Evolution of Cities: From Ancient Settlements to Modern Urban Forms
What Defines a City?
A city is a place inhabited by over 10,000 people, characterized predominantly by manufacturing and services, rather than agricultural activities. It features a differentiated morphology, with sectors or areas each having a specific role and distinct types of buildings and spaces. A city also possesses an area of influence that it serves, the size of which depends on the city’s own scale.
The Urbanization Process
The urbanization process began in Neolithic times. We can distinguish two main stages: the Pre-Industrial City and the Industrial City.
The Pre-Industrial City
Until the Industrial Revolution, no more than 10% of the population lived in cities, and these settlements normally did not exceed 5,000 or 10,000 inhabitants. Their primary functions were military, administrative, economic, and religious. This stage can be further divided into three periods:
- Classical
- Medieval
- Modern
The Classical City
In the ninth and eighth centuries BC, Phoenicians and Greeks established trading posts along the coasts of Hispania. However, Romanization was responsible for the true beginning of the urbanization process. The Roman city plan copied that of the Greek Hippodamus of Miletus, featuring a grid or checkerboard layout. This design evolved from legionary camps into Roman colonies (e.g., Barcelona, Zaragoza).
The grid was typically cut by two main axes:
- A North-South axis: The Cardo
- An East-West axis: The Decumanus Maximus
At their crossroads, a forum was established. Other public spaces included theaters, amphitheaters, baths, temples, and circuses. A protective wall typically surrounded the entire city.
The Medieval City
Muslims founded some new cities (e.g., Madrid) but also revitalized previous settlements (e.g., Toledo, Córdoba) due to their strategic, administrative, and commercial importance. Their urban plan was often a maze of streets centered around the bazaar and mosque. The old city was invariably walled.
Christian cities, emerging from the tenth century, often served as defensive enclaves, walled around a market square or main square. Some maintained the shape of the hill on which they settled, while others extended linearly along a road protected by a castle. Some, like Miranda, emerged as bridge control settlements.
The Modern City (Pre-Industrial Era)
During the Modern Age, few new towns were created on the Iberian Peninsula, with exceptions like those founded by the Bourbons to colonize Sierra Morena (e.g., La Carolina). However, new star-shaped walls became a notable feature in strategic cities such as Pamplona, Ciudad Rodrigo, and Palma. The checkerboard map, with its distinct blocks, was also adopted for the new cities in the Americas.
The Industrial City
The Industrial Revolution completely transformed cities from the mid-19th century onwards. Textile and metallurgical factories attracted thousands of workers from the countryside, leading people to abandon old towns and construct new urban areas. These new towns often followed a grid plan, characterized by:
- Wide spaces between buildings
- Gardens and parks
- Broad streets
- Elegant homes
- Connections to railway stations
The division of kingdoms into provinces also spurred growth, as new capital cities emerged, often with industry arriving later. Urbanization intensified significantly during the 1960s and 1970s, leading to the development of metropolitan areas and tourist towns.
Urban Morphology and Structure
The appearance or outward form of a city, known as its urban morphology, is influenced by several factors:
- Location: The geographical setting.
- Plan: The city’s layout (e.g., radial-concentric, checkerboard, labyrinthine, star, irregular).
- Building Layout: Whether blocks are open or closed, building height, and construction materials (e.g., brick, stone, tile, slate, painted or unpainted buildings).
- Land Use: The primary function of different areas (e.g., commercial, residential, industrial, cultural).
Urban structure refers to the division of the city into distinct areas, each possessing characteristic morphology (appearance) and functions.