Project 2 - Snowfly

ENBE | Final Project | Part A – Report | The Better Livable Town Representation

Better Livable Town

Snowfly

PANG KAI YUN | 0319802

FNBE AUG 2014 | Taylor’s University

Pang Kai Yun | 0319802 | Ms Renee | FNBE AUG 2014 | Taylor’s University1


Content:1. Introduction

2. A City

3. Investigation & Data Collection: Ancient and old cities

4. Investigation & Data Collection: The present cities

5. & Data Collection: The future and better township

6. The New “X” Town / Snowfly

7. The Conclusion

8. References list



1.Introduction

The final project of elements of natural and built environment for this course (FNBE) is all about elements of a city for the future and the situations that will happen in few years later makes us to think about building new cities, and different from the cities that we are living in currently.



In this project students are required to imagine that the year is 2033 and they are the mayor of the “X” city (they are required to choose a name for the city). They as mayors know a secret about the city and they know that the city is no longer safe to live in, so they have to prepare a proposal for the new city. First, students need to create a situation for their city which make it not safe to live, and then find the best solution to build a new city depend on the problem. They have five options, they can build city underground, underwater, floating on water or enhance the city and after they choose the option. They have to start research, sketches, etc to prepare the proposal of the city and after that students must choose one city within their units and make a model of it and present it to lecturers.

This project acquaints students with elements of natural and built environment and they understand how to analyze different situation and symbiotic relationships that they need to consider in natural and built environment.



2.The City

2.1 The City Definition

A city is a relatively large and permanent human settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.

Cities generally have complex systems for sanitation, utilities, land usage, housing, and transportation. The concentration of development greatly facilitates interaction between people and businesses, benefiting both parties in the process, but it also presents challenges to managing urban growth. A big city or metropolis usually has associated suburbs and exurbs. Such cities are usually associated with metropolitan areas and urban areas, creating numerous business commuters traveling to urban centers for employment. Once a city expands far enough to reach another city, this region can be deemed a conurbation or megalopolis. In terms of population, the largest city proper is Shanghai, while the fastest growing is Dubai.

2.2 What is the brief history

Towns and cities have a long history, although opinions vary on whether any particular ancient settlement can be considered a city. A city formed as central places of trade for the benefit of the members living in close proximity to others facilitates interaction of all kinds. These interactions generate both positive and negative externalities between others' actions. Benefits include reduced transport costs, exchange of ideas, sharing of natural resources, large local markets, and later in their development, amenities such as running water and sewage disposal. Possible costs would include higher rate of crime, higher mortality rates, higher cost of living, worse pollution, traffic and high


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sewage

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Running_water

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Running_water

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_history

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubai

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megalopolis_(city_type)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commuter

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_area

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commuter_town

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanitation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_settlement


commuting times. Cities grow when the benefits of proximity between people and firms are higher than the cost.

2.3 What makes a city / town

Proper infrastructure such as sewage management and road

Basic daily supply for the people such as electricity, water and food

Public transportation

Well organized city zoning

2.4 What makes a good town/ township (guidelines etc)

Systematic and efficient urban planning in terms of zoning and designation of places according to their functions and different usability.

Smart integration and linkage throughout different parts / zones of the town.

Strong and secure security and safety of the town which emphasizes on the citizens of the town.

Administrative departments which meet the needs and requirements of the citizens of the town and ensure its convenience.

Centralized business district to ensure job opportunities for the local community and ensure the livability of the town.

Efficient alternative transport such as commuter, trains, bikes, electric vehicles to ease the movement of people from one location to another.

Provide learning environments where the best in each individual is nurtured for the benefit of the whole community

2.5 What is the future towns

The major point to take note into developing a new town is to ensure the town stays on and to be independent and sustainable as long as possible. Henceforth,



it is only fair to say that the most important thing of a future town is the sustainability.

Security and safety are the main priorities of the town, thus modern technology to handle and curb with this issues are implemented. This is to ensure that daily activities can still go on without crime interventions and interferences.

Facilities and spaces have to be balanced as well. Facilities have to be implemented onto places with deep consideration of space utilizations. It could not jeopardize the need of the local community to acquire recreational spaces and pleasure.

Greenery also plays a major role in a good town. Greenery serves a recreational area and also healthy decorative spaces. It serves as green lungs in a settlement for instance a town and hence ensures the comfort of the local community. Recreational spaces can be implemented specifically on outdoor purposes. It can serve as an alternative source of income for the proposed town as well as a tourist attraction in the town. It can only serve as a place around town to enhance the local community’s public relations.

Transportation and connectivity have to be efficient and systematic. It have to ensure it carry out the major role and functions to the local community, which is to enhance transportation needs, provide cheap and convenient transportation to the local community and also provide walkability in the town. This will enhance and further it strengthens its point of ecofriendly connectivity.

Technology and fluidity will enable us to live efficient lives. Many people will work from home, switching between business and leisure, the real and the virtual. Our new lifestyle will allow neighbors to join together in vibrant, dynamic communities.

The lifeblood of urban existence – renewable energy – will flow along main arteries to power the city. The smart grid will respond, communicating with all producers and consumers. But residents will not just consume electricity; they will generate and store it. They can use surplus energy to do things like charge their electric cars. The city will make energy miners and energy traders of us all.

Buildings today account for the bulk of a city’s energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. They represent enormous potential for energy savings and are key to sustainable city development.

Eco friendly facilities and energy can be implemented and as an emphasis in town. It can be implemented onto heavy duty facilities for instance transportations, business and commercial area and also places where daily



activities are always on the go. This energy used can be also transformed into reusable energy for other useful purposes

3.Investigation & Data Collection:

Ancient Cities / towns



3.1 History

In the study of the ancient world a city is generally defined as a large populated urban center of commerce and administration with a system of laws and, usually, regulated means of sanitation. This is only one definition, however, and the designation `city' can be based on such factors as the:

Population of the settlement Height of buildings Density of buildings/population Presence of some kind of sewer system Level of administrative government Presence of walls and/or fortifications Geographical area of the settlement

Or whether a `settlement' was called a `city' in antiquity and fits at least one of the above qualifications.

In the ancient world, very often a `city' describes an urban center of dense population and a certain pattern of buildings spreading out from a central religious complex such as a temple (though, frustratingly, this could sometimes apply equally well to a `village' or `settlement'). The word `city’ derives from the latin civitas although urban development pre-dates rome by many centuries. Professor m. E. Smith of arizona state university writes inthe sage encyclopedia of urban studies, that, "the demographic definition, based on the concepts of louis wirth, identifies cities as large, dense settlements with social heterogeneity" (26), meaning that they are defined as large communities of people who have decided to live together for a common purpose under laws observed by all. This definition, however, could apply equally well to large villages as to cities.

Professor george modelski, of the university of washington, encourages a definition based on the work of the historian tertius chandler (in his book four thousand years of urban growth) which defines a city, as distinct from a village, based upon population. Modelski writes:

Two elements go into a population estimate: the archaeologists’ site assessment (be it the area of urban settlement in general, or an estimate, or actual count, of houses), and a population density factor, be it `macro’ for the entire urban site, or `micro’, per house ratio…the micro-estimate requires a reliable house count, and that is not really available for most of the sites. On the other hand, a macro-factor is liable to error, such as ignoring local conditions (3).

Despite the problems inherent in these estimates, modelski claims, they are still the best way in which to differentiate a large settlement from an actual city because population density is considered the most reliable factor in making such a determination. Adopting chandler’s means of definition, then, settlements such as tell brak in modern-day syria (first founded in c. 6000 bce) cannot be considered cities. Professor smith writes:

The concept of the `urban revolution’, first identified by v. Gordon childe (1892-1957 ce), describes a series of social changes that brought about the


http://www.ancient.eu/syria/

http://www.ancient.eu/cities/

http://www.ancient.eu/Rome/

http://www.ancient.eu/temple/

http://www.ancient.eu/city/


development of the earliest cities and states… These changes (such as the origin of social classes and the production of an agricultural surplus) provided the social context for the earliest cities. Once class-structured state societies took hold in a region, individual cities rose and fell in response to a variety of forces (26).

