Conceptual bases of English urban morphology

Abstract

This article presents, interprets and applies the conceptual foundations established by the English School of Urban Morphology. The English School has its origins in studies conducted by MRG Conzen in towns of Alnwick and New Castle upon Tyne, northern England, between 1950 and 1960. Conzen a German geographer who immigrated to England in World War II, graduated from the School of Geography Berlin, whose conceptual bases were structured on the landscape and its visible results. In this approach, the investigation of the changes and continuities is used to demonstrate the fundamental emphasis on the urban landscape and time. The research method of the form is given by the use of vision tripartite, consisting of the study of urban planning, urban fabric and pattern of use and occupancy. These structures are analyzed as a function of the time intervals that define the morphological periods. As a result of these analyzes, it has been the process of evolution of the urban landscape. Thus, it is possible to understand the natural tendencies of transformation and ensure continuity of important aspects of urban landscapes. The aim of this study is to equip the analysis of contemporary urban landscapes.