Plan of Rome, Giovan Battista Noli, 1748 ROMA INTERROTTA URBAN DESIGN TACTICS Steven Peterson* STEVEN PETERSON URBAN DESIGN TACTICS Urban design is & synthetic, inventive mapping of physical conditions which establishes and explores whole areas of the city. In other words, tie acchi- tecture ~ but encompassing more in sal, inten tion, and technique. ‘Three basic questions of ‘morphology are connected with the discipline of Urban desig ‘in ts examination of the ety 382 physical en: Firsts What isthe essential, prerequisite medium of urbanism fel? Second: What are the constituent urban elements ofthe city? a ‘Third: What are the formal strategies and tactics avalable to provide coherence and relationships among these eloments? pT tein of Un ‘The Noli’ map epitomises the basic condition of w a 28 the interwoven relationship of spaces, incorpot- Sting the eatie. spectrum of sequences. which onrect the public and sempublic to the private, ‘The space as itis drava in Noli isa particular and specific conception that ean be interpreted as the Positive actuality of volumetric form: the space more figural than the sollds which define {tite conceived as 2 positive entity In an interated ree lationship with the surrounding sold iti elf the. prerequisite medium from whlsh the whole fabrie of urbanism emerges, (ly 2). Tis concept ‘of space as.an existent form is prototypial andthe ‘generating ingredient, Is essence of memory are sernible in varying degrees of definition and specificity in every succesful urban situation, “The exact opposite of this isthe modern con- ception of space asa ubiquitous continuum without orm, inhabited by an_assembly of avtonomous ‘objects. ‘Modern’ space is consequently antiurban, fand in comparison to the space of Noll could be called enttspace, 2 Urban Elements Delineation of the elements deriving from space begins with the most characteristic aspect of the city, which isnot the iolated epaceitucf nr the biock'as object, but the combined fabric of bath, extended over an entre area in an sasciated larger {group form. When this area ie recognisable and o- Ferent itis defined at a ied Ite subsidiary ele- ‘mens ae texture, set, square, block, and block Unit, Each of these elements, incloding the fed, ‘an be designed and manipulated ina corresponding relationship between plan and perceptual exper “The fel isan area the city which hes distnet defining characteristics, achieved. through clear cde, clear centre, or distinct texture, G). It ‘ste in form, nondinear, nomaxlal, repetitive, continuous and’ possibly disordered. It has the design qualities of fabric or surface, 4,5); its edges ‘an be shaped; its inner azeaInsribed ith pattern; it can be jolned with othr fields, ovetapped and interwoven. As an aggregate formal entity it some times comespands to dstrets or neighbourhoods, "The cexzure isthe basie matiix material of thecity. It is characterised by the combined pattern of streets, squares, and blocks whose vaviations range ina continuum of typological orders from gridded to random, The variables of texture are degree of regularity, proportion of solid to void, and density. thas aspects of seale and cepetivenes, depending fon the frequency and type of streets and blocks ‘has gran and directionality depending on rato sceet widths and oxientatin, (). The modern, of antlspace, city texture docs'aot provide as many ‘arabs and & Liited to frequency and shythin, ‘The sirets and squares ae the principal cl ments formed from the urban medium of space, ‘They are definitive and specific, constituting the active compositional elements sf the field, The ‘rect is linear, axial open and continuous (a cul: Mlesac isnot a street). It isthe ordering element which connects through the city, beyond any local field, a5 well as the essential constant stand of local texture, The square has the opposite charac fetstes of stvet: itis centealised, closed, and dis- continuous. It acts 25 a spatial variable linked by the streets into the felg. The square, with ite vatiely of possible configuretions, ranges from a ‘eatral place of identity and focus, (7-10), to 2 Detipheralreceptical of mixture and transition, (11, 12) "The block isthe principal constituent physical clement of the urban fold and texture. As such ft 's not necessarily 2 constant, repetitive, modular element, but is itself a variable requiring exibiity in she, proportion, and perimeter configuration, (13) The block i generally not discret, syeameth. cal, or central, buts multiform, inflctve, and peripheral, (14), 1,2 In Noll, figural space as « postive volume generates the urbon medium, SA fleld defled by distinct edge and texture 4 Tie fied’ scribed with orthogonal specee 5 The field composed ofa dlagona gridded texture ‘corresponding 9 terain 6 Taree dusirations of texture wth sarying degrees ‘of regularity, sale, and proportion of solid to wold. ‘ne contcins no blocks but en assembly of large Dulings, another &« trensformed block system, land the third is @ random patter overlaid wit ‘regular lines. THA comples linkage of spaces leading t0 St Stefano Rotondo, The main Paste is an overlap of two square coretponding todifferent directions 9f movement. 