3.2 What ancient city are you concentrating on?

Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu is located in the Vilcanota mountain range of Peru, nestled in the Andes Mountains of South America. Machu Picchu is located next to the Urubamba river, which flows through the valley of Machu Picchu mountain. Plants and animals are prevalent near Machy Picchu mountain, offering many plant food sources, as well as alpacas for milk, wool and meat.

History of Machu Picchu

The Citadel of Machu Picchu is as we know today this fortress from the Inca Empire whose ruins date from the 1300 DC. However, "Old Mountain," as its translation indicates, comes from the indigenous language Quechua. This native language is still being used in some villages in the southern part of the country, where this city is well known as the greatest Machu Picchu. The Citadel contains the remains of the ancient settlement formed by this village part of the Inca civilization, located at the east side of the valley constituted by mountain systems, Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu, and the Central Andes in the South of the country. This geographical location on the eastern slope of the Cordillera de Vilcanota, just 80 kilometers from the city of Cuzco, still holds many of the remains and ruins built on stone that are all over the slopes of these mountain systems, presenting the different periods of the Inca civilization that left their traces and treasures at the Citadel of Machu Picchu.

The construction of the Citadel of Machu Picchu is attributed to the pronounced emperor, also known as one of the most intelligent statesmen Inca, Pachacuti. During the empire of Pachacuti, empire that started in 1438 B.C. but early ended in 1471 B.C., the Inca government planned the development of the citadel to tackle the problem of the over-population, at the same time that the exploitation of the land. The demographic situation forced Pachacuti to send a series of exploration teams that established the first settlements and villages all over the mountains. After a great victory in the battle of Machu Picchu, the rule of Pachacuti began its expansion, reaching its highest culmination with the creation of the great city of Cuzco.

Everything indicates that the main reason was not the over-population problem as much as the intellectual demographic expansion because, Pachacuti was well known as a spiritual leader and an extraordinary pioneer. This is why explains that the Citadel was strictly reserved for the high Inca aristocracy. Although it was strategically designed to take advantage of this unreachable



location, the Citadel knew how to accommodate more than three generations while avoiding access to anyone who was not part of the Inca aristocracy, and that is basically one of the reasons that explains why there was only a single entrance which was used in their favor to improve measures for the protection of the city. The settlement is located between deep valleys surrounded by miles of the dense jungle, so it could easily be defended in case of attack, but it was also used to prevent access from the lower social classes plebeian. The fact of such high levels of restriction to get access to it could lead to isolation and the disappearance, following the abandonment of the city and its very important legacy of the Inca civilization.

The Empire of Tahuantinsuyo is the only one that has these colossal architectural wonders include the world-famous citadels of the Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu. Pachacuti chose the exact location of these settlements based on both, the development of agronomic production and the extraction of mineral deposits. These valleys have been well known for providing extraordinary resources such as minerals or exceptional land but also because the area has great weather conditions ideal for agriculture. All these resources made this location perfect for Pachacuti to start the expansion of the Empire into these unexplored territories that now show a large number of buildings and infrastructures that formed this big city: quarries, fields for both crop and livestock urban and religious centers and a network of communication constituted by countless paths and passages through the mountains. The city of Machu Picchu was created at the same time with the idea of accommodating only high class nobility of the Inca Empire, which is why this citadel presents the most precious works of architecture of the Empire. There is also an explanation of why this settlement was only for the high social class and it has to do with the geographical location. Machu Picchu was extremely important for the civilization because the system of mountains had a high spiritual meaning. Obviously, Machu Picchu was a holy sanctuary that held a spiritual meaning; but this civilization religious faith was based on astronomy studies where the stars were representing the Inca Civilization divinities what gives Machu Picchu the status of planetarium.

The town was completely built in stone and stands at a very high altitude, precisely 2,400 meters above sea level. There is no doubt that this was the perfect place for meditation: the sanctuary for the high class of the Incan society. However, such impressive urban focus needed of all the infrastructures that all cities need. The slopes of the mountain range of the Vilcanota still represents the supply of the citizens, where one can still find an large number of highlands that were designed for the agriculture and livestock, as well as hundreds of small-scale quarries.

Although it has scrapped the idea that the Machu Picchu came to form part of a system of fortifications of a warlike nature, is recognized, on the other hand, that the Machu Picchu was also designed with the idea of hosting a number of

buildings designed to provide defensive measures against possible attacks by other neighboring civilizations with which the Inca Empire maintained several territorial clashes. This superb architectural design was carried out thanks to the perfect location and final location of the Citadel, which took advantage of the


http://www.enjoy-machu-picchu.org/history/history.php


excellent conditions of camouflage, which gave this extreme spot surrounded by deep valleys and thick jungle. History confirms that Huayna Picchu was the surveillance of the city of Machu Picchu, which served you as a lookout to the territorial threatened neighboring civilizations, and later of the Spanish conquerors. In this way, the city could be prepared to receive the attack enemy, if the enemy could get to the exact location of the city as well as the path to it. Therefore, this sanctuary was allowed to retain its purpose as a center of leisure and recreation as well as shelter for the high society because it was hidden in the Andean jungle.

Discovery of Machu Picchu

In the summer of 1911 the American archaeologist Hiram Bingham arrived in Peru with a small team of explorers hoping to find Vilcabamba, the last Inca stronghold to fall to the Spanish. Traveling on foot and by mule, Bingham and his team made their way from Cuzco into the Urubamba Valley, where a local farmer told them of some ruins located at the top of a nearby mountain.

The farmer called the mountain Machu Picchu, which translates to “old peak” in the native Quechua language. On July 24, after a tough climb to the mountain’s ridge in cold and drizzly weather, Bingham met a small group of peasants who showed him the rest of the way. Led by an 11-year-old boy, Bingham got his first glimpse of the intricate network of stone terraces marking the entrance to Machu Picchu.

The excited Bingham spread the word about his discovery in a best-selling book, “The Lost City of the Incas,” sending hordes of eager tourists flocking to Peru to follow in his footsteps up the formerly obscure Inca Trail. He also excavated artifacts from Machu Picchu and took them to Yale University for further inspection, igniting a custody dispute that lasted nearly 100 years. It was not until the Peruvian government filed a lawsuit and lobbied President Barack Obama for the return of the items that Yale agreed to complete their repatriation.

Although he is credited with making Machu Picchu known to the world—indeed, the highway tour buses use to reach it bears his name—it is not certain that Bingham was the first outsider to visit it. There is evidence that missionaries and other explorers reached the site during the 19th and early 20th centuries but were simply less vocal about what they uncovered there.3.3 What makes is a significant city and what are the details?

Sections of the city


http://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/barack-obama

http://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/barack-obama


The Inca Empire was able to perform the most extraordinary architecture works that still can be appreciated from the large number of ruins left, all over the mountain system that surrounds the Citadel of Machu Picchu. Indescribable designs and great architectural organization were the main facts to make possible such an incredible city that was divided in a number of sections. Each one of these areas was, at the same time, symbolizing and standing for the various neighborhoods; therefore, the different social classes that ranked the Inca citizens by granting them with a social status, was not only visible on the classification of the society but also on the city itself, its organization on its different neighborhoods that would prevent the access to the lower social classes.

Due to the rapid population growth that the Inca Empire was experiencing all over its territories, the Citadel was in need of a number of infrastructures and networks to expand its limits and be capable of hold such a large population. As a consequence, the city started developing a large number of farms and all kinds of structures all of them designed exclusively for the city itself to be able to supply such a vast population. This agricultural section of Machu Picchu at the South side of the city was an extension of the main farming area in the inner citybut, still, this was not an area large enough to supply an entire civilization that was facing overpopulation.

