‘Under prevailing forces of globalisation and urbanisation, urban forms are undergoing substantial growth pressures which need to be accommodated.’
urbanistiX supports the collection of data from established, planned and emerging Global Cities having different typologies.
Through observing the dynamics, morphology, evolution and shape of both their private built developments and facilities and public infrastructure and transport networks, this can lead to management of enhanced physical places and arteries.
Under prevailing forces of globalisation and urbanisation, urban environments are undergoing substantial growth pressures which need to be accommodated. Such transactional forces are evolving in different ways, creating varying patterns of settlement in established, planned and emerging Global Cities across different continents.
With the goal for urban inhabitants of securing a harmonious place to live and work in, safely with proximity for market transactions, we seek purposeful fit, essential services and good urban form. This needs to facilitate the experience of a sense of place, in emergent and sustainable environments that enhances physical, mental and economic well-being.
These transactional challenges in the evolution and morphology of cities and in managing growth pressures in the integration of places and networks for mobility are demanding. In addition, the issues of resilience under prevailing forces of climate change in many cities are also increasingly relevant.
As traditional cities built their cores and surrounding suburbs, newer emerging cities, mega-cities and extending urbanised areas – especially in the Global South – are growing fast. With extensive informal areas, these are creating whole areas of poly-nodal development that are generating new megalopolitan agglomerations with continuously extending peripheries.
Accordingly, the aim is to assess the evolution of these areas, services and communications for different mixes of inhabitants, in differing urbanised areas and regions around the world. The global challenge of service provision is to be furnished in a sustainable, renewable and equitable manner so as to provide protection, safety and resources for dense groupings of people in an increasingly urbanised world environment.
Through comparative assessment of different cities and regions, under different patterns of development and typologies, their morphology and evolution can be monitored through both settlements of built form, and arterial transport networks and infrastructure.
Methodology:
Tools
In order to undertake a comparative assessment of the morphology and development of 50 Global Cities, the summary characteristics of a series of major cities are presented. These are illustrated for each city by the following:
Satellite Image
City Plan and Metropolitanised Area
Population Density
Aerial Photos
Metro Plan
Highway Plan
These enable users to test interactively the physical evolution of individual cities and to track key parameters of population, built form and arterial networks that are shaping modern cities given their unique geographical context.
These templates reflect the core characteristics of each city which are readily recognisable by planners and residents, and usable by businesses and service providers. With illustration of key features and landmarks, the characteristics of each place and development pattern is clearly illustrated.
Of particular value are population density patterns and transport networks which are traceable across these cities.
Coverage
Using these tools urbanistiX contains a data and map-base of the largest 50 Global Cities which demonstrate the key demographic, physical and human resource characteristics of each city.
Through interrogation of the satellite imagery and city plans, and analysis of built networks and facilities, the distribution of population density is also visible.
These largest Global Cities are listed by continent:
North America
South and Central America
Europe
Africa
Mid-East
Asia
Oceania
These Global Cities are also listed by typology, for example:
Organic – historic
Planned – new
Maritime, estuarial and island
Mountain
Modern American
Trans-national
Megalopolitan
Through appraisal of selected distinct areas and nodal centres, a detailed comparative assessment of the data of each city enables both its human dynamics and built morphology to be further investigated.
About Nigel C. Lewis
urbanistiX Founder & Designer
Nigel C. Lewis is an author and practising designer, whose new book ‘Global City Typologies: Transactional Forces in Urbanised Development’ explores the historical, cultural, and socio-economic transactional forces in the development of existing cities through to newly planned and emerging cities.
He is also the author of ‘Design and Order: perceptual experience of built form – principles in the planning and making of place’, outlines the principles behind the successful planning and creation of inspired built forms and urban places.
Nigel has more than thirty years experience in the planning and design field where, as part of multi-disciplinary design and construction teams, he has been responsible for the planning and realisation of both built facilities and urban infrastructure.
He has also written extensively on techniques for project structuring and financing, and sustainable approaches to future development.
For further information or enquiries, please email nigelclewis@gmail.com, or submit a request by filling out the form below.