Fringe Belt Research Articles

Green space in urban morphology: a historico-geographical approach

Despite the large areas occupied by green spaces in most cities, and the increased recognition of their importance, they have received little consideration by urban morphologists. A sizeable proportion of urban green space occurs in fringe belts. Continuous fringe belts have generally originated adjacent to present or former physical limitations on urban growth, most strikingly next to city walls. Discontinuous fringe belts have much more often come into existence during other hiatuses in urban growth, particularly related to slumps in housebuilding. The findings of research on green spaces in both types of belts are considered in this paper. Attention is drawn to the fact that the significance of these belts for planning, particularly in the case of those not related to physical limits on urban growth, has not hitherto been given the attention it merits. The integration of green-space development into historico-geographical thinking is pursued and its value in research and practice is underlined.

Morphological characteristics of green spaces in fortified towns and cities

This research focuses on morphological aspects of green spaces in 26 fortified European towns and cities. Such spaces are insufficiently acknowledged for the identities they confer and the advantages they provide for inhabitants. They are integral parts of inner urban fringe belts, and they are important both functionally and as attributes of heritage. Important aspects of these green spaces include their place within the system of defences, their various types of past and present utilization, their significance within the urban tissue and the need for their careful conservation.

Morfologia urbana Britânica

Este artigo descreve as origens, o desenvolvimento e as características da escola de pensamento em morfologia urbana construída a partir do trabalho de M. R. G. Conzen. Depois de se considerarem as influências iniciais de Schlüter e Geisler, é dada atenção aos conceitos desenvolvidos por Conzen – o ciclo da parcela burguesa, a cintura periférica, o quadro morfológico e a região morfológica. Na segunda parte do artigo apresentam-se três exemplos de investigação construídos sobre as fundações lançadas por Conzen, nomeadamente a ‘micromorfologia’, a relação entre períodos morfológicos e processo tipológico, e a ligação entre tomada de decisão e forma urbana.

Пространственно-архитектурное наследие окраинных поясов Енисейска в контексте развития культурного туризма

Пространственно-архитектурное наследие окраинных поясов Енисейска в контексте развития культурного туризма

Exploring the fringe-belt phenomenon in a Sino-Portuguese environment: the case of Macao

The fringe-belt concept has been recognized as an effective means of investigating the growth and transformation of urban physical form. Hitherto case studies of fringe belts have been mainly conducted in fairly homogeneous cultural environments. In this paper the fringe-belt concept is investigated in a city characterized by a Sino-Western admixture of cultures. The investigation of three fringe belts in Macao Peninsula reveals major factors influencing their formation and modification processes, especially in relation to socio-economic conditions, land reclamation from the sea and industrial development. Understanding the characteristics of fringe belts has implications for the appreciation and management of urban landscapes.

Urban fringe belts: evidence from China

Research on the fringe-belt concept has grown significantly in the past decade. This is particularly evident in parts of the world in which interest in urban morphology has been slight until recently. The main emphasis continues to be the light that this concept can shed on the historico-geographical grain of urban areas. This paper reports a morphogenetic investigation into fringe belts that gives particular attention to the fixation lines associated with Chinese city walls. Discussion is concentrated on a fringe belt related to one of the world’s longest and most massive city walls, that of Nanjing. The formation, consolidation and, in places, alienation of the Ming fringe belt of Nanjing has been influenced by natural and artificial fixation lines and the political economy of an authoritarian society. Understanding the changing spatial structure of fringe-belt landscapes has implications for the management of urban form in ways sensitive to its historico-geographical development.

Multi-nuclear growth patterns in a rapidly changing Turkish city: a fringe-belt perspective

The fringe-belt concept provides a basis for connecting urban growth patterns to internal processes of urban transformation. However, multi-nuclear growth patterns and the associated fringe belts require greater attention. The development of fringe belts in Turkish cities is discussed with particular reference to the city of Mersin. Especial attention is given to the development of an outer fringe belt which forms an ‘umbrella’ over the multi-nuclear pattern of the metropolitan area.

Detached gardens and the urban fringe of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century English provincial towns

The distribution and extent of detached gardens in a sample of ten English provincial towns were examined for the eighteenth century, through cartographic analysis and the construction of GIS-generated zones parallel to the urban fence. The study revealed that detached gardens formed a distinct and abundant feature in the urban fringe, in particular within two hundred metres of the built-up area. A longitudinal case study of the processes of plot transformation in Shrewsbury, based on maps from 1830 to 1940, indicated that a reduction in provision of detached gardens was linked to booms in the house building cycle, while periods of increased provision in the form of urban allotments were occasioned by national emergencies. The system of provision was largely profit-motivated and it disintegrated as towns expanded in the middle and late nineteenth century. Garden ground provided the prime location for housing and an awareness of its morphological frame is essential for an understanding of expansion from the urban core. It is suggested that urban morphologists have neglected detached gardens in their attempts to develop models of urban land transformation using the concept of the fringe belt.