This agricultural project has been one of the most extraordinary architecture works because it was created to hold a large number of crop fields, well organized in farming terraces, all over the entire length of the slopes of the Valley. However, the challenging location was not a problem at all for the Inca civilization because they were very competent, so talented that they were able to create an amazing transportation network with more than eight different paths or roads that allowed the city to keep communications with the other regions of the Machu Picchu Mountains.

The agricultural section was separated apart from the main urban sectors within the city. The construction of a wall as a protective measure was in between both sections; the wall was about 400 meters long and had a fosse all along the wall. Although the fosse was originally designed to be the main drain system of the city, there were too many protective elements like the wall, the moat and a main gate fortified, elements that are obviously designed to provide the city with defensive measures. At the same time, the fosse is also part of the geologic fault which separates both sectors, something that the architects took advantage of for the city's design.

The inner city was split up into two main sections or districts. The one known as Hanan was the upper district for the nobility while the lower social class was confined in the area known as Hurin. Both metropolitan areas were separated from each other through two dividing lines like axis. The first of them was designed in several levels to adjust it to the mountainous slope, while the other dividing line that runs the complex horizontally from East to West was designed to


http://www.enjoy-machu-picchu.org/architecture/sectors.php




become the main avenue that was decorated with a number of fountains that supplied water to the complex. The northern area had a high spiritual meaning and contains the sacred buildings where the civilization practiced a set of sacred rituals based on their astrological doctrines.

Architecture

Most of the construction in Machu Picchu uses the classic Inca architectural style of polished dry-stone walls of regular shape. The Incas were masters of this technique, called ashlar, in which blocks of stone are cut to fit together tightly without mortar. The Incas were among the best stone masons the world has seen, and many junctions in the central city are so perfect that not even a knife fits between the stones.

Other Inca buildings have been built using mortar, but by Inca standards that was quick, shoddy construction. Peru is a highly seismic land, and mortar-free construction was more earthquake-resistant than using mortar. Inca walls show numerous subtle design details that would prevent them from collapsing in an earthquake.

Doors and windows are trapezoidal and tilt inward from bottom to top, corners are usually rounded, inside corners often incline slightly into the rooms, and "L" shaped blocks are often used to tie outside corners together. Walls do not rise straight from top to bottom but are offset slightly from row to row. As a result, Machu Picchu is a city that has stood up well to earthquakes over the years.

The Incas never used the wheel in any practical manner. How they moved and placed enormous blocks of stones is a mystery, although the general belief is that they used hundreds of men to push the stones up inclined planes. A few of the stones still have knobs on them that could have been used to lever them into position. After they were placed, the Incas would have sanded the knobs away.

The space is composed of 140 constructions including temples, sanctuaries, parks and residences (houses with thatched roofs). There are more than one hundred flights of stone steps - often completely carved from a single block of granite - and a great number of water fountains, interconnected by channels and water-drainages perforated in the rock, designed for the original irrigation system. Evidence has been found to suggest that the irrigation system was used to carry water from a holy spring to each of the houses in turn.

According to archaeologists, the urban sector of Machu Picchu was divided into three great districts: the Sacred District, the Popular District, to the south, and the District of the Priests and the Nobility.

Machu Picchu contains about 10% of the fauna and 22% of the flora of Peru. It stands out as one of the few mountain regions that have abundant available


http://www.crystalinks.com/machu.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashlar


information about the local flora and fauna. They have recorded 401 species of birds, 19 reptiles, 10 amphibians, 13 fishes, 300 diurnal butterflies and 400 nocturnal, also recorded 309 species of orchids of the total of 1,625 species in the country, it is estimated that there are 200 additional species not recorded.

Temple of the Sun

Located in the first zone are the primary archaeological treasures: the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun and the Room of the Three Windows. These were dedicated to Inti, their sun god and greatest deity. The Popular District, or Residential District, is the place where the lower class people lived. It includes storage buildings and simple houses to live in. In the royalty area, a sector existed for the nobility: a group of houses located in rows over a slope; the residence of the Amautas (wise persons) was characterized by its reddish walls, and the zone of the Nustas (princesses) had trapezoid-shaped rooms. The Monumental Mausoleum is a carved statue with vaulted interior and carved drawings. It was used for rites or sacrifices.

Inca Trail

As part of their road system, the Inca built a road to Machu Picchu. Today, tens of thousands of tourists walk the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu each year, acclimatizing at Cusco before starting on a two- to four-day journey on foot from the Urubamba valley up through the Andes mountain range.

Intihuatana Stone

Shamanic legends say that if you're a sensitive person and you rub your forehead against the stone you will see the spirit world. The Intihuatana stone is one of the many ritual stones in South America. They are arranged so they point directly at the sun during the winter solstice.

The Spanish did not find Machu Picchu until the 20th century so the Intihuatana Stone was not destroyed like many other ritual stones. It is also called "The Hitching Point of the Sun" because it was supposed to hold the sun in its place.



At midday on March 21st and September 21st the sun stands almost above the pillar creating no shadow at all. It is (as they said before) believed to be an astronomic clock built by the Incas.

The Intihuatana Stone was damaged in September 2000 when a 450 kg (1,000-pound) crane fell onto it, breaking off a piece of stone the size of a ballpoint pen.

In the 1980s, a large rock from Machu Picchu's central plaza was moved to a different location in order to create a helicopter landing zone. Helicopter landings were forbidden in the 1990s. Reports circulated in February 2008 that a company, Helicusco, was able to make tourist flights over Machu Picchu, but the situation is unclear.

3.4 Conclusion about the cities

In conclusion, Machu Picchu is considered as the most amazing urban creation of the Inca Empire and one of the most important heritage sites in the world. It sits on top of a mountain, 2.430 meters in the tropical forest, offering spectacular scenery with significant endemic biodiversity of flora and fauna.

The Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu is full of cultural significance. Its various sites, complexes, monuments and citadels are intertwined with each other and with their environment. This is a unique artistic achievement and also a masterpiece of architecture. Everything is sacred and cultural and is related to each other, including the natural environment in which it is built.

The site is made up of precincts, plazas, temples, tombs, rooms for storing food, stone canals and stairways and platforms, distributed on the topography of the mountain in a unique worked in urban design. The terraces over 700 preserved lands, promoted agriculture, and served as part of an extensive system of water distribution and limited retained water erosion on steep slopes.

3.5 What information or element that you can use to your new future city

diversity of flora and fauna relationship between buildings and the environment the city is divided into different section cultural significance


http://www.machupicchu.org/why_is_machu_picchu_important.htm




Present Towns / township

4.1 When did it start? History and all

Middle Ages

While David Kessler and Peter Temin consider ancient Rome the largest city before the 19th century, London was the first to exceed a population of 1 million. George Modelski considers medieval Baghdad, with an estimated population of 1.2 million at its peak, the largest city before 19th century London and the first with a population of over one million. Others estimate that Baghdad's population may have been as large as 2 million in the 9th century.

From the 9th through the end of the 12th century, the city of Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire, was the largest and wealthiest city in Europe, with a population approaching 1 million.

