Word of the Day
Insouciance (n., in-SUE-see-ahns)
Nonchalantly unconcerned. The kind of person who would step out into traffic because their nose was in a book. We'll name no Christophers.
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Link of the Day
Why traditional urbanism works
Also last week, Twitter user @wrathofgnon posted a fantastic, thought-provoking thread about traditional urbanism. It's long, but it is excellent, which is why we've embedded the whole thing below:
It is time for a thread on traditional urbanism, or town planning 13th century style. I will dispel some myths of modern dis-urbanism. pic.twitter.com/wUbkEuGy9a
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 7, 2017
Traditional urbanism has short blocks. No building takes more than 3-4 seconds to walk past, providing interesting colors, shops, textures. pic.twitter.com/oysnZ1hbj7
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 7, 2017
Traditional urbanism has short blocks. No building takes more than 3-4 seconds to walk past, providing interesting colors, shops, textures. pic.twitter.com/oysnZ1hbj7
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 7, 2017
Traditional towns built with terrain: hills, valleys, stairs, steps, corners, odd squares. Landscaping unnecessary/uneconomical. (Stockholm) pic.twitter.com/lSIa7yUjw5
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 7, 2017
Modern dis-urbanism has buildings/houses separated, apart, at best standing-off across wide streets, making community impossible. (Hamburg) pic.twitter.com/gJE691yJc3
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 7, 2017
Traditional urbanism means buildings are tight, close, interlocking and over-looking, often built right into their neighbors. (Colmar) pic.twitter.com/SFQb6QHXJV
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 7, 2017
Traditional urbanism naturally limited the number of floors rather than the height: variation. More sun means possibility of denser cities. pic.twitter.com/0Uyhi59ta6
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 7, 2017
Warning: Introducing "social housing" into your town = injecting cancer in your body. Only to be attempted with strict rules (Fuggerei 1516) pic.twitter.com/XN49LSxrqF
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 7, 2017
Traditional urbanism means a multitude of transport systems, not the monoculture of modern dis-urbanism. Canals open up and connect (Fyn). pic.twitter.com/PIKTwtjdgw
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 7, 2017
Traditional urbanism means building on street level, right out into the street. No wastage! Can't get more bang for your rigsdaler. (Aarhus) pic.twitter.com/12SExe50Ss
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 7, 2017
Lower buildings and tight front streets means opportunity for small back gardens, inner yards: use for economic, gardening or recreation. pic.twitter.com/8kLhlGASxE
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 7, 2017
Bonus: Traditional urbanism is a boon for local economy, instantly recognizable and a magnet for tourists. Can this be anywhere but Irkutsk? pic.twitter.com/yYWHJb4cmc
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 7, 2017
Street layout is important in how a town is experienced. In fairness I use only photos from Stockholm Old Town, pop. 3000. Sweden. Let's go! pic.twitter.com/dtgnOtegit
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 11, 2017
Long streets that go on and on without any obvious end feel un-focused. These are only defensible as boulevards, towards a monumental bldg. pic.twitter.com/m7k6Z9Mplh
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 11, 2017
Long streets are best when slightly turned or twisted, combined with interesting ground floors they become attractive rather than corridors. pic.twitter.com/o3PKSF72Wa
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 11, 2017
The best long streets are not straight, and always focused on something: in this case a parish church provides an interesting focal point. pic.twitter.com/5mOCTSFkoZ
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 11, 2017
Combine turning streets with interesting ground floors and focal points, and you get that most sought after and magical thing: a real place. pic.twitter.com/LgXkpUHRaQ
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 11, 2017
To continue: not all streets need to be run of the mill streets. Some streets can be tunnels... pic.twitter.com/zHT6iwZoew
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 11, 2017
...others can be stairs. pic.twitter.com/k2YWiztYPS
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 11, 2017
Traditional towns require almost little or no public transport. Stockholm Old town has one single subway station connecting it to the City. pic.twitter.com/K8GES469mL
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 11, 2017
