In an age of globalization and standardization, cities around the world are losing their historical and cultural identity. Keywords: Traditional Medinas; Contextual Characteristics; Urban Pattern INTRODUCTIONSince the mid-20th century many cities in North Africa, and elsewhere in the Muslim world, have witnessed increasing implementation of contemporary urban projects due to rapid economic growth and associated increase in population. Many countries sought quick urban housing solutions and consequently implemented foreign strategies and models in the new urban developments.The newly-adopted strategies were completely different from the original morphological pattern of traditional cities, and seldom had any regard for their historical and social context. In his book, 'The Failure of Modern Architecture ', Brolin (1976) states that the ideology of modern architecture mostly deals with the way people should live, rather than the way they do live. In the contemporary, so-called 'Modern' housing types, courtyard houses along with their concepts and formal elements were forgotten and replaced by new types, usually in the form of linear apartment buildings, tower blocks or suburban villas.Traditional cities of the Muslim world are an endless motivation for research projects. This study explores three traditional medinas in the region of North Africa. The main objective is to derive principles from historical precedents, in order to improve the quality of contemporary built environment, and to develop a framework that allows cultural identity to be clearly reflected in contemporary architecture and the overall built environment. Whereas the exploration of traditional built environment usually involves two aspects; social and physical context, social context is not the focus of this paper, which focuses on the physical aspects of traditional cities, and explores contextual characteristics of three major traditional medinas in term of their visual form, urban fabric and land use.
Residential neighbourhoods are vital parts of cities, accommodating various activity patterns that reflect the daily life for residents. Each residential neighbourhood is characterised by housing typology and urban pattern, which has been formed and transformed overtime. The city centre of Tripoli has experienced continuous growth and witnessed intensive development programs that transformed residential neighbourhoods and housing typology. This study explores the characteristics of six different neighbourhoods within the city of Tripoli and establishes a profile for each, focusing on the way in which key principles and values are perceived. Using defined indicators, the study measures the spatial typology, architecture pattern, accessibility, activity/use, and type of users. Assessing the characteristics of each neighbour-hood the paper examines functional, social and perceptual attributes through the use of a walking tour assessment, which is composed of checklists and a scoring system. Findings demonstrate the absence of landscape features, such as greenery elements and appropriate street furniture, as well as absence of adequate facilities or designated playing areas for children. The paper calls for assessing existing residential districts as a step towards generating neighbour-hoods that are meaningful and prosperous.
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to offer a framework to contextualise the formation and transformation of three major medinas in North Africa, namely, Tripoli, Tunis and Fez. The framework is designed to identify key factors that formed these medinas in the first place, and key causes of transformation in reference to three distinctive forces: colonisation, modernisation and globalisation, which include political, economic and social changes that influenced the transformation process. Design/methodology/approach Colonisation, modernisation and globalisation changed the physical appearance and urban fabric, introduced new architectural styles and at the same time changed the social structure, lifestyle, and the inhabitants’ perception and use of spaces within their medinas. Physical aspects of the transformation process are investigated using comparative case studies, while social aspects are studied through interviewing three main actors in housing: users, decision makers and professional architects. Findings By identifying key factors of formation and main drivers of transformation, together with analysing the physical and social aspects associated with the transformation process, the framework aims at developing a holistic, complex picture of housing transformation within a specific context: the medinas of North Africa. However, the framework is introduced as a valuable tool for exploring the transformation of other cities with relevant and similar context. Originality/value Through the use of comparative case studies and interviews, the study focuses on capturing the essence of traditional medinas, understanding the reality of social change within housing transformation and contextualising the physical aspects of housing transformation.
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