Fringe belt analysis: a method for confirming the establishment of the historical boundaries of Rabat

Fringe belts, extensive areas of low density and wide open spaces designated for institutional use, are a morphological element in the urban landscape. Rabat, capital of Morocco, conceived during the French protectorate, received in 2012, a UNESCO World Heritage title for representing a modern urban planning model that integrates an open space system with its historical nucleus. Nonetheless, criterion (v) – to be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the environment – was deemed grounds for rejecting Rabat’s nomination because the candidate presented seemed to be fragmented and showed a lack of a relationship between property and environment, according to the ICOMOS report. This study considers the Kasbah of Oudayas to be a unique and outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, in contrast to those cases presented in 2012. The aim of this study is to investigate the evolution of urban Rabat according to the morphological periods of development, in order to, ascertain whether or not the fringe belts can reveal the historic areas in which the city has evolved over time. It also seeks to understand how fringe belts may contribute to confirming the Kasbah of Oudayas as the first Islamic urban nucleus in the capital. As such, it is hoped that the paper may: assist practitioners and academics in the fields of urban morphology and heritage; provide initial insights into how to investigate outstanding traditional human settlements; reveal the architectural, historical and cultural value of such sites; demonstrate how the application and dissemination of a methodology may open new perspectives for studies on the subject.

형태학적 개념을 활용한 조선시대 고산현의 도시형태 변천과정 해석

본 연구는 조선시대 읍치로부터 성장한 지방 소도읍의 하나인 고산을 대상으로 형태학적 개념과 연계하여 도시의 형성 발달과정에서 나타나는 형태구조와 도시평면 변화과정을 시계열적으로 분석해보고 시기별 형태특성을 도출해보고자 하는데 목적이 있다. 본 연구에서는 고산의 도시형태 분석을 위하여 콘젠과 카니지아가 설정한 도시형태 분석개념을 토대로 형태구조, 도시평면, 경로체계, 개발규정선, 전이지대, 중심지구, 평면단위, 형태시기, 브레이크 포인트, 자투리필지, 유휴지, 사유화 등의 개념을 도입하였다. 고산현시대에 골격이 형성된 고산의 도시형태 변천과정에는 도시형태 형성-구시가(kernel)의 형태구조 해체 재편-중심지구(epidome district)의 형성 발달-확장형 충진-중심지구 확장 재편으로 이어지는 순환적 사이클이 존재하고 있다. 공공사업은 고산의 형태구조와 도시평면의 변화를 주도하는 요인으로 작용하였다. 초기 단계 고산의 형태적 변화과정에는 간선경로로서 구시가(kernel)을 관통하며 개설된 신작로(고산로)와 이를 연결하는 계획로가 중요한 영향을 미치고 있다. 신작로 개설을 계기로 T(십(十))자형 골격도로체계를 바탕으로 구시가의 대부분을 점유하고 있던 관아시설구역의 평면단위가 소블록 단위의 개방형 평면단위로 전이되었다. 이와 더불어 신작로와 시장 경계도로를 따라 상가가 들어서면서 선형의 평면단위를 지니는 노선상가와 시장이 어우러진 근대적 중심지구를 형성하게 되었다. This paper aims to interpret the transformation process of town plan of Gosan-up(高山), which was provincial administrative focus town in Josun dynasty, basing on morphological viewpoint. Morphological concepts, such as morphological frame, urban plan, kernel, colonization, route system, fixation line, fringe belt, plan unit & plan division, morphological period derived from the study of Conzen, M.R.G. and Caniggia, G. epidome district, break point, broken plot, urban fallow, privatization are adopted for the interpretation of urban form. Morphological period of Gosan can be divided in four ; formation of kernel & morphological structure, disintegration & redevelopment of the kernel, augmentative development of the kernel & formation of modern epidome district, outwards expanding of urbanized area, transition & reorganization of epidome district. Especially public leading projects such as construction of new regional connection road and public facilities such as myeon(township) office, agricultural cooperatives federation office, market, are main factors of morphological transformation of townplan. In the early stage, under the Japanese imperialism, construction of the new matrix route(Gosan-ro) through the kernel and followed planned routes gave way to disintegrating traditional areal plan unit and forming small block plan units in administrative facilities area. And linear plan units with commercial buildings were formed along the new matrix route and planned route adjacent to periodical market. In the latter stage, with development of public facilities, private sectors' large circulation institution and terminal outside the kernel with planned routes formed areal block based plan units with commercial and public buildings. And part of the spatial area with the linear plan unit were turned into urban fallow. With the transformation of town plan, new roads outside the kernel have substituted for traditional fixation line of waterway with road and topographical feature. Fringe belts were made successively along the new road and around the major intersections outside of existing urbanized area. Land use in fringe belts, constituting of outer locational tendency early on formation, was gradually replaced with commercial & business buildings.