During the European Middle Ages, a town was as much a political entity as a collection of houses. City residence brought freedom from customary rural obligations to lord and community: "Stadtluft macht frei"("City air makes you free") was a saying in Germany. In Continental Europe cities with a legislature of their own were not unheard of, the laws for towns as a rule other than for the countryside, the lord of a town often being another than for surrounding land. In the Holy Roman Empire, some cities had no other lord than the emperor. In Italy medieval communes had quite a state like power. In exceptional cases like Venice, Genoa or Lübeck, cities themselves became powerful states, sometimes taking surrounding areas under their control or establishing extensive maritime empires. Similar phenomena existed elsewhere, as in the case of Sakai, which enjoyed a considerable autonomy in late medieval Japan.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sakai,_Osaka

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%BCbeck

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genoa

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venice

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_commune

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Roman_Empire

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_Europe

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stadtluft_macht_frei

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Middle_Ages

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantine_Empire

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Temin


Early modern

While the city-states, or poleis, of the Mediterranean and Baltic Sealanguished from the 16th century, Europe's larger capitals benefited from the growth of commerce following the emergence of an Atlantic trade. By the early 19th century, London had become the largest city in the world with a population of over a million, while Paris rivaled the well-developed regionally traditional capital cities of Baghdad, Beijing, Istanbul and Kyoto. During the Spanish colonization of the Americas the old Roman city concept was extensively used. Cities were founded in the middle of the newly conquered territories, and were bound to several laws about administration, finances and urbanism.

Most towns remained far smaller, so that in 1500 only some two dozen places in the world contained more than 100,000 inhabitants. As late as 1700, there were fewer than forty, a figure that rose to 300 in 1900.

Industrial age

The growth of modern industry from the late 18th century onward led to massive urbanization and the rise of new great cities, first in Europe and then in other regions, as new opportunities brought huge numbers of migrants from rural communities into urban areas. In the United States from 1860 to 1910, the introduction of railroads reduced transportation costs, and large manufacturing centers began to emerge, thus allowing

migration from rural to city areas. Cities during this period were deadly places to live in, due to health problems resulting from contaminated water and air, and communicable diseases. In the Great Depression of the 1930s cities were hard hit by unemployment, especially those with a base in heavy industry. In the U.S. urbanization rate increased forty to eighty percent during 1900–1990. Today the


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cities_in_the_great_depression

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cities_in_the_great_depression

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Depression

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Ocean

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltic_Sea

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City-state


world's population is slightly over half urban, with millions still streaming annually into the growing cities of Asia, Africa and Latin America.

21st century

There is a debate about whether technology and instantaneous communications are making cities obsolete, or reinforcing the importance of big cities as centers of the knowledge economy. Knowledge-based development of cities, globalization of innovation networks, and broadband services are driving forces of a new city planning paradigm towards intelligent cities. Intelligent / smart cities use technology and communication to create more efficient agglomerations in terms of competitiveness, innovation, environment, energy, utilities, governance, and delivery of services to the citizen. Some companies are building brand new master planned cities from scratch on greenfield sites.

4.2 What town are you concentrating on?

Paris

Paris (nicknamed the City of light) is the capital city of France, and the largest city in that country. The area is 105 square km, and around 2.15 million people live there. If suburbs are counted, the population of the Paris area rises to 12 million people. The Seine River runs through the oldest part of Paris, and divides it into two parts, known as the Left Bank and the Right Bank. It is surrounded by many forests. Paris is also the center of French economy, politics, traffic and culture. Paris has many art museums and historical buildings. As a traffic center, Paris has a very good underground subway system (called the Metro). It also has two airports. The Metro was built in 1900, and its total length is more than 200 km.


http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airport

http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subway

http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museum

http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art

http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture

http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic

http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics

http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy

http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest

http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seine

http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suburbs

http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/France

http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_(city)

http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickname

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenfield_land

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_use_planning

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_cities

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligent_cities

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_economy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_technology


History

Paris is more than 2,000 years old. Gauls of the Parisii tribe settled there between 250 and 200 BC and founded a fishing village on an island in the river that is the present-day Ile de la Cité -- the center around which Paris developed.

Known as Lutetia (Lutece) in ancient times, Paris was conquered by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, and existed as a regional center under the Romans and in the early Middle Ages. In 987, HUGH CAPET, Count of Paris, became king of France, and under his successors, the CAPETIANS, the city's position as the nation's capital became established. Often characterized as spirited and rebellious, the people of Paris first declared themselves an independent commune under the leadership of Etienne Marcel in 1355-58. The storming of the Bastille in 1789 was the first of a series of key actions by the Parisian people during the FRENCH REVOLUTION. Paris also played a major role in the revolutions of 1830 and 1848. In 1871, during the FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR , the city was besieged for four months

until France surrendered. After German troops withdrew, French radicals briefly established the COMMUNE OF PARIS. During World War I the Germans were prevented from reaching Paris, but they occupied the city during World War II from 1940 to 1944. Paris was again the scene of violence during the student riots

of 1968.

Paris today maintains its importance, character, and charm, though its appearance is being transformed by structures such as the BEAUBOURG and by the ambitious grands projets building program carried out under the presidency of François Mitterrand. In addition to the La Défense arch and the Bastille Opéra, Mitterrand's projects have included the renovation of the Louvre by architect I. M. Pei, the La Villette complex on the northeastern edge of the city, and, in the southeast, the Bibliothèque de France, a great computer-age library.

Planning for Paris and the Paris Basin region includes consideration of large land areas in the Seine River valley all the way to the mouth of the river. New



towns, parks, industrial locations, and expanded functions of existing towns are contemplated for this corridor on both sides of the Seine.

4.3 What makes is a significant town and what are the details?

Architectural history

The architectural history of Paris can be divided into four time periods:

Roman

Medieval

Renaissance

Classical

The Roman period of architecture was symmetrical and organized. Most Roman buildings were made of concrete, which simulated limestone. Roman architecture almost always had columns that gave its buildings a majestic, dominating feeling. The Medieval period of architecture was very different from the Roman period. Buildings were erected haphazardly and streets were narrow and unplanned. It was a period of regression that was followed by the Renaissance. The Renaissance style in Paris was inspired by the Italian Renaissance. The architecture of the Renaissance was symmetrical and proportional, much like Roman architecture. During the Renaissance period Paris imitated the architecture of others, rather than developing its own style. It was an important period nonetheless because it started the path towards French Classicism. French Classicism was based on the styles of Ancient and Renaissance architecture. It used the traditional columns and proportions of Roman architecture and the decorative elements of Renaissance architecture but added a new element to the mixture that made it truly French. The French Classical style, developed in the 1600s, made Paris famous for its architecture, which has been emulated around the world, especially in American cities, such as Washington D.C, Chicago and New York.


http://projects.ecfs.org/bome/cities/paris/hband/architecture_prehist.html#classical

http://projects.ecfs.org/bome/cities/paris/hband/architecture_prehist.html#classical

http://projects.ecfs.org/bome/cities/paris/hband/architecture_prehist.html#renaissance

http://projects.ecfs.org/bome/cities/paris/hband/architecture_prehist.html#medieval

http://projects.ecfs.org/bome/cities/paris/hband/architecture_prehist.html#medieval

http://projects.ecfs.org/bome/cities/paris/hband/architecture_prehist.html#roman


Roman City

Paris began as a Roman city called Lutetia. It was established on what is now known as the Ile de la Cité and eventually expanded to the Rîve Gauche, or Left Bank, of the Seine river. It was the largest city in Europe, but when the Roman Empire collapsed in the Fifth century A.D., so did Lutetia. All of its impressive architecture was gone by the beginning of the Middle Ages. Many other European cities, also founded by the Romans, underwent the same collapse.

Roman building utilized arches and vaults. Columns were no longer needed to support the roofs of buildings but were still used to create a sense of strength and grandeur. The Roman cities were grids with many public spaces.

Medieval City

During the medieval period Paris became cluttered, disorganized and claustrophobic. This chaos was the result of "organic growth." There was no layout plan for the city and people simply erected buildings where they wished. Paris was maze-like, with narrow, curving, unplanned streets.

During the architectural period of the medieval city, two types of buildings emerged: the gabled house and the hôtel. Most Parisians lived in gabled houses. Their facades were built and designed by carpenters. Artisans of lesser skill completed the work on the timber frame. The gabled houses were simple but not devoid of ornamentation. The variety in the woodwork around the door frames and the first-floor ceilings gave each house a unique quality, even though they were practically identical in shape and layout. In the fourteenth century, masons replaced carpenters as the producers of gabled houses. The frames of the houses were made of stone and mortar rather than timber, which made them sturdier and safer.

