The 10 British principles of Urban Design An application to the Greek context
MAUD 2013-2014 Ioanna Psatha
Introduction The most special element that leads to a sustainable urban environment and forms a conservation oriented city, is not its economic background but its level of livability (Aga 2010). In the current paper, I will try to investigate the ability of Greek cities to be responsive and liveable, regardless of their economical problems, taking into consideration the degree to which each of the 10 British principles which guide the urban design interventions (legibility, permeability, variety, richness, robustness, visual appropriateness, biodiversity, energy efficiency, cleanliness and community control) apply to Greek civic structures. Bellow I discuss where and in which way those appear in several cities throughout Greece and how significant their role is in the development of my country.
Legibility, permeability, variety, richness, robustness and visual appropriateness From the ancient times until now, most Greek cities have always had a legible planning layout. Landmarks, nodes and paths, especially those with a substantial historical value, are strongly connected to each other in a way that they give to cities a memorable figure which is always taken into account every time that a new design proposal comes out. The most typical example of a present-day city that preserves its historic heritage while using it to form a legible planning layout, is Thessaloniki, the second biggest city of Greece. After the great devastating fire in 1917 that destroyed the two thirds of Thessaloniki, the new urban plan for the city center and for the future expansion of the city, was designed by Ernest HĂŠbrard. The new plan (fig.1) , apart from including a clear street network that would control traffic, created a city figure with wide diagonal avenues which visually connected the monumental squares and historical sights and made the city a unified ensemble. In construction, the city center kept most of the elements that HĂŠbrard's plan had and now constitutes a totally legible urban form (Wikipedia 2013). Another excellent example of a legible place is the historic city of Folegandros, where public squares are organized in a straight line in a way that they form a magnificent continuity of public open spaces which can be easily imprinted in memory (Aga 2010).
Fig. 1: HĂŠbrard's urban plan for Thessaloniki
Permeability, additionally, plays a significant role in the way urban fabric is created in Greece. It is remarkable the fact that in almost all Greek cities one can meet the perimeter block which most meets the demands of a permeable place. However, the close space in the center of the blocks is usually a dead place as in most cases is not accessible. In addition, due to the fact that there is not any specific regulation that indicates the maximum dimensions of an urban block, most cities adopt a dense grid of usually large blocks that most of the time decreases the level of permeability. By taking a look at the two biggest cities of Greece, Athens and Thessaloniki, we can see that the average larger dimension of the block in the city center is about 110m. This, together with the fact that city centers are composed of narrow streets, not only has a serious impact on the permeability but also on the micro-climate of the area (Tsianaka 2006). On the other hand, dwellings in the residential areas are usually lifted up, thus creating an open space (pilotis1) which is often used as a car parking or a communal garden. In this case the block is totally permeable and gives a great sense of transparency despite the fact that decreases the level of privacy inside the block (fig.2).
Fig. 2: A typical example of a flat with “pilotis� on the ground floor
When it comes to variety Greek cities have a lot to demonstrate. Apart from the residential areas, most blocks or buildings in the other areas accommodate different kinds of uses. Especially in city centers or around public squares of a great importance where there are more pedestrians or traffic, one can see a magnificent variety of land use. A dominant example of a city with a wide variety of uses is Ermoupolis. Ermoupolis is located in Syros island and in the early creation of Greece was designed to be the capital of the country. Therefore, in that area, commercial, governmental and leisure land uses co-exist from that time until now. In the center of the city stores and markets stand next to hotels or offices, boat facilities are adjacent to industrial or recreational activities etc (Dimelli and Ioannidis 2013). 1. Pilotis, or piers, are supports such as columns, pillars or stilts that lift a building above ground or water. Le Corbusier used them in a variety of forms during the period of modernism in architecture. (Wikipedia The free encyclopedia 2013. Piloti [Online] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piloti [Accessed 19 Oct. 2013])
In this point it would be very interesting to also investigate the richness that appears in Greek cities. Apart from the variety in functions and land uses, in Greece one can find plethora of different types of buildings, social mixtures and places who attract people for several reasons. Firstly, focusing in Thesssaloniki, we can see that despite the fact that the city has received a large number of immigrants during the last decades, this has not resulted in the creation of clusters and problematic areas. Hence, social separations in Thessaloniki are not that strong and visible (Leontidou 1990; Labrianidis and Lyberaki 2001, cited in Labrianidis, Lois, et al [no date]). Firthermore, even though there is a general economic division between eastern - western districts, due to the availability of low value housing and land (in west side), this does not prevent the social mixture of people especially around the city center. Secondly, in Thessaloniki, like in almost every historic Greek city, there is a magnificent mixture of buildings coming from different periods of time and representing those different patterns of design (fig.3).
