Roman Urban System The Romans created the largest urban system with an excellent transportation system The Romans were masters of engineering efficiency creating aqueducts, sewers, roads, bridges and great public buildings like arenas and baths. The Etruscans had controlled Tuscany from Po Valley south-the Romans learned to build in stone, irrigation and drainage as well as urban living from them. From the Greeks the Romans copied the grid pattern of streets at right angles The Forum became the center of public life

Roman cities had great contrast-great villas & spacious avenues, aqueducts, baths and sewers, yet also – Wretchedly poor housing in 4-5 story over-crowded tenements, dirty, noisy, crime-ridden streets and a population composed of ½ slaves. With the collapse of the empire the city of 1 ½ m. shrunk to less than 50,000

Urban Growth Elsewhere China-rapid growth in the Han Dynasty period-Xian became the Rome of East Asia. Timbuktu developed in West Africa in the 14th cent. While Meroe on the upper Nile developed advanced metallurgy. Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital was the most advanced city in the world with 100,000 by the 16th cent.

Huang He and Wei River Valleys The Chinese purposefully planned their cities. - centered on a vertical structure - inner wall built around center - temples and palaces for the leadership class Terracotta Warriors guarding the tomb of the Chinese Emperor Qin Xi Huang

Pre industrial Europe Muslim invasion of Europe and later the Crusades opened up trade and contact between Europe and the Far East and Near East Paris, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Lisbon, Naples and Venice revived and grew. By mid-15th cent. London had 80,000 and Paris had 120,000. By 19th cent. London was 1 m. while Paris had only 670,000 Top town gate of Salisbury, England Bottom-Nordlingen, Germany-walled city 14th to 16th century

By 17th cent. Europe’s cities were: Urban Environments By 17th cent. Europe’s cities were: Slum ridden Unsanitary Fire traps Plagued by frequent epidemics Crime ridden Places of social dislocation Picture at right-the Medieval Shambles of York, England

Models of Urban Places Gideon Sjoberg explained the stages of urban development in The Preindustrial City: Past and Present (1960) Sjoberg said that all cities were a product of their societies and went through stages: Folk-preliterate Feudal Preindustrial Urban-industrial

Primate Cities Gideon Sjoberg was also the first to study the primate city. A nation’s leading city in size that serves as an expression of national culture. Not necessarily large Dominated by religious and govt. buildings Spacious with wealth near the center Less privileged near the edge or outside wall The leading city of a country. The city is disproportionately larger than the rest of the cities in the country. For example: London, UK Mexico City, Mexico Paris, France - the rank-size rule does not work for a country with a primate city