The other type of building that emerged during the Middle Ages was the hotel where the aristocracy and royalty resided. The advent of the hôtel was a turning point in Parisian architecture because it was when architects first became



involved in the building and design of the city. Henceforth, architects would play an expanding role in Parisian architecture and urban planning.

Renaissance City

At the end of the fifteenth century Paris began to be influenced by the architecture of the Italian Renaissance. It was not until the early sixteenth century, behind Italy by a hundred years, that Paris began to adopt the Renaissance style of architecture wholesale. The Renaissance city had deliberate planning and a predetermined layout. Following this trend, Paris started to become more organized and coherent. Because of their complexity, these plans required architects, who therefore became a larger part of city construction.

One of the first important Renaissance projects was the reconstruction of the Pont de Notre Dame, the bridge that connected the Ile de la Cité to the Left Bank of the Seine. The new bridge embodied many of the cardinal characteristics of the period: it was very wide, with orderly houses on either side, and it created a feeling of space and regularity.

The Renaissance style of architecture was advanced primarily by the patronage of François Ier (1515-1547). He commissioned Italian architects to aid in the revival of Paris. The most important architect he hired was Sebastiano Serlio (1475-1554), who designed the Grand Ferrare at Fontainbleau from 1544-1546. The two most important aspects of Serlio’s buildings were symmetry and proportion.

Parisian architecture didn’t just imitate Italian architecture during the Renaissance period; it also began to develop its own style. Under the influence of Henry IV (1589-1610), three piazzi were built: the Place Dauphine, the Place Royale and the Place de France. Although influenced by Serlio, the three piazzi, which were meant to embody modernity and France, were novel and distinctively Parisian. They "transformed the city and gave Paris the pattern for three centuries of urban design. Had he lived, Henry IV would be known today



as the greatest early town planner. At last, the city had left the Middle Ages, and the way to a French urban classicism was open."

The Renaissance was followed by a period of French classicism that continued to fashion Paris until the twentieth century.

Classical City

In the early 1600s, Paris still had not developed its own style of architecture. Parisian architecture still embodied the classical style of the Ancient world and of the Italian Renaissance style. Parisian architecture began to evolve its own style when uniqueness and grace were added to the regularity and proportion of the Ancient and Renaissance styles.

This was the birth of French classicism, a balance between tradition and novelty, that the country could call its own. As French classicism flourished, interest in Italian architecture and architects declined. The Crown, especially Louis XIV (1643-1715), was enthusiastic about the architectural innovations that were taking place in Paris and used its patronage to encourage classicism. Classical buildings were made with top quality materials, were symmetrical and proportional, and had many of the same regal and imposing qualities as Roman and Renaissance buildings.

The architecture of Paris maintained a balance between continuity and variety. Variety was provided by the unique visions of architects and their patrons. Continuity was achieved through adherence to prescribed theories and concepts taught at the Académie Royale d’Architecture. The Académie Royale d’Architecture was founded in 1671. It helped with the continuing expansion of the architectural profession by providing classes for students interested in the field. As a result of the success of the Académie, all the major buildings in Paris were now completely designed by architects.



City In The Midst Of The Revolution

To the astonishment of many, the French Revolution (1789-1793) had little impact on the architecture of Paris. There was, of course, a diminished rate of design and construction, but classical architecture continued during and after the Revolution. In 1830, Romanticism began to influence Parisian architecture. However, French

classicism was so celebrated and so deeply rooted that Romanticism had only a small impact on Paris. Classicism remained the dominant style of design right up to the modern era.

Architecture

For centuries Paris has been the laboratory where innovative architects and artists have come to test their ideas. This has created a city that has bit of everything. Where the architecture of some cities seems to undergo phases of punctuated equilibrium, Paris’s architectural fossil record gives an

impression of gradualism; all the missing links are there. This makes it easy to trace the origins of the most contemporary ideas throughout history. Nothing seems to come out of nowhere. If you look around you kind find the design’s inspiration running through the city’s Roman, Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Rocco, Neo-Classical, Empire, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Modern, Post-Modern, and Contemporary Architecture.

Paris has long held the title of being the world’s ultimate romantic destination and is an incredibly popular location to for couples to get engaged. The French capital began life around three centuries before Christ when a group of Celtic fishermen, named the Parisii, settled on the banks of the river Seine. The name Parisii stems from the gallic word parisio, which means the working people or craftsmen. Under Roman rule, a garrison known as Lutetia was founded on the banks of the Seine. The garrison evolved into a town and later became known as Civitas Parisiorum which meant City of the Parisii. This was later changed to simply



Paris when Clovis I became the first King of the Franks in 481 AD and proclaimed the city his capital.

Paris also holds the nickname La Ville-Lumiere, which translates as The City Of Light. This nickname originates from Paris’ reputation as an important center for education and enlightenment and also due to the fact that Paris was one of the first European cities to have gas street lighting.

Paris is also called the most romantic city in the world and it has the beautiful Champs-Élysées Boulevard that is perfect for strolling hand-in-hand. This lovely city has many flowering public gardens and many consider it to be the most beautiful city in the world because of its wonderful architecture. The city is filled with historic associations and is home to one of the world’s most famous museums, the Lourve. There are also many other museums and monuments to see.

Paris is well-known for its culinary reputation and has many highly-rated restaurants that visitors can enjoy during their trip. Two of the most popular sites to visit are the Eiffel Tower and the Notre Dame Cathedral. Summer time in Paris is warm and very pleasant which is why many people choose this time of the year to visit this memorable city.

Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower is one of the most famous icons in the world and is located on the banks of the Seine River in Paris, France. This prominent structure is made out of iron and is built on Champ de Mars. The tower got its name from the engineer who built it and it is the tallest building in the entire city. It is one of the few places in the world that is visited by more than 200,000,000 tourists since its construction in 1889 and it generates more revenue than any other monument in the world.


http://famouswonders.com/paris/


The tower was constructed in just three years and its initial purpose was to broadcast radio signals. It stands 1,063 feet high with a 79-foot antenna and weighs around 7,900 tons. During the time the Eifel Tower was made, many people were surprised and shocked to see its daring and intrepid shape. The engineers who were making an effort to create it were accused of trying to do an experiment. But the engineers were sure and confident of what they had in mind. They also understood the forces of the wind and knew that the structure would support stand up to the gusts. Their persistence finally paid off in 1889 when the tower’s construction was completed and it stood tall as one of the largest structures in all of Paris.

The tower has two restaurants located on the first floor. There is built-in lift that can take visitors to the top floor to witness the marvelous view of Paris, France.

Arc De Triomphe

Arc De Triomphe, one of the world’s largest triumph arc, is a great monument located in Paris which stands in the centre of “Charles De Gaulle”. The arc was built as the honour for those who fought for France especially during the Napoleonic wars. There are names of the generals and the wars

fought engraved inside and at the top of the arch. Underneath the arch there is tomb of a soldier of World War I who is still unknown.

This great arch has a height of 50 meters, a width of 45 meters and a depth of 22 meters which makes it as a second largest triumph arc in the world. It is composed of three arcs, where two are small arcs and the other is a large arc. The large arc is 9 feet wide and 21 feet height. The design of the arc was inspired by the roman arch of Titus.

This great arc is compared as linchpin of the historic axis. It was commissioned in the year 1806 after the victory at Austerlitz by Napoleon. Laying the foundation of the arc took about 2 years. When Napoleon entered into Paris with his bride in the year 1810, he had a wooden mock-up of the completed arch constructed.


http://famouswonders.com/arc-de-triomphe-in-paris/


The architect, Jean Chalgrin, died in the year 1811 and the construction was halted. Then it was succeeded by Jean Nicholas Huyot.

