Research on the fringe belts of Shangqiu, China: a morphogenetic approach

Abstract

Research on the fringe belts of Shangqiu, China: a morphogenetic approach Zijing Shen, Xirui Feng, Shuying Cheng, Yanhui Shi* College of Urban and Environmental Sciences. Peking University. Beijing. China 100871 E-mail: shzj950609@163.com, 873405878@qq.com, corrine0123@126.com, yhshi1988@sina.com* Keywords: fringe belts, morphogenetic analysis, ancient Shangqiu; concentric Conference topic: Urban form and social use of space The concept of the fringe belt has, in recent years, been studied quite widely in the Western world. Fringe belts were first recognized in Europe, primarily in relation to city walls. In China, fringe belts have been rarely studied, despite their very widespread occurrence. Yet China provides a highly complex world of urban morphological phenomena related to cultural settings substantially different from those in the West. In relation to both a long urban history and recent rapid processes of industrialization and urbanization, the fringe belts of Chinese cities deserve more in-depth research. To rectify this deficiency, this paper examines the developmental process and form of the fringe belts of Shangqiu (including both ancient Shangqiu and modern Shangqiu) as a central focus, using the basic methods of morphogenetic analysis. Since the Ming Dynasty the existence of fringe belts in Shangqui relates to double fixation lines (double city walls, the space between which is water for defence against invasion and flood). Since 1949, a new core developed outside ancient Shangqiu. In time, due to the alteration of the city’s organizational system and rapid expansion of modern Shangqiu, the whole of ancient Shangqiu, as well as its fringe belts, has become part of the fringe-belts system of modern Shangqiu. The development of the fringe belts of Shangqiu shows a different pattern from a concentric town such as Alnwick. This finding extends and refines the understanding of fringe belts.