The Mercantile CityThe Mercantile City

economyeconomy pre-industrial capitalism, pre-industrial capitalism, 1600s-mid 1800s 1600s-mid 1800s (exc. (exc. Venice, Milan, Genoa, Bruges)Venice, Milan, Genoa, Bruges)

sitesite generally on navigable generally on navigable waterways at break-in-bulk waterways at break-in-bulk pointpoint

scalescale small enough to cross on small enough to cross on footfoot

morphologymorphology compact rounded shape; compact rounded shape; land-uses and populations land-uses and populations not greatly sortednot greatly sorted

situationsituation close ties to hinterlands, close ties to hinterlands, weak ties to a few trading weak ties to a few trading partnerspartners

Waterfront SiteWaterfront Site

Image source: http://www.postaprint.co.uk/ LONDON

Waterfront SiteWaterfront Site

Image source: http://www.postaprint.co.uk/ VIENNA

Changes in valuesChanges in values

► nobility and clergy slowly lose ground to nobility and clergy slowly lose ground to traders and craft guildstraders and craft guilds

► guilds provided education, insurance, guilds provided education, insurance, identity and entertainmentidentity and entertainment

► speculation on land and shipping led to a speculation on land and shipping led to a more adventurous and entrepreneurial spiritmore adventurous and entrepreneurial spirit

► work initially improves quality of life, then work initially improves quality of life, then moves towards industrial era’s ideal: “work moves towards industrial era’s ideal: “work for the sake of work”for the sake of work”

► people no longer shy away from change, people no longer shy away from change, slowly move toward industrial era’s “change slowly move toward industrial era’s “change for the sake of change”for the sake of change”

Cycle of Infrastructure Cycle of Infrastructure GrowthGrowth

INNOVATIONS ININFRASTRUCTURE

NEW KINDSOF DEMANDS ONINFRASTRUCTURE

URBANGROWTH

BUSINESSINVESTMENT

MORETRADE

BETTER TRANSPORTATIONINFRASTRUCTURE

Agricultural Roots of Urban Agricultural Roots of Urban GrowthGrowth

►Organic fertilizer comes into use (manure)Organic fertilizer comes into use (manure)►Technique of crop rotation is developedTechnique of crop rotation is developed►Fallow period is shortenedFallow period is shortened►New-world crops introduced from 1500sNew-world crops introduced from 1500s►Enclosure (1750-1850)Enclosure (1750-1850)►Clearing of woods, drainage of marshlandClearing of woods, drainage of marshland

Strong ties to rural hinterlandStrong ties to rural hinterland

Picture source: http://www.postaprint.co.uk/

Big European cities by 1500?Big European cities by 1500?

►““big” at this time was over 100,000big” at this time was over 100,000►Some already benefited from long-Some already benefited from long-

distance tradedistance trade RomeRome MilanMilan VeniceVenice ParisParis

Big European cities by 1750?Big European cities by 1750?

► Rome, Milan, Rome, Milan, Venice, Paris still Venice, Paris still had over 100,000had over 100,000

► Now joined by:Now joined by: LondonLondon DublinDublin AmsterdamAmsterdam Lyons Lyons Berlin Berlin

MadridMadrid LisbonLisbon NaplesNaples Palermo (Sicily)Palermo (Sicily) ViennaVienna MoscowMoscow

Changes in the urban systemChanges in the urban system

►Activity was now greater in NW. Europe Activity was now greater in NW. Europe than in S. Europethan in S. Europe

►Cities in this area were now protected by Cities in this area were now protected by the states that contained them, so walls the states that contained them, so walls were no longer necessarywere no longer necessary

►The biggest cities depended increasingly on The biggest cities depended increasingly on their relations to other European cities their relations to other European cities rather than focusing on their hinterlandsrather than focusing on their hinterlands

►Colonies in the Americas & elsewhere drove Colonies in the Americas & elsewhere drove European development by the 1700sEuropean development by the 1700s

The U.S. The U.S. urban urban

system,system,18001800

(pre-railway)(pre-railway)

