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141
THE IMPACT OF HISTORICAL SUBURBS ON THE STRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT
OF CITIES (BASED ON EXAMPLES OF EUROPEAN CITIES)
Dalia Dijokienë
Department of Urban Design, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University,
Trakø g. 1/26, 01132 Vilnius, Lithuania. E-mail: dijokai@takas.lt
Abstract. In this article the author aims to answer the following questions: Has the defence wall separated the historical town from
its suburbs for good? Have historical suburbs influenced the formation of the urban structure? Or have they disappeared without
leaving a trace on the face of towns? A few European cities have been selected for this research, where the development of the
historical suburbs were separated by clear borders. These cities are: Vienna (Austria), Dresden (Germany), Munich (Germany),
Copenhagen (Denmark), and Vilnius (Lithuania). The study of the historical development of these cities and their plans dating back
to the early 19th century focused on analysing the extent to which their development has been impacted by the historical suburbs.
The study covers the period until the mid 19th century. The author comes to a conclusion that historical suburbs are an inseparable
part of the structure of a towns historical kernel. Having summarised the features of the historical-urban development of a number
of European cities, the author singles out the features of the historical suburbs.
Keywords: historical town, historical suburb, urban structure, town uniqueness, heritage.
1. Introduction
The town is a picture of the cosmos opposed to the
chaos existing right outside the towns walls. Thus the
role of the towns wall is to be the wall of the world, the
horizon of the town[1]. In Italian civilization, the
establishment of a town normally started by ploughing a
furrow around the future town. This symbolized the
elimination of chaos. Lithuanians followed a similar
tradition: led by intuition, they ploughed a furrow around
a field before ploughing it all, or cut the first swath around
a wheat field before cutting the field. The wall-boundary
concept has persisted to the present day. According to
sociologists, clearly-defined boundaries are among the
most important factors uniting the community of a
residential area into an organized unit. Whatever the
reasons for erecting walls have been, walls have always
had a significant influence on the formation of towns. In
many cases they have determined the density of the
network of streets, buildings and estates of the urban
kernel and its suburbs, as well as the dispersion of
compositional marks.
Has the defence wall separated the historical town from
its suburbs for good? Have historical suburbs influenced
the formation of urban structure? Or have they disappeared
without leaving a trace on the face of the towns?
In this article the author aims to answer these and other
similar questions. A few European cities have been selected
for this research, where the development of different his-
torical suburbs was separated by clear borders. These cit-
ies are: Vienna (Austria), Dresden (Germany), Munich (Ger-
many), Copenhagen (Denmark), and Vilnius (Lithuania). The
study of the historical development of these cities and their
map plans which date back to the early 19th century focuses
on analysing the extent to which their development has
been impacted by their historical suburbs. The study covers
the period until the mid 19th century, as the 19th century saw
an expansion of the industrial development and change in
the conditions of urban expansion.
2. Main features of the urban development
of European cities and historical suburbs
2.1. Vienna
The historical-urban development of Austrias capital
city is unique. The historical suburbs have played an im-
portant role in the citys formation. The origin of the city
was a Celtic settlement, which became a Roman military
camp (Vinbodona) in the 1st century AD. Roman medieval
walls around the early settlement were gradually extended
during the 15th and 16th centuries. Later they were strength-
ened by bastions, earth and stone constructions, and sur-
ISBN XXXXXXX
Urban Heritage: Research, Interpretation, Education
142
rounded by a 380 meter-wide clear space. In a map plan
dating back to 1833, this territory is called das Glacis (Fig1).
As the population grew, the space for construction within
the fortified part of the town became scarce, which is why
countryside-type settlements started to develop around the
green belt (das Glacis). This process continued in the
16th and 17th centuries, and as a result the entire old town
was surrounded by suburbs, which suffered from various
sieges. The reconstruction of the suburbs after the Turkish
siege in 1683 was very costly, which is why it was decided
to protect those territories too. In 1704 a defence wall was
erected around the outer town (the suburbs) as well. It re-
mained until 1893 [2, 3].
The urban patterns of the medieval kernel of Vienna
and its historical suburbs dating back to the Renaissance
period differ. The blocks in the historical suburbs are big-
ger, the coverage of land with buildings is not so dense,
free space in the suburbs is occupied by gardens and parks,
and the streets of the radial design meet in the kernel. At
present, these different parts of the city are connected by
the broad Ringstrasse, where the fortification had been pre-
viously. In 1857 an urban design competition for the empty
space of das Glacis was held by Emperor Franz Joseph.
The territory was arranged according to the proposal by
Ludwig Foerster he allocated approximately 60 % of the
open space to residential use, 20 % to the Ringstrasse, and
the remaining 20 % to parks and building sites (Rathaus,
Parliament, Justice Chamber, University, Opera House, St.
Carl Church) [2, 3].
