|
|
We're continuing
our theme of the 19th Century Hypertrophic City versus the Traditional City.
The basic characteristics of the 19th Century Hypertrophic City are:
1) Very wide streets, which are unfriendly to pedestrians although they were
laid out 50-100 years before cars.
2) Very large buildings to go with the very wide streets. Actually, the 19th
Century Hypertrophic City tended to start with Traditional City-style
buildings of about 3-5 stories, but towards the end of the 19th century and
the first half of the 20th century, the taller buildings were added.
3) Except for the very wide streets, which are dominatd by cars, there is
typically little Non-Place in the 19th Century Hypertrophic City. Not too
much Green Space or Parking Lots.
4) A tendency toward monolithic (large, with featureless walls) buildings and
The Grid in all things, from street layout to architecture.
5) A preference for suburban-style farmhouse-on-a-quarter-acre format in
residential areas wherever possible.
The basic character of the Traditional City is:
1) "Really Narrow Streets," which is my terminology for a street
that is a normal, usable size for a human being ("pedestrian").
2) Generally small-scale buildings of 3-5 stories high.
3) No Non-Place
4) A tendency toward a more biomorphic form in design and street layout.
5) A preference for Traditional City urban design (townhouses, apartment
buildings) in residential areas, even in very small villages.
But these are just words. Today, we'll look at Toledo, Spain -- a decent
Traditional City -- and Toledo, Ohio, which is a typical U.S. 19th Century
Hypertrophic City.
Can you tell the difference?
Which do you like better?
Most importantly, if someone gave you a blank piece of paper, do you know how
to design a city that is like Toledo, Spain instead of Toledo, Ohio?
Actually, you should try designing a place like Toledo, Ohio too. Then you
would know how it is made, and thus what to avoid.
Toledo, Spain or Toledo, Ohio?
Actually, the European model tends to be a bit ... stony. I would like to see
more things at street level to interact with. Mostly shops and so forth.
Maybe a little greenery in residential areas -- window boxes or potted
plants, or little pocket parks. A few more balconies, with French doors and
so forth. (NO Green Space!)
Not too many cars here either. They just sort of disappear when you make the
streets narrow enough.
* * *
Spain or Ohio?
These are actually the nicer shots of downtown.
* * *
You know I like this sort of thing.
* * *
See what I mean about that hugemungous street in the middle? All the time.
* * *
Toledo is a very old city, and Spain hasn't been wealthy for about four hundred
years. Still, this stuff looks good don't you think?
* * *
To be fair, some of Toledo, Ohio's downtown areas are reasonably passable.
Like I said, 19th Century Hypertrophism is oddly best at its most
hypertrophic. Manhattan style. Skyscrapers!
However, even at its best, the 19th Century Hypertrophic City tends to be
rather cold and unforgiving. People are little specks in stone canyons,
huddled between five lanes of roaring traffic and the blank stone facade of a
megabuilding. It's no place for kids or old people, and most women don't like
it either. Pretty soon they start to dream about their cozy little home in
the suburbs. Things that are soft, gentle, inviting. Human-friendly.
* * *
I like this photo. Happy people. Also, unlike some of those streets which
tend to be a bit featureless, we have lots of shops and signs here, and a bit
more interesting architecture In general, I like the Asian format better,
where there is over-the-top shops and signs everywhere. It looks like a bit
of a mess in a photo, but it is tons of fun.
See what I mean? Chinatown, Yokohama
Sangenjaya, Tokyo.
But, back to Toledo.
A quiet street like this is nice when you want to get away from the
hugger-mugger of the commercial areas. Good residential street.
Seems kinda boring compared to Sangenjaya though, doesn't it?
* * *
The downtown skyscraper areas, which are the most attractive bits of the 19th
Century Hypertrophic City, tend to be only a small part (under 10%) of the
city as a whole. Most of the typical 19th Century Hypertrophic City tends to
look like ths.
That megaroadway is a lot less appealing without megabuildings. Certainly no
place to walk.
Monolithic.
This is actually a nice building, looking rather forlorn as it faces the
usual mega-roadway.
The 19th Century Hypertrophic City doesn't age well. Outside of the downtown
commercial areas, where there's enough money to keep things in shape, it
tends to become rather decrepit. Remember, this is the wealthiest country on
earth. Those old European cities last for hundreds of years, and still look
good.
As per the Heroic Materialist aesthetic, many buildings were made as cheaply
as possible. In those days, that meant blank brick boxes.
I'll leave you with a few more shots of Toleo, Spain to raise your spirits a
bit.
* * *
When streets are pedestrian-sized, they can be paved nicely.
One of the reasons I'm spending so much time on the 19th Century Hypertrophic
City is to demonstrate that, despite predating cars by 100 years, it is a
failure. It is not very good for pedestrians, and not very good for cars
either. This problem was resolved after World War II -- not by making cities
better for pedestrians, but by making them better for cars. This is the
Suburban Hell format, with lots of parking, even more and wider roadways, and
lots of Green Space to make all the pavement and traffic less miserable.
The tendency today, especially among those in the U.S., is to try to make
Suburban Hell a little more pedestrian-friendly, but without giving up cars
altogether. Since there are so many examples of 19th Century Hypertrophism
around, and this seems "traditional" to Americans, the results tend
to follow the 19th Century Hypertrophic format. Unfortunately, this didn't
work the last time around, and it won't work today either. Oddly enough, when
you fully embrace the Traditional City, then you can add cars too and it is
generally OK. I don't think Toledo, Spain has a regulation against
automobiles. Probably, shops and so forth get their deliveries by truck.
Probably there is bus service to other cities. However, the personal
automobiles just sort of naturally disappear. Nobody needs them anymore, and
they are expensive and hard to maintain.
If you really want one, you can rent a car for the weekend. Nobody ever does.
Because, a comfortable, beautiful carfree Traditional City like Toledo, Spain
is not the kind of place where you spend Monday through Friday thinking:
"I need to get out of here."
In fact, it's the kind of place that people in the U.S. go on their vacation!
How many people from Toledo, Spain visit your shitty suburb?
Sangenjaya, Tokyo.
Nathan
Lewis
Nathan
Lewis was formerly the chief international economist of a leading economic
forecasting firm. He now works in asset management. Lewis has written for the
Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal Asia, the Japan Times, Pravda, and
other publications. He has appeared on financial television in the United
States, Japan, and the Middle East. About the Book: Gold: The Once and Future
Money (Wiley, 2007, ISBN: 978-0-470-04766-8, $27.95) is available at
bookstores nationwide, from all major online booksellers, and direct from the
publisher at www.wileyfinance.com or 800-225-5945. In Canada, call
800-567-4797.
|
|