Like many old towns it is located on an island (others are built like islands). Two ferry lines service it, with boats from picturesque... pic.twitter.com/9BT66FPIOf
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 11, 2017
...to downright gorgeous. pic.twitter.com/YjU5NK3esy
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 11, 2017
With 3000 inhabitants, you can walk to any point in less than 12 minutes, making cars useless (there are less than 400 parking spaces). pic.twitter.com/US5u4n0CjD
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 11, 2017
So far I have covered how we experience traditional urbanism (streets, layout etc.), let's have a look at how it evolves, grows up: plots. pic.twitter.com/R2NpLqrmP7
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 12, 2017
Modern urbanism builds from the center of the plots and builds only fully realized structures, like with fossils, no evolution is possible. pic.twitter.com/qmJ2lJ1Iij
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 12, 2017
Traditional urbanism starts right at the edge of the street, eventually only the center will be "open" (see Visby: mature 13th c. plots). pic.twitter.com/mHilUevhfp
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 12, 2017
The buildings grow together, in shape, form, material, height, usage, organically over the centuries. No plot or bldg. is out of place. pic.twitter.com/MZSttljSx6
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 12, 2017
Individual bldgs can be started small, grow towards the back, up. This bldg. in Siena was added to, improved, enlarged, from 13th to 21st c. pic.twitter.com/ojI4R0LefC
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 12, 2017
Modern Urbanism relies on bldgs like the “Shard”, there is nothing you could do to add or improve on this; it can only decay from here on. pic.twitter.com/21e0AFKhfd
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 12, 2017
Traditional Urbanism means an unruly but captivating organic mix of eras, densities, purposes and material: ecological and sustainable. pic.twitter.com/95cXEp7kNN
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 12, 2017
(It is really hard to illustrate plot evolution using photos of existing cities but this model of medieval Copenhagen does the job well.) pic.twitter.com/lKDShQtEOl
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 12, 2017
Traditional architecture is timeless: regardless of size, material and era, it is always human scaled and made by hand. pic.twitter.com/TIvms4y5JK
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 12, 2017
Traditional urbanism is always human scaled. It is the most energy efficient and human view of living together in civilization. pic.twitter.com/CCkFtrb0ls
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 12, 2017
An important difference between traditional and modernist cities are the usees of color. Let's have a look! (This is Bergen, Norway) pic.twitter.com/3YGmDg78Ta
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 31, 2017
Modernists abhorred colors for ideological reasons, and built only in the "honest" grey, white, black, beige.https://t.co/FNtf2lxWaG
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 31, 2017
The result we can see here, in two Dutch waterfronts: modern Amsterdam, Holland and traditional Willemstad, Curaçao, in the Lesser Antilles. pic.twitter.com/DoN75J1jDK
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 31, 2017
Colors contribute to creating a town harmony, both visually and in terms of materials, as in the many red tile roofs of Europe. (Dubrovnik) pic.twitter.com/lNs93cAIar
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 31, 2017
Certain regions and places have become known for certain colors, for spiritual, economical or practical reasons. Here, just a few examples:
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 31, 2017
Edo Black. In old Japan, rich merchants used black lime, hand polished to a mirror sheen to protect against fire, to show their prosperity. pic.twitter.com/Wg9PGLhhPN
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 31, 2017
Falu Röd. From the 17th c. onwards, many Swedish houses were coated with a copper based pigment, durable and extremely easily maintained. pic.twitter.com/PRPYnxRqj7
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 31, 2017
Habsburg Yellow. In a multinational central European empire, all official buildings used the same color, to create unity & visual identity. pic.twitter.com/Xz6NEmxP6i
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 31, 2017
Haint Blue. Or "Haunt" blue, is common in the US South, especially entrances, porches, windows: believed to repel insects as well as ghosts. pic.twitter.com/dtSyVeWBjs
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 31, 2017
Color could also be aspirational: Chinese green tiled roofs are made to look the ancient bamboo rods, but today meaning longevity, youth. pic.twitter.com/hgFrmLpNUf
