The study of urban form in Slovenia

Kaliopa Dimitrovska Andrews; Vladimir Drozg; Ivan Stanič

doi:10.51347/UM30.0005

Authors

Kaliopa Dimitrovska Andrews New University European Faculty of Law
Vladimir Drozg
Ivan Stanič New University European Faculty of Law

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51347/UM30.0005

Keywords:

urban morphology, urban planning and design, preservation and rehabilitation of urban heritage, morphological methods and elements, slovenia

Abstract

Understanding urban forms is a necessary part of urban planning and depiction of the historical and regional characteristics of cities. In Slovenia, knowledge about urban morphology is mostly the domain of, first, architects, town planners and urban designers and, secondly, geographers, and some art historians and ethnologists. The first group apply urban morphology to discern traces and trends for future spatial development of cities, while the second apply urban morphology to recognize the characteristics of city structure and their regional specificities. Their common feature is that, at first, both were based on intuitive recognition of urban forms; while, in the second half of the twentieth century, this approach was replaced by an analytical approach, which deals with entire cities, as well as particular morphological elements. Development of digital spatial analyses has enabled greater objectivity and comprehensiveness. Knowledge about urban morphology in Slovenia represents, first, the starting-point for envisioning spatial development and structures of new city quarters, which are integral elements of urbanistic plans; secondly, a key resource of characteristics of urban renewal areas and for plans for safeguarding urban tissues; and finally, a tool for defining urban design regulation. The results of such urban morphological research are an integral part of urbanistic projects, as well as in the depiction of buildings and form of cities and rural settlements.

Author Biographies

Kaliopa Dimitrovska Andrews, New University European Faculty of Law

Understanding urban forms is a necessary part of urban planning and depiction of the historical and regional characteristics of cities. In Slovenia, knowledge about urban morphology is mostly the domain of, first, architects, town planners and urban designers and, secondly, geographers, and some art historians and ethnologists. The first group apply urban morphology to discern traces and trends for future spatial development of cities, while the second apply urban morphology to recognize the characteristics of city structure and their regional specificities. Their common feature is that, at first, both were based on intuitive recognition of urban forms; while, in the second half of the twentieth century, this approach was replaced by an analytical approach, which deals with entire cities, as well as particular morphological elements. Development of digital spatial analyses has enabled greater objectivity and comprehensiveness. Knowledge about urban morphology in Slovenia represents, first, the starting-point for envisioning spatial development and structures of new city quarters, which are integral elements of urbanistic plans; secondly, a key resource of characteristics of urban renewal areas and for plans for safeguarding urban tissues; and finally, a tool for defining urban design regulation. The results of such urban morphological research are an integral part of urbanistic projects, as well as in the depiction of buildings and form of cities and rural settlements.

Vladimir Drozg

Understanding urban forms is a necessary part of urban planning and depiction of the historical and regional characteristics of cities. In Slovenia, knowledge about urban morphology is mostly the domain of, first, architects, town planners and urban designers and, secondly, geographers, and some art historians and ethnologists. The first group apply urban morphology to discern traces and trends for future spatial development of cities, while the second apply urban morphology to recognize the characteristics of city structure and their regional specificities. Their common feature is that, at first, both were based on intuitive recognition of urban forms; while, in the second half of the twentieth century, this approach was replaced by an analytical approach, which deals with entire cities, as well as particular morphological elements. Development of digital spatial analyses has enabled greater objectivity and comprehensiveness. Knowledge about urban morphology in Slovenia represents, first, the starting-point for envisioning spatial development and structures of new city quarters, which are integral elements of urbanistic plans; secondly, a key resource of characteristics of urban renewal areas and for plans for safeguarding urban tissues; and finally, a tool for defining urban design regulation. The results of such urban morphological research are an integral part of urbanistic projects, as well as in the depiction of buildings and form of cities and rural settlements.