Michael E. Smith writes a very interesting piece on How ancient cities can help us understand modern cities. And this paper caught my attention:
Ur, Jason A., P. Karsgaard and J. Oates (2007) Early Urban Development in the Near East. Science 317:1188 [ungated version]
Abstract: It has been thought that the first cities in the Near East were spatially extensive and grew outward from a core nucleated village while maintaining a more or less constant density in terms of persons or households per unit of area. The general applicability outside of the Near East of this southern Mesopotamian.derived model has been questioned recently, and variations from it are increasingly recognized. We can now demonstrate that such variation was present at the beginnings of urbanism in the Near East as well.
Ur, Jason A., P. Karsgaard and J. Oates (2007) Early Urban Development in the Near East. Science 317:1188 [ungated version]
Abstract: It has been thought that the first cities in the Near East were spatially extensive and grew outward from a core nucleated village while maintaining a more or less constant density in terms of persons or households per unit of area. The general applicability outside of the Near East of this southern Mesopotamian.derived model has been questioned recently, and variations from it are increasingly recognized. We can now demonstrate that such variation was present at the beginnings of urbanism in the Near East as well.
- New estudy by SFI - Cities – ancient and modern, big and small – follow same rules of development (ht João Vitor Meirelles)