The fringe-belt concept and planned new towns: a Brazilian case study

There is a degree of consensus about the theoretical foundations underpinning the fringe-belt concept, but relevant empirical research carried out in different cultural contexts still raises important questions. In this paper the methodology of the British urban morphology school is applied in a planned new town in Brazil in order to draw comparisons. The identification of fringe belts in Maringá city confirms the validity of the methodology. The planned city configuration may be compared to the formation of ancient walled cities, attesting the strength of fixation lines in the creation of inner fringe belts. Middle and outer fringe belts are more fragmented. This difference is partly related to the fact that the time-span over which these fringe belts have been formed is very short.

Delineation of fracture zones in the part of Vindhyan fringe belt of Ahraura region, Mirzapur district, Uttar Pradesh, India using integrated very low frequency electromagnetic and resistivity data for groundwater exploration

Integrated electrical and electromagnetic geophysical methods were used to delineate fracture zones in the part of Vindhyan fringe belt of Ahraura region of Mirzapur district, Uttar Pradesh, India for groundwater exploration. Groundwater occurs in fractures in hard rock area. A detailed survey of the area was done using satellite imagery to extract the lineament, and appropriate locations were selected for integrated electrical (resistivity method) and electromagnetic (VLF-EM) geophysical surveys. Very low frequency electromagnetic (VLF-EM) survey was conducted along ten traverse profiles. Qualitative interpretation of VLF-EM was done using Fraser and Karous-Hjelt filtering techniques which generate Fraser-filtered real data curves as well as pseudo-current density cross section along each profile. The interpretation result (anomaly) of VLF-EM may or may not delineate the appropriate fracture zone based on a number of higher values of relative current density which correspond to the subsurface feature. Four gradient profiling (GP) surveys of DC resistivity method were carried out at the position of the VLF-EM anomaly and to correlate the anomaly of gradient profile and VLF-EM anomaly which located the position of vertical electrical sounding (VES) and also the fracture zone. VLF-EM and subsequent resistivity surveys (GP and VES) at suitable locations suggest the existence of a fracture zone in the part of Vindhyan fringe belt of Ahraura region of Mirzapur district for the purpose of groundwater exploration.

La résilience des formes

La mise en place d’un SIG historique pour la ville de Paris permet d’appréhender l’héritage urbain des écoulements, et notamment du grand paléoméandre de la rive droite. Des fouilles archéologiques sont venues éclairer l’évolution géomorphologique de la plaine alluviale de Paris durant l’Holocène. Toutefois la prégnance de cette zone humide dans la structuration de l’espace urbain parisien n’a pas encore été suffisamment soulignée. Le croisement entre des données textuelles, planimétriques et archéologiques montre assez nettement la résilience de cette forme : elle marque, sur la longue durée, les espaces seigneuriaux (censive de Sainte-Opportune), l’exploitation pastorale puis agricole du sol à partir du milieu du XIIe siècle, les infrastructures techniques (réseau d’égouts du Moyen Âge et de l’époque moderne), le tissu urbain (réseau viaire et trames des XIXe et XXe siècles). Pourtant produite dans des contextes documentaires très variés, la spatialisation de ces données atteste la convergence géographique du phénomène et constitue une nouvelle pièce à verser au dossier de la transmission des formes au-delà de la seule temporalité de l’aménagement humain.

철도시설과 연계한 이리 도시구조와 도시경관의 근대성 해석

Modern railway construction by Japanese had a great influence on the urbanization, transformation of urban structure and landscape during the Japanese imperialism and compressive increasing period in Iri(Iksan). This paper aims to find out the effect of railway on the modern urban structure and urban landscape in Iri(Iksan). Railways in Iri, Honam railway, Kunsan railway, Jeonla railway have been constructed progressively during 1911 and 1915 with Iri and old Iri(east-Iri) station. From the analysis of land registration maps and street plans, old photographies and historical records, some significant features underling railway construction can be followed in view of modern urbanization process in Iri. Firstly railways cut off the possibility of developing urban structure based on traditional spatial structure of Iksan. Secondly railways made dual spatial structure in Iri. Japanese and Korean life zone were divided into separate district around urbanization area and market place. Thirdly traditional space cognition system based on four cardinal directions were changed to front and rear space of railway station. Fourthly railways and stations caused neo-baroque spatial order and imperialistic urban landscape of Iri with axis, vista and gridiron plan. Fifthly break points and fringe belts garbling modern urbanization process are created. Sixthly modern cultural and consumptive urban spaces were taken their seats in relation with daily urban life.

