Date of Award

Spring 5-19-2024

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Major

Urban Studies

First Advisor

Sean Fitzpatrick

Abstract

The city of Rome, as its familiar appellation as “the Eternal City” suggests, is a home to the vast history of Italy and, indeed, Western civilization. It functions both as a destination for visitors, whether tourists or pilgrims, and a home to its residents. The city is one of the most famous in the world, and one of the most desired places to visit. It is in every history textbook. Yet, it was never strictly “planned” by architects or urban designers. Rome went through organic development, changing to fit what the people during different time periods needed from their homes.

If Rome was able to become a notable city through the absence of “theory-driven” development, other cities throughout the world can do the same. When considering a city, planners must first identify the allure of the city, what makes it special, what people love about the area, and how the city suits the residents before they begin to work and change the area due to concepts like the Radiant City movement. While no city will be able to replicate the same “feel” one gets when visiting Rome, the city will be able to develop successfully by using the following lessons the city gave us. Cities built to serve the people must be built by and for the people.

Pedestrian-oriented places are cities, street systems, or sections of cities that are designed to accommodate the comfort and enjoyment of the pedestrian. Originally developed as a characteristic of New Urbanism, the goal of pedestrian oriented places is to emphasize a network of movement using sidewalks, squares, and effective public transportation. The chapter on pedestrian-oriented places discusses importance of planned conservation, public transit networks and the use of cars, multiplicity of choice, and the reason people appreciate cities as a way to express their freedoms (“Pedestrian cities,” N.D.).

Sense of place is defined as a multidimensional, complex construct to characterize the relationship between people and spatial settings. Some geographic places have it, and others do not because of a lack of attachment and belonging (Caves, 2004). This is the feeling that makes residents stay and tourists come back over and over again. Often, cities tend to lack a strong sense of place because of a lack of placemaking qualities, like monuments, stores, restaurants, and other memorable aspects of a city. Rome creates a sense of place by using its history, sidewalk systems, long term residents and their connection to the city, preservation of art, tourism, and the center of the city to its advantage.

Variety speaks to the importance of differing elements throughout the city. Whether it be the variety of building ages, building heights, thickness, and lengths of streets, curved versus straight streets, these elements all work to give visual cues of difference to residents and visitors, thus making the city interesting. Rome is the city of layers. When looking at buildings, it is clear which are from different eras, which have reused parts of past architecture, and which are modern. Zoning systems should consider the creation of variety throughout the city, not letting a single area fall into a category, since the best cities are those of mixture.

Finally, this study will conclude by determining what lessons the city of Rome has to offer. The goal of the piece is not to suggest a city will become Rome, which is impossible, but rather to note the elements that work the best in Rome and transform them into a list that can be applied to any city in the world. The lessons have a focus in history, organic development, and placemaking.

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