Fig. 3: Ag. Sofias square in the center of Thessaloniki. The neoclassical landmarked building Longos Pansion “red house�, which was built in 1926, is placed next to buildings built between 1958-60.
When it comes to robustness things in Greece are a little bit depressing. Unfortunately, most contemporary buildings' dimensions exceed the appropriate ones in order to be effectively illuminated and ventilated (average height and width reach 18m and 15m respectively). In addition, Greek cities lack transitional spaces between public and private places, particularly in city centers where many land uses appear together. All these decrease the robustness of the buildings despite the fact that in last 10 years many of them are beginning to be used for different purposes (warehouses or old buildings are now accommodate several uses such art galleries, theaters, exhibitions etc). Even if buildings do not meet the demands for robustness they do meet the demands for visual appropriateness in terms of how clear their design is in order to communicate the uses and facilities available. For instance, while walking through the city one can meet different kinds of forms according to the use: flats with balconies for residential uses, high buildings with glass facade or windows for offices and impressive buildings for opera houses or museums. Consequently, it is quite easy for people to interpret places and understand their meaning. (fig.4)
Fig.4: from left to right: a residential building, an office building, a concert hall
Biodiversity, energy efficiency, cleanliness and community control Greece has a wide variety of animals, plants, fungi, algae, microorganisms and ecosystems, one of the largest in Europe. With its varying geomorphology and climatic range has taken on a unique biodiversity with particular plant and animal forms, many of which are found nowhere else in the world. In order to preserve this unique biodiversity, Greece has a establish a conservaiton policy for all th Natura sites which cover 26% of the Greek terrain. However, according to data that European Commitee gave in public in 2009, Greek government in many cases, has failed to put in practise the needed precautions in order to protect properly the natural environment (WWF Greece and Greenpeace et al. 2009). On the other hand, Greece has been sensitized in terms of the energy efficiency of the buildings and has made a great effort towards a sustainable environment during the last decade. Greece had to comply with the commitments of the Kyoto Protocol (2002) until 2012 (Theodoridou and Papadopoulos et al. 2011). For that reason, and although Greece is still trying to succeed in this sector, a new regulation (Regulation of Energy Perfomance of Buildings) has been established to calculate the energy consumption of each building and how that can been reduced. According to this, every building over 50m 2 (old or contemporary) has to be reviewed and finally aquire a certificate which indicates the level of its energy efficiency (Y.P.E.K.A 2009). In terms of cleanliness, the majority of big cities in Greece facing a serious problem because of the high amount of air pollution. In particular, in the capital of Greece, the problem is so intense that municipality decided to put in practice a measure for reducing vehicle traffic in the center of Athens. According to this, during the weekdays, the allowance of a car to enter city center depends on its registration number. Furthermore, new means of transportation have been added such as tram, underground and public buses in order to lower the pollution stemming from the cars. As far as for the level of community intervention in new urban and planning projects, I would say that Greece makes a great effort to encourage public participation. In several cases, local authorities asked for peoples' opinions by providing them questionnaires or by organizing public workshops and exhibitions to encourage them to get involved.
CONCLUSION Concluding, Greece is a country with a magnificent history in terms of urban planning, which tries to preserve until today. “Historical urban cores and urban waterfronts represent the most significant elements of the Greek city’s physiognomy� (Gospodini 2001) and as a consequence every new conservation and renewal plan focuses on how to emphasize this physiognomy (Voulgaris 1998, cited in Gospodini 2001 p. 292). However, it is an undeniable fact that Greece has a long way to go towards a more sustainable and ecological urban environment.
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Figures Fig. 1: Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thessaloniki#Cityscape [Accessed: 20 Oct. 2013] Fig. 2: personal file Fig. 3: Available at: http://wikimapia.org/1487498/Longos-Mansion-The-Red-House [Accessed: 20 Oct. 2013] Fig. 4: a)Available at: http://oikotechnodomi.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/207841_137431359663187_12671347740164 2_245701_3172510_n.jpg [Accessed: 20 Oct. 2013] b)personal file c)Available at: http://act-in-idios.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/25.html#.UmP-NhC9JPo [Accessed: 20 Oct. 2013]