ABSTRACT

A notable feature of most settlement patterns is their domination by urban places. Some of the towns may be relatively new foundations, but most are the contemporary occupants of sites which have supported urban life for a long period. To understand this continuity of settlement, and its contribution to the present scene, a historical explanation is required. The current chapter offers the first part of such an explanation, focusing on the evolution of urban places under pre-industrial conditions, which were removed from some parts of the world more than a century ago but still exist in several others. Most of the essay presents a scenario, a general discussion of the processes and patterns occurring in pre-industrial conditions, rather than a detailed description of particular places at certain times.