Louvre Museum

The Louvre is the national museum of France. It is situated in the capital city of Paris. The museum is considered by many to be the best in the world. The museum covers a total area of 652,300 square feet and has more than 35,000 objects placed in it. Due to its size and vast collection of art and artifacts it is impossible to see the entire museum in a couple of hours. The collection spans from the 6th century BC till the 19th century AD.

This museum was actually built as a living space for Philip II and some remains of its original form are still present. A lot of structural changes have been made to give the Louvre its present look. The museum was inaugurated in 1739. However, due to some infrastructural problems, it was shut down for a period of almost five years. Some of the most famous pieces of art that are displayed include Antonio Canova’s Psyche, the Venus de Milo, the Mona Lisa, as well as Egyptian, Greek, and Roman antiques. The museum has a very rich heritage that has made the French very proud and kept visitors coming through its doors.

Parks and Gardens

Paris is well endowed with parks and gardens because of France's kings and queens, and also thanks to some more recent city planning. Parisians pride themselves in making their city's parks and gardens places of elegance, artistic detail, and symmetry-- even the romantic gardens have been carefully planned to imitate nature. Even though Paris has a dense urban structure, the city boasts


http://www.francetravelplanner.com/go/paris/index.html


more than 400 parks. In addition to the large formal gardens, there are many smaller public parks throughout the city.

Jardin du Luxembourg

The Jardin du Luxembourg is Paris' favorite place to sun, stroll, picnic, and play. The gardens and their striking palace were occupied by the Italian monarch Marie de Medicis during the Renaissance, and the elegant formal gardens still bloom each year in majestic fashion. This is a wonderful place for a romantic stroll, and

the kids will have plenty to see and do here, too. Even in the winter, these gardens are sure to inspire.

Bois de Vincennes

Just on Paris' east outskirts is an immense stretch of green called the Bois de Vincennes, also referred to, along with the Bois de Boulogne to the east, as "Paris' Lungs".

The site of a 14th-century fortified chateau, the Chateau de Vincennes, the Bois offers seemingly endless space to stroll, picnic, boat, and unwind. Even though the wood is located at the city's borders, a day at the Bois de Vincennes is enough of a getaway to count as a day trip from Paris.

Jardin des Tuileries

The Jardin des Tuileries is a formal Paris garden that is stamped with history-- often of the bloody variety. The since-destroyed royal palace that once stood here


http://en.chateau-vincennes.fr/


was stormed and pillaged during the revolution of 1789 and was later occupied by the last kings of France. In 1871, another revolution led to the arson of the Tuileries. Today, the remaining gardens are a major source of fresh air and greenery, and kids adore the carnival set up here each summer.

Much like the Luxembourg gardens, the Tuileries is an Italian-style garden marked by the influence of the Medicis family. The gardens are filled with dramatic statuary and perfectly symmetrical shrubbery, reflecting the Renaissance preoccupation with bringing rational design to nature.

Transportation

Local Transport

Métro

The Paris Métro system was built in 1900 by engineer Fulgence Bienvenüe and architect Hector Guimard. The Métro covers over 124 miles with 300 stations and 16 lines. Servicing over 6 million residents and tourists every day, the Métro was designed to be an efficient and reliable alternative to the congestion of traffic. Every building in Paris is less than 500 meters from a train station, so accessibility is

never a problem. The 16 Métro lines are identified by their final destinations. A rider can simply select the appropriate line and take it in the direction s/he wants. The Métro stations are well marked, and there are ticket booths at most entrances.



Cycling

There are 440 km (270 mi) of cycle paths and routes in Paris. These include piste cyclable (bike lanes separated from other traffic by physical barriers such as a kerb) and bande cyclable (a bicycle lane denoted by a painted path on the road). Some 29 km (18 mi) of specially marked bus lanes are free to be used by cyclists, with a protective barrier protecting against encroachments from vehicles. Cyclists have also been given the right to ride in both directions on certain one-way streets. Paris offers a bike sharing system called Vélib' with more than 20,000 public bicycles distributed at 1,800 parking stations, which can be rented for short and medium distances including one way trips.

National and International Transport

Rail

Paris is a central hub of the national rail network. The six major railway stations—Gare du Nord, Gare de l'Est,Gare de Lyon, Gare d'Austerlitz, Gare Montparnasse, Gare Saint-Lazare—and a minor one—Gare de Bercy—are connected to three networks: The TGVserving four high-speed rail lines, the normal speed Corail trains, and the suburban

rails (Transilien).

By train, London is now just two hours and 15 minutes away.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corail_(train)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-speed_rail



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TGV

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gare_de_Bercy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gare_Saint-Lazare

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gare_Montparnasse



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gare_d'Austerlitz



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gare_de_Lyon

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gare_de_l'Est



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gare_du_Nord

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-way_traffic

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-way_traffic

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%A9lib'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_bicycle_program

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cycling_in_Paris




Air

Paris is a major international air transport hub with the5th busiest airport system in the world. The city is served by three commercial international airports: Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Paris-Orly and Beauvais-Tillé. Together these three airports recorded a traffic of 94.1 million passengers in 2013. There is also one general aviation airport, Paris-Le Bourget, historically the oldest Parisian airport and closest to the city center, which is now used only for private business flights and air shows.

Orly Airport, located in the southern suburbs of Paris, replaced Le Bourget as the principal airport of Paris from the 1950s to the 1980s. Charles de Gaulle Airport, located on the edge of the northern suburbs of Paris, opened to commercial traffic in 1974 and became the busiest Parisian airport in 1993. Today it is the 4th busiest airport in the world by international traffic, and is the hub for the nation's flag carrier Air France. Beauvais-Tillé Airport, located 69 km (43 mi) north of Paris' city center, is used by charter airlines and low-cost carriers such as Ryanair.

4.4 Conclusion about the towns

Paris is one of the most important centers of art all around the world and many of famous artists came from there. This city is full of museums, art galleries, and fantastic architectural designs.

Paris is known as the city of love as it has a favorite destination for couples wishing to enjoy their honeymoon. It has historical, dramatic places and minutes after you can watch the Seine River going by while quietly sitting on a bench. Paris dazzles a person's eyes with the aforesaid reasons. The beauty of Paris and its contrast from one's own city also bring a feeling of excitement and experience that one has not felt before. Great place to relight romance and fall in love again because it’s spontaneous rather than routine.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryanair

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-cost_carriers

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_France

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_carrier

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World's_busiest_airports_by_international_passenger_traffic



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_%E2%80%93_Le_Bourget_Airport

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_aviation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_aviation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beauvais-Till%C3%A9_Airport

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris-Orly_Airport

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris-Charles_de_Gaulle_Airport

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris-Charles_de_Gaulle_Airport

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World's_busiest_city_airport_systems_by_passenger_traffic

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World's_busiest_city_airport_systems_by_passenger_traffic


Paris is famous with the green garden and parks. They created around 400 green garden and parks, which is open for public uses, especially on the tourism place. Besides, the streetscapes of Paris, on the both side of the street are plant with green plant or trees, and they focusing on more and wider side walk way.

Paris also known as a major rail, highway, and air transport hub by having four airports which two of them are international, the city’s subway system which called Paris Métro, it was opened in 1900 and it can carry nine millions passengers daily an known as one of the most extensively used transport system within the city, and also seven major railway stations which one of the is the busiest station in Europe together with Paris is also the most important hub of France's motorway network with over 2,000 km (1,243 mi) of highways and motorways.

Much of contemporary Paris is the result of the vast mid-19th century urban remodeling. For centuries, the city had been a labyrinth of narrow streets and half-timber houses, but, beginning with Haussmann's advent; entire quarters were leveled to make way for wide avenues lined with neo-classical stone buildings of bourgeoisie standing. The building code has seen few changes since the 1850s, and the Second Empire plans are in many cases still followed. The "alignement" law is still in place, which regulates building façades of new constructions according to a pre-defined street width. A building's height is limited according to the width of the streets it borders, and under the regulation, it is almost impossible to get an approval to build a taller building. Landmarks in this city are easily recognizable which one of the special things about Paris is.

