IN-PERSON Barcelona. Section B

Abstract

The accretion of time and history that contributes to the formation of cities leads to the evolution of an urban fabric that acts as a layering of spatio-temporal aspects. This is perceived as quite a different process in planned cities, where there is less spontaneous development; however, the plans still go through multiple changes leaving some parts of the city less integrated into the new intentions of the urban fabric. Thus, the aim of this paper is to examine the differences in the planning history of the city to determine those schisms. This presentation starts by outlining the morphological approach being used to map the physical aspects of the changing urban fabric and proposes the use of degree of change as the primary means of interrogating the interrelationship of both physical and planned qualities of the urban environment. The city of Canberra will be utilised as a case study, mapping its changing plan over time. The analysis of the city will compare significant phases in its construction and development, starting with the 1912 Griffin Plan. This is supplemented with a morphological comparison of key heritage forms to their historical precedents. The research uses GIS mapping, standard deviation, and diagramming tools to develop an understanding of the degree of change. The morphological approach uncovers the interrelationship between physical and planned aspects of urban transformation in Canberra and adds to the reading of the city as a layering of spatial and temporal changes.