, which is circular in form shops, administrative offices and higher educational

institutions are located. A ring highway frames the public center, radial major roads

which lead to the center dividing the town into 4 sectors. One sector is for industry and

the other 3 sectors are for residential districts, each of which consists of two residential

communities for 10000 inhabitants. Each community has its own compact shopping

center.

Purpose of the plan:

The modern city is a complex organism. It is a great human enterprise serving the

material and spiritual needs of man. It is a segment of the land on which the people have

selected their places to live and to work, to learn and to trade, to play and to pray. It is a

mosaic of homes and shops, factories and offices, schools and libraries, theaters and

hospitals, parks and churches, meeting places and government centers, fire stations and

post offices. These are woven together by a network of streets and transportation routes,

water, sanitation, and communication channels, and held together by social bonds and

economic conditions.

To arrange all these facilities properly as the city develops is the function of the

comprehensive plan. This rests with the standards a community determines to maintain

and the balanced use of its land and resources.

The term Master Plan has been applied to almost every scheme for property

development from an individual lot to a large estate, a shopping center, or a city. The

term General Plan identifies long-range, comprehensive planning by or for a

government agency as a foundation for overall land development policies within specific

corporate limits. The term Comprehensive Plan was added to the planner’s vocabulary

in recent years to indicate that current community planning is more than general. The

comprehensive plan is a guide to orderly city development to promote the health, safety,

welfare and convenience of the people of a community. It organizes and coordinates the

complex relationships between urban land uses and many civic activities.

Problems in Plan Implementation:

The implementation of a plan of a town requires government and the private sector to

have a reasonably similar view of the future. The most important obstacle to appropriate

plan implementation exists in the political process that permits the plan to be amended

without sound reason or ignores the plan as though it did not have a definitive role in

producing compatible development. A major problem with many plans is that there is no

schedule for their development. The past lack of growth management techniques has

created plans that are not time and sequential phased. There was no sound basis for the

extension and installation of the infrastructure, and thus there was no indication of where,

how, or when the community could implement the plan. Objections by the citizen groups

often delay or halt the implementation of portions of a plan.

Present Picture in India:

It is well known that most of the big cities and towns of India have been expanding

beyond their boundaries at an alarming pace for the last two decades. In the majority of

the cases, such expansions have been taking place without consideration of the city’s

need in the foreseeable future in the fields of industry, traffic, social amenities, open

spaces, educational facilities, housing and opportunities for the pursuit of leisure and

amusement, because comprehensive plans for controlling and guiding future development

have not been prepared. In a few cases where the plans have been prepared, no measures

have been taken to implement them.

THE CITY OF TOMORROW

PREDICTIONS:

Following is a brief description of a number of projects for the city of the future

published in special soviet and foreign literature as the urban population is growing much

faster than the world population.

1.Radio City

A Swiss architect designed this type of an experimental city. It consisted of seven

residential formations, each in the form of dome-shaped structure designed to house

15000 persons. The space inside the dome divided into tiers, will accommodate both

residential blocks and cultural and service facilities and also industrial enterprises. They

can function both as rigidly fixed to the ground and floating on water. First and second

tiers are intended for industrial establishments where as third tier was for shops,

restaurants, hotels, elementary schools, kindergartens, exhibitions, and clubs. The upper

tiers were considered as residential blocks. Around 22 hectares of area around each dome

was left for green belts along with social and cultural organizations, a theater, secondary

school, higher school, museum, main post office, and hospitals and sports facilities. The

very form itself of a dome predetermines the creation of ring roads encircling each

structure and radial roads linking the ring roads with each other.

2.V Iona’s city with Funnel Shape Residential Communities

Swiss architect, v Iona’s idea of a city consists of a group of funnels (cones) with the

apex resting on the ground and the top of the funnel connected by the beams. Each funnel

is a self- contained block with the apartments located in tiers. In the author’s opinion, the

advantage of this form is that the apartments which are placed in the terrace on the inside

wall of the funnel will all be better insolated and protected against the noise and harmful

gases of automotive traffic. Each funnel will have 702 horse- shoe shaped apartments

designed for 2000 persons. Height of the structure will almost be 100 m and the diameter

in the top is 200m. Cultural and service facilities and shops are located in the lower part

of the funnel. The apartments occupy 2/3rd of the entire plan. Ramps are made on the

outside for direct access of cars to the apartments.