4.5 What information or element that you can use to your new town

Landmarks

Subway system

Gardens and parks

Cycle paths and routes





The future of towns and Better Towns

5.1 Why choose city in the air/skyscraper?

We choose city in the air because the temperature of the earth is increasing, Ice is melting worldwide. Sea level rise became faster over the last century. That means our land is become smaller and someday it will all cover by the sea. To avoid the city to disappear in the sea is better to build the city flying in the sky.



5.2 Comparison between Machu Picchu and Paris

Based on the case study of both ancient city and present city, both of the city is famous of its architectural style. The ancient city, Machu Picchu use classic Inca architectural style of polished dry-stone walls of regular shape. The Incas were masters of this technique, called ashlar, in which blocks of stone are cut to fit together tightly without mortar. In the present city, Paris, if you look around you kind find the design’s inspiration running through the city’s Roman, Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Rocco, Neo-Classical, Empire, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Modern, Post-Modern, and Contemporary Architecture. The history of the city has created a city that has bit of everything

The transportation of Machu Picchu is indefinable, but Machu Picchu is locates at 2,400 meters above sea level and there is no car or even bicycle during ancient time. So, I guess the only transportation in Machu Picchu is foot. Paris is known as a major rail, highway, and air transport hub by having four airports which two of them are international, the city’s subway system which called Paris Métro and also seven major railway stations which one of the is the busiest station in Europe together with Paris is also the most important hub of France's motorway network with over 2,000 km (1,243 mi) of highways and motorways.

In conclusion, I feel that the world is more advanced now comparing to ancient time. The material use to build the city is different and there is more architectural style now comparing to the ancient time. The transportation system is more advanced and is easier to move from one place to another place. I hope that our future city will become better and more sustainable.

5.3 About Future town

The components of liveability are:

I. protection of the environment


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashlar


II. maintenance of a diverse economy

III. provision of accessibility through land use

IV. delivery of services for residents and businesses

V. housing choices

VI. balanced city budget

VII. the involvement of citizens in planning and delivery

It has to be said that the aims of a liveability policy on communities are focused on quality of life, rather than implicitly on sustainable development, but there are inevitable improvements for sustainable development through reduced car transportation, increases in green space and opportunities for social capital and participative planning regimes.

Financial Costs and Funding Sources

The choice regarding the costs of infrastructure is twofold:

increasing costs to provide services and infrastructure to increasingly sprawling and lower density suburban residential communities with both market forces and zoning policies restricting the degree to which services can be located near people

increasing density and multi-use zoning to allow for a more efficient use of resources and the provision of services near the people that access them.

A liveable community is also an efficient community, and will cost less to maintain in the long term. For example, green building programs in Vancouver from the 1990s have shown that there are real economic and sustainability benefits to such design. Unfortunately, residential developers are behind in adopting such technologies



Critical Success Factors

Critical success factors in the identification and implementation of liveability as an integral part of sustainable communities are:

the value of liveability as an overall theme, among others, in the development of a community’s sustainability plan

the overarching role of public engagement in the articulation of what is meant by liveability

an acceptance that liveability may differ significantly from community to community

a recognition that liveability extends to economic dynamism and career opportunities as well as recreational, aesthetic, cross-generational and cultural activities

the ability to embed liveability concerns into the culture of the municipality rather than politically motivated short-term initiatives

the recognition that the provision of a diverse residential community with a full complement of services, means that a system approach to both the city region and the individual neighbourhood is required. This will ensure that individual neighbourhoods do not become liveability ghettos, but have a real and vibrant place within the whole city region context.



5.4 Case study of the city in the air

Sky-Terra, San Francisco

A designer from San Francisco Joanna Borek-Clement created this project of cities in the sky inspired by the neuron cells. Unlike the others



which include great skyscrapers blocking the sun, these interconnected giant building would keep the sunlight out. The towers should reduce the urban heat island effect. Rainwater will be used for landscaping needs. The towers will be built from modular parts to conserve resources and energy. The transportation system consists of interconnected foot paths and also bike paths and electric car paths. Getting to the city will be done by elevator. The Sky-Terra towers offer many options from public parks, to greenbelts, playing fields, jogging paths, amphitheaters, pools or bath houses – all with the aim of providing people with access to open space.

Multiplicity

Multiplicity is a new vision of the future of Melbourne by John Wardle Architects and Stefano Boscutti. It has been selected by the Australian Institute of Architects for the 2010 Venice Architecture Biennale.

A city tells a story and there is now multiple cities, multiple stories within the original street grid first set down by surveyor Robert Hoddle. Over this is a new horizontal plane of agriculture, energy production, rainwater harvesting and air transportation that serves the cities below.

Multiplicity answers the issues of climate change, population growth, sustainable resources, ecological systems and technological advances in the built environment.

Multiplicity aims to make Melbourne a city of the future.



6.The New “X” City : Snowfly

6.1 About The “X” City

Malaysia is tropical country, so it is summer throughout the year. There is no spring, autumn or winter in Malaysia. I really love the scenery of winter. All of the building is in white colour. It makes me feel relax. I hope the people in Malaysia get to see what a city look like in winter is. So, I came out with this concept.

The shape of the city is inspired by the shape of a snowflake. All of the building of the city is in white or light blue colour to make the people feel like they are living inside a snowing city. Besides, white colour is sustainable.

The name of the city is Snowfly. The city is named after “a snowflake flying in the sky”.

The city is located at Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. The size of the city is 30km². The population of the city is between 150,000 and 300,000.

The city is design flying in the sky because the temperature of the earth is increasing, Ice is melting worldwide. Sea level rise became faster over the last century. That means our land is become smaller and someday it will all cover by the sea. To avoid the city to disappear in the sea is better to build the city flying in the sky.



6.2 Master plan of Snowfly city



6.3 Zoning of Snowfly city



Government buildings

The role of the government is to sustain the city well-being. Their responsibilities include :

The provision of local infrastructure, including water, sewerage, storm-water drains, and roads

Environmental safety and health, district emergency management and civil defense preparedness, building control, public health inspections and other environmental health matters

Controlling the effects of land use (including hazardous substances, natural hazards and indigenous biodiversity), noise, and the effects of activities on the surface of lakes and rivers

Business area

The business area is divided in to 2 zones, the office zone and the shop lots zone. The office zone consist a lot of office building. The office building will be divided into sections for different companies or may be dedicated to one company. Besides, the office buildings provide a workplace and working environment primarily for administrative and managerial workers. There is also a park in the middle of the office building. The workers can get to relax at the park after hectic working hours and enjoy the scenery of the park. The shop lots zone consists of normal shop lots and restaurant. These various kinds of facilities and buildings will ensure and enhance the job opportunity of the local community and thus increasing the local income of the town.

Commercial areas



The commercial area consists of a big shopping mall. The shopping mall consists of various kind of shops and movie theaters. In front of the shopping mall is a park. The park has a lake fountain with LED light. The lake Comprised of 3 fountains programmed with magical and

dramatic animations

The commercial area is built around the airport and hotel. It is convenient for tourist to shop in the city.

Recreational areas

The recreational area is created to enhance recreational lifestyle of the local community and also the tourists.

A multipurpose stadium is built near to the residential area. The stadium consists of badminton courts, tennis court, football fields, basketball courts and swimming pool. The local community can spend their time do some activities in the stadium, thus keep their body healthy.

There is also a theme park beside the shopping mall. The park provides a lot of winter activities such as ice skating, skiing and boarding. The purpose of the park is to let the people experience the winter activities.

Education areas



The education area consists of university, high school and primary school. Education is very important to the country because Education is the key to unlocking a country's potential for economic growth. A field is located in front of the university, high school and primary school for school activities. The field consists of football

field, baseball field, tennis court and badminton court for the students to relax to release stress.

