1 THE HISTORY OF CITY PLANNING FROM EARLY TIMES TO RENAISSANCE Early times Man began to live in long-lasting between , when systematic cultivation of plants and the of animals made more permanent settlements possible. Around such as the , the , , and the production of food, led to a 'urban revolution'. The first true urban settlements appeared around . settlements 8,000 to 10,000 years ago domestication 4,000 B.C., technological improvements plough loom metallurgy storable 3,000 B.C. in ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt and the Indus Valley Greeks and Romans It was in the , or polis , that the idea of 'city' reached its peak. In the past, reserved certain areas for meetings, recreation, , and . Athens and Rome were two great examples of this kind of urban organisation. Greek city-state 1 city-dwellers trade worship Middle Ages around cities provided protection to the city inhabitants and to people that could escape behind the walls during enemy attacks. A large number of cities became because of population , but this problem was solved by the walls and rebuilding them or building new cities nearby. in medieval Europe so the stood in the centre of the city and was the biggest and most expensive building. Thick walls rural overcrowded growth knocking down farther out Religion played an important role church The Renaissance This was a period of that began in Florence, Italy, in the early 15 century and to Rome, Milan, and then the rest of Europe in the . Several famous artists of the period, such as , who invented the theory of linear perspective , were involved in works cities. The research of symmetry and the creation of balanced compositions were central themes, as well as the of monumental buildings, obelisks, and statues at the ends of long, straight streets. great artistic development th spread 16th century Filippo Brunelleschi 1 to beautify axial placement WARM UP Do you know the history of the town or city where you live? If so, draw a brief timeline in your exercise book and write down periods or dates of the main historical events. DO Surf the net to get information about the main characteristics of the Greek polis. 1 MORE Linear perspective: Brunelleschi observed that with a fixed single point of view, parallel lines appear to converge at a single point in the distance, discovering a method for calculating depth. 1