Aesthetics of Space Organization: Lessons from Traditional European Cities

For centuries the aesthetic significance of space organization has been one of the
significant subjects of study for most artists, architects, urban designers and
philosophers. Cities which experience diverse stages of growth transmit dissimilar
aesthetic values due to their locations, culture, history and background. This research
will try to take out the aesthetic values of the traditional European cities through the
literature on aesthetic of urban design. Accordingly, this study reflects the term urban
aesthetics in spatial organization. It tries to answer the question of how space
organization can lead to the aesthetic understanding of a place. The methodology for
this study developed based on grounded theory study and qualitative assessments of
European cities thorough the literature review. Overall, the study assessed integration,
visual connectivity, vitality, spatial quality, as the main factors in shaping the aesthetic
quality of the urban environment in European traditional cities. At the end, it proposed
the findings to apply in contemporary urban designing.
JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY URBAN AFFAIRS (2018) 2(1), 66-75.
https://doi.org/10.25034/ijcua.2018.3659