Human behaviour and urban form. A study from Alexander’s patterns
Poyatos Sebastián, Javiera; Baró Zarzo, José Luisa; Guimaraens Igual, Guillermoa; García Soriano, Lidiaa and Hernández Navarro, Yolandaa
aDepartment of Architectural Composition, Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain
Abstract:
Urban form must have a coherent sense. The sense of urban form lies in its adequacy for human well-being purpose. The appropriateness of form to human behaviour represents a key dimension for this good inhabiting. Therefore, a more sustained research between human behaviour and urban form is required.
In our study, we want to focus on Christopher Alexander's research in A Pattern Language regarding urban patterns. Many of these patterns are linked to healthy human behaviours that find in the corresponding pattern a specific preform, that is to say, a sketch of different possibilities of form. We will focus on the analysis of the most significant ones. This research has the interest of taking advantage of Alexander’s outstanding research in a new direction that leads closer to human behaviour in the city. In this way, healthy human behaviour in the city can be linked to the concept of a specific preform. Each established preform according to this way would provide a solid anthropological basis so that urban designers set their personal formal proposals creatively. In this way, the objective factor of the anthropological preform and the subjective one of the creative freedom committed to reality can be coordinated methodologically. Thus, the aim of this study consists in offering a grass-roots methodology constituted by preforms corresponding to healthy human behaviours in the city from Alexander’s background. Urban planners may use this methodology as an anthropological basis for their specific designs.
Keywords: Urban form; Alexander’s patterns; Antrophological preform; Healthy human behaviours