Urban Identity in Phoenicia: "Hippodamian" versus "Contour"
PlanningS. Rebecca Martin University o! Minnesota#ittle in$uiry has
been made into the validity o! the term %HippodamianPlan& or
'hatimpact its ascription might have on our perceptions o!
supposedly%Hippodamian& to'ns outsideo! the Hellenic 'orld. (he
term is derived !rom the Milesian Hippodamosborn c. )** +.C.,.-a
constitutional theorist and sometime urban designer.rom /ristotle0s
Politics 1.2134b115 and other sources- it is apparent
thatHippodamos'as concerned primarily 'ith planning theory6 i!
/ristotle0s characteri7ationis correct-Hippodamos espoused or 'rote
the 8rst utopia. Hippodamos has beenlin9ed to a !e'
practicalproects- but the Peiraeus is the only plan certainly
carried out under hissupervision. ,ven in theconstruction o! the
Peiraeus his maor contribution 'as establishing speci8cdivisions
o!territory.(he e;tent to 'hich %Hippodamian& planning can be
considered recogni7ed !orits greater anti$uity in the ?ear ,ast.(he
%disciplined grid-&2 ho'ever- 'ith a master plan and all houses
!acingthe street- is not'ell>documented in the eastern
Mediterranean be!ore the beginning o! the8!th century
+.C.,.Previously a contour>style plan@one that responds directly
to thetopography o! a site@'aspredominate. Contour plans are
considered typical o! Phoenician andespecially Punicsettlements.
=nce these settlements begin to share physical
characteristics'ith
