Introducing Supergrids, Superblocks, Areas, Networks, and Levels to Urban Morphological Analyses

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15320/ICONARP.2019.88

Keywords:

Morphological elements, a posteriori approach, a priori approach

Abstract

Urban morphological analyses have identified the parcel (plot), the building type, or the plan unit (tessuto in Italian) as the basic elements of urban form. As cities have grown in geographic size disproportionately to their growth in population over the past seven decades, new elements have been introduced that structure their form. This essay describes these new elements and proposes that they be formally recognized in urban morphology. It introduces a conceptual framework for a multilevel structure of urban space using areas and networks and including supergrids and superblocks to guide morphological analyses.

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Author Biography

Anne Vernez Moudon, University of Washington

While a Professor with the Department of Urban Design and Planning I instructed students in urban design and research methods. My work focuses on urban form analysis, land monitoring, neighborhood and street design, active travel and health. The National Institutes of Health and the US and Washington State departments of Transportation support current research on the built and social environments at the UFL. The research examines environmental influences on physical activity, active travel, eating behaviors, and other health outcomes. Done in close collaboration with colleagues in public health and transportation planning, the research is now based on high-resolution geospatial data on the built environment and objective behavior data. I collaborate with many colleagues, students, and organizations nationally and internationally.

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Published

26-12-2019

How to Cite

Moudon, A. V. (2019). Introducing Supergrids, Superblocks, Areas, Networks, and Levels to Urban Morphological Analyses. ICONARP International Journal of Architecture and Planning, 7, 01–14. https://doi.org/10.15320/ICONARP.2019.88

Issue

Vol. 7 (2019): SPECIAL ISSUE "URBAN MORPHOLOGY"

Section

UM

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