Green space in urban morphology: a historico-geographical approach

Despite the large areas occupied by green spaces in most cities, and the increased recognition of their importance, they have received little consideration by urban morphologists. A sizeable proportion of urban green space occurs in fringe belts. Continuous fringe belts have generally originated adjacent to present or former physical limitations on urban growth, most strikingly next to city walls. Discontinuous fringe belts have much more often come into existence during other hiatuses in urban growth, particularly related to slumps in housebuilding. The findings of research on green spaces in both types of belts are considered in this paper. Attention is drawn to the fact that the significance of these belts for planning, particularly in the case of those not related to physical limits on urban growth, has not hitherto been given the attention it merits. The integration of green-space development into historico-geographical thinking is pursued and its value in research and practice is underlined.