City Planning in Greece and Rome
City Planning History of City Planning City Planning in Greece and Rome
The emphasis on planning broadened during the Greek and Roman eras. The Greek architect Hippodamus of Miletus planned important Greek settlements such as Priene and Piraeus (Pireás). Called the father of town planning, he emphasized a geometric design for towns. Religious and civic citadels were oriented so as to give a sense of aesthetic balance; streets were arranged in a grid pattern; and housing was integrated with cultural, commercial, and defense facilities.
The Romans continued these principles. Their designs for monumental temples, arches, gymnasiums, and forums are classic examples of city planning based on strict regard for symmetry. Their colonial cities, planned as military camps called castras, were laid out with a grid of streets surrounded by rectangular or square defensive walls. After the fall of the Roman Empire, cities declined in population and importance. From the 5th to the 14th century ad, medieval Europe planned towns around castles, churches, and monasteries, with informal street arrangements. (1)
In this Section: City Planning, City Planning History, City Planning in Greece and Rome, City Planning in the Renaissance and Beyond, City Planning in the 20th-Century, City Planning After 1945, Modern City Planning,
Comprehensive City Planning, City Planning Development Controls, City Planning Policies and City Planning Future.
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