The relationship of building types and plots to changing family structures and land systems in Chinese settlements

Abstract

Through the analysis of plots and buildings respectively, M. R. G. Conzen and the Caniggian school of typo-morphology proposed complementary approaches to the understanding of physical changes in urban form. Understanding the role of building typological processes can contribute to the study of morphological changes. In order to understand the nature of typological processes in the process of changing settlement form, the relationship of plots and buildings to changing social forces requires further investigation. The form of Chinese rural settlements reflected the changing system of landholding and family structure. The typological process and the process of plot change in relation to building activities of individual families are examined in a sample settlement in north China. This study indicates that the investigation of the relationships between building types and plots contributes significantly to understanding the form of settlements.