Short description:

This book includes a historic overview of urban planning on the Iberian Peninsula and in Morocco from 700 AD until the 20th century. Chapters detail the untold story of Muslim refugees, who founded towns in Morocco, the conflicts between Morocco and Spain, and the slow change from Islamic to Christian cities.

Long description:

This book includes a historic overview of urban planning in the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco from 700 AD until the 20th century.

Under Muslim rule, there was an urban sophistication which was unfamiliar in the Christian world, with the conquest of Granada and the discovery of America often seen as the beginning of a new era. This book presents a different view of Spain and Portugal which does not equate with the glamorous picture usually painted about the 16th century. Chapters detail the untold story of Muslim refugees, who founded towns in Morocco, and how the conflicts between Morocco and Spain started not only politically but also in terms of town planning, when Spain took over the Moroccan north. The history of Islamic city planning shows more consistency compared to the Christian equivalent, which became dominant worldwide, whereas the Islamic approach is mainly forgotten. Despite this, the change from Islamic to Christian cities was extremely slow regardless of the power of the church and the wealth which came from abroad. In tracing this history, this book seeks to highlight the past in order to learn from it and move towards building a future of liveable cities.

This book will be of interest to students and instructors of planning history, urban planning and human geography and to people who are generally interested in history and cities.

Table of Contents:

About the Author  Preface  Acknowledgements  Glossary   1. Historical Background Before and When the Muslims Arrived  2. The Concept of the Islamic City and the Main Historic Cities in Morocco  3. Urbanisation under the Muslims and the Development of the Christian Kingdoms  4. The Structure of the Muslim Town and Town Planning  5. The Development of New Towns in Some European Countries  6. New Towns in the North of Spain and Portugal and Some Unsolved Questions  7. The Change from Muslim to Christian Cities  8. The Depths of the Muslim Legacy  9. City Planning in the Renaissance and Beyond  10. Renaissance in Spain 11. Portugal and Town Planning in Lisbon  12. The Portuguese Islands in the Atlantic: Madeira and the Azores  13. Town Planning in the Spanish New World  14. Urban Planning by the Portuguese in Africa: Some Examples  15. The Enlightenment in Spain and Portugal  16. Spain in the 19th Century  17. New Towns in Morocco from the 15th to the 19th Centuries  18. Morocco: Urban Planning in the Colonial Period: Blessing or Curse?