Services area

A hospital is built near to the residential area. The hospital use advanced technology to provide their patients the best service. Moreover, High technology makes hospital treatment faster, safer.

Industrial area

The industrial area is located very near to the port. This is because the strategic position allows the factories to send the products to the port for exportation and it is easier to get raw materials from the port. This area consists of factories and warehouses

Residential

The residential area is divided into 2 zones, that is low cost residential zone and high cost residential zone. The land area for the low cost residential zone is



the largest among all zones. This is to ensure that there will be sufficient affordable houses for the local community. The low cost residential zone also consists of low cost condominium. The residential is located opposite to the industrial area to avoid the pollution that caused by the factories. Moreover, the low cost residential zone also features police station and fire station or 911. If there is any emergency, the police or fire fighter can arrive in a short time.

The high cost residential zone consist of high cost condominium that have a nice view of the city.

There is a park located in the middle of the high cost residential zone. The residence can

relax and do some activities such as cycling and jogging at the park.

Religious and cultures areas

The religious and cultures area consist of Mosques, Chinese Temples, Hindu temples and Churches to fulfill the needs of the people of Malaysia that is multi-ethnic and multi-cultural

Hospitality and tourism

The hotel is located at the high cost residential zone. The hotel is a 7 stars hotel that provide the best service for the tourist. The hotel has a nice view of the city.

Port area


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Malaysia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_groups_in_Malaysia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_groups_in_Malaysia


The port areas have 2 zones, that is airport and helicopter. The airport is an international airport that connected worldwide. The airport is using technology to enhance baggage and check-in. The airport will be passenger-focused, so the security technology that enables the smooth screening of as many travelers as possible per hour is essential. Another zone is helicopter. The helicopters use as transportation of people and cargo.

Agriculture area

For the agriculture in the town, the town will be highlighting vertical farming rather than traditional farming method which is planting on the ground. This is because by using vertical farming this method, the precious land can be kept for other use. The high vertical farming building can increase the number of crops planted compared to the same size of land used to plant the crops.

Windmill

Windmill is located near to the agriculture area. It is located at high ground because there is strong airflow at high land. The windmill supply energy to the city.



Green area

Snowfly Park

It is located in the middle of the city. The park is in a cycle shape. There is a circle shape river in the middle of the park to separate the outer park and inner park. The park boardwalk, cycling trails jogging trails is at the outer park along the river. Moreover, there is also a fishing quay beside the river. The fishing quay is a smaller sized area distribution and it serves to let the local community to enhance their hobby of fishing while relaxing in the park at the same time.

The main focus of the city is located in the center of the inner part. The main focus of the city is a sculpture. The deisgn sculpture is inspired by the shape of the snowflake. The sculpture is the same name as the city, Snowfly. The sculpture is made from crystal. The Snowfly sculpture is the identity of this city. Furthermore, the sculpture will light up during night time and it looks like a shining crystal.

6.4 Transportation



This city will provide a very wide range of transportation with great accessibility. First there will be basic road way. Second is the public transport, bus and train. Another major change of my road is I added a special bus track and bicycle track on both side of the road. Both of it are connected throughout the whole town.

Road way

Footpath

To ensure the safety of pedestrians along the road.

To enhance and encourage walkability around the town.

Connected throughout the town along all roads and expressways.

Fitted with rest places, recreational kiosks and tree pits.

To enhance the pleasure of walking



Cycle lane

To ensure the safety of the cyclist.

To enhance the pleasure of cycling in the local community.

Built on both sides on the expressways.

Bus lane

A public transportation which is connected throughout the town.

Circulates the town to enhance the usability of public transportation.

Specific lane for public buses to avoid road congestion and traffic congestion.

Car lane

Two lane car lane.

To reduce the usage of private automobiles.

Connected from roads to expressways in the town.

Separated with another car lane.

To reduce the speed of car to ensure the safety of pedestrians.

Vehicles

CarPang Kai Yun | 0319802 | Ms Renee | FNBE AUG 2014 | Taylor’s University

50


Bus

Trucks

Aeroplane



Helicopter

Underground Subway System

Fast speed rapid monorail which is operating beneath the town. It is a linkage of fast speed rapid monorail which transport citizens form zones to zones of the



town underground to reach their destinations without having to face the fear of traffic congestions.

Subway Station

Subway Station Subway train6.5 Sustainable initiative



Solar panels

These panels will be locate everywhere in the city and every building will use them in their exterior structure which move during days to face sunshine, so during days people may see that some buildings exterior is changing. The aim of solar panel is to implement the solar panels onto houses is to ensure that the local community utilize energy wisely and do not waste heat energy and electricity in household area for domestic uses. Besides, solar panels also use at solar lighting for all walkways and public transport routes.



Windmills

In the city, some of the power comes from renewable sources by installing windmills at the high ground. The strong airflows at the high ground will turn the windmill turbines and convert into electricity and supply to all the residents on the island.

RAINWATER HARVESTING



The purpose of rainwater harvesting is to reuse water which has been retreated and hence saves resources. It provides an independent water supply during regional water restrictions and in developed countries is often used to supplement the main supply. It provides water when there is a drought, can help

mitigate flooding of low-lying areas and enable ground water levels to be sustained. It also helps in the availability of potable water as rainwater is substantially free of salinity and other salts. Rainwater harvesting should be implemented onto every houses in order to save water supply and in preparation of emergencies like water restriction and water crisis.

6.6 Waste handling

Mobile Recycling Station

Mobile recycling station is serves to encourage the local community to recycle instead of just dumping useful and reusable wastes into the garbage. It is mobile so it can be placed anywhere throughout the town and thus allowing the citizens to recycle wastes wherever and whenever they are.



6.7 Conclusion about the new x city

In my opinion, a future town does not mean that it should be full of futuristic buildings and high-tech but not environmentally friendly technologies, but it should be sustainable and liveable to the people. The Snowfly city might not be appealing city but with the green technologies implemented in the town, it will be a simple yet eco-friendly and sustainable city.

7. Conclusion

From this project, I truly understand planning a town is not an easy task.

From the shape of the town, grid system and the facilities provided in the town all the stages are essential and require many researches to produce a better future town to meet the people’s needs.

From the researches about the ancient, present and future or better city, I have learnt that what people need and what they need in the future and also what the environments need is just the lower pollution rate in all aspects.



The earth is dying slowly due to the pollution and it will eventually affect us. So it is very important to implement the green technologies in the town as there are already many cities in the world had implemented green technologies in their cities in order to maintain the mutualism between the environments and the humans.

In my opinion, a future town does not mean that it should be full of futuristic buildings and high-tech but not environmentally friendly technologies, but it should be sustainable and liveable to the people. The Snowfly city might not be appealing city but with the green technologies implemented in the town, it will be a simple yet eco-friendly and sustainable city.

8.Reference Links


http://www.enjoy-machu-picchu.org/architecture.php


http://www.ehow.com/about_5035654_machu-picchu-peru-wonder.html

http://www.history.com/topics/machu-picchu


http://www.history.com/topics/machu-picchu

http://www.ehow.com/about_5035654_machu-picchu-peru-wonder.html


http://www.enjoy-machu-picchu.org/architecture.php




http://projects.ecfs.org/bome/cities/paris/hband/architecture_prehist.html


http://famouswonders.com/eiffel-tower-in-paris/


http://famouswonders.com/louvre-museum-in-paris/

http://vimeo.com/20858524

http://www.cheapsolarpanelssale.com/


http://www.cheapsolarpanelssale.com/

http://vimeo.com/20858524

http://famouswonders.com/louvre-museum-in-paris/


http://famouswonders.com/eiffel-tower-in-paris/


http://projects.ecfs.org/bome/cities/paris/hband/architecture_prehist.html