3. V Iona’s Floating Funnel City – ‘Intra’

V Iona applied an idea in his design for the floating city of ‘Intra’ consisting of an

underwater part, a cone and a funnel. They accommodate various facilities, with schools

and apartments on the top. Solar energy is trapped here by mirrors regulated by

computers and concentrated in a central station placed on the top of a mast in the center

of the structure.

4. P Meymont’s Suspension Resort town

P Meymont proposed a design for a resort located on rocky shore. It is a cable suspension

construction supported by two masts containing emergency staircases. Suspended from

cables are villas connected by suspended passages.

5. P Meymont’s 3-Dimensional City

Cable construction was most fully realized in his design of 3-Dimensional City with a

central mast and tension cables. The entire body of the structure hanging from a central

mast is divided into rings of varying angles of slope making it possible to obtain constant

sunlight throughout the enormous space inside the structure.

6. P Meymont’s Floating City

In this plan of P Meymont’s, the residential blocks are constructed for 15000 to 20000

inhabitants located on caissons up to 300m to 500m in diameter and connected with each

other by bridges for automotive traffic.

7. Dwelling- 67

Dwelling-67 is a housing complex exhibited in an exhibition at Montreal in 1967. Here

the system consists of sloping structural elements (diamond shaped flat frames at an

angle of 60 connected with each other) to which 3 dimensional residential cells with

gardens are suspended. This type of dwelling is especially suited for hot climate since

each apartment has direct contact with nature and a diversified layout of the residential

cells makes it possible to combat solar radiation.

8. G Borisovsky’s Hanging City

G Borisovsky was a Soviet architect with great ideas. The Hanging City is supported by

hollow supports (shafts) several 100m high and spaced at a considerable distance from

each other. The lifts and other engineering facilities are made inside the shafts. Stretched

between the shafts is a 3-Dimensional net of high strength material to which any

structural element can be suspended at any place. A kind of ‘field of force’ created in

which are the suspended ‘Planet dwellings’, made of 3-Dimentional apartment cells

hanging from the net at any place and in their entirety forming the residential space of the

city in any shape. Here, the space is isolated from the environment by cup-shaped walls

composed of pre- fabricated apartment cells. The climate inside is properly maintained.

These dwellings can be suspended at various levels above old cities, gardens, woods and

water areas.

9. Dynamic 3- Dimensional Vertical Structure by V Loktyev

This system combines a flexible structure with cybernetic modeling of the city and urban

distribution. Flexibility of the structure renders it possible to reconstruct and replace any

cell unit when required.

10. K Pchelnikov’s 3- Dimensional City

This concept is the rational development of existing urban aggregations by constantly

renewing and increasing the heights of buildings. This concept is based on a model of a

residential district of Moscow with a population of 75000 to 90000 to be carried out in a

period of 25 to 35 years. At each stage, part of the old buildings are demolished and

replaced by structures up to 700m high.

CONCLUSION:

There are many works going on in this topic of planning and upgrading cities with

increasing populations.

It is also possible to locate underground buildings and structures that practically do not

require daylight such as cinema halls, shopping establishments, cultural and service

facilities where people come for only a short time.

The use of sub terrain space in large cities will make it possible to solve major city

planning problem.

REFERENCES

1. J.E.Gibson, ‘Designing the New City: A Systemic Approach’, A Wiley-

Interscience Publication.

2. Binode Behari Dutt, ‘Town Planning in Ancient India’, New Asian Publishers,

Delhi.

3. N.V.Modak and V.N.Ambedkar, ‘Town and Country Planning and Housing’,

Orient Longman Ltd. Publications.

4. Arthur B.Gallion and Simon Eisner, ‘The Urban Pattern: City Planning and

Design’ IV edition, CBS Publishers and Distributors, Delhi.

5. ‘A.Rimsha- Town Planning in Hot Climates’, Translated from the Russian by

A.Shvarts, Mir publishers, Moscow.