Urban Form as Product or as Resource : On some methodological problems in the study of urban morphology

Abstract

In his book on the city the sociologist Michelson. laments the general backwardness of morphological research and holds the "insufficient" conceptualization of the physical environment as a primary cause. Opinions will undoubtedly vary as to what constitutes a sufficient conceptualization, and whether insufficient conceptualization is the consequence or the cause of the backward state of the field remains a moot question. However, there is a general feeling among urbanists that the study of urban form has lagged far behind the functional study of the city, both in the amount and in the quality of the attention paid to it. This is a rather curious phenomenon requiring explanation, since there is no intrinsir; reason why morphological investigation should be less. interesting, less productive, less relevant or more difficult than research in function. It becomes even more question-begging when we recall that understanding morphology is not only one of the ol~est and, once, most central concerns of urban disciplines, but also a precondition necessary for an effective management of our urban physical environment.