9.10 A sequence of spaces can generate @ fleld because of ts specifi identity Its igural quality is ‘an armature for growth. 11-4 regular space serves ot a stable receptical terminating a series of tnflucnces. 12 A complex, multiple space acts tn overlapping Jolnt ‘between ‘two lds and generates ite Own ‘radiating effect back mio the texture 13 The varety of block configurations and sles required to form the Aventine field exhibits no “uniform repetitive module. 14 The block isa constituent fragment of the fled,8 Bp 415 The block is telf @ composite group form with ‘an intemal world. The block unit results from a logical division of propery, its inner positive space providing en aszocitive ttrature for the whole broek. ‘The Block unit: The block itself is not the nuclear element of the city, but is a composite form made of many discrete subsidiary elements or constituent block Units. The typical Boek, it ‘reduced in sie o become a single unitary building, ‘Wil lack the size and adaptability to correspond ‘with external spatial fequirements and will dis ssociate ital from the surounding texture. ‘The constituent block units the critical element fn any usban situation. [tis the nuclear constant ‘which stabiiees and couaterbeances the peripheral lnregularity of the larger block element, The con- staney of the block Unit is achieved though its efinition of a contained inner block space which provides. autonomy, structure, and identity in juxtaposition to its’ asociative role as part of & target group form, (15). "The courtyard i the prototypes! example of this inner block space, but the French hotel cour Thonneur, te English mews, and the private yard of the townhouse, all serve to provide e degree of huclear stability cushioning the block's external lrrgulary. It iat the sale of the block unit that the variety of transformations toa traditional form provide a city’s distinct typology. This the usual Extent to which architecture is concerned Strategies and tactics ‘The perception of these combined elements forms the typical urban experience ~a linked, sequential ‘variety of spacts which integrate distite and Deighbouthoods and establish the degrees of pubic 8nd private realm. The laner block space, acting 2 coherent dialogue with the complex fabric of public outer block space, produces the distinctions ‘which flame event, establish pace, and provide for the necessary transitions of passage, (16). The ange of meaning and interpretation associated ‘with these spatl linkages depends on thee degree ‘of specifiy and articulation. 16 A diagram of the experienced relationthip of izban spaces, from pubile garden into loal street, ‘through neighbourhood square, into semi-private ‘our, up the stair and into private rooms. Urban lim involves the order of distinctions throughout the entre sequence. ‘The exact formal srateples and tactics avalible to achieve this urban condition ate best artiulated in the context of a specific situation. The plan for Roma Interrotie provides some examples. On this site, the existing tevain prohibits a unified total design scheme, buta realistic schedule of implemen tation on any large sit algo suggests 8 programme ‘of incomplete, juxtaposed developments.2 Ky Y SOY ee AY RS 0g Y, oe wR AK Dy SS i Ke Le LX BK 2S 2 eA a uy x Se? SIX RS Sas es a, i” i Lf Yi <7 af oF au 5 SOK Se e ee a sSese SS RS SS 3 < x < RS os ‘The Suategy of Fragments Within the site, each il represents 2 separate prototypleal structure, T'The Aventine as an ideal city, (17: its actual plan is a deformation of this, retaining the closed perimeter and open centre, (18). 2'The Palatine as meastructure: town presumably extends asa field to St John the Lateran, 4). 4 The University Area as Rockefeller Center: an verse model implanted in Rome allows the RCA a dialogue of juxtaposition, 8). %oy RQ ,a ‘The Tactics of Connection ‘Within the site, various methods are used to form connections and’ uansitions between the separate pieces. interpenetration of fils: the overlapping of edges and patternsbetween feldsestablishes a mulpicty (of relationships, G5). 2Continuity of texture: all continuity with the existing Roman centre must be stretched through the narrow bottleneck of the Forum Bosraium, ‘The exiting texture is extended and rechanneed Before, 36), after, 07). ‘3 Public landscape: the structure between the Separate hill fragments Is system of interstitial ” gardens and trees, (38). the site but retains its local origin. The paden ‘becomes an alternative urban strategy, (41). a‘Noli Ptan, Sector Vill