Don Meinig Atlantic America, 1492-1800

The Walking CityThe Walking City

The Walking CityThe Walking City

► pedestrian scale (r < 2mi.) pedestrian scale (r < 2mi.) ► layering of activities in vertical spacelayering of activities in vertical space► roads narrow and muddyroads narrow and muddy► waterfront dominated by mills, warehouses, waterfront dominated by mills, warehouses,

docksdocks► dense populationdense population► land uses not very sorted out (but low-lying land uses not very sorted out (but low-lying

flood-prone areas were “reserved” for flood-prone areas were “reserved” for industries & the poor)industries & the poor)

Transportation & Transportation & Communication TechnologyCommunication Technology

►steamboat from early 1810ssteamboat from early 1810s►major canals (e.g. Erie Canal) from 1820smajor canals (e.g. Erie Canal) from 1820s►steam locomotive from 1830ssteam locomotive from 1830s►telegraph from 1840stelegraph from 1840s►new infrastructure accelerated urban new infrastructure accelerated urban

growth and ushered in the industrial eragrowth and ushered in the industrial era►how?how?

Planning took a back seat to Planning took a back seat to money-makingmoney-making

► grid layout was quick and easy to plangrid layout was quick and easy to plan► grid also promoted buying and selling of lots grid also promoted buying and selling of lots

and propertiesand properties► solar exposure, though understood by solar exposure, though understood by

Neolithic people and was now forgottenNeolithic people and was now forgotten► not until 19th c. was the need for parks and not until 19th c. was the need for parks and

playgrounds recognizedplaygrounds recognized► attention to the appearance and the safety attention to the appearance and the safety

of the built environment decreased (until of the built environment decreased (until 20th c.)20th c.)

Application of a Application of a simple systemsimple system

http://www.carto.com/chighlights/us_east.html

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~blkyn/Map/NY.1807.html

1764

1807

Growing PainsGrowing Pains

►Mercantile cities were beset by various Mercantile cities were beset by various problems due to the unprecedented problems due to the unprecedented concentration of peopleconcentration of people FireFire Epidemic disease (cholera, tuberculosis, Epidemic disease (cholera, tuberculosis,

etc.)etc.) CrimeCrime Traffic accidents (yes, horse-drawn Traffic accidents (yes, horse-drawn

vehicles could kill people!)vehicles could kill people!)

Sanitation ProblemsSanitation Problems

►Wastewater was not adequately isolated Wastewater was not adequately isolated from drinking water sourcesfrom drinking water sources

►Pigs were allowed to roam the streets to Pigs were allowed to roam the streets to clean up food scrapsclean up food scraps

►Horses contributed to the mess in the roadsHorses contributed to the mess in the roads►Human wastes were thrown into the streets Human wastes were thrown into the streets

from windows at the 2from windows at the 2ndnd story and above story and above►Human wastes were dumped directly into Human wastes were dumped directly into

canals and rivers that ran through the citycanals and rivers that ran through the city

John Snow’s Cholera mapJohn Snow’s Cholera map

► Mortality map drawn in Mortality map drawn in 1849 cholera epidemic1849 cholera epidemic

► First application of First application of geographical information for geographical information for the purpose of epidemiologythe purpose of epidemiology

► Debunked theory of Debunked theory of “miasmatic” transmission“miasmatic” transmission

► Resulted in the removal of Resulted in the removal of the handle from the water the handle from the water pump on Broad Street in pump on Broad Street in 18541854

► Various schemes for Various schemes for isolating fresh water and isolating fresh water and treating sewage followed treating sewage followed from this discoveryfrom this discovery

Source: http://www.csiss.org/classics/content/8

SummarySummary

► Capitalist urban systems developed for Capitalist urban systems developed for several hundred years before several hundred years before industrializationindustrialization

► This period was characterized byThis period was characterized by Waterfront sitesWaterfront sites Pedestrian scalePedestrian scale Poor sanitationPoor sanitation Growing tradeGrowing trade Changes in valuesChanges in values Simplification of land use patternsSimplification of land use patterns Dawning of the application of science to areas Dawning of the application of science to areas

such as urban health and transportationsuch as urban health and transportation