Urban morphology

Urban morphology is the study of the physical form of cities and towns, including streets, plots, buildings, and how these patterns change over time.

Street network: The arrangement and connectivity of streets and paths within an area. Its layout shapes movement and subdivides urban land into blocks.
Plot subdivision: The division of a land parcel into smaller parcels. Subdivision alters plot grain and can create new streets or building sites.
Camillo Sitte: An Austrian architect and theorist whose 1889 book analyzed the artistic composition of historic urban spaces. His street and square studies shaped early analysis of urban form.
Urban design: The shaping of streets, public spaces, buildings, and development patterns in urban areas. Morphological analysis helps designers understand the existing structure their proposals alter.
Grid plan: A street layout in which roads intersect in a regular, usually orthogonal pattern. Its regular geometry contrasts with irregular or historically layered street plans.
Urban block: A land area bounded by streets and divided into individual plots or lots. Blocks connect the street network to the plots and buildings within it.
Land readjustment: A planning process that reorganizes land parcels to provide infrastructure and redistribute development rights. It can reshape parcels and street layouts without replacing an entire district.
Patrick Geddes: A Scottish biologist and urban planner who linked city planning to regional survey and social change. His survey-before-plan approach treated urban form as an evolving process.
Historic preservation: The protection and management of buildings, sites, and urban areas valued for their cultural or historical significance. Reading historic plots and street patterns can guide area-scale conservation.
Radial city plan: An urban layout organized around routes radiating from a central point or district. Radial structure offers a distinct alternative to the grid's repeated blocks.

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