Figure 2 clearly shows that the historical suburbs of
Vienna are an important part of the historical centre.
2.2. Dresden
The historical centre of Dresden comprises five differ-
ent parts (Fig 3 and 4). The original settlement was estab-
lished on the right coast of the Elbe river. Although this
territory is called Neustadt (New Town), people were al-
ready living there already in 1206. In the 17th and 18th centu-
ries Neue Anlagen was planned in the Baroque style to the
north of Neustadt. This was 10 treelined avenues radiating
from a large central circle (the plan was by Wolf Kaspar von
Klengel). To the northeast there was discontinuous devel-
Fig 2. Structure of Viennas historical centre (scheme according
to the 1833 map-plan)
I urban kernel (Medieval town),
II defence field (das Glacis),
III historical suburbs (Renaissance town)
Fig 1. Vienna, 1833 [2]
Fig 4. The structure of Dresdens historical centre (scheme according
to the 1833 map-plan)
I New Town (Neustadt); II New Annex (Neuer Anbau); III Old Town;
IV Historical suburbs (IV1- Wilsdruffer Vorstadt, IV2 See Vorstadt,
IV3 Pirnaische Vorstadt); V Frederick City (Freidrich Stadt)
Fig 3. Dresden, 1833 [2]
Section 4. Role of Urban Heritage in Contemporary City
143
opment, which was almost rural in nature, comprising a
surprising variety of activities in this settlement (an orphan-
age and a school for the poor, a bath, a theatre, a chicory
manufactory, etc.). The name of the settlement was New
Annex (Neuer Anbau). The third component of the urban
area of Dresden, which chronologically developed shortly
after the first settlement across the river, was the Old Town
on the left bank of the Elbe. The Old Town was surrounded
by a defence wall, which was dismantled in 1810-1817. The
informal arrangement of streets and densely covered city
blocks were typically medieval. This component of Dresden
is the historical kernel (Dresden proper). It was surrounded
by three irregular suburban developments: Wilsdruffer
Vorstadt, See Vorstadt and Pirnaische Vorstadt. These
suburbs were different from the rest of the urban area. They
had strip development along streets, superblocks, large
open areas, and buildings that were of many different sizes
and shapes. Later the build-up in the suburbs became denser.
The fifth component in the western part was Frederick
City (Friedrich Stadt). It is the only regular rectangular
layout in the entire area, founded by Augustus I (1526-
1586) [2].
Dresdens historical suburbs were among the most
important components shaping the citys overall urban
structure.
2.3. Munich
Munich was established on the river Isar in 1158. The
town was surrounded by defence walls constructed by 1253
and expanded in the 14th century. The walls marked the
towns borders till the early 19th century. Since 1807 Munich
has developed beyond these borders [2].
Munich is a good example of the development of
numerous European cities (with the population and
density of buildings growing fast, along with the fast
development of suburbs). However, compared with other
cities, its development beyond the defence walls started
rather late, in the early 19th century. One of the reasons
was the forested surroundings. In the map plan of 1832,
the expanded historical suburbs bore the names of the
forests (Ludwigs Forst, Maximilians Forst, Isar Forst,
Anna Forst, Fig 5 and 6). Like in the case of many other
cities, Munichs suburbs developed spontaneously
(apart from rectangular blocks in the north-western part
Fig 6. The structure of Munichs historical centre (scheme according to
the 1833 map-plan)
I urban kernel surrounded by defence wallsII suburbs that developed
in the 19th centuryIII parks, squares
Fig 5. Munich, 1832 [2]
Fig 8. The structure of Copenhagens historical centre (scheme
according to the 1833 map-plan)
I urban kernel surrounded by a fortification system
II suburbs that developed in the 19th century, managed systematically
III solitary homesteads
Fig 7.Copenhagen, 1837 [2]
Dalia Dijokienë / Urban Heritage: Research, Interpretation, Education, 141145
144
of the town) and the spatial and political restrictions of
suburban development were more lenient than in the
towns kernel.
2.4. Copenhagen
The town was established in 1167 where previously a
fishermens village had been located. In its early formation
period, Copenhagen grew in a similar way as other Euro-
pean cities in the 17th and 18th century the medieval kernel
of the complex network of streets was connected with new
blocks of a regular plan (Fig 7 and 8). Still this town had a
unique feature the complex fortification system around it,
preserved until the 19th century. For military and defence
reasons, any construction outside the fortified borders of
the town was prohibited. The prohibition was abolished
only in 1851. Unlike in other towns (for example Vienna and
Dresden) no suburbs were developing around Copenhagen,
except for solitary wooden huts. The only way for the town
to expand was higher and denser constructions. In just the
span of a few decades in the mid 19th century, chaotic
suburban constructions (mainly industrial buildings and
workers quarters) encircled Copenhagen. In the period of
1857-1871 several projects were drawn up suggesting ways
how to regulate the growth of the disorderly suburbs. In
the late 19th early 20th centuries the suburban territory
(part of which was under private ownership) was controlled
systematically [2, 3, 4].