Comparing Traditional Urban Form in China and Europe: A Fringe-Belt Approach

Urban growth and transformation across the world are presenting great challenges for the comprehension and management of urban landscape change. Comparative urban morphology makes it possible to identify urban forms common to different geographical regions, while helping to distinguish unique historical characteristics and developments important for towns and cities in the hunt for place identity and prestige. The fringe-belt concept provides a frame of reference for depicting, explaining, and comparing the physical structure and historical development of urban landscapes. The walled cities of Pingyao, China and Como, Italy possess well-preserved historical urban environments that reflect the urban development traditions of their respective cultures. Newly available cartographic evidence and field work reveal critical differences between the embedded fringe belts of the two cities resulting from different historico-geographical dynamics. Pingyao's single composite fringe belt and Como's three distinct belts challenge current understanding of urban structural processes and argue for more focused urban landscape management.

The ecological significance of urban fringe belts

Fringe belts form at the edge of urban areas during periods of slow urban growth. They become embedded within the urban fabric when expansion resumes. One of their characteristics is the co-location of a number of different, low-intensity land uses (for example, parks, cemeteries and institutions). This paper investigates the ecological characteristics of fringe belts. Focusing on the Edwardian fringe belt of Birmingham, UK, research shows that habitat patches within the fringe belt are different from those elsewhere in the city in at least two respects: first, in the demographic structure of their tree population, which suggests that many of the habitats have been subject to less major disturbance than those elsewhere in the city; and secondly, in their much larger average number of species recorded per patch, even after taking patch size into account.

A respeito de morfologia urbana. Tópicos básicos para estudos da forma da cidade

Urban morphology is an interdisciplinary research field widely disseminated, even though the fundamental tools of a morphological analysis do not seem to have been properly systematized and spread throughout national academic publishing arena. Thus, this paper aims to facilitate the understanding of certain morphological concepts and their possibilities of application, beyond their original background in Geography, and through the perspective of Architecture and Urbanism. Therefore, some of the main instruments for studying urban forms will be stated, namely the basic elements of the city form and the concepts of building fabric, urban fringe belts, morphological region and townscape. Working as methodological tools, these concepts allow the understanding and characterization of the urban conformation, as well as its evolution and its transformations.

Fringe belts and socioeconomic change in China

The fringe-belt concept, though much studied by urban morphologists in the West, has been largely uninvestigated in the markedly different cultural environments of Eastern Asia. After an outline of the concept and considerations relating to its investigation in China, a fringe-belt study is carried out in the Chinese city of Pingyao. Comparisons are made with the findings of previous fringe-belt studies. The major fringe belt that has developed in Pingyao has features characteristic of fringe belts in the West but others that reflect a succession of different policies by authoritarian Chinese governments in the course of the twentieth century. The need for thorough morphological investigations as a basis for sound conservation planning is highlighted.

Exploring the fringe belt concept in Auckland: An urban morphological idea and planning practice

AbstractThe idea of urban fringe belts has been recognised as a powerful means of understanding the physical form of urban areas and the process of urban outward growth and internal change. Surrounding Auckland's city core, an inner fringe belt can be recognised. Farther out there are middle and outer fringe belts. Fluctuations in socio‐economic development, the adoption of new transport modes, land reclamation and topography are major factors influencing the formation of these fringe belts. The examination of changes to fringe belts highlights important issues of urban transformation, which are pertinent to planning and design policies for urban landscape management.

How cities internalize their former urban fringes: a cross-cultural comparison

Studies of urban fringe belts have multiplied in recent years, demonstrating the validity of this morphological concept in a variety of regions around the world. Yet there have been few direct attempts at a comparative assessment of the concept’s performance in the different cultural settings in which it has been applied. This paper seeks to contribute to this goal, by examining the fringe-belt structure of several cities drawn from contrasting urban cultural traditions in Europe and the New World. Not surprisingly, certain commonalities emerge, but there are also large differences in the number, scale, complexity, and even basic geometry of fringe belts apparent in this eclectic examination. These differences go well beyond simple explanations of site circumstances, size, and function of the city within the urban hierarchy, and result from essential contrasts in urban social values, property rules, and planning traditions. The analysis leads to speculations about the efficacy and limits of the fringe-belt concept to identify and account for variations in the texture of urban form across urban areas in diverse cultural contexts.