Urban Design International (2008) 13, 21–40. doi:10.1057/udi.2008.4
Mediterranean urban and building codes: origins, content, impact, and lessons
Besim S Hakim1
1Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
Correspondence: Besim S. Hakim, Tel/Fax: +1 505 298 4711; E-mail: arcan@sprynet.com
Abstract
This study on codes is based on the context of the Byzantine and Islamic civilisations of the Near East and the territories that were under their direct or indirect rule and/or influence across all of the northern and southern parts of the Mediterranean basin. The study's sources and examples cover 14 centuries, from the 6th to the early 20th century. The article is divided into six sections: origins and diffusion, content of the codes, examples of specific codes, impact on the built environment, lessons for contemporary and future practice, and a conclusion. The section on lessons addresses in some detail the attributes of the traditional system as it relates to the phenomenon and science of Emergence.1 This is of crucial importance because it is a primary consideration for achieving successful sustainability in our cities and built environment in general.
Keywords:
Mediterranean, Byzantine, Islamic, codes, generative program, emergence
1 'Emergence is what happens when an interconnected system of relatively simple elements self-organizes to form more intelligent, more adaptive higher-level behaviour. It is a bottom-up model; rather than being engineered by a general or a master planner, emergence begins at the ground level'. From book cover (Johnson, 2001).
