The Typological Process and the Morphological Period: A Cross-Cultural Assessment

J W R Whitehand, Kai Gu, Michael P Conzen and Susan M Whitehand
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J W R Whitehand: School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, England
Kai Gu: School of Architecture and Planning, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
Michael P Conzen: Committee on Geographical Studies, University of Chicago, 5828 S University Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637-1583, USA
Susan M Whitehand: School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, England

Environment and Planning B, 2014, vol. 41, issue 3, 512-533

Abstract: The concepts ‘typological process’ and ‘morphological period’ have received surprisingly little empirical substantiation despite their familiarity to many urban morphologists. They are examined here in two contrasting cultural areas—England and the Shanghai area, China—over the period from the mid-19th century to the late-20th century. Sequences of ordinary residential building types are recognized in the two areas: for example, historical series of terraced house types in England and historical variations on the lilong development unit in the Shanghai area. Periods characterized by different types and connections between those types are identified. The areas are different in both their building types and their periodizations but commonalities in their processes of change, including those related to the spread of Western fashions, are found. The difficulty of uncovering the mechanism of the typological process whereby one form type is succeeded by another reflects major problems of assembling the requisite data. Many more comparative studies, including between contrasting cultural areas, are needed.

Keywords: building types; historical change; cross-cultural comparisons; data problems; England; Shanghai (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:envirb:v:41:y:2014:i:3:p:512-533

DOI: 10.1068/b39097

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