Urban Morphology

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xxiii

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2. Introduction

   • Vítor Oliveira

   Pages 1-6

3. The Elements of Urban Form

   • Vítor Oliveira

   Pages 7-30

4. The Agents and Processes of Urban Transformation

   • Vítor Oliveira

   Pages 31-45

5. Cities in History

   • Vítor Oliveira

   Pages 47-62

6. Three Cities

   • Vítor Oliveira

   Pages 63-86

7. The Study of Urban Form: Different Approaches

   • Vítor Oliveira

   Pages 87-149

8. From Theory to Practice

   • Vítor Oliveira

   Pages 151-169

9. Relationships with Other Fields of Knowledge

   • Vítor Oliveira

   Pages 171-180

10. Conclusions

    • Vítor Oliveira

    Pages 181-185

11. Back Matter

    Pages 187-192

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This is a book about cities or, more precisely, about the physical form of cities. It starts presenting the main elements of urban form – streets, urban blocks, plots and buildings – structuring our cities and the fundamental actors and processes of transformation shaping these elements. It then applies this analytical framework to describe the evolution of cities over history as well as to explain the functioning of contemporary cities. After the initial focus on the ‘object’ (cities) the book describes how different researchers and different schools of thought have been dealing with this object since the emergence of Urban Morphology, as the science of urban form, in the turning to the twentieth century. Finally, the book tries to identify what are the most important (and specific) contributions that Urban Morphology has to offer to contemporary cities, societies and economies.

• Agents of Change
• Approaches to the Study of Urban Form
• Architecture
• Cities
• Geography
• Theory and Practice
• Urban Form
• Urban Morphology
• Urban Planning
• Urban Transformation
• urban geography and urbanism

“This book constitutes a manual of urban morphology, essential for students who are beginning their studies in this field, as well as for seasoned researchers, especially those who are interested in a new look at concepts and methods. … Urban Morphology would be suitable for undergraduate or graduate courses in geography, sociology, urban studies, planning, and architecture.” (Fátima Loureiro de Matos, Journal of Urban Affairs, May, 2018)

• Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal

  Vítor Oliveira

Vítor Oliveira is Professor of Urban Morphology and Urban Planning at Lusofona University of Porto, Portugal, and Senior Researcher at the Research Centre for Territory Transports and Environment at University of Porto, Portugal. He is an architect and has a MSc in Planning and Design of the Built Environment and a PhD in Planning and Civil Engineering. He is a member of the Scientific Council of the Portuguese-language Network of Urban Morphology (PNUM) and of the International Seminar on Urban Form (ISUF). He is editor of the journal “Revista de Morfologia Urbana” and a member of the editorial board of the journal “Urban Morphology”.

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