Due to the strict restrictions hindering the develop-
ment of Copenhagens suburbs, they appeared only in the
mid 19th century, and their growth was systematically con-
trolled, therefore it may be stated that the towns urban
structure was not influenced by a spontaneous development
of suburban territories.
2.5. Vilnius
The plan and space structure of old Vilnius is an exam-
ple of a naturally developed organism with all the traces of
the development preserved. Until the second quarter of the
19th century, no major urban actions were undertaken in this
town. The structure of the towns plan was mainly deter-
mined by the roads and topographic conditions. As the
network of Vilnius streets developed according to the prin-
cipal of natural adjustment, blocks of various shapes were
formed. The form of the most of the blocks is either non-
symmetrical prolonged rectangular or triangular.
At the beginning of the 16th century (1503 1522) the
kernel of the town, surrounded by water, had a defence
wall built around it. This wall not only influenced the de-
velopment of the towns plan (streets leading to the gates
in the wall gained greater significance) but also notably
changed the composition of size and space. Buildings
became denser in the territory surrounded by the walls,
and the walls and the towers of gates enriched the
panorama. This part of the town was in a way separated
from the rest of the territory and became a fortification by
nature. It became the dominant feature in the valley, which
also included the main landmark, the Upper castle
(Aukðtutinë pilis).
What was Vilnius like beyond the town wall? Develop-
ment of the suburbs started before the erection of the wall.
They were built along the main roads of the town. The
concepts of town and suburb were finally established at
the beginning of the 16th century (when the wall was built
around Vilnius). The area inside the wall was called the
town and the area on the other side was the suburb. The
town was separated from its suburbs by legal means as
well. The residents of the town were under the authority of
the magistrate, while the dwellers of the suburbs were not.
In addition, the residents of the town had to discontinue
their agricultural activities. They had no right to live in the
town and be engaged in agriculture in their land plots
beyond the town wall.
Vilnius has more than one historical suburb. The plan
structure of the suburbs and the composition of the resi-
dents made them different from the town and from each
Fig 10. The structure of Vilnius historical centre (scheme according
to the 1833 map-plan)
I urban kernel surrounded by a defence wall in the early 16th century
II par t of town beyond the defence wall the suburb
III more detached suburbs
Fig 9. Vilnius, late 19th century [14]
Section 4. Role of Urban Heritage in Contemporary City
145
other. The development of the plans of Vilniuss suburbs
could be characterized in the following ways:
They developed spontaneously;
the Suburbs built alongside the main roads have linear-
type plans (Auðros Vartai, Rûdininkai);
the Suburbs development was influenced not only by
the main roads but by other factors as well (Uþupis,
the suburb outside the Vilnius Gates).
The suburbs of Vilnius enjoy picturesque landscapes
ranging from springs to valleys and hills. In the course of
history, the suburbs gained features characteristic only of
them and thus attained potential to develop in their own
particular direction.
3. In summary
The analysis of the historical development of the cit-
ies offers a conclusion that historical suburbs are an in-
separable part of the structure of a towns historical kernel.
Having summarised the features of the historical-urban de-
velopment of a number of European cities, the author singles
out the following features of historical suburbs:
Historical suburbs started to develop around the towns
kernel almost immediately after the establishment of
the town, if their development was not hindered by
unfavourable natural conditions (Munich), strict re-
strictions (Copenhagen) or other obstacles.
Urban nuances of historical suburbs were determined
by a variety of factors: location, natural conditions,
roads connecting the town to the outside world, the
towns fortifications, social and national composition
of the population, the dominant function and its corre-
lation with the towns centre, and the subordination of
a suburb to the law.
Normally the building-up of suburbs was more exten-
sive. If no clear urban structure developed by approxi-
mately the mid 19th century, in many cases new con-
structions changed the face of the historical suburbs,
leaving only the original network of streets.
It is wrong to analyse the development of the towns
historical centres separately from their suburbs. Stud-
ies of historical suburbs complement the picture of
towns development.
As time has passed, suburbs have been merged with
the towns urban pattern. This principle of urban de-
velopment should underlie the need to manage the
growth of current suburbs.
Preservation of the values and unique aspects of the
development of the historical suburbs is important for
the preservation of the uniqueness of the town itself.
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About the author
Dalia Dijokienë
Doctor of the Humanities (arch), associate professor
Currently she lectures on architectural design. She has
participated in 2 international conferences and 5 conferences in
Lithuania. She is the author or co-author of more than 20 projects
of architectural design and planning.
Research interests: urban nuances of town spatial expansion
beyond the old towns borders.
Dalia Dijokienë / Urban Heritage: Research, Interpretation, Education, 141145