URBAN COMPACTNESS

Since the last decade of the century, the ongoing
search for a model of sustainable urban form has
given way to an old new idea: compact cities. With
the emergence of a new consciousness of urbanism, a
clear argument that compactness is an essential
feature of urbanity has gained validity.

The vision of compact urban form, similar to those
seen in early phases of human history, may seem to be
just a nostalgic reaction to late-modern urbanism.
Yet a close look at compact city models allows us
to demonstrate the real performance of the concept in
a spatial context like in terms of mobility. Urban Compactness is an attempt to cover all
relevant aspects of the compact city policy from
early modern urbanism until today, amidst the
ideological antagonism between centrism and
decentrism. Relating the question of compact urban
form to its historical, social, and political
background, the book offers a broad framework on the
issue to be discussed in the case of the master
planning history of Ankara, the capital city of Turkey.

This book is for all readers who are interested in
urban policy and design in relation to the basic
formational characteristic of cities: urban compactness.

Autorentext

MSc Urban Design at Middle East TechnicalUniversity, Turkey (2004). PhD researcher at TU Delft Faculty ofArchitecture, Department of Urbanism, the Netherlands.

Klappentext

Since the last decade of the century, the ongoingsearch for a model of sustainable urban form hasgiven way to an old new idea: compact cities. Withthe emergence of a new consciousness of urbanism, aclear argument that compactness is an essentialfeature of urbanity has gained validity.The vision of compact urban form, similar to thoseseen in early phases of human history, may seem to bejust a nostalgic reaction to late-modern urbanism.Yet a close look at compact city models allows usto demonstrate the real performance of the concept ina spatial context like in terms of mobility.'Urban Compactness' is an attempt to cover allrelevant aspects of the compact city policy fromearly modern urbanism until today, amidst theideological antagonism between centrism anddecentrism. Relating the question of compact urbanform to its historical, social, and politicalbackground, the book offers a broad framework on theissue to be discussed in the case of the masterplanning history of Ankara, the capital city of Turkey. This book is for all readers who are interested inurban policy and design in relation to the basicformational characteristic of cities: urban compactness.