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 31, 2017
But maybe the greatest use of color in architecture was achieved in medieval stained glass windows, colors that still can't be replicated. pic.twitter.com/hd29jR2qOp
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) July 31, 2017
It is time to talk about the materials which define traditional urbanism: wood, earth, brick, and stone, as opposed to modern: steel, glass. pic.twitter.com/RWUW1Ztykt
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) August 3, 2017
Traditional towns were sustainable, in durable easily sourced local materials, leaving no waste and fully recyclable, from source to ruin: pic.twitter.com/vloltYABny
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) August 3, 2017
Near forests, making your own log houses was cheap, easy, ecological. Fire resistant, earthquake proof, naturally insulated: carbon sink! pic.twitter.com/tx9gdmKpCH
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) August 3, 2017
With a bit of stucco you could even turn the humble log cottage construction into a proper neoclassical chateau, as this Swedish loghouse. pic.twitter.com/1J1CcIYuZb
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) August 3, 2017
If you had less wood, half timbered houses were relatively easy to raise. The infill between the timber posts could be mud, brick, stone. pic.twitter.com/sofFzG2me9
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) August 3, 2017
If you were successful in your business or workshop, you could just add a couple of floors: its the most flexible architecture imaginable. pic.twitter.com/E6tlCaL2wO
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) August 3, 2017
In stony terrain you can use fieldstone to put up proper stone buildings, walls etc. Farmers will thank you. And its easy: just... pic.twitter.com/aRfTIPgLPT
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) August 3, 2017
…pile them up! No need to use mortar if you have lots of time and space. Or… pic.twitter.com/LKTW5QjIF3
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) August 3, 2017
…you can apply a bit of mortar for stronger, taller, slimmer walls. More effort but still a local product. Roofs can be made of slate. pic.twitter.com/xy4cwTBUTt
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) August 3, 2017
Of course the fanciest buildings use cut stone, but looks great anywhere. These walls will last virtually forever with a bit of maintenance. pic.twitter.com/HVzmRaGMuR
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) August 3, 2017
No wood, no stone, no problem! If we live in a drier climate we can make an entire town in simple dried mud brick, like Abyaneh in Iran…. pic.twitter.com/ai2qWULwks
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) August 3, 2017
…but the easiest (especially in wetter climates) is of course fired brick (this is Pennsylvania). And just as with log houses… pic.twitter.com/xgGVerbhMm
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) August 3, 2017
….they can be made to look like anything you want. Palladio made his name and fortune in the 16th c., by rediscovering brick, stucco, Rome. pic.twitter.com/J6WJgFS23d
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) August 3, 2017
Or skip the brick making part and just dig earth up and ram it in place. Like the Church of the Holy Cross (Stateburg, South Carolina, USA). pic.twitter.com/S4xnLcOGKO
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) August 3, 2017
…or this gorgeous 17th c. chateau in France, Vaugirad. Rammed earth dug from the very spot it stands on. How's that for local/ecological? pic.twitter.com/oG7NbI6esM
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) August 3, 2017
By using—above all—locally sourced material instead of steel and glass, we can create ecological, sustainable, human scaled towns… pic.twitter.com/Ia5VMD0IQr
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) August 3, 2017
…that we can build & maintain by ourselves, for ourselves, and pass on to generation after generation of our children, with good conscience. pic.twitter.com/ksPgMoAc9D
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) August 3, 2017
“A city is most a city when it is sharply defined by a wall.”
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) August 7, 2017
— Hilaire Belloc pic.twitter.com/fo8Pjz3L8x
“The medieval city did not break through its walls and stretch over the countryside in an amorphous blob.”
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) August 7, 2017
— Lewis Mumford pic.twitter.com/tqONuhuZHw
“When I approached Viterbo I first saw an astonishing wall, untouched, the bones of the Middle Ages.”
— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) August 7, 2017
— Hilaire Belloc, The Path to Rome pic.twitter.com/3zIGbPA0YB
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