Urban morphology is the study of the form of human settlements and the process of their formation and transformation. The study seeks to understand the spatial structure and character of a metropolitan area, city, town or village by examining the patterns of its component parts and the process of its development. This can involve the analysis of physical structures at different scales as well as patterns of movement, land use, ownership or control and occupation. Typically, analysis of physical form focuses on street pattern and building pattern, sometimes referred to collectively as urban grains. The essence of the idea of morphology was initially expressed in the writings of the great poet and philosopher Goethe in 1790 However, the term as such was first used in bioscience. Recently it is being increasingly used in geography, geology, philology and other subject areas. In geography, urban morphology as a particular field of study owes its origins to Lewis Mumford, James Vance and Sam Bass Warner. Peter Hall and Michael Batty of the UK and Serge Salat, France, are also central figures. Urban morphology is considered as the study of urban tissue, or fabric, as a means of discerning the environmental level normally associated with urban design.Tissue comprises coherent neighborhood morphology open spaces, building and functions human activity. Neighborhood exhibit recognizable patterns in the ordering of buildings, spaces and functions themes, within which variation reinforced an organizing set of principles.
Here are some examples of urban morphology in pictures
Site
The site is the actual location of a settlement on the earth and is composed of the physical characteristics of the landscape specific to the area. Site factors include things like landforms is the area protected by mountains, climate, vegetation types, availability of water, soil quality, minerals, and even wildlife.
Historically, these factors led to the development of major cities worldwide. New York City, for example, is located where it is because of several site factors. As people arrived in North America from Europe, they began to settle in this area because it was a coastal location with a natural harbor.The site of an area can also create challenges for its population and the small Himalayan nation of Bhutan is a good example of this. Located within the world's highest mountain range, the terrain of the country is extremely rugged and hard to get around.
Situatuion
Situation is defined as the location of a place relative to its surroundings and other places. Factors included in an area's situation include the accessibility of the location, the extent of a place's connections with another, and how close an area may be to raw materials if they are not located specifically on the site.
Though its site has made living in the nation challenging, Bhutan's situation has allowed it to maintain its policies of isolation as well as its own highly separated and traditionally religious culture.
