The Phenomenology Of The City

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The phenomenology of the city Throughout history urban design has been an important part for the development of civic life. As far back as 4000 years ago people used urban design to express symbolic ideas, and carry out civic rituals. Silbury hill, near Avebury is one of a number of mounds in the area which acted as points for ceremony and organising elements for the local population at the time. The mound is manmade and would have symbolised the fertility of mother earth. The mound can be seen for miles around and so would have always been a focal point and a constant reminder to the civilisation at the time. The height of the mound is deliberate. The top of the mound is always in contact with the sky on the horizon at all times, no matter which angle it is viewed from. This would have had symbolic meaning, probably to do with joining the two major elements most important in the people’s lives at the time, the sky and the earth. This is an early example of how urban design has been used to not only influence the lives of the people around it, but also using symbolism to give the mound great importance in the civilisation at the time. The Acropolis in Athens is another example of how urban design has been used in the past as a symbolic gesture. The acropolis symbolises the house of the gods, for this reason the acropolis is elevated above the civic centre below and so highlights the connection with the sky. The importance of the Acropolis is then re-enforced with ceremonial axes which stretch from the Acropolis through the city. Again the Acropolis can be seen from anywhere in the city, giving a constant reminder of religion and a higher entity. The main ceremonial route up to the Acropolis is the Panatheniac Way. This route was the most important route in the city and so carved its way across the city uninterrupted. The urban design at this point is all

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