ABSTRACT
We have discussed in the previous chapters the formation and build of the historic town in general. It will be apparent that towns differ markedly in their morphology according to the conditions of their development, the nature of their dominant activities, the degree of their natural and planned growth, and the conditions of site with which they had to contend. Families of towns may thus be recognized, not only as types, but also as regional groups. Moreover, it is evident that towns in western Europe as a whole show marked contrasts to those of the adjacent major cultural areas of the Continent. Finally, it will be clear that the morphological approach cannot be based on fragmentary comparisons, for cities which differ widely in essential character have similarities in the detail of their aspects. To describe widely differing cities as “ canal cities ” because they are threaded by canals gives in itself a very shallow basis of comparison. The approach must be genetic ; in other words it must seek homologies of form in the light of historical development and function. 1 In this chapter we shall attempt to outline the regional variations of the historic town, without attempting the impossible task of submitting a comprehensive classification. This, then, is essentially a typological study, and is illustrated by annotated plans to show types of urban habitat and trends of urban topographic formation.
